Rainbow Heart

Chapter 16

Barney was feeling better, and eventually, Purple left them. Leaving behind Red. Red was still dazed and confused by everything that has happened, but Barney was thrilled that his boyfriend was recovering.

They had learned that all of the code names they had heard were the names of cats. The Black Leopards was a code name name for the mafia. Or one of them. This one was organized by Donatello Benzini. A man who was wanted by police forces. Many of them were wanted criminals, but apparently a great number of the Black Leopards had been found dead in the streets. Cause of death was cardiac arrest induced by stress or shock so severe it had ruptured several blood vessels within the heart. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that Red was feeling better.

He had been at home enjoying all the treats Barney had bought him to help him feel happier and keep his mind off of things. Red had taken a liking to Disney movies. His favorite was The Little Mermaid. A redhead who wanted to be part of a world she knew nothing about. She longed for love and wished she wasn't trapped under her fathers tyranny. Red felt as though he could relate.

He liked eating the rocky road ice cream Barney had bought him while watching Disney movies. While Barney was at work, Red wasn't allowed to go outside. Not after the attack. Red was okay with that.

Right now he was coloring while watching Beauty and the Beast. Red couldn't relate to it as much as The Little Mermaid but he liked the movie anyway.

As he picked up different crayons, he noticed he was sensitive to certain colors more than others. The red crayon felt warm and comfortable in his hand while the blue crayon felt cold. Purple tingled at his fingertips like static while Yellow was almost unbearably hot to hold. Red was confused. Surely other people didn't feel like this when they touched crayons? And why didn't he feel this way when he touched... Say, a red plate? Was Crayola out to get him? Was Crayola working with the mafia?

Red decided to stop coloring.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the apartment door. Red froze, a pit of worry suddenly weighing down his stomach. Barney had told him not to answer the door when he was alone in the house unless he said someone had informed them they were coming over or it was one of his friends. Cautiously, Red inched down the hall, specifically avoiding the windows so the stranger wouldn't know he was there. Carefully Red peeked in through the peephole. Through the tiny window he saw Ross standing outside, looking bored but not hostile. Red decided that if Barney trusted Ross, so did he.

"Ross!" Red exclaimed as he opened the door. "I thought you were at work with the guys."

Ross shrugged. "I was, but I got some time off early and Barney seemed really worried about you. So I decided to check on you for him. Can I come in?"

Red smiled warmly. "Of course!" He held the door open wide and let Ross walk through into their house.

"It's very kind of you to come see me." Red mumbled, leading Ross from the entryway to the kitchen. "I don't see people other than Barney... Ever really!"

Ross furrowed his brow. "Doesn't that... Bother you?"

As he was digging through the fridge to get something to offer his guest, Red laughed. "Oh no! Actually, I'm not used to seeing anyone other than one or two people at a time. If I was seeing crowds and crowds of people at a time, I'd probably turn into–" Red cut himself off. Ross didn't know about Purple. Or any of the other colors. Right now, Red wasn't sure telling anyone was the best choice.

"Turn into...?" Ross prompted, clearly confused.

"Oh!" Red laughed nervously. "Um... Sorry! I sort of get lost in thought sometimes. Turn into... Er, a nervous wreck! Yeah, let's say that."