Not much to say as far as forewords go… Don't own, never will. Let us all grieve.

0o0oo00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"…and that is why we call you cat-boy."

Rei glared, waiting impatiently for it to take the desired effect. It grew more terrifying with his irritation, which, strangely enough, grew right along with Tala's derisive smirk. Golden eyes slitted dangerously as he growled, vaguely aware that his hands were clenching tightly into fists.

"Just drop it Ivanov," he snarled, proverbial hackles rising. This was getting irritating.

Tala dropped the smirk in favor of an expression of mock hurt, and Rei ground his teeth with tight jaws.

"What are you talking about, Rei?" he said, closing his eyes and lifting his hands up in defense. "I was only making an observation."

"Oh yeah?" Rei burst angrily, voice rising unintentionally.

"What if I made the observation that all Russians are evil, homicidal psychopaths?!"

The red head rolled his eyes and threw a hand over his heart in faux offense.

"Ouch Rei. That really hurt. Look, there's no need to take it so personally."

"How can I not?" the raven haired blader shouted, positively glaring knives at the infuriating Russian in front of him. Said infuriating person sighed grievously and crossed his arms, closing ice blue eyes and bowing his stunning red haired head in a clearly exasperated fashion.

"Because, Rei," he began, speaking slowly as if explaining to a child why no, they should not pet puppies who foamed at the mouth.

"My observations apply to all neko-jin. Not just yourself."

Rei exploded.

"Bastard!" he screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Tala, who was frowning in mild annoyance, "You have no proof! All of this crap is completely unfounded and uncalled for!"

A dangerous glint shone in ice blue eyes, and Rei faltered, an unpleasant, creeping feeling telling him that this could not be good. Nevertheless, he continued to hold the frosty gaze, adamantly refusing to back down.

"Oh, but don't I Rei? Look at your hand, it's basically clawed."

Recoiling his still pointing hand as if it had been burned, Rei swallowed.

"That's not fair, I-"

"You like fish don't you? You love all seafood, right?"

"Tala, that's not fair! You know I love fish! But that does NOT mean all of us do! Now see here-" he started, but Tala swiftly cut him off.

"Kai told me about what happened at the Sushi place that hosted that one team get-together. I for one think it's a miracle they didn't press charges on the White Tigers after all of that."

Rei sighed dejectedly. Tala had him there.

"……That was just that one time."

"Dogs bark at you every time you come around,"

"-I'm just not a dog person-"

"You had a major trip just from sniffing catnip,"

"-but Kevin dared me, and I was back to normal soon enough-"

"Ever played with yarn?"

"I don't have to answer that! You know what, fine, I don't even care," Rei snorted haughtily, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

"But if you can say that, then I can say this…"

One cattish eye opened to observe Tala, who was warily eyeing the neko-jin, not liking the tone of his voice.

"Russians," he said slowly, pronouncing each sound slowly and deliberately, "Russians have horrible taste in clothes. Orange and white, Tala? What were you thinking?"

The red head looked as if he had been struck across the face. He quickly snapped out of it and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Kon," he snarled, prompting the Red Flash to go off in Rei's mind. But Tala had crossed the line, and when the line was crossed, somebody was paying the price.

"Tell me, where did Bryan get the idea that steel toed boots were casual wear?"

"Take that back," Tala whispered, looking absolutely murderous. However, a similar livid look hid subtly along the contours of Rei's tauntingly nonchalant expression.

"Make me."

"Take it back Kon, before you regret it."

A single, gleaming white fang slipped over Rei's lip, and he opened his other eye to match Tala's malevolent stare, daring.

"I will if you will."

"No."

"I didn't want it to come to this," Rei began, fangs bared and expression positively feral, "but I think Mariah might have had a point when she said white makes you look fat."

That ended it.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oO

Tsyon paused in devouring his bag of chips to fish out his keys. He turned the lock, and was about to open the door when he hear a faint noise from inside the house. Probably the T.V.

The navy haired boy popped another handful of chips into his mouth as he walked into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

I wonder where Rei and Tala are…

"Guys?" he called, the noises growing louder and louder, making his paranoia grow. He crept over to the doorway, trying desperately to recall stealth techniques from various old ninja flicks. Thumps and cries made him quiver in mounting trepidation. Gulping, he peered into the living room…

…and screamed like a nine year old girl at what he saw.

The living room looked as if it had been rampaged by a bull injected with a gallon of pure liquid sugar, with just a dash of unadulterated rage. The pleasantly fluffy, caramel colored couch was overturned, bits of magazines and various junk littered the floor. The small coffee table was in three pieces, and rolling around in the middle of it were Rei and Tala, who took no notice of Tyson's girlish screech.

Tala was crouched over, Rei pinning him by the throat to the floor and grimacing as harsh kicks were landed on his abdomen. Numerous red lines where nails had swiped him could be seen on his face and arms, along with a black eye. A ferine growl erupted from Rei, before he managed to sink his teeth into the Russian's arm. Tala hissed in pain, and loosened his grip enough for Rei to wriggle away, then quickly rush at him with a nasty left hook.

The Chinese blader had a cut on his lip and had a slight limp, in addition to nearly a dozen visible bruises. Tala just barely dodged, in a flash catching the arm and somehow rising and twisting it behind Rei's back.

This was the last Tyson saw before he scrambled out of the kitchen, desperate to get away. Those two had murder in their eyes! Once safely outside, he flipped open his phone. "Moshi-" "Kai!" he bellowed, at the moment the stoic Russian picked up. "Come quick, it's the end of the world!

Tala and Rei are killing each other! What happens when one of them wins? I'll be next! They'll eat me! SAVE ME! SAVE M- Kai? Are you there? Pick up! For the love of god, pick up!"

Terrified at the prospect of his imminent doom, Tyson collapsed on the lawn and began to hyperventilate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We need to go back. Now."

Kai's tone inhibited any inquiry, and Bryan found he could live with that. Figures. The one time he and Kai did the grocery shopping, all hell broke loose. Ignoring the looks from various shoppers who heard Tyson's crazed rant on Kai's phone, they hurried out of the store, fearing what they would see when they returned.

When they arrived, everything seemed normal… if you excluded Tyson, who was never normal, especially now that he was having a panic attack on the green grass of the yard.

A roar echoed through the door, and Bryan threw it open.

Both of them rushed in.

0o0o0o0o0o0

He couldn't understand. One minute he was showing that bastard just how sharp his claws could be, the next minute he was being dragged away, slammed into a door, and met with the face of an irritated Kai, which is never pleasant.

"You okay?"

"No! Well, yeah, I guess, but-"

"What was that?"

"That bastard pissed me off! He deserved what he got and more!"

"Hn."

Rei sighed, sinking down against the door and onto the floor, petulantly burying his head in his red and purple adorned arms.

"He just really," he growled, and paused, voice lowering and a note of unease slipping into his voice, "He just really got under my skin. That's all. I probably shouldn't have done that, though. I think I put him in a dark place."

Kai took Rei's hand and opened the door, leading them to the bathroom. Sitting Rei down on the edge of the tub, he began to clean up his teammate, silent and efficient. Abruptly, he severed the silence, eye brows quirked in curiosity as he glanced at Rei's eyes from his task of wiping his lip clean of its red stain.

"So… What exactly did you say to Tala to make him go off?"

"I said…" his voice shrank down to a conspiratory whisper. A purring chuckle escaped him at the incredulous expression Kai gained upon hearing his answer.

"I know you can be evil when you want to be, but that…"

Rei waved it off, giving a light snort. "I was a jerk. He deserved it, but that was really horrible of me. Now kiss it better, or I'll kick your ass, too."

Lest he provoke the wrath of the feared cat-boy, Kai complied.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Tala sighed into soft shades of lavender-grey, content for the moment.

"Bry?"

"Yeah?"

"You know I love your boots, right?

Did he give you a concussion?

"… Yeah."

Tala said no more.

Bryan continued to cuddle the brooding wolf as he licked his wounds, contemplating how best to cheer Tala up. If one of them was going to brood, it was going to be him, end of story.

"Want me to kick his ass?"

Kai would kill him before he had the chance, but if it would make his wolf happy…

"You're sweet," he chuckled tiredly, holding Bryan a bit closer. "But that's okay. I'll admit, I was a bit contrary."

A bit contrary? Was Tala admitting to be at fault? What exactly did he do?

Tala sighed again, and Bryan wanted to punch something. He quickly racked his brain for something to say or do, something that always made Tala feel better, no matter what. It couldn't be physical though, not after that fight. Somewhere in his head, a light bulb went off, and the Russian cleared his throat.

"You look very sexy, Tala."

"Even in white?"

The question was hasty, yet tentative, and the falcon was thrown slightly off kilter. That wasn't the response he had predicted, but hey, he'd go with it.

"Especially in white."

The soft kiss wasn't predicted either, but the brilliant smile that followed it was exactly what he had been aiming for.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A kawaii YuBo moment dedicated to YuBoWave2. I feel horrible for forgetting about it. Hope you enjoyed. Please Review! ; )