Author's POV
Focusing on the meeting's details is the last thing on Babe's mind at this moment. He was forced to leave Charlie with Dean at the garage without any further clarification about their relationship due to the meeting starting and Way dragging him away.
What does he means by being Charlie's lifeline superpower? Does Charlie have a power too? Is he a special alpha too?
These questions kept repeating itself inside his head throughout the meeting to the point that even when Alan calls out his name, even with his super hearing he couldn't hear the older.
"Babe. Babe? Babe?! Are you listening?"
For a moment the room goes silent. Everyone in the room turns their head to look at each other perplexed at Babe's behaviour. Babe takes his work seriously thus he never slacked off during practice hours and take in the strategy meeting very intently. For him to not focus today is an oddity.
Alan walks towards Babe's chair before placing a hand on his shoulder while calling his name yet again.
"Babe? Are you okay?"
Babe shifts his eyes towards Alan almost in shocked at the older's close proximity to him that he wasn't able to sense due to him being too into his head.
"Yeah? Yeah I'm fine.", Babe nods his head before noticing all the X-Hunters' eyes are on him.
"So do you agree on letting Dean into the racer team?", Way asked him with a raised brow.
Babe's eyes widen even more. "What?"
"Dean has been practicing on his own and he said he wanted to join the racer team. So I'm thinking of allowing him to compete in the newbie race next week to see his real potential.", Alan explained.
Somehow something doesn't sit right with the idea of accepting Dean into the racer team but he have no reason to say no to P'Alan about it so he just nods his head yet again, agreeing to it.
"Great. Now off to practice everyone. Meeting dismissed.", Alan claps his hands dispersing everyone from the meeting room.
Way hurriedly follows Babe who quickly got up to leave the room, trying to stop him.
"Hey, Babe are you really okay?", he hooks his arm on Babe's shoulder, slowing down the latter from walking.
"Yeah. It's just hot today.", it's half the truth as the weather is very hot today that he feels like taking off his shirt.
"Let's get some lunch first. Our practice is the third session. We have time to spare.", Way said as he pulls Babe towards his car.
"I'll just order in and eat with the rest. I'm too lazy."
Way just nods his head as an okay as he follows him to the resting area where the rest of the team usually gather to eat their lunch together.
Arriving at the area, Babe could see right away that Charlie and Dean are seating on a couch together as they chat about classes.
They're going to the same university and in the same class?
Babe thought as he squints his eyes in annoyance at the sight of them being so close together. His bestfriend on the other hand pulls him towards the empty couch across for them making him sit on it.
"What do you want to eat? I'll order it for you.", Way asked as he moves closer towards Babe, making their arms touched.
Charlie, who's eyes been following Babe since he came into the room could tell that Way is trying to piss him off with the closeness act making him about to get up from his seat to go to his P'Babe but Dean's hand stopped him.
Dean holds onto his arm as he try to show him something funny on his phone. "Look Charlie this golden retriever looks just like you, so cutee."
He just nods his head while looking at the video before trying to get up again but Dean's hold onto his arms tightens even more.
"I'm getting hungry, let's grab something to eat. There's a place nearby that sells chicken katsu with japanese curry, your favourite.", Dean added as he smiles widely.
Charlie looks up at Babe before asking. "Do you want to go eat japanese curry, P'Babe?"
"No.", Babe answered deadpan.
He said nothing else but his stares towards their linked hands didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the crew that's around including Charlie himself.
At this moment Charlie wish he's a little closer to Babe so he could touch him and read his mind but Dean wouldn't let him off his grip.
"Then let's go, just us.", Dean nods his head to Charlie.
"Uh- maybe next time. I came with P'Babe so...", if it's anyone else it would've been easy for Charlie to reject, even more the fact that Babe is with him right now but Dean is a different story.
Their history goes way back.
"Just go if you want, y'all are too loud anyway.", Babe said harshly as he crosses his arms infront of his chest.
The heat from before came creeping in his head again. He's not used to this feeling, he knew that it's jealousy but he wouldn't admit it even to himself.
Soon after Babe stands up to his feet as he hurriedly scurries away towards the racing track with Way yet again following him, leaving a confused puppy behind.
"Where are you going, Babe?", Way asked.
"Practice."
"But it's not our turn-"
"I don't care."
*****
"P'Alan, please stop P'Babe. I can't take it anymore, he's been practicing like crazy for 4 hours now. It's time for someone else to use the track, they've been waiting for their turn.", Sonic said as he gets close to the owner of the garage.
"Just tell him that then?", Alan who doesn't get the situation stated the very obvious.
"You know how hot headed he could get. Just let him be, he'll stop soon.", Way who's used to Babe's antics just shrugged while Alan just nodded on the side.
"Why does everyone always spoil him?", Dean's voice suddenly comes from behind them with Charlie in tow.
"P'Alan, Babe and me has been working our asses off to build X-Hunter together, without Babe we won't have a strong base for the race.", Way explained and Alan just nods his head yet again.
"He's important to us not just for the team but he's like my real brother, my family too.", Alan said with a soft smile while looking at Dean. "Just like you will be too, Dean."
"What do you mean, P'Alan?", Dean asked with his head slightly tilted to the side.
Babe who ultimately had enough, finally gets out of his GT-R R35 racing car. He blew off some of the steam but to no avail, his head soon became hot again.
"Welcome to the X-Hunter racing team, our youngest member.", Alan holds out his hand towards Dean to congratulate him.
To his dismay, instead of Dean returning the handshake, the younger turns to his side before jumping onto Charlie. Hugging him tightly as he jumps up and down while the latter just stands still.
"Ris, I made it to the team! Yayyy!", he beams happily without breaking the hug.
The sight again pissed Babe off, the previous act to cool down went down the drain.
"Ehem...", P'Alan clears his throat, his extended hand that's still up finally catching Dean's eyes making him quickly shakes it.
"Thank you, P'Alan. Thank you so much. I won't disappoint you."
"I've been meaning to ask. Do you guys know each other prior to this? And who's Ris?", Way intervened.
"Ohh... You could say we're childhood friends or something like that and Ris is his real name. Paris. My favourite name.", Dean explained excitedly with a wide smile plastered on his face.
"So why change the name to Charlie?"
"Because he-"
Before Dean could continue, Charlie nudges his side while shaking his head. Disagreeing to Dean telling them the actual reason why.
"He just doesn't want people to know who his family is. Paris is not a common name after all.", Dean lied.
As they continue chatting, Charlie could see from the corner of his eyes that Babe is leaving the scene thus he quickly makes his way towards the older before Dean would notice his absence and stopped him again.
"P'Babe! Wait, P'Babe!", Charlie runs after Babe who's unknowingly stomping his feet angrily to the locker room.
He turns on one of his sense and catches up to Babe without breaking a sweat. He holds onto Babe's wrist to stop him but the older violently refuses to be stopped by trying to push Charlie away while pulling his hand out of Charlie's grip.
"What the hell, Charlie let me go!", realising the difficulty to get away from the younger, Babe's face becomes red with anger.
"I said let me go, you dog! Go back to your Dean or whatever."
"Just talk to me first, P'Babe. Please let me explain."
"Why the fuck are you so strong? Did you use your power on me?", he doesn't know it but his senses alerted him that a boy this size couldn't have had this much strength, so he figured to set the trap if he wants to know.
"How did you know?", shocked by the question, Charlie accidentally blurted out.
And bingo he's right. His senses were right, he has noticed it for a while now but he turned a blind eye because he doesn't want to care about the younger since he thought he'll get bored of Charlie soon enough. Now though it seems that it's too late for him to not care because deep down he doesn't want their relationship to end.
"So it's true... I don't understand you Charlie. You're all up in my business, clingy and demanding but you showed no part of yourself to me. What games are you playing?"
"I'm not playing games, P'Babe... I-"
"Then what? If you want to stay mysterious then do so but don't get close personally to me. If you want to just stay as sex buddies then let it end there. Don't get close to me. Don't cling to me, don't cook for me, don't clean my house, don't kiss me while I'm asleep.", Babe breathed out, the overwhelming emotions starting to spill without him realising it.
"Yes, I do have powers."
"No shit, your grip is breaking my wrist.", the older points at his own wrist which made Charlie let go immediately, not noticing how much strength he used.
"Sorry. Uhm... It's complicated I don't know where to begin. I've never been in a situation where I have to explain my powers because people close to me are the only ones I knew from I was a kid.", Charlie's eyes shake with nervousness, he's not sure if he should tell Babe's the truth because what if Babe got scared and leave him?
There's no way in hell that now he's been this close to Babe, that he would let go of the older. Never in a million years. But if Babe refuses to be with him then he might do something he regret to Babe. The worst part is that he might not even realise he'll be doing that.
"So you're a special alpha with super strength as your power?", Babe asked rather softly. Seeing the state of Charlie right now somehow made him feel the need to hug the younger.
"It's not just that..."
"You have more than one power?", its a little surprising but Babe only let out a little gasp.
"Yes and I'm not an alp-"
"Paris!", Dean interrupted as he runs to his side. "There you are.... Sorry P'Babe we have a little more class project to discuss.", he quickly pulls Charlie away from the locker room with the latter following him dejectedly.
After they arrived at the very back of the garage, Dean finally let go of Charlie's hand with an angry look.
"Are you crazy?! Were you about to tell him everything? Do you trust that he won't sell you out to the other mafia clan?", the shorter of the two bites down his lips as he tries not to scream at Charlie's stupidity.
"You know we can't trust anyone right now. If they know what you are, what your powers are, they'll take you away and god knows sell you or worst experimented on you. And your family can't protect you from that."
"Until how long do I live in confinement? I'm 22 years old yet the only place I've been to is Bangkok. Where I was born, where I've lived my whole life.", sadness can be seen pooling in Charlie's eyes.
"I know. I know it's hard but I'm doing his to protect you."
"Or to protect your power?", the taller raises his questioning brow.
"Why would I do that? If I wanted my power back I should've just killed you."
"If you want it so bad then kill me. I'm as good as dead without your power anyway. You don't need to pretend to be nice with me anymore."
"Did you really think that I've been here by your side this whole time just for me to get my power back?", Dean asked a little crushed.
"Or do you need more money from my family?"
Being a psychopath made him became a highly insensitive person even with the person he wants to care about.
Dean looks at him with his mouth agape beyond belief, the man he's been in love with since he was 12 years old really thought so little of him. He knew how Charlie is, he knew how thoughtless, how scary, how stoic he could be yet he's been holding into the thought that maybe, maybe one day he could change him.
Today he proved him wrong.
"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that."
"Why? Is it true?"
"Ris, don't provoke me."
"I just don't understand what you want from me."
"If I said I love you would you even understand?"