Unexpected

Chapter 5

It had been six months since the wedding, and for Sky, each step forward felt like it was immediately countered by several steps back. Just when he thought they were finally starting to get somewhere—when Nani had begun opening up, speaking more than his usual clipped responses, and even letting Sky drive him to work—Nani suddenly withdrew. The warmth Sky had fought so hard to coax out of him seemed to vanish overnight, replaced by the same cool indifference from the beginning of their marriage.

Sky couldn’t understand it. He’d gone over every interaction they’d shared in the past few weeks, wondering what he’d done wrong, what could have made Nani retreat so quickly. It hurt, feeling like he was back to square one after months of trying. But no matter how much he wondered, he couldn't find an answer. And so, he continued his attempts, still hopeful that maybe—just maybe—Nani would let him in again.

---

Meanwhile, Nani was fully aware of the shift. He knew exactly why he’d started being colder, retreating to his aloof demeanor. The truth was, he’d noticed himself softening toward Sky in ways that made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t supposed to care, wasn’t supposed to feel even the smallest flutter in his chest when Sky looked at him with that warm, bright smile. But he did, and that was dangerous.

One evening, Nani found himself pacing the living room, replaying the past few months in his head. He could see it—the small ways he’d let his guard slip. The conversations that had stretched longer than they should have, the moments of comfort he’d allowed himself to enjoy, the nights he found himself laughing at one of Sky’s ridiculous jokes. Those little cracks in his armor felt like betrayals of his original plan.

He’d promised himself he would leave after a year, that he wouldn’t let Sky get close enough to make him forget. But lately, that resolve was slipping, and it terrified him. So, he did what he knew best. He pulled back, reminded himself that Sky wasn’t supposed to matter, that his heart was still firmly rooted in the love he’d once felt for Dew. Anything he might be feeling now was just a distraction—a complication he couldn’t afford.

---

One morning, as they sat across from each other over breakfast, Sky could sense the wall between them more than ever. Nani ate in silence, his gaze distant, as if Sky wasn’t even in the room. Normally, Sky would have chattered about his day, tried to bring some life into the quiet space. But today, he felt exhausted, unsure if his words would even reach Nani through the walls he’d rebuilt around himself.

Finally, Sky broke the silence, his voice hesitant. “Did… I do something wrong?”

Nani looked up, surprised by the question. For a moment, a flicker of guilt crossed his face, but he quickly masked it with a neutral expression. “No,” he said flatly. “Why would you think that?”

Sky shrugged, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. “I don’t know… You’ve just seemed… distant. I thought maybe I’d overstepped or done something to upset you.”

Nani’s gaze hardened, a defense mechanism he didn’t fully understand himself. “I haven’t been distant. Maybe you’re just overthinking it,” he said coldly, returning to his meal as if the conversation held no weight.

Sky’s shoulders slumped slightly, his heart sinking at the response. He forced a small, unconvincing smile. “Maybe. Sorry for bothering you.”

They finished breakfast in silence, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension. For Sky, it felt like a defeat, another reminder that the progress he thought they’d made might have been nothing more than wishful thinking.

---

That night, as Sky lay in bed, he found himself staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. Nani had been so close, so… reachable, for a while. He didn’t know what had changed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was holding Nani back. It was frustrating, feeling like he was missing a piece of a puzzle he’d been working on for months. Yet, despite the hurt and the confusion, he found himself determined. Nani might be pulling away again, but Sky wasn’t willing to give up—not after everything they’d already been through.

---

In his own room, Nani lay awake, staring at his phone. He hadn’t contacted Dew in months. There had been no need; he’d cut off all communication when he’d accepted the marriage, and it was something he’d told himself was a necessary sacrifice. Yet, tonight, he found himself staring at Dew’s old messages, his thumb hovering over the “call” button, just to remind himself of what he was fighting for.

But the more he tried to think of Dew, the harder it became. The memories felt distant, almost faded, like an echo that was hard to hear. And instead, all he could think about was the way Sky had looked at him that morning—hurt, confused, and trying so hard to reach him.

He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to ignore the guilt creeping into his chest. He couldn’t afford to fall for Sky’s kindness, for that relentless optimism that seemed to shine through no matter how much he pushed him away. If he let himself care, if he let himself hope, he’d lose control, and he wasn’t ready for that.

With a sigh, Nani tossed his phone onto the nightstand, telling himself that he was still in control, that he was simply doing what he had to in order to protect himself. But deep down, a small part of him knew that something had shifted, that maybe—just maybe—his heart wasn’t as untouched as he wanted to believe.

---

In the days that followed, Sky continued his attempts to bridge the gap between them, finding small ways to show Nani that he was there, that he wasn’t giving up. He left coffee for him on the counter in the mornings, dropped by his office occasionally just to say hello, and even managed to convince him to join him for a quiet dinner one evening, though Nani remained reserved, his responses clipped and guarded.

And though Nani tried to ignore it, he couldn’t help but notice the little things Sky did—the way he smiled at him despite the coldness he was met with, the way he celebrated even the smallest bit of warmth Nani offered. Slowly, those gestures began to chip away at his defenses, leaving him questioning his own resolve.

Each day, it felt harder to maintain his distance, to keep up the act. But he was determined, telling himself that whatever he was feeling now couldn’t be trusted. His heart was still Dew’s, he insisted, even as his thoughts drifted, more and more, to the warmth of Sky’s unwavering presence.