DISCLAIMER: Same as before...(see chapters 1 & 2)...don't own, don't sell...including the lyrics taken from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Stadium Arcadium" down at the end there.
A/N: Chapter 3! Unbeta'ed! (:cringes:) Tell me what you think, and I'll fix it, promise ;) ...Does anyone want to beta? Razoth has gotten a little busy as of late, and I hate to bother her... Let me know if anyone's interested :) And I'm sorry this took forever again… Besides the fact that I'm a natural procrastinator, there was a death in the family…which involved a ten hour drive to get to the funeral in Arkansas :(
Nothing like coming back to discover more people have read your story though :D Much love to Kytten, Jareth-King, LoveTHYconan, AnonyMiss731, moose lips, and Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac for the loverly reviews ;)
A Slippery Slope
Chapter 3: Safe Landing?
Sportacus' mind was enveloped in a white blanket of fear. His heart frantically pumped oxygen into his adrenaline-laced bloodstream. The muscles in his legs burned as he pushed them to carry him faster and faster. Just as he reached the Mayor's house a dark blur fell from the roof into his outstretched arms.
"Robbie!"
Robbie's eyes were wide and frantic. He clutched at the blue vest in front of him. "Sportacus?"
"Yes." A surge of happiness flowed through him. Robbie was safe. He had made it in time.
Robbie sighed and untwisted his hands from Sportacus' clothing. "Thank you," his voice was shaking slightly.
"You're welcome." Sportacus still held Robbie tightly to him. There was something about this rescue that scared him more than all the others. He didn't know why exactly, but he wanted Robbie to know that someone cared.
Robbie squirmed.
"You can put me down now, Elf."
"Oh, sure, Robbie." Sportacus tightened his grip slightly, giving Robbie a half-hug, before allowing him to plant his feet on the ground. Robbie was still a little jittery.
"You know, Sportakook, I've fallen from a roof before. It was this very roof in fact." His hands fluttered over his vest, brushing away imperceptible particles of dust. "And I landed just fine last time. You really shouldn't be such a worry wart." He crossed his arms and attempted to project an air of disinterest.
Sportacus smiled, then stepped closer and wrapped his arms around the seemingly impassive man.
Robbie instantly tensed at the contact. Sportacus' strong grip felt very nice around him, and that was very bad. He shivered as soft breathing ghosted across his ear.
"I'll always worry about you, Robbie. Even if I leave town forever, I'll still wonder if you need me."
Robbie shuddered. He kept his arms resolutely down at his sides. It was the hardest thing he had ever done. But he had to restrain himself. If he hugged the blue elf, who knew what he might do next? He might turn his head and press his lips to the inviting neck that was right there, just to see what it felt like. Or let his hands creep under that pristine white and blue shirt. Robbie knew that if he did anything similar to either of those oh so helpful suggestions, even Sportacus would find it difficult to accept him.
He finally lifted his arms up, but not to return the embrace. Instead, he pushed Sportacus away to a safer distance.
"Robbie?"
"Don't do that again, Sportaflop." Robbie's heart constricted as the hero's cheerful expression crumbled. "And stop trying to be my friend. You wouldn't like me if you got to know me, I'm sure of it. I'm a nasty villain, remember? I live underground and eat junk food. I laze around all day and—"
Something drew his attention back to Pinkie's window. But when he looked the room was dark and still. Sportacus didn't seem to notice anything unusual, so Robbie dismissed it.
"Why are you so sure?" It was Sportacus' turn to fold his arms across his chest. "I think I should be allowed to make that decision for myself."
"Just...trust me." Robbie turned to stalk away. Thoughts of finally getting to sleep cheered him slightly. Maybe if I'm tired enough that dream won't have a chance to show up. Although by now I'm probably just going to have to accept it… At least it's more peaceful than dealing with the real thing.
"Robbie!" Sportacus swiftly caught hold of the man's bony wrist before he could make his getaway.
"What?" Robbie snarled. He glared at the broad hand wrapped around his trapped appendage, before lifting his gaze up.
"I can learn to accept anything you might come up with, honestly," Sportacus stated. "I can help you feel better about yourself and get a good night's sleep—"
"Like you're such an expert, up at this time of night," Robbie scoffed.
"Well, tonight's an exception…I don't know why I couldn't fall asleep." Sportacus looked worriedly at Robbie. "It's a good thing I couldn't. You could have really gotten hurt falling from the roof, Robbie."
"I told you already I would have been fine. And I wouldn't have been up there in the first place if it weren't for you!" He snatched his hand away from Sportacus' iron grip. A slight pain flared there for a moment, but he was used to bumps and bruises. His hand flopped loosely as he quickly shook it off.
"Why?" Sportacus tilted his head. "What did I do?"
Robbie closed his eyes to block out the (almost edible) expression of confusion on his nemesis' face.
"You fell asleep."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Robbie." Sportacus stepped closer to him. Robbie's eyes were still closed tightly, so he didn't notice the change in proximity. "Was that all?"
"Well, no—you…I…" Robbie spluttered.
"Robbie…" Sportacus put a hand on Robbie's shoulder. "Was it because I saw you crying?"
Robbie's eyes flew open. "No! I wasn't—"
"You weren't? But Robbie, I wiped them from your face…" He brushed the back of his hand across Robbie's flushed cheek. "They were right there. I felt them."
Robbie didn't move his head away. His eyes were wide and he couldn't seem to blink, or look away from the engaging blue eyes of the blue sports fairy.
"It's okay, you know, to cry. We all need to vent pent up emotion sometimes. It's not good for you to hold everything inside."
"But I don't care what's "good for you," remember?"
Sportacus shook his head. "But it doesn't feel good, does it? Eating cake and lazing around might feel good to you, but surely restricting yourself doesn't...?"
Rather than answer the probing questions, Robbie looked past Sportacus into the bushes behind them. A pale cicada sat on a leaf there, shedding its shell, struggling to free the wings that would forever be disfigured if they weren't released in time. Robbie felt like that bug. His skin felt tight, like it didn't fit properly any longer. He wished he could shed it as easily as the insect.
"Robbie?"
Robbie didn't want to look at Sportacus again. He was right. It hurt to keep everything in. But it would be much more painful if the elf ever truly hated him. And he would. If Robbie looked at Sportacus, glanced into those glittering depths that were as blue as the ocean… Robbie was certain that he would end up corrupting him, tainting him. Everything Robbie touched turned rotten. That was his name after all; it fit well. Everyone he had ever felt fondly of ended up leaving in the end.
Robbie flinched as a dusty memory came sharply into focus. He had tried very hard to keep it buried, but nothing could erase the scarred moment from his childhood.
Many years ago, on a bright summer day, Robbie and another boy (his name had been lost in the fog of time) had discovered a raspberry bush during the course of their adventures. Serving as an excellent substitute to the usual mud pies, the little fruits burst on their tongues and stained their fingers wonderfully. They shared secret grins, before beginning a lighthearted game of "war," artfully dodging and reloading their individual stocks of berries quickly.
The rest was a bit blurry, but Robbie could remember a wrestling match that ended with them both sitting underneath the thorny plant. Robbie liked his playmate very much, and wanted to show that he enjoyed his company, so he kissed him. Robbie didn't think much of it; he had seen other people do it lots of times. His friend looked at him funny, but didn't say anything, and so they had continued to play.
Later that night, after the boy had been sent home, Robbie's father brought out his best belt and whipped him with it, not minding if the buckle made contact occasionally. His father had apparently seen Robbie's slight display of affection, and hated him for it. Robbie never saw the sweet raspberry boy again. Neither did he eat another piece of fruit or enjoy the rays of the sun.
Anger rose up in Robbie as he blinked the memory away.
"Get away from me!" He batted Sportacus' hands away. "You don't know what you're asking!" Robbie whirled away from Sportacus, practically jogging in the direction of his home.
This time, Sportacus let him go, sadly gazing after him until he disappeared into the darkness.
Sportacus sighed, and turned towards his mobile home.
"I know more than you think, Robbie," he muttered to the night air.
Tomorrow was going to be a rough day.
oOoOo
Two large brown eyes stared out of the window at the defeated form of Sportacus. His shoulders were slumped and he looked exhausted. He barely even made it up the ladder.
Stephanie slid open her window after making sure the town hero was sealed safely in his airship.
"Good thing I opened this a little when I heard footsteps on the roof," she whispered to a cicada sitting in a bush next to her. "They sure were standing awful close..."
The bug fluttered its glistening wings.
She sighed. "I wonder why Robbie was so angry…Sportacus just saved his life. You'd think he'd be a little more grateful! I know I would have been..." She blushed.
She poked the large insect gently and it climbed on.
"I wish Robbie wasn't so uptight all the time. If he could just realize that we would all love him if he stopped trying so hard to ruin our fun! He could even have fun with us too..."
She held the insect up close and peered into one of its black eyes.
"I think someone needs to help Robbie mellow out a little. Don't you think, Mr. Bug?"
It fluttered its wings again, shaking the last of the dew off, and flew off into the night.
oOoOo
Bells around St. Petersburg, when I saw you.
I hope I get what you deserve.
And this is where I find,
smoke surrounds your perfect face,
and I'm falling...
--Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Peppers
A/N: Okay...good? Bad? Horribly confusing? It's so hard to remember that not everyone can see inside my head...
Oh, and technically a cicada takes like an hour to shed its skin and two more for the wings to dry, before they can actually fly off. Obviously Sport and Robbie weren't standing there for three hours...so I'm invoking the right of an author to use the "artistic license." It rights all wrongs... :)
Oh, and because Robbie is my fav character in the show, the fic's a little Robbie heavy at the moment...but I will try to give Sportacus a more depth in the future.