The aggressive rapping of knuckles against his front door woke Roman up from his nap. Grumbling about the time, he pulled himself out of bed and took a quick glance at his mirror to make sure he appeared somewhat presentable.

Whoever was at the door knocked again, but this time, they pounded their fists on the door. Roman sighed.

He opened the door. Emerald, with her fist poised to knock again, stood in the threshold, but Mercury leaned on the opposite wall, pushing off to enter. Without stepping to the side, Roman felt a nagging irritation clawing away at his psyche when they slipped past him. Everything about them, from the way they carried themselves to the way they smelled, everything was just so offensive that when he saw them, Roman couldn't help but want to bludgeon their heads with his Melodic Cudgel.

Mercury flopped on his couch, and Emerald stood beside him, crossing her arms as if he was in her territory.

"So," Mercury groaned. "Did you finish your job yet?"

"And to what might you be referring?" Roman asked, masking his boiling temper with a thickly delivered tone of sarcasm.

"Research," Emerald answered. "Specifically on Ruby Rose."

Mercury peeled himself off the couch with a loud groan and lazily observed his apartment, whistling to himself with his hands resting on his head. If Mercury's obnoxious behavior bothered Emerald, she didn't show it. Instead, she shifted weight onto her other foot, eyes drilling into Roman's.

"No, I'm getting to it." Mercury wandered into the kitchen.

"A day is plenty time," Emerald snapped back. "Didn't you say the same thing about that guy Tukson?"

"I have it under control," he growled.

"Maybe this is why you haven't had the time," Mercury called from the kitchen. He was pointing to two glasses sitting by the sink. One of them was half full. "It's not like you or your friends not to finish your drink."

"I wasn't in the mood." Roman huffed.

Emerald closed the space between her and Roman, prodding a finger into his chest. "Not until you tell us what you're hiding."

Roman swatted Emerald's hand away. "What, I'm not allowed to have guests?"

"Not if we don't know about it." Mercury took a defensive position beside Emerald.

Roman felt the tension in his forehead growing. "I think it's time for you to leave," he seethed.

Emerald's face softened, the condescending glare replaced with one of glib and superficial charm. "Let's go, Mercury. Cinder's not going to be happy when we get back."

"Be sure to give her my best." Roman flashed a patronizing smile. I love to see you leave, but I hate to watch you go, Roman thought.

When Emerald slammed the door behind them, Roman exhaled.

He didn't bother washing those two glasses. He didn't expect company, not now, and especially not then. He reached for the glass he handed to Red, filled with some of the hardest liquor he owned.

Roman didn't even know what he was thinking when he handed her enough to get a lightweight hammered, but she hadn't even stayed long enough to take more than one sip. In a way, he was both relieved and disappointed at the same time.

He turned the bottom of the glass up and finished what was left in the glass, bringing it down hard on the countertop. Clearing his throat, he placed both of the glasses at the bottom of the sink and turned to the clock. It was 6:15, which explained the sunset in the horizon.

Roman probably wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.


Roman held the scroll up to his ear. "Hellooooo?"

"Roman, what are you doing?"

"Junior!" Roman exclaimed. "I need to tell you something."

"Yeah, I bet you do."

"I'm having trouble abstaining," Roman slurred, rolling onto his back.

"No kidding. You called Neo. How drunk are you right now?"

Roman went back in his mind to thirty seconds ago when he was dialing Neo's number. "Oh yeah. Why do you have Neo's scroll?"

"I'm broke, remember? I'm staying with Neo because I'm out of a job." Roman could sense Junior's agitation through the receiver.

"Oh, that's right," Roman whispered. "Why don't you come on over?"

Roman heard shouting in the background before Junior returned. "Yeah, leave your door unlocked and get dressed."

"I'm wearing clothes," he objected.

"Sure you are. I'm on my way."


Roman could hear the door to his apartment opening followed by the click of shoes against hardwood flooring.

"You're late," Roman drawled.

Neo walked into his room, shaking her head. Get off the floor, she signed.

Roman sat up, groaning loudly. Neo hooked her arm under his shoulder and pulled him onto his feet. When he got his balance, Neo pushed him out of his room.

"Jeez, I'm going, I'm going." Roman stumbled into the living room, where Junior was helping himself to the alcohol on the table.

"So, Roman," Junior bellowed. "How much of this are you going to remember in the morning?"

"God, I dunno." Roman flopped on the couch, Neo sitting at the other end. "Oh my God, I'm gonna have such a headache in the morning!"

Junior shook his head. "No kidding."

Roman sat up. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! Mercury and Emerald stopped by. Stupid punks," Roman remarked. "They want me to do research on that Ruby girl. And—get this—she actually—"

"Showed up today, we know," Junior finished.

Roman squinted. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, that was kind of a joint effort."

"So you guys told her to go to my house?"

It's not a house.

Roman signed, Kiss my ass, and turned back to Junior. "Can you explain to me," he started, not even sure how he was going to finish his sentence. "How do you—I—what?"

Junior raised a hand to silence Roman. "Don't worry, we'll get to that. First, what did you say to her?"

"Get out, basically."

Bullshit. You left two cups in the sink, and I highly doubt you let Mercury and Emerald touch your shit.

"I have to, Neo, they're like my boss's children. If I tell them no, they tattle on me to Cinder." Roman threw his arm over the edge of the couch. "I mean, Jesus, honestly, I feel like Cinder is just on the lookout for reasons to kill me."

"Isn't she always?" Junior muttered. "Come on, Roman, what happened?"

Roman groaned. "Basically, we agreed to stay out of each other's way and pretend we don't know each other."

Neo and Junior exchanged glances then looked back at Roman.

Really?

"Yes, really," said Roman. "Now, how the fuck are you two involved with this?"

We told her we need to get everything out into the open. That's it, I swear.

"We also pointed out the possibility that you might kill her," Junior added.

Roman scoffed. "In a building full of cameras, yeah, totally."

"No, I meant later." Junior took a swig of his drink.

He sighed. "Yeah, no, that's not gonna happen. Don't worry." Roman lay down on the couch, holding a pillow to his chest, thinking about Red as he drifted off to sleep.


I have no idea what I was thinking when I decided to make a whole story out of this. It's been eight months or some shit that I've been writing/planning this, and I can't hold back much longer. Luckily, I won't have to! Ugh, I'm gonna punch myself. Bye guys!