Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ All Star Dreams (Ver. 3) ❯ Chapter Nineteen ( Chapter 19 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: bekka_mouri_hibiki 
Branslav and Daniel get talked to after practice. Robert gets a call from Jakob before going to take a shower.
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sports / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.05.2009 | Pages: 10 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 171 | Status: Completed
Branslav and Daniel get talked to after practice. Robert gets a call from Jakob before going to take a shower.
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sports / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.05.2009 | Pages: 10 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 171 | Status: Completed
All-Star Dreams: Chapter Nineteen
By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki
© Bekka Mouri-Hibiki 2007
Branslav sat in the locker room after the practice ended. The scout had decided he had seen enough for the day with just the scrimmage and regular practice so the players were allowed to go home. Daniel had been called to Coach Sweet's office and Branslav was at his locker, being ignored by the other players. It was pretty obvious who the scout had come to see so the other players weren't speaking to Branslav or Daniel.
They had cooperated enough to make the scrimmage work but that was where the cooperation ended. Then again, the rest of team didn't bother much with Branslav or Daniel outside of the arena. They were as different as different could get on a individual level and it was amazing they even worked well enough as a team in the season prior to get the championship.
Branslav glanced at his watch, wondering how long Coach Sweet was going to talk to Daniel. He had said he wanted to talk to Branslav as well but only after he finished talking to the younger man. He was anxious to get back to Betty and get to work on wooing her. He wanted to do so many things with her but he couldn't even hug her without her turning to stone.
He wanted her to yield to his touch instead of shy away. He longed to feel her sigh into the crook of his neck as his fingers danced across her alabaster flesh. He craved to touch her in places no one else had ever had. He wanted to be the one to show her all the pleasure she had only dreamed of for so long.
He had been relieved when he found out nothing had occurred between Betty and Robert the week prior. He was pretty sure that his friend wouldn't stab him in the back in such a way. Robert wasn't the type to do something so low. He felt bad for being suspicious of his friend.
He had given some thought to the way Robert had been looking at Betty in the early hours of the morning. At the time he thought he saw something in it and gotten jealous. After careful consideration, he decided that perhaps he had read too much into it. He heard the door to the locker room open and looked up to see who was coming in.
Daniel had come into the locker room, walking past everyone else as he looked at the floor. He sat down at his locker next to Branslav and sighed, “ Coach said he'd see you now. “
“ What's wrong? “ Branslav could tell Daniel was upset.
“ Coach cussed me out for not playing to my potential out there, “ Daniel sighed.
Branslav furrowed his brow, “ How is that different that any other day? “
“ It just hurts more one on one, “ Daniel shut his eyes. “ When he yells at all of us, it's easier to think it's someone else's fault. “
Branslav thought about it and he was right. He sighed, “ Well you can only get better so don't let it bother you. “
“ Branslav!” Coach Sweet shouted from the doorway of the locker room. “ Get in my office now! “
“ I'm coming, “ Branslav shouted back then looked at Daniel. “ Don't let it get you down. “
" Okay man, " Daniel sighed. He then glanced towards the locker room door, “ You'd better go. “
Branslav nodded and stood up. He smiled a little, “ For what it's worth you kept me on my toes out there. “
Daniel smiled a little, “ Thanks man. “
“ Branslav! I mean NOW! “ Coach Sweet shouted.
Branslav patted Daniel on the top of the head and walked towards the door of the locker room. Coach Sweet stepped out of the way to let him out. He then walked to Coach Sweet's office, the coach right behind him. When he got there, he was surprised to see Lotte and Martin waiting on him.
Martin smiled, “ Have a seat my boy. “
Branslav cautiously took a seat next to Martin. “ Yes sir? “
“ Do you have any plans for dinner tonight? “ Martin asked.
Branslav furrowed his brow, “ Why? “
“ There's much we need to discuss about your future but I'd like to take you to dinner as a reward for playing so well out there for the scout, “ Martin smiled. “ We need to discuss the things the scout just finished telling me. “
“ Why can't you tell me now? “ Branslav said. “ I sort of need to get home. “
“ Oh? “ Martin said. “ Don't you feel comfortable with leaving Betty all alone with White Bread? “
“ That's not it, “ Branslav said. “ Robert doesn't want to feed her the food I have in the house. I need to pick some stuff up... “
“ Tell him to order take out then! “ Lotte snapped. “ This is your future! “
“ But if we talk about it here we won't have to go out later, “ Branslav snapped back at his stepsister.
“ We have way too much to discuss for us to do it here, “ Martin said. “ Either you go to dinner tonight or I'll tell the scout you said you didn't want to leave Reno. “
“ But I do, “ Branslav said. “ I want to get into a big league team. “
Lotte glared at him, “ Then it should be a simple choice then. “
Branslav growled, knowing the choices he faced were far from simple.
**
Robert was putting the leftover pizza in the fridge when his cell phone rang. He saw it was Jakob's number and furrowed his brow. He flipped the phone open and said, “ Hey. What's up? “
“ I just got a call from William, “ Jakob said.
“ William as in cowboy William that lives down the street from me? “ Robert knew of only one William on the team. He was about six foot tall and hardly ever got to play. He had grown up on a ranch in Wyoming and looked like a cowboy with his short cropped dirty blonde hair and off court attire.
“ Yeah, “ Jakob said. “ He said that Pauline got arrested this morning. “
Robert smiled, “ Oh really now? “
“ Man he said she was pissed off, “ Jakob said.
“ I bet she was, “ Robert nodded. “ That'll teach her to file false charges. “
“ Yeah, “ Jakob said. “ I thought I'd call you and let you know. “
Robert walked over to the kitchen table, “ Thanks. That made my day so much better. “
“ So how's Betty? “ Jakob asked. Robert had told him what had happened and where he would be until the divorce hearing.
Robert looked at the table, “ She's good. You don't need to worry about her. “
“ Can I tell the guys where you're at tomorrow? “ Jakob asked. “ They're going to wonder you know. “
Robert rolled his eyes, “ Let Coach do the talking. “
“ Okay, “ Jakob said.
“ If you want to tell them anything, tell them I'm okay and not to worry about me. I'll see them Friday when we get on the bus to come to Reno. “
“ Okay, “ Jakob said. “ I'll let you go now. “
“ Alright, “ Robert said. “ Later. “
“ Later, “ Jakob said and hung up.
Robert put his phone back in his back pocket then headed for the living room. Betty was deep asleep and he didn't have to worry about checking on her for a few hours so he figured he had time to take a shower. He got a change of clothes out if his bag and his toiletries case. He debated between using the downstairs bathroom or going up to use the one across from the guest room.
He decided to use the one upstairs, reasoning it was closer in case Betty needed anything while he was cleaning up. He started up the back stairs when his phone rang again. He pulled it out of his back pocket to find it was Branslav. He flipped it open, “ Yes? “
“ I can't make it home until later this evening, “ Branslav sounded very unhappy.
“ Like how late is later? “ Robert arched an eyebrow as he continued going up the stairs.
“ I don't know, “ Branslav replied. “ Something came up and I have business meeting with Lotte and Martin. We're going out to dinner to discuss some things. “
“ What about Betty? “ Robert asked.
“ You take care of her, “ Branslav said. “ I have to go to this meeting. I don't know how late I'll be. “
Robert frowned as he reached the bathroom, “ Oh. So I guess I'll be ordering take out for Betty again? “
“ Since you're being so stubborn about feeding her what I have I guess so, “ Branslav said sharply.
“ I'm not being stubborn, “ Robert said. “ I just think she won't like freezer burned TV dinners to eat. “
Branslav sighed, “ Fine. Whatever. I'll pay you back later. “
“ Don't worry about it, “ Robert went into the bathroom and set his stuff down. “ So do you know where Betty and I are going to be tomorrow? Have you at least given that some thought? “
Branslav growled, “ No. We'll worry about that later. “
“ Fine, “ Robert leaned against the sink. “ You better know by the time you get home tonight. “
“ Why don't you two just stay at my place? “ Branslav asked. “ I'll be back by Thursday. “
“ Yeah but what time? “ Robert asked. “ I have to be on the plane at noon. “
“ Oh, “ Branslav said. “ I won't be home until long after midnight. “
“ Exactly, “ Robert said.
Branslav growled again, “ Damn. This is all fucked up. “
“ Yes it is, “ Robert said. “ If we stay here I could get a cab Thursday. Betty will just have to stay put until you get back but that will be twelve hours or more. If we go to her place, I could still call a cab but she'll be home. She doesn't act like she's comfortable here. “
“ She's not comfortable anywhere, “ Branslav said.
Robert quirked his mouth. He wondered how she had been acting around Branslav. “ I just think she'd be better off at her place by then. “
“ I told you we'll discuss it when I get home. I have to go, “ Branslav said. “ Give me the receipts for the take out when I get back and I'll pay you back.
“ Whatever, “ Robert sighed. “ Later. “
“ Bye, “ Branslav said and hung up.
Robert rolled his eyes as he snapped the phone closed and set it on the counter. He pulled off his shirt and set it aside before taking off his pants. He reached into the shower, turning on the water to let it warm up. As he waited, he unwrapped the gauze from his hands.
He carefully checked his wounds, the smaller ones had already healed up. The largest of them all was half the size it had been but it still had a bit to go. He looked at the wound until the bathroom started to fill with steam. He grabbed his toiletries case, getting out the things he needed and setting them on the edge of the shower.
He pulled off his boxers and got in the shower, the hot water feeling good on his tense muscles. He had been wound tight as a spring since he had went to the hospital to give Pauline the papers. Though working out with the team and talking to Betty had help release some of the tension, he still felt like he carried the weight of the world of his shoulders. Branslav's stubbornness and sudden attack of assholism hadn't helped either.
He couldn't believe how Branslav was acting, his demeanor becoming almost intolerable. It took all Robert had not to hit him for the way he had been behaving. It was all he could do not to slug Branslav for the way he had treated Betty earlier that morning. He had tried to convince himself that it wasn't how it looked and was almost believing it.
He grabbed up his soap case and got the bar out before setting the case aside again. He lathered up his hands and washed his face. ~Maybe I AM jealous, ~ He thought as he rinsed his face. ~He does have to touch her to help her and he isn't the gentlest person in the world. ~
**
Betty opened her eyes slowly, the urge to go to the bathroom rousing her from her drug induced slumber. She reached for her phone, flipping it open to find the battery had died. “Shit, “ She muttered and wondered if she could make it to the bathroom on her own. ~It's not that far, ~ Betty told herself. ~I just have to get my crutches. ~
Betty rolled onto her side and scooted to the edge of the bed. She sat up slowly, reaching for the crutches and growled when she found they were still a good arm length out of her grasp. She looked down at her right foot, carefully planting it on the floor as she attempted to lift herself up. She tried a couple of times to do it slowly but it wasn't working.
She took a deep breath and summoned up her strength, pushing as hard as she could and getting results. She teetered for a moment, her vision going black before she went crashing to the floor on her right side then rolled onto her front. She lay there face down for a moment before hitting the floor with her fist, ~Shit... stood up too fast. ~
She waited a few minutes but the dizziness wouldn't go away, frustrating her further. She again slammed her fist onto the floor. ~Damn. I'm probably going to lay here and piss on myself before Robert comes back. How wonderfully embarrassing. ~
She sighed in resignation when she heard the door open. She looked up to see that Robert was there. She felt herself blush when she realized he was wet and wearing nothing but a towel. From the looks of things, he was in the shower when she fell. She quickly put her face back to the floor, hoping she wouldn't pass out.
~Just don't look, ~ She told herself. Although she had seen him half naked before, seeing it again still made her heart race. She was pretty sure the sharp rise in her blood pressure would probably not be good for her head either.
“ Betty? Are you okay? “ Robert asked as he walked closer to Betty.
She nodded slowly, “ I fell. “
“ I see that. What happened? “ Robert had been scared when he heard the thud, afraid Betty had hurt herself or worse. “ How did you fall out of the bed. “
“ I tried to get up, “ Betty still wouldn't look at him. “ When I did, I nearly blacked out. “
“ Obviously baby. If you needed something, you should have just called, “ Robert said gently. He could tell she was nervous and tried not to make her more so.
Betty sighed, “ The battery for my phone is dead. I got up too fast. I thought I could make it on my own. “
“ Make it where honey? “ Robert gently pushed her hair away from where it had fallen to cover the side of her face. He was trying to see if she had maybe hit her head again on the way down.
“ The bathroom, “ Betty muttered.
Robert stroked her hair and sighed, “ You're in no shape to be moving around by yourself. Let me take you. “
“ Are you sure? “ Betty started. “ I don't want to make you uncomfortable. “
“ If you need to go you need to go and I will take you, “ Robert said. He had known it would be inevitable so he had tried to prepare himself for when it happened. “ Just let me get you back up on the bed then I'll get you on your crutches. “
“ Okay, “ Betty said.
“ Now, “ Robert said. “ I'm going to put my arms around your waist to help you up. “
Betty nodded, “ Just don't grab me too hard. “
“ I won't, “ Robert said. “ Does Branslav? “
Betty sighed, “ Yeah. He throws me around like a sack of potatoes. He's a little rough but I'm sure it's not intentionally. “
“ I noticed, “ Robert sighed. He wanted to ask her more but getting her up was his first priority. “ I'll be as gentle as I can but we have to do this slowly. “
“ Sure, “ Betty said. She took a sharp breath when he slipped his arms around her. He pulled her close to him as she pushed up from the floor with her arms. They moved as one as he started to lift her slowly.
She could feel his breath on her neck as he breathed against her, water dripping on her from his hair. “ You're getting me wet, “ She muttered then blushed when she realized how the comment sounded.
“ Sorry, “ He replied, ignoring the first thing that came to mind when Betty said 'wet'. “ I was taking a shower when I heard you fall. Put your hands on the bed when we get even with it. “
Betty did as she was told, grabbing onto the bed as she tried to help a little. Robert took a sharp breath, “ Don't do that. I'll get you. “
“ No, “ Betty said. “ I want to help. “
“ Just let me do it, “ Robert said sharply. The way he was holding Betty had her rear at crotch level. Her attempts to help caused her to rub against his major gender identifier, the contact making him react when he had tried so hard not to.
“ You'll hurt yourself, “ Betty said. “ I'm not the lightest person in the world. “
“ I can handle you, “ Robert growled as she rubbed against him again. He tightened his grip on her to get her to stop moving. He leaned into her ear and snarled “ Now stop it and let me do this damn it! “
Betty went cold when she felt something was poking her in the backside. She blushed furiously when she realized what it was. She stopped trying to help, letting Robert finish putting her on the bed and turning so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked at the floor, ashamed she had been so stubborn and hadn't listened.
Robert turned to grab her crutches, trying to act like nothing was wrong. Internally, he berated himself for not being strong enough to resist the stimulation. He turned back, setting her crutches closer to the bed. “ I'll give you a minute to get your head on straight. “
Betty nodded, still not looking up from the floor. She had read and written about guys getting aroused but to have it happen for real was unsettling. She didn't feel she was attractive enough to cause a guy to get turned on. She bit her lip, realizing she had more pressing matters to attended to or make the situation more awkward.
“ I think I'm ready, “ Betty muttered.
Robert nodded, “ Okay then. I'll hold the crutches and you grab onto them. “
“ Right, “ Betty grabbed them and moved slowly. It seemed like forever before she finally mounted them, getting them in position under her arms. “ You can let go now. “
Robert let go slowly to make sure she wasn't going to fall. He noticed her eyes were still fixed on the floor. “ Hey. “
“ Huh? “ Betty didn't look up.
“ Don't be so upset, “ Robert said.
Betty took a sharp breath, sure Robert knew why she was acting the way she was. “ Upset? “
“I didn't mean to yell at you or grab you like that, “ Robert said quietly. “ It's okay to want to do things for yourself. “
“ I was just trying to make it easier on you, " Betty started.
“ Let me finish. Now isn't the time for that though. Just take some help for now, okay? “ Robert said.
“ I'll try, “ Betty sighed. She hated feeling so helpless. “ Its just that Branslav... “
“ What about him? “ Robert asked.
Betty bit her lip then looked towards the door, “ Can we take care of my main problem right now then talk about him? “
Robert furrowed his brow then realized what she was getting at. “ Oh! Yeah. “
Betty waited as Robert got the door. “ Thanks, “ She said. She glanced over then fixed her eyes straight ahead again. “ Towel. “
“ Huh? “ Robert said looking down. The towel had slipped dangerously low on his hips and looked like it was about to fall off, showing of a generous amount of pubic hair. “ Oh shit. “
Betty crutched out into the hall to give Robert a chance to right himself. He caught up to her once the towel was tied tighter. He darted to her side to get the door pushed open so she wouldn't have to. “ Thanks, “ She said without looking at him.
“ No problem, “ Robert replied. “ Um. Do you need any help? “
Betty took a sharp breath then shook her head, “ I'll try to manage on my own. If I need you I'll call. “
“ But aren't you still dizzy? “ Robert asked.
“ I've managed before, “ Betty replied sharply. “ I'll call you when I'm done. “
“ Okay. Okay. I'll be here in case you fall again, “ Robert put his hands up. He watched as she shut the door behind her, moving to the side so he could lean against the wall.
He shut his eyes, trying to calm his pounding heart. He felt bad about speaking so harshly to her and grabbing her, knowing it had made her uneasy. He was so mad at himself for not having better control. Having her so close had excited him enough but the contact was too much.
He heard the toilet flush and steeled himself. He just wanted to get her back to her room before anything else happened to leave them unsettled. “ I'm done, “ Betty called. “ Open the door. “
Robert reached over and pushed the door open then waited for Betty to come out. He followed her as she crutched back into her room. He watched as she turned around and lowered herself to the bed. He took her crutches as she tried to get herself comfortable again.
Betty growled in frustration when the pillows wadded up beneath her and she was unable to get them straightened out, “ Would you like some help? “ Robert offered as he stepped closer to the bed.
“ Yeah, “ Betty sighed.
Robert grabbed the pillows for behind her back first as she leaned forward. He fluffed them and put them behind her back. She lay back so he could get to the pillows for her ankle. He shuddered internally as he touched her leg, positioning it carefully on the pillows.
He helped her pull the comforter back over herself then took a step back “ Do you need anything else? “
Betty thought about it and shook her head, “ No. I'm good. “
“ Okay, “ Robert nodded. “ Do you want to talk about him now? “
“ Oh, “ Betty said. “ He's got to touch me to care for me and he's kind of rough. That's why I'm trying to do more stuff for myself. “
“ I can talk to him if you want, “ Robert offered.
Betty waved her hand, “ It's okay. I just have to deal with him for tonight then he'll be gone. “
“ Then you'll have to deal with me until Thursday, “ Robert said.
Betty looked at him, her brow furrowed. “ Are you staying that long? “
“ Yeah, “ Robert said. “ I want to make sure you're really okay before I leave. “
“ You don't have to, “ Betty started.
Robert leaned closer and put a finger over her lips, “ I want to. “
Betty let him take his finger away, “ Are you sure you'll be okay with that? “
“ Yeah. I'm fine with it. I want to take care of you baby. You've done so much for me. “
“ All I did was listen to you, “ Betty said.
“ I know and that's helping me a lot, “ Robert put his hand under her chin. He stroked her left cheek with his thumb, “ Thank you. “
“ You're welcome, “ Betty said quietly.
Robert stared into her eyes, “ I have to go finish my shower now. Will you be okay? “
Betty nodded, “ Yeah. I think I'll go back to sleep. “
“ Good, “ Robert murmured. “ You need your rest. “
“ Yeah, “ Betty whispered.
Robert let his hand fall away from her chin, “ I'm going now. I'll look in on you when I'm finished. “
Betty nodded, “ Okay. “
He went to the door, glanced at her once more then headed off to the bathroom to finish taking his shower. His heart was still pounding in his ears, his head swimming with unwanted thoughts. He kept trying to quell an image of him going back to Betty and kissing her.
The state he was in wasn't letting the thoughts stop there. His imagination progressed despite his best efforts to make it stop. The vision progressed from a gentle kiss to torrid making out. He tried harder to block it out but it just made things worse.
The vision continued with him unbuttoning her pajamas as he plundered her mouth. He made it to the bathroom and leaned over the sink, gripping the edge as he fought his mind. ~I have to keep it together, ~ He told himself.
He stood at the sink for a long time before looking towards the shower, knowing the only cure for his problem...
By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki
© Bekka Mouri-Hibiki 2007
Branslav sat in the locker room after the practice ended. The scout had decided he had seen enough for the day with just the scrimmage and regular practice so the players were allowed to go home. Daniel had been called to Coach Sweet's office and Branslav was at his locker, being ignored by the other players. It was pretty obvious who the scout had come to see so the other players weren't speaking to Branslav or Daniel.
They had cooperated enough to make the scrimmage work but that was where the cooperation ended. Then again, the rest of team didn't bother much with Branslav or Daniel outside of the arena. They were as different as different could get on a individual level and it was amazing they even worked well enough as a team in the season prior to get the championship.
Branslav glanced at his watch, wondering how long Coach Sweet was going to talk to Daniel. He had said he wanted to talk to Branslav as well but only after he finished talking to the younger man. He was anxious to get back to Betty and get to work on wooing her. He wanted to do so many things with her but he couldn't even hug her without her turning to stone.
He wanted her to yield to his touch instead of shy away. He longed to feel her sigh into the crook of his neck as his fingers danced across her alabaster flesh. He craved to touch her in places no one else had ever had. He wanted to be the one to show her all the pleasure she had only dreamed of for so long.
He had been relieved when he found out nothing had occurred between Betty and Robert the week prior. He was pretty sure that his friend wouldn't stab him in the back in such a way. Robert wasn't the type to do something so low. He felt bad for being suspicious of his friend.
He had given some thought to the way Robert had been looking at Betty in the early hours of the morning. At the time he thought he saw something in it and gotten jealous. After careful consideration, he decided that perhaps he had read too much into it. He heard the door to the locker room open and looked up to see who was coming in.
Daniel had come into the locker room, walking past everyone else as he looked at the floor. He sat down at his locker next to Branslav and sighed, “ Coach said he'd see you now. “
“ What's wrong? “ Branslav could tell Daniel was upset.
“ Coach cussed me out for not playing to my potential out there, “ Daniel sighed.
Branslav furrowed his brow, “ How is that different that any other day? “
“ It just hurts more one on one, “ Daniel shut his eyes. “ When he yells at all of us, it's easier to think it's someone else's fault. “
Branslav thought about it and he was right. He sighed, “ Well you can only get better so don't let it bother you. “
“ Branslav!” Coach Sweet shouted from the doorway of the locker room. “ Get in my office now! “
“ I'm coming, “ Branslav shouted back then looked at Daniel. “ Don't let it get you down. “
" Okay man, " Daniel sighed. He then glanced towards the locker room door, “ You'd better go. “
Branslav nodded and stood up. He smiled a little, “ For what it's worth you kept me on my toes out there. “
Daniel smiled a little, “ Thanks man. “
“ Branslav! I mean NOW! “ Coach Sweet shouted.
Branslav patted Daniel on the top of the head and walked towards the door of the locker room. Coach Sweet stepped out of the way to let him out. He then walked to Coach Sweet's office, the coach right behind him. When he got there, he was surprised to see Lotte and Martin waiting on him.
Martin smiled, “ Have a seat my boy. “
Branslav cautiously took a seat next to Martin. “ Yes sir? “
“ Do you have any plans for dinner tonight? “ Martin asked.
Branslav furrowed his brow, “ Why? “
“ There's much we need to discuss about your future but I'd like to take you to dinner as a reward for playing so well out there for the scout, “ Martin smiled. “ We need to discuss the things the scout just finished telling me. “
“ Why can't you tell me now? “ Branslav said. “ I sort of need to get home. “
“ Oh? “ Martin said. “ Don't you feel comfortable with leaving Betty all alone with White Bread? “
“ That's not it, “ Branslav said. “ Robert doesn't want to feed her the food I have in the house. I need to pick some stuff up... “
“ Tell him to order take out then! “ Lotte snapped. “ This is your future! “
“ But if we talk about it here we won't have to go out later, “ Branslav snapped back at his stepsister.
“ We have way too much to discuss for us to do it here, “ Martin said. “ Either you go to dinner tonight or I'll tell the scout you said you didn't want to leave Reno. “
“ But I do, “ Branslav said. “ I want to get into a big league team. “
Lotte glared at him, “ Then it should be a simple choice then. “
Branslav growled, knowing the choices he faced were far from simple.
**
Robert was putting the leftover pizza in the fridge when his cell phone rang. He saw it was Jakob's number and furrowed his brow. He flipped the phone open and said, “ Hey. What's up? “
“ I just got a call from William, “ Jakob said.
“ William as in cowboy William that lives down the street from me? “ Robert knew of only one William on the team. He was about six foot tall and hardly ever got to play. He had grown up on a ranch in Wyoming and looked like a cowboy with his short cropped dirty blonde hair and off court attire.
“ Yeah, “ Jakob said. “ He said that Pauline got arrested this morning. “
Robert smiled, “ Oh really now? “
“ Man he said she was pissed off, “ Jakob said.
“ I bet she was, “ Robert nodded. “ That'll teach her to file false charges. “
“ Yeah, “ Jakob said. “ I thought I'd call you and let you know. “
Robert walked over to the kitchen table, “ Thanks. That made my day so much better. “
“ So how's Betty? “ Jakob asked. Robert had told him what had happened and where he would be until the divorce hearing.
Robert looked at the table, “ She's good. You don't need to worry about her. “
“ Can I tell the guys where you're at tomorrow? “ Jakob asked. “ They're going to wonder you know. “
Robert rolled his eyes, “ Let Coach do the talking. “
“ Okay, “ Jakob said.
“ If you want to tell them anything, tell them I'm okay and not to worry about me. I'll see them Friday when we get on the bus to come to Reno. “
“ Okay, “ Jakob said. “ I'll let you go now. “
“ Alright, “ Robert said. “ Later. “
“ Later, “ Jakob said and hung up.
Robert put his phone back in his back pocket then headed for the living room. Betty was deep asleep and he didn't have to worry about checking on her for a few hours so he figured he had time to take a shower. He got a change of clothes out if his bag and his toiletries case. He debated between using the downstairs bathroom or going up to use the one across from the guest room.
He decided to use the one upstairs, reasoning it was closer in case Betty needed anything while he was cleaning up. He started up the back stairs when his phone rang again. He pulled it out of his back pocket to find it was Branslav. He flipped it open, “ Yes? “
“ I can't make it home until later this evening, “ Branslav sounded very unhappy.
“ Like how late is later? “ Robert arched an eyebrow as he continued going up the stairs.
“ I don't know, “ Branslav replied. “ Something came up and I have business meeting with Lotte and Martin. We're going out to dinner to discuss some things. “
“ What about Betty? “ Robert asked.
“ You take care of her, “ Branslav said. “ I have to go to this meeting. I don't know how late I'll be. “
Robert frowned as he reached the bathroom, “ Oh. So I guess I'll be ordering take out for Betty again? “
“ Since you're being so stubborn about feeding her what I have I guess so, “ Branslav said sharply.
“ I'm not being stubborn, “ Robert said. “ I just think she won't like freezer burned TV dinners to eat. “
Branslav sighed, “ Fine. Whatever. I'll pay you back later. “
“ Don't worry about it, “ Robert went into the bathroom and set his stuff down. “ So do you know where Betty and I are going to be tomorrow? Have you at least given that some thought? “
Branslav growled, “ No. We'll worry about that later. “
“ Fine, “ Robert leaned against the sink. “ You better know by the time you get home tonight. “
“ Why don't you two just stay at my place? “ Branslav asked. “ I'll be back by Thursday. “
“ Yeah but what time? “ Robert asked. “ I have to be on the plane at noon. “
“ Oh, “ Branslav said. “ I won't be home until long after midnight. “
“ Exactly, “ Robert said.
Branslav growled again, “ Damn. This is all fucked up. “
“ Yes it is, “ Robert said. “ If we stay here I could get a cab Thursday. Betty will just have to stay put until you get back but that will be twelve hours or more. If we go to her place, I could still call a cab but she'll be home. She doesn't act like she's comfortable here. “
“ She's not comfortable anywhere, “ Branslav said.
Robert quirked his mouth. He wondered how she had been acting around Branslav. “ I just think she'd be better off at her place by then. “
“ I told you we'll discuss it when I get home. I have to go, “ Branslav said. “ Give me the receipts for the take out when I get back and I'll pay you back.
“ Whatever, “ Robert sighed. “ Later. “
“ Bye, “ Branslav said and hung up.
Robert rolled his eyes as he snapped the phone closed and set it on the counter. He pulled off his shirt and set it aside before taking off his pants. He reached into the shower, turning on the water to let it warm up. As he waited, he unwrapped the gauze from his hands.
He carefully checked his wounds, the smaller ones had already healed up. The largest of them all was half the size it had been but it still had a bit to go. He looked at the wound until the bathroom started to fill with steam. He grabbed his toiletries case, getting out the things he needed and setting them on the edge of the shower.
He pulled off his boxers and got in the shower, the hot water feeling good on his tense muscles. He had been wound tight as a spring since he had went to the hospital to give Pauline the papers. Though working out with the team and talking to Betty had help release some of the tension, he still felt like he carried the weight of the world of his shoulders. Branslav's stubbornness and sudden attack of assholism hadn't helped either.
He couldn't believe how Branslav was acting, his demeanor becoming almost intolerable. It took all Robert had not to hit him for the way he had been behaving. It was all he could do not to slug Branslav for the way he had treated Betty earlier that morning. He had tried to convince himself that it wasn't how it looked and was almost believing it.
He grabbed up his soap case and got the bar out before setting the case aside again. He lathered up his hands and washed his face. ~Maybe I AM jealous, ~ He thought as he rinsed his face. ~He does have to touch her to help her and he isn't the gentlest person in the world. ~
**
Betty opened her eyes slowly, the urge to go to the bathroom rousing her from her drug induced slumber. She reached for her phone, flipping it open to find the battery had died. “Shit, “ She muttered and wondered if she could make it to the bathroom on her own. ~It's not that far, ~ Betty told herself. ~I just have to get my crutches. ~
Betty rolled onto her side and scooted to the edge of the bed. She sat up slowly, reaching for the crutches and growled when she found they were still a good arm length out of her grasp. She looked down at her right foot, carefully planting it on the floor as she attempted to lift herself up. She tried a couple of times to do it slowly but it wasn't working.
She took a deep breath and summoned up her strength, pushing as hard as she could and getting results. She teetered for a moment, her vision going black before she went crashing to the floor on her right side then rolled onto her front. She lay there face down for a moment before hitting the floor with her fist, ~Shit... stood up too fast. ~
She waited a few minutes but the dizziness wouldn't go away, frustrating her further. She again slammed her fist onto the floor. ~Damn. I'm probably going to lay here and piss on myself before Robert comes back. How wonderfully embarrassing. ~
She sighed in resignation when she heard the door open. She looked up to see that Robert was there. She felt herself blush when she realized he was wet and wearing nothing but a towel. From the looks of things, he was in the shower when she fell. She quickly put her face back to the floor, hoping she wouldn't pass out.
~Just don't look, ~ She told herself. Although she had seen him half naked before, seeing it again still made her heart race. She was pretty sure the sharp rise in her blood pressure would probably not be good for her head either.
“ Betty? Are you okay? “ Robert asked as he walked closer to Betty.
She nodded slowly, “ I fell. “
“ I see that. What happened? “ Robert had been scared when he heard the thud, afraid Betty had hurt herself or worse. “ How did you fall out of the bed. “
“ I tried to get up, “ Betty still wouldn't look at him. “ When I did, I nearly blacked out. “
“ Obviously baby. If you needed something, you should have just called, “ Robert said gently. He could tell she was nervous and tried not to make her more so.
Betty sighed, “ The battery for my phone is dead. I got up too fast. I thought I could make it on my own. “
“ Make it where honey? “ Robert gently pushed her hair away from where it had fallen to cover the side of her face. He was trying to see if she had maybe hit her head again on the way down.
“ The bathroom, “ Betty muttered.
Robert stroked her hair and sighed, “ You're in no shape to be moving around by yourself. Let me take you. “
“ Are you sure? “ Betty started. “ I don't want to make you uncomfortable. “
“ If you need to go you need to go and I will take you, “ Robert said. He had known it would be inevitable so he had tried to prepare himself for when it happened. “ Just let me get you back up on the bed then I'll get you on your crutches. “
“ Okay, “ Betty said.
“ Now, “ Robert said. “ I'm going to put my arms around your waist to help you up. “
Betty nodded, “ Just don't grab me too hard. “
“ I won't, “ Robert said. “ Does Branslav? “
Betty sighed, “ Yeah. He throws me around like a sack of potatoes. He's a little rough but I'm sure it's not intentionally. “
“ I noticed, “ Robert sighed. He wanted to ask her more but getting her up was his first priority. “ I'll be as gentle as I can but we have to do this slowly. “
“ Sure, “ Betty said. She took a sharp breath when he slipped his arms around her. He pulled her close to him as she pushed up from the floor with her arms. They moved as one as he started to lift her slowly.
She could feel his breath on her neck as he breathed against her, water dripping on her from his hair. “ You're getting me wet, “ She muttered then blushed when she realized how the comment sounded.
“ Sorry, “ He replied, ignoring the first thing that came to mind when Betty said 'wet'. “ I was taking a shower when I heard you fall. Put your hands on the bed when we get even with it. “
Betty did as she was told, grabbing onto the bed as she tried to help a little. Robert took a sharp breath, “ Don't do that. I'll get you. “
“ No, “ Betty said. “ I want to help. “
“ Just let me do it, “ Robert said sharply. The way he was holding Betty had her rear at crotch level. Her attempts to help caused her to rub against his major gender identifier, the contact making him react when he had tried so hard not to.
“ You'll hurt yourself, “ Betty said. “ I'm not the lightest person in the world. “
“ I can handle you, “ Robert growled as she rubbed against him again. He tightened his grip on her to get her to stop moving. He leaned into her ear and snarled “ Now stop it and let me do this damn it! “
Betty went cold when she felt something was poking her in the backside. She blushed furiously when she realized what it was. She stopped trying to help, letting Robert finish putting her on the bed and turning so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked at the floor, ashamed she had been so stubborn and hadn't listened.
Robert turned to grab her crutches, trying to act like nothing was wrong. Internally, he berated himself for not being strong enough to resist the stimulation. He turned back, setting her crutches closer to the bed. “ I'll give you a minute to get your head on straight. “
Betty nodded, still not looking up from the floor. She had read and written about guys getting aroused but to have it happen for real was unsettling. She didn't feel she was attractive enough to cause a guy to get turned on. She bit her lip, realizing she had more pressing matters to attended to or make the situation more awkward.
“ I think I'm ready, “ Betty muttered.
Robert nodded, “ Okay then. I'll hold the crutches and you grab onto them. “
“ Right, “ Betty grabbed them and moved slowly. It seemed like forever before she finally mounted them, getting them in position under her arms. “ You can let go now. “
Robert let go slowly to make sure she wasn't going to fall. He noticed her eyes were still fixed on the floor. “ Hey. “
“ Huh? “ Betty didn't look up.
“ Don't be so upset, “ Robert said.
Betty took a sharp breath, sure Robert knew why she was acting the way she was. “ Upset? “
“I didn't mean to yell at you or grab you like that, “ Robert said quietly. “ It's okay to want to do things for yourself. “
“ I was just trying to make it easier on you, " Betty started.
“ Let me finish. Now isn't the time for that though. Just take some help for now, okay? “ Robert said.
“ I'll try, “ Betty sighed. She hated feeling so helpless. “ Its just that Branslav... “
“ What about him? “ Robert asked.
Betty bit her lip then looked towards the door, “ Can we take care of my main problem right now then talk about him? “
Robert furrowed his brow then realized what she was getting at. “ Oh! Yeah. “
Betty waited as Robert got the door. “ Thanks, “ She said. She glanced over then fixed her eyes straight ahead again. “ Towel. “
“ Huh? “ Robert said looking down. The towel had slipped dangerously low on his hips and looked like it was about to fall off, showing of a generous amount of pubic hair. “ Oh shit. “
Betty crutched out into the hall to give Robert a chance to right himself. He caught up to her once the towel was tied tighter. He darted to her side to get the door pushed open so she wouldn't have to. “ Thanks, “ She said without looking at him.
“ No problem, “ Robert replied. “ Um. Do you need any help? “
Betty took a sharp breath then shook her head, “ I'll try to manage on my own. If I need you I'll call. “
“ But aren't you still dizzy? “ Robert asked.
“ I've managed before, “ Betty replied sharply. “ I'll call you when I'm done. “
“ Okay. Okay. I'll be here in case you fall again, “ Robert put his hands up. He watched as she shut the door behind her, moving to the side so he could lean against the wall.
He shut his eyes, trying to calm his pounding heart. He felt bad about speaking so harshly to her and grabbing her, knowing it had made her uneasy. He was so mad at himself for not having better control. Having her so close had excited him enough but the contact was too much.
He heard the toilet flush and steeled himself. He just wanted to get her back to her room before anything else happened to leave them unsettled. “ I'm done, “ Betty called. “ Open the door. “
Robert reached over and pushed the door open then waited for Betty to come out. He followed her as she crutched back into her room. He watched as she turned around and lowered herself to the bed. He took her crutches as she tried to get herself comfortable again.
Betty growled in frustration when the pillows wadded up beneath her and she was unable to get them straightened out, “ Would you like some help? “ Robert offered as he stepped closer to the bed.
“ Yeah, “ Betty sighed.
Robert grabbed the pillows for behind her back first as she leaned forward. He fluffed them and put them behind her back. She lay back so he could get to the pillows for her ankle. He shuddered internally as he touched her leg, positioning it carefully on the pillows.
He helped her pull the comforter back over herself then took a step back “ Do you need anything else? “
Betty thought about it and shook her head, “ No. I'm good. “
“ Okay, “ Robert nodded. “ Do you want to talk about him now? “
“ Oh, “ Betty said. “ He's got to touch me to care for me and he's kind of rough. That's why I'm trying to do more stuff for myself. “
“ I can talk to him if you want, “ Robert offered.
Betty waved her hand, “ It's okay. I just have to deal with him for tonight then he'll be gone. “
“ Then you'll have to deal with me until Thursday, “ Robert said.
Betty looked at him, her brow furrowed. “ Are you staying that long? “
“ Yeah, “ Robert said. “ I want to make sure you're really okay before I leave. “
“ You don't have to, “ Betty started.
Robert leaned closer and put a finger over her lips, “ I want to. “
Betty let him take his finger away, “ Are you sure you'll be okay with that? “
“ Yeah. I'm fine with it. I want to take care of you baby. You've done so much for me. “
“ All I did was listen to you, “ Betty said.
“ I know and that's helping me a lot, “ Robert put his hand under her chin. He stroked her left cheek with his thumb, “ Thank you. “
“ You're welcome, “ Betty said quietly.
Robert stared into her eyes, “ I have to go finish my shower now. Will you be okay? “
Betty nodded, “ Yeah. I think I'll go back to sleep. “
“ Good, “ Robert murmured. “ You need your rest. “
“ Yeah, “ Betty whispered.
Robert let his hand fall away from her chin, “ I'm going now. I'll look in on you when I'm finished. “
Betty nodded, “ Okay. “
He went to the door, glanced at her once more then headed off to the bathroom to finish taking his shower. His heart was still pounding in his ears, his head swimming with unwanted thoughts. He kept trying to quell an image of him going back to Betty and kissing her.
The state he was in wasn't letting the thoughts stop there. His imagination progressed despite his best efforts to make it stop. The vision progressed from a gentle kiss to torrid making out. He tried harder to block it out but it just made things worse.
The vision continued with him unbuttoning her pajamas as he plundered her mouth. He made it to the bathroom and leaned over the sink, gripping the edge as he fought his mind. ~I have to keep it together, ~ He told himself.
He stood at the sink for a long time before looking towards the shower, knowing the only cure for his problem...