Title: The Liberator
Part 23
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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Rob continued sleeping until nearly lunchtime. Christian worried over whether or not he should wake him, if he slept all day he wouldn't sleep at night - and that could become a bad cycle; and moreover he, Christian, was hungry. Finally he walked over to the bed and touched his face lightly. Rob didn't stir. He sat down beside him and shook his shoulder gently, jumping when Rob's eyes suddenly popped open in alarm while his brain worked out where he was. A sleepy, relaxed half-smile on his face when he saw Christian.
"You're still here then?" his smile widened as he teased Christian, who fell right for it.
"Of course I'm still here!" came Christian's pained retort.
"Whoa! I remember one time when I woke up you'd vanished. Remember that, Christian?" he insisted. Christian pouted.
"That was different - I was still with Edge then - he'd have killed me if he'd found out I'd spent the night with you, even if nothing did happen..."
"Christian....." Rob put out a hand, placing it on the blond's for emphasis. "You really will have to get to know me better - I'm teasing you!"
Christian gawped at him open-mouthed. He'd sure fallen right into that one. And as he gazed into Rob's wickedly twinkling eyes, he realized he really would like to get to know Rob better. Or would he? Edge had once been like this, friendly and teasing, then once they'd become intimate he'd changed into a raving monster. Maybe Rob would be the same ... could be Christian just had that effect on people - maybe he annoyed them so much they couldn't help themselves. In a sudden panic he snatched his hand away, jumping up from his seated position on the bed to escape to the furthest corner of the room. As he picked up his watch and started fiddling with it, he was aware of Rob Van Dam's puzzled eyes following him across the space.
"I really am just teasing you - I didn't mean anything by it ..." Rob sat propped up on one elbow - watching Christian closely as he fussed around the room, picking up clothes, folding them and putting them down again. Sorting through stuff in his bag - anything to keep him from looking at the man on the bed - and confessing to his fears.
Frustration and annoyance washed over Van Dam at the ceaseless whirl of activity that was Christian. Until he could contain his impatience no longer.
"For fuck's sake come back over here and sit down!" he ordered. His tone brooked no resistance, and Christian replaced the bag and docilely did as he was told.
Sitting nervously at the very edge of the bed as though he'd bolt at any moment, he kept both eyes downward.
"Don't take everything so seriously, Christian," Rob began softly. "If you really don't like it, I won't tease you ... but you mustn't take everything so much to heart."
Christian couldn't bear it. Rob was acting just like Edge had at the start of their relationship all those years ago - it would only be a matter of time - and Rob would end up hating him as much as Edge had come to. No matter how much he'd tried to please Edge - Edge always ended up punishing him. A little sniffle escaped and he tried to smother it. Rob noticed and a pang of sympathy welled up inside him as he reached out for Christian's hand. Christian jumped up screaming as if he'd been bitten.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!!"
He pushed out at Rob: panic in his glazed wide eyes as he backed toward the furthest wall. It was happening already - Rob was going to punish him - just as Edge had always done.
Shock registered in Rob's face as he stared speechlessly at the petrified blond. Pain gripped his heart that anyone should feel such depth of terror at the touch of another human being. Edge had all but totally destroyed his faith in everyone. He whispered his disbelief:
"What the fuck has he done to you? I'm not Edge - no way am I gonna hurt you... Christian - come back here!"
Christian swallowed hard - trying to compose himself. He knew deep down Rob wouldn't hurt him, that any normal person would not behave as Edge had done. But it was so ingrained inside him. Slowly he walked back to the bed and held out both hands.
"I'm sorry." he whispered, his tone imploring. "I don't know what's the matter with me - just that suddenly when you went to touch me, all I could think of was him ..." His voice broke with a whimper. Rob was now sat up fully; wordlessly he pulled the blond into his arms, wondering if this was something he was going to regret. But right now Christian needed some comfort, and he was the only other person here. Christian didn't cry: he forced himself not to. It was hard, but he just rested his head on Rob's shoulder while waiting for his heartbeat to normalize. He became aware that Rob was whispering to him.
"You have to forget Edge, put the past behind you. You did so well standing up to him this morning like you said ..." Rob took Christian by the shoulders and pushed him away slightly, looking deeply into his eyes. "That is what happened isn't it? You weren't just saying that?"
"No, no!" Christian asserted, shaking his head vigorously. "It did happen - I decided I wasn't going to put up with him any more ..."
"That's right - that's what you decided - so that's what you must do. From now on, Christian, I want you to believe that your episode with Edge was just that - an episode that took place in the past - but now is no more. Finished - finito - understand? You told him where to get off - now you must believe that yourself - it really is the end. Can you do that?"
Christian nodded vehemently, encouraged by Rob's enthusiasm. Rob believed he could do it - he could do it - he'd prove to them all, including Edge, especially Edge, that he could do it. Then his face dropped in dismay as he remembered something:
"Rob - when you went to touch me - I pushed you - I ... I was ready to hit you again ..."
Rob shook his head.
"You didn't hit me - you just pushed me away. You were scared ... forget it."
Christian nodded uncertainly. Unsure what his true intentions had been - oh god - he couldn't become just like Edge! Then the thoughts faded from his mind as he felt himself being pulled back into Rob's comforting embrace. Rob was so sweet, being so nice to him, he didn't deserve to be stuck with a screwed up individual like Christian.
****~****~****
Christian started to feel sleepy: it was warm and comforting to be held in someone's arms: someone he could trust not to hurt him. Then he remembered why he had woken Rob up, or rather, his stomach had as it protested its hunger to its owner's apparent lack of concern.
"Rob - I woke you because I thought you might be getting hungry - it's been a few hours since we had breakfast ..."
Rob relinquished the blond from his arms, an understanding grin breaking out on his face.
"You mean you are getting hungry," adopting his normal teasing tone: this time Christian grinned back.
"Well, yeah, a bit I guess ..."
"OK - where d'you wanna go?"
Christian shrugged.
"I don't really mind - just so long as it's got food ... if you like..." he looked at Rob closely, thinking he still looked shattered. "I can get some bagels and stuff to put in them and fix something here for lunch - maybe we could eat out in the evening when you've rested up some more."
Rob smiled appreciatively at Christian's concern.
"I'd like that."
****~****~****
Their lunch of bagels and ice cream had been cozy and relaxing. Afterward they just lounged around the room and watched TV: the movie was old and boring, and in no time at all Rob had fallen asleep once more. Christian sat and watched him in between sneaking the odd peek at the TV: he realized he must have seen RVD asleep more often than awake; and the feeling filled him with warmth and protectiveness. At this moment in time, he wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever, forget the past, forget the future - just stay here trapped in time and wrapped in a safe snug cocoon. He drowsed too, until all too quickly it was time to emerge from the safe snug cocoon into the outside world.
End Part 23