FreeFall

A real new beginning?

The morning was strange, I woke up and both Noah and Damien were still asleep in front of the bed. I tried to rethink everything and got up and went to the bathroom.

My dark circles hang almost to my cheeks, my nose still hurt but it wasn't bruised or anything. Only my cheek was slightly reddened and swollen.

"Since when have you been awake?" someone spoke behind me. I startled and immediately turned around and saw Damien, he was leaning against the door frame and his gaze wandered completely over me from top to bottom.

"Just recently," I replied calmly.

"Okay, if you want to shower, go ahead, Noah is still sleeping." he remained in the doorway, before something came over me.

"Why were you also there last night, Damien?"

"Well," he clearly hesitated, but he didn't seem as extremely cautious as yesterday anymore. Which is fine by me. "Noah called me and told me how much it escalated. He was immensely desperate and didn't know what to do. So I also went to look for you. Or rather to catch up with you, because he was so distraught. He already suspected that you were going to harm yourself."

I sighed heavily and looked into his eyes.

He continued. "But also because I didn't want anything to happen to you, nerd."

Excuse me?

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter, nerd, go shower, you're starting to stink. I'll put some of my clothes out for you and you can use my shower gel too." he turned around and left the bathroom.

I took a deep breath and tried to process it all and gather myself. Before he came back into the bathroom and laid everything out for me.

"It should fit, actually." he calmly said to me and lightly touched my shoulder with his hand.

"You don't have to go anywhere for now, if you don't want to."

I nodded gratefully.

"Thank you Damien, really, but I shouldn't burden you with even more than I already do."

He shook his head and grinned.

"It's the least I can do after everything I've done to you. So enough with it and hurry up. I'll make breakfast." and with that he disappeared, leaving me with a million question marks.

Why was he so kind to me? Was he still afraid that I would try to take my own life again? I mean, I don't think I want to do it again but still, why? Are they treating me this way out of shock or because they genuinely regret everything that has happened?

I sighed heavily as I locked the door and slowly undressed.

I showered for a long time, longer than usual, and it feels like all the pressure, the negative thoughts, all of it slowly falls away. Just like the mask I wore for years.

It was liberating...

Damien's POV:

Shane has been through so much because of me...

Yeah, I know I'm the "bad" guy, but I do have a heart. Sure, Noah and I are best friends, but I never knew what was going on at their home. The verbal abuse from his mother and the physical abuse from his father.

If Noah had told me, maybe someone else would have become my victim.

Lost in thought, I didn't even notice Noah when he appeared in the kitchen and sat down.

"I didn't know you could cook." he raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.

"I also didn't know that you love your brother so much, actually."

Well, that's not entirely true. I knew his brother meant a lot to him, but he never made any attempts to intervene.

"Leave Shane out of this, Damien!" he snapped. I rolled my eyes and grinned.

"Damien, what are we going to do now? He'll be torn apart by my mother and father at home." he sounded more than worried. Understandably, to be honest, I myself have no idea how to handle the situation or what to do with it.

One thing, though, I know that I'm glad he didn't jump. Or rather, that Noah was able to stop him.

"Noah, he can stay here as long as he wants, but I can't force him. I am, so to speak, his biggest tormentor." and there came back the self-hatred.

"I know that too. But I have to come up with something before they call the police and start searching for him."

I raised an eyebrow as I served breakfast for both of them.

"Do you really think they would do that?"

"100%, and Shane knows that too. Probably he's already planning to go back home in his head." he whispered the last part very quietly.

I remained silent and sat down at the table, and at the same moment Shane came through the door. Wearing my clothes. Damn, please stay here...

I'm not lying when I say he looks really good in my clothes.

"What are you two whispering about again? I already said I don't intend to do anything like that again." Oh, but the tone is quite harsh. Where does this confidence suddenly come from?

"Shane, I know that Damien is the last person you want to stay with. But..."

"No buts, Noah, damn it, do you think just because he was there when I wanted to jump, everything changes?! Damn it, no. All the pain I've been through isn't forgotten just because I can or could stay here!" he didn't yell loudly, but his voice was trembling.

"Shane," I spoke calmly, with a determined icy look, "I honestly don't care what you think of all this. However, going back to where it all started is a hundred times worse in my eyes." I had to hold myself together, I was boiling inside. How can someone be so stupid?! Yes, I know, it just sucks the way it happened. And he doesn't have to forgive me either, but FOR REAL?!

"Fuck you Damien, what do you know!" Now he got loud. But fuck you? Seriously? I stood up, but Noah was quicker than me and pushed me back into the chair and looked at Shane.

"Well then, you're officially kidnapped and trapped here, period!" Noah said with ease. I wanted to laugh, actually, but his face said anything but that it was a joke. Shane looked at Noah in shock.

"You... what?"

"You heard right, bro. You're officially kidnapped now. And your kidnapper is Damien. Fits, doesn't it? We'll lock you in here unofficially, officially, and you won't be able to escape." my mouth dropped open at the same time as Shane's.

"NEVER IN MY LIFE!" we both exclaimed at the same time, and for the first time, we agreed on something...