Andre had done his usual routine. Due to the frigid outsides, he had gone on rotations with rooms to lounge in. Some days he was in the game room. Other days, the parlor. Others, the study. Tonight, he decided on something a bit more adventurous. It was in the sun room. There was no sun, but the night's twilight colors through the squares of windows was still refreshing.

Adventurous indeed.

The sunroom doubled as a small greenhouse in the winter and was equipped with tiny sprinklers that kept the plants well watered in the climate controlled room. Fabrizio had shadowed Andre's movements from a distance. He had made it his business to know every move his cousin made.

It had frustrated Fabrizio to no end that Andre was becoming more and more of a hermit. He rarely saw a smile on Andre's face. So, his plan was to play practical jokes on his cousin. Force a smile on that face.

Fabrizio waited patiently, quietly, outside of the room until Andre got good and comfortable. Then, with a flip of a switch, the sprinklers in the room came to life with a soft and soothing, but cold, shower of water. Without making a sound, Fabrizio moved back and away from the doorway and waited.

Andre had brought his phone with him. It was his connection. He looked up musical scores, musical history and other encyclopedia-involved facts. Suddenly, as he shifted, the sprinklers had grown cold and ignited into frigid life. "The hell?!" Andre's eyes widened, and he shot to his feet. He jolted for the exiting door, staggering and tripping into miscellaneous display in his urgent rush.

Fabrizio leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He could picture the scene perfectly in his mind's eye. When he heard the shout, he snickered and covered his mouth to muffle it. The crashing of things being tripped over and knocked over was heard as well. He moved a bit more away, that way when Andre came rushing out, it would look like he simply stumbled across him.

"Merde!" Andre exclaimed, and quickly pelted his soaked over shirt. He was left with a simple wife beater. Next, he went to his phone. He was almost sure that water had gotten into the wrong crevices. He inspected it, and noticed the screen indefinitely black. Heaving a heavy sigh, he noticed his cousin.

"Can you believe that?! Malfunction or something.."

And it's not like Andre could call it in or anything. Phone had glitched, and wasn't in the right working order.

"Believe what?" Fabrizio gave his most innocent of smiles, eyes blinking rapidly. "You're soaking wet, Primo. What did you do?"

Fabrizio peeked his head into the sunroom, then turned around to smile at his cousin. "Didn't you know, the sprinklers are on a schedule?" He put his hands behind his back and clasped them together. Biting his lower lip, he was doing his best to keep from laughing out loud.

"But for the whole room?!" Andre had agitation sharpening his tone. It was emotion. Nothing docile at all. He shook his head, glancing back at the raining room within.

"I.. I guess?" It was the most emotion Fabrizio had seen in his cousin for days and it was quite refreshing. It was something. He slid his hand along the wall and flipped the switch for the water to be turned off.

"Gotcha, old man!"

The sudden ending of the rain within, and Fabrizio's confession had him turn toward his cousin. "Primo.."

Fingers came to pinch the bridge of his nose. He heaved a sigh. "What was that for?"

Fabrizio simply grinned and leaned on the wall. "You've been walking around here like a ghost. You don't smile, laugh, throw fits, nothing. You're empty. At least you FELT something tonight." He gave an upnod to Andre. "Come, let's get you out of those wet clothes before you get dampness in your lungs."

Andre, again, heaved a sigh. Pinching his soaked wife beater, it only puckered to cling back onto his skin. It caused him to shiver, and he let out an expression of repulsion of being in soaked clothes. He hated the feeling. Somehow, the water even got to his shoes. Causing the squishing sound in his heels as he began to walk toward his room. Andre said nothing to Fabrizio. Only walked.

Fabrizio turned and followed his soaking wet cousin. "You know, eventually you're going to start talking to me again. If not, I'll just have to play more jokes." Oh yes, he had plenty. Just like that fake dead rat he had planted in Andre's underwear drawer.

"I have talked to you. Just now, didn't I?" Andre let out a scoff, and ran hands through his wet hair. Footprints created small puddles or darkened spots in the carpet.

"Uh oh!" he turned around and inspected Andre's face. "Was that a laugh? A smile?" Fabrizio gasped dramatically and fell back against the wall. "I think I shall faint!"

"Amazing." Andre added. His head shook, again shifting as he walked uncomfortably. The wet clothes were making him cringe. He hated that feeling.

"Oh come on, Primo. You have to admit it was at least a little funny." he turned backwards and walked in front of his cousin.

"My phone is ruined. I'm soaking wet. AND my cousin decided to do it on purpose to get me to show emotion." Andre looked toward him since he had to, and shook his head.

"It worked."

"Do you realize how whiney you've become?" It was just then that a bench jumped away from the wall and right into Brizio's path.

At least, that's the story he'd tell.

He wasn't expecting it and as he struggled for balance his arms pinwheeled, his eyes grew wide as saucers. "Whoa.. wait.. Ahh!" and he landed on the other side of the bench with a thud. "Ow."

Andre had come to a simple halt. He saw the approaching bench, and knew what was at hand. But he didn't expect Fabrizio's fall to be as animated as it was. Sadistically, he laughed. It was a sincere laugh. Inspired from the fall his cousin took, maybe, but if Fabrizio was true to his mission, he would be all but offended.

First one hand, then the other, crested the top of the bench. Then his frazzled head poked up over the edge. A huge grin on his face was revealed when he pulled himself up and sat on the bench.

"So worth the bump to my behind just to see that face." He watched Andre laugh and then laughed with him.

Regardless, the shaking his shoulders took were mixed with uncomfortable shudders. He was getting cold. Andre had eventually let the frigid shivers win, but he still had the aftertaste on his face from a good laugh.

Fabrizio got up and threw an arm around his cousin's shivering shoulders. "Come on, can't have you catching death of cold. Fio would have my ass in a sling." he grinned and pulled Andre along.

Andre was only two inches taller than his cousin. He was a victim of forgetting such a difference by now. "I think you'd be lucky if you had an ass to be in a slung."

Discomfort was in the way Andre walked. He hated being in soaked clothes.

His arm slid off of his cousin and he walked alongside of him. "That's very true. She looks out for her baby brother." He chuckled and looked down at his feet. "You know, they have the fighting matches that we could go to sometime." He wanted to get Andre back out into society.

"I guess." Andre sighed, and shrugged. He didn't know what else to say. It had been a while.

When they reached Andre's room, Fabrizio was irritated. Always back into the shell his cousin kept retreating. "I'll just wait here. Take a shower." He settled down in Andre's chair and crossed on leg over the other. Picking up a book, he thumbed through it. There was a surprise in the shower as well. Fabrizio had picked up some blue hair dye and packed it into the shower head.

"What..?" Andre was unsure of how to react. But he was anxious to be out of those clothes and into dry ones. Into his deluxe bathroom, he went to the shower portion of his bathroom. The tub was used as a rack to hold his wet clothes. He turned the knob for water to come, and closed his eyes. He always closed his eyes when he showered. But, he had to open his eyes to find the soap.

"THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Rang loudly from the bathroom.

Fabrizio checked his watch. He knew it was coming. And when it did, he laughed out loud. Jumping up from the chair, he quickly strode towards the bathroom. "What's wrong, Primo?" He chuckled and peeked in.

"Little boy blue, go blow your horn!" he snickered and quickly left the area. A mad Andre wasn't something to be messed with.

Andre was in fact coated with blue. Save for the skin colored streaks that went towards his ears in a wipe. The second he peeked in, a glob of blue water was pelt to the door. It splattered on the white door. He immediately turned off the shower, and unscrewed the head. The substance was dumped onto the shower's bed. He spent several hours rinsing off, using the tub rather than the shower.

Fabrizio peeked his head into the bathroom after a long wait. "Primo, are you alright?"

Andre had managed to rinse his skin clear. But his robe had a ring of blue at his neckline. Hair remained blue. Eyebrows were blue. And...unseen manes on other parts of his body were also..blue. "Laugh. Go ahead.." Andre's hands were on the bathroom's counter.

Fabrizio bit his lips to try to refrain from the laughter but it couldn't be withheld. "Oh God!" he put his hands to his stomach and doubled over. He'd never seen anything more hilarious in his life! "Smurf! Disgruntled Smurf!"

Andre's fingers lodged into his hair, curling to lodge into his scalp. Fabrizio's laughter had his eyes narrow.

"Get out.."

Fabrizio rose from his doubled over position and leaned against the doorframe. "Aww, but Andre... " He canted his head and gave the puppy dog look.

"Fine." Andre was NOT laughing. Or smiling. He shoved him aside, walking out of the bathroom. "Excuse me..' He walked to his closet. If he had been duped to be wet, AND blue, the least he could do for himself was to wear the dry clothes.

Fabrizio got shoved aside and nearly fell over. Catching himself, he turned and sat down on a smaller chair. "Don't forget your chonies." He gently reminded.

"I think I'll remember, cabron."

The walk in closet door was slammed behind him, as he went to his devices. Simple black button up shirt was found, along with jeans. With his outfit prepared, he then went to the drawer with his boxers. Opening it, the dead rat was spotted. He winced violently. Drawing back, the bottom rack of his clothes had him stammer. Since he had nothing to support himself, he became swallowed into the many hangers hit the wall. On the ground, he quickly crawled on all fours to the door. Opening the door, he slammed it behind him. His heart was pounding, and he called to Fabrizio.

"There's a fucking RAT in there. Blood, it...JUST GET SOMEONE!"

This was almost more than Fabrizio can take. By the time Andre came crawling out of the closet, there were tears rolling down his face. "Dios!" He was slapping his thighs and shaking his head. Getting up, he continued to chuckle as he passed his cousin and walked into the closet. The dresser drawer hung open and clothes were askew on the ground and some barely still on hangers. He lifted the fake rat from the drawer and walked back out into the room. "Look, you've got a friend, Andre!" He waggled the rat in front of him before tossing it across the room to land on Andre's bed.

"WHAT!? DON'T TOUCH IT!" Andre hadn't even brought himself to stand. Not until the rat was retrieved. He got a glimpse of it before it was tossed. He saw the rubber of his rat, and sighed in relief. Adrenaline had pumped in his veins. Pupils dilated, heart rate accelerated. He panted when relief had come to allow him to begin cooling down.

"........I can't believe you."

Fabrizio turned and folded his arms across his chest, a grin on his face. "Feels good, doesn't it? Your face is flushed, blood pounding in your veins. Feels alive!" he threw up his hands and laughed.

"Andre, there's a whole wide world we're missing out there. Come on, finish getting dressed and we'll go out and discover it together. Hurry Primo. Sunrise waits for nobody." He turned then and walked over to Andre's chair. Sitting primly, he picked up Andre's beloved 1984.

"This is all apart of your stupid plan to get me social?!" He finally managed to stand. Hands dug into his blue scalp, curling to bite. He was about to lose it. "Why would you make me SO miserable? You've done stupid things to me all night, and you want me to go with you somewhere as if you didn't?!" This was beyond atrocious. "..You make no sense. Please, get OUT."


Calmly, he looked up at the very angry Andre. Tossing the book back onto the table, it landed with a rather odd sounding thud. "No, Primo. Miserable was what you were prior to tonight's little fun and games. Now you're angry, at the very least. It's a good start really." He grinned and stood up. "And you really don't want me to get out. Because I'm the one that's responsible for your actually feeling something."

"What was so FUN about this?!" Andre didn't understand. His stomach seemed to chop itself several times with the lack of comprehension. "I don't understand."

Andre gave up on the flare his eyebrows or his stressed expression. Whatever had him so riled began to expire, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. Hard. Eyes scrunched closed. "You've humiliated me, made me more uncomfortable, and you think you're helping me. I'm finished with all of this."

"The point is that at least you're feeling something. You've been so empty and devoid of any kind of emotion at all for so long that I was afraid that there was nothing left." Fabrizio's voice got quiet towards the end. "I miss my best friend, Primo. I just had to see if he was still there."

Andre's pinched fingers and uncurled. Like a sheet it covered his eyes and forehead. "I'm glad your plan worked. I really, really am." The agitation in his face was dead. "You couldn't just SAY this to me, like you are now?"

"You wouldn't have listened." Fabrizio smiled then and leaned over to pick up the book. "Might want to get you a new copy." He ran his thumb down one side and it didn't move. He'd glued the pages together.

Andre didn't remove his hand from being over his eyes. "What did you do to it?" His voice was a defeated monotone. Had he tore the pages out? Painted black over the print?

"I glued the pages together." He chuckled softly. "Come on, Andre. You can look. It won't hurt you, turn you blue or scare you. I promise. Just me."

Andre was fed up. A hand came to run through newly blue hair. The water still damp in his hair showed blue liquid in his palm. But, he didn't know that. Yet. His eyes opened, only for him to sigh. "You're ruining everything for me here just to have me step outside, cabron.."

"How else can I get you outside of these walls when you've built such a perfect little bubble to live in? It's safe, warm and cozy in your little world. But you're the only one that lives there."

"And?"

Andre was failing to see the problem. That was what he wanted. It was his routine.

His turn to bring his hand to his face and pinch the bridge of his nose. "It's not who you were, Andre." Fabrizio sighed heavily and brought his hand down to rest on the arm of the chair.

Andre ran out of what to say. He had no quips. Frankly, he was exhausted from everything else he had experienced this evening. "I'll be just the same if I'm at some club. I don't want anyone. None of that. Will it make you happy if I go to that fight? I'll go." He was going to have to go buy a new copy of his favorite book now, anyway.

"Baby steps, Primo. The fights will be fun. You'll see."

Fabrizio got up then and stretched. "I'll call for the car. You finish getting ready and I'll meet you down there, ok?"

"I'm not going out like this." He pointed to his blue head of hair. "I'm going to sleep. I can't go out like this." Andre walked further into his room. "I need to figure out what to do with this.." He was truly ashamed of his hair. He had liked his tone of brown. Now, he was clownish.

"It looks good on you." Fabrizio grinned and leaned against the door frame. "Besides, you could always wear a fedora. You are quite fond of those silly things." He chuckled softly.

"Good night, Primo. I'll see you in the morning." He gave a fond smile and walked out of the door. He waited beside it. Fabrizio had short sheeted the bed and sprinkled salt in between the sheets.

"Buenos noches, cabron." Yeah, that would be a new nickname for his cousin. He had been a true one all night. White Egyptian cotton pants were slipped on as he searched the mountain of his closet. Robe was shed on the floor. As he slid into the pulled sheets, he quickly shot back.

"MADRE DIOS. FUCK OFF, FABRIZIO!"

Andre knew he was around. Tearing off the sheets, the naked mattress was left. Crystals of white clung to his back and shoulders. The friction was painful as he moved on the bed. As he pressed to his forehead to the wall near where the blankets of salt were piled, he punched the wall. Why wasn't anything right? Nothing was as it was. He couldn't lay down to rest without it being ruined. Now he had to rinse the salt off of his back. All he wanted was to rest. Be at rest..

The sound of Fabrizio's laughter echoed through the halls as he walked towards his own bedroom. "Buenos noches, Primo."