Chapter 22: Skylar
1603 Words
Two weeks.
Fourteen days.
Three hundred and thirty-six hours.
Not that Skylar had been counting.
…He had.
Every single one of them.
The estate didn’t feel like home anymore.
It was still beautiful.
The gardens still bloomed.
The kitchen still smelled of freshly baked bread every morning.
The library was still quiet.
Damien’s office still had documents stacked neatly across the enormous oak desk.
Everything was exactly where it had always been.
Yet…
Everything felt different.
Empty.
He hadn’t realised how much space one person could fill until that person wasn’t there anymore.
The breakfast table felt too large.
Dinner felt too quiet.
Even the evenings in the library didn’t have the same warmth.
Sometimes he would unconsciously glance toward Damien’s office, expecting him to call—
“Sky? Come keep me company?”
Only to remember…
He was thousands of miles away.
…
At night…
It was somehow worse.
Skylar rolled onto Damien’s side of the bed.
The pillow still carried the faintest trace of his scent.
A clean, woody fragrance mixed with expensive cologne.
He hugged the pillow to his chest.
“…I miss you.”
The confession disappeared into the darkness.
He frowned immediately afterwards.
“When did this happen?”
When had he started missing Damien?
When had coming home become something he looked forward to because Damien would be there?
He didn’t know.
He genuinely didn’t know.
⸻
The guards weren’t helping.
Not one bit.
Everywhere he turned…
There was another guard.
Outside the gate.
By the gardens.
Near the kitchen entrance.
At the café.
He knew they were only doing their jobs.
They were polite.
Professional.
Never intrusive.
They carried themselves with the calm confidence of people who knew exactly what they were were doing.
Oddly enough…
They made him feel safe.
But…
Not the way Damien did.
That thought caught him off guard.
He stopped halfway through icing a cake.
“…That’s strange.”
One of the bakers looked up.
“Boss?”
“…Nothing.”
Nothing at all.
⸻
That afternoon, his phone rang.
Damien.
Skylar answered before the second ring.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Sky.”
There it was.
That familiar voice.
Warm.
Calm.
Comforting.
“I’ll be home this evening.”
Skylar’s entire face lit up.
“…Really?”
“I’ve just landed.”
“When?”
“About an hour ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“It worked.”
Damien chuckled.
“I’ll see you soon.”
“…Drive safely.”
“I always do.”
The call ended.
Skylar stood in the middle of the kitchen smiling to himself.
One of the chefs looked over.
“…Boss?”
“Hm?”
“You’re smiling at your phone.”
Skylar immediately hid it behind his back.
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“…Go frost your cupcakes.”
The chef laughed.
⸻
The rest of the day crawled.
Every minute felt longer than the last.
He checked the clock.
Far too often.
Accidentally added sugar twice to a pastry filling.
Nearly burned a tray of croissants.
Forgot where he’d put his apron.
His employees exchanged amused looks.
One finally whispered,
“…I think Master Damien is coming home today.”
Skylar blinked.
“…How did you know?”
The entire kitchen laughed.
⸻
By the time he reached the estate…
His heart was beating far faster than it should have been.
He had barely stepped inside when—
The front doors opened.
Damien walked in.
Travel bag in one hand.
Suit jacket folded over his arm.
Looking slightly tired…
But smiling the moment their eyes met.
Something inside Skylar snapped.
He didn’t think.
Didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t even greet him.
He ran.
“Damien!”
Damien barely had enough time to set his bag down before Skylar threw himself into his arms.
The force pushed Damien back two steps.
Strong arms wrapped around him instinctively.
Holding him steady.
Holding him close.
For several long seconds…
Neither of them spoke.
Skylar buried his face against Damien’s shoulder.
“I missed you.”
The words tumbled out before he could stop them.
“I missed you so much.”
Another squeeze.
“The house wasn’t the same.”
“The food wasn’t the same.”
“I even missed you asking if I’d eaten.”
He laughed nervously.
“I didn’t think I’d miss you this much.”
Damien remained perfectly still.
Almost as though he were afraid moving would break the moment.
Then Skylar looked up.
Damien was staring at him.
There was something so gentle in those familiar grey eyes that it stole the air from his lungs.
“…What?”
Damien smiled.
“I missed you too, Sky.”
That smile…
It was unfair.
Without thinking…
Skylar lifted himself onto his tiptoes.
One hand rested lightly against Damien’s chest.
The other curled around his sleeve.
And before his brain had any chance to stop him…
He kissed him.
Softly.
Gently.
Just a brush of lips.
A kiss that carried two weeks of longing neither of them had known how to describe.
For the briefest moment…
Damien didn’t move.
Almost as though he couldn’t believe it was happening.
Then…
His hand came up carefully to cradle Skylar’s cheek.
As if he were holding something precious.
He kissed him back.
Slow.
Patient.
Tender.
No urgency.
No pressure.
Only warmth.
Only affection.
Only relief.
It felt…
Safe.
When they finally pulled apart…
Skylar blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Realisation crashed into him.
…
He had kissed Damien.
He.
Skylar.
The man who used to run away from Damien as a child.
The man who spent months sitting twenty chairs away from him.
The man terrified of making eye contact.
Had just…
Kissed his husband.
“Oh.”
His face turned scarlet.
“…Oh no.”
Without another word—
He turned around.
Walked upstairs.
Closed his bedroom door.
Then slid dramatically down it until he was sitting on the floor.
He covered his burning face with both hands.
“…What have I done…”
⸻
He didn’t sleep.
Not properly.
Every time he closed his eyes…
He remembered the kiss.
Remembered Damien kissing him back.
Remembered those grey eyes looking at him.
By five in the morning…
He gave up.
Quietly dressed.
Quietly grabbed his car keys.
Quietly escaped the estate before Damien had even woken up.
⸻
His father opened the front door wearing a robe.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
“…Sky?”
“…Morning.”
His father looked at the sky.
Then back at his son.
“…It’s barely six.”
“I know.”
“…Is everything alright?”
Skylar walked inside dramatically.
“No.”
His father immediately became serious.
“What happened?”
Skylar turned around.
Eyes wide.
Face still pink.
“I kissed Damien.”
Silence.
His father stared.
“…You what?”
“I kissed Damien.”
“You… kissed…”
“Damien.”
“Your husband?”
“Yes.”
“The man you’ve been married to for over a year?”
“Yes!”
His father blinked several times.
Then—
He burst into laughter.
Loud.
Uncontrollable laughter.
He actually had to hold onto the kitchen counter.
Skylar stared in horror.
“Dad!”
“I’m sorry—”
He wasn’t sorry.
“This isn’t funny!”
“It absolutely is!”
“I kissed him!”
“I know!”
“And now I’m embarrassed!”
His father laughed even harder.
“Sky…”
“I don’t know what came over me!”
“You kissed your husband.”
“I know!”
“I’m never going back.”
His father wiped tears from his eyes.
“…You’re what?”
“I’m staying here.”
“For how long?”
“…Forever.”
His father laughed so hard he nearly dropped his coffee mug.
“Oh, sweetheart…”
“This is serious.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“It is!”
“You kissed your husband.”
“I know!”
“So?”
“I kissed him first.”
“…Yes.”
“He kissed me back.”
“…I certainly hope so.”
“Dad!”
“What?”
Skylar buried his face in his hands.
“This is embarrassing.”
His father walked over, patting his shoulder affectionately.
“My dear boy…”
“Hm?”
“You’ve spent years running away from Damien.”
“…Yes.”
“You finally ran towards him.”
Skylar slowly looked up.
His father smiled warmly.
“I think that’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done.”
Skylar stayed quiet.
Then…
Very quietly…
“…Do you think he’ll think I’m strange?”
His father blinked.
“Sky.”
“Hm?”
“That man has looked at you like you hung the moon since the day you got married.”
“…Really?”
“I’d wager he hasn’t stopped smiling since you kissed him.”
Skylar groaned dramatically.
“…Please don’t say that.”
“Why?”
“Because now I’m even more embarrassed.”
His father chuckled.
“I have one piece of advice.”
“What?”
He pointed towards the front door.
“Go home.”
Skylar frowned.
“…Now?”
“Yes.”
“What if he mentions the kiss?”
His father smiled mischievously.
“Then kiss him again.”
“Dad!”
The older man laughed all over again as Skylar hid his bright red face behind a cushion, wondering if he would ever be brave enough to look Damien in the eye again.
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