All the Butterflies of You (A Boboiboy Halitau fanfic)

Chapter 6

This evening, Hali informed us that he was going to a friend's house to help him with maths. Their tests were coming up, so obviously Hali's idiot friend, as in Blaze, was panicking. The same night, Hali came home with injuries.

"What happened to you!? Did you get into a fight again!?" Mom shrieked when she saw him, about to have a heart attack, and I came running down from upstairs, my heart in my throat. 

And there was standing Hali in all his glory, his lower lip punctured and blood dried on one end of his mouth, a bruise forming on his left cheek, below his eye, and more bruises taking shape on his arms. His knuckles were bloodied and the skin around them was torn. Lightning sparks circled his fingers and his ruby eyes held rage. He was completely furious.

I knew in an instant he was on the verge of breaking something, and growling out loud, which... he didn't. His self control is increasing, then. That's all I can say. 

"I'm skipping dinner tonight," he grumbled, and I knew he was about to shout but kept it in, cuz he would never hurt Mom by saying hurtful stuff to her. That's just how much he respects her. So, with heavy footsteps, he ran upstairs. And right as he brushed past me, I could... I could feel his muscular frame trembling. My gaze followed him until he vanished around the corner, my eyes wide, mind jammed. 

That particular way of trembling... and his right eye was twitching too. There was no mistake. He was frightened. Frightened about something. Cuz that's how his body trembles when he's scared. 

Mom looked up at me with concern flickering in her bright blue eyes, and I nodded at her, getting the silent signal to go and check on him.

I covered the ten steps in front of me in three big leaps, and with silent footsteps, headed over to his bedroom. There was a single lightning symbol, plated with golden paint, and a card with the letters 'H-A-L-I' stuck on the door below the lightning symbol. And that bad handwriting was my doing, back when he had first become a part of our family, when Dad was still alive. I had a horrible handwriting back then because I hated writing, but I still went ahead and wrote those four letters and stuck the card on his door, and he didn't have the heart to remove it cuz that's how much he loves me, but he was embarrassed as fuck for real then.

"Hali...?" I called out, not loudly but in a soft voice, letting him get the message that I am not in a jovial mood now, and I wouldn't irritate him if he lets me in. 

"..."

There was no answer. 

"Hali... what happened? Mum is worried sick. You... you can tell me." I held my breath.

After a long while, I finally heard his gruff voice, and I... I was shocked once I heard the tone... "Don't! Please... leave me!" It was breaking! He was on the verge of tears! What the fuck had happened out there!?

I really wanted to check on him, but if he wasn't allowing me, I really didn't see any way I could reach him. Maybe he needs time to cool down? Improbable, but yeah, cuz this guy cools down immediately after breaking something and shouting out loud, which he hadn't done yet. That's why... I started to leave, my footsteps loud and heavy.

"No... Taufan, wait... please stay. I- I was lying..." the voice was really feeble, but I still heard it as clear as day, because the winds carried it to me.  

I cautiously stepped forward and pushed the door open. So, he hadn't locked it after all. I went in. What I saw... it shocked me to death.

He was lying down on the floor, clutching his stomach, and his hands... they were covered with a whole lot of blood. The blood scared me, and I screamed "HALI!" 

He had taken off his hoodie, and was now only wearing a thin black tank top, his muscles flexing as he held onto his stomach. He grit his teeth, and I rushed over, crouching down beside him.

My hands shook as I placed them over his, gently pulling them away, wanting to see the damage. His tank top was soaked with blood in the abdomen area, and I tried to be as gentle as possible as I lifted it up. 

There was an ugly cut on his stomach, the skin there torn, the blood slowly coagulating but it wasn't enough to completely stop the bleeding. My trembling hands covered my mouth.

"W-What h-happened...?" I couldn't keep my voice from trembling. My whole frame was violently shaking.

"Tr-Treat it first," he gritted his teeth, and stared down, squinting his eyes shut. 

I rushed to the bathroom in his room, grabbed the first-aid box, and rushed back in. I helped him out of his dress, and then helped him to the bathroom, where he sank in the bathtub and I turned on the tap. The water soon turned red, and I sat on the bathroom floor, zoning out, a horrified expression on my face. And all the time, he kept his eyes squinted shut and his teeth gritted. 

The rest of the night passed in a frenzy. I didn't know what was going on. But, I had somehow managed to patch him up, and the wound wasn't deep enough to require stitches according to Mum, who's a doctor. But, she was still very very worried. Yet, Hali just shut us off, and didn't come out of his room for the whole of next day. 

I didn't know what had happened. 

But... the only time I saw Hali like this was...

All those years back, when I found Hali alone in the park for the very first time.

All that blood, all that pain,

All the fear,

It's etched on your face.

You won't share what happened.

But won't you share your pain?