Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

A/N: Another chapter and the end is getting close. Enjoy.

"I still think you're cheating."

Bryan tossed his flush down on the table and smirked at Johnny as he pulled the pile of poker chips towards him. "And I still think you're a hardheaded lizard so we're fair. Get better at poker."

Johnny sneered and stood to grab the bottle of scotch off the sidebar and refilled his glass and Bryan's before putting the bottle back down and grabbing the wine, refilling the glasses of the other three. "It's complete chance on the cards you draw. There is no way to get better."

Laughing Bryan collected all the cards and put them back into the deck. "I know, but tell that to the sports channels that show professional poker."

The door to the parlour opened and Gustav appeared, hands followed behind his back. "Master Jurgen, you have a guest. A woman who claims that she's a friend you haven't seen in awhile."

Robert frowned as he took a drink of his wine. "Lady Kilchberg is my only female acquaintance but escort her in Gustav."

The butler nodded and ducked out of the room.

Shuffling the cards Bryan looked at his lover. "Another would be wife lurking in the corners Robert? Am I going to have to scare her off too?"

The colour drained from Robert's face, his eyes dilating from surprise and Bryan twisted in his seat to face the door, wondering what had caused his lover's sudden shock.

A beautiful woman with long black hair and liquid dark eyes stood in the door. She was dressed in a pale pink dress with stiletto heels, a delicate white purse hanging from her elbow. "Robert, sweetheart, it's so good to see you after so long."

Frowning Bryan glanced at his companions. Oliver looked like he was on the verge of passing out, Enrique was staring at the woman like she was a particularly disgusting specimen in a Petri dish and if Johnny's flushed cheeks, angry eyes and the set of his mouth the Scot was seriously contemplating murder.

"And who is the epitome of upper class shallowness?"

Johnny dragged his gaze away from the woman, hands clenched in fists on the table. "Vivian Barclay. I assume in the two years you've been pretending to care about Robert he told you about her. Bitch nearly ruined him."

"Oh. Her."

The Scot leaned back in his chair, a sudden chill pushing away the heat of his anger. The warmth Bryan had been showing on and off through out the day, most of it aimed at Robert was gone. In its place was a coldness he remembered well from four years ago. Pale eyes were hooded, bright with anger and a familiar smirk tugged at Bryan's lips. Johnny watched as Bryan's hand flexed on the arm of his chair, leather creaking under the pressure of his fingers.

"I'll take care of this matter."

The Russian stood, the movement catching Vivian's attention and she stepped further into the room and smiled at him. "You must not run in our circles gorgeous. I think I'd remember seeing you before."

Bryan leaned back against the table with his arms across his chest, legs crossed at the ankle. "So, you're the money grubbing bitch who has no problems ruining someone's life. I'm not sure what it says about your intelligence that you've come back."

Vivian stared at Bryan for a moment, her mouth hanging open unattractively. "Just who do you think you are to speak to the daughter of Lord Barclay in such a way?" Her eyes skittered to Johnny. "Johnny, are you really going to let him talk to me this way?"

Johnny leaned back in his chair, acutely aware of the cold look Bryan was leveling at him. "Yes, because shockingly I like him more than you. I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire bitch."

Mouth falling open even further Vivian looked to Robert. In her mind there was no way his honour would allow two of his friends to speak to her in such a way. "Robert, I demand you do something about these two."

Before she got an answer Vivian found herself slammed back against the parlour wall, big hands tangled in the front of her coat, the lavender haired man holding her tight against the stone.

"You're a fucking idiot. To waltz in here after what you did and expect compassion. You may have conveniently forgotten how you tried to play Robert and fuck up his life but the others haven't." He pulled her away from the wall and slammed her back, ignoring the way Vivian's head hit the stone. "I haven't forgotten and I found out years later."

Terrified by the absolute lack of emotion in the low voice Vivian curled her hands around Bryan's wrists, digging her manicured nails into pale skin hard enough to draw blood. She watched as the crimson liquid pooled and dropped to the floor and tried to kick, only to be pressed tighter against the wall by his weight. "My father will hear of this and you'll spend the rest of your life in jail."

Bryan grinned, a manic look that sent a shiver down Vivian's spine. "So? People have gone to jail for less, in the protection of ones they love. Although, I'm willing to bet that you never told your daddy about your little ploy to blackmail one of the most powerful families in Germany."

He pressed harder, grin widening as Vivian started to tremble. "Here's the plan you shallow whore. You leave now and never have any contact with the Jurgen family again. If I find out you have, I make one phone call and your family becomes trash, title or no."

Freeing one hand from her lapel Bryan caught Vivian's chin with his fingers, squeezing hard to force her to look at him. "And if you ever try to contact Robert I will hunt you down and kill you, in an extremely unpleasant manner and they will never find your body. Understood?"

Vivian nodded, mouth opening and closing, incapable of forming any real words. She stumbled when Bryan stepped away and with a last, final terrified look Vivian fled the room, her heels clicking on the stone floor.

Johnny watched as Bryan took a deep breath, broad shoulders rising before sinking. When he turned the manic look was gone, replaced with concern and he moved to stand in front of Robert, carefully taking the wine glass from tense fingers.

He continued to watch, expecting Bryan to lord driving off Vivian over Robert's head, to use it as another hold on his friend. What he wasn't prepared for was Bryan gently uncrossing Robert's legs and going to his knees between them. Heedless of the flaking blood drying on his wrists Bryan picked up Robert's hands and pressed kisses to the palms.

A deep shuddering breath shook Robert's body and a hand rose, sliding through pale hair to cradle Bryan's head. Robert leaned forward and they met in the middle, foreheads touching, a sliver of space between their lips. Bryan started talking, his words lost but not the emotion behind them.

"Fuck." Johnny threw back what was left of his scotch and stood, suddenly unable to face what he had been trying to ignore for two years. Throwing open the doors that lead out to the courtyard he climbed up to the wall and leaned against the parapets, closing his eyes against the cool wind.

He heard someone come up behind him and he didn't have to look to know it was Oliver.

"What was that about Johnny?"

Rubbing at his forehead Johnny turned around and leaned back against the wall, looking at the still open doors to the parlour. "Them. Since this entire thing started, I've been hoping that this was all Bryan trying to use Robert. I was waiting for something to happen, waiting to hear that he was no better than Vivian. And then she shows up and Bryan proves me wrong. He threatened to kill her Oliver, with us as witnesses."

He dragged his gaze to his lover, easily reading Oliver's face. "I love you Oliver, but I wouldn't threaten to kill someone for you. I can't imagine being fucked up enough to so callously say you were going to kill a person over something that happened almost four years ago."

Oliver moved closer to his lover and slipped an arm around his waist, fingers tucked under his lover's belt. "That's just the thing Johnny. Think about what came out after Championships, what the Demolition Boys went through. Robert and Bryan have been together for two years, plus when Bryan was just working for him. This is the most stability Bryan has had in his life."

"Robert has become the most important thing in Bryan's life. The way Bryan attacked Vivian proves that he takes any threat against Robert as seriously as one against himself." He canted his head back so he could see Johnny's face clearly.

"Are you ready to admit that Bryan loves Robert that he isn't just fucking with him for his money or amusement? Because he won't show it, but he hates having one of his best friends dislike the man he's chosen to spend the rest of his life with. And they will be together for that long. Neither of them is going to back out of this."

Johnny rested his forehead against Oliver's, one hand sliding up to cup his lover's neck. "Yeah. I can admit to it, and I promise I'll do my best to play nice until I actually like him."

-----

"Falke?"

Bryan shifted at Robert's voice, dropping the rope he had been jerking as Corcoran gnawed on the other end, something about the way Robert had said it causing his skin to prickle.

His lover was standing in the bathroom doorway, wrapped in his heavy maroon brocade robe. Dark purple hair was almost black from water, curling at temple and the nape of his neck, cheeks flushed from the hot water.

He stood and settled on the chaise lounger they had added to their room in place of the two wingbacks. "Robert?"

Robert frowned, rubbing at his chest with one hand. "Would you actually do it?"

"Yes." He waited, expecting harsh words and recriminations; how threatening murder wasn't the way matters were dealt with in polite society, but none of it was forthcoming.

Instead Robert's frown disappeared and he nodded. Taking a breath he stepped over Corcoran and Bryan was shocked when his lover went to his knees between his legs, strong arms wrapping around his waist, head against his chest.

Bryan slid his arms slid around Robert's shoulders, one hand curling lightly around his partner's neck, pulse strong under his fingers.