Part Five

"Master Michael, are you all right?" Gustav hurried over to the boy as he attempted to climb up the long staircase to the second floor without any help.
"I'm fine!" Michael snapped back, gripping the balustrade for dear life.
The butler nodded, not paid to argue. "Very good, Sir."

Robert's kiss; Johnny's cruel words; the fact he couldn't even walk up stairs without problems... his life was falling apart around him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He couldn't see past his injuries or his stay in this castle - all he could see was his promising sports career snatched from him by a force everyone but Robert was so quick to blame on Trygle.

He managed another awkward step, proving to Gustav, if no one else, that he wasn't the loser Johnny had accused him of being.

The last time he had made his way up these stairs, Robert swept him into his arms and carried him most of the way. And as romantic as that was, today he would scale them alone. He didn't need anyone's help. The sooner he could do things on his own, the sooner he would be back home.

He was so confused about his feelings - his homesickness coupled with what had just transpired with Robert in the gardens - a little physical pain would be good for him.

Gustav had since left the room to attend to other matters, so Michael had no need to pretend he wasn't having a lot of trouble with his footing.
"I can do this..." He told himself, wanting to cry out as his muscles and stitched skin protested together.

Two steps later, he fell to his knees, giving up. He twisted himself around to sit down, and bowed his head in his hands. He had been trained to put his complete faith in the wonders science and technology, and had even laughed in the faces of those who suggested the human spirit was a far greater power. Right now, he wished he could share Max's cheery outlook. The little blonde ball of energy would never have let something like this get him down.

He was sure he could crawl the rest of the way. It was degrading, but at least he would have conquered the stairway on his own. Max would have - whatever it took to get it done.

Exhausted but proud, Michael laid in the middle of his huge bed, replaying the moment in the gardens over and over in his mind. He was going to kiss Robert - and not just a friendly peck on the cheek either; he had been quite prepared to stick his tongue down the nobleman's throat, if Johnny hadn't interrupted him.

He shook his head. It was the castle... or the drugs... or both, that made him act so strange. He loved in much the same way as he played sport - hard and fast, without consequences. If he wanted Robert, he would have had - and been finished with - him by now.

This wasn't what he was used to. This was straight from the pages of some cheesy romance novel read by hopeful high school girls and lonely housewives. This was not the way Michael Parker did things.

So make a serious move on him. His thoughts taunted him.

How? He asked back dryly.

Robert was so proper, even the thought of seducing him seemed wrong. Sure, Michael had won over others above his stature before - but never royalty.

He flipped Trygle over in his palm a couple of times, finding comfort in the familiar feel of the blade. "What do I do, Trygle? This is all fucked up."
The eagle Bit Beast, frozen in mid-flight on its chip offered him nothing in a spoken response.
"I don't even want to be here."

He ran his thumb over one of the more vicious injuries on his arm, laced together with tiny stitches. "No one will tell me what happened - they all think it was you who did this to me. And now this?! I don't even like Robert."

"Aw, he's not so bad once you get to know him." A head of green hair and bright purple eyes staring from a grinning face appeared around the ajar door to Michael's room.

"Hi." The single occupant of the room smiled, relieved to have some company at last, even if it wasn't who he'd been hoping for. "When did you get back?"
"A short while ago... Enrique was too excited to eat, and no offence, but I got really tired of him talking about baseball."
Michael shrugged, just happy having something to take his mind off his self-pity. "None taken."
"So I thought I'd make you something special." Oliver winked, opening the door and bringing in a covered bowl. "I don't know what Robert wants you to eat, but I thought I couldn't go wrong with soup. It's my own special recipe!"

Soup?! What Michael really wanted was the congealed goodness of a burger and a large serve of salty French fries from any given fast food giant, washed down with a huge cup of his favourite cola. He, Eddy and Steven would often miss midday practise because they were at the local Burger King - and smelling the fresh, provincial aromas of whatever Oliver had in that bowl only made him miss those times even more. Would the guys even want to associate with him again if he never recovered?

Presently, Oliver was fussing around beside him, balancing the bowl in one hand as he moved things from Michael's side table with the other. Finally happy with the arrangement, he set the bowl down and smiled proudly.

"I hope you'll like it..." He leant right over to meet Michael as he sat up, accentuating every letter that required his lips to purse - so close he was almost daring to kiss him. "...I made it just for you. Mmmm..."
"Thanks, that was sweet of you." He didn't feel like eating, least of all something that didn't have fries with it, but the boy had gone to so much trouble. He would get one of Robert's servants to dispose of it later.

Oliver wrinkled up his nose as he smiled, it made Michael want to smile back. The French boy was like a pretty little schoolgirl. He looked innocent enough, but the way he so casually flirted said otherwise.

"I'll see you later then."
"Oliver, wait!" The All Star called the boy back as he turned to leave. "Would you stay with me for a little while?"
"Oh..." Realisation hit the green-haired nobleman. "You must be pretty lonely here all by yourself, huh?"

Michael gave a half-hearted shrug, meaning 'yes', but without having to admit it. He was sure Oliver's company would be nothing like that of Eddy and Steve's, but it would suffice since he had no other option. Dirty jokes and all-out obnoxiousness would have to be put aside.

"W-what is Robert like?" He began warily. "...Once you get to know him?"
Oliver gave a knowing grin and sauntered back to the bed. He made the motions for the boy to move over, and before Michael could protest, he had laid down beside him.
"He's nice." He said simply, sighing as he stared at the canopy above him. "I mean, really nice. He may put on a convincing haughty aristocrat act, but underneath it, he's the sweetest guy you'll ever meet."

Michael gave a snort of disbelief, and Oliver was quick to defend his team's captain, rolling onto his side so he could look the other boy straight in the eye.
"It's true! He took you into his home and has cared for you these past three weeks expecting nothing in return - and you're not the first stranger he's done that for. I think he feels guilty about having been born into wealth, when so many good people are suffering around him. Mind you, if you go blabbing about his hospitality, he'll deny it all."

"Checkmate." Robert folded his arms and gave a smug grin. "You lose, which means you get to keep Oliver and Enrique company while I take care of some things upstairs."
Johnny scowled, both at losing the game and the proposition of spending time with the other two members of his team.
"Someone upstairs." He muttered, lining up his chess pieces back in their original places on the board.
"I beg your pardon, Johnny? I could have sworn you said something just then."

"Why him?" The redhead spat spitefully. "He's not worth your attention; he's beneath you in every possible way!"
"It is not your place to judge me!"
"Well, what are other people going to think of you - of the Majestics - when they find out? Sure, one look at Oliver and everyone knows he's flaming, but you - with an All Star of all people?! You're our captain, you're supposed to represent everything that's good about us - and I don't want to be represented like that!"

Robert stood up in silence, Johnny's words hitting everywhere he didn't want to be hit.
"Robert?"
"I have nothing further to say to you." He lied, leaving the room before he said something he wouldn't be able to take back.

The red-haired boy was like a little brother to him - an obnoxious little brother, but one that he loved all the same. Would he risk their friendship for the sake of a love which might not even come to fruition?

He was angry - with Johnny for saying such cruel things, and with himself for caring. So it was with a fiery temper that he marched up to Michael's room, hoping he could seek comfort in the boy's alluring face.

He passed Oliver on the way, and snorted in response to the boy's cheery greeting. He wasn't in the mood for the idle chit-chat Oliver loved to indulge in, so he simply pushed past him, ignoring whatever it was he was saying. He heard the name 'Johnny' in there, and it only made him worse.

"What is that?"
Michael turned to seek out what Robert was glaring at the moment he stepped through the door. "A bowl. What does it look like?"
"How did it get there?"
"Oliver brought me some soup, if that's okay with you." He added sarcastically, "Your highness."
Robert disregarded the remark, his frown growing deeper the only clue that he had even heard it. "Oliver was here with you - alone?!"
"Yeah, what's the problem?" The All Star spat back. Oliver had done nothing but praise the purple-haired nobleman, and all he could do in return was treat him like he was an annoyance. This was a side of Robert the small French boy seemed blissfully unaware of.

"Why did Gustav not notify me of his return?" The barrage of questions continued.
"I guess he didn't think it was important."
"He should not have been allowed to see you!" Robert snapped, furious and jealous. The little minx could seduce the entire world and it wouldn't have mattered to him, so long as he left Michael alone.