Take My Hand

Chapter 5

Gulf's pov:

I drove fast to my apartment from the café.

I felt my chest ache as i noticed how he was trembling.

I knew he was trying not to break down.

I didn't miss the tears that were streaming down his face and dropping onto his lap.

I clutched the steering wheel tightly.

I guess those were his family members...

..........

I got out of the car after pulling up in the parking lot.

I took his cane from the backseat and opened the passenger side door.

He was trembling and i could hear small whimpers escaping his lips now.

I reached under him and lifted him bridal style.

He's still too light for my liking.

He was startled and held onto me tightly.

"It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you." I assured him gently as i closed the car door with my foot.

"Mn." He nodded slightly and hid his face in the crook of my neck.

I went inside the building after i locked the car.

..........

I rubbed his back gently after sitting down on the couch in the living room of my apartment.

He was sitting sideways on my lap with his legs stretched out.

But he was still hiding his face in my the crook of my neck and his arms around me weren't loosening in the slightest.

I just held him protectively in my arms as he cried silently.

His body was shaking badly at this point but i knew better than to point it out right now.

I started humming a soft song after 15 minutes passed and he showed no sign of calming down.

It was a song he listens to a lot while reading.

He slowly started calming down and his body stopped shaking.

I kept going until he calmed down completely and relaxed in my embrace.

I pushed his head back a bit to look at his face.

I wiped the tear trails with my sleeves.

"Sorry about that..." He mumbled not moving.

"No need to apologise." I shook my head and hugged him tightly.

He nuzzled against me and held onto my shirt tightly.

I really wanted to ask who that couple was to him but i didn't want to trigger him again.

So i decided to wait quietly instead.

"That couple..." He spoke up after a few minutes of silence.

I looked at him.

"That was my younger brother and his wife." He smiled thinly.

I blinked.

Younger brother...

"Our parents died when i was 16. Leaving me and my two younger siblings behind. So me being the oldest, i went into work to support them. They were both in middle school at the time." He sighed.

I bit my lips.

"I never bought anything for myself other than the necessities. I didn't buy any kind of snacks i like and just bought for them. Even the food was the things they liked. I just ate the leftovers when they were done. It went on like that for a few years until they reached highschool. Then they moved into the dorms which they got in the scholarship they earned. So i decided to join the military since i knew they would be fine on their own. I made sure to keep sending them money every month for allowance and other expenses." He took my hand and fiddled with my fingers.