Chapter 57: I thought I lost you.
And behold... Charles Donald, lying on the hospital bed, dead-ass laughing at a joke Mr. Wales had just cracked.
"What... what is going on?" Augustine stuttered as he questioned no one in particular.
The sight before him made Augustine question whether his mind was playing tricks on him, by creating an illusion of Charles.
Noticing Augustine presence, both Charles and Mr. Wales turned to face him, their brows arching in confusion.
"Hey! Why are you crying?" Charles questioned because he noticed that the cheek of Augustine was filled with tears.
Augustine’s breath hitched as he took slow, hesitant steps toward Charles, his heart pounding with each movement.
His fingers trembled as he reached out, desperate to confirm that Charles was real.
But just as Augustine hand hovered inches away from Charles’s skin, doubt gripped him.
What if this was just another trick of his mind? What if, the moment he touched Charles, he would vanish like a whisper in the wind?
Augustine was extremely horrified.
He feared that the moment his fingers made contact, reality would shatter, revealing that the man before him wasn’t truly Charles—that this was all just a cruel hallucination.
Augustine’s breath came in shallow gasps as his hand trembled, frozen between hope and terror.
"Charles?" Augustine’s voice cracked as he spoke, his shaking hand still hovering in the air, afraid to bridge the final gap between them.
Charles averted his gaze to the doctor who gave Charles a warm nod.
"Augustine, are you alright?" Charles asked, his brows knitting in concern as he reached up, wrapping his fingers around Augustine’s trembling wrist.
The warmth of Charles’s touch sent a jolt through Augustine’s body, his breath hitching.
His wide, disbelieving eyes locked onto Charles’s face. "Charles? Is... Is this really you?"
Augustine voice wavered, thick with emotion, as if he feared the moment would slip away like a dream.
Charles nodded, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "Yes, Augustine Wales. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere," he murmured, his voice warm and reassuring.
Charles had no idea what thoughts were running through Augustine’s mind, but he could see the raw emotion in his eyes—the fear, the disbelief, the overwhelming relief.
Charles didn’t know the full extent of what had happened, but instead, he wants Augustine to feel safe.
He pull Augustine closer to himself as he wrapped his hands around Augustine’s waist.
"You are safe, here." Charles purred, gently caressing the back of Augustine.
The overwhelming rush of emotions made Augustine’s head spin, his surroundings blurring into a haze of disbelief. Everything felt too surreal.
"I... I thought I lost you, Charles," Augustine whispered, his voice barely audible as his eyelids grew unbearably heavy.
Before he could fight it, his body gave in, and he collapsed against Charles, his weight pressing into the warmth of the man he thought was gone forever.
The doctor and Mr. Wales hurried over, carefully lifting Augustine off from the body of Charles.
Without hesitation, they carried Augustine back to his hospital room, laying him gently on the bed as worry filled their eyes.
The doctor examined Augustine thoroughly, administering the necessary treatment before quietly stepping out of the room.
Mr. Wales let out a heavy sigh, casting one last glance at his son before following suit.
He made his way toward Charles’s room, his expression unreadable.
"How is he doing?" Charles asked the moment Mr. Wales stepped into the room.
Mr. Wales offered a warm smile. "He’s asleep for now," he replied, lowering himself onto the edge of Charles’s hospital bed.
A brief silence filled the room before Mr. Wales spoke again, his gaze steady. "Do you like my son?" he inquired, his tone calm yet probing.
Earlier, Mr. Wales had been regaling Charles with stories of a young Augustine, sharing stories about Augustine’s personality and the kind of boy he had been.
Now, faced with Mr. Wales’s direct question, Charles swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
He sniffled, his mind racing as he tried to form a response that would do justice to the emotions swirling within him.
"Umm... I and Augustine are both in love with each other but just as—"
"You don’t have to lie to me, Charles," Mr. Wales interjected, cutting Charles off before he could finish his sentence. "I can see through you just as clearly as I can see through my son." He added, his voice calm yet firm, as he gently took Charles hand, caressing it ever so tenderly.
"H-huh?"
"Despite being an old man, I have never found fault in gay couples or any other relationships that aren’t straight," Mr. Wales explained, pausing for a moment as if choosing his next words carefully.
After a moment of silence had passed by, he proceeded with his phrase. "I’ve always believed that as long as a couple is happy and healthy, then their sexuality doesn’t matter." His voice was calm yet firm, carrying the weight of his conviction. "Love is love, regardless of gender or orientation."
Charles froze as he intensely glared at the brown eyes of Mr. Wales which seemed to hold many unspoken words. "But... but why didn’t you say anything when your wife was scolding Augustine?"
Mr. Wales let out a dismissive chuckle at Charles’s inquiry, patting the younger man’s hand before rising from the bed.
"There’s no easy way to understand my family’s dynamics," he replied, his voice carrying a note of resigned humor. "You’re better off not dwelling on what happened at the mansion. Just...let it go."
Just as Mr. Wales was about to exit the hospital room, he suddenly halt. "My son has developed feelings for you," he said, slowly turning around to meet Charles’ gaze. "I’ve seen the way he looks at you."
"H-huh?" Charles stuttered, fluttering his eyelashes.
"I won’t ask you to return Augustine’s feelings," he continued, "but I expect you to treat him with kindness and respect. Beneath Augustine tough exterior lies a heart that’s not as tough as he’d like others to think." He stated before stepping out of the hospital room, his words prompting Charles’s heart to feel at ease.