Daniel swayed, clutching his temples as his shattered head throbbed unbearably. He should have gone to the hospital yesterday, after meeting three drunken delinquents and foolishly attacking them. He had expected a few bruises, but instead, he ended up with a concussion and a couple of cracked ribs. He looked like the perfect kidnapping victim. They wouldn't let him into the hostel at first, only allowing him in after he handed over his last bit of money. Dirty from wallowing in puddles, covered in abrasions from the asphalt and heavy boots, with bleeding, broken lips, a loose incisor, a caked blood trail on his temple from a bottle blow, dark circles under his inflamed eyes from lack of sleep, and a doomed, sad expression, he was a sight to behold. Passers-by avoided him fearfully. On the buses he took to the city center, an empty space formed around him, and everyone averted their eyes in disdain. Untouchable again. Once more a member of a lower caste. At the bottom again.

But Sonya was worth it.

Daniel smiled faintly, trying not to aggravate his painfully swollen lips, as he hummed the song they had been singing that night, "Donnez-moi une suite au Ritz, je n'en veux pas! Des bijoux de chez Chanel, je n'en veux pas! Donnez-moi une limousine, nananan？Papala-papapala."To those around him, he must have seemed like a complete lunatic. The song so perfectly reflected his inner state and reminded him of the brief happy hours with Sonya that he couldn't help but sing.

Just before he reached the courtyard of the housing complex, a deep sense of despair washed over him - he didn't want to go back. Daniel stood slumped, preparing himself for the remaining two hundred meters, but he couldn't continue. He allowed himself a moment of weakness: he sat down on a bench, rested his throbbing head on the backrest, and closed his eyes. The sun was pleasantly warm, relaxing him. He had slept so little these past days and had been so nervous; he deserved a little break... He woke up abruptly when someone lifted him, jerking him awake with a hoarse shriek.

"Danechka," said pale Alexander, supporting him on one side, with tense Georgy on the other. "Don't be afraid, it's me. Hush, sweetie, we'll carry you to the car now."

"I'll do it myself," Daniel muttered sluggishly, trying to stand, but they wouldn't let him. They quickly carried him to the car and gently placed him in the back seat. Georgy looked over Alexander's shoulder, who was climbing into the car, said something to Tengiz, and then disappeared. Immediately, Daniel found it easier to breathe.

"To the same clinic, Mr. Bystritsky?" the driver asked. Alexander yelled as he tore open a pack of tissues.

"To the same one! Hurry up! Damn, if I hadn't looked out the window... Danny, I'm just going to wipe it off, okay?" He touched Daniel's trembling lips with a tissue and quickly pulled it away when Daniel moaned in pain. "Aah! What was that? Danny, what happened to you? Tell me everything you remember."

"... I wanted to go for a walk," Daniel began monotonously, batting his eyelashes as he watched exhausted Alexander, who looked as if he had been in prison for days. "I left the fitness center, walked about a hundred meters, and then they put a bag over my head and shoved me into a car. There were several of them - I could tell by the sound of their footsteps. They were coordinated and silent. They took me somewhere, didn't beat me at first, and then..." His voice broke off genuinely; the agony on Alexander's face was too raw, and Daniel felt a deep shame. "Later, they dumped me in Biryulevo. I took buses to the center. I can't identify anyone, I don't remember any details. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry," Alexander said, kissing his hand and shaking. "God, Danny... What a blessing that you're alive. It's okay, you'll recover. And I'll deal with everyone."

At the clinic, Daniel was only able to relax after two hours of X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, wound care, and having a laceration on his head stitched up after shaving the area. He was then washed, fed, and rehydrated. Finally, after a two-day voluntary hunger strike, during which he had refused food to make his story more believable, he was able to eat. Now, lying in clean silk pajamas on fresh, crisp sheets in a safe and peaceful place, the pain in his ribs and head had subsided thanks to the medication.

Inside, his joy grew and grew. Alexander believed him, and even Georgy seemed convinced - evident in his confused expression. Consequently, Sonya was out of the picture. Daniel had done the right thing.

Surprisingly, Georgy was the first to arrive. Inside, Daniel felt a surge of jealous hatred, replacing his usual wariness and faint fear towards Georgy. Georgy placed a bottle of juice on the nightstand, set down a bunch of tangerines in a fancy bag, and sat down, jutting out his heavy jaw with determination.

"I hope you've finally realized why you shouldn't douse your bodyguards with sleeping pills and go for your walks?" Georgy gasped, then continued more calmly. "I'm sorry, my nerves have been on edge these days. I didn't want to shout. Now, because of you, Sasha wants to start a war and take down some very, very important people."

"Don't," Daniel whispered, effortlessly faking exhaustion. "I can say that I lied, that I was out for two days, and then I was attacked. I could say I lied out of fear."

"He wouldn't believe it, I know I wouldn't if I were him," sighed Georgy. "Do you remember anything? Numbers, words, names. Any clue is important."

"Nothing," Daniel said, averting his eyes to the window. It was as if Georgy's penetrating, burning gaze was about to draw out the truth, to uncover everything. "I was in the sack, and they didn't say anything."

"They didn't beat you in the sack," Georgy almost touched the bandage on Daniel's head, making him recoil. "I could see that the cut was even, which couldn't be the case if your head was covered with something."

"When the bag was ripped off, I covered my face with my hands. I couldn't see anything, and I was afraid to look - I thought they'd kill me for sure," Daniel said nervously, covering his shattered knuckles and adding hastily. "I blindly punched someone in the face a couple of times when I was in the sack."

"Next time, if, God forbid, something like this happens, don't hit anyone - you'll be safer," Georgy advised, standing up and placing the phone from his pocket on the bedside table. "Here's your phone. Recover as soon as possible, and if you remember anything, call me."

Alexander confronted Georgy at the door, momentarily stunned with indignation before flaring up. "What the hell are you doing here?! He's already on edge; he could have a nervous breakdown! Goshka, do you have any humanity at all?"

"Yes," Georgy hissed dryly. "I want to find those who did this to him. That's why I came to find out the details - I'm responsible for security, after all. I didn't bully him, calm down."

"Is that so?" Alexander asked curtly, turning to Daniel, who nodded weakly. "Okay, I'm sorry, Gosh. But don't come to him again; I'll ask him myself."

He sat down in the same chair, leaned over to Daniel, resting his elbows on the bed, and kissed him affectionately on the cheek.

"I won't ask you anything today; you've already told Gosha everything you know, haven't you? That's fine. You need to rest and recover. And when you get out, Danechka..." Alexander gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles tensing as he barely restrained himself, then sneered. "You'll be under such supervision that you won't even be alone in the toilet. I almost went crazy these past few days, not knowing what was wrong with you or where you were."

"Okay, Sasha," Daniel said softly, placing his hand gently on Alexander's clenched fingers on the blanket. "I'm sorry I made you worry about me." The shame of the deceit burned through him, compelling him to apologize and search for words of comfort. "I... I missed you, Sasha."

Alexander's jaw dropped helplessly, and he blinked rapidly, the green of his eyes warming. He clung to Daniel's shoulder, hiding his face. Daniel awkwardly turned, put his arm around Alexander with his catheter-free hand, and kissed him on the temple - genuinely, tenderly. The way cheaters kiss unloved people, squirming in paroxysms of shame, experiencing a temporary surge of affection. Or perhaps he was lying to himself, ignoring the feelings that had already settled firmly in his soul against his will. It was impossible to figure out, but at this very moment, he wanted hugs, kisses, reassurances that everything would be all right, that the dangerous period was over.

Calming down, Alexander kissed Daniel's shoulder, wet with his tears, moved his lips up to his neck, whispered unintelligible words of comfort, and slowly shifted him, climbing onto the bed.

"I'm such an asshole, fuck," Alexander propped himself up on his elbow, his eyes shining with intensity. "You're hurt and unwell, yet I still want you, even now." He hesitated, then continued, "They showed me the preliminary exam results, but... I need to ask. They didn't... try anything, did they?"

Daniel shook his head slightly, recalling the angry thugs. "I don't think they were interested in me that way."

"Thank God," Alexander sighed, lying back down and letting his warm breath brush against Daniel's neck. "I'll protect you, my prince. I'll put you in the safest, most impenetrable fortress so no dragon can ever reach you."

"Very romantic," Daniel snorted, amused by the dramatic language and wondering if he had been given something to make him laugh. Or maybe it was just relief. "Just don't go around killing dragons. No war, please. If you won't fear for yourself, fear for me. If there's a war, your father will kill me himself."

"Why do you think that?" Alexander asked, frowning indignantly. "Dad promised he wouldn't hurt you again, and he always keeps his promises."

"Because I'm the reason you might start doing something reckless and dangerous. In that case, he won't be able to stay out of it. If I were him, I'd eliminate the catalyst."

"I'll think about it," Alexander whispered. "It sounds logical, but Dad... no, he definitely won't. He knows that I love you more than anyone else. He wouldn't do that to me. I love you, I love you, I love you!" The word "love" whispered into his pressed ear, sounded eerily like "harm."

Daniel ran his fingers through the wavy strands, still wet from the shower and smelling of bitter almonds, and thought of the other hair: shorter, silkier, darker. Strange things were happening in his soul - while he hadn't seen Alexander, he had thought only of Sonya, but now both images were woven together into something necessary and important. The duality didn't frighten him, it only dumbly surprised him. Alexander, also exhausted from the past days, yawned long, spoke more slowly, taking pauses between words, and soon fell silent, blissfully snoring into Daniel's neck. And after him, as if the lights had been turned off, Daniel passed out as well.