Prince Charming [HoennShipping]

t w e l v e

⠀⠀⠀Brendan cocks his head to the side. To be honest, Steven's name leaving her lips left a sour tang on his tongue. That man was not a good person to be talking about, and to hear that it was his fault for why he was laying in this hospital bed left him to no surprise. Drew walked around to the other bedside, back leaning against the mattress as he crosses his arms, "Yeah, Steven isn't joking around anymore, man. We have to talk about something."

⠀⠀⠀"Talk about what?" Brendan questions, his amber orbs following the way Drew heavily sucks in breath through his teeth. Serious Drew isn't a good thing— Brendan knows that the hard way.

⠀⠀⠀"He's threatening you— or he did."

⠀⠀⠀"You're kidding."

⠀⠀⠀"No," May replies in a hushed tone. "He isn't joking. Steven told us yesterday after you got injured that if you didn't leave me alone, he would continue to hurt you."

⠀⠀⠀Brendan wants to laugh out loud, but the tense and discomfort pervading throughout the dense atmosphere makes it hard to do so. Just from the look in Drew's face— the way he glares at the wall with such ferocity; the way he nibbles on his bottom lip; the way he continues to drum his fingers along his arm as if stressed— it is all it takes for the dark-haired male to believe it. Drew could be a jokester and, frankly, an immature child, but it didn't mean he didn't have a heart nor know when something required a sense of thought.

⠀⠀⠀"So, what, I have to stay away from May?" Brendan finds himself asking roughly towards his friend rather than the very female herself beside him. "I don't understand how that is even plausible. We are in the same club— we have scenes together in this damn musical, for God's sake— and she's my friend. You're telling me that Steven thinks he can just threaten me and expect me to listen?"

⠀⠀⠀Drew sighed and placed a hand on Brendan's stiff shoulder. "Look, man, you know I mean well. But this guy feels dangerous. He has power— you know that. And I won't stand here and watch as he continues to hurt you. This one incident was enough for me to lose sleep last night because I was so scared you were permanently injured."

⠀⠀⠀"I'm strong," Brendan argues, voice rising.

⠀⠀⠀"But for how long?" Drew asks roughly. "Man, just stop thinking about yourself— May and I are your friends, too. We care about you, and we don't want to see you hurt. You don't know what Steven is capable of, and sure, you say you are strong and can take it— but there's just so long until you can't handle it anymore."

⠀⠀⠀At that, Brendan can feel the words die on his tongue; the breath traveling through lungs, now stolen from him.

⠀⠀⠀Beside him, he can feel May's small and warm palm rest delicately on top of his own. Brendan doesn't crane his head to meet her gaze, but he can imagine it holds a sense of pain and sorrow.

⠀⠀⠀"It's only for the best," she whispers softly, the lightness of her breath like a breeze against his ear. "It'll hurt at first, but then it'll be like we never met. Trust me, it always ends that way. I would rather give up my happiness with you than for you to get hurt by him, Brendan-Boo."

⠀⠀⠀That hurts.

⠀⠀⠀The way she says it to him stings.

⠀⠀⠀There is no other way to describe it.

⠀⠀⠀"May..." Brendan hears himself softly call for her, disbelief edging his voice.