Chapter 58: I have seen your naked body.
After Mr. Wales left, one of Augustine’s friends stopped by to check on Charles.
Their conversation was brief, but it provided Charles with a much-needed distraction from the whirlwind of emotions he was experiencing.
Once he was alone again, he decided to take a little nap.
After a while of resting, Charles exhaled deeply, pushing himself upright.
His body still ached, but the need to see Augustine overpowered any discomfort.
With slow, deliberate steps, Charles made his way toward Augustine’s hospital room, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and worry.
As he opened the door, his eyes lay on the sleeping frame of Augustine.
Charles let out a sigh, closing the distance between himself and Augustine.
Softly, he sat down on the edge of the bed, allowing the mattress to dip beneath his weight before deciding to lay down next to Augustine.
Without hesitation, Charles wrapped his arms around Augustine’s waist, pulling him closer as if afraid that letting go would make him disappear.
Resting his head against Augustine’s chest, he listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat—a sound that reassured him Augustine was still here, still alive.
Inhaling!
Charles inhaled deeply, letting Augustine’s familiar scent calm the lingering fear in his chest.
’Why do you have to behave like a jerk?’ Charles playful question within himself, when all of a sudden, Augustine began to stir in his sleep.
Noticing Augustine stir, Charles lifted his head from Augustine’s chest, his gaze immediately locking onto Augustine’s face.
He watched intently as Augustine’s eyelashes fluttered, his eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness of the room.
"Charles!" Augustine called out, his voice sharp and urgent, making Charles instinctively began to caressed Augustine. "Hey, I’m right here," Charles murmured, his voice soft.
Slowly, Augustine turned his gaze toward Charles, his breath ragged and uneven as he scanned Charles face as if afraid this was just another cruel trick of his mind.
"Is that really you?" he whispered, his voice barely holding together.
Charles nodded without hesitation, his grip tightening slightly around Augustine’s waist. "It’s me. I’m not going anywhere."
Sigh!
"I... I thought I truly lost you." Augustine mumbled, his words barely above a whisper.
Charles slowly sat down on the bed, his hand still on Augustine’s chest as he looked down at him.
"Augustine, you shouldn’t hold yourself responsible for what your mother did," Charles stated with a firm voice. "And besides, I am aware that you have no idea of her plans." He added.
Augustine disagreed, shaking his head sideways and with grunted teeth, he forced himself to also sit down on the bed.
Now, they were both staring at each other in utter silence, trying to observe the injury on each other face.
Small plasters dotted Augustine’s face—one on his forehead, another by the side of his eye, a few on his cheek, nose, and lips.
His injuries, though visible, were nothing compared to Charles’s.
Unlike Augustine, Charles’s face was nearly covered in plasters, each one marking the brutality he had endured.
His forehead was tightly bandaged, concealing the deep wound he sustained.
Beneath Charles hospital gown, thick bandages wrapped around his chest and stomach, a painful reminder of the torment he had endured.
In contrast, Augustine’s injuries which despite being serious, were less extensive, with bandages only around his stomach.
"Charles..." Augustine’s voice wavered, his throat tightening as he spoke. "My friend told me that you... that you were dead. And I even had a doctor confirm it." Augustine stated, his phrase trailing one after the other as he was a bit scared to recall the incident that occurred hours back.
Charles sighed, his gaze softening as he recalled the events. "When your dad left me alone in my hospital room, your friend came over to visit," he explained.
As Charles spoke, he absentmindedly traced small circles on Augustine’s palm with his index finger.
The simple touch sent a subtle jolt through Augustine’s body, igniting something deep within him—something warm, something real.
Augustine breath hitched slightly, but he didn’t pull away.
"Your friend explained that a young man named Charles lost his life in this hospital, and he assumed I was that Charles," Charles murmured, his voice calm yet laced with exhaustion.
Augustine shut his eyes, taking in a long deep breath. "But... but the doctor claimed that you were gone."
"Yeah. The doctor thought you were asking about the other Charles who passed away. Besides, he’s the one in charge of that Charles’s treatment," Charles explained.
The explanation of Charles made Augustine let out a loud sigh as he bit his upper lips. "I... I am so sorry Charles." Augustine mumbled, tears gathering in his eyes as they threatened to fall. "I am sorry for dragging you into my family mess." He apologised.
Charles noticed from the tone of Augustine that he seemed scared. But what Charles found hard to pinpoint was what exactly was Augustine scared of.
’Is he scared of losing me or he’s scared of something deeper?’ Charles inwardly questioned himself but didn’t bother to utter his thoughts out loud.
"Augustine, you should rest for now okay," Charles mumbled. "Let’s rest for now and later we can both discuss what your mom did."
Augustine nodded, sniffing his nose as he made sure the tears threatening to fall didn’t roll down his cheeks. "Can I see your injuries beneath the hospital gown?" he politely requested.
Charles hesitated while shaking his head sideways. "I am putting on a tight boxer brief and..."
"Pookie," Augustine purred, cutting Charles off from completing his phrase. "I’ve had my way with you when you were asleep. I had seen your naked body, touched it and even do more dirty things that you could ever imagined." He whispered with his seductive words curling into the air like smoke as he continued his statement. "There’s no need to be shy now.",
Charles shone his eyes wide open as he smacked Augustine’s stomach. "Stop behaving like a pervert." Charles mumbled, slowly lifting his hospital gown for Augustine, unaware that Augustine had other dirty intentions.