Sky drew a long, steadying breath before pushing open the heavy door to the Young Master's suite. Good luck to me, Sky thought, stepping into the quiet room. "Young Master?"
There was no answer. Sky scanned the room, looking for any sign of him, but the space seemed empty. Panic flared for a second. Where on earth is he?
"Young Master?" Sky called again, checking behind the curtains and the lounge area. Finally, Sky's eyes caught a slumped figure tucked into the corner by the wardrobe. Sky approached cautiously, voice softening. "Young Master."
He lifted his head just enough for Sky to see his tear-streaked face before he buried it back into his knees. Sky sighed and sank onto the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of him. "Are you mad at me?"
Silence stretched between them for several minutes. Sky whispered, "You really are mad, aren't you?"
"Your twin was just joking," Sky continued gently. "We aren't going anywhere. And even if he asked for real, I wouldn't leave you to go with him."
"B-but you looked happy talking to him," he mumbled against his knees, his voice small and hurt. "Not like when you're with me. You're always so grumpy when I'm around."
The honesty of the statement caught Sky off guard. "I'm only grumpy because I care about you, and you're important to me—"
"Just go to Sian then!" he cried out, finally looking up with a pout. "You're clearly happier with him! Just leave me here by myself!"
Sky took a breath, trying to stay patient. "Are you sure? You're really telling me to leave?"
"Just go! I don't need you!"
Sky hid a small smirk at his dramatics. He was actually quite adorable when he was being stubborn. "Fine. If that's what you want, I'll go." Sky began to stand up slowly, testing him. "I'm leaving now."
Before Sky could take a single step, the Young Master lunged forward, grabbing Sky's hand and pulling with enough force to send Sky tumbling right onto his lap.
"You can't go," he whispered, his arms locking around Sky in a crushing hug.
"You can't leave me."-Liam.
Sky felt a surge of relief, but it was short-lived. Without warning, he shoved Sky back, sending them sprawling onto the carpeted floor. Before Sky could even protest, he was hovering over them, pinning Sky down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silk handkerchief.
"Young Master? What are you doing?" Sky's heart began to race as he began tying the cloth firmly around Sky's wrists. He looked down with a focused, almost predatory intensity that didn't match his usual innocence.
Once the knot was secure, he beamed. "I'm going to eat you up."
Sky's mind went blank. "W-what? What did you just say?"
"You're important to me," he explained earnestly. "I saw it on a show. The man 'ate' the girl to show her how much he valued her. I want to value you, Sky."
Sky stared at him, horrified. What kind of R-rated shows has he been sneaking into his watchlist? "Stop this right now, Young Master!" Sky snapped, trying to regain control of the situation. "The floor is freezing, and these ties are too tight. Untie me!"
Sky kept the tone firm, hoping to snap him out of whatever fantasy he was playing out. "And get off me! You're heavy, I can't breathe!"
The effect was instantaneous. His face crumpled, and his eyes filled with fresh tears. He scrambled off Sky immediately, looking like a kicked puppy. "You really don't like me anymore," he sobbed.
Sky sat up, frantically working at the knot on their wrists. "Young Master, it's not like that—"
"It is!" he wailed. "You never used to yell at me! But now... now you're being mean!"
Sky finally freed their hands and stood up, reaching out to cup his face. "I wasn't being mean," Sky said, voice dripping with honey. "How could I ever be mean to you?"
He was so sensitive to tone that Sky had to pivot quickly. "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"
He let out a long, exaggerated pout. "I don't want to! And get your hands off me! You're... you're making it hard for me to breathe!" He threw Sky's own words back at them with a triumphant sniff.
Sky suppressed a groan. The brat actually got me.
Stepping closer, Sky wrapped both arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "Please don't be mad. I was just worried."
He struggled against the embrace, though half-heartedly. "Let go! We aren't friends yet!"
"What do I have to do for you to forgive me?" Sky asked, looking up at him.
He stopped struggling and went still, his eyes darting around as he considered his options. Then, a slow, mischievous smirk spread across his lips—one that made Sky very, very nervous.
"Take a bath with me," he announced.
Sky's arms dropped instantly. "Of all the things... why would you even ask for that?!"
"If you won't do it, then I won't forgive you," he said with a shrug, turning his back. "Don't even try talking to me. We're not—"
"Fine! Fine, I'll do it!" Sky shouted, defeated by his logic.
"Yay! Go get the water ready!" he cheered, his mood flipping back to pure excitement in an instant.
Sky sighed, heading toward the en-suite bathroom. "Stay there. Don't move. I'll get it ready."
Behind her, the Young Master sat on his bed, swinging his legs with a satisfied grin. Sky could only wonder how a man could be so innocent and so manipulative at the exact same time.