????'? ????? ???~ [SkyNani]

Previously:-

Could he really protect Nani from everything... including himself?

"I'll stay with you, just until you're asleep," Sky murmured, his voice rough with unspoken emotions. He turned to the side, pulling a chair closer to the bed and sitting down, his back to Nani.

But no matter how he tried to shut out the ache in his chest, he couldn't help but feel the weight of their closeness.

The room was silent except for the sound of Nani's breathing, steady and calm. Sky sat there, his eyes closed, lost in his thoughts.

He had been placed in a role of protector.

But how could he protect Nani...whe-

When- when he was so damn tempted by the very thing he was supposed to protect?

~~~~~~꧁ ༺♔ ༻ ꧂~~~~~~

Sky gently laid Nani on the bed, his movements stiff and deliberate as if trying to convince himself this was just another duty.

But when Nani grabbed his wrist, his touch shaky and uncertain, Sky froze.

“Y-you hate me too… I can’t expect anything from you either… Seky…”

The way Nani said sky...it gave Sky shivers... like he had heard this somewhere the same tone the same spelling th-the same...voice.

Nani’s voice was barely above a whisper, soft and broken, but it was the way he said Sky’s name that sent shivers down his spine.

That voice. That tone. It felt old, like a distant memory tugging at the corners of Sky’s mind, but it was also brand new, raw and vulnerable in a way he’d never heard before. It was enough to make his heart twist painfully in his chest.

“I don’t hate you,”

Sky said, his voice rough, almost defensive. His gaze avoided Nani’s eyes, instead focusing on the flush creeping across the prince’s cheeks.

The alcohol was making him irrational, but it also stripped away the careful mask Nani always wore.

“Liar…” Nani murmured, letting go of Sky’s wrist and turning his face to the side.

His chest rose and fell with uneven breaths, still exposed from the undone robes. “Everyone does eventually. You will too.”

Sky clenched his fists. “Stop saying that....”

“Why shouldn’t I? It’s true.” Nani’s voice wavered, and he laughed bitterly. “Even my own father—”

"That's enough Nani!"

"Why Sekay....? Afraid I'll say the truth?"

"Afraid you'll say the worst part.
While I am still here."

"Sky..." Nani's hands reached out to touch Sky.

Sky stood there, his fists clenched as Nani, sprawled on the bed, looked up at him with half-lidded eyes.

Nani was fully drunk, no piece of consciousness or truth in his eyes were evident.