𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭

"William..." Est's voice cracked the silence, fragile, desperate.

But William only lifted a hand, halting him mid-breath. The gesture cut sharper than any words. Est's lips trembled, the apology spilling out anyway as hot tears ran down his already blotched cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Will-love, I'm so sorry," he sobbed, every word shaking.

William's chest clenched so hard it felt like it might shatter. His heart screamed to gather Est in his arms, to tell him it was all right, that nothing mattered but him. But he held it in, his jaw locked. His voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper.

"Why?"

Est broke. His tears fell faster, his hands clutching at the sheets. "I didn't want to keep it from you, I swear. I was going to tell you after the competition. I knew... I knew you wouldn't let me go if I told you. And you know it's been my dream..."

William listened in silence, his eyes fixed on the medal clutched in his hand. His heart twisted, his soul burning with both love and devastation. Then, without warning, he lifted the medal and tossed it onto Est's lap. The metallic clink echoed too loud in the sterile room.

"This is what you wanted, right? Here you go, Est. Congratulations."

The words carved through the air like a blade.

"No!" Est cried harder, his hand trembling as he tried to reach for William. But William stepped back, retreating as though Est's touch would undo the fragile control he held onto.

"You're not ready for us, Est," William said at last, his voice low and ragged. "I understand-you love your career. And I think it's best... if you focus on that now."

"William, don't!" Est's scream tore from his chest, raw and broken, his whole body shaking with anguish.

William's hand finally reached forward-not to hold him, but to gently cup his tear-stained cheek. His thumb brushed once under Est's swollen eye, tender despite the storm in his chest.

"Don't cry," he whispered. "You'll only get sicker. Please... take care of yourself."

Then, with a final look that burned itself into Est's soul, William turned.

"No-WILLIAM!" Est screamed until his voice cracked, his sobs shaking the room. He clawed at the sheets, trying to pull himself up, but the weakness in his body betrayed him.

From the other side, Nani's knees buckled. The strength left his body as he collapsed to the floor, hands clutching at his face, tears spilling freely. The weight of watching his brother break apart in front of him was unbearable.

"Nani..." Sky whispered, reaching out, wanting to hold him. But when William stormed past, Sky hesitated only a moment before following. His eyes lingered on Nani's trembling figure before he disappeared after William.

The room was left with nothing but Est's cries, Nani's sobs, and the sound of the medal clinking faintly as it slid off the bed onto the cold hospital floor.The door slammed shut behind him.

William's absence was louder than his voice, louder than his anger, louder than the medal that had fallen from the bed onto the cold floor.

Est's screams ripped out of him, tearing his throat raw, but they changed nothing. William was gone. His love-the man he had wanted to build a future with-had walked away.

His chest heaved as if his ribs were collapsing inwards, his trembling hands reaching toward the door as though he could pull him back by sheer desperation. But the door stayed closed. His cries bounced back at him, cruel reminders of the emptiness swallowing him whole.

The sound of hurried footsteps came next. The door opened, and in rushed Papa Book and Dad Force, their faces stricken, their eyes wide.

"Est-!" Papa Book gasped, rushing to his side. He pulled him into his arms as Est's body convulsed with sobs, clutching at him like a drowning man. "What happened, baby? What happened?"

Est couldn't answer. He buried his face into Papa Book's chest, choking on his tears, his voice broken and hoarse. "He left... he left me..."

Dad Force's voice shook as he crouched down beside them, his hand gently brushing Est's damp hair from his forehead. "We heard you screaming. We saw William leave. Est, talk to us-what happened?"

"I lost him," Est cried, gripping tighter at Papa Book's shirt until his knuckles turned white. "He doesn't want me anymore-he doesn't want us..."

His parents exchanged a quick glance, their eyes glassy with the weight of his words.

Papa Book's hold tightened, rocking him slightly, whispering, "No, no, my darling, don't say that. William loves you, he always has."

But Est shook his head violently, pulling back just enough for them to see his face-red, swollen, streaked with grief. "I kept it from him! I wanted to tell him after the competition, but it's too late. The baby's gone... our baby's gone... and now so is he."

The room fell silent but for Est's ragged sobs. His parents froze, their own eyes flooding, their hearts breaking for the child in their arms who was no longer just their son but a young man who had just lost the two most precious things in his world.

Dad Force leaned in, his hand trembling as it cupped Est's cheek. "Est, listen to me. None of this makes you less worthy of love. None of this makes you weak. You are our pride, our joy, and William... Will is angry now, but anger fades. Love doesn't."

Est's lips trembled, but he shook his head again, collapsing back into Papa Book's embrace. "I don't know how to breathe without him, Papa... it hurts, it hurts so much..."

Papa Book's tears finally spilled over, falling into Est's hair as he held him tighter. His voice broke as he whispered, "Then let us breathe for you, Est. Until you can again."

Dad Force wrapped his arms around both of them, the family clinging together in that small hospital room, bound not just by blood but by shared grief, shared love, and the unbearable weight of what had been lost.

And still, beneath the comfort, Est's heart screamed for William-his love William-who had left him behind.

When William and Sky reached home, Papa Pete was waiting in the living room. The moment he saw William's face, worry tightened his features, and he made a move to approach. But Sky raised a hand, shaking his head ever so slightly-a silent signal. Not now. Later.

Papa Pete froze, watching as William trudged past him with slow, heavy steps, shoulders slumped like the weight of the world pressed down on them. He disappeared into his room without a word, the door closing quietly behind him.

William sank onto the edge of his bed. His body wasn't tired, but his soul was exhausted, wrung dry, emptied in ways he couldn't begin to explain. He pressed his palms together, elbows on his knees, and lowered his head.

His breaths came shallow, ragged-like he was holding himself together by the thinnest of threads.

Sky waited in the corridor for a long while, knowing this wasn't a wound words could immediately touch. Then, with a quiet sigh, he went to Pooh's room.

"Come with me," Sky said softly.

Pooh blinked, confused, but followed without question. When they entered William's room, Pooh's heart dropped at the sight before him. William-the loud one, the sunshine, the eternal chatterbox-sat there in silence, his head bowed, his energy dimmed to ashes.

"Will..." Pooh's voice trembled as he stepped closer. "What happened?"

William lifted his face just enough for them to see the tears streaming freely down his cheeks. His voice cracked as he began, "Est... Est was pregnant."

Pooh froze. Sky's gaze darkened, but he didn't interrupt.

William swallowed hard, forcing the words out, his voice breaking with every syllable. "Не miscarried today. Right after winning his gold medal. And I... I walked away from him."

Pooh's heart twisted. He crouched in front of William, searching his face. "I understand you're hurt and mad... but shouldn't you be with Est right now?"William shook his head, tears spilling faster.

He lifted a trembling hand to wipe them, but more kept falling. "I know. I want to. God, I want to... but I can't. My head is a mess. I don't even know what I feel anymore." His voice turned sharp for a second, cutting into his own chest. "I understand why he didn't tell me-he was nervous, he knew I wouldn't let him compete if I knew. But at least... at least he should've seen a doctor. To avoid any risk.He should've done that, right?"

Pooh and Sky exchanged a glance but said nothing.

William's shoulders shook as his voice cracked again. "I know his career is important -it should be-but... was I not important? Not enough to be trusted? I knew he was practical, I knew he thought with his head more than his heart, so I took it slow. I gave him space. He's my first love, my first relationship... and how did he repay me? Like this."

His tears came harder now, sobs shaking through him. "I know he's hurting too, but I hate that I know too much. You both know...you know how much I've always wanted a family. To be a dad. To give my child everything I never had growing up. To protect them from the pain I went through. And now -" His voice cracked, broken, "-now it's gone.Just like that."

Sky had never seen William like this. Not even when Mama Selina died. That grief had been heavy, yes, but today William wasn't just grieving. He was devastated. Destroyed.

Pooh couldn't hold back anymore. His own eyes brimmed with tears as he wrapped his arms tightly around William, catching him, grounding him. "It's okay... I've got you," Pooh whispered hoarsely, his voice trembling.

William clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder, his body shuddering like the dam had finally broken.

Sky stepped forward quietly, his hand resting on William's back. Then, slowly, he pulled both of them into his arms too, their small circle holding William together in his collapse.

After a long stretch of silence, Sky murmured, "What are you thinking for next, Will?"

William lifted his head slightly, tears still flowing, his lips trembling as he spoke. "I think... he's not ready for us. And I can't be an obstacle to his career. So let him focus on that. For now."

The words cut through Pooh like knives. For now.

But in William's hollow eyes, it looked like forever.

The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beep of the monitor and Est's soft, uneven breaths. He sat up against the pillows, his face pale, his eyes swollen from crying. Nani sat at his bedside, holding a cup of warm water he'd been trying to get Est to drink.

"I'm sorry, Nani," Est whispered suddenly, his voice so faint it almost broke. His trembling hands clutched at the blanket. "I... I ruined it. Your engagement is coming up and instead of celebrating, you're here because of me. I ruined the mood. I ruined everything."

Nani's chest tightened. He quickly set the cup down and reached for Est's hand. "Phi," he said firmly, his tone unusually steady for once. "Don't you ever say that. You didn't ruin anything. You're my brother. You're my family. If you're in pain, how could I be out there celebrating? That's not how it works."

Est tried to smile, but it crumbled into another wave of tears. "But... you deserve to be happy. I was supposed to tell William, and I didn't. And now-" His voice broke, his shoulders shaking. "Now there's no baby. And maybe... maybe no William, either."

Nani's eyes softened. For a fleeting moment, he wished he could fix everything with the same ease he teased Sky, but this was something even he couldn't turn into drama and get his way. He squeezed Est's hand tighter. "Then let me be here with you until you're strong enough to stand on your own again, alright? Don't think about the party.We'll deal with that later."

Est bit his lip, nodding weakly. "I'm so sorry, Nani. So sorry..."

Meanwhile, across the city, William sat in the dim quiet of his room. Pooh had finally dozed off against his shoulder after refusing to leave him alone, while Sky leaned silently in the armchair nearby, his phone untouched for once.

William stared at the ceiling, his hand resting limply on the handkerchief from est's merch, he still hadn't let go of. Every time his eyes closed, he saw Est's face -tear-stained, begging, whispering sorry.

He wanted to go back. God, he wanted to run back and hold Est, tell him he'd been too harsh, tell him losing the baby wasn't his fault. But the anger still twisted with the grief, making his chest ache worse.

"Why wasn't I enough?" he whispered into the silence, not realizing Sky was awake to hear it.

Sky closed his eyes, jaw tight, but said nothing.

William clutched the medal tighter, tears sliding down his cheeks unchecked. "I wanted to be his family. I wanted to be his safe place.

And instead..." His voice faltered, breaking apart. "Instead he didn't trust me."

He pressed the handkerchief against his chest, a bitter, painful reminder of the dream that had cost them something greater. His arms wrapped around himself, as though trying to fill the emptiness Est's absence left behind.

And somewhere across the hospital, Est whispered into Nani's shoulder the same broken prayer William was whispering into the night.

I'm sorry. Please don't leave me.