Title: The Liberator
Part 22
Author: Angel Eterno
Rating: NC-17 - slash
Content: Slash, Romance, Abuse
Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me. They belong to WWF and Titan Sports. No copyright infringement intended.
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Chris Jericho had driven until he couldn't drive anymore, endless cruisings going nowhere had to come to an end. Slowly he drove back toward the hotel, eyed the nearest diner, a burger chain, and decided that the sensible thing would be to eat now. He parked the car in the lot and went inside. In front of him at the counter was another blond, another blond with a Canadian accent. Jericho didn't feel like talking to anyone, but had to make the effort considering he couldn't really avoid him.
"Hey, Christian."
Christian turned round, favoring Jericho with a look of surprise which soon changed to a grin.
"Hey, Chris."
Jericho smiled faintly, the similarity between their names hitting him bitterly. He remembered that night when Rob had called him Christian by mistake. He was angry with himself. It was only one night - just one freakin night - neither of them wanted nor expected more than that - so what the fuck was wrong with him? Yeah, he knew, it wasn't because he was jealous of Christian (who up until that evening truly had no idea of their brief liaison): but one would have thought Rob could remember his name correctly! Yeah, it was that that irked him, nothing more...
"How's your patient?" Chris queried after giving his order. Christian tucked his bag of food snugly against his chest, keeping it warm.
"He's OK - I left him soaking in the bath. I think he wants to sleep more than anything."
Chris nodded his agreement.
"I guess hitting your head on a bench, even accidentally", he accentuated the word, "can have quite a profound effect on you." He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Christian closely. His next words almost bowled Christian over. "Something seems strange to me though, you know? Something - not quite right ... If all he did was to trip and hit the back of his head - how come he's got all those bruises on his face..." Christian stared aghast, his eyes like saucers. Jericho had moved closer - an intent look on his face. "And come to think of it - you've got a few bruises too ... what really happened, Christian?"
Christian's dismay showed plainly as day, all he could think of to say was the old worn clichéd:
"I don't know what you're talking about ..."
Jericho's mouth was tight, his suspicious sapphire eyes dissecting Christian's innermost soul.
"Like hell!" he muttered under his breath, before snatching his bag off the counter and marching away; leaving Christian to stand staring after him, the now cooling food still embraced tightly in his arms.
***~***~***
A sobered Christian stepped back inside his hotel room. It was empty: or rather the bedroom was empty; Rob had to be still in the bath. Placing the food down gently on the dresser he tip-toed to the bathroom. The lovely aroma wafted out the door as he opened it, and there in the bath still, reclined Rob Van Dam. There were still quite a few bubbles there, pooled now toward the bottom of the bath, still covering his legs (though his toes peeped out) and his lower body; but his muscular chest was now devoid of anything but traces of oil residue. Christian couldn't resist the temptation to run a solitary middle finger across the slickness, relishing the smooth feel of Rob's well-defined physique.
A soft smile played on Christian's lips as he admired at the sleeping form: the trailing finger hadn't woken him. There was something different about the man laying there breathing softly and regularly as he slumbered, and it took a second or two for Christian to work out what it was: the ever-present hair tie had been removed to facilitate the washing of his hair, which was now tumbling wetly around his face, the ends floating free atop the surface of the water. Christian extended his hand to Rob's face, gently stroking a bruise before brushing back some of the escaped hair. He let the strand run gently through his fingers - it might not be stunningly golden like his, but it was soft and silky - and totally natural.
Rob stirred slightly, the soft touch of Christian's fingers rousing him. The water rippled as his body shifted within it. His eyes opened to meet Christian's blue ones. Christian relinquished the hair and took a tentative step back.
"Mmmm, hi there ...." Rob slurred his words, the heaviness of sleep still evident in his eyes.
Christian was nervous.
"Sorry - your hair - was - erm - hanging in your face - I was just moving it ..."
"Whatever ..." Rob shifted in the bath, hauling himself wincing in fatigue to a sitting up position.
"I've got the food." Christian added. "Do you want to get out and have it now?"
Rob raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Like this? I think I better have a towel first, don't you?"
Christian blushed furiously, much to Rob's amusement, before fumbling round the bedroom to find a decent sized bath towel. He found one and offered it to Rob. Then he just stood there hovering beside the bath, as if unsure whether to stay or go. Finally, seeing Rob's eyes upon him, he headed hastily out the door to the bedroom, where he started fiddling with the food. A few seconds later Rob appeared at the doorway, his hair clinging damply to bare shoulders, the slight glistening of bath-oil shimmering on his bare skin. Christian peeked up at him shyly, then quickly re-directed his gaze back to the food.
"I got a few things, have whatever you want."
Rob sat on the opposite side of the bed as they shared the food, he'd been starving and ate ravenously. Christian merely nibbled at his. Once finished he bounced up and started clearing the boxes and bags away into the trash. To cover his nervousness he chatted non-stop about whatever flitted through his head, aware that most of it was inane blabbering. Rob didn't talk much, just lay back on the bed feeling full and sleepy. Christian shot him a look.
"I guess you don't get much sleep in hospitals ..."
Rob smiled.
"Nah - particularly when you're appointed some sex-starved male nurse who can't keep his hands off you. You know, he even wanted to help me piss ... and I wasn't that bad I couldn't manage on my own. Any damn excuse ... in the middle of the night when he thought I was asleep, but I wasn't, his digits were crawling all over me practically."
"What did you do then?" Christian was curious.
"I pretended to wake up - and he pretended he thought I was sleeping awkwardly, so needed to move me. What shit!"
But Rob was laughing at the memory. Then sighed.
"You can see why I asked you to get me out of there damn quick."
"I wasn't expecting you to want to come back with me" Christian confessed.
"Yeah, but I was desperate ..."
Christian looked hurt, so Rob continued gently.
"Kidding, OK?"
"Why me though?" Christian insisted, "After all that happened between us?"
Rob stared directly into Christian's eyes before replying.
"I really don't know ..."
Suddenly Rob felt really tired, he couldn't be bothered to talk any more right now. Christian noted this and announced he was going to have his shower. The ceaseless drone of the shower motor and rushing droplets of water lulled Rob even more, so by the time Christian came out again, he was fast asleep. He looked so peaceful lying there on Christian's bed, that the blond tip-toed around the room as he dressed, not having the heart to wake him.
End Part 22>