The house was finally quiet after Kikki had drifted off to sleep, his tiny body curled up peacefully under the blankets. Dean quietly shut the door behind him, walking into the dimly lit living room where Alex was still seated, his laptop illuminating his focused face. Dean sighed and flopped down beside him on the sofa, leaning his head back against the cushions, feeling the exhaustion weighing down on his body.
"How long are you going to keep working?" Dean asked, his voice soft but laced with concern. He tilted his head toward Alex, watching him click through files with a tired intensity. "It's late. You should go to sleep."
Alex glanced up briefly from his screen, flashing a small smile as he skimmed the last few pages of his document. "Just a little more…" he muttered before finally snapping the laptop shut. "Alright. Let's go to bed."
Dean shook his head, sitting up straighter. "I'm sleeping in my room tonight. I need a good rest." His tone was casual, but the firmness in his words made Alex's smile falter.
Alex's expression softened into one of disappointment. Usually, Dean slept in the same bed as him and Kikki, making it easier for him to soothe Kikki back to sleep when the baby woke up in the middle of the night. But for the past few nights, Dean had been distancing himself, preferring his own space.
Alex was starting to realize that Dean might truly be reaching his breaking point.
Alex cleared his throat, trying to mask his unease. "So… have you thought more about what you said earlier? Are you really planning to leave?" His voice was tentative, as though he was afraid of the answer. "I can pay you more if that's what you need. Whatever you want, just… stay."
He gently placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, a soft plea in his gesture. But as soon as Alex's hand made contact, Dean stiffened and immediately shrugged it off, his eyes narrowing in frustration.
"You know what?" Dean snapped, his voice suddenly sharp. "It's not just Kikki… You're bothering me too. All the time, touching me without any reason."
The tension between them crackled in the air, and Dean's harsh words lingered. But as soon as the anger had flared up, it dimmed just as quickly. Dean realized what he had said, his expression softening as guilt washed over him. "I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice barely audible, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I didn't mean to yell."
Alex forced a smile, even though his chest ached. "It's okay," he replied gently, his tone full of understanding. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Kikki's been a lot to handle lately, and… I guess I've been too."
An awkward silence filled the space between them, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging in the air. Dean, feeling conflicted, glanced toward the hallway. He didn't want to deal with this tonight, not when he was this tired.
"Let's just go to bed," Alex said, his voice tender as he stood and reached out his hand to Dean. There was a hint of desperation in his eyes, as though this small gesture could somehow bring them back to a place of comfort.
Dean hesitated, not wanting to take Alex's hand, but after a moment of indecision, he sighed and gave in, standing up and following Alex to the bedroom.
Once inside, Alex set the laptop down on the table next to the bed and laid down beside Kikki, who was sleeping soundly in the middle of the large bed. Dean hesitated by the door, feeling the tension still lingering from their earlier conversation. But with nowhere else to go, he reluctantly crawled into bed on the other side of Kikki.
The two men faced each other across the sleeping child, neither saying a word. Kikki, blissfully unaware of the tension, rested peacefully between them.
Dean wanted to say something—anything—to ease the awkwardness. Maybe tell Alex that it wasn't really his fault, that Dean was just tired and overwhelmed. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, he stared at Alex, his mouth dry, his mind racing but his body betraying him with exhaustion.
On the other side, Alex also wanted to say more. To reassure Dean that he understood, that he valued him far beyond just being Kikki's nanny. But the look in Dean's eyes was enough to make Alex's heart ache, and before he could muster the courage to speak, sleep began to claim him.
Both of them were too drained to deal with the swirling emotions that hung between them. With one last glance, they closed their eyes, letting the heavy pull of sleep take over, the quiet room filled only with the gentle sounds of Kikki's breathing.
But even in the silence, the unspoken tension remained, a storm quietly brewing beneath the surface.