Proofread by giuls18_
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Unexpected events and unthinkable truths caused Babe to sit in silence for almost an hour. He felt like he understood what Charlie was saying, even though he didn't know some things. And every time his eyes accidentally glanced at his best friend who was lying unconscious on the floor because of Charlie's handwork, he suddenly became deaf. He didn't know how this could happen. For a moment, he suddenly thought that this might just be his nightmare. But the sad thing was that, no matter how hard he tried, he could never seem to wake up from his dream.
"Are you sure you're ready?"
Charlie asked again with a worried expression, while Babe thought about it. Even if he sat there until morning, he would never be truly prepared for this, so whatever happened now, in an hour or even a few days from now, if he could choose, he would not want to face this problem. But unfortunately, people like him had no such choice.
"Hm..." Babe nodded lightly, Charlie who received the signal stared at Babe's face for a moment, who seemed to need time to get ready. Before the tall boy stood up from the sofa, Charlie walked towards where Way was unconscious, his expression clearly distressed. But he couldn't do anything but squat beside the unconscious person and reach out his hand to gently touch Way's forehead.
It was as if he was using magic, because only a few seconds after Charlie put his hand to Way's forehead, the person who was lying unconscious slowly opened his eyes with a confused expression.
"Charlie..." The first person Way saw was Charlie. The tall figure called out the boy's name with a surprised expression. Of course Way probably didn't expect to meet Charlie here. Especially at times like this, it feels even stranger. "...Babe."
The next name that came out of Way's mouth was the name of his best friend. Meanwhile, the owner of that name just sat on the sofa and looked at him with cold eyes, which made Way feel scared when he saw those eyes, because in all the time they had known each other, Babe had never looked at him with a look like that before. The attitude of that person made him rack his brains about what happened before.
The last image he remembered was him burying his face in Babe's chest. Meanwhile, his hands were trying to take off his friend's trousers.
His face paled as he remembered what had brought him to this strange situation and Babe's eyes filled with pain. The tall young man swallowed hard, he slowly got up and looked at Babe as if he wanted to say something. His hands were shaking because he knew what was waiting for him, but at least for now he could approach Babe and hold his hand tightly, maybe that would calm him down a little.
Phew!
But how many steps can he take? Charlie, who had been standing quietly next to Babe, immediately positioned himself in front of him. The young man looked at him with an expression he wasn't sure he'd ever seen before, but it was definitely not normal for a kid like Charlie. It's not strange for other people to experience this kind of reaction. But in his eyes, it was too annoying for this kid to act like he had rights towards Babe like that.
"Retreat," Way whispered softly, his face expressionless.
"You're the one backing off," Charlie whispered back in a calm tone. But the eyes of others looking at him were just as sharp as if he took half a step closer towards Babe, this kid would either break his arms and legs in half or he could do something more drastic without feeling the slightest regret. "Dare you take one more step. This time, you won't sleep soundly like before."
Way now wanted to laugh and wanted to slap the face of the child whose mouth still smelled of milk to relieve his irritation. Such an arrogant attitude is no different from a stupid child who interferes in adults' affairs even though he himself cannot stand firm. He really hated this kind of attitude.
"Don't act like a big shot!" Way gritted his teeth impatiently.
"Do you want to try it?"
"Stop—both of you."
In the end, it was Babe who stopped the two dogs from biting each other. And of course Babe's words calmed the two tall figures who were arguing with each other, like pressing a button. Babe took a deep breath before standing up and walking towards Way with a calm expression that if you didn't know what happened before, you wouldn't be able to guess what Babe was feeling.
"Babe, please listen to me—"
Bugh!
A heavy punch was thrown and it hit Way's cheekbone so hard that the tall figure turned around before he could even finish his sentence. Charlie, who saw that, couldn't help but be a little surprised, because he didn't think Babe would dare to punch Way in the face. If it was him, he wouldn't be too surprised because he was often hit by Babe. But not Way. If Babe does it, then it is something very serious because Way is someone Babe trusts and has been present in Babe's life longer before him.
"What would you say?" Babe raised his eyebrows and asked in a low voice.
"I-"
Bugh!
The second punch flew back without hesitation. Way had no intention of replying. Meanwhile, Babe seems to have thought about what other people should accept for such a lowly act as he did. But behind that stubborn determination, Charlie, who was standing behind him, saw the pieces of Babe's confidence shatter and fall every time he threw a punch at Way. He felt that the person who was injured right now was not the person who was hit. Instead, it was someone standing there with his fists clenched. It was Babe.
"Are you going to make an excuse?" Babe said quietly, looking at Way with a harsh expression. "Did you know that the more excuses you make, the more jerky you'll look?"
"Babe-"
Bugh!!
It's hard to believe that Way took more hits than Charlie. Of course, his actions deserved more punishment than just a punch in the face like this. But more blows mean more than just a penalty to be paid by guilty people like Way. In fact, it was the burden of disappointment and regret that weighed heavily on Babe's heart, and was his harshest punishment.
"Don't make me feel more disgusted with you," Babe gritted his teeth angrily. His slender hands were cracked until they were covered in blood and he clenched them so tightly that his whole body trembled. "Do you think there will be a reasonable excuse for the dirty things you do?"
"I apologize..."
"Sorry about what?"
"...I did that to you," Way said with deep guilt. The big hand tried to grab Babe's hand, but Babe pulled it carelessly. "I know that what I did was unforgivable. I—"
"Did you just realize that? Are you like this because I realized just in time?" Babe's voice sounded as anger flared in his heart that no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, he couldn't suppress it. "If I wasn't conscious, you assumed it was okay to do it, right?"
"I didn't want to do this at all..."
"I don't care if you wanted to or not!" Babe shouted loudly. "The point is, I didn't want it! And you had no right to do this to me!"
Yes, that's the point.
That's something everyone knows. But what's disappointing is that Way himself knows it, but he pretends not to care.
"I believed in you! Never once doubted you!" Babe shouted as he slammed his fist into his best friend's chest in anger making him tremble. Every word he spoke was filled with disappointment and pain. Something like this should never happen to anyone. And what's worse, depraved acts like this often come from people closest to us who we trust more than strangers. "I've always trusted you...and how could you do this to me?!" How could you?!"
"Because if I didn't do that, you would never have been mine!"
Way's loud scream made Babe fall silent, before that the figure raised both hands to hold his head and grabbed his own hair as if he felt so uncomfortable and in pain that he didn't know what to do. Charlie sees this and wants to hug him and get Babe out of this situation. But he has to be patient because this is what Babe chose. He had chosen that he wanted to hear everything from his closest friends, no matter how much it hurt.
"I've been waiting for you all this time, Babe. I've been patient all this time because I hoped that one day you would have seen how I felt." Way said in a trembling voice. The tears streaming down his cheeks made Babe realize that Way was speaking with sincere feelings, but he didn't know how useless that sincerity was, after he did such a cruel thing. "I just want you to love me. I want you to stay with me. Instead of falling in love with a kid you don't know, whom you met only a few months ago."
"..."
"Don't you see, Babe, he meant to trick you from the start. Didn't I tell you that you would be sad about it?!"
"Then what's the difference between what you did?" Babe replied, not believing that up until now Way still didn't understand what he had done wrong. "Stop attacking others and look at your own actions."
"..."
"I know why you act like this."
Way felt as if he had been hit again, although this time Babe didn't even raise his hand. Way's whole body flashed at Babe's words, before he turned his gaze towards Charlie who was standing behind Babe and his anger rose several times higher than before. He didn't need to say much, he already knew that Babe said this because other people knew it.
"That's not what I thought" Way slowly shook his head as tears continued to flow. Now it wasn't just guilt and regret, but fear was slowly eating away at his whole body until he didn't dare move. He was afraid, afraid that Babe wouldn't forgive him anymore if someone else knew everything about him.
Even though he knew full well that it might not be on time, he still hoped that their ten years of friendship would help Babe understand.
"Are you still going to make excuses?" Babe said softly. The disappointment in the other's eyes grew with every word Way said, as if he didn't realize how serious his own actions were.
"Babe, listen to me," Way said in a shaky voice. The tall figure's eyes widened as if he was afraid. He spoke frantically, as if he was afraid that Babe would run away before he finished speaking. "Pa really sent me here. Initially, I approached you because I was following his orders."
"You-"
"But this is just the beginning. That's not all." The tall man hurriedly interrupted. Way now looked nervous, almost unconscious, but he still tried to explain, knowing that whatever the reason, it couldn't erase the mistake he had made. "At first I just wanted to make you pregnant. Whatever I do, I just hope... I can have a child with you..."
"..."
"But when I really got to know you, I learned what kind of person you were, and I didn't want to do that anymore."
He didn't know why Babe felt that what Way said didn't make things better. On the contrary, he still felt like vomiting whenever others said those disgusting words.
"The more I get to know you, the better I feel about you. I like you more and more every day to the point that I don't want to force you like Pa ordered." Way looked into Babe's eyes seriously. For Way, this might be like a love confession scene. But for Babe, it was no different from admitting his crimes. "I want to be close to you. I want to make you like me so much that you yourself feel like having children with me."
"..."
"That's why I waited all this time, Babe. I waited for you. I was beside you for more than ten years because I waited for you to really see me and love me."
"So what's next?" Babe asked in a calm voice. "Should I thank you?"
"What..."
"I asked if I should thank you because you didn't rape me?"
Tears flowed again when those words were spoken. Even Charlie, who was standing quietly at the back, had to look up at the ceiling, trying to hold back his tears. It hurt him to hear those words come out of Babe's mouth. And he knows that people who suffer more than him are people who are always victims, like Babe.
"Should I thank you for not forcing me to bear your child?"
"Babe..."
"Even for my life, my body, and everything about me, I still have to wait for your mercy?"
Maybe now Way realizes that by trying to speak out to defend his depravity, it causes the dirt that has been hidden to be slowly revealed without his knowledge. And that makes the relationship between him and Babe that took more than a decade to build, destroyed in just a matter of seconds. The bond he thought was stronger and more stable than anything else, today he realized that it was actually very fragile. And it's not because he didn't do it well enough, but it's because he forgot to add some humanity to the relationship. Which in the end was easily destroyed just like that.
"No, Babe, it's not like that," Way rushed over and grabbed Babe's hand when he noticed that the person was getting further away from him. "I'm just saying that I was wrong. Indeed, I was wrong from the start when I intended to do that to you. And I've known for a long time that it was wrong. Can I try to fix it?"
"By manipulating my head and never letting me date anyone" Babe said in a cold voice. But the listener can still feel how incredibly painful it is. "For you, there has never been anyone suitable for me. When I'm with someone, you will continue to manipulate to make me feel guilty. You will tell me that in the end I will regret my decision and make me sad."
"..."
"Did you know that every time you said that, it made me feel like I didn't deserve anyone's love?"
"..."
"And it's as if the only love I could receive was the one from you...". His sobs were so loud that Babe's voice trailed off. But Babe still tried to take a deep breath to continue talking. "...But you never asked me what I really wanted."
"..."
"You only cared about your own desires. You wanted to have me. You wanted to have children. You tried to make me love you and then agreed to have children with you. Even though you always knew that I never wanted to have children."
"I know you don't want to have children. And I know why." Way answered with a look that seemed to understand. But Babe knew the other party didn't understand anything, not at all. "But because I know. That's why I want to try to make you change your mind."
"It's not your job to change me."
"You're too stubborn, Babe." From his understanding attitude, the tall figure now sounded like he was irritated by Babe's thoughts, even though he wasn't even in a position to criticize other people's thoughts. "I know what your family is like. You've been through a lot of problems and so has my family. Why don't you understand?"
"I know, but do you still want me to have children with you?"
"Just because our parents made mistakes doesn't mean we can't be good parents, Babe."
"What are you talking about good parents for? The point is, I never want to be anyone's parent!"
Babe shouted in a very rough voice. He was starting to get bored of talking to people who could never understand his feelings. He used to think that Way was the person who understood him the most. But today he learned the truth that this person never understood anyone but himself. He never considered other people's needs and lives as important and respected.
This person can see himself without looking in the mirror.
"If you want to have children because of your father, or to fulfill your family life, that's your business. But you have to find someone who wants it as much as you do."
"But I want you, Babe," Way continued to force his thoughts even though he saw Babe crying bitterly because of his own selfishness. "I want my family to have you in it."
"Even though you know that I will never love you or your child?"
Babe's words pierced his heart. Babe always knew what kind of words would cause others to hurt so much that they couldn't say anything back. He is smart enough to know what weapons he can use to attack others. He often saw Babe use this technique, but never thought that Babe would one day use this technique on him.
Really painful.
It hurt but he couldn't move away.
"So, let's say one day I really want to have children with you, what would happen next?" Babe continued in a serious manner. The more Way tried to find excuses, the scars that had been secretly scratched by others slowly appeared. "When I give birth to a child, will you give my child to that bastard?"
"Baby..."
"Are you human?"
From the start, Way tried to ask Babe for lover status. And now it comes to the point where Babe has to ask for humanity from his beloved friend.
"Babe, I'm sorry, I did make a mistake," Way shouted in a trembling voice before trying to hug Babe. Meanwhile, Babe tries to fight back and push his opponent away. He felt so uncomfortable that he felt like he couldn't breathe when Way tried to touch him. All that was in his head was a question about when Way hypnotized him. What did that person do to him? And the more he found himself having no memory at all about the event, it made him feel even worse about being touched by this person. "Can you give me a chance? I—"
"Move your hands! Don't touch me!"
Way tries to hug Babe but Babe feels even worse until he cries like a dam has broken. And that sight made Charlie, who had been trying to stay still, no longer able to stand still.
"Hey! Let go-"
Bugh!
Charlie, who was about to approach and seize Babe Way, had to stand still in the air when he had no time to reach the two of them. Babe, who cried, locked Way's arm tightly before grabbing and throwing him to the ground with full force, causing the bigger man to bend over and Charlie could only watch the scene; stunned.
He forgot that the first time they met, Babe threw him like this too. But he didn't expect Babe to be able to lift and slam Way, when he was crying that hard.
"I told you, don't touch me!"
Maybe Charlie was too protective of him that he forgot how great Pit Babe was.
..
..
"Should I turn off the lights?"
Babe, who was sitting contemplating on the edge of the bed, was a little surprised when he heard Charlie's voice coming from the bedroom door. He didn't know how long he had been sitting like this. He didn't know that Charlie wasn't home yet. He didn't even know why he was still wearing a bathrobe and not pajamas like he was supposed to.
"Oh." Babe looked back at Charlie for a moment before looking back down at his hands as if he didn't know where to put his eyes. "I thought you were home."
"Not yet. I'm sitting outside."
"Then you can go home. I'm off to bed."
"No, I will sleep here tonight" Charlie answered in a casual tone, while the owner of the room had to turn around and look at the young man again, surprised to hear that.
"Why are you sleeping here?"
"We broke up once and it wasn't good at all."
Charlie said in a very normal manner, as if it wouldn't be strange if they slept together tonight. Even though they had been separated for quite a long time.
"You just sleep. I'll sleep outside." He didn't wait for Babe to give permission. Charlie makes his own decisions. The tall man smiled faintly at him before turning off the light switch next to the door.
Only the light from the bedside lamp remained, and then he closed the bedroom door gently. But before closing it completely Charlie still couldn't resist saying a little more in closing. "Wear comfortable clothes. Don't sleep like that."
"..."
"Good night."
After that, the bedroom door was closed. Babe turned and sat up, sighing softly to himself. Today there were many things he needed to think about. Her and Charlie's court situation alone was enough to keep him down for the rest of the night. But who would have thought that when the day was almost over, there would still be things that made him tired again.
This problem is really difficult. Subconsciously he thought that this might be more difficult than Charlie's problem. It was true that these two people were from that house and had the same relationship with Pa. Both of them also hid everything from him. But the purpose of approaching it is completely different.
Charlie came to prevent him from being changed and taken advantage of by others. Different from Way.
If he says it in a narcissistic way. He thinks that this is not easy for him either, because anyone who gets close to him will fall in love with him. But if you look at it realistically, maybe if he wants to love and has a lot of problems like this, he doesn't need to love someone that much. He just needed to be completely alone.
Until now, he had almost nothing in his head. He didn't know which one to face first because everything was in chaos.
After he beat up Way and came back, Babe thought that the problem between him and Way couldn't be resolved any further. Their friendship of more than ten years ended in one night because he didn't think he would ever be able to look at Way the same way again. What will Way do next? Or what preparations had the man made to get it? These things he knew nothing about and now he couldn't think of anything.
But apart from that, another story that always crossed his mind was Charlie's story. Right now, he wasn't even sure if he was still angry with the kid. Even though in the dressing room, he confidently stated that he still didn't want to forgive him. But he had to admit, when he first woke up from Way's hypnosis and saw Charlie's face, he felt like he had never been angry with this kid before. To his surprise, Charlie cried as he tried to find and fasten the buttons on his shirt with shaking hands. He felt comforted by the fact that someone else was checking his whole body, as if he was afraid of any part getting hurt in his absence. And strangely, he felt safe when he was repeatedly hugged and kissed on the face, in a trembling voice calling him "Teerak..." (My love...)
That moment was probably the moment Charlie feared the most. Meanwhile, Babe felt relieved because the person in front of him was Charlie. The child he once said he hated so much he never wanted to see again.
Charlie approaches by making up a story to trick him. Even though his intention was to protect him, it was still annoying if it all started with a lie. Because what he received was not just heartache because he was betrayed, but fear so great that it made him crazy. He was afraid that nothing in the past was right. He was afraid that when Charlie said he loved him, it was just an act, whereas he had given his whole heart to him without knowing anything.
He admitted that Charlie's actions really hurt him. But he didn't dare say how big it was other than the fact that they had to separate. He knows that Charlie still cares about him as he still calls once a day at the same time, even knowing that he probably won't answer but he still tries to apologize and beg for his forgiveness every chance he gets. And recently, another person appeared who helped him get into his room when Way was about to do something dirty like that to him.
Maybe he was a gullible person and wanted to forgive people like Charlie who had hurt him. But compared to what Way thought and tried to do to him, he felt that what Charlie always did was to protect him from those people. Of course, this method would be very annoying because Charlie had tricked him and taken his abilities without telling him. But speaking frankly, there was no other way to free him from his father than that. He thought Charlie knew the man well. He thought that the only way to free him was to make him no longer special. So the child takes that ability away from him and doesn't make himself any more special. But Charlie makes himself a new target for his father.
If Charlie said that he always followed the man's orders, it meant that now there were not only his special abilities in him, but there were also special abilities from other people that he had picked up as well. He definitely has the ability to make people sleep or wake up, like he did with Way earlier. And he was sure Charlie couldn't just do this. Therefore, being Pa's favorite son, Charlie probably didn't earn it from his obedience alone. But, because Charlie had a lot of what the man needed inside him. He wasn't controlled as hard as some people, but he believed that lewd old man would definitely take Charlie back.
From turning off the lights and lying down to sleeping, Babe couldn't stop the thoughts from running around in his head, even though he was very tired today. He wanted to sleep and make it all go away, but the more he closed his eyes, the clearer every image became. Many thoughts and possibilities mushroomed. The painful past continues to haunt him, while the terrible future hits him so hard that he doesn't want the night to go away. He was afraid that tomorrow he would have to wake up and face something worse. And if that was the case, would he still be able to fight? He wasn't sure about that at all.
He couldn't sleep at all.
No matter which position he slept in, there was no way he could fall asleep. His body was completely exhausted, but his brain remained alert as if he had swallowed some powerful medicine.
Is Charlie asleep yet?
Suddenly such a question appeared in his head. The child politely chose a bed in the living room instead of sleeping in the same bed as usual. He didn't know if this was a good gesture to get him to give in, but if it was, it was very effective.
Finally, the insomniac decided to sit down. He gave up on forcing himself to sleep and instead chose to get out of bed, still tired. Babe wandered around the bedroom for a while because he didn't know why he woke up. But he couldn't let himself sleep. His heart now wanted to walk out, but he didn't know how he would act if it turned out that Charlie wasn't sleeping.
But it's okay to look at it secretly, right? Just tell him I'm just out for a drink!
Making that decision, Babe gently opened the bedroom door. As soon as he opened the door, he saw that the lights from the TV screen in the living room were still on and there was someone sitting on the sofa, as if he didn't know what time it was.
"Can't you sleep?"
Before Babe even stepped out of the room. Charlie, who he thought was interested in the movie on the TV screen, turned to him and asked with an expression that was not at all surprised to see him standing here.
"You knew I was going out?" Babe asked softly with a neutral expression as he walked slowly shuffling his feet into the living room.
"I heard your footsteps" Charlie answered with a wry smile. Of course, this answer made Babe wrinkle his mouth again in annoyance. Because he knew, if it weren't for his ability being stolen, Charlie would never have been able to hear the sound of footsteps as light as this.
This means that this child heard it from the beginning when he walked around the room.
Very annoying!!!
"Nice ears" Babe said sarcastically before sitting down on the couch a little away from Charlie. "Watch a movie at low volume?"
"I was worried that the sound would be loud and disturb you."
"Don't be afraid it will be deafening. My hearing isn't that good." Charlie couldn't help but smile at Babe's somewhat dismissive words. He also doesn't want to show others how much his senses have improved, as he's not happy about having to take them away from their original owner, Babe.
After that, everything became quiet. There was only the soft sound of a movie on the TV in the background. Charlie just sat and watched the movie in silence, while Babe did the same. If they had watched a movie like this in the past, they would probably have hugged each other as if they were inseparable. But now they sit several cubits apart. It seemed like this was something he wasn't used to.
"Phi... are you okay?"
Charlie asked softly. The other person's voice sounded unsure whether to ask this question or not. But he knew that Charlie was probably too worried about him that he couldn't sleep. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't wake up and sit down and watch a movie at 3am like this.
"It's okay" Babe answered in a low voice, with his eyes still on the TV screen. "But I can't do anything. So all I can do is feel uncomfortable."
"I'm sorry" Charlie apologized again for something that wasn't his fault. And that made Babe sigh tiredly at a kid like Charlie who really liked to apologize. "If I had come sooner..."
"It's not your fault you're late" he said, his voice a little louder. Maybe because he was annoyed, Charlie kept apologizing. "The wrong person is the one who did that. What's wrong with people coming to help?"
"I just thought, if I had come sooner, maybe this wouldn't have happened" the young man said with a hint of guilt evident in his voice. "Even though I felt he was strange from the start, I still let him be until now."
"If you think like that, wouldn't I be even stupider?" Babe turned towards the tall boy and said in a serious tone. "I'm his friend. Closer to him than you, but I was still fooled."
"No, how could you be stupid? You were the victim."
"Then why are you blaming yourself? You didn't do anything wrong at all. I can only see you trying to help me."
Charlie was silent, the tall figure looked into Babe's eyes as if he understood what Babe said. But after watching, the other party still couldn't stop blaming himself. And he didn't know how to tell other people that not being able to protect himself wasn't the other person's fault. Plus, Charlie was always able to protect him in the past, even when Babe was in danger.
"I just feel bad" said the young man with an expression that was clearly hurt by what had just happened. And Babe never knew in his life that anyone could be as hurt by it as Charlie. "I felt really bad when I saw him do that to you. I couldn't sleep at all. When I go to sleep, I think about you all the time."
"I feel bad too." Babe made eye contact with Charlie. The other person's voice was gentle. His eyes looked tired, as if he was ready to faint at any moment. Babe now looked so weak that Charlie wanted to hug the other person tightly, but he didn't dare to do so.
One was that he thought Babe might not want him to act as close as before. And secondly, he wasn't sure if Babe was ready to let him touch his body. After going through something like that Jeff told him to be very careful because Babe tends to be afraid of other people's touch after being abused or abused. So he didn't dare touch Babe. No matter how much he wants to do in his heart.
"Can you... hug me?"
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DONT FORGET TO FOLLOW AND VOTE BEFORE CONTINUE TO THE NEXT CHAPTERS.....