Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - Act III, Scene X
Title: Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Stevie/Xabi
Disclaimer: This is fiction! Not true! However much I wish, I don't own the players or Hotel Dusk.
Chapter 10
Word Count: 1,084
Summary: Stevie learns of Osterzone and... finds proof of Xabi's existence.
The sound of low rumbling thunder roused Stevie from his sleep. He used to be a heavy sleeper, but every since Xabi went missing, he was easily awaken by everything and anything. Two thoughts were basically etched in his mind; one, it could be Xabi; two, now that Xabi was no longer by his side, he had to constantly watch his back.
He grabbed his watch from the bedside table. It was a little past 7pm. Heaving himself off the bed, he went towards the window and pulled back the curtain a little. It was more grey and gloomier than usual which signalled the coming of a thunderstorm. He saw a few brilliant flashes of lightning in the distance. It wouldn’t be long now before Hotel Dusk would be right in the middle of it all.
He suppressed a shiver. A foreboding sign? Telling himself that he was acting like a superstitious old lady, Stevie let the curtain fall and flipped through his notebook again. He added ‘Kaka’ to the mind-map involving Ballack and Shevchenko and added more question marks around the name ‘Torres’. More clues and question, but he was still getting nowhere.
With a sigh, he closed his book, remembering that he had a bookmark to find. His search wasn’t a long one. Harry’s bookmark had fallen under the bed. Stevie picked it up and examined it. It was a picture of an angel. Angel, huh? His stomach twisted as he thought of the angel painting Daniel’s friend tried to lift. Maybe he was finally getting somewhere.
A minute later, he was knocking on the door of Room 211.
“Mr Gerrard.” Harry took a glance at Stevie’s hand and saw his bookmark. “You found it!”
“Yea, here.” He barely lifted his hand when Harry snatched it from him.
“Thank you very much!” The way he was looking at the bookmark, it must mean a lot to him.
“Someone gave that to you?”
Unlike Torres, Harry was more receptive to Stevie’s question. “Yes… A dear friend.” He had this ‘faraway’ look when he spoke.
Encouraged by Harry’s response, Stevie asked another one. “Where is he?”
“It’s why I’m here. To get him back.” He looked endearingly at the bookmark and spoke again before Stevie could press for more. “Lovely, isn’t it? It’s a reproduction of a very famous painting by a man named Osterzone.”
“Osterzone? What kind of painter was he?” Stevie wasn’t a man who knew how to appreciate art, but he had a hunch this angel painting was one and the same with Riise’s.
Harry shrugged. “He was a British painter from the late 19th Century. Rumour has it that this angel painting was his final work. He was a landscape painter, and had never before attempted human form. This painting is his only such piece. It’s entitled Angel Opening A Door.”
Osterzone… He let the information sink in as he looked beyond Harry’s shoulder and into the room. His eyes fell on the cassette tape on the table. Seemed like he still could not shake off the suspicious feeling surrounding the tape. He would need to get his hands on it again, somehow.
Harry cleared his throat. “Thanks for finding my bookmark, Mr Gerrard.” He put his hand on the door, an indication that it was time for Stevie to leave. He did, and the door closed behind him.
His hand reached out for the knob of his own room when he heard a sharp hissing sound coming from the stairs.
“Pssst… Psssst!”
Looking in that direction, he saw just the man he needed.
Dagger grinned after catching Stevie’s attention and snuck towards him like the dirty little thief he was.
“What’s with all the secrecy?”
“I brought you the you-know-what from you-know-who!” Dagger whispered even though Stevie couldn’t see any of the guests coming out of their rooms in the next minute or so.
“What?” He wasn’t going to play along.
Daniel produced a key from his pocket. “I managed to distract Raul and snagged the spare key. Just like old times… Anyway, here ya go, mate. The key to Room 217.” He said proudly, dropping the key into Stevie’s open hand.
“Thanks.”
Daniel smiled, then issued a warning. “Just don’t get nabbed by Raul, yea? And you can’t let ‘em know I was behind it all!”
“Don’t worry,” Stevie assured him. “If I get caught, I’ll carry all the blame.”
“You do that, mate.” Daniel grinned and left.
Stevie stood in front of Room 217 and braced himself for what he might find inside. He slid the key in, turned it, and the door unlocked with a soft click. The inside was pitch black. Stevie tried the switches and surprise, surprise! It actually worked! He went into the bathroom and turned the tap and was surprised once more. Water was flowing out without a hitch. He frowned and turned the tap. Strange… Everything works fine. Why would Raul seal off a room like that?
The room had a musty smell, which wasn’t unusual for one that hasn’t been in use for half a year. Stevie stopped at the foot of the bed and noticed a faded square on the wall above the bed. The painting (of apples) that was once hung there now lay against the bedside table. What Stevie couldn’t figure was why it was there.
He moved on to search the drawers, starting with the bedside tables, careful of not to knock the painting over and/or create any unnecessary racket. There was nothing of interest in those drawers, so he headed over to the desk. And here, Stevie found proof of Xabi’s existence.
It was a ring. He tried his best not to tremble as he reached for it. He brought it nearer and saw the words engraved on the inside of it, but he didn’t need to because he already knew what they were.
Xabi, I love you - Stevie.
Years of being exposed to the open, the silver band had lost its shine. But Stevie could still remember how brilliantly it shone on the day he presented the ring to Xabi and proclaimed his love for him. After a night of wild sex, they laid together in bed, Xabi’s hand on his chest - that shiny ring on his finger. Xabi said he’d never take it off, unless Stevie stopped loving him.
As Stevie looked at the ring now, he wondered what this could mean. A terrible thought entered his mind. Has Xabi stopped loving him?
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Stevie/Xabi
Disclaimer: This is fiction! Not true! However much I wish, I don't own the players or Hotel Dusk.
Chapter 10
Word Count: 1,084
Summary: Stevie learns of Osterzone and... finds proof of Xabi's existence.
The sound of low rumbling thunder roused Stevie from his sleep. He used to be a heavy sleeper, but every since Xabi went missing, he was easily awaken by everything and anything. Two thoughts were basically etched in his mind; one, it could be Xabi; two, now that Xabi was no longer by his side, he had to constantly watch his back.
He grabbed his watch from the bedside table. It was a little past 7pm. Heaving himself off the bed, he went towards the window and pulled back the curtain a little. It was more grey and gloomier than usual which signalled the coming of a thunderstorm. He saw a few brilliant flashes of lightning in the distance. It wouldn’t be long now before Hotel Dusk would be right in the middle of it all.
He suppressed a shiver. A foreboding sign? Telling himself that he was acting like a superstitious old lady, Stevie let the curtain fall and flipped through his notebook again. He added ‘Kaka’ to the mind-map involving Ballack and Shevchenko and added more question marks around the name ‘Torres’. More clues and question, but he was still getting nowhere.
With a sigh, he closed his book, remembering that he had a bookmark to find. His search wasn’t a long one. Harry’s bookmark had fallen under the bed. Stevie picked it up and examined it. It was a picture of an angel. Angel, huh? His stomach twisted as he thought of the angel painting Daniel’s friend tried to lift. Maybe he was finally getting somewhere.
A minute later, he was knocking on the door of Room 211.
“Mr Gerrard.” Harry took a glance at Stevie’s hand and saw his bookmark. “You found it!”
“Yea, here.” He barely lifted his hand when Harry snatched it from him.
“Thank you very much!” The way he was looking at the bookmark, it must mean a lot to him.
“Someone gave that to you?”
Unlike Torres, Harry was more receptive to Stevie’s question. “Yes… A dear friend.” He had this ‘faraway’ look when he spoke.
Encouraged by Harry’s response, Stevie asked another one. “Where is he?”
“It’s why I’m here. To get him back.” He looked endearingly at the bookmark and spoke again before Stevie could press for more. “Lovely, isn’t it? It’s a reproduction of a very famous painting by a man named Osterzone.”
“Osterzone? What kind of painter was he?” Stevie wasn’t a man who knew how to appreciate art, but he had a hunch this angel painting was one and the same with Riise’s.
Harry shrugged. “He was a British painter from the late 19th Century. Rumour has it that this angel painting was his final work. He was a landscape painter, and had never before attempted human form. This painting is his only such piece. It’s entitled Angel Opening A Door.”
Osterzone… He let the information sink in as he looked beyond Harry’s shoulder and into the room. His eyes fell on the cassette tape on the table. Seemed like he still could not shake off the suspicious feeling surrounding the tape. He would need to get his hands on it again, somehow.
Harry cleared his throat. “Thanks for finding my bookmark, Mr Gerrard.” He put his hand on the door, an indication that it was time for Stevie to leave. He did, and the door closed behind him.
His hand reached out for the knob of his own room when he heard a sharp hissing sound coming from the stairs.
“Pssst… Psssst!”
Looking in that direction, he saw just the man he needed.
Dagger grinned after catching Stevie’s attention and snuck towards him like the dirty little thief he was.
“What’s with all the secrecy?”
“I brought you the you-know-what from you-know-who!” Dagger whispered even though Stevie couldn’t see any of the guests coming out of their rooms in the next minute or so.
“What?” He wasn’t going to play along.
Daniel produced a key from his pocket. “I managed to distract Raul and snagged the spare key. Just like old times… Anyway, here ya go, mate. The key to Room 217.” He said proudly, dropping the key into Stevie’s open hand.
“Thanks.”
Daniel smiled, then issued a warning. “Just don’t get nabbed by Raul, yea? And you can’t let ‘em know I was behind it all!”
“Don’t worry,” Stevie assured him. “If I get caught, I’ll carry all the blame.”
“You do that, mate.” Daniel grinned and left.
Stevie stood in front of Room 217 and braced himself for what he might find inside. He slid the key in, turned it, and the door unlocked with a soft click. The inside was pitch black. Stevie tried the switches and surprise, surprise! It actually worked! He went into the bathroom and turned the tap and was surprised once more. Water was flowing out without a hitch. He frowned and turned the tap. Strange… Everything works fine. Why would Raul seal off a room like that?
The room had a musty smell, which wasn’t unusual for one that hasn’t been in use for half a year. Stevie stopped at the foot of the bed and noticed a faded square on the wall above the bed. The painting (of apples) that was once hung there now lay against the bedside table. What Stevie couldn’t figure was why it was there.
He moved on to search the drawers, starting with the bedside tables, careful of not to knock the painting over and/or create any unnecessary racket. There was nothing of interest in those drawers, so he headed over to the desk. And here, Stevie found proof of Xabi’s existence.
It was a ring. He tried his best not to tremble as he reached for it. He brought it nearer and saw the words engraved on the inside of it, but he didn’t need to because he already knew what they were.
Xabi, I love you - Stevie.
Years of being exposed to the open, the silver band had lost its shine. But Stevie could still remember how brilliantly it shone on the day he presented the ring to Xabi and proclaimed his love for him. After a night of wild sex, they laid together in bed, Xabi’s hand on his chest - that shiny ring on his finger. Xabi said he’d never take it off, unless Stevie stopped loving him.
As Stevie looked at the ring now, he wondered what this could mean. A terrible thought entered his mind. Has Xabi stopped loving him?