A/N: Help I'm super sick and throwing up every ten minutes but uhh yeah here's the next chapter (no like actually send help I'm think I'm dying 😔😔🙏)
Espresso opened his eyes slowly. He felt dizzy. He glanced around—He wasn't in his bedroom. His eyes trailed around the room, trying to figure out where the hell he was.
"Espresso?"
Madeleine's voice flooded into his ears making him immediately smile. He giggled as he glanced back over at Madeleine's face. He looked worried. "Maddie!~" He giggled as he reached out to hold his hand, but missed and accidentally slapped Madeleine across the face.
Madeleine laughed and sighed in relief. "Oh, you're awake..!" He held Espresso's hand gently. "The doctors told me you were going to be okay, but I was so worried..." He closed his eyes as he chuckled, gently kissing Espresso's hand.
Espresso just stared at him. "Where am I?" He mumbled.
"Hospital," Madeleine responded. "You've been asleep for a couple days."
"What? Why?"
Madeleine glanced down at him. "You don't remember? Your, uh, your father... hurt you. Really badly."
Espresso felt his heart sink as he remembered those terrible memories. He shuddered. But then those memories faded away. Espresso smiled again.
"Hey, it'll be okay," He said, still holding his hand.
"Wha..? What'll be okay?"
Madeleine blinked. "Are you still feeling a little loopy?" He smiled down at Espresso's tired face.
Espresso tried to nod. "I'm dizzy," He slurred, trying his hardest to look into Madeleine's eyes.
"I know."
"Can you hold my hand?"
"I am holding your hand, love."
Espresso looked down. Madeleine was holding his hand. "Oh," He giggled. "I like when you hold my hand.~"
Madeleine smiled.
"I like you, too. I love you~"
Madeleine's face flushed. "Are you in any pain?"
"Pain? Naahh. I'm totally fine. Who needs pain, anyway? I'm strong..!" He tried to move to show how strong he was, but a shooting pain made him groan. He laid his head back on the soft pillow. "Actually, maybe I'm a little bit pain."
"You're a little bit pain?" Madeleine repeated, smiling gently down at him.
"Ow."
"Where does it hurt?"
Espresso looked around the room, just then noticing Madeleine was the only one with him. "Wh-Where is everyone? Shouldn't my parents be here..?"
Madeleine hesitated.
"What about Latte? Why isn't she here?"
"...Your parents didn't want to see you. They told Latte she couldn't come see you either." Madeleine noticed the sadness on Espresso's face. "Latte tried to stay here, she really did."
"Why aren't there doctors n' stuff doing their... doctor stuff to me?" Espresso asked.
"They're really busy today. They're probably working on other people right now."
"That's not fair. I'm hurting too." Espresso frowned.
Madeleine brushed the hair out of Espresso's face. "I know."
"Hold my hand, Maddie..."
A smile grew on his face as Espresso called him Maddie. "I'm still holding your hand," Madeleine patiently explained.
He looked down. He was, in fact, still holding his hand. "Woah," He said. "That's neat." Espresso winced in pain again.
"Can you tell me where it hurts the worst?" Madeleine asked.
"Right here." Espresso reached up and pointed to the side of his chest. "It hurts when I breathe." He tried to think why it hurt so badly there. "I think... I think Father kicked me there very... Very a lot. That was mean of him."
"Mhm. That was mean of him," He said, stroking his hand. "The doctors said your rib was fractured. That was why you were struggling to breathe. But you stayed strong, so good job, Espresso." He gently kissed his forehead.
Espresso looked down at himself. His entire body was bandaged up. "Everything hurts..."
"I know, love. Do you want me to kiss it better?"
Espresso nodded.
Madeleine leaned down and kissed wherever the bandages were. He made sure to be super gentle so he didn't hurt him.
Espresso giggled. Madeleine's kisses tickled. "I love you soooo much.~"
"I love you too."
Espresso felt his body start to force himself to drift off into sleep. "W-Wait, Madeleine?"
"Yeah?"
His eyes closed. "Please don't leave me..."
"I won't."
—
Espresso felt himself start to wake up again, and he immediately flinched as pain shot through him. Everything hurt. He forced his exhausted eyes open, his entire body aching. God, his entire body felt like it had been run over by a train ten times.
He looked down to see Madeleine still holding his hand. A smile grew on his face. He was so happy Madeleine was still here. Madeleine was turned around, talking to a doctor lady.
The doctor left and Madeleine sighed, looking down.
"Madeleine?" Espresso's voice was hoarse and raspy.
Madeleine immediately turned to look at him, happiness spreading across his face. "Hey, Espresso."
"What were you talking to the doctor lady about?" He asked, trying not to cry out in pain every time he moved.
Madeleine groaned, lowering his voice. "That lady doesn't know how to do her goddamn job," He muttered angrily. "She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that you're hurting and you needed something to make the pain go away. She was like... Gaslighting me, or something. I've never been more mad at a doctor before in my entire life."
Espresso was silent, smiling at Madeleine's angry face. "It's okay. I'm fine now."
"You're not hurting anymore?"
"Well, I'm still hurting. A lot. But I'll be okay." He reached out his aching arm, bringing Madeleine closer and giving him a kiss.
He kissed him back before speaking again. "You were still pretty loopy from being under some anesthesia or something when you woke up last." He smiled, blushing. "You kept telling me how much you loved me~"
Espresso grew flustered. "What-?!" His face heated up as he looked away. "...That's so embarrassing."
Madeleine grinned as he planted more kisses all over his face. "I'm so happy you're okay. I thought you were going to die," He giggled, wiping a tear that escaped from his eyes. "I... I was so worried."
Espresso smiled as Madeleine kissed him. He slowly sat up, his entire body aching.
"So, you've been drifting in and out of sleep for a couple days."
"How long is a couple?" Espresso asked.
"Eight days."
Espresso's eyes widened. "Eight days?" He thought for a moment before gasping softly. "But... That means I missed the deadline for our history project. We... We weren't done yet."
Madeleine smiled. "I did the rest and presented it. Our teacher said you'll still get full credit since you did all the work you were supposed to."
"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry," Espresso said, frowning. "You shouldn't have to deal with that, I'm so sorry."
"Hey, it's okay!" Madeleine giggled, hugging Espresso tightly. "It's alright! All that matters is that you're okay." Madeleine loved the feeling of Espresso's body pressed against his. He was so happy he was okay.
"ESPRESSO, I'M SO SORRYYYY!!" Latte sobbed as she rushed into the room. "Move, bitch." She pushed Madeleine away to hug Espresso.
"Hey-!" Madeleine frowned at Latte as she pushed him away from Espresso.
"I'm so, so, so sorry I couldn't come here sooner; Father was still really pissed and he wouldn't let me come see you..." She hugged Espresso tightly.
Espresso groaned in pain as Latte hugged him violently. "It's okay, Latte... Not so tight, please."
"Oh, sorry." She loosened her grip. "But are you okay?? I'm so sorry I wasn't there to stop him from hurting you, I-I didn't know, and-"
"Latte, it's okay." Espresso smiled. "I'm alright. It wasn't too bad..."
She frowned. "Don't downplay it. Come on, you're in the hospital and were passed out for the past week." Latte sighed before speaking again. "I talked to Father, and by using my very persuasive talking skills," She smirked. "I made him swear not to hurt you anymore."
Espresso glanced up at her. "Really? How did you manage that?"
She smiled. "Oh, you know. I told him that it really hurts my feelings when he hits you, and that it's traumatizing me seeing him get so violent. I said that if he didn't stop, I might be traumatized for life. He promised not to hurt you anymore."
He rolled his eyes.
"It sounded like he was telling the truth," Latte said. "And I swear, I will never ever ever let him or Mother lay a finger on you ever again. Okay?" She looked into his eyes.
A smile grew on Espresso's face. She looked really serious about this. "...Okay."
Latte grinned, nudging him. "Plus, pretty soon you'll be able to move out to that college you wanna go to and never speak to them again. That's good, right?"
"Yeah," He responded, smiling.
"But I am being so for real, I will never let him hurt you ever again, and if he does..." She put on an angry look on her face, cracking her knuckles. "You don't wanna know what I'll do."
Espresso giggled. "Thank you, Latte. This means... So much to me." He gave her a quick hug, wincing in pain as he moved.
Madeleine glanced up at him in worry. "Uh, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you just call Child Protective Services or the police..? Then you'd be safe."
Espresso looked over at him. "Are you kidding?" He asked. "I'd be plopped in some random foster home that would probably be miles away from here. I'd be taken away from Latte." He smiled a little. "...And you."
"But, at least you'd be safe and away from your parents," Madeleine said, confused.
"All that costs money, too. Loads of money." He glanced up at Madeleine. "Who would pay for it all? My family certainly can't."
He didn't say anything.
"And besides, Latte said she talked to them, right? Now Father knows how much it traumatizes her to see him so scary. He wouldn't do anything that would traumatize his poor, poor baby angel."
Latte snickered.
Espresso shrugged as he continued. "I'm moving out soon, anyway. I'll go no contact with them and never have to speak with them again. They won't care enough to try and get back in contact with me."
"Oh." Madeleine looked down.
He noticed how worried and confused Madeleine looked, and he reached out to hold his hand. "I'll be okay. Honest. Just... Please don't call anybody. Please." Espresso looked into his eyes. "It would make my life so much worse."
After a moment of hesitation, Madeleine nodded. "Okay," He said. "I won't. As long as you promise to be safe."
"I promise."
Madeleine smiled again. "So..." He said. "The school's end-of-year party is coming up really soon. Do you still wanna go, Espresso?" He looked down at him, his face slightly red from blushing.
Espresso smiled up at him. "Of course I do."