Telephone
The unknow guy snatched the phone from Johnnys hands. He put it on speaker and placed it in his palm. "Knock, knock", he spoke mockingly, "Who's there?" A groan from Robert. Then, his rather hissy voice: "Nathan! If you do anything to Johnny, I swear to every god above-!" "All right", the man interrupted, "It is you. I think I'm alsmost convinced." He gave Johnny a lopsided grin, which the currently german found himself blushing at. "Another voice, but definetly you. Where are you? I came all the way to see you."
"I'm far away from you. I won't be there until tommorow, so stop bothering my friend.
I assume you won't go now?" The stranger chuckeled. "Nope. Come to me, little one. And be quick about it!" He threw the phone at Johnny and turned around. "I know my way to the guestroom, don't feel the need to show me." With that he walked out the door and rounded a corner right before the door in front of Johnny shut close.
The scot found it hard to stand any longer so he allowed himself to sit down on the edge of the table. "What..was that?", he asked, absolutely irritated. He heard a sigh. "That was Nathan. Just ignore him for today, okay? He was always trouble, I'll explain tommorow. I will be there about noon. I'll take a taxi, you stay there and make sure he doesn't steal anything. Please, Johnny, have an eye on him." The line went dead and Johnny questioned himself for the rest of the night who this guy was and why he was so damn sure he was Roberts boyfriend.
The next morning was awkward. Johnny sat in the usual chair Robert always occupied and Nathan sat across the table on the other side. Every time Johnny looked up, he was greeted with an amused stare. "What?", he asked after another glimpse and raised an eyebrow. "How did you ever intend to portray him? You resemble his behaviour as much as an apple." He bit his lip. "Well, excuse me for being another person", he snapped, "But I'm not a copy of Robert!" His guest laughed at that and that was the end of their converstaion.
Robert arrived pretty much after noon and was eager to clear this mess up. He came into the room - the same one as yesterday, Johnny was not willing to stay in another one - and strode right over. He placed himself between his friend and this stranger, a glare on his face. "Nathan", he greeted in a flat tone. "Robert", the other one answered ironically. Robert straightened up, like he wanted to look taller. "Why are you here? I thought you where halfway to Spain, bothering somebody else. Molesting somebody else." Johnny cocked an eyebrow. Seemed like Robert was pretty pissed and clearly not in love with this hunk. "I was", the guy admitted, "But then word travelled to me about you being ready to have another relationship and I can't let this happen, now, can I?" He paced back and forth in the room, looking completly at ease. The german growled.
"I told you to stay away from me!" Nathan stopped, turned around since he had been facing a wall and looked at the currently scottish man with a glint in his eyes. "Ah, so you're ready for another one! Who is it?" Johnny watched as Robert pinched the bridge of his nose and crossed his arms in front of his chest afterwards. "I'm not having this conversation with you", he stated, "We are not in the Vampire Schmiaries and you're not Klaus Mikaelson!" Huh, the redhead knew the guy resembled someone! Now he saw it was obvious where he got his inspiration from. Nathan took a step and layed one hand on the germans arm. "Aren't we? I thought you and I were havin a thing?" Robert stood his ground and looked him straight in the eye. "We do not have a thing. We are nothing." His jaw clenched.
"Ha!", Nathan snorted, "And that one night? You, all too willingly lying under my very capable hands..." He raised one eyebrow, "Was that not the best fun you ever had?" "No! I said: Go! Now." He never heard Robert like this, with a glare that could freeze the sun, a tone so cold, so agressive like a wild animal. Lethal.
The two guys stood, only centimetres away from each other, glaring in the same intensity at each other. The air in the room felt thick. "I stay", Nathan challenged. "No", Robert answered, "And that is my last word." The guy started to say something else when Robert added another question which stopped him dead in his treaks: "Does your brother know where you are?" Silence for almost three minutes.
Than: "He, what do I care?" "Out", through his teeth, "Now." When the guy took a step and reached out again, a strong wind whipped around him, forcing him backwards. Johnny jumped up and showed the best glare he could muster. "You heard him. Get out of here." The temperature in the room dropped, every candle in the room was magically lit and the flames burned blue. They were not blown out by the wind which was still there, blowing the guy straight to the door. Looked like their bitbeasts were at least not font of anybody hurting them. "You have not seen me for the last time!", the guy yelled, than he disappeared. The wind and the flames stopped as all turned back to normal. They heard a car driving off.
"Who was that?, Johnny demanded the second he found his voice again. He gestured around in his little rant: "I mean, he just showed up here. Talks about you like he owns you. And all of this crap right now, what is this?" Robert put up one hand while he tried to breathe steadily. "Give me one minute", he pleaded, seemingly worn out by this encounter.
After one minute of qieting down he finally explained. They were sitting on the sofa now, Robert with a glass of water in his hands. "Nathan is the younger brother of Ralph, a CEO of another company. They have had some misjugdement in money and asked me if I wanted to work with their ideas. They had not enough money left to visualize them. I said yes because it was a great chance for me to show that I'm more. That I'm not just a little boy in his fathers shoes.
So, I met Ralph a couple of times and he always talked about Nathan. Many times in a bad mood. Nathan means trouble, whereever he goes. I met him at the last day of this cowork. He was polite, even a little flirty. I can't say I didn't enjoy that." He grinned a little helpless. "But if I had known what it meant to not ignore Nathan Smith, I would never even have looked in his direction!
After this meeting, he called. He wanted a date. I told him no. He answered he was in charge of the documents and if he saind a thing, his brother would quit his work with me. I was sure that this was an empty threat but I did him the favor. He acted kinda nice. Tried to cover up the negative line, I guess. When I got my papers the next day, I told him to leave me alone. But he insisted...and I failed to make myself clear." Robert looked away, clearly ashamed of his weakness. "You haven't seen him when he wanted to impress me. He can be such a charmer. But I knew it was not good.
When I started seeing other people, he came to me again. Behind my back, he drove everyone away, exept for you and Oliver and Enrico. Maybe he didn't want to mess with your parents. I only know that he orchastrated a drama to which I fell.
It was the day of my sisters death annyversary. I was drunk and had a terrible fight with my last sibling - my uncle, who was in charge of me when I was a minor. It was the day when I had that fight with you, too. Remember? The one where we stopped talking to each other for over a month?" Johnny nodded. "Yeah, I almost thought that I lost your friendship back then." Robert reached out and squeezed his hand. "Me, too. But Nathan took advantage of that. I am ashamed as hell, but I have to admit that he got his wish. He seduced me pretty quick. The next day, I knew I made a mistake. A horrible one. But out of options I called his brother, who was so mad he didn't even find words for it. He had sent Nathan away, to Spain. Guess, the idiot rethought his idea of following his brothers instructions."
He sipped his water and looked away again. Johnny contemplated that, considered what it all meant. "You did seem edgy at some times. Stressed out. Now I understand why." Robert nodded. "Yeah, sorry."
