Author's Note - Hey evfurryone! I finally put something in my profile. It includes my Tumblr, so f33l fr33 to check it out. In other news, I hit a brick wall with this fic, and decided to write out an outline (that's right…up until now I was making it up as I went along…h33h33). Now, I think I've got most evfurrything planned out. This fic is looking to be about 20 chapters, including an epilogue. Which I have ind33d got a plan fur…h33h33. Anyway, enjoy Chapter 9!

After the tea party, Nepeta was exhausted, so she high-tailed it back to her apartment. Equius was back, and he inquired what she had been up to the minute she walked in the door.

"No, Equius, I don't want to talk. I'm tired!" Nepeta complained, padding past him into her room and jumping onto her bed. "I want to sleep." She closed her eyes contentedly for a few moments, before Equius sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and shook her forcefully.

"Ah….noooo, Equius! Ah-aaaah!" Nepeta screeched as Equius' strength got the better of him once more and Nepeta was shaken out of the bed. She hit the floor with a loud flop. Equius was immediately concerned.

"Nepeta, are you hurt?" he asked, crawling onto the bed in order to lean over the other side. Nepeta grinned cheekily up at him from the floor and sprang up, pouncetackling him into the fluffy pillows gathered by the headboard. He was careful as he pushed her off, trying not to harm her with his strength, which allowed her to push him back down onto the pillows. She lay down next to him, placing her head on his chest.

"Oh, my. Nepeta, I must insist you cease this inappropriate behavior at once," Equius protested. Nepeta ignored him, snuggling up to him and trying to drift off to sleep. "Nepeta, you still haven't informed me of your activities today."

The cat troll huffed and rolled over, back facing her moirail. "Well, in the morning Gamzee came over and I showed him my shipping wall, and I just came back from having tea at Kanaya's with Feferi and Vriska."

"Oh, dear. Nepeta, it seems you have a tendency to associate with trolls higher on the hemospectrum than you. Have you ever considered spending time with Sollux, Tavros, or Aradia?"

"No, Sollux is always busy with his computer programming; Tavros is always trailing after Vriska; and Aradia, well…" Nepeta trailed off. She didn't want to hurt Equius' feelings by admitting that the Aradiabots creeped her out. But Equius patted her lightly on the arm, signaling that he understood but wasn't offended, and got up, leaving Nepeta to sleep in peace.

After a short but nice catnap, Nepeta awoke to her computer binging maniacally. Groaning and hoisting herself out of bed, she fetched her laptop from its perch on her bookshelf and retreated back to bed. She nuzzled into her pillows and opened her laptop. She had messages on Trollian. Her heart skipped a little when she saw they were from Gamzee.

-terminallyCapricious (TC) began pestering arsenicCatnip (AC) at 17:28-

TC: HeY sIs WhAt'S mOtHeRfUcKiNg GoInG oN?

TC: SiS aNsWeR yOuR mOtHeRfUcKiNg CoMpUtEr

AC: :33 h33h33, hi gamz33!

TC: SiS wHaT dO yOu SaY tO dInNeR?

AC: :33 um, sure?

TC: fAnTaStIc. I wIlL bE tHeRe In AbOuT tWeNtY mOtHeRfUcKiNg MiNuTeS. wEaR sOmEtHiNg NiCe.

-terminallyCapricious (TC) ceased pestering arsenicCatnip (AC) at 17:31-

AC: :33 what?

Nepeta closed her laptop and set it back on her bookshelf, plugging it in so it could charge. Wear something nice? Going to dinner?

Was she…going on a date?

Nepeta blinked and padded into Equius' room. He was, as usual, fiddling with his robots. Nepeta tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn around and put down the piece he was working on, which sparked dangerously upon coming into contact with the table.

"Um, hi Equius. Um, I'm going out in about twenty minutes. With…Gamzee." Equius frowned slightly and turned to face her fully.

"I worry about you, Nepeta. It seems to me like your relationship with this troll is becoming more…flushed than it used to be." Nepeta turned a deep shade of olive and shook her head in denial.

"That's not true! We're just hanging out more, is all. And besides, even if it was, why would that be a problem? You know you'll always be my meowrail," she finished, snuggling up to him, her hair tickling his chin. He began to sweat profusely.

"It is unbefitting of a troll so highly ranked on the hemospectrum as he to pursue red relations with someone in your place," Equius explained bluntly. Nepeta pulled away.

"That doesn't matter!" she protested. "Alternia's gone, probably forever, and you know Gamzee doesn't care about the stupid caste system anyway! And besides, you've always been red for Aradia, even though you think she's 'lowblood scum'!"

Equius gave her a look, but let it slide. "Fine, do what you wish. But make sure to return home by eight."

"Eight?" Nepeta whined, incredulous. "Equiuuuuuus, I'm not a baaaaaby!"

Her moirail frowned. "Your behavior indicates otherwise. Nevertheless, I suppose I could extend your curfew to nine o' clock." Nepeta glared at him.

"Ten."

"No."

"Please?"

"Absolutely not –"

"Purretty kitty purrlease?"

Equius threw his hands into the air. "All right, ten! But no later!" Nepeta grinned and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush blue, and flounced out of the room. Once in her own space, she threw open her closet and perused her options, which weren't many. She had never had need for fancy clothes on Alternia, but had kept a skirt or two and a dress in the back of her cave, just in case. She had those, and also a dress that Kanaya had made for her when they first arrived on the asteroid, upon discovering Nepeta's shortage of formal attire.

Nepeta decided on Kanaya's dress. It was a simple sundress, coming about to her knees in wavy undulations. It fitted her form well, and was the perfect color of olive. Nepeta removed her hat to brush her hair, but in the end, she put it back on. She also slipped on some blue flats, more elegant than the shoes she wore daily.

Gamzee was a bit late. At around seven o' clock, there was a knock on the front door, and Nepeta rushed out of her room. Equius turned around in time to see her streak past his doorway, and called out, "Home by ten!"

She rolled her eyes and yelled back, "I know!" before opening the door to behold Gamzee, dressed up in a black suit with an indigo bow tie, and holding a small bouquet of blue lilacs. His face paint was fresh and clean, and he was once again wearing some sort of cologne. Nepeta blushed a little as he held out the flowers, and took them carefully.

"Good motherfucking evening, Miss Nepeta," Gamzee grinned, extending his elbow. "Care to join me for a stroll?" Nepeta giggled as she curtsied and took his arm, and the pair took off down the hall.