(7:00 PM)
The moment the meeting ended, Taekyun left the office.
His steps were steady, but every movement felt heavier than the last.
His rut was approaching.
A dull fever burned beneath his skin, making it almost impossible to focus on anything around him.
The familiar pressure inside his body grew stronger with every passing minute.
Instead of driving home immediately, he stopped beside the Han River.
The evening breeze drifted across the water, carrying the cool scent of summer.
Taekyun stood silently along the riverside, one hand resting inside his pocket.
Normally, the quiet view helped calm his mind.
Today.....
It did nothing.
His headache only became worse.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment before returning to his car.
Fastening his seatbelt, he started the engine and picked up his phone.
"Lihan."
"Yes, Sir."
"Is it done?"
"Yes, Sir. They're all here."
"Good."
Taekyun rubbed his temple.
"Look after everything."
"If anything happens...."
"Call me immediately."
"Understood, Sir."
The call ended.
After driving for several minutes, Taekyun stopped in front of a pharmacy.
For the past five years....
Every rut had been endured with medication.
The suppressant never completely stopped it.
It merely forced his body to endure the unbearable.
It came at a price.
Instead of entering rut every month like before, his cycle had become irregular, striking once every three months.
His pheromones never truly disappeared.
They accumulated inside his body, becoming heavier each time.
The doctors had warned him countless times.
Continuing like this would eventually destroy his health.
He hadn't cared.
Stepping out of the car, he pressed a hand against his forehead.
The dizziness worsened.
Even his fingers had begun trembling.
Inside the pharmacy, every employee immediately bowed.
"Good evening, Sir."
Despite the suppressants, Taekyun's dominant pheromones quietly spread through the room, making several employees instinctively lower their heads.
Holding his temples, Taekyun spoke in a tired voice.
"The medicine."
"Right away, Sir."
Within seconds, the familiar package was placed into his hand.
He nodded once before walking back outside.
His car door remained slightly open.
Few elderly Alpha hurried past the parking lot, anxiously searching for someone.
Taekyun reached over and pushed the door shut.
For some reason....
The scene felt strangely familiar.
He frowned.
Then shook the thought away.
Sliding back into the driver's seat, he opened a bottle of water.
Just as he was about to take the tablets.
A car behind him honked.
Taekyun sighed and placed the medicine aside.
"I'll take it later...."
His headache had become unbearable.
He slowly pulled back onto the road.
A few minutes later,
He froze.
A scent.
Warm, gentle and soft.
Painfully familiar.
Taekyun's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
His headache....
Began easing.
His breathing steadied a bit.
The fever burning beneath his skin weakened ever so slightly.
He inhaled again.
No....
It...can't be..
He immediately pulled the car onto the side of a quiet street.
The engine fell silent.
His heart, however....
Was pounding harder than ever.
He rested his head against the seat and took another slow breath.
The scent filled the entire car.
"Haneul....."
The name escaped as nothing more than a whisper.
His rut clouded his thoughts.
He couldn't understand why that scent felt so overwhelmingly familiar.
He only knew....
It was Haneul's.
Exactly the same.
Without realizing it, Taekyun stepped out of the car.
His heartbeat echoed loudly inside his ears.
Slowly.....
He opened the rear passenger door.
For a brief moment, his vision blurred.
Then,
A stronger wave of the familiar scent surrounded him.
His eyes lowered.
There.....
Curled up in the rear footwell beneath the back seat, hidden from view.
Sat a small omega.
Haneul.
Startled by the opening door, Haneul slowly lifted his head.
The moment their eyes met
Everything stopped.
He could smell Taekyun's pheromones.
His vision blurred with tears.
"Taekyun....."
Taekyun couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't even think.
He simply stared.
The omega he had believed was gone forever.
The person he had mourned for five endless years.
Was sitting inside his car.
Just like the first day they had met.
A trembling whisper escaped his lips.
"Haneul."
Haneul immediately climbed out of the car.
His eyes overflowed with tears.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Haneul couldn't believe it.
When he had stumbled into this world again, an elderly Alpha had chased after him in confusion.
He had hidden inside the nearest unlocked vehicle.
He had never imagined.....
It would be Taekyun's car again.
Just like fate had brought them together five years ago.
It had brought them together once again.
Taekyun remained frozen.
His hands trembled.
His lips parted, yet no words came.
The next moment.
Haneul rushed forward.
He wrapped both arms tightly around Taekyun.
A sob escaped his lips.
Taekyun inhaled sharply.
Slowly....
His arms rose.
Almost hesitantly.
Then they closed around Haneul's back.
"Haneul...."
His voice cracked.
His lips trembled like a frightened child.
His eyes reddened.
He whispered the name again.
"Haneul"
Haneul looked up through tears.
Holding Taekyun's hand tightly, he smiled despite the sobs that kept escaping.
"We...."
"We met again."
"I'm back."
His voice shook.
"I'm back for you."
"for our children."
Tears rolled freely down his cheeks.
"I came back."
Taekyun slowly lifted one trembling hand.
His fingertips gently brushed Haneul's cheek.
Warm, real.
Not a dream.
"You....."
"My Haneul."
"You're...."
His voice failed him.
Emotion overwhelmed every word before it could leave his lips.
He pulled Haneul close once more, holding him as though letting go would make him disappear again.
For straight twenty minutes.
Neither of them moved.
The evening breeze continued flowing around them.
Cars occasionally passed in the distance.
Yet the world seemed to disappear.
Taekyun simply stood there, forehead resting against Haneul's shoulder.
The scent he had missed for five years surrounded him once again.
The unbearable ache inside his body slowly eased.
His breathing steadied...
Not because his rut had vanished.
But because.
The person he had been searching for all this time was finally in his arms.
After what felt like forever, Haneul gently cupped Taekyun's face.
Slowly wiping away the tears beneath his eyes, he whispered,
"Look at me...."
Taekyun raised his head.
His eyes were bloodshot.
Filled with exhaustion.
Filled with relief.
He shook his head weakly.
"Don't leave."
His voice was barely audible.
"Don't go back."
"Even if this is a dream...."
"Please."
"Stay."
"I'm tired...."
Haneul's heart tightened.
He gently squeezed Taekyun's hand.
"I won't leave."
"I promise."
Taekyun searched his face as though trying to convince himself he was real.
"You won't disappear?"
Haneul smiled through his tears.
"No."
"I'm here."
"I'm home."
Still refusing to let go of Haneul's hand, Taekyun guided him toward the passenger side of the car.
Haneul sat sideways in the open doorway, one hand still holding Taekyun's.
Taekyun remained beside him, unable to look away.
"I'm back forever."
Haneul's voice was soft.
"For you."
"For Haru."
"For our child."
"This isn't a dream."
"It's really me."
Taekyun closed his eyes for a moment.
A tear slipped silently down his cheek.
Then he looked at Haneul again.
As though afraid that if he blinked.
His world before him would disappear.
Haneul said softly
"I'm here....don't cry."
Taekyun's legs nearly gave out beneath him.
He stood there, tears streaming down his face in hot, heavy trails.
As he looked at Haneul like he was seeing the sun rise after a lifetime of darkness.
He reached out with trembling hands, cupping Haneul's face, and pulled him close to kiss him
his lips moving against Haneul's in messy, unsteady presses, crying so hard
he could barely keep them still, like a child who had finally found their way home.
Haneul immediately wrapped his arms tight around Taekyun's neck,
his fingers tangling deep in his hair to hold him close, his own small sobs mixing with Taekyun's as their lips met again and again.
Taekyun's chest heaved with every breath, the air catching in his throat until it felt like he couldn't breathe at all but he didn't say a word, didn't pull away, just held on and kissed him like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
Slowly, he leaned back, breaking the kiss, his body still trembling with the force of it.
His rut still roared hot and fierce beneath his skin instincts screaming to claim, to hold, to make sure Haneul never left again while his emotions crashed over him just as hard:
grief for the years lost, joy so sharp it burned, fear that this was all just a cruel dream.
He couldn't balance them couldn't tell where the wild need of his Alpha ended and the vulnerable ache in his heart began.
He just stood there, crying and gasping for air, looking at Haneul with eyes that held everything he couldn't put into words.
After some time had passed,
Taekyun settled into the passenger seat, and pulled Haneul gently to sit right upon his lap.
His arms wrapped firmly around Haneul's waist, holding him securely in place, and he rested his forehead against the curve of Haneul's neck from behind.
He seemed completely lost... too dazed to think clearly, too overwhelmed to fully grasp that this was really happening, that the person he had mourned for half a decade was finally here with him again.
Softly, Haneul began to speak.
He told him everything:
what had happened the day he vanished, the struggles and loneliness he had endured,
how he had been forced to leave without a single goodbye.
But Taekyun never once interrupted.
He listened in utter silence, his hold never loosening, as if he wanted to drink in every single word and lock it deep within his heart.
Haneul could feel the heat radiating from him his body temperature was running noticeably high.
His hands resting at Haneul's waist were damp with a light sheen of sweat, yet he refused to pull away or let go even for a second.
His scent swirled thick and restless around the small space, heavy and completely unsteady.
"Are…. you not feeling well?"
Haneul asked softly.
Taekyun's voice came muffled against his skin, slow and quiet.
"Don't…. think about that…. just stay.… with me like this."
Haneul tried slowly to turn around in his arms to see his face, but Taekyun immediately ducked his head lower, pressing his cheek harder against Haneul's back.
He simply could not bring himself to meet his eyes.
Now Haneul knew for certain.
He reached up gently, turning Taekyun's face toward him with both hands.
Sweat glistened all over Taekyun's flushed skin, his eyes were rimmed red and swollen, and his whole face burned bright with heat.
"Are…. you…. in rut?"
Haneul asked gently.
Taekyun said nothing at all, just stared at him with that dazed, helpless look.
Haneul leaned a little closer.
"Let.… me help you…."
At that Taekyun looked up sharply, panic flashing in his eyes.
"No! No need.… I'm fine."
" Just stay like this."
His tone wasn't harsh far from it
it was thick with worry, his mind still unable to settle between the storm of his body and the flood of his emotions.
Haneul flinched just a little at the sudden edge in his voice.
Taekyun noticed instantly and his expression crumpled.
"No.… no…. I didn't mean it like that!"
" I…. I'm not angry."
He lifted both hands to cup Haneul's face, his fingers trembling visibly.
"I'm not being harsh…. okay?"
"I…. I really love you... I'm not."
He tried to explain himself, sounding almost exactly like a frightened little boy, terrified that he had already driven Haneul away again before he had even truly come back.
He squeezed Haneul's hands pleadingly.
Haneul looked at him, eyes soft and full of concern.
"I'm worried.…
I'm really worried about you.
Please don't react like this....
Just let me help you."
Taekyun immediately snatched up the small packet of tablets and the water bottle from the side console.
"See.… I'll be fine now.
I'll just take these."
"Just…. wait.… I know, I know you're worried."
"But I can't…. I can't do it.
I might hurt you."
" And if…. if you leave again...
I wouldn't survive it."
Haneul watched him closely the way his hands shook so badly he almost dropped the medicine.
The way his lips quivered constantly, the fresh tears that kept spilling over despite how hard he tried to hold them back.
Even now, with his body screaming and his instincts roaring to take what was his, he was still thinking only of protecting Haneul, still terrified of causing him any pain.
Haneul's own eyes welled up.
It broke his heart to see this.
The strong, stoic man who had once shown no weakness to anyone, now falling apart right in front of him like a hurt child.
He had never realised just how much Taekyun had locked away and carried alone all these years, and it had all built up until it left him this scared.
He reached out, gently taking the medicine and water bottle right out of Taekyun's grasp.
Taekyun stared at him with those sharp, glistening, terrified red eyes.
"We have to…. we have to go meet Haru and Taeha now.
I can't go looking.… feeling like this.… "
"let me take them..... I."
Haneul pressed one soft finger gently to his lips, then held his face firmly between both palms.
"Don't do this.… it's okay.
We will meet them, I promise.
But let me be with you first."
"Tonight. let me stay with you.
I want to help."
"You said…. I'm your Omega…. didn't you? Then let me do what an Omega is meant to do for his Alpha.… don't reach for the medicine."
"Please...."
Haneul leaned in and brushed his soft, small lips gently against Taekyun's.
Taekyun stared deep into his eyes for a heartbeat, then kissed him desperately hungry and deep, almost as if he meant to devour him entirely.
Right away he cupped Haneul's small face firmly in both hands, his control finally slipping completely; the haze of his rut was clear to see now, impossible to hide any longer.
He pulled back just enough to say roughly:
"Not here."
Then he moved quickly to the driver's seat.
[The Hotel Room]
Taekyun held Haneul's hand tight all the way inside, not once loosening his grip.
The heavy door clicked shut behind them, and he leaned back against it for a long moment, chest heaving his heart burning so fiercely it almost ached, caught between overwhelming joy and the sharp, roaring edge of his rut.
He had truly given up all hope; yet here Haneul was, back by his side, and the storm of need crashing through his veins made it almost impossible to think straight, every cell screaming to take back what was his.
Haneul felt it instantly the rich, heavy scent of Taekyun's pheromones thickening in the air.
The way Taekyun's dark eyes burned like molten amber, pupils blown so wide they nearly swallowed the irises.
His own heart twisted seeing this strong, stoic man look so lost, like a child separated from his most precious treasure, afraid even to reach out in case it dissolved again.
He knew they couldn't risk going home like this.
Stepping closer, he curled his arms firmly around Taekyun's waist, stood on tiptoes to cup both his warm cheeks in his small palms.
"We'll go home tomorrow.
Let's…. deal with this.
For you…. it's okay.
I can stay here one night without our children. I have all my life for you.… now."
Taekyun's breath hitched, leaning into those gentle hands as if anchoring himself.
One large, rough palm came up to cover Haneul's face, thumb brushing tenderly over the corners of his glistening eyes, gaze intense and unwavering.
"I.… won't allow you…. to leave until…."
His voice cracked, and he trailed off, emotion choking the rest.
Haneul smiled softly, warm and certain.
Slowly, a faint, shaky smile curved Taekyun's lips too, and he murmured low and deep.
"You're only mine."
Then he crashed their mouths together.
It was fierce and claiming from the very start hungry, desperate, making up for every single day and night they'd spent apart.
He kissed like he meant to memorise every taste, every sigh, every little gasp Haneul let slip, deepening it until they were both breathless.
His arms wound tight around Haneul's waist, lifting him easily so their bodies pressed flush, and Haneul instinctively locked his legs around Taekyun's hips, fingers tangling deep into his hair, tugging him closer still.
Taekyun carried him straight to the large bed, never breaking the kiss for long, laying him back against soft sheets and hovering over him big frame caging him in completely, warm and solid and everywhere all at once.
His scent flooded every corner of the room now, heady and possessive, making
Haneul's own sweet scent bloom bright and unrestrained in answer.
He kept kissing him, slow and searing, his lips trailing down over the curve of his jaw then lingering along the column of his throat
Licking gently over the fluttering pulse point, breathing deep of that familiar scent he had missed for so long.
He moved further down, past the dip of his collarbone, over the soft slope of his chest, until he came to rest right over the pale, silvery scar curving low across his belly.
The faint mark left by the surgery when their son Taeha was born, the day Haneul had been torn away.
Taekyun pressed his lips firm and hard right against that line, holding the kiss there for a long quiet moment, as if apologising to the skin itself for every ache it had borne.
Only then did he pull back and rise to his feet beside the bed.
He gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled it clean over his head in one sharp motion, tossing it aside before quickly working loose his tie, undoing the buckle of his belt, and sliding his own trousers halfway down his hips.
Then he leaned back over Haneul again, his hands steady and reverent as he drew off Haneul's shirt and undid the fastenings of his trousers, sliding them down his legs and setting them neatly away too.
Now skin to skin, he hovered over him, sweat already beading thick across his broad shoulders and temple, his dark eyes swimming with hunger and adoration, fixed intently on Haneul's face as if seeing him like this might still vanish if he blinked.
Haneul reached up, both small soft palms coming to rest against Taekyun's cheeks, fingers brushing lightly over the stubble there.
Taekyun turned his face into one hand and pressed a slow, tender kiss right into the center of his palm, never breaking eye contact.
Then he reached to the side, his movements still calm and careful despite the tremor running through his limbs, and slid on protection slowly and deliberately.
He shifted his weight, curled his arms under Haneul's thighs, and guided his legs up to rest comfortably high around his waist, holding them fixed right where he wanted them.
A faint, tight smile pulled at his lips warm, but edged with the wild, burning haze of his rut eating him alive from the inside out.
Haneul pulled him down by the neck, pressing their mouths together again in a soft eager kiss, and Taekyun deepened it instantly as he carefully pressed two fingers inside him.
"Relax…. it's okay,"
he murmured softly against his lips, moving slow, working gently to stretch and soothe.
Haneul gasped, his fingers tightening against Taekyun's shoulders, a soft shaky moan spilling past his parted lips.
"It…. hurts…."
At once he froze completely, fighting back the roar of his instincts screaming to just take what was his.
He lowered his head to press a lingering kiss right to Haneul's forehead,
brushed away the single tear slipping down his cheek with his thumb, then kissed him slow and steady on the mouth until the little whimpers quieted.
He guided Haneul's hands to curl tight around the back of his neck instead, and Haneul immediately tucked his face into the warm curve of Taekyun's throat.
"Bite me whenever it hurts,"
Taekyun said low and firm, pressing his neck closer against Haneul's mouth.
"Bite right down on my gland bite as hard as you need to.
Hurt me back if you have to."
Haneul nodded weakly, soft broken sounds still escaping him as Taekyun kept moving with agonising slowness,
stroking carefully until he felt the tension slowly melt away.
"That's it…. I've got it,"
he breathed, and slowly withdrew his fingers.
He pushed his own trousers down and kicked them aside, leaning back over him fully once more.
"It's going to be okay. I'm here.… I'm not going anywhere. Just me."
He aligned himself carefully, braced himself, and pushed in slowly, inch by careful inch, stopping every time Haneul tensed to wait until he settled again.
Haneul's breath hitched sharply, his back arching up off the mattress, and his fingers curled tight nails dragging deep, stinging scratches all the way down Taekyun's broad back leaving bright red tracks against his heated skin.
Taekyun didn't even flinch.
He just groaned low and satisfied, burying his face against Haneul's shoulder as he finally settled deep inside him, stilling completely for a long moment just to breathe him in.
For a long, quiet beat they just held still, pressed together so completely that there was no space left between them
sweat cooling on their skin, hearts thundering in the same rhythm.
Then Taekyun shifted his weight, and when he pulled back slightly to look at Haneul, tears were already rolling down his face, thick and fast, tracing paths through the sweat on his cheeks.
He stood there, this big, powerful Alpha who had faced down danger and grief with a straight back for five years, and sobbed openly his shoulders shaking so hard it made the bed dip, his cries raw and broken.
He reached down with both hands, trembling as he cupped Haneul's face, and pulled him up to kiss him.
It was a messy, desperate kiss his lips moving against Haneul's in uneven, shaky presses, salt from his tears mixing with the warmth of their mouths.
Haneul didn't hesitate....
he wrapped his arms tight around Taekyun's neck, his fingers tangling deep in his
hair to hold him close, feeling his own throat tighten with emotion.
It held everything at once.
As the minutes passed, the sharp edge of need softened into something slow and deep.
Taekyun moved with deliberate care now, every motion heavy with five years of longing, his gaze never leaving Haneul's face for even a second.
He was entirely lost in him his mind, his heart, every part of his body ruled only by the need to be close to his mate.
No one else existed in that room.
Nothing else mattered.
Only him, and the one person he had spent every single day waiting to hold again.