Nani woke up fully around 5 PM.
The room was quiet.
Sky was nowhere in sight.
The first thing he noticed was the faint ache in his limbs, but it was manageable now. The fever had broken. The IV drip had been removed, leaving only a plaster on his hand.
His skin felt clean, strangely fresh, despite not remembering when he last bathed.
He took in a deep breath.
He didn't feel sticky or drained-just a little light-headed.
Dragging himself slowly out of bed, he padded to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and then slipped into the hot tub, sinking into the warmth like his body had been begging for it.
He stayed there for a long time-eyes closed, head resting against the marble edge-as the steam helped loosen what was left of the tension in his muscles.
When he emerged, his skin flushed, his breath steadier, he felt... better. Not whole, not strong. But better.
Back in the bedroom, he saw a tray of food and a set of pills on the side table. Soup. Water. Fever medication. It was clearly meant for him.
He dried off and changed into a fresh pair of briefs and one of Sky's oversized polo shirts. It hung off his smaller frame like a second skin. It smelled like Sky.
Part of him wanted to take it off.
Another part-one that craved the illusion of safety it gave him and kept it on.
He sat and ate quickly. Halfway through the meal, his stomach growled so loud it startled him. It was like his body had just remembered it hadn't been fed properly in days. The warmth of the soup settled into him like comfort, and he took the pills afterward without hesitation.
He moved around the room, slowly, looking for his phone.
It was beside the bed.
As soon as he turned on the screen, the notifications flashed:
Five missed calls from Win.
Several messages.
> Where are you?
Why aren't you in school?
Why aren't you answering your phone?
Are you okay?
I'll come find you after lessons if you don't reply.
Nani's fingers trembled slightly as he typed:
> I'm fine now.
Sorry, I didn't reply.
I was sleeping.
Had a small fever.
Don't worry, there's no need to come over. I promise I'm okay.
He stared at the screen a moment longer before locking it again.
The silence in the room was strange. Too soft.
For a second, he almost missed the chaos.
Almost.
That morning, Sky woke up early. Nani was burning up again, face flushed, breaths shallow, skin sticky with sweat. Wordlessly, Sky sat beside him, gently nudging him awake.
"Take your meds," he murmured, holding the pills to his lips like a mother would to a child.
Nani didn't speak, didn't resist. He just opened his mouth and swallowed.
Sky wiped him down afterward, soap and warm water on a towel, running across Nani's neck, his chest, under his arms, down to his waist. The towel lingered a second too long near the waistband of Nani's shorts before Sky snapped out of it.
Stop. He's sick. Just clean him and go, he scoled himself
When he was done, Nani looked calmer, breathing evenly, then he fell asleep again.
Sky stood there for a second, watching the fragile rise and fall of Nani's chest.
Then he turned and set up a small security camera in the corner, linked directly to his phone.
He didn't trust leaving Nani alone. Especially not today. He'd be out for hours.
And yet as he stepped out of the room, he muttered under his breath, What the hell is happening to me?
A few years ago, Sky wouldn't have believed this. He didn't take care of people. He didn't clean sweat off bodies or monitor heartbeats like some damn nurse. But here he was-late for school, torn between staying and walking away.
He almost didn't leave. Almost skipped school.
It was nearly 10 p.m. when Sky returned. The room was dim, quiet. Nani was asleep.
He walked in slowly, careful not to wake him.
And then he remembered the footage he had seen while at school.
The one from earlier that afternoon, the moment Nani had woken up alone, weak, and confused. On the recording, Sky had watched Nani stumble out of bed, strip off his sweat-soaked clothes, bathe, and put on a clean shirt.
Sky's shirt.
Fuck. His jaw clenched.
Nani's body had been bare, fragile, exposed. Skin so pale it almost glowed. He moved slowly across the bed.
Sky hadn't meant to keep watching, but he couldn't stop. He'd told himself it was to make sure Nani didn't fall. But the moment he saw him almost naked, dragging the cotton shirt over his trembling body.
Something else kicked in, something dark. Uninvited. Hungry. Sky was hard in seconds.
And now, standing right in front of Nani, seeing him lying there in that same shirt, Sky's breath caught in his throat. His body remembered how Nani felt wrapped around him.
He could feel himself growing hard again.
No. Not here. Not now. Don't be a fucking creep.
But he didn't move. His eyes scanned Nani's sleeping form, legs slightly curled, lips parted, the hem of the shirt riding up to reveal a strip of skin above his thigh.
He doesn't even know you're watching. You shouldn't be watching.
But God... the way his shirt hung off Nani's delicate frame. How it clung to his collarbone, too big for him, too his.
Sky's fists tightened at his sides.
You're disgusting. You're supposed to protect him, not- He swallowed hard and stepped back, pulse hammering in his throat. His jeans had grown unbearably tight.
Just get out. Go. Before you do something you can't take back.
He turned away, moving quickly this time, almost desperate.
The bathroom door clicked shut behind him.