Chapter Text
As sick as it sounds, I loved you first
I was a dick, it is what it is
A habit to kick, the age-old curse
I tend to laugh whenever I'm sad
I stare at the crash, it actually works
Making amends, this shit never ends
I'm wrong again, wrong again
Babe had always been the loudest presence in the room.
Whether it was his arrogance on the track, his sharp tongue, or the way he demanded attention—he had never been the kind of person who could be ignored.
And yet, right now, Charlie was ignoring him.
And Babe hated it.
He had woken up groggy, his body was exhausted from last day Racing competition. He had to show world he's still 'Pitbabe' who never loses and he had ended up snapping on charlie.Charlie keep fussing over him, sometimes asking him to take a break, to eat, to do this, to do that. He loves charlie but he's not really used to this.The room was dim, the soft hum of a conversation filtering in from outside. But something was odd today.
Charlie was usually there when he woke up.
Charlie was always there.
But this time—
Babe turned his head.
The bed beside him was empty.
His brows furrowed as he sat up, wincing slightly at the stiffness in his muscles. It took him a second to gather himself, pushing off the covers before stepping into the hallway.
That’s when he saw him.
Charlie was standing with Alan and the others near the garage, arms crossed, pouting as he spoke. His usual brightness was dimmed, lips pressed together in a way that meant he was annoyed.
Babe’s lips curled.
He approached lazily, running a hand through his hair. “Why the hell are you pouting like a kid?” His voice was rough from sleep, but it still carried its usual cocky edge.
Charlie didn’t answer.
Didn’t even look at him.
Babe’s expression faltered slightly.
That wasn’t normal.
Charlie always reacted to him like a puppy to his owner—whether it was laughing, scolding, or rolling his eyes.
But now—
Now it was nothing.
Babe’s jaw tightened.
Fine.
If Charlie wanted to act childish, then so could he.
He stalked over to the table where breakfast was set out, dropping into his usual seat. With a dramatic sigh, he grabbed his plate and took an obnoxiously large bite of food, chewing deliberately.
If Charlie wasn’t going to look at him, then he’d force him to.
“Go to hell,” Babe muttered, voice casual as he shoved another bite into his mouth.
Usually, that would have earned him a flick to the forehead.
Or at least some kind of reaction.
But instead—
Nothing.
Babe’s grip on his fork tightened.
What the hell was this?
He swallowed roughly, eyes narrowing at the way Charlie just kept talking to the others, acting like Babe wasn’t even there.
It was one thing to argue.
One thing to fight.
But this—
This silence?
It made Babe’s skin crawl.
He could handle a lot of things—pain, pressure, expectations. But not this. Not Charlie pretending like he didn’t exist.
Babe slammed his fork down.
“What the fuck is your problem?” His voice was sharp now, cutting through the conversation.
Charlie didn’t even flinch.
Didn’t react.
Like Babe wasn’t even speaking.
Something inside him snapped.
His chair scraped against the floor as he stood up, hands clenched at his sides. His heart was pounding now, frustration burning in his chest.
Charlie never ignored him.
Not like this.
Not in a way that felt so intentional.
“Charlie.” His voice was lower now, colder, demanding.
Still.
Nothing.
Alan sighed from the other side of the room, exchanging a glance with Jeff.
North and Sonic, who had been watching the entire thing unfold with barely hidden amusement, suddenly seemed a little less entertained.
Even Kim—who usually didn’t involve himself in their drama—was frowning.
“Charlie.” Alan’s voice held a warning now, but Charlie didn’t budge.
Didn’t speak.
Didn’t look.
Babe hated it.
His throat felt tight, his frustration bubbling dangerously close to something else—something vulnerable that he refused to name.
He had never been good at dealing with emotions.Never been good at handling things that weren’t anger.And right now, all he felt was raw.
Unsteady.
Weak.
He hated that Charlie had this effect on him.Hated that the stupid puppy could make him feel like this with just silence.
His fingers twitched.For the first time in a long time, he didn’t know what to do.
It was frustration curling under his skin, an unfamiliar weight pressing against his chest. Babe had always been in control, always had a grip on his emotions—no matter how sharp his words were, no matter how reckless his actions seemed. But right now, he wasn’t in control at all.
Right now, Charlie was in control.
And Babe hated it.
The moment Charlie had ignored him, a fuse had lit inside Babe’s chest.
It was bad enough that the stupid puppy was giving him the silent treatment, but to act like he didn’t even exist? That was unbearable.
Fine.
If Charlie wanted to ignore him, then Babe would make him pay attention.
With a sharp movement, he grabbed his plate, fingers curling around the edges. His breath was uneven, heart pounding as anger surged through him—loud and hot and relentless.
Then, before he could even second-guess himself—
He threw it.
The plate clattered against the table, food spilling across the surface. Some of it landed on Charlie’s arm, some on the floor, some splattering onto the edge of Jeff’s sleeve.
The room went silent.
For a moment, Babe felt something like satisfaction.
He had won.
He had forced a reaction.
Charlie would have to look at him now—would have to say something, do something—
But instead—
Charlie let out a slow breath, barely even acknowledging the mess as he casually pushed his own plate toward Jeff.
“Here,” he said, his voice calm. “You can have mine.”
Babe’s stomach twisted.
Charlie still wasn’t looking at him.
Still acting like he wasn’t even there.
The frustration that had been boiling inside him hit its breaking point.
With a sharp movement, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.
The door slammed behind him.
The plates on the table rattled slightly.
And then—
The silence broke.
North was the first to lose it.
He let out a sharp, loud laugh, clapping his hands together like he had just witnessed the funniest thing in the world. “Holy shit,” he wheezed. “That was beautiful.”
Sonic was shaking his head, but there was amusement in his eyes. “I think that was the most unhinged tantrum I’ve ever seen.”
Kim sighed, rubbing his temples. “You guys are fucking idiots.”
Jeff, who was now poking at the food that had landed on his sleeve, simply let out a long breath. “I knew I should’ve left earlier.”
Meanwhile, Kenta—who had been watching everything in his usual emotionless way—was still staring at the door.
Kim nudged him. “Go talk to him.”
Kenta didn’t move. “No.”
Kim rolled his eyes. “You’re the only one he actually listens to.”
Kenta raised a brow. “Does he?”
Kim shot him a flat look. “He does.”
Kenta still looked unimpressed.
Meanwhile, somewhere
.
.
.
.
.
Babe had never been ignored before.
Not like this.
People had always paid attention to him, whether it was admiration, jealousy, or irritation. He demanded it—thrived on it. He could handle hatred, could handle being yelled at, could handle people cursing his name. But this?
This silence?
It was unbearable.
Sitting upstairs in his room, he fumed. His hands clenched into fists as he sat on the edge of his bed, foot bouncing against the floor. His chest felt tight, stomach twisting with something ugly. It wasn’t just anger anymore—it was frustration, confusion, hurt.
Charlie had never ignored him before.
Charlie was always there, always in his space, always annoyingly close—his excitable puppy-like presence an unavoidable part of Babe’s life.
But now?
Charlie hadn’t even looked at him. Hadn’t reacted to his tantrum. Hadn’t tried to chase after him.
And that… that made something inside Babe snap.
He refused to let this continue.
Charlie would pay attention to him.
And if he wouldn’t do it on his own, then Babe would force him to.
—
The sound of footsteps echoed down the staircase as Babe came back downstairs, dressed in his driving clothes.
His racing jacket was zipped up, his gloves stuffed into his back pocket. The familiar weight of his car keys in his hand grounded him, but it didn’t do anything to quell the burning frustration in his chest.
His eyes locked onto Alan, who was still sitting at the table. The others were still eating, though there was an air of quiet tension over the group—like everyone was waiting for something to happen.
Babe ignored them all.
“Uncle,” he said sharply, standing stiffly by the table. “I’m going to the garage.”
His voice was cold, controlled. But the way he shifted his weight from one foot to the other—the way his fingers clenched around his keys—betrayed his real emotions.
He wasn’t asking for permission.
He was announcing it.
And he was waiting.
Waiting for Charlie to react.
Waiting for him to follow, like he always did.
Charlie, who had never let Babe go anywhere alone without making some comment or excuse to tag along.
Charlie, who always acted like Babe needed to be looked after.
Charlie, who should have been jumping up, grabbing his own jacket, ready to chase after him.
But this time—
Charlie didn’t move.
Didn’t look at him.
Didn’t say anything.
He just kept eating, as if Babe hadn’t spoken at all.Babe’s stomach twisted. His grip on his keys tightened.
What the fuck was this?
Was Charlie seriously still ignoring him?
His breath hitched, something sharp crawling up his throat, something dangerous and furious—but he shoved it down, forcing his expression into something impassive.
If Charlie wanted to act like this, fine.
Babe wouldn’t let it bother him.
Wouldn’t let himself care.
He turned on his heel and stalked toward the door, shoulders stiff, steps sharp.
The moment he stepped outside, he slammed the door behind him.
The walls of the house shook slightly from the force.
—
Back inside, the table was quiet for a moment.
Then—
Kim exhaled, setting his fork down. “Okay, seriously,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “What the hell is going on?”
North and Sonic both nodded in agreement.
“That was weird,” Sonic said, stabbing a piece of food with his fork. “Even for him.”
North smirked. “I think he just threw another tantrum. And this time, it didn’t work.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Kim muttered. Then he glanced at Charlie, who was still calmly eating. His brows furrowed. “But why?”
Charlie didn’t answer.
He didn’t even look up.
And that—that—was what made the others really start to feel uneasy.Because Charlie always had something to say.
Always had some teasing comment, some over-the-top reaction.
But now?
Now, he was just quiet.
And that wasn’t normal.
At all.
Kenta groaned, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t care,” he muttered.
No one believed him.
Kim rolled his eyes, nudging him with his elbow. “You care.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
North snickered. “He definitely cares.”
Kenta scowled. “Shut the fuck up.”
Sonic smirked. “Make us.”
Kenta let out a sharp sigh, glaring at them both before turning his attention back to Charlie. “Seriously,” he muttered. “What the hell is this?”
Alan, who had been watching quietly the entire time, finally leaned forward. His sharp gaze settled on Charlie, unreadable.
“Well?” he asked, his voice steady. “Are you going to tell us what’s going on?”
Charlie leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. The weight of his words lingered in the air, heavy and undeniable.
"He needs to learn."
The silence stretched, pressing against everyone’s skin.Kenta, who had been watching carefully, finally exhaled, sitting forward. His voice was firm when he spoke.
“Learn what, Charlie?” he demanded.
Charlie didn’t immediately answer. He tilted his head slightly, staring down at his hands for a moment as if collecting his thoughts. When he finally looked up, his expression was calm—too calm.
“He runs his mouth,” Charlie said simply, his voice void of its usual warmth. “It’s not like I hate him. But he doesn’t have control.”
Kim frowned slightly. “That’s just Babe.”
Charlie’s jaw tensed.
“I know,” he muttered. “I know how he is. And I let it go because it’s just… him. He snaps. He says whatever the hell he wants. He pushes people away, acts like he doesn’t care, like nothing can hurt him.”
His fingers curled against the edge of the table, his knuckles whitening.
“And usually, I don’t let it affect me,” he admitted, his voice quieter now. “Because I know he doesn’t mean it when he calls me useless or other words. I know it’s just… how he is. But—”
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
“I’m human,” he said simply. “And he needs to learn to talk about his feelings instead of throwing punches with his words.”
The others absorbed his words, their reactions varied.Kim let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck. North and Sonic exchanged glances, their usual grins dimming. Kenta stayed silent, unreadable.
And then—
Jeff moved.
Without hesitation, he got up from his seat and walked around the table, stepping behind Charlie. Before Charlie could react, Jeff leaned down and pulled him into a tight, firm hug.
Charlie stiffened.
“Jeff—?”
“Shut up,” Jeff muttered, resting his chin on top of Charlie’s head. “Just let me hug you.”
Charlie didn’t move. Didn’t resist.
For a moment, he just sat there, letting Jeff hold him.
It was rare for Jeff to be so openly affectionate—especially in front of everyone. But right now, it didn’t seem to matter.
Because even if Charlie was the loud, happy one.Even if he was always the first to comfort others-
He was still human.
Still capable of being hurt.
And Babe—
Babe had hurt him.
Kim sighed, resting his elbow on the table. “Yeah, okay, fair,” he muttered. “Babe does run his mouth a lot.”
North smirked, though it was noticeably softer than usual. “Understatement of the year.”
Sonic chuckled, crossing his arms. “So, what? You’re giving him the silent treatment until he realizes he needs to communicate?”
Charlie huffed. “Something like that.”
Kenta, who had been watching the entire exchange in silence, finally leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. His sharp gaze flickered toward the door Babe had stormed out of earlier.
“He’s gonna fight it,” he muttered. “You know that, right?”
Charlie let out a small, humorless chuckle. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I know.”
Kim snorted. “And when he finally snaps and really throws a fit?”
Charlie smirked slightly, though there was no real amusement in it.
“Then,” he said simply, “we’ll deal with it.”
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then—
North let out a dramatic sigh, leaning back in his chair. “Man,” he muttered. “I was really hoping for some drama tonight.”
Sonic grinned. “Oh, don’t worry. Babe’s about to deliver.”
Kim groaned. “You two are the worst.”
Kenta rolled his eyes, exhaling sharply. “Just let him come to you when he’s ready,” he muttered.
Charlie glanced at him, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes.
Then, finally, he nodded.