After Raw, Alberto sighs, relieved to return to the hotel, lay down and rest for awhile. Ricardo is in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, leaving his former employer to scroll through texts and tweet alerts. He barely pays attention to any of them until he sees Ricardo's twitter handle, stopping short. He's clearly holding true to their plan, despite how faulty it'd already proven to be, but still the things they have to say and do against each other... it gets tiresome. Alberto sighs and presses buttons until his phone's screen goes dark, just as Ricardo leaves the bathroom and settles down next to him.

"Buenos noches, El Patron," he whispers, kissing Alberto before settling against his chest and closing his eyes.

"Buenos noches, mi valiente," he murmurs in kind, listening to Ricardo's breath slowly evening out as he falls asleep. Alberto doesn't find it as easily, however, staring up at the ceiling as the night ticks by slowly. Finally he drifts into an uneasy sleep, Ricardo's insults over the past few months fresh on his mind, the things he's had to say and do as well.

He wakes up to the sun shining in through the hotel window and... no Ricardo. Frowning, he looks around, expecting the younger man to just be in the bathroom, or maybe at the edge of the bed, watching TV. But the room is quiet, there being no sign of life anywhere else. Alberto frowns and sits up, smoothing his hair down before padding around the room just to make sure, but no. The bathroom is quiet, and there's no sign of him down the hall at the ice machine. "Ricardo?"

Ducking back into the room, he slips into his shoes, realizing that Ricardo's things are gone- his bag, his shoes, the bottle of water he'd been drinking the night before. If Alberto didn't know better, it'd almost be like the man was never here. "Ay," he grunts, palming his keycard and wallet before leaving the room. A few wrestlers are scattered around in the front lobby of the hotel, preparing to leave, and he looks around, trying to find Ricardo. "Where is he?" he murmurs, turning in a circle until he finally spots him. Standing across the room with... his breath stutters in his lungs.

RVD laughs and nods at whatever Ricardo's saying, the two of them completely focused on each other. Alberto snarls at his old rival, collecting himself and storming over to them. "What is this, Ricardo?" he demands.

Ricardo rolls his eyes and steps past RVD, showing no signs of the timid creature he sometimes falls back into being when confronted. "What does it look like, Alberto?" Not being called El Patron stings more than Alberto would ever admit as they stare at each other. "Now if you don't mind." But it's clear it doesn't matter as Ricardo turns to resume his conversation with Rob.

"Hey!" Alberto grips his wrist, trying to get him to talk to him, figure out what was going on but the look Ricardo shoots him as he pulls away, looking like he's gearing up for a fight, those old defenses shoring up between them once more, makes him stop short. "Ricardo..."

"Leave me alone," he tells him coolly. "You deserve to be alone. Rob, he knows how to be a true friend, he knows how to relax and have a good time, see beyond his title reigns and career aspirations. He understands that life is meant to be enjoyed instead of being just another power grab. You've never got any of that, and you wonder why no one wants to be around you."

Alberto can do nothing but gape as the two men stand side by side, a cocky smirk on Rob's face as Ricardo chooses him over Alberto. "No, no, mi valiente, please-"

"I was never your bravery," Ricardo snaps back at him. "You have no bravery. You're a coward, Alberto. You always have been. You never deserved me-"

"No!" Alberto chokes out, confused as he comes face to face with darkness, frowning. He's sweaty and shaking, tensing when he's touched, a warm hand resting on his shoulder. "Let go," he snarls, preparing to attack when-

"El Patron," Ricardo says sleepily, sitting up and resting his head on Alberto's shoulder while hugging him from behind. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

He releases a breath and rests a hand on top of Ricardo's, his head lowering to rest against their intertwined fingers. "Just a nightmare," he mumbles.

"Seemed like a pretty bad one," Ricardo muses, nuzzling into his neck and pressing a soft kiss to the heated flesh there. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Alberto sighs, allowing himself to be guided back against the mattress as Ricardo shuffles around and settles against him. He softly strokes the younger man's hair, closing his eyes. "Do you ever... feel like we're taking this plan a little... too far?"

Ricardo leans up and stares into his eyes. "Is that what your nightmare was about? Did my tweets earlier...?"

"It's not your fault," Alberto says, stroking his sides. "I put all of this into motion, after all. I'm just pondering if perhaps it's time to drop the pretense. I hate hurting you, and I know you were never in favor of making it so personal..."

Ricardo sighs and presses a kiss to Alberto's arm before settling back against him. "I'm following your lead, El Patron. If you want to stop, that's fine with me. If you think it's still beneficial, then I'll continue on. It's up to you."

Alberto sighs and kisses the top of Ricardo's head, closing his eyes. "You're too good to me, mi valiente." Laying here, with Ricardo in his arms, listening to him breathe, it almost helps him to forget the nightmare, the look in that Ricardo's eyes. "You know that I was WWE Jerk of the Month again?"

Ricardo's lips twitch against his chest as he nods. "Si, I heard something about that." He teases Alberto with soft, tickling touches. "I believe I was mentioned in that article as well?"

"I believe so," Alberto smirks almost bitterly. "About how I target those weaker than me..." His hand spans the top of Ricardo's head as he kisses him. "The article is wrong however, because you were always my strength..."

Ricardo smiles and cups Alberto's face, searching his eyes. "It's a mutual thing, El Patron. I wouldn't be half as strong without you."

Alberto hums and pulls him closer, hugging him close. "Let's get some sleep, mi valiente. I don't think I'll be having any more nightmares."

Ricardo nods, murmuring, "Good." They lay quietly wrapped up in each other, enjoying the peace of the moment, before slowly succumbing to badly needed sleep.