|Weak Hero| D-TecnoLife

Chapter 2

"Do...Do you want to stay for a bit longer?" Gray finally found his voice, but he was still quieter than usual.

"As long as you're comfortable with it, I'll stay," Mom Yeon replied. "Remember, I'll follow the boundaries you place,"

'I...I want to hug Mom...' Gray thought. 'But physical contact still...it still terrified me. I'm only comfortable around big brother and sometimes Kingsley,'

"Gray," Donald softly told him. "You're digging your nails into your arm. You might break the skin and bleed,"

Gray hadn't even realized he had been unconsciously doing that and unfolded his arms from each other, but still held them close to his chest. 

"Do you want to continue talking?" Mom Yeon asked gently. "I'm fine with having a conversation or just sitting here together in silence. Whichever you prefer,"

Gray pulled his knees up to his chest, now in a crouch position on his seat. "I don't know..."

"Take your time," Mom Yeon gave him a small, encouraging smile. "And if you ever feel uncomfortable because of my presence, I'll leave,"

For the first few minutes, Gray and Mom Yeon sat in silence. Mom Yeon silently enjoyed the sight of her son in a much calmer, less frantic state than how he'd been in the hospital. Gray enjoyed having his mother here with him. Part of him had been paranoid that she had given up on him, deeming him too much of a hassle and a lost cause, and had abandoned him.

"No one wants you anymore,"

Gray clenched his eyes shut. 'No! I don't want to remember their words!'

"They'll throw you away as soon as they see you,"

He didn't want to hear those lies!

"Why do you think no one came to save you yet?"

"Gray?" Donald placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Gray, focus on my voice. Focus on the warmth of the sunlight. Focus on the cool breeze. You're not in that hellhole anymore,"

'I'm with Donald...' Gray still kept his eyes shut and curled up even more. 'Donald wasn't with me in that place...so that means I'm...I'm not there...' He focused on the sunlight. 'It's warm...a welcoming warm...' He focused on the wind. 'It's a cool gust. That place didn't have any windows...I'm not in that place...' He slowly opened his eyes again. 

"Can you tell me where you are?" Donald asked.

Gray turned his head to slowly scan the area. "I'm outside,"

"Yes," Donald nodded in confirmation. "You're outside. You're free,"

"Gray," Mom Yeon called softly. "Everything's going to be okay,"

Jawbreaker, having noticed Gray's panicked state, hopped over to him and chirped with concern. Gray picked her up and hugged the large bunny. 

"You really like that bunny," Mom Yeon noted.

"Mmhm," Gray buried his face into Jawbreaker's fur.

"Jawbreaker is an emotional support bunny," Donald informed. 'She comforted me and helped calm me down in the past. Now she does the same for Gray,'

'I'm with Donald...I'm with Jawbreaker...' Gray took a deep breath. 'I'm with Mom...' He glanced over to where his friends were very obviously peeking over the fence into Donald's backyard. 'I'm with my friends...'

"Hi Gray!" Ben waved.

Gray gave them a small wave back.

XXX

"How are you feeling?" Donald asked after Gray's mother (and the Eungang) had left. 

"Better," Gray answered. "It feels like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I thought she'd be disgusted and hate me, but I'm relieved that she doesn't really think that way," 'But a tiny part of me still wishes she had given up on me. A part of me still thinks that I'm only a burden and that she'd be better off without me. A part of me thinks that I don't deserve anyone's help or sympathy

'Big brother Donald has done so much for me already. He's the head of the Union, right? Shouldn't he be busy with his businesses? He does still go out with Kingsley, leaving me home alone with Jawbreaker when they're sure I'll be fine, but I still feel like he has to stay home too often because he's taking care of me,'

"As much as I detest the idea," Donald said. "If you want to talk to your friends in person like you did with your mother, I'm willing to let them into the backyard,"

"Maybe later," Gray replied. "Not anytime soon though. It'd be...overwhelming. And...maybe not everyone at once,"

"Alright," Donald nodded. "Also remember that tomorrow we have to go to the hospital for a checkup,"

Gray tensed up.

"I'll be by your side the entire time," Donald quickly added. "They're not trying to hurt you, Gray. They're not like those motherfuckers that kidnapped you,"

Gray wanted to put his complete trust in Donald's words, but the memories from that place still tormented him. The numerous substances that he had either been forced to ingest or injected with...the revolting scenarios he was forced to participate in...those memories still haunted him and wanted to break him.

XXX

"How are you feeling?" Kingsley asked Donald at his home office as he dropped off more papers.

Donald raised a brow with slight confusion. "Shouldn't you be asking how Gray's feeling?"

"Your feelings matter too," Kingsley took a seat on one of the chairs across from Donald. "Take care of your own mental health too. If you want to talk, I'm here to listen. I'm your friend,"

Donald sipped his cup of hot cocoa and shifted through the new papers. "I'm feeling a bit...envious of Gray,"

Kingsley remained silent and waited for Donald to elaborate.

"Of course not of his situation, but of his relationship with his mother," Donald took a deep breath. Kingsley was one of the few people he could actually talk to, one of the few people he could be vulnerable around. "Although she and I lived in that hellhole and were constantly abused by that bastard, we still had tiny moments of happiness, or at least calmness, together,"

He remembered her softly singing a lullaby to him and gently stroking his hair to lull him to sleep.

He remembered the times when the two of them shared some cookies that a neighbor had given them.

He remembered the warm hugs she gave him before he left for school and the warm hugs he looked forward to after school.

Kingsley walked over to Donald and brought him into a hug.

Gray goes to Donald. Donald goes to Kingsley. Kingsley goes to either his parents, Donald, or a therapist.