I swear, if I could shrink into the walls right now, I would.
One minute, it's just me and Alex in this tiny bubble of steam and intimacy. The next, the bathroom door bursts open, and there they are—my dad and Lucas, both standing frozen in the doorway, eyes wide, staring at us like they've just discovered the lost city of Atlantis.
"Dad! Lucas!" I yelp, scrambling to cover myself with my hands, water splashing everywhere as I attempt some sort of modesty while Alex does the same beside me.
My dad's face turns an alarming shade of red. "What… what in God's name are you two doing in here?" He doesn't shout, but the sheer disbelief in his tone could have been its own volume.
Alex stares at them, eyes darting to me as if searching for a way out. "Uh…" he starts, his voice a little strangled. "We… we were just taking a bath."
"Together?" My dad's voice cracks, and Lucas, bless him, clears his throat nervously. This is clearly not how he envisioned his Saturday morning.
I'm about to die. Literally die.
"Okay, okay," I stammer, trying to hold back my panic. "This isn't what it looks like—well, actually, maybe it is, but it's—it's not—"
"Not what it looks like?" Lucas cuts in, his face shifting between amusement and sheer awkwardness. "Nick, you're literally sitting in the tub with your boyfriend, and, uh... the door's wide open."
"Shut the door!" I shout, but it's too late. My dad's standing in the doorway like some confused, deeply disappointed dad, clearly having missed all signs of what "bathroom privacy" should mean for a young couple.
"I don't understand," my dad mutters, rubbing his temples as if he's trying to rid himself of the image. "You two are—" He gestures helplessly between us.
Alex, ever the brave one, pulls a towel around his waist and stands up. "Sir, I can explain—" He's cut off as my dad holds up a hand, stopping him.
"I don't need an explanation," my dad says flatly. "What I need is for you two to—" he gestures at the bathroom— "get dressed."
"Dressed?" I almost choke on the word. I look at Alex, his hair still wet and sticking to his forehead. My heart races at the thought of just how intimate we were before the awkward invasion.
"Lucas," my dad says, rubbing his forehead again, "Please go wait in the living room with me. I need to... to have a little chat with your brother."
"Uh... sure," Lucas says, backing out, clearly uncomfortable but trying to hide a smile. He looks at me over his shoulder before muttering, "You two are wild."
I throw a pillow at him, missing by a mile, but Lucas doesn't care. He's already disappeared.
The door slams shut behind him, and I turn to face my dad, who looks about as awkward as a dad possibly can. He sighs deeply, glancing around at the misty bathroom like it's an alien landscape.
"Nick," he starts, his voice shaking slightly. "We need to talk about boundaries... and privacy... and, well... relationships."
I cover my face in embarrassment. "Dad—please don't—"
"I'm serious," he interrupts, holding up a hand. "You and Alex... I just—this isn't how I imagined my Saturday would go. I thought I raised you better than this."
I want to crawl into the tub and disappear, but instead, I look over at Alex, whose face is equally crimson. He doesn't seem any less mortified than I feel, and somehow, that makes me feel a little better. If we're both awkward, then maybe this isn't as big of a deal as it feels.
"I get it, okay?" I say, swallowing my pride. "But this is our first real relationship, and, uh... we're figuring it out. I mean, this kind of stuff doesn't come with a manual."
Alex clears his throat. "And... you know... gender doesn't matter, right?" He adds, almost nervously, before flashing a sheepish grin.
My dad pauses, his expression unreadable. Then, after what feels like an eternity, he nods slowly. "I know. But the way I see it," he says, crossing his arms, "you two still need some serious boundaries, respect, and yes... communication."
I glance at Alex, whose lips curl into a small smile despite everything. He's not backing down, but I can tell he's still as surprised by all this as I am.
"Yeah," I say, clearing my throat. "I can promise we've got that. Just, uh... maybe not right now."
My dad sighs, but there's a bit of relief in his eyes, like he's finally realizing we've been pretty honest with each other. "Fine," he mutters. "But there are still some things that need to be handled—like maybe not having private baths together in the middle of the day."
"Right," I say with a strained laugh, pulling on my towel. "Got it. Loud and clear."
"Well, as long as you're sure... You're still my kid. And that means I get to have some kind of say in what happens under this roof."
"Yeah, I get it," I say, rubbing my neck. "Just... can you not tell anyone about the bath?"
Alex looks like he's about to pass out, but before he can say anything, my dad raises his eyebrows. "We'll talk later," he mutters, backing away, still glancing between us. "When you're both fully dressed."
I nod vigorously. "We'll be out in a minute."
The door closes with a soft click, leaving me staring at Alex. His lips twitch like he's trying not to laugh, but the tension still hangs thick in the air.
"Well, that was... something," Alex says, his face a perfect blend of flustered and amused.
I shake my head, pressing my fingers into my temples. "You... You're never living this down, are you?"
"Not in a million years," Alex says with a grin. "But hey, I guess we're doing the parental approval thing now. Progress, right?"
I give him a flat look. "Not exactly what I had in mind."
But... somehow, it feels like we're getting a little closer to something real. Even if my dad and Lucas are going to never let me forget this.