The sunlight was already filtering through the window when Kai woke up. He felt Alex’s weight against his chest, heard the quiet rhythm of his breath, and for a moment, he stayed still, just taking in the silence of the morning. It felt different than yesterday—the argument, the distance. Today, the room was calm, almost too calm. But Kai couldn’t shake the feeling that they still had a lot to figure out. 

He could feel Alex stir next to him, slowly waking up, and though Alex didn’t speak at first, Kai sensed the heaviness in the air. He wasn’t sure if Alex was just processing what had happened or if he was still trying to work through everything that had been said. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t exactly easy either.

"Hey," Kai said quietly, his voice a little rough from sleep. "You okay?"

Alex paused for a second, like he was figuring out how to answer. Then, he shifted slightly, lifting his head from Kai’s chest and meeting his eyes, still half-closed with the remnants of sleep. His face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes that made Kai wait, made him want to give him time. 

“I’m... yeah,” Alex said slowly. “But I think we need to talk. About last night.”

Kai nodded, not saying anything right away, just letting Alex speak when he was ready. He could already tell this wasn’t going to be easy, but they needed to talk. They both knew it.

Alex took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair, his gaze dropping to his lap as he spoke. “I’m sorry,” he started, the words coming out quieter than Kai expected. “I shouldn’t have run off like that. I know I hurt you. I... I don’t even know why I did it. I just... everything was overwhelming, and I didn’t know what else to do.”

Kai’s chest tightened at the words, but he didn’t interrupt. He just listened, waiting for Alex to keep going.

“I’m not good at talking about this stuff,” Alex continued, his voice cracking a little. “I don’t know how to let you in, Kai. I don’t know how to tell you what’s going on in my head without feeling like I’m just... too much. Or that I’ll drive you away if I say the wrong thing.”

Kai could feel his heartache for him. He wanted to reach out, to take his hand, but he kept himself still. The last thing Alex needed was for him to rush in and fix things. He needed time to work through it on his own, even if Kai wanted to help.

“You’re not too much,” Kai said softly, his tone steady. “I get it. You’re not the only one who doesn’t know how to talk about things. Hell, I don’t know either. But I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s going on. You can’t bottle it up, Alex. That’s not fair to you—and it’s not fair to me.”

Alex closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing hard. He didn’t have an answer right away, and Kai could feel him struggling. It wasn’t easy, not by any means. But this, this right here—just being able to say the words, even if they didn’t have it all figured out yet—was a step forward.

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Alex said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. “It’s like... everything’s jumbled up in my head, and every time I try to talk, it just comes out wrong. Or it feels like it’s not even worth saying. And I hate that. I hate feeling like I’m this... mess of things that don’t make sense.”

Kai reached out then, gently cupping Alex’s face in his hand, guiding his eyes back to meet his. His thumb brushed lightly over his cheek, trying to offer something, anything, that might help. “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain it all at once. Just... take it slow. I just want to understand you. I don’t need perfect words. I just need to know what’s going on in your head. I can’t do this with you if you’re not honest with me.”

Alex’s breath caught, and he looked away for a second, as if the vulnerability of it all was just too much. But then he exhaled slowly, like he was finally allowing himself to let go of something. “I don’t want to mess this up,” he said, his voice thick. “I don’t want to hurt you, Kai. I don’t want you to get tired of me.”

Kai’s heart sank at the words. He moved closer then, gently wrapping his arms around Alex’s shoulders, holding him, not to comfort him with empty words, but to just be there. No pressure. No expectations. Just a moment to breathe.

“You’re not going to mess this up,” Kai said softly, his voice low but steady. “And I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care if you don’t always know what to say. I’m not going to leave because you’re struggling. We’ll figure it out. But you need to trust me. You need to trust that I’m here with you.”

Alex stayed silent for a moment, the weight of the words settling between them. It felt like they were both navigating something new, something uncharted. But this time, the silence didn’t feel heavy. It felt like a pause, a chance to understand each other in a way they hadn’t before.

“I think... I think I just need to let you in,” Alex said, his voice quiet but sure. “I don’t know how to do it, but I want to try. I don’t want to keep pushing you away.”

Kai smiled slightly, the tension in his own chest easing a little. “You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to show up. And I’ll do the same. We’ll take it day by day, okay?”

Alex nodded, his shoulders relaxing a fraction. He could feel the weight lifting, little by little. They didn’t have all the answers, and maybe they never would. But for the first time in a while, he felt like they were on the same page. And that, at least, was something to hold onto.

“Day by day,” Alex repeated, his voice a little steadier now. “I can do that.”

They sat there for a while longer, not saying anything else. It didn’t feel awkward. It felt... right. They were still figuring things out, sure, but in that moment, it didn’t feel like it was all crashing down. It just felt like they were taking the first real steps toward something that might work. Something real.