FROM FRIENDS TO MORE || Gavi x Pedri

Chapter 15 :: scars

"Gavi," Pedri's voice was soft, hesitant, as if he were afraid to break the fragile silence that had settled between them. "I need to ask you something."

Gavi swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He forced himself to meet Pedri's gaze, his heart pounding in his chest.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Pedri reached out, his hand hovering over Gavi's wrist. Gavi flinched, his body instinctively recoiling from the touch.

"Gavi, it's okay," Pedri said, his voice gentle. "I just... I want to see."

Gavi's breath caught in his throat. He knew what Pedri wanted to see. He knew Pedri was referring to the scars that marred his wrists, the ugly reminders of a time he would rather forget.

He pulled his hand away, his gaze dropping to the floor. "No," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. "It's nothing."

Pedri's hand remained outstretched, his fingers twitching slightly. He looked at Gavi, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Gavi, please," Pedri said, his voice laced with a hint of pleading. "Let me see."

Gavi hesitated, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he couldn't keep hiding, not from Pedri, not anymore. He took a deep breath, his gaze meeting Pedri's.

"Okay," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

He extended his hand, his palm facing upwards. Pedri gently took his hand, his fingers tracing the outline of the scars that ran across Gavi's wrist. Gavi flinched, his body tensing up, but he didn't pull away.

Pedri's touch was gentle, almost reverent, as if he were examining a fragile piece of art. Gavi closed his eyes, his mind flashing back to the time he had carved those scars into his skin, the pain, the desperation, the emptiness.

"What happened?" Pedri asked, his voice soft, his eyes filled with a deep empathy.

Gavi opened his eyes, his gaze meeting Pedri's. He took a deep breath, his throat tightening with emotion.

"It's... it's a long story," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Pedri nodded, his hand still resting on Gavi's wrist. He didn't press for details, but his silence spoke volumes. He understood, he was there, he was listening.

Gavi felt a wave of relief wash over him. He had been carrying this burden for so long, hiding it from the world, from himself. But in Pedri's eyes, he saw acceptance, understanding, a love that transcended the scars that marked his skin.

He took another deep breath, his gaze meeting Pedri's.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "For understanding."

Pedri squeezed his hand, his eyes filled with a warmth that Gavi had never felt before.

"Always," he whispered back.

The silence returned, but this time, it wasn't heavy with tension. It was a silence filled with understanding, with acceptance, with a bond that had been forged in the fire of shared vulnerability.