Picture Me & You- The Perfect Two

63. You Got Me, Forever

(Trigger⚠️ warning. Self harm and mention of abuse)

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He took a deep breath and pulled his arm up to use as a pillow as he laid on the couch, rather uncomfortably. He'd downright refused to Lyla's requests to return home and camped in their living room. He let out another sigh and stared up at the ceiling. It was too quiet.

Though it was past midnight already, the occupants of the house, whether sleeping or not, were either absent or cooped up in their respective rooms, so it was bound to be quiet yet the silence he felt tonight was ironically deafening. He'd seen this house at its best.

He'd seen the laughter and the happiness and love all around this small, warm home. And yet today, the silence was as heavy as that of a graveyard. The kids of this home were its happiness. Kao was the warmth that spread across this home, Beam was the love this house felt and Gift was the laughter that rang though this home.

And today, Gift was not laughing, Kao was not spreading his love around, and Beam, poor Beam with all the fierce love in his heart, was nowhere to be found.

Pete sighed again and sat up. He could not sleep a wink. After his outburst, Kao was out of control till Lyla had sedated and put the poor guy to sleep with much difficulty and it was over twelve hours yet he had not gotten up or left the bed ever since. No one dared to enter his room and check in him. If he'd woken up or not, no one knew.

Maybe, he should check on him. With that, he stood up and walked up the stairs, carefully and quiet, so as not to wake up mom Lyla or May.

When he silently entered Kao's room, for a moment he held his chest, having a mini heart attack seeing the bed empty. Cold washed over him when he heard the water running inside the washroom and he ran inside, a thousand thoughts and scenarios running through his head as he entered the washroom.

"Kao!"

He stopped in his tracks. He blinked, panting heavily and leaning against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief to see his Kao alive and breathing, sitting silently on the floor, leaned against the bathtub. Thank God...

Then he abruptly looked down at the boy, to take in his condition and gasped to find him naked and wet, hugging his knees and shaking. And to Pete's utter horror, there were dark, reddish marks all over his pale, milky white skin.

"Kao..." Pete hurried to kneel in front of his lover, eyes wide as he looked at the condition the boy was in. "Kao..." he said again, shaking his head. He extended his hands, desperate to hold the love of his life but then pulled them back. "Kao... what are you doing here? W-why did you... why would you scratch yourself?" He asked, his heart clenching at the site. Kao had those dark, reddish, scratch marks as if he'd clawed himself over and over again and his whole body was red. Pete checked the water in the tub to pull his hand out with a jerk as it was still hot.

"Kao..." He teared up and this time, he gently held Kao's hands, not minding or caring if Kao would push him away or reject him, he just had to hold Kao. "Kao..."

Kao just sat there, staring in the space, not minding or maybe, he couldn't register Pete holding him. Pete just pulled his lover in his arms, hugging him tightly and letting his tears fall. "Kao... how do I make you see how much this is hurting me? How do I tell you that seeing you like this... seeing you this broken is breaking me apart? How do I do it?" He sobbed while Kao just sat there, lifeless.

Once Pete was calm enough, he wiped his eyes and hurried to look around for a towel, pulling Kao off the floor, wrapping the towel around the boy's waist to hide his nakedness and led him to the room. He gently pushed Kao to sit on the bed and picked another towel to wipe his body, as gently as he could.