Chapter Three

Bryan awoke with a terrible headache, he could barely open his eyes without shuddering in pain at the light. Why did he have to drink so much - and speaking of which, where on earth was he? He frowned at the warm, cozy bed in which he was laying on and then down at himself. These weren't his, so where was his actual clothes?

A few things began to come back to him, like the rejection from Tala, the lift from Robert. "Oh...no..." Bryan blinked, he hoped that the particular memory was just another drunk dream which he had confused with reality. "No..." He shook his head while resting on the pillow, disgust and humiliation flashing over his face. "No, no, no..." This was not going to be a good morning, already Bryan was thinking about jumping out of the window and disappearing from sight. No way was he ever going to face Robert again.

Deciding to get out of bed was the first step, Bryan wandered the manor for a moment, hoping to find a maid or someone other than the purple-haired blader to help him locate his normal clothes. He wasn't keen on leaving them, just in case they had anything of value inside...which Bryan couldn't quite remember. He was sure Falborg was in his pockets. He certainly wasn't leaving without her.

"Bryan, you're awake I see." The voice made him tense slightly, he only had a few seconds to decide what to do. It was either admit that he remembered what he had done the other night and let awkwardness ensue or pretend he couldn't remember anything. It didn't take long for him to put up a confused facade and turn around. Lying was second nature to Bryan after all.

"How'd I get here?" Bryan frowned while glancing around the hall, he wasn't sure what exactly had happened the night before but he knew that enough...if he did bring it up then both himself and Robert wouldn't be able to look at one another in the eye again. It was best to pretend to forget some times - much like his feelings for Tala. Almost molesting someone he had previously stated he hated, was not good in any way whatsoever.

"You don't remember?" Robert couldn't quite believe it. What he actually was hoping for, had happened - if Bryan did remember and was just covering it up that would mean he was also embarrassed about the whole thing. Interesting, seeing as he was the idiot that had started it. Robert narrowed his eyes wondering whether or not he should call Bryan's bluff. It wasn't as if Robert wanted to think back to what had happened but he would have enjoyed hearing an explanation of why it had occurred.

"Where's my clothes?" Bryan frowned down at himself, he didn't want to stay here longer than necessary. There was a brief moment in which Bryan turned to look at Robert who was still glaring in his direction. Oh, he knew why he was probably glaring but he had to act confused or surprised and so opted to frown and tilt his head. It seemed that he wasn't in the clearing just yet. On the other hand, Bryan was a little surprised that couldn't even look at the other for every long without his thoughts wandered back to last night.

Eventually Robert walked off and Bryan decided to follow, he had better be going to fetch his clothes: then he could disappear. On the other hand Robert was having a small argument with himself, he shouldn't let such matters go unaddressed. However Robert had no idea how a sober, hung-over, Bryan would react to being told what happened. What if he really didn't remember and he was just being paranoid?

"So, why am I here?" Bryan was playing dumb but he was also interested in whether or not Robert would mention anything, it was a little amusing to see that Robert was wearing a rather high collared shirt, hiding his neck. No doubt Robert would have a lot of explaining to do if anyone saw that. Which made Bryan try to think back on why Robert had taken so long to throw him off. Denial that he was enjoying it maybe? Bryan snorted in amusement to himself.

Should he tell the truth and just skip over the event in question or should he add it in? Robert truly wanted to understand what had caused such an assertive display of... affection? Perhaps not affection but there was no doubt some need or want involved. "You were running around outside in the rain, came back here, drank a few bottles of wine after you changed out of your wet clothes until you demanded to go to bed." He hoped that Bryan wouldn't keep asking these types of questions. Then again if it had been Robert - no. He wouldn't have done something so unacceptable.

Bryan could always ask him directly about the event but it certainly was a horrible feeling to be rejected twice on the same night. He couldn't understand however the fact that Robert just stopped, stopped fighting, stopped moving - that usually didn't happen with people who wanted someone off them. It may have been a moment of weakness, him giving up until he reconsidered and started fighting again.

"So I didn't do anything stupid?" Bryan asked casually, knowing that this conversation could very well turn sour quickly. Why had he asked that? He watched Robert's back hoping to see any tensing or any tell about what he was thinking, shockingly enough Robert turned around with his hands over his chest. Glaring at him again.

"What are you implying, Bryan - do you usually do stupid things when you're so intoxicated?" Bryan frowned, did this kid know that he...remembered? Or was he just testing him? There seemed to be a mind game occurring that Bryan just became aware of, was Robert trying to get him to admit that he knew what he had done? That wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Over another quarter of an hour of trying to locate exactly where Bryan's clothes were in the manor: Bryan and Robert continued to take digs at one another. Bryan would start with an awkward-to-answer question and Robert would pass it off as something innocent which in turn would conjure another question to try to make the other crack.

"Nevermind, I'm away to get out of these...things." Bryan grumbled as he quickly grabbed his clothes from the small shelf which the dry-cleaning had been placed in. He had began to realise that he was staring at Robert's neck at every chance he got to see just how much damage he'd caused. Bryan was never gentle after all. Caught on more than a few occasion, Bryan was beginning to become anxious, he needed out of here.

Robert smirked when he saw the sudden frown appear across Bryan's face - had he begun to run out of questions? However, in turn this caused Robert to frown, maybe Bryan really didn't know what had happened. Ignorance was bliss after all, every time he asked a question he didn't smirk or smile as if he knew the effect of the question would have on the conversation. He was acting as if nothing had happened.

He'd saw him glancing at his neck with interest he'd questioned him on this, but Bryan just shrugged and came back with a, 'I thought I saw something.' The answer provided only made him even more paranoid. Really, what was he doing wanting Bryan to remember last night.

"Would you like to walk to your home or shall I get the chauffeur?" Robert asked through the door. Currently Bryan was in the sitting room quickly changing. Robert had forced him inside saying that it would be rude to change in the middle of the hall when his Mother or Father could suddenly appear. It would be too tedious to explain to them.

"Why the hell would I want to ride in a limo with you?" Bryan shouted back. He wanted to see that look of sheer horror on Robert's face again, as soon as he had pulled off the tight shirt and was about to place his own T-shirt on the blader had interrupted and basically told him to go somewhere more private to change. What a prude. He'd probably had a stroke last night with what he'd done.

"You weren't complaining last night." Robert shot back, Bryan narrowed his eyes at that. Now if he was playing dumb, something like that would definitely call for another question. However that question could lead to Robert telling Bryan what he apparently did. That was something he was also trying to avoid.

The pause was what Robert was waiting for: he was probably panicking now. "What do you mean?" Bryan yelled back, confusion was forced into his words. Bryan smirked, apparently the kid was pretty good at these games. The moron certainly was trying to make Bryan come out and either ask what exactly had he done or, to admit it.

"You gladly accepted the ride to this manor last night." Robert replied innocently, he knew that he would need to finish this game off quickly, he did need to meet with Enrique. Thankfully he had this particular shirt on, a mandarin collar design, which covered up all of the marks on his neck so long as he didn't move too much.

"So I did." Bryan nodded as he walked out of the room, quickly shoving the jacket over him. He'd need to leave now. This were becoming a little too dangerous and he certainly didn't want to remember how Robert of all people rejected him.

"Robert, how are you?" Enrique smiled at the captain as he sat down across from him. It was his turn to fork out the money for the limousine. Robert frowned when he noticed a certain two people where missing from either side of Enrique, surely those girls hadn't left Enrique? Robert was still paranoid about those marks on his neck, hopefully the blond wouldn't notice.

"Fine, where is your usual troupe?" He raised an eyebrow when Enrique sighed. Surely there was another couple of girls who wouldn't mind being subbed in. Again it was off that Enrique was without one by his side. Perhaps the thought of marriage had sunk into his head? Enrique knew that Robert didn't enjoy the company of the girls he brought with him. However, out of all of the Majestic's Robert was the only one who didn't seem to mind not going out with anyone but his fiancée.

"Ones got some family thing and another one I am certain is out of town." Enrique shook his head a little worried that Robert would marry without a word of complaint. He hadn't ever had an argument with his parents for years - it was as if Robert had just given up with his own views and his own life to his parents. Last time Enrique had seen them argue, Robert had disappeared for three weeks and no one could find him. Wonder what happened during those weeks?

Robert turned to glance out the window, "Hey..." Enrique spotted a visible purple mark on Robert's neck - now that wasn't something that was an everyday occurrence. Wait, he also hated that kind of shirt, wasn't it last Christmas he had complained at least a handful of times before announcing his news of being married to some Alisha girl?

"You and Alisha already at it? You've not even been on your honey-moon yet." Robert frowned when he turned to see Enrique grinning at him, what was he talking about? Robert glanced at himself wondering what he could have meant. It did not take very long for him to remember about the marks which Bryan had left.

"This wasn't from Alisha." Robert mumbled. The sudden realisation that Robert hadn't done something with Alisha but someone who he seemed rather embarrassed about - was news. Good news. It meant the boy could actually have some fun before getting hitched. Now just who was this someone?

"Oh? So who was it?" Enrique was still grinning and slowly made his way to side down next to Robert who was now forcing himself to look out of the black tinted windows. Out of everyone who could have caught him it had to be the one that would want all of the details. He was too inquisitive for his own good.

"A rather distasteful person." He shifted on his seat, and hoped that Enrique would stop looking at his neck. There was only one way to stop such blatant and rude staring and that was to place his hand over the affected area. He would not, could not tell Enrique - or anyone else, what had occurred between him and Bryan. It was too embarrassing.

"Called?" Enrique tilted his head, now this was very interesting. Robert was actually trying to get rid of the evidence by covering it up. Enrique couldn't help but become even more curious to how badly this person had managed to mark his neck. It seemed that there was a story behind this as Robert grumbled under his breath and told him to forget about seeing it.

He wasn't going to wait or even ask and so Enrique grabbed Robert's hand away and pulled down the high collar of the shirt. "What on earth are you doing, Enrique?" Robert sounded furious. After all there was a somewhat hidden rule that they didn't do physical contact other than the exception of Enrique and Oliver. However both of those two had known one another for many years.

"It's massive." Enrique blinked down at the bruise which had been caused by as rather violent looking attack. There were even a few bite marks scattered on his neck and collarbone. It probably was pretty painful to even get. Enrique was quickly shoved off by a very flustered Robert. This was not what he needed right now.

"I know fine well how noticeable it is." Robert hissed back and glared at the younger blader hoping that he would drop the subject and begin to talk about the usual topics: girls, beyblading and money. It was pretty standard for the Italian. Still, Enrique was not letting this escape - for once Robert was humiliated for letting this happen. He should congratulate said person, he'd not seen Robert so bothered in years.

"Come on, who did that to you?" Enrique was too interested not to know now and he would not drop the subject until he knew everything. On the other hand Robert was regretting coming to see his so called friend. He should have stayed home until it was a little less noticeable.

"A drunken idiot named Bryan." He muttered, Enrique frowned the only Bryan he knew of was... "Yes. Him." Robert was not pleased when he saw Enrique's mouth open in shock only to be replaced with a five minute laughing spree. How he hated that blond at the current time. Whenever Robert met Bryan again he was not letting this go - he was going to scold the boy whether he liked it or not.

"Come on, you must have enjoyed it - or else it wouldn't be so big." Sure if it was small, then maybe Enrique could guess Bryan surprised the boy. However seeing as it was taking up most of the side of his neck only meant that Robert had stayed put while Bryan did that. Enrique couldn't but chuckle when he realised that he wasn't denying that he had.

"I couldn't remove him quick enough." Robert rolled his eyes, he knew what was going on in Enrique's head. No doubt he'd ask if they went so far and ask more personal questions. It didn't matter if he found it disgusted or if he found it rather exciting - it was unacceptable. His family could not be shamed in such a way!

"Really? So it was a once off thing?" Enrique sounded genuinely sad, which caused Robert to freeze for a moment. What was going on now? If Enrique was going to play match-maker again, Robert would be taking a quick, surprise holiday to the other side of the world. He did not, and had no intention of doing an action like that with anyone other than Alisha. She had been picked by his parents so she must have been perfect for him. There was no point in trying to find someone else.

"He gets rather provocative when he's drunk." Robert's pride was back, his head up and was now giving Enrique the impression that Robert was acting better than him. A tactic to try to stop the conversation - on the occasion, Johnny would argue but as soon as that high-almighty tone came the redhead would shut up. He'd whine about it for a while after words.

"Oh. Kind of like Oliver." Enrique nodded knowing that Oliver should never be allowed to touch any alcohol containing substance, ever. Not only was he drunk on half a glass, but the entire human population would be flirted with until he either got a slap (or punch considering) or got what he wanted. Last year he'd ended up with a black eye and a law suit for harassment.

"Worse than Oliver." Robert sighed and ran a hand through his hair, he didn't quite believe that it had actually happened. Was he still in denial? The world appeared almost surreal to the reality of the situation... Dear Lord, Bryan had probably been caught on one of the cameras... They'd been caught. Roberts' insides twisted at the thought of his father finding out. He'd need to find it and dispose of it.

"Was that all he did?" Enrique chuckled as Robert frowned. "Your lip." Enrique explained, he hadn't noticed it before seeing as he hadn't been close enough to really examine the boy's face. However his bottom lip really did appear to have two small cuts it looked as if Bryan really did bite. "Looks like he bit it." Robert rolled his eyes as Enrique laughed again.

He was going to give Bryan a piece of his mind next time he saw him and it wouldn't be pleasent for either of them, he was sure.

Author's Note: Oddly enough this pairing just seems to write itself. Oh well, quicker updates for everyone. If you have a few seconds to spare, drop a review and I'll reply ASAP. If you can't: later. Almost done with next chapter anyway. :)