"Babe... where am I?" Way asked as he finally opened his eyes. Babe's face was the first thing he noticed, then he looked around and his heart started beating faster as he realized that he didn't know that place. Pete had closed the curtains so that Way could rest more easily, but now that he was awake, the room was too dark, making Way feel more uncomfortable. Babe saw the fear in his friend's eyes, he smiled at him to calm him down and moved Way's hair away from his forehead, then he said softly:
"You're safe now, this is Pete's house" Babe said and turned to look at Pete. Way finally noticed the pressure on his hand, he looked at Pete and then he instinctively moved his hand a little, fearing any physical contact after the trauma at Tony's facility. Pete looked down and moved his hand away, then he stood up and opened the curtains a little to let some sunlight enter too.
"I'll prepare something for you, you have to get your energy back... I'm sure that Babe will be able to take better care of you, right Babe?" Pete said, avoiding any possible hint of sadness in his tone or in the choice of his words. Way surely felt hurt and weak after the rescue, but that didn't mean that he couldn't notice things that other people would unintentionally ignore.
"I'll eat later... can you stay here... a little longer, Pete? Babe, you should tell... Charlie... that you're safe too" Way said, clearly taking a lot of effort to even pronounce the name of his rival. Pete's eyes immediately sparkled with joy after hearing those words, but although he wanted to jump close to the bed and kiss that hand he held so passionately just a moment before, he did his best to resist, knowing that Way would have not appreciated any sudden move.
"They are all downstairs, don't worry, Pete is so kind that he accepted to welcome all of the team here for a while. You won't have a minute of peace" Babe said chuckling and ruffling Way's hair. Pete looked at Babe with envy, he could barely hold his hand without making Way feel uncomfortable, while Babe could do whatever he wanted...
Charlie joined them upstairs, he walked to Babe and hugged him from behind, Way didn't know if he had to interpret it as just a normal sign of affection Charlie had for his boyfriend, or as a way to demonstrate that no matter the gentle manners Babe was using with him, Charlie still had Babe's heart.
"Do you feel any better, Way? Jeff and Alan are cooking downstairs, the meal will be ready soon. Do you prefer to eat here or do you want us to help you go downstairs?" Charlie asked.
"Those are... a little too many questions all at once..." Way responded with a fake smile as he retreated to the side of the bed opposite to Charlie, subtly trying to reach for Pete's hand, as if he was looking for an ally in enemy territory.
"Thank you, Charlie, we will handle that matter later. Why don't you go downstairs and tell the others that their friend is awake? Tell them to stay calm though, I already heard a lot of commotion..." Pete replied resolutely but with a smile, Charlie nodded and left with Babe. Way sighed softly, it was almost unnoticeable, but Pete knew how to recognize a sigh of relief when he heard one.