Chapter 1: Drawn to You

The sound of pencil scratching against paper was the only thing filling Daive’s bedroom that Sunday afternoon. Outside, the sky was unusually still—gray, but not raining. Much like how Daive felt inside.

He paused, staring at the sketch on his lap. He had drawn Sky again. Not intentionally. He had started with just the curve of a smile, then a pair of eyes that felt familiar, and before he knew it, he had drawn him. Again.

Sky’s messy hair, his carefree grin, the little crinkle under his left eye when he laughed—Daive captured it all without needing to look at a reference. He knew Sky’s face better than his own.

He hated how easy it came to him.

A buzz from his phone broke his thoughts. A message from Sky.

Sky:

You alive, Daive? Or did your sketchpad finally eat you? 😜

Sky:

Come over. I’m bored.

Daive smiled slightly and typed a short reply:

Daive:

On my way.

---

Twenty minutes later, Daive was sitting on the floor of Sky’s room, flipping through game options on the console while Sky complained about math homework behind him.

“I swear, the new teacher’s trying to kill us,” Sky groaned, flopping dramatically onto his bed. “She gave us ten problems. TEN. Like we’re robots or something.”

Daive didn’t respond. He was too busy staring at the way Sky’s shirt rose slightly as he rolled onto his side, revealing a sliver of his waist. It wasn’t even intentional. Sky never noticed these things. But Daive did.

Always.

He turned back to the game selection before Sky could catch him staring.

“You okay?” Sky asked, sitting up and tossing a pillow at him.

Daive caught it. “Yeah. Why?”

“You’re quiet.”

“You talk enough for both of us,” Daive muttered, smirking.

Sky grinned. “You love it.”

And the stupid thing was—he did. Too much, maybe.

---

Later that night, after dinner, Sky walked Daive to the gate. They always ended their hangouts like this—like a scene out of a movie neither of them was brave enough to finish.

“Hey,” Sky said, scratching the back of his neck. “You’re free next weekend, right? I was thinking we could—"

“Sky!”

A girl’s voice rang from the sidewalk. Yna.

She jogged up to them, smiling brightly, her long hair bouncing with each step. “Oh, wow. I didn’t know you lived around here.”

Sky raised an eyebrow. “I’ve literally lived here since we were kids, Yna.”

She laughed. “Right. Anyway, I was wondering if you got the homework from earlier? I missed the last part of the lecture.”

Daive stood quietly, watching the exchange. Yna was smiling—too much. And standing—too close.

Sky, ever polite, nodded. “Yeah, I have it. I’ll send it later?”

“Thanks! You’re the best,” she said with a playful wink before turning and walking off with a sway in her step.

Daive’s chest felt tight. He hated that he noticed how cute she looked. Hated that Sky didn’t seem to hate it.

“She’s just being nice,” Sky said, sensing the silence.

Daive shrugged. “Sure.”

But inside, his thoughts were loud:

Do you like her?

He didn't dare ask.

Instead, he walked away with a quiet goodbye, hands in his pockets, sketchpad in his bag, and jealousy blooming in his chest like a storm cloud.

Chapter 2: Homework and Heartbeats

Monday arrived with the usual classroom noise chairs scraping, backpacks dropping, and sleepy chatter. Daive walked in with earbuds in, trying to block out the world. His sketchpad was tucked securely inside his bag, right next to the math homework he had stayed up finishing.

“Daive!”

Sky waved him over, already seated near the window. Daive’s heart did its usual flip ridiculous, automatic, and annoyingly real.

“Saved you a seat,” Sky said, patting the empty chair beside him.

Daive nodded and sat down, slipping off one earbud. “Finished the homework?”

Sky groaned. “Kind of. I guessed on the last two.”

“You always guess on the last two.”

“And sometimes I’m right.”

“Rarely,” Daive muttered, smirking.

Sky grinned and leaned in closer. “You still love me anyway.”

Daive looked at him really looked at him and then turned away before his face could betray the truth. “Sure. As a friend.”

Sky didn’t catch the pause in his voice. Or maybe he did and chose to ignore it.

The day dragged on until lunch, when things started to feel… off.

Daive entered the canteen, tray in hand, looking for their usual table. He spotted Sky but this time, Yna was already sitting across from him, laughing about something. Her body language was easy, relaxed, familiar. Too familiar.

Daive hesitated for a second, then walked over and sat beside Sky. Yna looked up and gave him a polite smile just polite enough to hide the fact that she wasn’t thrilled to see him.

“Hi, Daive,” she said sweetly. “Sky was just telling me how you helped him survive math again.”

“I didn’t,” Daive replied flatly.

Sky laughed, clueless. “He did, though. He always does.”

“Must be nice having someone you can always count on,” Yna said, still looking at Daive. It wasn’t a compliment. It was a warning.

Daive ignored her, but his fingers clenched around his spoon. He hated this. Hated that she was here. Hated that he felt like an outsider at his own table.

After lunch, the tension didn’t fade.

In class, Sky and Yna were assigned to the same group for a presentation. She lit up, clearly pleased. Daive was paired with two students he barely knew.

From across the room, he watched Yna lean in and whisper something to Sky, who smiled in response.

Daive felt sick.

He hated that Sky smiled like that. Hated that Yna looked like she belonged there. Hated that he didn’t.

And more than anything he hated that he didn’t know what Sky was thinking.

Maybe Sky did like her. Maybe the reason he never noticed Daive’s feelings was because he had always been looking at someone else.

Someone… normal.

Later that afternoon, they met up briefly before heading home.

Sky was still cheerful, talking about their upcoming project, but Daive was distant. His responses were short, distracted. Sky noticed.

“You okay?” he asked, tilting his head. “You’ve been quiet all day.”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure? Did something happen?”

“No,” Daive said, trying to keep his voice neutral. “Just tired.”

Sky reached out and lightly bumped his shoulder. “You don’t have to act tough, you know. You can talk to me.”

Daive swallowed the words he wanted to say.

I’m jealous. Of her.

Because I’m afraid she’s taking you away from me.

Because I’m in love with you, and I don’t know what to do about it.

But instead, he just said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And walked away.

That night, Daive stared at his sketchpad again.

He started drawing without thinking Sky’s face, peaceful, eyes closed, the curve of his smile soft and real.

He sketched Yna too. Not out of choice but because she was always there now, in the corner of every scene.

He hated that.

He turned the page and tried again.

Only Sky this time.

Only the way he saw him.

The way he loved him.

And as he shaded the last line, he whispered to no one,

“Please don’t fall for her.”