Part Eight

Robert performed the duties of the gracious host like clockwork, never once alluding to what had happened between him and Michael that morning. What upset his guest the most was the way Robert acted like nothing was any different. Nothing he said sounded forced; the way he touched Michael when they took their ritual walk around the gardens was no less or no more tender than before. It was truly as if nothing had changed... as if the feelings they shared in that one beautiful kiss were just a figment of Michael's imagination.

Oliver had said Robert was good at hiding his emotions, but no one was that good.

"You can't ignore me forever." Michael prompted.
"I am not ignoring you."
The boy stopped walking. "Cut the crap, Robert! You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"There is no need for that sort of language." Robert stopped and turned back several steps away. "And no, I am afraid I do not."

"So, that's it? You want to pretend that it never happened... that it wasn't the most amazing kiss I've ever had?! I knew you were different, but not that different."
"We discussed this earlier. I did not see the need to bring it up again."
"No, you discussed it earlier." The shorter boy spat back. "I'm tired of playing games. What do you want from me, Robert?"

The knight closed his dark eyes, steeling himself with a deep breath. "I want what I cannot have."
"I'd let you have whatever you wanted." Michael moved to be close to him, so close he felt the shiver run through Robert's skin as they touched. "You know that, don't you?"
"What you are willing to offer me, and what I should take, are two entirely different things."
"What you should take?!" The All Star raised a doubtful eyebrow. "Is this some sort of chivalry thing? Because if it is, I've got a news flash for you - chivalry is dead. You wouldn't see me putting my coat in the mud, or opening a door for someone."

Robert smirked, deciding a response to Michael's argument would be far too easy, and whether the boy would know what 'uncouth knave' meant was a debatable point. He ran a finger softly across Michael's jaw, even though he'd told himself not to touch him affectionately any further.
"It is people like you who killed it."

Michael's arms twined around Robert's neck as the knight stooped to embrace the shorter boy around his waist. And before he could stop himself, Robert was in the midst of a kiss that would have made his last one jealous.

As if sensing romance in the air, Oliver looked up from his work in the kitchen, and spotted the pair from the window. He gave a happy sigh, thinking back to when he had last been held like that.

Michael forced the kiss to go deeper - opening Robert's mouth with the initially gentle probing of his tongue. He sought out Robert's tongue with his own, and as they touched, the knight's first reaction was to push his over-zealous lover away. But he found himself loving the way Michael writhed against him as his tongue played back and forth, in and out of his mouth.

The nobleman noted, with a mixture of shock and enjoyment that the sweet kiss had degenerated, nay, evolved into a savage duelling of tongues. And if he had been with anyone else - anyone his family would consider worthy - he would never have experienced such a thing.

The feel of it, the taste of it... Michael's hot body pressed so tightly against him he could tell exactly how much the boy was enjoying the moment. It was so wrong to be outside doing these things, and yet, nothing Robert had ever done had felt so right before.

"I want you so bad..." The American whispered as their lips finally parted.
Robert wanted to return the sentiment, but by saying it himself, he would be confessing to abandoning everything he had been brought up to believe. If he remained silent, he still had a chance to be forgiven... if he was that generous to himself.

"I really should make sure that everything is satisfactory for the dinner tonight." He said suddenly, leaving Michael to wonder if he had done or said anything wrong to make the knight want to hurry away like that.

"So, where's the party?"
Oliver and Enrique both turned to see Johnny standing in the doorway, draped in his tartan finery.
"Nice dress." The French boy giggled, running over to feel the woollen pile of his outfit. "Got anything on under there?"
Johnny scowled, so sick of the same old jokes about his kilt, that he instantly emancipated whatever pleasantries he may have had planned. "Go fuck yourself, Oliver."
It made Enrique's jaw drop, but didn't deter its target in the slightest.
"And don't touch me!" He barked, swatting the offending hands away. "I swear, I'm this close to kicking your ass!"

"What is all this noise about?!" The master of the castle asked as he barged through the door. "Johnny? I am so glad you could make it."
"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world." The smug way he said it demanded questioning, but Robert did not have the time to interrogate him when there were far more important things to attend to before his guests arrived - namely Michael, who was suspiciously absent even though he had been told to get dressed and return downstairs immediately.

Dashing upstairs, Robert headed to the boy's room to either help him or hurry him up, he hadn't decided yet. He found Michael sitting on his bed, tossing Trygle from one hand to the other in some form of low-impact practise.

"What happened to the clothes I gave you?" He demanded.
The All Star set Trygle down and got up to stand face to face with Robert. "You don't seriously expect me to wear something like that?"
"Michael, appearance is very important to my family. They will not treat you with any respect if you wear that." He gave an open hand gesture up and down the boy's mid-section.
"I always wear this!" Michael snorted indignantly, tugging proudly at his jersey's collar. "I'm not going to pretend to be someone else for the sake of impressing a bunch of snobs. If this is good enough to meet the President in, then it's good enough for your folks."
"Then at least take your hat off." Robert bargained, grabbing the offending cap by its brim and ripping it from Michael's head. "My family would be no less mortified than I at you wearing it indoors."
"Goddamn it, Robert!" He snatched the hat back. "I'm not some little kid you can boss around!"
"Then stay up here. I will have Gustav bring your plate up to you."
"Oh... You can't disguise me, so you have to hide me?"
"It is not like that, and you know it." Robert turned to leave. "If you decide you want to be civilised, you may join us in the dining hall at your convenience."

The castle walls were quite soundproof, and struggle as he might, Michael could not even make out a faint whisper of the conversation inevitably happening downstairs.

He had seen the Duke and Duchess arrive from his window overlooking the castle's winding driveway. As soundproof as it was to everything else, the bang! of the drawbridge and clatter of the portcullis shook its very foundations. It was all for show, of course. None of the Majestics had required such a grand welcome.

He cast a look at the expensive outfit Robert had asked him to wear to dinner, crumpled on the floor where he had tossed it like it was one of his dirty baseball uniforms. And his mind wandered to what the master of the castle might be wearing to impress his esteemed guests. There was no doubt he was curious to see Robert done up in ermine and velvet... or whatever royalty wore to a quiet family get-together.

As much as he hated to admit it, the last thing he wanted to do was upset Robert, even if he couldn't stand one side of his dual personality - and knew it would be that side who was hosting the party downstairs. Even if Michael did don the velvet monstrosity and brave the evaluations of his upper-class company, he doubted he'd even receive a polite greeting from the Majestics' captain.

It made him wonder what he had ever seen in the guy. What was it about him that made him yearn to kiss him again? That made him want to run down those stairs just to catch a glimpse of him? One night stands made so much more sense. Love was just too confusing.

Sighing in defeat, he took his hat off, and pulled his hair back into a ponytail like Robert had suggested he do...