Chris felt them—his own tears landing on his cheeks, a silent mirror to the pain he was witnessing. He hadn't even realized he was crying, the depth of Sky's agony pulling him in with a force he couldn't escape. It was all so much. Sky's pain, his struggle, the years of hiding it from everyone—including Chris. How could Chris have known? He had only seen the surface, the parts Sky allowed the world to see.
But now, in this moment, it was all coming to light, and Chris could feel the weight of it pressing down on his chest, suffocating him. He understood now why Sky was always so guarded, why he hid behind his aloofness and hesitation. Sky hated himself. Hated his body. And Chris couldn't have known, not really, until now.
The cracks Sky had fought so hard to keep hidden were wide open, and Chris was helpless, his heart breaking for him.
