It was 5 in the evening when the front door creaked open, and Alex stepped inside, loosening his tie as he entered the familiar chaos of the living room. Toys were scattered across the floor, the pillows were in their usual disarray, and the blanket from the couch was half on the floor, half tangled up in the armrest. Alex sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. It was nothing new. The house was always like this when he came home—messy and full of life, thanks to Kikki.
He called out, "Kikki? Dean?" His voice echoed through the house, but there was no response. Not even the sound of Kikki's usual babbling or Dean's exasperated sighs.
Alex set his office coat down on the sofa, glancing at the mess but deciding to ignore it for now. He made his way to the hallway, checking the rooms one by one. When he reached the bedroom, he found them.
There, on the bed, Dean and Kikki were fast asleep. Kikki, the little troublemaker, was sprawled on top of Dean's stomach, his tiny hands gripping Dean's shirt, his head nestled comfortably against him. Dean, on the other hand, was laying on his back, his arms protectively around Kikki as if they'd both just crashed from a long, exhausting day.
Alex's expression softened at the sight. Quietly, he walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, careful not to disturb them. His hand automatically reached out to gently pat Kikki's head, his fingers brushing through the baby's soft hair. Kikki didn't stir, only snuggling further into Dean's chest.
But then, Alex's attention shifted to Dean. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at the sleeping nanny. There was something undeniably cute about the way Dean slept, his features relaxed and peaceful, his chest rising and falling steadily. But as Alex's eyes traveled down to Dean's face, they lingered on his lips—those soft, pink lips that looked almost too perfect.
Alex felt his heart skip a beat. His hand, which had been patting Kikki's head, hesitated before moving up to gently brush a lock of hair away from Dean's forehead. Dean's brows furrowed slightly, a frown forming on his face as if something was bothering him in his sleep.
Alex chuckled softly, still watching him. "What's on your mind, Dean?"
Just then, Dean's eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times, clearly groggy from sleep, and when his vision finally focused, he saw Alex sitting right next to him.
Dean's frown deepened for a moment, clearly disoriented. "Alex?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"Yeah, it's me," Alex whispered, smiling down at him. "Didn't mean to wake you. You looked comfortable."
Dean blinked again, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and then his gaze shifted down to Kikki, who was still sound asleep on his chest. He let out a sigh. "This kid…" he muttered, though there was no real irritation in his voice—just exhaustion.
"You two had a long day?" Alex asked softly, still keeping his voice low so as not to wake Kikki.
Dean nodded. "Third time cleaning up after him today… he just never stops."
Alex chuckled, his eyes still studying Dean's face. "You're doing a good job, though."
Dean let out a soft groan and closed his eyes again. "I better be, or else I'm not getting paid."
Alex's gaze returned to Dean's lips, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary before he quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "Get some rest. I'll clean up the living room."
Dean gave a small nod, already drifting back to sleep.
As Alex stood up and turned to leave, he stole one last glance at Dean, his heart fluttering with something he couldn't quite name.