King 2

The house was decorated with pastel garlands, balloons floating like borrowed dreams, forced smiles, and conversations that went nowhere. It was your brother's best friend's wife's baby shower. King.

You stood close to Alexander, feigning interest in other people's anecdotes, but your eyes... your eyes were searching only for him.

To the King.

He was leaning against the backyard railing, a glass of juice between his fingers, his soul lost somewhere far away. He wasn't smiling. His slumped shoulders and empty stare weren't the same man you knew. He wasn't the same man who laughed while playing video games in your living room, or the one who made you blush with a single glance. Today he was someone else. Someone broken.

And you couldn't stand it.

You walked away without saying anything, guided by something stronger than judgment. When you were at his side, he noticed your presence, but he didn't turn around.

—Aren't you even going to smile today?— you whispered, with a smile that sought to soften the tension.

King barely averted his face. His eyes, normally so lively, now seemed like a starless sky.

—Today less than ever — he said, with a frankness that touched you deeply.

You leaned against him, sharing the silence. The garden, the people, the noise... everything seemed so distant, as if it didn't belong in that world.

—You don't look happy, König. No one says it, but it shows.

He looked down. His voice was barely audible.

—You know what the worst part is? I don't even try to fake it anymore.

A heavy silence enveloped them, heavy with everything they never said. There was always something between them, a desire silenced by the age difference, by the fear of the forbidden. They ignored it, yes. But they never completely denied it.

The wind played with your hair, and for a moment, it was just you and him.

—Does it bother you that I came?— you asked, with a tremble in your voice.

—No… — he responded instantly, and finally looked at you —. It bothers me that you're so close… and I can't touch you.