After the disqualification...

"Welcome to my humble home."

The five men sat huddled together on the couch and on the floor. "Why are we here?" Asked Mason. "It's not part of the game is it?"

Hades fell asleep while Jet held him, his hand absentmindedly stroking his black fur.

"No," Tadashi answered him. "But I'd like for us to play a game."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to get at but we've sort of had enough of games," said Riley. He'd lost the easy smile that had almost seemed permanent on his face.

Tadashi made them all tea and handed each one a cup, then sipped on his own.

No one looked sadder than Zel did as he sat with his legs folded on Mason's lap, a protective arm wrapped around him as he looked a little stressed.

Tadashi settled across from them. "I know," he said. "But I want you to listen to what I have to say, if you all don't like it then I'll drop it and each of you will be home in no time."

He could tell they didn't like that idea. They wanted to be together, as unhappy as they looked.

They seemed skeptical after hearing what he said. As if weighing the options and trying to decide what was worth it.

Jet finally broke the silence. "If you're going to talk about Alexander then... I think we'd rather not," he said.

"Well...sort of," confirmed Tadashi and he noticed Mason already looking angry. "I just want us to...kind of make a deal." He shrugged.

He'd try again if they didn't want to hear what he wanted to say. But he had a pretty good feeling.

"I think...maybe we should," said Pierre. He seemed so shy as everyone listened. "I know we're all angry but it won't hurt to hear him out."

Before Pierre even finished speaking, everyone was already on board with him. Tadashi was glad.

"Fine. What?" Asked Mason.

Tadashi set his cup down and leaned back. "All of you need to talk."

"I'm sorry but if he wanted to hear us out then we wouldn't be here. You realize he's the one who disqualified us right?" Countered Mason.

"I know, but the reason why he did that was only because of the rules, it had nothing to do with his feelings," said Tadashi.

"What?" Asked Mason.

"It's true, Alexander is just..." Tadashi drifted off then went straight ahead.

"Is just what? Finish the sentence," said Mason.

Tadashi shook his head. "He'll open up to you guys, I know it."

"I'm fairly convinced he doesn't feel anything for us. He'd have said so if he did," said Pierre. He was clearly affected more than he was showing.

"I wouldn't say so," he replied. "You haven't seen him lately," Tadashi shook his head. "He hasn't even stepped foot back in the mansion."

That had faces of surprise from everyone. "Is he okay?" Jet asked.

"It's what I'm trying to say, he really isn't doing well but he'd rather deny it, that stubborn..."

Tadashi didn't complete his sentence yet again.

"Either way, I don't think any of this matters to him, from what I've gathered, he'll just get more of us the next year. You know... replacements."

Tadashi understood why he said that. But that wasn't the case here. "The program has been cancelled. For good."

He fully had their attention. They didn't expect that. Even when Alexander had first told him, he was shocked to hear it for some reason. Tadashi continued.

"There was never any question of whether he was coming for you or not, I'm just trying to speed up that process."

"Why are you doing this? You said it was a deal, what's your end of the bargain?" Riley asked.

"That's simple," said Tadashi. "I get to see him happy."

Riley raised his eyebrows. "He's that important to you?" He asked.

"No, I think a little bit more than that." Tadashi shrugged. "But don't tell him I said that."

They were ready to make a deal so he was really glad. As much as Alexander needed this, they did too.

"So one final game, what do you say?" Tadashi leaned back once more. "I'm open to ideas."

꧁____꧂

The breeze blew Alexander's hair again, he pushed it back and sat back down, unable to take his eyes off Riley.

Fuck, he badly wanted to kiss him. It was a task to just sit there doing nothing, knowing Riley was right there for fuck's sake.

Still he had to do nothing, Riley looked so pissed at him the Master wasn't about to make it worse.

"Do you want to guess why I'm here?" Riley asked. "Or do you want me to tell you?"

He didn't answer him. He had questions of his own, added to the fact that he was having a hard time believing the current situation.

"I'll answer you then," said Riley calmly. "It's because you sort of mean everything to me, the same way the others do."

Alexander was frustrated. It brought both feelings of pure joy and pain to hear the words leave Riley's lips.

"Are they... they are here too?" He asked.

Riley nodded. "I just decided I'd see you first, I hate seeing all the hurt in their faces. I didn't want it to get worse."

Alexander flinched. The man next to him kept talking like his face itself wasn't etched with hurt too. All of it, his fault.

"I'm so sorry Riley," he said and got close to him.

"I said not to touch me," the younger man repeated.

Alexander knew he deserved at least that, but it still stung to hear it.

"It's fine, you'll get to see everyone," said Riley. "We have a week after all."

Tadashi...

They really were here. What would they think when they saw him?

"I just want to confirm something," said Riley. "I want you to look me in the eye and tell me you have no feelings for me."

He turned to face Alexander and the Master's breath was taken away. He got carried away just looking at him, he could do it all day.

"You really can't do it?" The other male asked in response to his previous question. "Why'd you do it then? Everything we did, the few moments I could swear we were all truly happy, they meant nothing to you?"

"You probably won't believe me if I tell you," answered Alexander. "I'm sure you hate me now but they really meant–"

"I don't hate you," Riley cut him off. "I could never hate you. Do not even think for one second that as you sit there, I don't want to feel you against me."

"But you don't even want me to touch you," said Alexander.

"Because I'm mad at you. We all are. People get mad all the time, at the people they–"

Riley exhaled audibly.

"For a few days now, we've sat here like this, just staring at the water. Sure it was beautiful but it didn't feel complete. You are that missing piece. But don't expect affection from me, or anyone else. The aim isn't to punish you, you just have to earn it." Riley completed.

Alexander hung on to his every word.

"Tomorrow after your 'spa day' as Rosetta called it, we'll eat together...unless you have any objections."

"Never," came the immediate reply.

Riley nodded. "The original plan was to push you to the extremes, but we're not doing that anymore. We're worried about you you know, you look like you could use some sleep."

"Everyone keeps saying that," replied Alexander.

"It's true. I'm almost convinced you missed us," said Riley. He did the thing where he pulled he pulled at his ear.

"Of course I did," Alexander replied.

"I'm not going to believe it just yet. You'll take the rest you were meant to, then when that's over, we'll all talk."

"You expect me to relax with all of you here?"

Riley's reply was cold. "You seemed to manage quite fine before you disqualified us."

Damn. He didn't have to rub it in like that.

"I deserved that," Alexander said while using a hand to rub the back of his neck.

"It's a little weird," said Riley. "You're right here but I miss you so much."

Alexander groaned. "Darling, you can't just go ahead and say that."

"What the fuck are you doing?" Asked Riley while slowly leaning back until the sand became a bed against his back. Alexander leaned closer yet into him.

"I don't know, I can't help it," he said and then in the lightest way he could, ran a hand through Riley's curly hair. It must have grown a little since the last time he saw him.

Riley blinked when their eyes met. How could he have hurt them like that? Apart from the hand trying to push his stray curls away, Alexander made sure not to touch him, even if it killed him to do it.

"Your eyes are a little golden," he said, looking into them. "They're beautiful."

Riley looked like he was trying to find the words. "Well thanks for noticing."

He'd noticed them for the longest time but the words just sort of tumbled out now.

Despite himself, Alexander chuckled then grew serious again, never taking his eyes off Riley. "I think I'm... I just realized... No, fuck it. I love you," he said.

Riley was clearly flustered when he heard it, but he tried hard not show it. Alexander hadn't missed the surprise on his face before it disappeared. And then the longing, and the need.

"Get off," said Riley.

Alexander did. He watched as Riley got to his feet, while he craved to hear the same words said back to him. He knew he didn't deserve it, but he still wanted to hear them.

"Where are you going?" The Master asked. It was already getting dark, but the sun hadn't fully set yet.

"Back inside, but I'm not telling you what room," he said.

Couldn't he just stay a little longer?

"When you get back, Jet might or might not be waiting for you. For some reason he's not exactly mad at you," Riley said and shook off a little sand from his body.

"Jet?" Alexander asked. "He is even willing to see me?" He couldn't deny all the chaos it wrecked inside him to hear it.

And Pierre, Mason? What about Zel?

"Treat him like a king or I'm going to rip your balls off," Riley warned.

Then he walked away and disappeared out of sight.

Alexander had every intention of making things right, he did. It just wouldn't be that easy.

Not with all the butterflies swarming inside at the thought of seeing his fierce little cub.