The tangled pipes in the walls hummed their lonely tune as the water danced across the dully colored plastered walls. In a soft waltz, the drops made their way down, spinning in random twists and turns until arriving on the damp, shower floor, ending their routine as they tumbled down the metal grates of the drain.

The warmth of the water and the dull, droning ambiance of the pipes was enough to keep Max from spiraling out of control. The lagomorph was huddled on the floor, with his head in between his arms, his ears poking out awkwardly from the gaps of the makeshift furry ball. He convulsed slightly as he rocked himself steadily back and forth in the abyss he had created for himself.

The locked bathroom was dark, the only light source visible emanated from the bottom of the weathered door frame, reflecting the light of the outside moon gleam in a shallow, gray pool. It was the perfect environment for the rabbit to decompress in - well - as much as he tried to. Images from the past emerged as visions obscuring his eyesight. Memories of the pain he had experienced throughout his life and his adventures flashed into consciousness like bullets ripping through flesh.

Although the rabbit took these memories by the horns during the daytime with his playful banter, they pained him in the darkness of the night, where there was no one to joke with, no one to be annoying to, and nothing to distract him about the reality of the job of being part of the Freelance Police - only there, alone in the darkness, existed solely himself.

As the thoughts continued, the lagomorph began to succumb to the pressure of the pain he held within. Salty tears streamed down Max's white fur, mixing with the stream of hot, billowing water that the shower provided. He coughed a couple of times before beginning to sob, his pained whimpers echoing throughout the bathroom walls. "Why won't they stop," Max screamed within his mind, "Why won't they just go away! I don't want this, please, stop-!"

A muffled thud came from the other side of the bathroom, followed by some heavy, labored panting. "Max!" a voice, husky and fearful, yelled through the foggy atmosphere of the steamy shower. "Darnit, I'm coming in there!"

After a moment, the door was hit again, this time more forcefully. The impact caused the door to move ever so slightly, loosening its hold from its locked position. Again, the door was punched, creaking with every blow from the outside that connected. After a few minutes of crunching, the door finally flung open, releasing the cloud of steam that enveloped the bathroom. The hot humid, atmosphere of the room was quickly dissipated and replaced by the coldness of the rest of the apartment's air.

There was another thud as the person on the other side of the door landed on the floor. The person let out a pained groan before gripping onto the side of the white, ceramic bathtub and pulled himself up. Without warning, the person ripped the curtain away from the shower to expose Max, still sobbing in the same position he had been in for about the past hour.

Sam, with his ruffled copper fur and crinkled, unbuttoned shirt, stared sympathetically at his partner lying before him. How he hated to see his friend in such an upset state. Without any hesitation, the dog climbed into the bath and gently picked up his friend, wrapping his strong arms around the lagomorph's frame and pulling him into a safe, warm embrace. "It's alright, pal, I'm here. I'm here." Sam whispered as he rubbed his friend's back, his white fur dancing as the warm water blanketed them both.

Max buried his face deep into Sam's soft, fluffy fur, being enveloped in the comforting warmth that his partner provided. Finally, after what it seemed like an eternity of sobbing and shaking, he felt safe. Max unwrapped his lanky arms from himself and returned the embrace that the dog had offered to him only moments ago. The rabbit tightened his grip, making sure there was no distance between him and Sam. "As long as Sam's here, it's okay…" he assured himself repeatedly "...it's okay, it's okay…."

The two of them stayed on the floor of the shower for a good while, basking in each other's comfort before Sam reached over and turned the shower dial off, plunging the room into a deep silence. Max's whimpering had now died down into only the occasional sniffle that escaped from his nose. With his free hand, Sam gently titled Max's round head up so it was facing his own, their eyes now locked in an intense stare.

"You okay now, little buddy?" Sam whispered, wiping the remaining tears away from Max's matted fur.

"Yeah….thanks, Sam." Max muttered, his voice still a little rigid from the sobbing, "And sorry you had to see that, next time I'll channel my sadness into something more practical, maybe against that guy who stole your dumb hat that one time…"

"Max…" Sam replied in a dissatisfied tone, his eyebrows raised.

"What, Sam? Why do you have that dumb look on your face?"

"Max, you know you can tell me anything that's on your mind."

"Pffft come on Sam. It's none of your damn business what my mind is wearing-"

"Well, it is kind of my business when I wake up to some hooligan sobbing in my bathroom at 3 am."

There was a momentary silence between the two.

"Fair point…" Max admitted, his ears unnaturally drooping from his obvious embarrassment.

"Look, I get it if you don't want to tell me now about what's wrong, especially how we are right now. I know I wouldn't confess my deepest fears to someone if I was sopping wet like an illegal water-park operating in the Galapagos Islands, but you can trust me. I'd never tell anyone about whatever's on your mind, well, except in a court of law if I'm under oath and the potential threat of perjury…"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Max exclaimed awkwardly, "I'll be all honest and schmaltzy with you if you just shut up! Let's get out of this shower, I'm starting to feel like one of those rancid Snuckey's grease traps!

"You crack me up, little buddy." Sam chuckled, rising from the floor with Max still held tightly in his arms. The partners quickly dried themselves off with some torn, stained towels hanging idly on the back of the half-broken bathroom door before making their way back to their messy bedroom.

The two quickly got comfortable in their large bed, nestling under the plush sheets. It didn't take long before Max snaked his way in between Sam's furry arms and into the fluff of his chest. He quietly rested his head in the nook of the dog's neck.

After getting fully comfortable, the dog blindly reached for the pistol he kept hidden under the mattress (for situations like these) and made a blinding shot towards the tall lamp on the other side of the room, shattering the bulb and shutting up the orange light which enveloped the room. The apartment was now dark and quiet, the only sounds occupying the room were the humming of the heating system vents and breathing of two partners.

Before drifting off to sleep, the lagomorph nudged his forehead against Sam's chin.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, little buddy?"

"About when I'm ready to talk to you about that crap…"

"Yeah?"

"You sure you won't make fun of me if I tell you how I feel?"

"Of course I wouldn't, not ever. You're my little pal for a reason, you know."

Max couldn't help but smile contently as he tightened his embrace around his friend's fluffy chest. In return, Sam wrapped his tight arms around the lagomorph's frame. Finally, the pair were both as comfy as they could be. The two quickly drifted off to sleep, the sounds of snoring occupying the quiet space of the apartment as the moonlight from the summer night sky twinkled softly along the walls of the bedroom.