Chapter - 44
Chapter 102 — Rain The rain started without warning.
One second, Nani was standing by the garden doors, complaining about the weather.
The next—
Whoosh.
Rain poured across the entire garden.
Nani pressed his face against the glass.
"Oh, come on."
Behind him, Sky glanced up from his phone.
"What's wrong?"
"I wanted to go outside."
"Then go."
Nani turned.
"It's raining."
Sky looked toward the garden.
"You're afraid of rain now?"
Nani narrowed his eyes.
"Are you challenging me?"
Sky's mouth curved.
"Maybe."
Nani immediately opened the doors.
"Nani—"
Too late.
He ran outside.
"Nani!"
Within seconds, his hair was soaked.
He turned around laughing.
"Come on!"
Sky stood beneath the doorway, staring at him.
"You'll get sick."
"I won't!"
"You said that last time."
"I survived."
Sky shook his head.
Then he stepped into the rain.
Nani's grin widened.
"I knew you'd come."
Sky walked toward him.
"You've become very demanding."
"You like it."
"I tolerate it."
Nani splashed water toward him.
Sky looked down at his soaked shirt.
Silence.
Nani slowly backed away.
"...Oops."
Sky raised an eyebrow.
"Oops?"
Nani laughed and ran.
Sky followed.
"Come back here."
"No!"
Nani raced across the garden, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
Sky caught him near the fountain.
Nani squealed as Sky grabbed his hand and spun him around.
"Got you."
"Cheater!"
"You started it."
"I did not!"
"You threw water at me."
"That was self-defense."
"Against what?"
"You."
Sky laughed.
The rain continued pouring around them.
For once, neither cared about getting wet.
Nani reached up and brushed the rain from Sky's eyebrow.
"You look different."
Sky looked at him.
"How?"
"Happy."
The teasing faded from Sky's face.
"So do you."
Nani smiled.
Then Sky leaned closer.
Nani's smile softened.
Their foreheads touched for a moment.
And beneath the rain, they shared a gentle kiss.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing rushed.
Just warmth in the middle of a storm.
When they pulled apart, Nani was smiling.
"You're soaked."
"So are you."
"My hair is ruined."
"You still look good."
Nani blinked.
"That was smooth."
"I know."
Nani laughed.
Then splashed him again.
Sky stared.
"Nani."
"Run."
"You've made a mistake."
Nani immediately ran.
Sky chased after him through the rain.
Their laughter echoed across the garden, completely drowning out the thunder.
From the mansion window, Dew watched them.
He shook his head.
"Those two are ridiculous."
Tee smiled beside him.
"Let them be."
Outside, Nani slipped slightly on the wet grass.
Sky caught him before he fell.
Nani looked up at him, laughing breathlessly.
"Got me again."
Sky kept hold of his hand.
"Always."
And for once, the rain didn't feel like something they needed to escape.
It felt like something they would remember.
...
The rain came down harder, drumming against the garden stones until everything blurred beneath a silver curtain.
Nani was already soaked.
His hair clung to his forehead, his clothes heavy with rain, but he couldn't stop laughing.
Sky watched him for a moment.
Then held out his hand.
"Come here."
Nani narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Just come."
"You look suspicious."
"I always look suspicious."
Nani laughed and placed his hand in Sky's.
The next second—
Sky pulled him closer and spun him around.
Nani let out a startled laugh.
"SKY!"
Sky caught him around the waist and spun him again.
Nani's feet barely seemed to touch the ground.
"Stop! I'm dizzy!"
"You were the one who wanted to play."
"I didn't say this!"
Sky laughed.
Another spin.
Nani's laughter echoed through the garden as the rain soaked them both.
Against Sky's enormous frame, Nani looked almost ridiculously small—his arms wrapped around Sky's shoulders, his feet lifting from the wet ground whenever Sky turned him.
"Put me down!"
"No."
"Sky!"
"You're having fun."
"I am!"
"Then stop complaining."
"I'm still complaining!"
Sky finally stopped.
Nani stumbled slightly from the spinning and immediately grabbed Sky's shoulders.
"Whoa."
Sky steadied him.
"Careful."
Nani looked up.
Their faces were close.
Rainwater ran down Sky's hair and along his jaw.
Nani started laughing again.
"What?"
"You look ridiculous."
Sky raised an eyebrow.
"You're the one who was flying around five seconds ago."
"I wasn't flying."
"You were."
Nani poked his chest.
"You're just too strong."
Sky caught his hand.
"And you're too small."
Nani's mouth fell open.
"Excuse me?"
Sky smiled.
"I said you're small."
"I'm not!"
"You are."
Nani tried to look offended, but the grin ruined it.
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"...Maybe a little."
Sky pulled him into another quick spin.
Nani burst out laughing again.
"SKY!"
This time Sky stopped with Nani tucked safely against him.
Nani was breathless from laughing, his cheeks flushed from the cold.
Sky looked down at him.
For all the blood, power, and fear attached to his name—
this was the sight he wanted to remember.
Nani laughing in his arms.
No danger.
No enemies.
Just rain.
Nani looked up and smiled.
"Again?"
Sky's eyes softened.
"Again."
And he spun him through the rain once more.
...
The rain had soaked them completely.
Nani was still laughing when Sky suddenly bent down and scooped him into his arms.
"Sky!"
"You'll catch a cold."
"I can walk!"
"I know."
"Then put me down!"
"No."
Nani rolled his eyes, but his arms instinctively slipped around Sky's shoulders.
As Sky carried him toward the mansion, Nani looked down at him.
"You just wanted an excuse to carry me."
"Maybe."
"You're ridiculous."
"You're still laughing."
"Because you're ridiculous."
Sky pushed open the bedroom door.
Nani's legs instinctively wrapped around Sky's waist for balance as Sky carried him inside.
"Careful," Sky murmured.
"I'm trying!"
Sky set him down gently.
For a second, neither moved.
Rainwater dripped from their hair.
Nani looked up at him.
"You know..."
"Hm?"
"You really ruined my hair."
Sky smiled.
"I'll fix it."
"How?"
"Like this."
He leaned down and kissed him.
Nani's hands settled against Sky's shoulders as he returned the kiss, both of them still laughing between soft kisses because the whole situation was ridiculous.
Then—
The bedroom door opened.
Dew walked past.
He glanced inside.
Stopped.
Slowly reversed.
Looked again.
His eyes widened.
"MY brOTHER NANI!"
Nani immediately pulled away.
"Dew?!"
Dew clutched his chest.
"I HAVE EYES!"
Sky calmly looked at him.
"Then close them."
"WHY ARE YOU CARRYING HIM LIKE THAT?!"
"He was wet."
"THAT EXPLAINS NOTHING!"
Nani buried his face in his hands.
"Dew, please."
Dew pointed dramatically at Sky.
"You! Keep your distance from my brother!"
Sky raised an eyebrow.
"He's my boyfriend."
"I KNOW!"
"Then why are you yelling?"
"BECAUSE I DIDN'T NEED TO SEE THAT!"
Tee appeared behind Dew.
"What happened?"
Dew immediately grabbed Tee's arm.
"We're leaving."
"But—"
"Nope."
He dragged Tee down the hallway.
Nani could hear Dew muttering,
"My poor eyes..."
Tee laughed.
"You've been warned about walking into their room."
"I thought they were normal!"
"They've never been normal."
---
A few minutes later, Dew and Tee reached the quieter end of the garden.
Dew was still complaining.
"I swear, I need a warning sign on that door."
Tee laughed.
"You need to knock."
"I knocked!"
"You opened it before waiting."
Dew paused.
"...Technicality."
Tee shook his head.
Then the rain started falling harder again.
Dew looked up.
"You cold?"
"A little."
Without making a big deal of it, Dew took off his jacket and placed it around Tee's shoulders.
Tee blinked.
"You'll get wet."
"I'll survive."
"You always say that."
Dew smiled.
"Because I usually do."
Tee pulled the jacket closer.
"Thank you."
Dew looked at him for a moment.
Then quietly said,
"You know what?"
"What?"
"I think I prefer this."
Tee smiled.
"Prefer what?"
"Being here with you."
Tee's cheeks turned pink.
Dew laughed softly.
"Don't look so surprised."
"I just..."
Tee looked down.
"...didn't know you'd say it."
Dew gently took his hand.
"Get used to it."
Tee looked up.
"Why?"
Dew smiled.
"Because I'm planning to say it a lot."
Tee laughed.
And under the rain, they stood hand in hand.
No dramatic declarations.
No audience.
Just two people finally admitting what everyone else had already figured out.
Back upstairs, Nani peeked through the window.
He smiled.
Sky came up behind him.
"What are you looking at?"
Nani pointed toward the garden.
"Dew and Tee."
Sky glanced outside.
"They're finally together."
Nani smiled.
"Everyone's getting their happy ending."
Sky looked down at him.
"Everyone?"
Nani turned.
Sky's expression softened.
"We already got ours."
Nani's cheeks warmed.
"...You're getting dangerously good at this."
Sky smiled.
"Good."