When Rocket came upon the room where Cheshire rested, he wasn’t really sure what he was going to do. He had a vague idea that if he appeared, things might get a little below the belt and he expected that. Perhaps it was the two and a half mugs of alcohol working inside his system, stimulating his sensitivity to seek.

He had a little argument inside his head that he should just play it cool and just get carried by the moment. Let whatever’s going to happen govern his actions. He first collected his thoughts outside the door so that he would maintain his nonchalance. After all, a nervous attitude is a major turn off.

Just get in and pull him in, Rocket thought. No words, no staring contests—just walk and perform. He took a last deep breath before opening the metal door that lead to the drunken feline’s room. He was stopped on his tracks, quite not what he expected, after seeing the cat—bloodied and scratched—hovering above the bed.

He was bare on his top. His adamantium claws ravaging the flesh near his spine where the stitches were formerly resealed. He cried as he kept on running his claws on the deep scratch-wounds, muttering vague curses. Rocket closed the door behind him and walked over to Cheshire.

“What happened?” Rocket asked, looking at the bed getting soaked by blood. It rained crimson on the mattress as the drunken Cheshire kept on tracing the wounds with his sharp claws.

Rocket grabbed Cheshire by the tail and pulled him down so he could reach in for his hands. The moment he touched Cheshire’s arm, the cat acted by reflex, swiping Rocket and hitting him on the face.

Rocket grunted as his face was slapped the direction where Cheshire’s claw went. Blood trickled down from the three lines Cheshire created and it was then when he realized what he’s done.

“Rocket…” Cheshire whispered his name as he slowly descended to the floor. He reached in for the wounds with his hand but stopped as he saw the blood—Rocket’s blood—still tainting his claws. He pulled back his hand to a fist as if forbidding himself from ever touching Rocket again and turned around, about to jump away.

Rocket stopped him. By merely touching one radiator with a finger on Cheshire’s back, the cat was unable evaporate lest he vaporize Rocket with him.

“Just you try,” Rocket said and placed his whole hand on Cheshire’s shoulder. He pulled him in slowly for an unexpected embrace.

Cheshire collapsed inside Rocket’s hug, weeping. He nuzzled his face on Rocket’s neck as he gasped for air in his uncontained cry.

Rocket was just beginning to understand and he hadn’t the slightest idea why Cheshire was hurting himself.

“I don’t want to go…” Cheshire whispered in the recesses of his sob, “I thought I could… but now I want to stay… more than ever.”

Rocket’s acerbic façade crumbled just as the cat’s mysterious visage was crumbling. And he found himself petting the back of Cheshire’s head just to replace his gasps with a purr. Slowly, the cat began to settle and all Rocket could feel at that time was their warmth against each other, their weights in one another’s support.

“You know I once almost killed a friend of mine because I was really drunk,” Rocket comforted Cheshire, “Since I really didn’t know him back then, I assumed that he was laughing at me… calling me names… calling me a little monster but my point is, when you’re drunk, you make lousy assumptions. Just don’t give in to those or you might wake up full of regrets.”

Cheshire purred. Rocket’s touch finally got to him. “Drunk or not, I really don’t want to go.”

“Like I said,” Rocket scratched harder, “It’s the alcohol talking. You might say that now but if you stay here, you’ll regret not escaping with me. I mean, what’s this place ever done to you besides keep you as a prisoner with an assigned role?”

“You’re right,” Cheshire said albeit he and Rocket were totally on different matters. Cheshire wasn’t referring to not wanting to go out of Wonderland. He referred to not wanting to go to the afterlife. “It’s selfish of me to think like this,” Cheshire swallowed, “It’s everybody’s freedom or mine.” He broke the hug and stood at a distance from Rocket. He looked down, embarrassed of his smile at such an untimely setting.

Rocket knew how to make him feel better. He cupped Cheshire’s chin and lifted his face up. “I say your smile is very creepy and just looks inopportune at situations like this but… I’m getting used to it now.”

Cheshire opened his mouth to protest but Rocket didn’t give him a chance. Before he could say anything, Rocket gently paired his lips with Cheshire. The cat’s fur bristled and his tail bushed from surprise. The difference of this kiss from earlier was that Rocket was actually gentle. He merely touched his mouth with Cheshire’s and when the cat relaxed from surprise, Rocket took the opportunity to explore deeper.

Wilder and wilder, Rocket became as his hands turned into explorers themselves. He placed one hand behind Cheshire’s neck, pulling him so close their bodies touched. Then he positioned both hands behind Cheshire’s leg, carrying the bloody cat on the tainted mattress before climbing up himself.

Rocket liked the feel of Cheshire’s tongue running against his. It was bristly, abrupt and ecstatic—the very source of his oral rapture. Deeper into frenzy, Rocket didn’t give a damn about the messy place. He couldn’t care less that they were lying on a blood soaked bed.

He withdrew inches away from Cheshire’s mouth just to unzip his suit before ravaging the bluish feline once again. When he looked back up, their eyes locked for a moment and everything paused.

Rocket was the first to say something. “Why are you looking like that?” he asked.

Cheshire snapped out from his trance after realizing the question. “Was I staring awkwardly?” he returned.

Rocket pecked him on the lips, “You were. What, you don’t like it?”

“I do,” Cheshire wrapped his hands around Rocket’s neck, pulling up to return the kiss. “Why would I not?”

“I don’t know…” Rocket trailed off, “Big guns hurt?”

Cheshire shot him a sly face before licking Rocket’s nose with his bristly tongue, “At first, they do.”

“So you’ve had experience?” Rocket asked.

“No,” Cheshire answered, “It’s what they all say.”

Rocket lifted his weight up with his forearms so as he would be hovering above Cheshire for better conversation. “The fat lady implied that you’re a frequent visitor here with various partners. Are you suddenly telling me you don’t have experience?”

“Not quite,” Cheshire trailed off, “I’m always the pitcher. I was never the catcher… until now. What about you? What’s your excuse?”

Rocket shrugged, “I’ve got none. I haven’t done it before not even with Lylla. And nobody else wants to do it with a little monster.” He sounded down and even looked away after recalling such stale experiences.

Cheshire placed his hand on Rocket’s cheek, “How unfortunate for them that they missed a rarity in the entire universe.”

“You’re a seducer, you know that?” Rocket touched the hand that rested on his face. He leaned in to kiss Cheshire. “Is that how you get all your mates? That won’t work out there, however. Up there, you gotta be as toxic as possible to protect yourself from all sorts of folks.”

“Is that why you were so cranky yesterday?” Cheshire asked, “Never thought I’d have someone like you.”

Rocket snorted. He pulled Cheshire by the legs and unzipped his pants down, taking it off. “Enough chitchat, kitty,” Rocket smirked, “Just prepare yourself.”

***

They were bare inside each other’s arms. Cheshire rested on top of Rocket’s shoulder as he embraced the raccoon. There was a calm silence between them occasionally broken by the tired gasps of their previous intimate encounter. Rocket stared at the ceiling not knowing where else to look since he was haunted by two things: the guilt after a climatic end and the unwanted excitement of the next time it happens.

“Promise me one thing,” Cheshire said as they rested comfortably, “I think I’m sober enough to say this.”

“I’m not good with promises,” Rocket replied immediately, “You can make me promise but there’s no guarantee I’ll keep it.”

Cheshire climbed on top of Rocket, taking one of the raccoon’s hands to pair with his. “At least try…”

Rocket took a while but he eventually accepted it. “Fine. I’ll try.”

“If all goes well, you’d be leaving this planet tonight.”

“Uh-huh,” Rocket replied, “So?”

“Promise me you’ll never return.”

Rocket scratched the back of his head, “This is a lousy planet. Why would I return?”

Cheshire’s smile stretched down but failed to become something else other than what it already is. “Exactly… don’t ever return, okay?”

“Never,” Rocket crossed his chest, “I mean we are in another universe. Once we find a way back to our original universe, we’d most likely never get back here.”

Cheshire heaved in a deep breath and let it out. “Only you, I’m afraid.”

“What?” Rocket almost yelled, “You said you were sober. Why do you still want to stay?”

Cheshire bit his lip. “I have an unfinished business with a particular Xandarian looney,” he chuckled. “I promise, once I free everyone here from…” Cheshire paused, wanting to conceal the name of the culprit behind all of this but decided to just finally say it. He continued, “After I free everyone from Alice, I’ll find my way to you.”

Rocket sat up, leaning against the bedrest to better analyze what the cat was telling him. “Let’s say for instance, you don’t come and we never see each other again. What am I supposed to do?”

“Keep the promise as your remnant of me. Don’t come back to this planet in this universe,” Cheshire said almost too warily like his voice was being broken into a thousand silent whispers.

“So you’re basically making me promise to forget about you,” Rocket folded his arms in front of him and looked away. “Why didn’t you just say so in the first place? Why did you have to flourish it so much? I can take a direct hit.”

“It’s not that… Rocket I…” Cheshire choked on his own breath and at the same time, Rocket got off the bed and picked up his suit.

“It’s a simple enough task for me,” Rocket said as he put his pants on, “Don’t worry. Once I board the ship, you never existed. Poof,” he mimicked an explosion sound, “Gone like how you vanish all the time.”

“Rocket—”

“Don’t follow me. I’ll be back once it’s dark.” He walked out of the door.