Thread of fate

The days bleed into nights, each one colder than the last. Nani follows Sky from the shadows—silent, unseen. His body aches from sleepless nights, but he doesn't stop. He can't.  

He watches Sky drink. He watches him flirt. He watches him smile—a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.  

Every time Sky wraps his arm around someone else's shoulders, something inside Nani cracks a little more.  

But he reminds himself—*it doesn't matter.*  

He's not here to be loved. He's here to protect Sky.  

Even if it kills him.  

---

One night, Nani trails Sky to a small, dimly lit bar tucked away on the outskirts of the city. The smell of cigarette smoke lingers in the air, mixing with cheap liquor. Sky is laughing, a drink in hand, surrounded by a group of people—boys and girls both, all drawn to him like moths to a flame.  

Nani watches from the corner, his fingers clenched so tightly around his glass that his knuckles turn white.  

Sky's laughter echoes through the room—too loud, too empty.  

Nani knows that laugh. It's the same one Sky used to hide behind when the world got too heavy. The same one he heard in every timeline—just before Sky broke apart in his arms.  

His heart twists painfully.  

He wants to march across the room, grab Sky by the collar, and shake him—*Don't you know how precious your life is? Don't you know how much you're loved?*  

But he can't.  

Not yet.  

Instead, he waits.  

Hours pass before Sky stumbles out of the bar, cigarette between his lips. The night is heavy with the scent of rain.  

Nani follows him from a distance, his heart in his throat.  

When Sky reaches a narrow alley, he stops. His hands tremble slightly as he flicks the lighter, trying to spark the cigarette to life.  

Nani clenches his fists.  

Without thinking, he steps forward. "Stop smoking."  

Sky jumps, nearly dropping the lighter. He whirls around, eyes narrowing as he spots Nani.  

"You again?"  

Nani's voice is hoarse. "I told you—stop smoking."