A week has passed since the incident. William legally adopted Caleb, but the boy doesn't enjoy the idea. They had moved to the other side of the city and William was still looking for a job with a timetable as flexible as his previous job, now that he had to take care of two kids that could transform into literal giant monsters at any moment. Luckily, his payment from his last mission from the WBF was very big and he could look at it calmly.
What wasn't any calm was Blair's and Caleb's relationship, since they met each other in a monster fight and they could feel the fact that they were somehow the same.
- Dad, when we finish taking care of the house, can we throw that away? -
Blair comes walking at William and points at Caleb with a straight face while William was assembling Blair's bed frame.
- SCREW YOU! -
Caleb screams at Blair, sitting down at the other side of the room.
- Blair, you can't throw anyone away! Especially your brother! Also, don't call him "that". -
William gives Blair a scolding. Caleb smiles with that.
- And you shouldn't talk with your sister like that! -
William says to Caleb and the boy gets angry. Both his arms were wrapped in bandages from right above the shoulders to the fist, but everytime he got angry, his arms would slowly start separating and becoming four in a way that was even more painful due to the tightness of the bandages. William notices and gives Caleb his water bottle, so the boy would drink some water and calm down. Blair gets jealous and starts staring at William as close as possible.
- Are you thirsty? -
William asks, Blair keeps staring in silence, so William stands up to get water for Blair too. While William is out, Caleb makes a funny face to mock Blair, so she shows him 3 tongues in anger. They continue to make ugly funny faces to each other until William enters the room and they pretend it never happened. Everyday since they had started living together had been like this, Caleb and Blair disliking each other but Blair trying (and failing) to pretend she doesn't when William is around. Caleb tries to be as distant as possible, not wanting to eat with them, standing always across the room with an angry face and only talking to call them names. Blair's mild dislike towards him continues to grow while William looks unbothered, which makes Caleb angrier and creates a snowball effect.
That day Blair's bed had been finished, while Caleb's was still being built and William's didn't even start. William puts his daughter to sleep on her new comfy warm bed and goes prepare to sleep with Caleb on the sofa, but that night he decided to ask why the boy preferred to sleep sitting on a pillow on the ground with his head leaning to the sofa than just sleep in the sofa, since he believed that Caleb was doing it to avoid Blair.
- I am not letting any adult hurt me ever again! -
Caleb said staring at the front with a very angry expression.
- But I am not going to hurt you. -
William gets closer to Caleb and bends to talk with him.
- That's what every adult that hurted me ever said! -
Caleb turns his face to try to not be seen by William, but William can see Caleb failing to hold his tears and crying a little.
- I know you are hurt. And I may never fully understand how you feel but, I somehow understand what you're passing by and I want to help you. You don't need to pretend to be a tough adult to be strong, you survived, that's enough to prove that you're way stronger than anyone that might have ever hurted you. -
Caleb can't control himself and starts crying and sobbing, William doesn't know if he can touch the young boy to try to comfort him until Caleb throws himself towards William, almost pushing them both to the ground. William returns the hug and they hugged for almost half an hour before Caleb starts sleeping. William puts Caleb on the sofa and grabs his blanket on the floor to cover the boy up, after that he grabs a pillow, lays down in front of the sofa and goes to sleep as well.