Chapter Text
Babe didn't want to do that to Charlie. Wow, the man he loved was asking the hardest thing he would ever do if he hadn't been forced to: treat Charlie badly and be the worst person.
— At least when Way and the others are near us — Charlie asked
.
— I can't, Char, you know how much I like you — Babe said with sadness in his voice and unexpectedly Charlie hugged him.
— I know, but you know our plans, if we want to beat Way and that man, we need it to be like this — Charlie said taking a deep breath on Babe's clothes, he loved doing that.
Following the plans, today they were supposed to pretend to fight in the locker room because of Charlie's mysterious escapades with Jeff, especially after Babe caught the two of them when Charlie supposedly left for work.
*flashback moment*
That day, Babe followed Charlie's motorcycle and saw him with Jeff, the two of them too close together for her liking, and a fury rose inside her. Was he being betrayed?
Upon returning home running and almost crying (Pit Babe never cried, only when it was too much for him), after breaking some things on the floor, Babe took a shower and sat on the living room floor, with a glass of drink by his side. Even sitting on the couch was too much for him, every slightest movement he made reminded him of Charlie.
His boy, if he could still call him that, arrived silently looking both ways. Babe wanted to fly at Charlie so much, but he let out a sob before doing anything. Babe felt sad, stressed, drunk, betrayed... Charlie was shocked by what was happening, was someone like Pit Babe really crying in front of him? It was his P'Babe who was crying there, so he ran to meet him to hug him.
— Hey, Babe, what happened? — He asked, hugging the other as tightly as he could. Babe tried to avoid it, but it was all too much for him — Are you drinking alcohol? Tomorrow you have a qualifying race.
— It's none of your business — Babe let go of him, walking to the opposite side of where Charlie was.
— It's my business, Babe. Tell me what happened and we can resolve this — I said walking towards him — Why did you decide to get drunk?
— You're just a bedmate, stay in your place so I don't have to kick you out of here — He said, wiping away the tears that began to well up in his eyes.
— I may just be a bedfellow, but I'm still Babe's boy — Charlie said, trying to make conversation.
— Are you sure you're still my boy? You're secretly seeing someone else, I thought our agreement was just between us, that's why you leave early and come back late, Charlie. I trusted you and this... — Babe sniffled — ...happens. I can't bear it. Is Jeff more valuable for what you want? Now, in addition to a car, of course you would need a mechanic — Babe said going up the stairs to her room.
"Oh no..." crosses Charlie's mind. Then Charlie grabbed Babe's hand and opened up completely to him, which was not in her plans with Jeff, Babe would only know after this plan. He told his origins, his path, about his best friend and traitor (Way) and his plans, always being very transparent and hoping that Babe would notice this, so as not to ruin everything.
Charlie also told about Jeff, and the relationship between them, big brothers. Babe felt his face boil with embarrassment when Charlie explained the scene he saw that afternoon, but what could he think if not that? The closeness in the workshop that Charlie and Jeff had was too much for Babe's poor heart.
Finally, Babe apologized and Charlie was confused without knowing why, but he accepted and it was his turn to apologize to Babe for hiding the real reasons for everything. He also said that the initial plan was just to approach Babe as an interested fan, but passion took over his heart in an inexplicable way. Charlie felt his face flush as he said it out loud, and Babe gave one of those smiles he loved to see.
And so they started the plan again, now with one more member. Jeff wasn't very comfortable that one of the pieces of the plan knew about everything they were doing, but since his brother had that trust he left everything as it was.
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The argument in the locker room lasted the most painful minutes of Babe's life, who had to push Charlie to add more drama, since they knew they had eyes on them the entire time.
Way out to manipulate Babe about how untrustworthy Charlie was before an important race, how did he have that courage? And still deliberately lie about the boy he loved.
How could a best friend have plans against him, after so much time they spent together? Babe was breathing heavily in front of the locker room mirror, he saw Charlie approaching and his heart broke when he felt a hand being placed over his.
— Babe, are you okay? — Charlie said softly as he got closer to her face. For a moment he wanted to forget his plans and run away with his boy. But he couldn't, a sacrifice was needed before everything good they had planned in the future.
— What are you doing? — Babe pushed Charlie, raising her voice.
— You need to concentrate for the races, let me help you — Charlie said. Babe looked at him in the mirror and lowered her head again. Then he saw a hand approaching his again, and he felt Charlie's scent entering his mind, but before he lost focus, he grabbed the sides of the other's jacket and pulled it lightly back and forth.
— Not today. — Saying this with a little tremor in her voice, Babe went out onto the track where the cars were.
Charlie stood there composing himself before joining the rest of the team. It wasn't easy for him to put up with Babe's mean moves on him, even though they were planned in advance.
What wasn't in the plan came soon after. Babe lost the qualifier, placing second, which in his plans he should have placed first. The fact that Kim, from the opposing team, came to provoke him after his victory also didn't help his plans. Babe ran back to the locker room very angry, maybe his curiosity of wanting to know about Charlie's plans with Jeff wasn't a good idea, knowing everything that Way was planning against him and Tony's plans, he should have ignored it, he I shouldn't have followed Charlie that day, I should have turned a blind eye to the situation.
All of this came together in his mind and he couldn't concentrate, so he came in second place.
— Fuck! — he punched someone's locker without thinking, not just once but several times, until Charlie arrived and tried to stop him — Get out, I don't want to see you — he also wanted to say that he didn't want to hurt him, he wanted a hug, a affection that only Charlie knew how to give him.
Charlie's heart broke there too, he couldn't comfort his P'Babe, the plan was in motion. His mind was in a million places looking for double meaning words to say. While what he wanted most was to comfort Babe, who looked like she was about to cry.
— Qualifiers are won and lost, it's just a classification, everything will be fine in the main race tomorrow, no one can replace you — He met Babe's eyes — Tomorrow, everyone will see that there is only one king, that is Pit Babe — Charlie noticed Babe's red eyes.
— Now let me help you get over this — he said, approaching and planting a kiss on her lips. Oh, how much Babe missed that. But they couldn't continue.
— Go back to your apartment, I want to sleep alone — Babe said pushing Charlie.
— What did I do wrong? — Charlie asked, breaking his voice.
— I do not want to see you. — The words came out bitterly from Babe's mouth.
So he left.