𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲'𝐬

The Therapanyakun estate stretched endlessly, the afternoon sun spilling over the orchard in golden waves. Nani sat quietly beneath a mango tree, his legs drawn up, a small smile playing on his lips as the wind teased his hair.

From a distance, Jimmy stood with two cups of coffee in his hands, watching the boy he had adored from the very first day of his life.

His mind drifted back, unbidden, to that memory he could never erase.He had been seven then - already carrying the title of "eldest" in both families, already protective of little Sky, of tiny Pooh, of sweet Ohm and Est.

But that day had been different. Papa Book's labor had stretched too long, complications weighing heavily in the sterile hospital air. Papa Pete's face had been pale, rushing back and forth with worry, while Dad Vegas and Dad Force were out of state, unreachable.

Jimmy had stood in that corner, small fists clenched, praying in the way only a child could. And then... the nurse came.

"Hold him," she had said softly, placing a bundle into his arms.

And Jimmy had looked down at the newborn with impossibly soft skin, a tiny face wrinkled in sleep. A surge of something fierce and unshakable had crashed over him. He didn't understand the feeling then, but he knew one thing with absolute certainty: this child was his to protect. Just like Sky. Just like all of them.

"Hi nong," he whispered that day, and it had stayed etched in his heart.

Now, standing years later, Jimmy blinked back the warmth in his eyes and walked forward.

"Coffee?" he called gently, settling down beside Nani and handing him a cup.

Nani turned, his lips curling into that bright smile that could melt n the coldest morning. "Thank you, p'Jimmy."

Jimmy took a sip of his own coffee, letting the silence stretch for a moment. The orchard rustled, peaceful and alive.

"You know," Jimmy said, voice lower now, "I still remember the first time I held you. You were so tiny. I promised myself I'd never let anything hurt you."

Nani tilted his head, eyes wide, touched by the softness in Jimmy's tone. "P'Jimmy..."

Jimmy chuckled, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Don't give me that look. You're still my nong, no matter how much Sky claims you. You'll always be my baby too."

Nani laughed, cheeks pink, the coffee warming his hands. "You're going to make Sky jealous if he hears that."

"Good," Jimmy teased with a grin. "Let him.He needs to know he's not the only one who loves you."

The laughter between them slowly died down, and Jimmy noticed how Nani's eyes drifted off toward the orchard, his expression dimming.

"Anything bothering you?" Jimmy asked gently, handing him the coffee.

Nani sighed, fingers tightening around the cup.

"Tell me-it's about Sky, isn't it?" Jimmy pressed softly.

"It's..." Nani hesitated, then let out a small bitter laugh. "Actually, you saw the news, right? Gawin is now engaged to Joss Warner.You know Gawin is my friend, and I'm truly happy for him. But people... people are talking, and I'm not even surprised. Joss and Gawin have been together for three years, already engaged, and planning to marry next year.Meanwhile, at my university, the gossip won't stop-everyone whispers that Sky isn't serious about me. That I'm wasting my time."

He slumped back in the chair, eyes lowering.

"And no, I don't care about that nonsense. But the media-they're talking too. Sky never makes anything clear. He is with me, yes, but he never labels anything. He doesn't believe in labels. But that's not how the world sees it. We're not just from any normal family, P'Jimmy. No matter how much I wish otherwise, there's always media, always society, always expectations. People keep asking Dad, Papa, even at events-'When will Sky and Nani make it official?' Sky doesn't care, but I... I feel like I have to maintain our public image at least. And whenever I bring it up, he thinks I'm comparing him with others."

Nani's voice broke into a whisper.

"What am I supposed to do? He doesn't even think about engagement, marriage is so far out of sight.... . "He slumped in his chair, eyes clouded with frustration and sadness.

Jimmy listened quietly, watching the way Nani's shoulders curled inward. He placed his cup down, leaning forward.

"Listen nong"

Nani looked at him, startled by the sudden shift in tone.

"I'm telling you this now," Jimmy continued. "You're not wasting your time with Sky. You've never wasted your love on him. You are not Gawin, and he isn't Joss, and he'll never love in the way the media or society expects him to. He loves on his own terms. Quietly, fiercely. Sometimes clumsily. And I know that frustrates you, because you've always had to be the one who thinks about appearances, about what people might say."

Nani's lips pressed tight, eyes glistening.

Jimmy reached out, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder."But Nani, love isn't a competition. Just because Gawin and Joss are on a different timeline doesn't mean you and Sky are behind.Sky is serious about you-he just doesn't announce it with rings and labels. The proof is in the way he stays, the way he looks at you, the way he'd burn the world if it ever hurt you. That's his kind of love. And honestly? I think it's more real than anything the media can write about."

Silence hung between them for a long moment, only the soft rustle of the orchard trees filling the air.

Nani finally whispered, "But what if he never wants more?"

Jimmy gave a small smile. "Then you decide what you want. And if one day you feel like you need a different answer, we'll be here for you. Always. But until then-stop comparing your story to others. Yours and Sky's... it's its own kind of beautiful."The atmosphere slowly returned to normal.

𝘼 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧

Nani sat back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he chatted lightly with the maid Papa Pete had sent to ask what he wanted for lunch. His voice was smooth again, playful even, as though the heaviness from earlier had been folded neatly away for now.

Jimmy leaned back, studying him. His eyes fell upon the faint burn mark at the side of Nani's hand when he reached for the glass of water. The scar was small now, softened with time, but Jimmy remembered everything about that day as if it were carved into his own memory.

Nani had been fifteen then, Sky eighteen.

Sky had just stepped into the world of politics -young, hot-blooded, charging into debates and speeches with all the reckless fire of a storm. He was still learning, still unpolished, but already everyone could see the danger it carried. Not for Sky alone, but for the people around him. And Nani... everyone knew Sky's possessiveness toward Nani, how he shadowed him like a bodyguard and how the mere mention of Nani's name could shift his expression in an instant.

Sky, aware of the weight of his new path, made a decision. He stopped taking Nani out with him, afraid of what an enemy might do if they saw his weakness so clearly. He poured himself into studies and work, trying to build himself into someone capable. And one evening, Sky sent a text-simple, blunt, almost cruel in its coldness. He told Nani they needed time apart, that they should both focus on themselves.

Jimmy could still see the fury in Nani's fifteen-year-old eyes when he had stormed into the living room with that message glowing on his phone. Spoiled, adored, endlessly indulged-Nani was not built to accept distance. Не wanted Sky's attention, his touch, his kisses, the whispered compliments that made his world spin. And when Sky tried to pull that away, Nani's desperation birthed something reckless.

Jimmy had been there when Nani pressed the side of his hand against the flame. The boy didn't even cry at first, just hissed, determined, before later letting tears fall as though it were an accident.Everyone had been worried sick, fussing over him, trying to soothe his sobs. But when Sky still didn't appear, still refused to bend, Nani's tears turned raw and violent. He wailed that he was ugly now, that the mark had ruined him, that Sky would never want to look at him again.

Jimmy remembered how it had twisted something inside him to see Nani in that state -but it was nothing compared to the way Sky looked when he finally arrived.

Sky had stood frozen in the doorway, guilt written across his face like a confession. His Regina sat there trembling, hand bandaged, cheeks wet with tears, whispering over and over that he wasn't beautiful anymore.

That was the first time Jimmy had ever seen Sky break. He had knelt beside Nani, voice hoarse, promising him that no scar could make him less breathtaking. That no mark on his body could ever strip him of the place he held in Sky's world. He swore then, through gritted teeth and shaking hands, that he would never let Nani feel abandoned like that again.

Jimmy exhaled quietly, pulling himself out of the memory. The mark was still there-faint, almost invisible-but to Jimmy it wasn't just skin. It was a story, a scar carved from love, desperation, and the reckless ways Nani and Sky had always clung to each other.