Ryan woke slowly, the way one does after a sleep that wasn't meant to happen.
His neck ached. His hand was numb. For a split second, panic flared—I fell asleep, I messed up, I—
Then he saw the screen.
Still lit. Still connected.
Kia.
Curled on his bed miles away, one arm tucked beneath his head, hair falling into his eyes. His breathing was slow and deep, mouth relaxed in sleep. No sharp edges. No guard up. Just… him.
Ryan froze.
"Oh," he breathed, barely sound at all.
Heat crept up his neck, settled into his cheeks like he'd been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to—watching something private, precious. He shifted upright in his chair, heart suddenly loud in his chest, phone clutched like it might vanish if he let go.
Kia hadn't hung up.
He stayed.
Ryan sat there.
Five minutes passed.
Ten.
He didn't look away.
Kia stirred once, a quiet sound leaving him as he rolled onto his side. Ryan's breath caught like it always did—like it always would. His stupid heart thumped harder, traitorous and helpless.
You're safe, he thought—not to himself, but to the image on the screen.
My babies are safe. Everything that matters is safe.
He should be thinking about work. About plans. About how to move forward like he always did—carefully, alone, controlled.
Instead, all he could think about was this man sleeping because Ryan asked him to. Because Kia stayed long enough for him to rest.
An hour slipped by without him noticing.
Ryan's gaze softened, something fragile settling in his chest. Want—not sharp, not reckless—but deep and aching. The kind that didn't ask to be satisfied, only acknowledged. He wanted closeness. Warmth. The impossible comfort of being held without having to explain himself.
This changes things, he thought faintly.
God help me… this changes everything.
His thumb hovered over the screen, not daring to touch it. He didn't want to wake Kia. Didn't want to break this quiet miracle.
So he stayed.
Watched the steady rise and fall of Kia's chest.
Let his heart beat where it wanted, just this once.
And for the first time in a long while, Ryan didn't push the feeling away.
He just let it exist.
Ryan get a grip of yourself, that's what he has been telling himself since, he has work to do but he just can't seem to stand up, he wanted more view of this man sleeping so peaceful.
And then his mind started wondering on its own, first to his lips, then to his neck, and then up again to his hair. Only God knows how much he wants to touch that hair and also be the reason kia's lips will be swollen
God what is he even doing, what if he wakes up, but it was as if his mind and body are not listening to him because the next thing he fucking did was check out kia's dick, and behold there is a big monster standing in it's full glory
Ohh my God, it is not the first time of me seeing that thing but it has become more big, is this even going to fit, what is he even thinking, this is so embarrassing
He was still thinking when he heard someone call his name and it gave him a scare when he looked up and his eyes met with a darker one