Fic: "Safekeeping"
Title: Safekeeping
Characters:Alberto Contador, Thomas Riis, Andy Schleck
Rating:PG-13
Disclaimer: Unreal, untrue, all made up.
Warnings: swearing
Summary: Follows Fleur's A Dream Called “Love”. (Part 1) and A Dream Called “Love”. (Part 2) and works on the premise of Thomas staying with Alberto and Andy in their house for a week. In this little installment Andy is mean, Thomas pouts and Alberto falls for it... big time.
Previous parts of the renewed Andy/Alberto saga are:
Words Don't Bridge the Gap
What's Really Important
Andy Baby
The Proposal
Me, Myself and I
Eavesdropping Will Get You Nowhere
I'm sorry
New House, Old Rules Part 1
New House, Old Rules Part 2
Temptation is Everywhere
Same Side, Different Coins Part 1/4
Same Side, Different Coins Part 2/4
Same Side, Different Coins Part 3/4
Same Side, Different Coins Part 4/4
“I can't even do anything in my own house. It's so fucking annoying, Fabian!”
Thomas heard Andy growling into the phone and saw his nemesis pacing up and down in the kitchen.
“No, but... I'm telling you, the kid hasAlberto wrapped around his little finger and he knows it!”Andy waved his free hand.
Thomas smirked.
“But that's just it! He's totally not on my side and... No, Fabian. I told him, but he won't listen or he doesn't care. Or maybe Bjarne owns Alberto's soul so he's making him put up with his kid and driving me up the walls!”
“Hey!” Thomas shouted, stepping into the kitchen and glaring at Andy.
“What? What the fuck do you want?” Andy growled, going on the attack to hide his surprise. “No, not you, Fabian. The kid is here. He's spying on me in my own goddamned house! What the hell do you want, Thomas?”
“What you said about my father and Alberto. Take it back,” Thomas replied evenly, feeling his hands ball into fists at his sides.
“What did I say that isn't true? Get the fuck out of here. I'm talking to someone and it's none of your business,” Andy waved the younger man off, turning his attention back to the phone. But instinct held Andy from facing away from Thomas, in case the kid got ideas and really wanted a fight. “You're still here?” Andy looked up a moment later. “Get. The. Fuck. Out, Thomas!” he made a little pause after each word, just in case the kid was retarded and could not follow regular speech.
Thomas exhaled sharply and his eyes narrowed. It would have been easy to take Andy on. He was bigger than Andy and weighed more compared to Andy's skin and bones that Thomas was itching to break. For a second, Thomas felt the most irresistible urge to follow his instinct, but then something else occurred to him. What would Alberto do?
Of course... Thomas relaxed (although not without obvious effort) and smiled (if his crooked grin could pass for a smile). Alberto would not get mad, he would get even.
An unpleasant shiver went down Andy's spine. He knew that expression, he'd seen it on a face very much alike Thomas' and the creepiness of it hit Andy in the pit of his stomach.
“Get out,” he hissed.
Thomas nodded to himself and waved Andy off flippantly, before turning his back to the guy and walking away. He decided to blow off some steam in the training room while waiting for Alberto to get back home.
***
Andy made sure he left Alberto behind thoroughly kissed, much to Fränk's and Thomas' chagrin. When that enjoyable task was done, Andy grabbed his helmet and a grimacing Fränk. They were going out for a few hours of road-training and Andy hadn't asked the other two if they wanted to join the ride.
Not that he would have minded riding with Alberto. But since he'd found out (from the press) that Andy would be working with Johan Bruyneel, Alberto had solemnly refused to train with Andy beyond indoor hours on the trainer and gym work. Plus, Fränk didn't want to ride with Alberto. And Andy didn't want to ride with Thomas (although much as he disliked the kid for his crush on Alberto, Andy had to admit Thomas was good and Bjarne had probably sent him to Luxembourg to make sure that Alberto was actually going out on a bike with someone). The best thing they could all do was to stay out of each other's hair for a while, but Andy loathed the look on Thomas' face and what he was going to say to Alberto even more.
Thomas looked out the window to make sure the Schlecks were really gone and when he saw them riding away he returned to Alberto and his dreamy little smile.
“So, what do you want to do?” Alberto snapped out of the daze.
“Absolutely nothing?”
“Mmm?”
“I want to kick back, watch a movie, eat chocolate-chip cookies and do absolutely nothing else,” Thomas grinned.
Alberto laughed and started toward the living-room, ready to make good that suggestion. Thomas followed him and grabbed Alberto's arm as soon as they were out of the hall.
“Tom...”
The rest of the word was crushed between their lips. Thomas cupped the sides of Alberto's head to hold him in place while Alberto's wide eyes slipped shut and the Spaniard gave in. Thomas didn't rush it and he tried very hard not to think that Alberto had been kissed by someone else just minutes before. Alberto however... he was probably thinking along those lines, because eventually, he put his hands on Tommy's chest and pushed him away gently.
“Hey... what are you...?”
“I'm sad,” Thomas pouted.
“What's the matter?” Alberto asked cautiously, knowing better than to fall for it.
“Andy was mean to me.”
That Alberto could believe.
“He yelled at me and cursed and he insulted both you and my dad,” Thomas' brow creased and the expression seemed far more genuine than the pouting.
“And what did you do to provoke him?”
“Nothing. I was just there. Andy was talking on the phone and he said that he wants to kill someone because I'm here and that my dad made you take me in because he owns your soul,” Thomas muttered.
Alberto closed his eyes and bit the inside of his lip hard. He felt like laughing and it would probably turn hysterical although it wasn't funny and Thomas certainly looked put upon.
“Berto? Aren't you mad?”
“Well...,” Alberto smiled. “Don't we know better than to get mad at Andy?”
“But...”
“Sshh,” Alberto cupped Thomas' cheek and brushed his thumb over the young man's lips. “Why don't you kiss me again? You'll feel better.”
Thomas didn't think twice about taking the invitation. He wrapped his arms around Alberto and brought their bodies closer, making it painstakingly difficult for Alberto to draw back... eventually.
“Better?” the Spaniard caressed Tommy's happy face, motioning him to sit down on one of the couches.
“Much better. I swear, you're the cure to everything.”
“No, you are. I told you, this pretty smile is made of sunshine and the happiest things in the world,” Alberto touched Thomas' lips. He needed a little bit of distance between them and so Alberto perched on the arm of the couch.
“Hehe... you're not so bad yourself,” Thomas chuckled. “But I'm still a little pissed off,” he fished for another kiss.
“You shouldn't be. At least not about everything that Andy said. Some of it is true.”
“Huh?” Thomas frowned and some of the sunshine waned when he was reminded of Andy.
“He really did say that Bjarne owns my soul?”
“Word for word.”
“Well, it's true. Your father does own my soul,” Alberto replied with the fondest, most natural smile in the world.
“Wha...?!” Thomas gaped.
“I gave it to him, Tommy. I gave your father my soul. For safekeeping.”
Thomas merely blinked.
“That doesn't make a lot of sense...,” Alberto stated the obvious. “It's not a bad thing, though. Not an insult. You see... I trust your father with my soul because I know he will keep it safe and if something goes wrong here,” Alberto motioned around himself. “Or anywhere else, I can go back to Bjarne and find myself again. Is that crazy?” the Spaniard grinned sheepishly.
“Um...,” Thomas mumbled. He pursed his lips and stared ahead thoughtfully.
Alberto gave him a moment, wondering what had gotten into him and why he was telling Thomas such disturbing things.
“I.. I think I understand,” Thomas said hesitantly, after a long pause. He came back to himself and looked at Alberto. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course you can.”
“Will you have my heart?”
It was Alberto's turn to gape. Heat and cold washed over him simultaneously and he held onto the back of the couch a little tighter.
“Tommy, I can't...”
“No, hear me out. I want you to have my heart. For safekeeping. It's yours anyway and if you look after it, I'll know it's safe no matter what happens. Even if we're not together now and I'm not ready, one day I will be and then you can have my heart forever,” Thomas said, smiling hopefully.
Alberto couldn't even breathe, let alone speak. Those unbelievable words sank in and he wondered if Thomas knew what he was saying. He seemed so honest and open and... wow. If he did realize what he was saying, then Thomas probably knew how much fear he'd just woken. Alberto was absolutely terrified of failing him and all that trust.
“Thomas, I....” the Spaniard slipped off the arm of the couch and sat next to the young Dane.
“Say yes,” Thomas pleaded.
“You trust me that much?”
“I do,” Thomas nodded.
Alberto swallowed the painful lump in his throat and raised and shaking hand to cup Thomas' cheek.
“Tommy... baby... I'm not worth all the faith you have in me.”
“You are,” Thomas whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into the caress. “You are and you will be. Please have my heart and look after it. I know you're going to do a good job and I don't have to worry about ever getting hurt because I'll come back to you and you'll make everything OK.”
The Spaniard felt himself crumbling. To stave it off, he combed his fingers through Thomas' hair, pulling him closer and pressing kisses all over his face.
“Alright, baby. Yes,” Alberto murmured.
“You will?” Thomas smiled broadly.
Alberto didn't see it but he felt it and smiled as well.
“I will. If you trust me so much, I'll look after your heart as if it were my own.”
“Thank you,” Thomas breathed a sigh of relief that surprised Alberto. He threw his arms around the Spaniard and hugged him tight. “Thank you, Berto.”
Alberto hugged Thomas back and inhaled deeply, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. Even if they'd been speaking in metaphors, he felt even more drawn to Thomas and more bound to him than before. What in the world...?
When they sat back, Thomas noticed panic on Alberto's face and he knew that Alberto would start to backtrack if he didn't say something. Quickly.
“Hey, this is actually not such a bad idea. You keeping my heart. Because I can do all that growing up that you said I need and I can have all the fun you said I shouldn't miss out on. Speaking of fun... we should go out tonight. I bet Andy knows the best clubs. We can party, get drunk and I'll pick up a chick or a guy. We can have some fun in this place,” Thomas wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Huh... what?” Alberto shook his head. “Hey, you are not having sex with some stranger in this house!”
“Why not?”
“Because... Because if I don't get to have sex, neither do you,” Alberto felt awfully proud of that comeback and utterly ridiculous for it.
“Oh. I thought it's because you're jealous,” Thomas pouted.
“Um. That too. I think I'd probably break anyone who wants to have sex with you, guy or girl.”
“Awww, you really do love me,” Thomas flashed Alberto a ridiculous grin.
“I really do love you,” Alberto nodded, mirroring the expression.
“Then why don't you have sex with me?” Thomas elbowed Alberto playfully.
“Hey... what was it you wanted me to take care of? Your heart or your cock?”
“Both?” Thomas blinked innocently.
Alberto merely shook his head, smirking at the absurdity of their conversation.
“There's no way I can have both?” Thomas pretended to be weighing his options.
“Nope.”
“Damn. You drive a hard bargain,” Thomas huffed, making Alberto laugh. He joined the Spaniard without a second thought, except to congratulate himself on winning the bargain in question.
Characters:Alberto Contador, Thomas Riis, Andy Schleck
Rating:PG-13
Disclaimer: Unreal, untrue, all made up.
Warnings: swearing
Summary: Follows Fleur's A Dream Called “Love”. (Part 1) and A Dream Called “Love”. (Part 2) and works on the premise of Thomas staying with Alberto and Andy in their house for a week. In this little installment Andy is mean, Thomas pouts and Alberto falls for it... big time.
Previous parts of the renewed Andy/Alberto saga are:
Words Don't Bridge the Gap
What's Really Important
Andy Baby
The Proposal
Me, Myself and I
Eavesdropping Will Get You Nowhere
I'm sorry
New House, Old Rules Part 1
New House, Old Rules Part 2
Temptation is Everywhere
Same Side, Different Coins Part 1/4
Same Side, Different Coins Part 2/4
Same Side, Different Coins Part 3/4
Same Side, Different Coins Part 4/4
“I can't even do anything in my own house. It's so fucking annoying, Fabian!”
Thomas heard Andy growling into the phone and saw his nemesis pacing up and down in the kitchen.
“No, but... I'm telling you, the kid hasAlberto wrapped around his little finger and he knows it!”Andy waved his free hand.
Thomas smirked.
“But that's just it! He's totally not on my side and... No, Fabian. I told him, but he won't listen or he doesn't care. Or maybe Bjarne owns Alberto's soul so he's making him put up with his kid and driving me up the walls!”
“Hey!” Thomas shouted, stepping into the kitchen and glaring at Andy.
“What? What the fuck do you want?” Andy growled, going on the attack to hide his surprise. “No, not you, Fabian. The kid is here. He's spying on me in my own goddamned house! What the hell do you want, Thomas?”
“What you said about my father and Alberto. Take it back,” Thomas replied evenly, feeling his hands ball into fists at his sides.
“What did I say that isn't true? Get the fuck out of here. I'm talking to someone and it's none of your business,” Andy waved the younger man off, turning his attention back to the phone. But instinct held Andy from facing away from Thomas, in case the kid got ideas and really wanted a fight. “You're still here?” Andy looked up a moment later. “Get. The. Fuck. Out, Thomas!” he made a little pause after each word, just in case the kid was retarded and could not follow regular speech.
Thomas exhaled sharply and his eyes narrowed. It would have been easy to take Andy on. He was bigger than Andy and weighed more compared to Andy's skin and bones that Thomas was itching to break. For a second, Thomas felt the most irresistible urge to follow his instinct, but then something else occurred to him. What would Alberto do?
Of course... Thomas relaxed (although not without obvious effort) and smiled (if his crooked grin could pass for a smile). Alberto would not get mad, he would get even.
An unpleasant shiver went down Andy's spine. He knew that expression, he'd seen it on a face very much alike Thomas' and the creepiness of it hit Andy in the pit of his stomach.
“Get out,” he hissed.
Thomas nodded to himself and waved Andy off flippantly, before turning his back to the guy and walking away. He decided to blow off some steam in the training room while waiting for Alberto to get back home.
***
Andy made sure he left Alberto behind thoroughly kissed, much to Fränk's and Thomas' chagrin. When that enjoyable task was done, Andy grabbed his helmet and a grimacing Fränk. They were going out for a few hours of road-training and Andy hadn't asked the other two if they wanted to join the ride.
Not that he would have minded riding with Alberto. But since he'd found out (from the press) that Andy would be working with Johan Bruyneel, Alberto had solemnly refused to train with Andy beyond indoor hours on the trainer and gym work. Plus, Fränk didn't want to ride with Alberto. And Andy didn't want to ride with Thomas (although much as he disliked the kid for his crush on Alberto, Andy had to admit Thomas was good and Bjarne had probably sent him to Luxembourg to make sure that Alberto was actually going out on a bike with someone). The best thing they could all do was to stay out of each other's hair for a while, but Andy loathed the look on Thomas' face and what he was going to say to Alberto even more.
Thomas looked out the window to make sure the Schlecks were really gone and when he saw them riding away he returned to Alberto and his dreamy little smile.
“So, what do you want to do?” Alberto snapped out of the daze.
“Absolutely nothing?”
“Mmm?”
“I want to kick back, watch a movie, eat chocolate-chip cookies and do absolutely nothing else,” Thomas grinned.
Alberto laughed and started toward the living-room, ready to make good that suggestion. Thomas followed him and grabbed Alberto's arm as soon as they were out of the hall.
“Tom...”
The rest of the word was crushed between their lips. Thomas cupped the sides of Alberto's head to hold him in place while Alberto's wide eyes slipped shut and the Spaniard gave in. Thomas didn't rush it and he tried very hard not to think that Alberto had been kissed by someone else just minutes before. Alberto however... he was probably thinking along those lines, because eventually, he put his hands on Tommy's chest and pushed him away gently.
“Hey... what are you...?”
“I'm sad,” Thomas pouted.
“What's the matter?” Alberto asked cautiously, knowing better than to fall for it.
“Andy was mean to me.”
That Alberto could believe.
“He yelled at me and cursed and he insulted both you and my dad,” Thomas' brow creased and the expression seemed far more genuine than the pouting.
“And what did you do to provoke him?”
“Nothing. I was just there. Andy was talking on the phone and he said that he wants to kill someone because I'm here and that my dad made you take me in because he owns your soul,” Thomas muttered.
Alberto closed his eyes and bit the inside of his lip hard. He felt like laughing and it would probably turn hysterical although it wasn't funny and Thomas certainly looked put upon.
“Berto? Aren't you mad?”
“Well...,” Alberto smiled. “Don't we know better than to get mad at Andy?”
“But...”
“Sshh,” Alberto cupped Thomas' cheek and brushed his thumb over the young man's lips. “Why don't you kiss me again? You'll feel better.”
Thomas didn't think twice about taking the invitation. He wrapped his arms around Alberto and brought their bodies closer, making it painstakingly difficult for Alberto to draw back... eventually.
“Better?” the Spaniard caressed Tommy's happy face, motioning him to sit down on one of the couches.
“Much better. I swear, you're the cure to everything.”
“No, you are. I told you, this pretty smile is made of sunshine and the happiest things in the world,” Alberto touched Thomas' lips. He needed a little bit of distance between them and so Alberto perched on the arm of the couch.
“Hehe... you're not so bad yourself,” Thomas chuckled. “But I'm still a little pissed off,” he fished for another kiss.
“You shouldn't be. At least not about everything that Andy said. Some of it is true.”
“Huh?” Thomas frowned and some of the sunshine waned when he was reminded of Andy.
“He really did say that Bjarne owns my soul?”
“Word for word.”
“Well, it's true. Your father does own my soul,” Alberto replied with the fondest, most natural smile in the world.
“Wha...?!” Thomas gaped.
“I gave it to him, Tommy. I gave your father my soul. For safekeeping.”
Thomas merely blinked.
“That doesn't make a lot of sense...,” Alberto stated the obvious. “It's not a bad thing, though. Not an insult. You see... I trust your father with my soul because I know he will keep it safe and if something goes wrong here,” Alberto motioned around himself. “Or anywhere else, I can go back to Bjarne and find myself again. Is that crazy?” the Spaniard grinned sheepishly.
“Um...,” Thomas mumbled. He pursed his lips and stared ahead thoughtfully.
Alberto gave him a moment, wondering what had gotten into him and why he was telling Thomas such disturbing things.
“I.. I think I understand,” Thomas said hesitantly, after a long pause. He came back to himself and looked at Alberto. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course you can.”
“Will you have my heart?”
It was Alberto's turn to gape. Heat and cold washed over him simultaneously and he held onto the back of the couch a little tighter.
“Tommy, I can't...”
“No, hear me out. I want you to have my heart. For safekeeping. It's yours anyway and if you look after it, I'll know it's safe no matter what happens. Even if we're not together now and I'm not ready, one day I will be and then you can have my heart forever,” Thomas said, smiling hopefully.
Alberto couldn't even breathe, let alone speak. Those unbelievable words sank in and he wondered if Thomas knew what he was saying. He seemed so honest and open and... wow. If he did realize what he was saying, then Thomas probably knew how much fear he'd just woken. Alberto was absolutely terrified of failing him and all that trust.
“Thomas, I....” the Spaniard slipped off the arm of the couch and sat next to the young Dane.
“Say yes,” Thomas pleaded.
“You trust me that much?”
“I do,” Thomas nodded.
Alberto swallowed the painful lump in his throat and raised and shaking hand to cup Thomas' cheek.
“Tommy... baby... I'm not worth all the faith you have in me.”
“You are,” Thomas whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into the caress. “You are and you will be. Please have my heart and look after it. I know you're going to do a good job and I don't have to worry about ever getting hurt because I'll come back to you and you'll make everything OK.”
The Spaniard felt himself crumbling. To stave it off, he combed his fingers through Thomas' hair, pulling him closer and pressing kisses all over his face.
“Alright, baby. Yes,” Alberto murmured.
“You will?” Thomas smiled broadly.
Alberto didn't see it but he felt it and smiled as well.
“I will. If you trust me so much, I'll look after your heart as if it were my own.”
“Thank you,” Thomas breathed a sigh of relief that surprised Alberto. He threw his arms around the Spaniard and hugged him tight. “Thank you, Berto.”
Alberto hugged Thomas back and inhaled deeply, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. Even if they'd been speaking in metaphors, he felt even more drawn to Thomas and more bound to him than before. What in the world...?
When they sat back, Thomas noticed panic on Alberto's face and he knew that Alberto would start to backtrack if he didn't say something. Quickly.
“Hey, this is actually not such a bad idea. You keeping my heart. Because I can do all that growing up that you said I need and I can have all the fun you said I shouldn't miss out on. Speaking of fun... we should go out tonight. I bet Andy knows the best clubs. We can party, get drunk and I'll pick up a chick or a guy. We can have some fun in this place,” Thomas wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Huh... what?” Alberto shook his head. “Hey, you are not having sex with some stranger in this house!”
“Why not?”
“Because... Because if I don't get to have sex, neither do you,” Alberto felt awfully proud of that comeback and utterly ridiculous for it.
“Oh. I thought it's because you're jealous,” Thomas pouted.
“Um. That too. I think I'd probably break anyone who wants to have sex with you, guy or girl.”
“Awww, you really do love me,” Thomas flashed Alberto a ridiculous grin.
“I really do love you,” Alberto nodded, mirroring the expression.
“Then why don't you have sex with me?” Thomas elbowed Alberto playfully.
“Hey... what was it you wanted me to take care of? Your heart or your cock?”
“Both?” Thomas blinked innocently.
Alberto merely shook his head, smirking at the absurdity of their conversation.
“There's no way I can have both?” Thomas pretended to be weighing his options.
“Nope.”
“Damn. You drive a hard bargain,” Thomas huffed, making Alberto laugh. He joined the Spaniard without a second thought, except to congratulate himself on winning the bargain in question.