The Caregiver's Dilemma

I've been working as a barista for years now. It's the perfect job for me, people skills, not too much pressure, and plenty of coffee to keep me going throughout the day. A few months ago, this guy named Alex started coming in almost every morning, and we'd chat while he got his usual order. He was cool, a bit older than me but respectful. We clicked, talked about our lives, work stuff, everything. It wasn't long before I felt like there was more to the dynamic between us. One day, Alex suggested we explore something new together, this idea of him being my caregiver and me being his little. He said he'd been watching me from afar for a while and thought it might be fun to play with these roles in real life. I didn't think anything could go wrong with that; after all, everyone has their kinks. At first, everything was fine. We'd meet at his place, where I'd wear kid-sized clothes and act young, he was very supportive of me playing the little role and made sure to keep it light-hearted and fun. He was a great caregiver in our playtime; nurturing, patient, kind. But over time, things changed. He started wanting more control over every aspect of our sessions. I felt like a kid again but this time with someone hovering over me all the time, not just during our play. One day, after an intense session where we had crossed some lines (but it was all okay because it's consensual and scripted), Alex got angry when I tried to put on my adult clothes to leave. He said he didn't like seeing me transition out of role so quickly. It felt like everything turned from a game into something more real than I wanted it to be. I'm torn now. Part of me loves the care and protection Alex gives, but another part just wants us to go back to being friends with benefits instead of these elaborate play sessions. How do you talk about such feelings when your partner is so invested in this fantasy dynamic? I feel like a prisoner to his desires, trapped in an adult world where my autonomy feels like it's slipping away. It's all overwhelming and I don't know what to do next. Maybe it's time for some tough conversations or maybe it’s time to cut the cord on something that started out so great but has now become a source of anxiety instead of fun.