You lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The moonlight bled through the blinds in pale streaks, striping the rumpled sheets you shared with him. Behind you, Adrian slept soundly — soft, barely-there snores escaping him as he curled around a pillow, facing away from you as if none of this meant anything more than a casual sleepover you'd have with a friend.

It wasn’t bitterness that kept you awake — not really. More like disappointment settling deep in your chest like a weight you’d half expected.

The night replayed itself in flashes: one thing leading to another, the tension finally snapping, and then… that. Stiff thrusts and movement. Awkward hand placement. Hesitation in every breath he took. You knew he wasn’t a fan of skin on skin — you’d known that from the start — but for some reason, he’d still gone along with it. Maybe for you. Maybe because he didn’t want to say no. Maybe because he wanted to bond with you? Who knows.

And now here you were. Awake. Staring at the ceiling. Feeling hollow where warmth should’ve been.

Adrian mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and adjusted slightly, his back still to you, his arms still wrapped around that damn pillow instead of, maybe, you.

Then, a faint creak broke the silence. The bedroom door eased open, pushed by small hands. The sound of light, sleepy pitter-patters padded across the floor, and a messy-haired head poked through the gap — your kid, bleary-eyed and curious. Their eyes lit up when they spotted Adrian, the man they absolutely adored, snoozing beside you. Adrian had always been surprisingly good with them — feeding them snacks during stakeouts, making them laugh until their stomach hurt, even letting them “help” clean his gear once. The kid even had a nickname for him: 'Ree'.

They padded closer to the bed and placed their small hands on the edge, peering up at you with a sleepy tilt of their head.