hooked | brightwin

thirty-four

bright feels warm hands over his head, caressing it. he opens his eyes and looks at win's still unconscious face, and he can't hep but feel the rage inside him rise again. he tries to sit and feels the nerves behind him ache and he can't help but wince.

"bright, i'll be watching win for the night. you need to sleep on a bed or else your back will keep on hurting," win's mother says as he puts her hand on bright's back to pat it.

"it's alright auntie. i'll wait for win to wake up." bright flashes a forced smile, because he can't really smile. seeing win lying on bed unconscious sends a pang of pain piercing right through his heart he can't take it. besides, he hasn't been able to sleep at all waiting when will win open his eyes and hear him laugh again.

bright's holding win's hands when he feels another pair of hands wraps around theirs. it's win's mother, her shoulders heaving as she sobs.

"thank you, bright, for loving my son this way. i can't tell you how thankful i am that win has you by his side."

bright stands up to hug win's mother and starts to break down. he can't find his words so he explains it through his actions -- like he's always done. they're both crying when they hear soft grunts coming from win's mouth.

"ma...bright..." both win's mother and bright goes to win in panic, asking him if he wants anything -- with bright offering him sweets and auntie grabbing for a glass of water.

"my head hurts," win whispers, feeling his surroundings. bright then moves his hands to win's cheeks, cupping his face and caressing it with his thumb.

win's mother kisses his son's forehead.

"do you want anything?" win shakes his head.

"i'm so glad you're awake, son. i'll go get the doctor."

they both nod, and win's mother gets out of the room.

"what happened babe?"

"you've been unconscious for three days straight, baby. i was so scared when i saw you lying on the ground with all that blood."

bright sees how win's face begins to look pale.

"babe? why? do you need anything?" bright asks in panic.

"did seint...did seint tell senior pete about us?" win's voice breaks as he speaks, and bright starts peppering kisses on win's hands.

"seint told us everything that happened the first day you were here."

"everything?" win asks, panic evident on his voice.

bright nods.

"did he tell them about us?"

"no, babe. but they eventually knew."

"how?" win asks, forehead creasing.

"i happened to call you babe and baby right in front of them when i saw you lying on the ground," bright bites his lips.

"did they say anything? did senior pete look disappointed?"

bright tousles win's hair, "no, babe. they're more like amazed about us but horrified when they saw your state. i don't even want to remember all those blood."

win feels calm, but he doesn't exactly know why. then he remembers seint.

"where is seint now?"

"he's currently on probation as i've heard yesterday. i don't know what's going on with seint right now and i couldn't care less, baby." bright squeezes win's hand and he smiles as win squeezes back -- his baby's back.

the doctor has checked everything about win, and he tells him he still has to rest for a few more days before going anywhere else and all of them nod.

"the doctor told you to rest, so you'll rest. sleep, baby. i'll be right here. auntie went to your house to get some stuff." win nods and is about to close his eyes when they hear a knock from the door.

bright turns the knob and is greeted by seint's puffed face and swollen eyes. rage stirs inside him and he pushes the door close.

"bright, let me talk to win please."

bright is about to say no when win stops him.

"no, wait. let's hear him out."

bright huffs as he gives seint a chair just beside win's hospital bed, disagrees with what's happening but since win insists he doesn't have a say.

"i'm sorry." seint sobs as he speaks, clenching his shirt on the chest part. bright snorts at the corner, unsure whether seint is being serious or not.

"i thought you wanted this," bright mumbles, which all of them get to hear. win just looks at his boyfriend and arches his brow.

"it's not your fault."

"i pushed your hand and you fell. it's my fault. i didn't mean to hurt you physically."

that explains the mental stress he's given us, bright thinks as he shakes his head.

win nods, "okay then at some point it is."

silence engulf the room when seint holds win's hand and cries, his sobs could probably be heard outside. win places his hand on seint's back and interchanges patting and caressing him.

"i'm really sorry, win. i'm sorry for hurting both of you. i did mean to get back with bright but only because i thought i knew he wants me back too."

bright snorts from hearing those words, and a streak of pain slash right through seint but he doesn't show it.

"i've never seen bright cry, you know. the whole time we were dating it was either he's smiling or he's frustrated. i wasn't even sure if those smiles were ever real whenever i saw how he does it with you," seint cries as he speaks.

"so when i saw him cry for the first time, i felt like i bathed in ice and then every part of me hurt. i saw how scared he was that day, how much you matter to him, and that's when i knew that bright really really loves you," he continues.

win props himself with his elbow and hugs seint, cooing him to stop crying.

"i'm really sorry, win. i'm really really sorry."

win just nods as he smiles, "it's alright, seint. i understand."

when win's mother comes back, seint bids his leave. bright only nods at him and gets back beside win, trying his best to be civil. win, on the other hand, smiles and waves as seint turns toward the door.

seint looks over his shoulder one last time and his eyes drop at their entwined hands. he smiles and closes the door behind him, accepting his defeat.