Kia stood there, hand still pressed against the doorframe, listening.
Silence.
Not the normal kind.
Not Ryan's usual cold, annoyed, "I-don't-want-to-talk-to-you" silence.
This one was heavier.
Like something was breaking on the other side.
"Kia…" one of the twins had whispered earlier, sleepy and soft,
"Daddy was blushing."
And Kia almost melted right there.
But now?
Now all that sweetness was gone, replaced with a cold tightness squeezing his chest.
He knocked again, gentler this time.
"Ryan… bunny, open the door, please."
Nothing.
He leaned his forehead against the wood, eyes closing as a wave of dread washed through him. Ryan was never this quiet unless—
Unless he was hurting.
Kia's jaw clenched.
Did I do something? Did the kids say something wrong? Did I push too hard?
He hated this.
Hated being shut out.
Hated knowing Ryan was in there, trembling, struggling, and he couldn't get to him.
He whispered, voice dropping dangerously soft:
"Ryan… please… talk to me. I'm not leaving you alone like this."
Still nothing — but Kia could feel it.
The pain.
The tension.
The way Ryan's heartbeat was fluttering fast on the other side, like he was fighting himself.
Kia placed his palm flat on the door.
"You know I could break this door," he murmured with a humorless half-laugh.
"But I won't. Not unless you're in danger."
He swallowed hard.
"I just… I just want to make sure you're okay."
His voice cracked lightly — something that never happened to him.
"Bunny… are you crying?"
Silence again.
But it wasn't empty — it was loud with emotion.
Kia stepped back slightly, dragged a hand through his hair, and forced down the instinct to storm inside.
He wanted to.
God, he wanted to.
He wanted to hold Ryan.
To kiss his forehead.
To wipe whatever tears were falling.
To whisper, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.
But he knew Ryan.
If he barged in now, Ryan would push him away harder than ever.
So he breathed, slow and shaky, and spoke through the door:
"I don't know what's hurting you right now… but you don't have to face it alone anymore."
A pause.
His voice softened further, almost breaking:
"I'm right here, Ryan… I'm not leaving."
He stayed there, back sliding down the door until he was sitting on the floor outside Ryan's room — refusing to move.