PITBABE - ENGLISH - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

Who would have thought that in one lifetime, people would have the opportunity to come back and stand in front of the same cemetery, at the same time, in the same clothes, and in the same atmosphere, in a time that was not much different from the previous one?
Everything looked the same.
If there was anything different, it would definitely be the person lying in the coffin. After the matter at the house ended, what they needed to deal with first was not just giving statements at the police station, but funerals for people who died, disappeared, and would never come back. As the oldest on the team, Alan took on the role of guardian and handled everything, not unlike Charlie's funeral. This time, there was no doll in the ground that looked like a human, because it was really the lifeless body of a close friend. It was Babe who suggested that Alan bring and bury Way here.
The atmosphere at Way's funeral was almost no different from Charlie's funeral, full of emotion and sadness. The sky was not so bright and the number of mourners at this funeral remained the same as before. When Babe saw this, it resonated with him, because in the end, Way was one of those people whose fate was not much different from his and Charlie's. They were adopted in the same way, raised in the same way, and had the same ending point; namely his death was attended by less than ten people who came to express their condolences.
But to say that Way received less love than other deceased people wasn't true, because everyone standing here were people who truly loved Way in their hearts, and even though it was very little, it made up for their friend's death. It was too regrettable. No matter the unforgivable things Way had done in the past, there was no human who didn't regret his passing. Even Babe, who said he wouldn't forgive him, was crushed by his departure.
"Do you want to stay longer?" Charlie asked Babe after the others had slowly dispersed.
Way's funeral ceremony was quite simple. They just laid flowers, stood to mourn, and said goodbye. Only a few people came, so it didn't take long to complete the ceremony. Now there was only Babe, who had been standing still staring at the grave since the beginning until now, and he still hadn't moved anywhere.
"Yes." An answer caught in his throat. "You can wait with Jeff first."
"Jeff is with P'Alan right now. You don't have to kick me out."
"Way was so mean to me," Babe said quietly. Charlie wasn't quite sure what to say about the look in Babe's eyes at this moment, because at first glance they looked empty, but also seemed filled with indescribable sadness.
"He's been fooling me for ten years. No matter how many times I think about it, I still get angry. I don't even want to see his face. But I still believe in his plan."
"I don't know why I agreed to do what he said at that time. Even though he cheated me like before." The owner of the figure let out a soft sigh of discomfort because even he still didn't really understand himself.
"I think deep down, you still trust P'Way. Maybe because you've been together for a long time. I think there was a lot of fakeness, but there are a lot of things he really did for you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to be together this long. After all, P'Way, he loves you." Charlie said while looking at Way's photo taped to the gravestone.
"Even though I don't like him and I'm angry because he did that to you, I feel like he really loved you."
"It's not just you, I feel it too."
Charlie knew Babe's heart must have been filled with confusion since seeing his best friend die before his eyes. Even though this close friend of his had done the worst to Babe, at the same time, he always sincerely stood by his side. Therefore, it was difficult for him to define what his current feelings were.
"This bastard did things behind my back," the skinny alpha gasped deeply, like he was suppressing some feelings, before continuing, "When I was hurt, Way managed to find the person who did it. Pete said he ordered his men to beat the guy until he was paralyzed."
"The person who sabotaged your car during the race?"
"Yeah, he found Pa's guy and took care of it. But he didn't tell me."
"He was probably afraid you'd doubt him, so he didn't tell you."
"Of course I doubt it," Babe answered firmly, because when he thought back, he was still angry. "This guy knew my personality. He knew everything well."
"He thought, if he secretly became a hero behind my back, would I like him?"
"If that's how he thought, then he was wrong. How could I love someone like him?" Babe's voice trembled. His slender hands were clenched so tightly that Charlie wanted to reach out and hold them so he wouldn't tremble, but he chose to give Babe a chance to deal with those feelings on his own first, because according to him, maybe that was what the older person wanted more.
"If you wanted me to love you like a man, why did you want to be my friend?"
"If Tony told you to approach me, did you really have to be nice to me? Why did you have feelings for me? Did you know that you were the one who complicated everything? I'm devastated!!"
"You said you would try to make me love you. Because even though you wanted to start a family, you didn't want to force me. You wanted to be the father of my child. You came for such a reason, but did you think I would love you?"
"You remember, Way, everything you did to me... I will never forgive you, bastard!! Even if you die, I won't forgive you!!"
In the end, Charlie couldn't hold back as he had planned. He hugged Babe tightly when he saw the man sobbing until his shoulders shook. Every word spoken seemed to be filled with anger, but tears streamed down the speaker's cheeks as he spoke. Those cruel words conveyed that he didn't want to forgive Way's mistakes, but in reality, Way was still the only friend he loved and trusted the most.
This bastard chose to die in his place, because he thought it was the only thing he could do to atone for his mistakes.
"He thought that if he died for me, that I would forgive him?" Babe sobbed in Charlie's arms, his beautiful face pressed against his broad chest as he held the big man close, needing protection, and Charlie was more than willing to do that for Babe. "I won't forgive him. You know that, right, Charlie?"
"Yeah, I know," Charlie answered quietly, gently stroking the man's head. "If he dies, just die! It doesn't pay anything."
Maybe Babe was crying right now because he really wanted to hate Way so he wouldn't feel sorry for leaving this time, but since he couldn't do it, Babe screamed in discomfort and pain as he faced him.
"I will hate you for the rest of my life!" Babe hugged Charlie's legs tightly, while saying the above sentence to the person lying underground in front of him. "I'll be mad at you until I make it up to you."
"In the next life, please be nice to me. Don't deceive me again."
"Be a good friend, idiot!!"
Way's simple funeral ended with Babe's tears and curses, but it was solely aimed at hoping that Way would be a good friend in his next life, to atone for his mistakes.
"Poor P'Babe."
Jeff said quietly while sitting in Alan's car. The little omega looked out the car window while looking at Babe, who was hugging Charlie and crying in front of the grave. He felt worried, while the person sitting behind the wheel of the car could only look on with the same feeling.
"It must have been really hard on him lately." Alan sighed softly. "But if Charlie's around, it doesn't matter if he stays with him. He will be better soon."
"I really feel sorry for P'Babe."
"Yes, it is very difficult to be in a position like this twice. I saw him at Charlie's funeral."
"But Charlie did it for a reason."
"Like you?"
Jeff, who was staring outside, paused slightly before looking back at the face of the old man who suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
"What?" Jeff asked, raising his eyebrows. "Did me not telling you make you angry?"
"You're asking why I'm angry with you?"
Alan shrugged lightly before throwing his back into the seat of his expensive car while the little omega pursed his lips, very annoyed with the cynical nature of the old people around here.
"I already told you, so is this really necessary?"
"Of course it's necessary!"
Jeff took a deep breath, trying to control his irritation, because he also knew that he had made a mistake by lying to Alan and getting him involved in a situation so deadly that he had to come to help. But he already explained everything about this, so why couldn't this old uncle get over his anger yet?
"Uncle..." the little omega let out a firm voice. Seeing Alan just looking straight ahead instead of turning his head as usual, he said, "What's your problem, why are you suddenly upset?"
Alan didn't answer and acted as if he didn't want to talk to the lying child. Such indifference made Jeff's mouth even tighter because he didn't know how to face it. What was with Alan's feeling of helplessness?
"I don't want to lie, Uncle. But if more people find out, it will become more dangerous. Uncle knows that I don't have much choice. And are you going to let me take another person's life again?"
"And if you die, is it worth it?" Alan turned his gaze to the little guy and said in a calm and cold voice.
Sometimes Jeff wondered, was he the Alan that Jeff knew? Because, usually Alan acted serious and like a strict leader when he was with his team members, but when he was with him, he was always talkative and looked more like an old uncle.
"Crap..."
"Do you know how worried I was when I found out?" Alan said with a serious expression, to the point that Jeff could only sit and listen quietly because he didn't know what to reply to make him feel better. "You just do whatever you put your mind to. You're never afraid and always ready to take risks. I know everything, Charlie always says so."
"But you never know how worried the people around you are."
"You don't love yourself and you're not afraid of death, I know that. But I just hope you know the people who worry about you won't let you die?"
"If you can't think of anyone else, at least you have one older brother."
Alan didn't take his eyes off when he said those words. Jeff could feel Alan's worry, but he didn't know how to react, because in this life, the only person who wholeheartedly said that he didn't want Jeff to die was Charlie.
Then Alan? He didn't know him that well, he didn't know... but suddenly he was the one who cared about him as much as Charlie did, even though at first he thought Alan was an uncle who temporarily took on the responsibility of raising him.
This was very strange.
"I don't know how to explain it." Jeff answered in a calm voice after a moment of silence. "Because I know what you're worried about. When it's all over, I'll come to sit down and talk to you to listen."
"Why did I do it? Because I know I made you worry. Even if in the end you have to risk yourself to help me."
"I know you're disappointed that I didn't tell you in the first place. But did you know that with other people, I never sit down and talk like this?"
The older man just sat there blinking, not knowing how to answer. Great, this was the first time Jeff had said this to him. He also talked longer than usual, even though usually this kid didn't seem to talk much. But facing long sentences like this, it actually made him confused about how to act.
"Does that mean I'm not like everyone else?" Alan asked the young man with a smile on his face, as if he had forgotten how much he'd tried to be cool with the kid.
"Hmm..."
"Is it true?" A young man in his late thirties smiled broadly when he heard that.
"Yes."
"What am I in your eyes?"
"Old man," Jeff answered with a neutral expression, as if that was an answer. "If you don't count P'Charlie, you are the person closest to me.... and the oldest."
This sentence was very hurtful. It hurt more than when his heart was broken the first time.
"Sorry, if I'm getting too old." From initially smiling broadly, now he covered his mouth harshly and spoke sarcastically, dissatisfied with always being called old. In fact, he wasn't yet forty years old. That wasn't fair.
"Why are you sorry? It's not your fault that you're old."
"But I'm old, right?"
"It's not your fault."
"But I'm eighteen years older than you."
"So where's the problem?"
Jeff asked with a straight face, as if he didn't feel anything about those ages. Alan was confused by the meaning of Jeff's last sentence asking, 'where is the problem?' What did that mean?
"Uncle, why are you comparing your age with mine? If you're old, that's fine. What else can you say?"
But when he heard the next sentence, Alan wanted to slap himself hard on the head until he stopped being stupid. Hell, he even seemed crazy before just thinking about the meaning behind Jeff's words.
Even though this child just spoke spontaneously without thinking much.
"Just don't act like other parents. It's enough for me to have parents." Jeff said quietly, leaning back in the car seat with a relaxed expression. "Besides, I'm already twenty. I don't have much time left to do things like that. I don't need to have parents as my guardian again."
"I'm just worried," Alan answered in a serious tone. But when Jeff's eyes looked back at him, the serious man's face suddenly dropped. The younger man didn't even say anything yet. "You can think of me as a big brother. Are you okay with that?"
"I already have one older sibling to sell."
"Has anyone criticized you?"
"How about you?"
"Are there still vacancies?" replied the newest brother with a serious expression. "I want to be the person you sell too. Can't there be something else?"
Jeff laughed at the strange sentence, because he had just met someone who asked him to sell them. Or was something like this normal for someone like Alan? He didn't know, because he saw that the other team members seemed to love and respect Alan like a sibling, because this uncle was used to playing the role of an older brother. So, he belonged to everyone.
"Depends on what you want to be." The little guy shrugged his shoulders and answered without a care. "Just don't frown too often. It's enough. I don't have any candy!"
"Do you want to make peace with me?"
"Hmm..."
Alan chuckled at Jeff's reaction. Little omega seemed like an interesting person. He really needed someone like Jeff. Then, Jeff sat down and explained it to him. Even though he was cold and didn't talk much...
But he's cute...
His new little brother.
"Is it true?" Alan chuckled,
"I don't know."
"Oh, does that mean I'm not normal?"
"Yes," Jeff said firmly with a straight face. "A normal person wouldn't drive his car on the second floor."
"I told you, the car is already on the second floor." Alan answered in a low voice. Since what happened that day, Jeff saw him as a crazy person who would drive his car anywhere, even though he'd told him that it was a luxury car that Tony had prepared before to show to the guests at the event and kept it on the second floor. He intercepted the person who came to pick up the car and opened the door of the conference room. Just that. He wasn't crazy enough to drive up the stairs. "Are you saying that I'm crazy for driving like that?"
"I'm not saying you're crazy, it's cool."
"Children who lie will not get gifts from Santa."
"Oh really?" Jeff turned around and looked Alan in the eye before speaking with a serious expression, "When you were driving the car, you broke through the door and came at me. That was really cool. I didn't think you would do that. I didn't think you could even do something like that."
"I had no choice. I was afraid that if I thought too much, I wouldn't be able to help you in time."
"That's why I think it's cool."
Jeff really was this kind of kid, the type to speak his mind no matter what. His face was calm and he often made himself seem like an emotionless person. But in Alan's eyes, he found that Jeff was a gentle person, who could give warmth to others with a seemingly flat expression.
"Is it true?" Alan asked in surprise. He couldn't help but smile a little, "You really think I'm cool?"
"Yes, for a few minutes."
"Oh!"
"Because there's something cooler..." Jeff answered quietly, before turning to look the other way, as if he didn't think his words mattered. "You mean to help me. That's what's actually really cool."
However, that simple sentence made Alan's heart feel warm.
After returning from the funeral, Babe still didn't seem to be in a good mood. Since the afternoon, he only ate a few bites and said he wanted to sleep. So Charlie left all his work to sleep and hug him, until finally he fell asleep in his arms.
Since the incident at home, Babe couldn't sleep alone anymore because he was always worried and afraid, so he had to be taken to a psychiatrist. During this time, Babe had to take medication and constantly go to the doctor to overcome his symptoms, one of which was due to seeing his friend shot dead in front of him, and another stemming from the stress that occurred during Charlie's absence.
Even though Babe kept telling him that it wasn't his fault, Charlie still couldn't close his eyes and believe it. Guilt still filled his chest, and it hurt every time he saw how much Babe suffered for his actions. Sometimes, he wanted to escape to a place where he would never have to see shadows like this again.
But just thinking that Babe would have to lie down and cry alone again, he hurriedly slapped himself hard on the head, over and over again, until he realized that the most important thing he could do was stay by his side, not run away to survive because of such selfishness.
Therefore, Charlie could sleep and cuddle with Babe whenever he wanted, whether he was sleepy or not. He would gently stroke the head of the person in his arms until they fell asleep, so that he wAS sure that whatever happened, he would always be beside him.
Finally, tiredness and Charlie's warm embrace made Babe fall asleep. The slender arms holding the tall figure loosened slightly, the reason being that Babe's body entered a period of complete rest. Seeing this, Charlie felt relieved.
He had been through a lot, at least... just being able to sleep and rest was considered good.
As for other things, he hoped that things would gradually improve. He believed that Babe would be able to be happy again in the near future.
The sound of his regular breathing made Charlie sure that Babe was asleep, in addition to how he'd been lying quietly on the bed for almost two hours, hugging Babe, without falling asleep because he didn't feel sleepy at all. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table and found that it was already five o'clock.
Charlie woke up around 18.00 because that was the time when the beautiful Alpha was supposed to eat. Therefore, the young man thought that he should get up and prepare dinner for his beloved. At times like this, he wanted Babe to eat healthy food because surely some time ago, he only ate food that he ordered online.
The tall alpha slowly let go of his embrace as gently as possible. He moved his body slowly, afraid he would wake him, but luckily Babe was still asleep. Once he was out of bed, he rushed to prepare dinner.
The first thing Babe noticed as soon as he opened his eyes was darkness. He remembered that he had fallen in the bedroom, which probably meant that he had been asleep since then and woke up again after the sun had set. Waking up at this hour made Babe feel a little confused.
The owner of the thin body turned his body back and forth gently to wake up his muscles that had been resting for some time. At the same time, he reached out to look for someone lying beside him, but strangely, there was only emptiness.
His sleepiness disappeared in the blink of an eye when he found that there was no one beside him. Babe jumped up and sat up and swept her hand across the bed to check and make sure. Then, he looked around the room in case the boy had gotten out of bed just before he woke up.
HE WASN'T THERE!!
Babe's heart pounded in his chest. His body was shaking, because no matter how he tried, he would not recover.
Not seeing Charlie, the skinny alpha hurriedly got out of bed. He didn't care that the blanket fell to the floor, all he cared about now was finding the boy.
The skinny alpha opened the bedroom door in a panic, but then stopped in his tracks when he found the area outside the bedroom brightly lit, and the smell of food hit his nose as soon as he opened the door.
"Oh, are you awake? I was going to come in and wake you up in ten minutes."
The tall young man in the apron turned around and looked at Babe for a moment with a faint smile, then he turned his attention back to the pot of soup in front of him, while Babe continued to stand helplessly like a statue and did not reply at all. Charlie, feeling strange, had to turn around and look at the older man again.
What he saw was Babe standing and looking at him with red eyes and shaking hands.
Seeing this, Charlie carelessly left his spoon in the pot, quickly ran over to Babe, then grabbed him and hugged him tightly without having to ask. Just by looking at his expression, Charlie immediately knew what was going on.
"I'm sorry."
"I think I'm dreaming again," Babe returned the hug, speaking in a hoarse voice. "I thought I just dreamed you were back."
The more he heard it, the more pain Charlie felt in his heart. He thought too little, thinking that as soon as Babe woke up, he would realize that he was outside preparing food. In reality, Babe was still afraid of waking up and finding himself sleeping alone in his big bed.
Babe was afraid that Charlie's presence here was just a dream and he was afraid that when he woke up, Charlie would disappear again like that time.
"You're not dreaming," Charlie said and gently stroked the older man's head to reassure him, convincing him that everything here was real. This wasn't a dream or an image in his head, as he feared. "I'm really with you. I just came out to cook for you."
"Do not go anywhere."
Hearing Babe's confirmation, he let out a long sigh. The slender alpha tried to regulate his own breathing and overcome the anxiety in his heart so that it didn't get worse, because now there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
Charlie was here. What else was he afraid of?
"Sorry..." he let go of his embrace, then he apologized to Charlie in a low voice, but the young man shook his head, indicating that there was no need to apologize at all, and raised his hand to gently wipe away the tears on both cheeks.
"It was my fault for sneaking out. I didn't tell you where I was going."
"Don't make a crappy face like that."
"Crappy?"
"You look guilty again." Babe furrowed his brows and said with a grateful expression before sighing heavily when he saw Charlie making a face full of regret. "I told you, that won't fix your mistakes. I'm just afraid of myself."
"But you're afraid because of me..."
"I said forgiveness means forgiveness, Charlie."
Babe didn't know how many times he had to tell Charlie to stop feeling guilty about what happened. He knew it would be hard for Charlie to not blame himself while he was experiencing these symptoms, but he also felt bad because this child kept looking at him with guilty eyes all the time, even though he had already said that he was willing to forgive everything.
"Why do you say that I should trust you like before? So why don't you believe me?"
"I believe you. I know you've forgiven me completely," Charlie said softly. He reached out to hold Babe's hand because he was afraid that he would misunderstand. "I just feel bad seeing you like this. That can't be forgiven."
"It was because of my thoughts. Not because of you." Babe looked into Charlie's eyes, before speaking in a loud and serious voice, "It was really bad back then. But now, it's not the same, you're here, and gradually, everything will get better."
"Yes."
"Just being with you is enough. Give me some time, okay?"
"I always have time for you," Charlie smiled faintly as he stretched out his large palm and pressed it gently against Babe's cheek, and made eye contact with Phi's beautiful pair of eyes, trying to communicate that he didn't want Babe to put too much pressure on himself for his sake. "No matter what, I will always be with you."
"I can't go anywhere. I'm tied to you like this."
"So, you don't need to put pressure on yourself, okay?"
"Let's adjust gradually."
Babe finally smiled. He looked at the face of the boy he loved too. The look on his face was one of relief. He nodded gently, then went up on his tiptoes to kiss Charlie on the lips as a reward for being a good boy.
"Very good," Babe raised his hand and rubbed the big dog's head in admiration.
"You too..." Charlie replied with the same thing. So now, the two of them were rubbing each other's heads, until he couldn't hold back his laughter.
"What are you cooking?" the Alpha asked, craning his neck to look into the kitchen. And hearing those words, Charlie's eyes widened in surprise because he realized his soup was still being cooked.
"Soup! I'm cooking soup!" The young man immediately ran back into the kitchen, leaving the older man behind, who stared at him and let out a tired sigh.
He didn't know when this stupid kid would grow up.
The delicious food was well cooked. Today, Charlie also received praise from Babe, making the food taste more delicious, making the young man smile non-stop. He cleared the plates and smiled happily as he walked away. Babe could sit and watch TV comfortably without wasting energy because the kid wanted to do everything himself.
Meanwhile, Charlie was taking out the dishes he had just washed and putting them on the shelf and arranging them in an orderly manner. In his heart, he was not focused on the task. The boy kept thinking that he had to do something to make Babe feel better, even though under normal circumstances, Babe acted as if it didn't mean anything. But he knew that this wasn't the best version of Pit Babe. Because in the past? Babe looked brighter and livelier than this. Meanwhile, right now, he seemed too weak. Or, should he find something interesting to play?
Charlie suddenly had such a thought. Babe was basically a person who liked excitement, challenges, and really liked competing, but because of the previous chaos, Babe was busy thinking about other things so he didn't have much time for himself. So, he thought if Babe could get back to doing something, maybe he could get his spirits back up quicker.
So, what did he like most?
Actually there were probably only a few things. Apart from cars and Charlie, it was probably sex that he really liked.
"What are you doing?"
"I was just looking for something."
Babe turned to address the young man who was walking in circles, refusing to sit with him, even though he had long finished washing the dishes and it was time to watch a movie together.
So why was Charlie still doing other things?
"Wait a moment!" Charlie shouted from the bedroom. Babe didn't know why the kid went into the room, but the pose looked like he was looking for something.
"Charlie..." the older man mumbled as he pressed the remote and scrolled through the list of movies on Netflix aimlessly. Since he had Charlie, who always accompanied him to watch films, he never chose his own films anymore because that was left to the child. As for Babe, he just accompanied and watched.
"Come on, come on..."
He heard the sound of rapid footsteps coming from behind, before the tall young man ran around and stopped in front of Babe while smiling like a happy puppy. At the same time, he brought a small and flat box, the size of a palm, and showed it to him with an extremely proud expression.
"What?" Babe asked in a low voice. He didn't seem excited about Charlie at all.
"Can we watch the movie tomorrow?" Charlie said in a happy tone. "Today, play this one."
"What else are you playing?"
"Cards."
Charlie answered in a clear voice while taking out cards from the box and spreading them around like a card magician, while Babe just sat and looked at the stupid kid with furrowed eyebrows without understanding anything.
I don't know what came over him until he suddenly asked to play cards. Is he crazy>
"How can you ask me to play cards?" Babe asked with a confused expression. He cleared the space in front of the TV diligently, even though he hadn't agreed to play.
"I want to play," the young man answered with a smile, "I haven't played for a long time. When I was with Jeff, we played together a lot."
"Can you play with only two people?"
"Yes."
"So today, you want me to play with you?"
"Yes." Charlie nodded, his face creased with the usual enthusiasm.
"What's the fun of playing with two people?"
"But this game has to be played by two people to be fun."
"What kind of game?"
"Naked Card." The tall alpha answered with a straight face, while for the one who heard it, his eyes widened and he almost couldn't believe his ears.
"Do you want to play?"
"Are you serious, Charlie?" Babe narrowed his eyes in disbelief that a kid like Charlie would come and invite him to play something like this.
"I'm serious," Charlie continued, confirming his original statement. "Just looking at the points is enough. Whoever gets the higher score is the winner. The loser must take off one piece of clothing. We have to keep playing until there aren't any clothes left to remove."
"Then what next?"
"The winner can order the loser to do anything."
Just a few simple rules got Babe excited. It was surprising, but if you asked him if he liked it, he'd definitely say he did. Since they were together, Charlie never asked him to play. Jokes like this have happened before. Now that Babe was depressed, Charlie couldn't waste this opportunity.
"I'm good at cards," Babe said with a smile before getting up from the sofa and walking over to sit down on the floor in front of the TV, opposite of Charlie who'd been waiting from the start.
"I'm also good at that," said the tall man with a confident expression. "When I play with Jeff, I win a lot."
"Did you play this game with Jeff too?"
"Are you crazy? We're playing this by different rules." Charlie hastily corrected himself. The young boy's panicked expression made him unable to stop laughing, because he already knew that Charlie would not do such a thing, so he dared to ask. Teasing your little one is indeed one of the funner things in life. "This game is only to be played with you."
"If you want to see me naked, you can tell me nicely. You don't need to look for games to play."
"But if you just do it, it's not exciting."
"You're so perverted."