Kia knelt down to the kids' level, placing a gentle hand on each of their shoulders. His eyes softened but held a quiet firmness.
"Okay, little ones," he said, voice low and serious. "What your daddy tells you is private. Understood? Secrets stay between us. You do not tell anyone else what he said."
The kids' wide eyes met his, their previous excitement melting into sudden guilt.
"We… we're sorry, Daddy," Ava whispered, looking down at her shoes.
"We didn't mean to," Eli added, fidgeting with his shirt.
Ryan felt his chest loosen a tiny bit at their remorse—but also, panic flared again because Kia's calm authority only made him realize he couldn't hide behind the kids anymore.
He sighed softly, setting Eli down gently on the floor. "Alright… go to your rooms. Sleep. Seriously."
The kids nodded obediently, shuffling off toward the stairs. Kia followed them with a small, amused smile before turning back to Ryan.
Ryan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kia… they're—They're wrong. I didn't… any of that."
Kia leaned casually against the counter, a slow smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh, I see," he said, voice teasing but soft. "And I suppose you just think I am handsome then?
Ryan still flushed with embarrassment didn't know how to answer while kia took the kids upstairs to rest
Kia tucked the kids into their beds one by one, pulling the blanket up to Eli's chin and smoothing Ava's hair back from her face. They'd already half-forgotten their dramatic kitchen performance, giggling sleepily as they mumbled "Goodnight, Uncle Kia."
He whispered back, "Sleep. And no more exposing your daddy's secrets, hmm?"
They nodded with the guilty seriousness of children who had just caused an earthquake and now felt bad.
Once the lights were out, Kia turned toward the hallway—breathing out deeply.
He had held himself together for the kids.
But now?
Now the memory of Ryan's red ears, flushed cheeks, trembling voice—
God.
It hit him like a punch to the ribs.
He went down the stairs, expecting to find Ryan pacing or sulking in the living room.
Instead?
The living room was empty.
The kitchen spotless.
The whole house quiet.
Too quiet.
Kia frowned, turning around slowly.
Then he noticed the faint click he'd heard earlier…
The sound of a door shutting upstairs.
His chest tightened.
No way.
He climbed the stairs again—quietly—his heart thundering as if it already knew the truth.
When he reached the hallway, he saw it.
Ryan's bedroom door.
Closed.
Locked.
Kia stopped dead.
A dark spark of something hot, primal, and possessive shot down his spine.
"He locked himself in," Kia whispered, stunned… then a slow, dangerous smile crept across his face.
Ryan.
His bunny.
His shy, stubborn, soft-eared bunny…
Hid from him.
All because he was blushing.
Kia pressed his palm to the cool wood of the door, imagining the fiery-red ears and the trembling lashes behind it.
Fuck.
His body reacted instantly—heat shooting through him, breath tightening, restraint cracking like thin ice.
He hadn't seen Ryan blush like that in years.
Years.
And it did something to him.
Something deep.
Something he had no business fighting.
He leaned his forehead against the door, eyes closing.
"Ryan…" he breathed, voice low, almost a growl.
Images assaulted him—
Ryan turning pink to the tips of his ears,
Ryan refusing to make eye contact,
Ryan clutching Eli like a flimsy shield,
Ryan sputtering, stuttering, denying everything.
God.
His bunny had been so cute.
So unbelievably cute.
Kia bit back a sound, fingers curling against the door.
He wanted to tease him.
Wanted to step close and murmur right into his ear.
Wanted to watch that flush crawl down his neck.
More than that—
He wanted to bite those cheeks.
Just one taste.
One soft, warm, blushing bite.
He wanted to trace kisses along the curve of Ryan's ear…
That sensitive spot that made Ryan shiver…
And the fact that he had held himself back—held himself together in front of the kids—was nothing short of a miracle.
He dragged in a deep breath.
"If you think locking the door will stop me from wanting you…" he whispered under his breath, smirking,
"…you're adorable."
Kia stepped back, staring at the locked door like it belonged to him, like the man behind it belonged to him.
And honestly?
He did.
its just so funny that his bunny has been keeping up that nonchalant and cold wall, he knows that with time, those walls will tumble down.
Fuck, he so much want to taste him but he knows the best thing he can do is to calm down which is very hard, I mean his brother down there is as hard as a rock