Chapter 24

Sky sat outside the grand wooden doors of his father's office, hands clasped tightly, knuckles pale. His heart pounded as each tick of the clock made the wait feel endless.

He had spent years pushing aside his love for architecture, burying it under expectations and fear of his father's disapproval. Now, Nani was in there, having the conversation Sky never had the courage to start.

His stomach twisted. Am I leaning on him too much? The thought gnawed at him. Nani was always there, steady, supportive, never letting him fall. And Sky... Sky had started to depend on Nani more than he ever meant to. What if one day, Nani gets tired of me? What if he realizes I'm just a mess of doubts and fears?

The door creaked open, snapping Sky out of his thoughts. He shot up from his seat as Nani stepped out, his expression unreadable. Sky swallowed hard, his voice almost failing him. "Nani?"

Nani exhaled, rolling his shoulders before meeting Sky's gaze. Then, he did something Sky didn't expect—he smiled.

"It's done."

Sky's breath hitched. "What...what do you mean?"

"I talked to him." Nani said simply, stepping closer and taking Sky's hands in his. "I told him everything. About your passion. About how architecture is what you love, what you need to do. And..." He squeezed Sky's fingers lightly. "He listened."

Sky's eyes widened. "He did?"

Nani chuckled. "Well, eventually. He wasn't exactly thrilled at first, but I didn't back down. And neither should you."

Sky blinked rapidly, emotions swirling inside him, relief, disbelief, overwhelming gratitude. "Nani, I....."

"Shhh." Nani tugged him closer. "You don't have to say anything. Just promise me something, okay?"

Sky nodded, his hands tightening around Nani's.

"Stop doubting yourself. Stop worrying about what your father thinks, what anyone thinks. This is your dream. Chase it."

Sky's throat tightened, his eyes burning with unshed tears. For so long, he had been carrying this burden alone. But now, with Nani beside him, it felt just a little bit lighter. Maybe even bearable.

"Okay" he whispered, voice trembling. "I promise." And thank to Nani, Sky felt like he could finally breathe.

--

The day of Sky's business class graduation had finally arrived. The campus hall buzzed with excitement. Graduates in crisp gowns and mortarboards posed for pictures, their smiles wide and filled with pride. Families and friends gathered around, offering bouquets and warm congratulations.

Sky, however, stood at the edge of the crowd, eyes scanning every person who passed by. His hands gripped the bouquet his mother had given him, but his heart wasn't in it. He had been waiting, waiting for one person.

Nani.

Everyone important to him was already here. His parents, his brother, everyone. Yet, the one person he expected, the one person who promised to be here, was nowhere to be seen.

Did something happen?

Or... did Nani forget?

His fingers tightened around his phone. No messages. No missed calls.

"Sky!" his sister in law's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Come on, let's take some pictures before the sun sets."

Sky forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, sure."

But even as he smiled for the camera, laughed at his brother jokes, and let his mother fuss over him, his mind was elsewhere.

Where are you, Nani?

After the graduation ceremony was over, Sky still couldn't get in touch with Nani. No calls, no texts, nothing. Even Win and Dew weren't picking up their phones. His patience was running thin.

He had promised Nani that he wouldn't ride his motorcycle again, but right now, he didn't care. He grabbed his keys and rode straight to Nani's condo, his heart pounding harder with every second.

When he arrived, he hesitated for a moment before raising his fist to knock. But then he noticed something odd, the door wasn't locked. Without thinking, he pushed it open.

The sight that greeted him wasn't what he expected at all.

Win and Dew stood frozen mid-action, Win holding a balloon in his mouth, looking like a fish caught in headlights, their faces comically frozen in shock. Prim stood on a chair, carefully attaching letter balloons to the wall. The letters spelled out: "HAPPY GRADUATION, SKY"

Win blinked before letting out a shout to signal Nani at the kitchen. "Uh... surprise?"

Within seconds, Nani came rushing out, an apron still tied around his waist, eyes wide in panic. He stopped abruptly when he saw Sky standing at the door.

Win groaned, dropping the balloon he was holding. "Damn it, Sky, you weren't supposed to catch us yet!"

Nani ran a hand through his hair, looking guilty but also amused. "You couldn't have waited a little longer, huh?"

"You guys left the door unlocked." Sky bit his lip to keep from laughing. Nani's surprise plan had failed successfully.

Nani exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning to the obvious culprit. "Alright, who was the genius that forgot to lock the door?"

There was a brief silence before Dew casually pointed at Win without even looking up.

Win's eyes widened in betrayal. "Dew! You snitch!"

Dew shrugged. "You were the last one in."

Win held up his hands defensively. "Okay, but in my defense, I was carrying the balloons! And the cake. Okay, can we move past this and focus on the actual problem, which is that Sky ruined his own surprise?!"

Sky smirked, watching his friends descend into chaos. "Well, at least I am surprised."

Win squinted at him suspiciously. "Surprised in a good way or 'I-just-caught-you-all-committing-a-crime' way?"

"A little bit of both."

Nani finally sighed, tossing the spatula onto the counter. "Fine. Since you already ruined your own surprise, you might as well sit down. We worked hard on this."

Sky chuckled and stepped inside. "You mean I worked hard on graduating, and you guys worked hard on failing at surprises?"

Win grabbed a balloon and hurled it at Sky's face. "Shut up and be grateful!"

As the initial chaos died down, they all finally settled in, laughter filling the air as they enjoyed the food Nani had prepared.

Prim made Sky to sit in front of the cake they had decorated. Though, given the slightly lopsided frosting job, Sky was certain it was a group effort. Dew handed him a knife to cut the cake, and for a moment, Sky just looked around at the people who mattered most to him, warmth swelling in his chest.

That warmth, however, was nothing compared to what he felt when Nani suddenly cleared his throat and slid a neatly wrapped envelope across the table.

Sky raised a brow. "Uh... what's this?"

Nani smirked. "Your graduation gift."

Suspicious, Sky carefully unwrapped it, his fingers trembling slightly as he pulled out a stack of neatly arranged papers. His eyes skimmed the words, something about Italy, a university. His dream, the one he had always talked about but never thought possible,was right here, in his hands.

Wait.

Wait.

His lips parted, but for a moment, nothing came out except a pathetic, broken gasp. His throat felt tight, his chest heaving like he'd just run a marathon.

Sky's mouth dropped open. "Nani...?"

"I know you've always wanted to study abroad, so I prepared everything for you. The application, the paperwork, even your visa. You're in." Sky's breath hitched. His vision blurred before he could even process it fully. The words on the paper started swimming as his eyes welled up. Nani did this. Nani did all of this for him.

A strangled sob escaped his throat, and that was it. He was gone. Completely gone. Tears, ugly, unstoppable tears streamed down his face.

Win gawked at him. "Oh my god, he's crying like a baby."

Prim, ever the gentle one, elbowed Win. "Win!"

"What?! It's true!" Win turned back to Sky.

Dew chuckled. "Let the man have his moment, Win."

Sky, still sniffling, turned to Nani with watery eyes. "You... you really did this?"

Nani reached out, wiping one of Sky's tears with his thumb, looking just a little too pleased with himself. "Of course, idiot. You've worked so hard. You deserve this."

Win let out a low whistle before shaking his head. "You know, Sky, the only good thing about having Nani as your boyfriend is that this man has the power to get you whatever you want."

Sky let out a wet laugh, still overwhelmed with emotion. Nani shot Win a glare. "Shut up, Win."

Win smirked. "What? Am I wrong?"

Sky turned back to Nani, who was watching him with nothing but love in his eyes.

"No." Sky whispered. "You're not wrong."



Out on the balcony, away from the noise and laughter inside, Prim leaned against the railing, stealing a glance at her brother. The city lights reflected in Nani's eyes as he sipped his drink, looking unbothered as ever. But Prim knew better.

She still couldn't believe it. Her brother the same Nani who barely lifted a finger unless it benefited him in his business world had actually flown to Italy himself just to get everything done for Sky.

When everyone had asked why he didn't just let someone else handle it, why he didn't just use his connections, Nani had simply said "I wanted to do everything for Sky myself."

That answer had been enough for Prim.

She turned to look at him properly "You know, I always thought the only thing you ever cared about was your business."

Nani huffed a quiet laugh, swirling the drink in his hand. "You weren't wrong."

"But" Prim continued "Who would've thought Nani, the man who never lifted a finger unless it made him money, went all the way to Italy, handled everything himself, just because some innocent kid said his dream university was there?" She smirked. "You're madly in love, aren't you?"

Nani took another sip of his drink, avoiding her eyes. Prim let out a laugh, shaking her head. "Admit it."

"I flew to Italy, Prim. You think I did that just for fun?" Nani scoffed, shaking his head. "I left my work with Win for just one week, and when I came back, everything was a disaster." He rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I'm still catching up on all the messes."

Prim raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing but softer now. "I don't know if I should be happy or scared seeing you change like this."

"You'll be in the same place as me when you meet someone who makes you feel like tomorrow is something to look forward to, not just another boring day." Nani said, his voice softer now, almost wistful.

Prim watched him for a moment, sensing the depth in his words, her expression softening. "Guess that's what love does to you, huh? Makes you do things you'd never do before."

Nani gave a small smile. "Yeah. Makes you feel like the ordinary stuff isn't enough anymore."

Prim laughed, shaking her head. "I still can't believe it. I've seen you freeze out entire rooms, make people sweat with just a look, and now you're telling me some guy made you feel like the ordinary stuff isn't enough? Sky must really have some kind of magic."

"Just wait for your turn, Prim. It'll hit you when you least expect it." Nani repiled. his mind drifting back to the first time Sky had confessed to him. He'd almost lost his mind over a man's confession, a confession that turned his whole world upside down.

As Nani and Prim stood on the balcony, lost in their conversation.

"There you are!" Win's voice rang out, slightly slurred. His grin was wide, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Enough of this sibling bonding time. You two are coming back inside. We're singing!"

Nani groaned, already regretting whatever was about to happen. "Nope, no excuses!" Win grabbed both of them by the wrists and dragged them back inside before they could protest.

As normal Win and Dew argued over which song to play next. And Sky were starting to look a little too comfortable on the couch. But after a while, Win, Dew, and Sky completely lost in their drunken energy, grabbed the microphones and threw themselves into an off-key but enthusiastic performance. Prim covered her ears dramatically as Win belted out lyrics like he was on a world tour. Sky, meanwhile, was fully immersed, swaying and laughing, his cheeks flushed from alcohol and happiness.

By the time the songs were over, the three of them had collapsed onto the couch, completely wiped out.

Nani sighed, shaking his head.Prim laughed. "P Nani, your friend really doesn't know when to stop."

Nani turned to her. "Can you watch over Win? I'll take care of Sky."

Prim nodded, glancing at Dew, who was still sitting there with his head tilted back, eyes barely open. Before she could even say anything, Dew suddenly stood up, swaying slightly, and then, without a word, walked away to another room in the condo.

Prim blinked. "Well... guess I only have one drunk idiot to deal with."

Nani sighed, turning his attention to the one person who mattered the most. Sky, who was now blinking up at him sleepily, looking far too adorable for his own good.

"Alright, come on, troublemaker." Nani murmured, gently tugging Sky to his feet.

Sky giggled actually giggled and leaned against Nani heavily. "Naniii," he whined, voice lazy with sleep and alcohol. "I don't wanna move."

"You don't have a choice," Nani muttered, trying to steady him.

Sky was no help at all. He flopped into Nani's arms, making it nearly impossible to drag him to the bedroom without tripping.

"I think you got heavier." Nani grumbled as he half-carried, half-dragged Sky toward his room.

Sky hummed in response, wrapping his arms loosely around Nani's neck. "Maybe 'cause I'm full of love for you." he mumbled sleepily.

Nani nearly tripped over his own feet.

But Sky was already dozing off, completely unaware of the effect his words had.

Nani sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "You're going to be the death of me for sure, idiot."

Nani staring down at Sky. The way his lashes brushed against his cheeks, the faint, sleepy pout on his lips, it was unfair. And with that, he carefully laid Sky down on the bed pulling the covers over him.

With a sigh, Nani carefully laid Sky down on the bed, pulling the covers over him. He should step away, should let Sky sleep.

But he didn't.

Instead, his fingers brushed against Sky's cheek, tracing the curve of his jaw, the warmth of his skin beneath his touch. His heart pounded loud.

Nani leaned in, just a little. Then a little more.

Before he knew it, his lips were hovering over Sky's, his breath mingling with the soft exhales from the sleeping man beneath him. His resolve wavered.

A feather-light kiss. Just a whisper against Sky's lips. But the moment he pulled away, Sky stirred.

Sleepy eyes blinked open, hazy and unfocused. "Nani...?" Sky mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

Nani froze, caught in the act, his face just inches away.

Sky stared at him for a long moment before a slow, lazy smile curled on his lips. "Were you kissing me in my sleep?"

Nani stiffened. "No."

Sky's sleepy gaze locked onto him, that mischievous little smile still lingering on his lips.

"Liar." Sky repeated, voice softer this time, teasing yet laced with something deeper. Something that made Nani's pulse stutter.

Nani clenched his jaw, trying to compose himself, but it was impossible when Sky was looking at him like that, with sleepy adoration. Nani should've made some excuse But he didn't.

Nani's hand brushing over the soft skin. Sky didn't flinch, didn't pull away. If anything, he leaned into Nani's touch, his eyes half-lidded, the corners of his lips still curved upward.

Nani exhaled sharply. "You're playing with fire, Sky."

Sky hummed, the sound barely above a whisper. "Am I?" His hand, still resting lightly against Nani's chest, curled into the fabric of his shirt, gripping just enough to keep him close.

Nani cursed under his breath. "You don't even know what you're doing."

Sky's fingers tugged slightly, urging him closer. "Then show me."

Something inside Nani snapped.

Before he could second-guess himself, before reason could stop him, he closed the distance between them. This time, it wasn't just a ghost of a kiss. It wasn't something fleeting, something hesitant. It was real. Deep. Slow.

Sky inhaled sharply against Nani's lips, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he kissed back, sleepy and unhurried, as if savoring every second.

Nani's hands slid into Sky's hair, cradling the back of his head as he deepened the kiss. He could taste the faint remnants of alcohol on Sky's lips, could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. Every inch of him burned with something raw, something he had spent too long trying to suppress.

Sky let out a soft, breathy sigh against his lips, and that was it, that was Nani's breaking point. He rolled onto the bed fully, hovering over Sky now.

Sky melted further into the sheets, his fingers slipping under the hem of Nani's shirt, tracing the bare skin underneath with feather-light touches.

Nani groaned against his lips. "Sky..."

Sky smiled against his mouth. "I like it when you say my name like that."

Nani let out a shaky breath, his grip on Sky tightening for a split second before he forced himself to loosen up. Sky's fingers, warm and teasing, continued their slow exploration beneath his shirt, sending shivers down Nani's spine.

"You're playing dirty." Nani muttered against Sky's lips. Sky only chuckled, low and lazy, his drowsy gaze filled with something far too dangerous for someone who had been half-asleep mere moments ago.

Nani inhaled sharply, his resolve cracking. "Sky, if you don't stop..."

Sky tilted his head slightly, eyes twinkling with mischief. "You'll what?" Sky's legs shifted, brushing against Nani's, and the sensation made his breath hitch. Every touch, every sigh that escaped Sky's lips, only pulled Nani in deeper.

Before Nani could even react, Sky suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him down onto the bed. Nani let out a startled grunt as he landed on the soft mattress, only for his breath to hitch when Sky wasted no time climbing on top of him.

Sky straddled his waist, hands pressed against Nani's chest to keep him in place. His messy hair framed his sleepy yet mischievous eyes, and his lips were still slightly swollen from their earlier kisses. He looked almost angelic if not for the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"You were about to run away, weren't you?" Sky accused, tilting his head, his fingers idly tracing circles over the fabric of Nani's shirt.

Nani swallowed hard, gripping Sky's thighs on either side of him. "I wasn't running"

Sky arched a brow. "You are laying again."

Nani exhaled sharply. "You're drunk."

Sky leaned down, his face hovering just inches from Nani's. "Only a little." His voice dropped into something softer "But I know what I'm doing."

Then, as if testing his own power, he let his hands slide lower, slipping under Nani's shirt again, his palms pressing against warm, bare skin.

Nani groaned, closing his eyes for a second. If Sky kept pushing like this, kept looking at him like this, his self-control wouldn't last much longer.

Sky's fingers moved with agonizing slowness, tracing every dip and ridge of Nani's torso as if he were memorizing him by touch alone. His hands burned with the kind of heat that made Nani's breath come in uneven waves, his pulse thudding in his ears.

Nani shuddered, his head tilting slightly as Sky's lips ghosted down the column of his neck, barely pressing into his skin, just enough to make him ache for more.

"You're really testing me." Nani exhaled, his fingers digging into Sky's hips, grounding himself.

Without a word, Nani pulled Sky in again, crashing their lips together with a force that left no space for teasing.

Sky barely had a second to react before Nani's hands moved, fingers skimming over his stomach, slipping under his shirt with a hunger that made Sky shiver. And then, in one swift motion, Nani tugged the fabric up over Sky's head, tossing it aside without care.

Sky barely had time to gasp before Nani flipped their positions, pinning him against the bed. Their breaths mingled, heavy and uneven, as Nani loomed over him, eyes dark with something raw and untamed.

"You started this," Nani muttered, his voice low, dangerous. "Now, can you handle it?"

Sky's lips parted, but before he could answer, Nani was on him, hot, demanding kisses that left him breathless, hands roaming with a desperate kind of hunger. Fingers tangled in hair, nails scraped against skin, bodies pressing closer, heat pooling between them.

Sky let out a sharp gasp as Nani's teeth grazed his collarbone, followed by a soothing lick that sent a shiver down his spine. His hands clutched at Nani's back, nails digging in as his body arched into the touch, silently begging for more.

Nani chuckled against his skin, the sound rough, teasing. "Not so cocky now, huh?"

Sky only pulled him back down, crashing their mouths together again, wild, reckless, and completely lost in each other.