Ryoko had been sleeping for hours in Neon's car before a cool hand shook him awake. His sleepy blue eyes opened slowly to stare into red ones. In that moment he did not see the face that framed those eyes, only the shocking color. The color of Drissme's eyes and, for that moment, he was in Heaven.
    It had been a year since he'd seen Drissme, his husband. Or did their time apart make them ex's? Ryoko hoped not. The year had been too long and, even though their separation had been bitter, he hoped to reconcile at the house that they'd abandoned all those months ago.
    Ryoko and Drissme Marorre weren't the only ones who'd left, they were just the start of it. The catalyst that set the reaction off.
    Their fight had started because of Drissme's lack of faithfulness and evolved into something much larger. Ryoko thought his husband should be loyal to him, and Drissme thought that he should be able to do who he wanted when he wanted to do them - because he was a demon of sex - and Ryoko had known this even before he'd gotten into the relationship. Drissme thought it was stupid for Ryoko to want to change something that he embraced when they first began cohorting. Each one wanted to be right and, instead of sitting down to talk it through, they only began to plant the seeds in their friend's and families' minds that would end up costing them dearly.
    Some of the others in the mansion sided with Ryoko on the matter, others thought that Drissme had the right to do as he pleased. Even though it wasn't any business of the others in the house, the whole house divided itself. Those who were loyal to Drissme and those who were loyal to Ryoko slowly began to despise each other.
    Families split - though not only because of the disagreement between the Marorre's - but because of the tension that it stirred up. The whole house had been on edge, always tense, always angry with something that someone did; and, before long, people in the mansion were arguing over the silliest of things.
    That was when people left their home. Some left in pairs, before the fighting separated them like it had the others. Most left alone.
    Ryoko had left with Neon, who'd had a family of his own that he was fighting with because he destroyed it by sleeping with Drissme. Despite Ryoko's animosity towards Neon for sleeping with his husband he didn't want to be alone. He had also hoped that by taking Neon with him he would wound Drissme even more by leaving with someone he'd obviously had feelings for.
    A year later he resented his hateful jabs at the man he loved, and himself for causing their whole community inside the house to be destroyed, but he hoped to fix that. Ryoko hoped that those who had separated would come back and that the house could thrive once more. He had hope when he sent the invitations out to everyone, that the emotional wounds that had been made a over the past year would be healed. He hoped that they all could return and become a family again.
    "Ryoko, we're here," Neon's voice brought him back into reality, and made a point to show him that those red eyes weren't Drissme's.
    Neon's sickly pale hand held Ryoko's door open. Slowly, Ryoko sat the passenger's seat back to it's upright position and climbed out of the car. He squinted at the sun's light as he looked to the house he'd missed almost as much as he'd missed Drissme. He was in awe. Ryoko had forgotten how beautiful the Victorian house was.
    The slamming shut of the car door brought him out of his daze and he turned to Neon. The man before him looked extremely pale in the bright light of the sun. Neon's skin wasn't the only white thing about him - his long hair was also white, but the color had nothing to do with the Magic Emperor's age. Though the hair and pale skin made Neon odd, he didn't stand out. He was neither considered handsome, sexy, nor exotic. The only color to Neon was his blue veins that shown through his translucent skin, his striking red eyes, and the pairs of light pink scars that had been made by his estranged lover, Darian.
    "There. Are you happy Ryoko? I told you that no one would be here," Neon's eloquent gentleman qualities had faded without Darian who'd always kept him in check, and now his soft voice was only riddled with sadness.
    Ryoko hadn't told Neon about the invitations he had sent to the others asking that they return to the house. He wanted to surprise his companion. "Maybe they came and left because they saw no one here."
    "Maybe we should do the same. They would have stayed if they wanted to see anyone of us again."
    Ryoko wouldn't admit defeat. Not now. Not when someone might be all ready on their way. "We've been driving for hours. We're way out here in the middle of nowhere. I'm tired, you're tired. We can rest while we are here," Ryoko suggested because he knew that Neon would appreciate them driving all the way to the house later.
    Despite his exhaustion Neon didn't think he could bear staying at the house. He missed his family too bad. He missed his lover and his son, Aki, more than anything. The house, however beautiful and empty, still reminded him of what he had and lost. He didn't have the chance to speak his disapproval because Ryoko was already heading up the stone pathway to the porch.
    "Come on, just stay with me here for a few hours. You wont regret it," Ryoko smiled back at Neon as he attempted to turn the door handle but found it locked. He twisted the knob again and still it refused to open.
    Neon knew that Ryoko was up to something. The blue eyed boy had been so sad and withdrawn for months, but now he smiled. Either Ryoko had some far off hope that someone would return to the house and they could start rebuilding the life they lost or Ryoko planned on starting over without Drissme and with him.
    It excited Neon that Ryoko might have fallen for him. Neon had always cherished Ryoko and Drissme - he'd wanted Ryoko's loyalty and had been jealous of Drissme's physical form. And he figured that he and Darian would never be okay again, so he would have to settle with Ryoko. Which, as he thought about it more and more, wasn't beginning to look all that bad. Eager now, Neon strode up the path that Ryoko'd danced across, "I can unlock it."
    Ryoko felt mildly accomplished that he had enticed his friend, but he hoped that he hadn't given away his plan by behaving like a giddy school boy. He gracefully moved out of Neon's way and watched with awe as the Magic Emperor snapped his fingers in front of the lock, which clicked in response. It was Neon, this time, that twisted the complying door handle to open the door and entered the deserted house.
    Ryoko followed him into the foyer, letting the heavy door swing shut behind them. Although the house had a musky, dusty smell it still smelled of the home he'd left behind. "Wow," Ryoko muttered as he glanced at the stairs that he knew would lead to he and Drissme's old room, and then his eyes took to the chandelier that, once turned on, would make the mansion glow with a welcoming light. "I forgot how much I loved it here. And how much I missed it."
    "I know you did," Neon agreed as he looked down on the black haired male. "I missed knowing that I had a family here. And even though my family isn't here now, I know we can make one of our own. We can start over - you and I."
    "You think so?" Ryoko hadn't caught Neon's innuendo. His dashing smile crept across his lips as he looked to Neon, who came towards him with a smile on his own pale lips.
    Once again Ryoko looked into those red eyes and was - once again - reminded of Drissme. Neon's pale hand gingerly tipped Ryoko's chin up, "Ryoko.." He stared into those dreamy blue orbs as he held their faces inches apart, breathing each others hot breath. Moments before Neon's lips met Ryoko's a noise startled them and broke them apart. And they slowly turned to watch the door open.
    Shock riveted Neon's black clad frame as he took in a most unwanted visage.
    Drissme.