What Happened in Three Days | ForthBeam

What Happened in Three Days

They didn't know why.

For some reasons known to none, Forth and Beam hated each other. There had been more than a few deductions regarding why they did; many assumed they were merely rivals because they were equally popular, another thought they liked the same person and wanted to settle it with a fight. However, none of those reasons made sense to them, as they themselves did not understand what sparked their utter distaste towards each other.

"I... couldn't think of anywhere else but here..."

When Forth saw Beam, his mouth went ajar. His eyebrows rose up and his eyes blinked a few times, trying to figure out whether or not he was still dreaming. He must have been, considering it was late at night and Beam was right in front of his doorstep.

He knew it was odd when he didn't see the pale man for three days around the university, but he didn't know it would be this abnormal... this concerning.

Beam was trembling immensely as his fingers pathetically grasped onto the doorway—almost pleading it not to fail him. His three uppermost buttons were opened, revealing purple bruises both in the shape of a hand and a kiss. Sweat drenched what was once a white shirt and blood splattered the side of it.

And his eyes...

Those eyes that used to be the deepest, most beautiful charcoal orbs were no longer there. They were dreamy and unfocused, a clear indication Beam had been drugged.

Forth studied him with wide eyes. When realization sank in, his shock quickly morphed into fear.

Trying to act as gentle as possible, Forth slipped a hand on Beam's back and another under his knee, lifting him up with little to no effort. His foot closed the door before guiding him straight to his bedroom, where he placed the person he held in his arms onto the bed.

Forth took a bowl and filled it with water, carrying it as fast as he humanly could without tripping over something or spilling the content. He then moved to his closet to take a pair of grey sweatpants, a black t-shirt, a matching hoodie, as well as a hand towel.

"I'm sorry, but I have to," Forth uttered softly.

"It's okay..." Beam managed to let out before passing out.

"Shit, Beam," Forth chanted under his breath as his fingers skillfully unbuttoned the remaining buttons on his dirty shirt. Discarding it, Forth flinched when he saw the state of his body. The previously smooth and fair skin was now covered in bruises, a long cut also found around his ribcage.

Forth wet the towel and began wiping Beam's face. Only then he noticed the cut and the forming bruise at the corner of his lips. He then moved down to his body, careful not to put too much pressure to the point where it was uncomfortable. Once he was done, he took the first aid kit from the cabinet on his bathroom and dressed his wounds. Fortunately, due to the amount of fights he had gotten himself into, Forth was forced to learn how to at least dress a wound properly.

As soon as he finished, Forth changed Beam into his t-shirt, leaving the sweatpants and hoodie on the nightstand for him to wear the next morning.

Forth sat on the floor right next to his bed and buried his face in his hands. Within seconds, he managed to wet both of his palms as tears rolled down his cheeks.

He could not believe the day he desperately wished would never come, came sooner than he had expected.

Seeing Beam in such state was a wake up call for him. That all those time they wasted hating on each other was just a way never to reopen a part of them that they had kept locked for years. Opening his door to a distressed Beam was the key to a box full of his very own nightmares. Beam's condition reminded him of himself, and that was why he avoided getting close to Beam.

Now that this happened, Forth was clueless as to what he should do next.

•

The bright sunlight forced Beam to wake up. However, a strain from his ribcage prevented him to sit upright, while another pain from his head commanded him not to move excessively. Beam ended up releasing a groan, wondering why his body was aching in all the wrong places.

When he finally succeeded propping himself up with his elbows, he glanced at his surroundings, frowning when the bedroom looked similar but not exactly his. That was when his eyes landed on the figure sitting on the ground beside him.

"Forth..."

Just the mere sound of his name was able to bring Beam back to reality. All memories from the past three days came crashing into his head, filling it to the brim with less than pleasant scenes. His trembling fingers found their way around his neck, barely touching the area before pulling away as if it burnt.

Although a mirror was there at the corner of the room, he didn't dare take even a short glance at it. He was scared of what would stare back when he stood there. Beam gazed at the t-shirt he was wearing and instinctively shot his gaze towards a sleeping Forth. Beside him was a bowl of water and his ragged shirt, while on the nightstand was a pair of folded outfit.

Beam extended his hand to touch Forth, but instantly buried his intention when he remembered just how filthy he was. Every part of his body had been touched in more ways than one; and he didn't wish to contaminate Forth.

Should he run out now?

It seemed that fortune never favored Beam, because Forth fluttered his eyes open the second he struggled to get off the bed. When Forth met his eyes, a wave of embarrassment drowned Beam, making him avert his gaze down.

"Beam," he called, fumbling to stand up. When the said man didn't utter a single word, he kneeled down in front of him and slowly took his hand.

"Don't get near me... I'm dirty," Beam let out, ending in a whisper. He looked down as his arms embraced his own body tightly.

"Hey," Forth called quietly, his usually piercing voice nowhere to be found.

Beam glanced up at him, but looked away in an instant.

"You're not dirty," Forth disagreed, placing a finger under Beam's chin gently. He guided him to meet his eyes before continuing, "You're a survivor."

Beam felt his eyes begin to water. He simply let Forth guide his head onto his broad shoulder.

Beam had never receive more warmth than this. He was thankful that he at least had a safe space. All these times he had avoided this space, this person to depend on, because he wanted to forget. He wanted to erase the terrifying memories he had kept deep in his brain, and being in this position made it more alive than ever.

However, that day, he trusted Forth. Hell, he had always trusted him. At the end of the day, why would Forth be the only person he could think of after enduring those three days? He believed that while Forth reminded him of his awful memories, he would also be the one to cover it with beautiful ones.

"Forth, you..."

"Well..." Forth let out a shaky breath and said, "I guess we're both survivors."

Only then Beam realized Forth was grasping onto the shirt Beam was wearing just as tightly as he did with Forth's. And so Beam snaked his frail arms around Forth's neck, making the latter slip his around Beam's waist. They sat there, enjoying the warmth inside their chest they scarcely ever got to feel.

They didn't know why they hated each other...?

Correction, they knew why.

They simply wanted to avoid it with the hope of never reliving their past. They used to let the past haunt them. But not anymore. Never anymore. After this, they were going to walk out the door as survivors; strong individuals with battle scars all over their heart and body, with stories to tell, and more people to empower.

Both Forth and Beam had always known they were more alike than anybody would have thought. Although one is a brutal engineering student with a gang under the palm of his hand and the other is a charming medical student with a small circle of friends right beside him, they knew.

Because there were only two products of abuse known by history, one who ended up using brute force himself and the other who hid behind a smile.