Kia's breath hitched the moment he saw the tears.
"Hey—hey, no," he said quickly, voice breaking as he leaned closer to the screen like distance could be erased. "Bunny, look at me. Please. I'm here."
Ryan shook his head once, small and helpless, tears sliding down faster now. His lips trembled like he was trying to hold something back and failing miserably.
"I—I didn't mean to—" Ryan tried, but his voice cracked, the sound thin and wrecked.
Kia's chest tightened painfully.
"It's okay," he said immediately. "You don't have to explain. You don't have to be strong right now. Just breathe with me, okay?"
Ryan's breaths were uneven—too fast, too shallow.
Kia lifted his own hand into view, placing it over his chest. "Look. Watch me."
He inhaled slowly. "In."
Then exhaled. "Out."
Again. "In."
"Out."
Ryan's gaze flickered to the screen, unfocused at first, then slowly locking onto Kia's eyes. His breathing stuttered, then followed—imperfect, shaky, but trying.
"That's it," Kia murmured. "Good. You're doing so good."
Another tear slipped free. Ryan let out a broken sound, halfway between a laugh and a sob.
"I'm tired," he whispered, like admitting a crime. "I'm so fucking tired."
Kia swallowed hard.
"I know," he said softly. "I can see it. And I hate that I can't be there to hold you."
Ryan's fingers curled tighter around the phone. "I didn't want to call back," he admitted. "I knew I shouldn't. I knew this would happen."
Kia shook his head gently. "No. Don't do that. Don't punish yourself for wanting comfort. You're allowed to want me."
That did it.
Ryan's shoulders sagged, something finally giving way. He covered his mouth with his free hand, trying to muffle the sound as he cried, but Kia heard every bit of it anyway.
"I'm not going anywhere," Kia said firmly, tears burning his own eyes now. "I don't care how long this takes. I'm staying right here. You vent. You cry. You yell if you want to. I've got you."
Ryan squeezed his eyes shut.
For the first time in a long while—
He let himself fall apart.