"I'm sorry Tom, but that's an instant fail. You almost made it this time," said Tom's anger management examiner, climbing out of the white tiger costume.

"No!" Tom howled. "You've got to give me another chance!"

"Wait," Marco said angrily. "Can someone tell me what the heck is going on?"

"Tom had his anger control test today," said the examiner. "All he had to do was spend three hours with the person he hated the most in the world, and not destroy them."

Marco blinked.

"But you had to he selfish, didn't you?" Tom snarled, coming towards him, his three eyes flashing into balls of white flame. "You had to ruin it for me!"

Tom advanced menacingly and Marco backed away, tears prickling in his wide brown eyes.
"And now you've got to pay..." Tom hissed, flame enveloping them. Marco yelled as his hoodie was singed. Tom grabbed Marco's neck in his sharp, clawed hands, forcing him to the floor, crushing his windpipe, choking him. Tiny stars erupted in from of Marco's vision and tears spilled from his eyes as he clutched at Tom's hand. Tom roared and fire licked Marco's cheek, blackening it.

"You... H- hate ....me?" Marco coughed.

Tom stopped.

He released Marco and stepped back, looking at his hands in horror.

"No," he whispered.

"You hate me," Marco said quietly, slowly getting to his feet. He had to lean against the side of the car to steady himself. He was shaking. His voice was hoarse. "You hate me, don't you?"

"No!" Tom said again. He started towards Marco, who flinched away from him. Tom looked shocked. He took a deep breath. "No, I-"

He sighed deeply. Marco watched him warily.

"I don't hate you, Marco. I chose you to spend the day with for another reason."

Tom was blushing furiously, staring resolutely at his feet.

"You lied to me," Marco said. "You tricked me into spending time with you. I can't believe you'd do that!"

"I'm sorry, Marco!" Tom said desperately. "I... I don't hate you."

"Finding it really hard to believe you right now!" Marco said angrily.

"I'm sorry!" Tom came towards him again, and Marco leaned away, saying,

"Get away from me!"

"Marco!" Tom said, looking hurt. "Please, you've got to listen to me."

"Why should I? You just tricked me and lied to me and tried to kill me!"

Tom looked guiltily at the Marco's now severely charred hoodie, the red marks on his neck from Tom's attack, and the angry burn on his cheek.

"I did this..." Tom said, defeated, suddenly dropping to his knees. Marco looked at him.

"Well, yeah, duh," he said crossly.
"I... Hurt you," Tom moaned into his lap.

"Well, yeah!" Marco said, exasperated.

"I... I forget, sometimes, that you're mortal, Marco," Tom said, not looking up.

"Huh?" Marco asked, confused.

"You and Star can do so much amazing stuff together, and your mortality has never been a problem. You... You're so delicate, you humans get hurt and die so easily..."

"Great," Marco said. "Thanks for summing that up."

"No! What I mean is, I... If I had done that to someone like me or Star, they'd be fine. But I've hurt you. And that's the last thing I ever wanted to do Marco."

"But... You hate me," Marco breathed.

"No, I don't hate you," Tom said, laughing in a hollow sort of way. He looked up at Marco. "I think the reason I'm so hard on you is because... Well, I don't hate you. Quite the opposite, really."

Marco started.

"What?" He gasped. "You... You... Lo-"

"Don't say it!" Tom groaned, putting his head in his hands. "It's all so messed up. I'm so confused about it all. Just... Don't make me do anything- I don't know how I feel-"

"You don't have to," Marco whispered. He swiftly crossed the space between them, still a little shaky, and dropped to the ground beside Tom. "You don't have to," he whispered, "because I do." And kissed him.