Haneul stood frozen for a moment, his small body rigid in the quiet kitchen.
Then, slowly, he took a step forward.
Not scared. Not hesitant. No trace of the usual Omega fear around an Alpha, especially not around Taekyun.
It was almost unreal the way he moved, the way he looked up at him with those wide, trusting eyes.
It was as if he belonged here, close, familiar, like a past closeness that had never really ended. Nothing about him felt like a stranger.
Taekyun set the cup carefully on the shelf, his phone sliding into his trouser pocket.
His gaze flicked to Haneul, noting the small figure standing there, only a few inches from him.
"What are you doing here?"
His voice came out quiet, low, but it carried the weight of control he normally wielded with ease.
Haneul pressed his small hands to his stomach, his face flushing slightly, the red rising from pain rather than fever.
His voice, soft and trembling, could have melted anyone's resolve.
"It… it hurts."
Taekyun's throat tightened.
He gulped, trying to steady himself as his eyes traced the faint redness on Haneul's cheeks.
The boy's hands gripped his stomach tightly, and Taekyun could see the faint tremor in his frame.
"You… did you take medicine?"
He asked, his voice tight.
Haneul nodded, biting his lip, his eyes wide and innocent.
Taekyun looked around, avoiding the small figure in front of him.
He wanted to scold, to act cold, to control but the words lodged in his throat. Instead, he asked, almost incomprehensibly,
"Have you eaten?"
Shaking his head, Haneul murmured,
"I'm… hungry."
Something inside Taekyun's chest twisted.
He moved swiftly to the kitchen, grabbing a hot compress from the counter one of those small electric ones often used in modern houses for stomach pains.
"Here," he said quietly, handing it to Haneul.
Haneul took it calmly, clutching it close to his stomach, eyes looking up at Taekyun with a silent plea.
Taekyun froze for a moment.
How could he be this free around him? Without even a proper allowance to stay here, without permission,
Haneul acted like he belonged like he had every right to be here.
"Sit… over there,"
Taekyun finally said, motioning to a chair near the eating shelf.
His own heartbeat thudding fast in his chest.
He moved to gather the ingredients for a simple porridge rice, water, a pinch of salt, some vegetables carefully chopped.
His hands were steady, but his mind was racing.
He stirred gently, the steam curling upward, filling the kitchen with a comforting warmth.
When it was ready, he filled a small bowl, placed a spoon carefully beside it, and set it in front of Haneul.
"Eat this,"
He said slowly, his eyes briefly meeting Haneul's.
Then, picking up his cup and phone, he moved to the study sitting on the couch just across from the kitchen, leaving the door open so he could see Haneul clearly.
Outside,
Haneul began eating.
But halfway through, something changed. His mind felt blank, lost, as if he was floating.
The warmth of the porridge didn't touch the ache in his stomach or the tightness in his chest.
Tears began to well up, and then spill silently, landing on his small hands.
He set down the spoon, gripping his stomach, trying to endure the pain.
He rose slowly, not knowing where he was going, blindly following the faint trail of
Taekyun's pheromones, drifting toward the couch where the Alpha sat.
Taekyun looked up from his phone, distracted, only realizing too late that Haneul was standing there, tears streaming down his small face.
Before he could react, Haneul leapt onto his lap, wrapping arms tightly around his neck. His thin legs curled fully around Taekyun's waist, small, frail, and trusting.
"My stomach… it hurts,"
Haneul whispered, eyes closing, resting his head against Taekyun's chest.
For a moment, Taekyun froze, statue-still. His mind blank, his chest tight.
What just happened?
What do I do?
He's in pain. I.... what...?
He couldn't think. He couldn't move.
All he knew was that the small Omega in his lap trusted him completely.
That the warmth of this closeness, the small fragility pressed to his chest, demanded his protection in a way nothing else ever had.
Taekyun's hands hovered, unsure where to place them, heart hammering.
This wasn't discipline. This wasn't control. This was something entirely new and terrifying in its intensity.