Forgive this one, for she has committed the sin of late updating! Please give this one the gift of comments, though this one be not worthy.

"G'bye Twitch, bye Mitch, bye officer Tracey!"

His words were slurred and thick. "Tell Deffy bye for us!"

Max waved with a cheer Rei deemed entirely inappropriate. They had been kicked out with such a sense of routine and efficiency that the neko-jin came to the conclusion this was actually normal for them.

"That was fun, wasn't it Max? I can't believe Mitch said that about that one guy's mother!"

He really shouldn't be surprised.

The three of them (Takao, Max and Rei, Kai had slipped off during the chaos at the pub) made their way down the sidewalk towards the house, Rei looking back over his shoulder to where a police car was speeding away, as if anxious to leave the two drunks (and murderous intent radiating Rei) as quickly as possible.

The golden eyed boy snorted.

He should have listened to Kai! They should have just relaxed at Rei's apartment for a while like he had suggested… Wait. Where was that deserting bastard anyway? How DARE he leave Rei alone while Takao's psychotic friends tried to set the building on fire? Oh, he was so dead when he got ba-

"Rei watch your step!"

Kai! That smoky, baritone voice announced his arrival, and Rei turned his head to tell him off for ditching him. However, he hadn't had a chance to fully turn around when he heard the squeak of an inflatable ball. As if on cue, the ground decided to heave up and out from underneath his feet, and a bare patch of rocky earth was suddenly slamming all thoughts of reprimanding his boyfriend out of his head to make way for a stunning spear of pain, and a heavy, enveloping darkness.

"Wake up, Tiger. It's time to wake up…please…"

Rei opened his eyes, pouting when they wouldn't focus. Bad eyes. And that low, buzzing sound was getting annoying! It felt like bees were in his head. He grimaced. Ugh. Bees were icky! At least everything was a pretty shade of purple…

Wait, that couldn't be right, could it?

"Rei, are you okay? Does it hurt? Come on, talk to me here!"

The neko-jin became aware that yes indeed, it did hurt. Where was all the hurt coming from? Was it the purple making him hurt?

Was purple supposed to hurt?

He couldn't remember. Surely Kai would know what was wrong!

"Kaiii…. Why is everything purple?"

This time, Kai blinked. He looked so funny, all confused like that! Rei couldn't help but chuckle, and then laugh hysterically, and somehow that turned into easy snores, still sporadically interrupted by giggles. The Russian sighed and put a hand over his face, before resuming his previous relaxed position sat up in the guest bed with Rei's head on his lap. Liang crept out from under said bed, and jumped smoothly beside Rei's head, snug on Kai's lap.

The tabby nuzzled its owner curiously, and started when said owner giggled.

"Well, at least he can't tease me about laughing in my sleep anymore," he sighed, grabbing his abandoned paperback, The Ecology of Commerce, and flipping to a dog-eared page. One hand held the book open, and one alternated stroking both of his cats.

Takao crept up to the blond, who was crouching amid some soda cans and blue jeans with his ear pressed against the door. His hand reached out to touch a hunched shoulder.

Tap. Taptaptap. Taptaptaptaptaptap-"Takao!"

"Well? Did you hear anything?" he whispered, voice back to normal. He'd quickly sobered up when Rei had brained himself outside.

Max frowned in concentration, pressing his head back against the door. The grainy surface irritated his skin.

"Nah, just something about the color purple…"

"You mean the movie?"

"No! I mean… I don't think so… Maybe- ah!"

Ocean blue eyes shot open wide in surprise as he pitched forward, only to be caught around the waist by Tyson.

"Rei is fine. He is resting. You will go outside. You will pick up every ball. Every chew toy." Each word was a punch to the gut, a slap to the face.

"Then, you will clear a path through out the past so that normal people can walk. And you will do it now. I f you don't…"

His voice lowered to an almost inaudible level, and he uttered words that made Max and Tyson want to pull a Fletcher and throw themselves in front of a speeding taxi.

They would forever afterward swear that the fires of hell could be seen in the Russian's eyes.

"So if I were you, I'd get lost. Now."

The door was shut, and the pair was left quaking in terror.

Max gulped. "Um- We should like-"

"Go. Now. Move it, before he comes back!"

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