Chapter Text
He felt horrible and light-headed. It was quite similar to the feeling right after a sugar breakdown. His mouth was dry and his head ached.
It took him a minute to realize that he was lying on a bed under a soft blanket. His eyes adjusted slowly and now he could see that he was...
Well... where was he?
Not in his airship, that was quite obvious.
It was dark and somehow cold. Sportacus could barely see enough.
Was he at Robbie's? That seemed to make sense.
Sportacus looked around. How could Robbie not get depressed, living in this brig?
The walls were pale, he didn't own a table or a cabinet. He had no calender or paintings either. And no windows.
Of course it was possible that he kept all this stuff in another room, but-
He noticed that the movement of his eyes made him dizzy again, so he stopped and closed them again. His whole body felt run-down. Sportacus moaned in pain and rubbed his temples. It felt like he had passed out.
A thought hit him.
Robbie.
Something with Robbie.
And water.
Sportacus turned around, disarranging the blanket. It felt... weird.
He lifted the blanket and noticed that he wore unfamiliar clothes. They were way too big. And those colours...
“So, did you sleep well, Sportaprincess?”
Robbie entered the room and closed the door behind him. A wave of fresh, even colder air, came with him. The tall man wore his bathrobe again and didn't seem happy or satisfied with the situation. But it was too murky in here to get a proper look at this face.
“You look shitty. Do you need anything?” Robbie's words were dry. Sportacus doubted that his concern was honest.
“Water... would be nice.” He managed to get up, now sitting upright. His throat felt sore.
“I think you just had enough of it.” Was that a smirk on Robbie's lips? “But I'll see what I can do. Anything else?”
Sportacus felt weird. It wasn't just his body acting weird. His mind too seemed to be slower than usual. Why was Robbie's behaviour so different?
Of course he had offered his friendship to him more than once. He never actually ignored the villain. He had never hurt him ever. Not on purpose. Sometimes he was even disappointed when Robbie disappeared at the end of an adventure, instead of staying and having fun with him and the kids.
But he never expected Robbie to be... like this. Caring. Nice. It was strange and somehow misleading.
A second thought crawled up in his head.
Was Robbie really trying to have a... date? Or was this some kind of... evil plan? Was it both? What would he do next? Poison the water he'd get him? Giving him sugar in form of something else?
He should be careful. He knew Robbie wouldn't kill him. But he would stop at nothing either.
“Robbie, I need to go.”
Again, he said something faster than he had thought it through. He wanted to leave, yes. But he wanted to resolve this situation, too.
His body urged him to move, except he didn't feel good enough to do anything beside fast walking. At the most.
The villain studied him coolly. “You need to lay down and stay still. You almost collapsed and you still look awful. And as much as I enjoy seeing you in this condition, I don't think you should leave yet.” His lips curled up. “Hm. I should give you some real candy. I guess, then we're even.”
Sportacus knew that Robbie still hadn't gotten over the fact that he had given him sportscandy after his breakdown due to sleep deprivation.
But all of this wasn't... wasn't like Robbie.
Sportacus still considered a trap. Maybe tricking him into developing feelings. Maybe Robbie wanted to trick him into believing his feelings towards Sportacus were real. Maybe he wanted him to trust Robbie, so that he could get rid of him. Somehow.
“Robbie, I don't think... Listen, I am not... This isn't... I mean, at least I don't think so.”
The taller man looked at him in complete confusion and Sportacus couldn't blame him.
“Speak in complete sentences or shut up,” Robbie said through clenched teeth.
Sportacus' heart raced. And it was not the good kind of racing after a pleasant exercise. This was discontentment. And maybe a bit of anxiety.
Breathe in... breathe out.
“Robbie... I know what you are trying to do. And I am flattered, I really am, but...”
Robbie's face dropped. “What?”
Oh no. Panic. Did he say something wrong? Had Robbie taken this the wrong way? Well, there wasn't a correct way, either. He lifted his hands. “I mean... uh... you are very nice to me. But... I don't think... this will work out.”
“What are you talking about?” Now Robbie's voice sounded anxious, too. And kinda angry. Was he biting his lip? He definitely wrinkled his nose.
Sportacus blinked. He still didn't feel any better. Besides, his heart managed to race faster. Sportacus cleared his throat nervously. “I mean... I saw... the book. And the candles. … And you are so... kind and... decent. Well, you were earlier.”
“Sportacus. What are you trying to say?” Robbie made a pause after every word. But his expression confused Sportacus. He didn't seem mad. Was he afraid? More like... hopeful? … No, that wasn't it. Sportacus couldn't read him.
He didn't want to say it, but... he didn't have anything left to lose. He had left his dignity in the bathtub.
“I... I think this... is this ... a... date?”
“You think what?!”
This time it was Sportacus flinching at the taller man's voice. “That this... ought to be a date?” he repeated slowly.
Robbie didn't say anything, just sat down on the edge of the bed. He sank into the mattress a little.
Seconds of silence passed.
Then Robbie smiled.
“No, Sportaflop. It isn't.” He looked down to the floor, shifting his feet, obviously feeling uncomfortable.
Sportacus felt bad for bringing him, them, into this awkward situation.
“Oh. Uhm... sorry. I just thought... when I saw the candles and the book, I... jumped to conclusions.”
Robbie still focused his gaze at the ground. “Yeah, figures.”
Sportacus didn't know when he had last felt that bad. Or if he had ever felt something like that before. A mixture of disappointment, guilt and fear.
“I should go now,” Sportacus suggested again, not sure what other options he had. He tossed back the blankets as Robbie placed a hand on his chest.
The elf's stomach cramped as Robbie looked up and faced him directly.
“You really... thought this was a date.” Was his voice cracking? “And you didn't try to flee.”
“Well, at first I wanted to,” he admitted slowly, sinking back into the warm sheets. Robbie's hurt gaze showed him that being honest hadn't been a good idea. “I thought it would be a trap!” he added hastily, “but then... then I thought about it. What it would be like. Having a... date. Or at least... getting to know you better. And... the longer I thought about it... the... less I disliked the idea. I mean...”
Sportacus tried to relax his body so that Robbie would believe him. “At first I felt... … I panicked, I guess. I wanted it to be over. So I jumped into the tub.”
“That was really stupid.”
“Yes. Yes it was.” He tried to smile, but since Robbie didn't smile back, he stopped again. “Sorry. All of this was a big misunderstanding. I think, the best we can do is move on and forget this.”
“You really think so?” Something in Robbie's voice told him that this wasn't what he really wanted.
“Well. I don't know. What do you think we should do?” Sportacus tried to smooth over the foreign clothes Robbie had given him.
Robbie obviously struggled to answer. “Maybe... we could meet halfway, you know?” He hugged himself – maybe to protect himself from Sportacus. “Like... eating ice cream in a tub. Or drinking some hot cocoa after a cold shower.” Robbie placed his face on his drawn up legs. The rest of his words were just muffled mumbling.
“You really want this to be date, don't you?”
There it was. A shot in the dark.
Sportacus felt sick and he was one hundred percent certain that Robbie felt the same.
“Well... I would have worn different clothes if I wanted that.” Robbie hid his distraught face in his hands. “I can look dazzling, you'd be amazed.”
The elf chuckled, he believed him. But he still wondered if everything was okay, because Robbie began to tremble. But he still kept on talking.
“But I guess... there is a first time for everything. Am I right?” He turned again in Sportacus' direction. And he smiled. Anxious. Eyebrows raised. Waiting with fear.
And Sportacus knew why he had been anxious. Carefully he moved his hand towards Robbie's arm. Robbie didn't flinch. He just looked at him with anticipation. This wasn't the face of a man who would trick him. Hopefully.
“I suppose we... could go for a walk? For starters,” Sportacus answered quietly.
He could see the aversion spreading all over Robbie's body. But at least his trembling stopped.
Sportacus laughed. Why was it that easy all of a sudden? “Just walking, Robbie. It won't harm you.”
“Yeah, tell my legs about it.” He sounded serious, but his body relaxed more and more. “Kch, I can't believe it... I didn't even know.”
Sportacus got finally rid of the blankets and came nearer, slowly. He reached out for him with his other hand. “What didn't you know?” It would still feel awkward to touch Robbie. So he didn't.
“That I... wanted this.” He made an expansive gesture which included his whole room. Then he shook his head in exasperation. “Unbelievable.”
“Well, you had the guidebook in the first place,” Sportacus mocked. “I thought that was its purpose.”
“Ohh, shut your mouth, Sportaflop.”
“It worked though, didn't it?”
Sportacus hadn't been ready, but suddenly he felt Robbie's body hugging him. It wasn't a proper nor a good embrace, but it was everything he'd get this night.
And it was definitely enough.
For starters.
~ ~ ~ The end ~ ~ ~