Robert chanced a glance at his still and silent companion in the backseat of the car taking them to the airport. Jimmy's face was expressionless, he stared resolutely out of the window as though the sight of people, cars and buildings hurrying by was an especially entertaining one.

A deep yearning to communicate - to talk about the kiss the guitarist had unexpectedly favoured him with two nights ago - sizzled in his chest. But, since that night, Jimmy had become so remote in his manner that any such discussion would be little more than a vain hope in Robert's mind.

Why does he do this? Get close to me and then draw back? Is he insecure? Or does he just like torturing me?

It was torture. No sooner had Robert's heartstrings been mended before Jimmy broke them again. It was an endless cycle that kept drawing the blond deeper and deeper into the folds of obsession.

Christ, I couldn't sleep last night. I heard his door open and shut sometime in the evening and the echo of a woman's laugh.

Jealousy gushed like sour poison through his veins.

Did he bang some bird? I bet she was a silly, frilly little thing - cheap enough to jump into some man's bed, not knowing a damn thing about him. Stupid little tart...

Emboldened by his rampant jealousy, he shot a look at the dark-haired man beside him and said, "Who was she?"

Jimmy glanced at him, innocently perplexed. "Who?"

"The girl!" Robert snapped. The other looked so taken-aback by his tone that he added, with less ferocity, "At least, I'm assuming she was a girl."

"Oh." A look of comprehension drifted across the guitarist's face. "Oh, her. Some fan. God, I don't even remember her name."

This appeased the clawing beast in Robert's chest by a fraction. He doesn't remember her name. She was just a shag. Nothing else. Just a shag.

"But I don't see how that's any of your business." Jimmy cocked a brow. "It's not as if I need your permission to have sex with someone."

His patronising tone grated on Robert's nerves. Or perhaps it was the fact that the guitarist had casually admitted to the fact he had recently had sex with someone, as if it were of no consequence. Oh, fuck it. "Maybe you don't need my permission to shag some tarty little bird senseless, but you kissed me. What am I supposed to do? Forget about it?" He was practically shouting; the driver fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat.

Jimmy seemed to be fighting hard to maintain a posture of ease. "I was drunk."

"Fuck that. You can't get drunk on a bottle of beer."

That earned him a glare. "Maybe you can't, but some of us aren't used to chugging down beer like water."

Robert wanted nothing more than to hit him. But doing so would, no doubt, bring a swift end to his career so he resisted the urge. "I've seen the bloody whiskey bottles at your house. D'you honestly mean to tell me you don't touch the stuff?"

"I keep that for visitors."

"Fuck that, Page. Fuck that." He was so angry he couldn't mind his tongue. "You're a bloody bastard - kissing things, shagging things right and left."

Jimmy's pale face flared with colour. "If you bothered to get off your arse and get some shagging done you wouldn't be so jealous."

"I'm not jealous." Robert lied through his teeth. "I just don't believe in kissing someone, then shagging someone else."

Jimmy rolled his eyes dramatically, which only served to irritate the blond even more. "I told you, I was drunk. And besides, a kiss isn't a symbol of faithfulness. It doesn’t mean anything at all."

Robert was practically trembling with rage. "D'you know what I think? I think you're starting to fall for me too, and you're too much of a coward to say so."

"Rubbish!"

"How would you know how to charm a gay chap if you were as straight as a bloody poker? How would you know how to suck my dick the way you did? Or have you forgotten that you-"

"Shut up!" Jimmy looked extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden. He shot a worried glance at the equally unsettled driver in the front.

"Embarrassed, are you?" Robert said, savagely, thrilled to have made the guitarist lose his composure. "You shouldn't be - you've got a very talented mouth."

"Shut the fuck up!" Jimmy hissed, his eyes narrowed in agitation and anger. "Shut your mouth if you value your post in the band." He was breathing heavily now, as if he'd run a marathon. "Or I might just get rid of you."

The blond snorted. "If you do that, Pagey, I'll tell the world how marvellous you are at sucking cock."

It was when the colour drained from the other man's face that Robert realised what an excellent point he had just made. He grinned. "Cat got your tongue, love?"

Jimmy blinked and said, with much difficulty, "That's blackmail. You can't blackmail me."

"And it's alright for you to blackmail me with my sexuality?" He snorted, again. "It seems we've both got aces up our sleeves, though, in all modesty, I appear to have the winning hand."

The guitarist's lips thinned. "I thought you were better than that." He sounded wounded.

"Don't you dare try to guilt-trip me. I'm not likely to bash myself over the head and forget that amazing blowjob just because you try to look all sweet and hurt."

Jimmy glared. "You're impossible. Absolutely impossible."

"I am?" Robert's temper returned. "I'm not the one with the shit mood swings. That's you, Page. All you."

"Well, you're the one with all the pent-up aggression. The possessiveness." The guitarist's eyes glinted angrily. "Maybe that's why everything ended with a kiss."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the blond growled, through gritted teeth.

Jimmy shrunk back, as if he was wary of what he had just said. "Nothing."

"No." Robert caught hold of one of the guitarist's bony wrists. "Tell me." He gave the wrist in his grasp a sharp jerk, eliciting a hiss of pain from the other man.

"Bloody hell, have you gone mad? I need that hand to play!"

"Then tell me!"

"You're hurting me!" Jimmy twisted in his grip. He did look as though he was in pain.

Feeling somewhat ashamed of his sudden rush of anger, the blond released the other's wrist.

"God." Jimmy massaged his bruised wrist. "God. God." It sounded almost as if he was reciting a prayer.

If anything, that made Robert feel even more ashamed. What the bloody hell did I just do? What did I do? "Look..." he began, I love you. "I'm sorry."

The guitarist just shook his head.

'Sorry' was clearly as ineffectual as a drop of rain. Robert would have to try harder. "All this jealousy - I'll bury it. Get rid of it."

"Easier said than done."

"I can try."

Jimmy pursed his lips. "The blowjob never happened."

"What?" Robert's brows leapt in surprise.

"If you want me to forget that you nearly broke my wrist you'll forget all about the blowjob I gave you."

Scheming bastard. "Alright." the blond replied, grudgingly.

Jimmy's lips quirked into a smile.

As if on cue, the car drew to a halt and the driver, tentatively peering over his shoulder, said, "Umm...we're here. I'll get your luggage, shall I?"

He was about to get out when Robert gripped his shoulder. "Any word of what my friend and I discussed in here and I'll wring your neck. Alright?"

Their driver had seen and heard enough of the blond's temper to argue.

Secretly pleased with himself for this successful intimidation, Robert could've sworn he saw a flicker of amusement on the guitarist's face at their driver's fear.

🦋

Hey hey hey. *waves*

New chapter - featuring fed-up Robert and manipulative Jimmy.

Annia. 💕