|Weak Hero| Healing Snake [REWRITTEN]

Chapter 3

Jawbreaker pulled her plate of salad closer and nibbled as she stayed cuddled against Gray. Gray managed to eat his entire bowl of soup and rice. Kingsley offered to serve him seconds, but Gray declined. He continued hugging and petting Jawbreaker as she finished her own meal.

"You can watch some TV in the living room or back in your room," Donald suggested.

"No..." Gray clenched his eyes shut and frantically shook his head. "No bedroom...No..."

"I can bring some blankets and pillows to the living room if you prefer staying there instead," Kingsley offered.

Gray nodded.

Donald brought Gray to the living room as Kingsley grabbed the blankets and pillows. Gray curled up on the couch and stared at the black screen of the TV. He was afraid that everything was just another ploy to break his will and make him suffer, that once he turned on the TV, he'd see videos that those monsters had recorded.

Donald didn't rush Gray to turn on the TV but Jawbreaker was much more impatient. She tapped the on button with her paw and changed the channel to her favorite anime, Two Piece. Gray flinched but was surprised that it really was just a normal TV with normal channels showing normal content.

'That's right...I'm really free,' Gray turned to look at Donald and Kingsley. "Who are you? Why...Why did you save me?" His voice was still quiet but he spoke loud enough for them to hear his questions.

"My name's Donald Na," Donald introduced. "This is my boyfriend, Kingsley Kwan,"

"Why did you save me?" Gray repeated his second question.

"It's not everyday that you come across someone who's been missing for three months," Donald said. "Even though I'm notorious in Yeongdeungpo, there are lines that even I don't cross,"

"You..." Gray curled into an even tighter ball. "You saw the words...on m-my back..."

"We did,"

"Are you going to k-kick me out?" Gray stuttered as he began to cry again. "Y-You...probably d-don't want someone...disgusting like me here..."

"You're not disgusting," Donald told him. "You're a victim. There is nothing for you to be ashamed for. None of what you suffered is your fault,"

Jawbreaker jumped into Gray's arms and cuddled against him to comfort him. Gray hugged her tightly once again.

"I don't know about your relationship with your family, but I do know that your friends care about you," Donald said. "Do you want to call them?"

Gray reached for the phone but pulled his hand back at the last second. "I...I can't!"

"You're a disgusting bitch, you know that?"

"They can't see me like this!"

"No one would wanna be with a slut like you,"

"They'll be disgusted!"

"Even if you do manage to escape, no one would ever want to even glance your way again,"

"White Mamba," Kingsley spoke up. "Ben Park and the others have been searching for you all this time,"

"They don't know what I've been through!" Gray shouted. "They don't know the words carved into my back! They don't know those disgusting acts I was forced to do! When they find out, they'll be disgusted and throw me away!"

"If we, two strangers, are not disgusted, then why would you think your friends would be?"

"I..." Gray wiped at his tears with the sleeves of his shirt. "I don't know..." 'If I call Mom and Dad...then they can pick me up and bring me home. But...But then they'd try to bring me to the hospital! The same thing will happen if I call Ben or the others! They'll take me to the hospital and...and the doctors will...' He clenched his eyes shut upon recalling those scenarios he was forced to act out. 'And then they'll call the police and...'

"We're not going to force you to call them," Donald's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "But if you ever changed your mind and do want to call them, it's always an option,"

XXX

A routine was formed. Gray mainly stayed in the living room, only getting up to use the bathroom or eat in the kitchen with everyone else. In between mealtimes, Gray would watch TV while cuddling with Jawbreaker. Each day Donald and Kingsley reminded Gray to clean his wounds and reapply the ointments so they wouldn't get infected.

The first few nights, Gray's sleep was constantly interrupted by nightmares. Donald would often be the one gently shaking Gray awake, and the latter would scream and curl up in a corner of the room. Donald reassured him that he wasn't in that hellhole anymore and Gray eventually made his way back to the couch.

During those nights, Donald would make Gray some hot cocoa with whipped cream and mini marshmallows and stayed with Gray until he was able to fall asleep again. Donald sometimes lost out on a few hours of sleep but it's not like working while sleep-deprived was anything new to him.

Donald and Kingsley sometimes stayed in the living room to watch TV with Gray during the day. Gray was still wary of their constant presence but let his guard down around them a little. He took interest when he saw Donald solving math equations and Donald had Kingsley make copies of them for Gray to work on.

Gray enjoyed solving the math problems, especially the ones that Donald made himself. It gave him a sense of normalcy. It felt like he was just working on one of his cram school workbooks. He even impressed Donald with how he solved the equations he created. After about a week, Gray even managed to begin smiling a little again. He even started referring to Donald and Kingsley as his big brothers.

XXX

"Donald, I did more digging into Gray Yeon in case he wanted to contact his parents," Kingsley said. "I found something that might interest you," He handed the file to his boyfriend.

Donald couldn't think of anything about Gray's past that would be interesting but when he opened the file, his eyes landed on the section where Gray's parents was listed. Gray's mother was Sihyeon Yeon and it seemed like Gray inherited her family name. Gray's father was Kitae Na.

"Kingsley..." Donald stared at the name. "Are you sure it's not just someone with the same name as him?"

Kingsley flipped to the next page which had a photo of Kitae Na, a photo of a man Donald hadn't seen since he was five years old. "Gray Yeon is your paternal half-brother,"

Gray doesn't know that he's related to Donald.