Tulip (red) – confession of love

---

 

 

                Daehyun was clapping his hands to the beat while listening to Suwoong’s band playing an indie pop song. He had finished his piano lessons a while ago and now he was sitting in the studio room where the band was jamming. Unlike Jongup, who practiced with his modern dance club at the campus, the band chose to use the studio, since not all of them went to the same college.

                Daehyun stayed there instead of going home or to the gym because he was going to the mansion again later. Suwoong had a group assignment with Jongup and they planned to do it together tonight at Jongup’s place but, Aunt Minjee suggested that they do it at the clan’s house, so that Jongup and Daehyun could have dinner with them by the way.

                As for Yongguk, he wasn’t working at thy gym today since he was helping his father at the company. He told Daehyun that he would go to the company for a few times in a month. If not, Daehyun would have already gotten picked up by the man and went to the gym. But he didn’t mind since he could meet Yongguk’s big lovely family again later.

                After the band finished the final song, Suwoong went to the bench where Daehyun was sitting to pack his things, including his guitar. The bandmates said goodbyes to each other, as well as to Daehyun, before leaving the room.

                “Is Yongguk hyung gonna join us for dinner?” Daehyun asked Suwoong when there weren’t any loud voices in the room anymore.

                “Yeah, he’ll be back with Uncle Dongwan and Uncle Jungsu before that,” Suwoong answered while zipping up his guitar case.

                “I wonder why Yongguk hyung would manage the gym if he’s going to work at the company in the future,” Daehyun voiced.

                “Uncle Dongwan said that it’s a practice for him.” Suwoong sat down beside the latter and took out his phone. “If he’s going to be at the top, then he needs to start from the bottom.”

                “So, when Yongguk hyung works at the company later, who’s gonna take care of the gym?”

            “Anyone can.” Suwoong shrugged his shoulders. “I bet it’s not Himchan hyung since he’s like Yongguk hyung’s personal assistant. He’ll go to wherever Yongguk hyung goes. I think it will be Minsu or Junhong, since the other cousins already have something else to manage.”

                “Really? What business do your family has besides the gym?”

            “Nothing much, like some shoe shop, hardware shop, clothes shop, jewelry store, stationary shop. Just small business,” Suwoong stated casually while scrolling through his phone while Daehyun on the other side had his jaw dropped. No wonder they lived in a mansion.

                “Should we go down?” Suwoong asked before getting up from the bench. “I think it’s about time Jongup gets here.”

             Daehyun followed suit. “How are we supposed to go to your house again?” His hand naturally reached out for Suwoong’s left arm and held onto it like he usually did.

                “With a car, of course,” Suwoong replied, slinging the strap of the guitar case onto his shoulder.

                “I thought you ride a motorbike?”

            “It’s one of Uncle Dongwan’s car. He told me to use it today to bring both of you and Jongup to our place,” Suwoong explained. He didn’t even realized Daehyun’s hold on his arm. Not until he began to head for the door, since he felt like he was pulling something attached to his arm.

                “Ah!!” Suwoong jerked away and so did the older man, probably surprised with his shriek.

                “What’s wrong?!” Daehyun asked worriedly.

                "Why don’t you go down first, hyung? I think I need to use the toilet,” Suwoong said nervously before getting out of the room in haste.

             “…Okay…” Daehyun muttered and jumped again when Suwoong yelped after knocking onto something with a loud thud. “Why would he become so weird every time he has to go to the toilet?” he wondered quietly.

 

 

             When they entered the gate to the mansion, Suwoong and Jongup noticed the kids playing at the playground and they didn’t forget to mention it to Daehyun. Only Wonjun was there to watch over the kids, but he left the playground to greet the guests.

             “Have you just gotten home from work?” Daehyun asked after getting off the car with Wonjun welcoming him.

             “Yeah, what about you?” Wonjun replied before shaking hands with Jongup.

             “We came from the studio. Did you come here with the girls?”

             “No, Sojin and Somin are here since noon after they finished kindergarten. Soyun came here in the morning. Her grandparents would look after them while Sooyoung and I go to work,” Wonjun explained and that was when the girls started running to him.

             “Papa, push the swing for me!” Sojin, the oldest of the three, was in the lead.

             “Papa, ride the seesaw with me!” Somin tried to catch up with his sister.

             “Papa, I wanna go on the slide!” Soyun took her time toddling behind the other two.

             Wonjun turned to them. “I know, I know, can’t you guys give me a second to breathe?”

             “Wow, they really come for you at once.” Jongup let out an amused laugh.

             “Yeah, and I still wonder why they can’t just play with each other.” Wonjun shook his head at Jongup and the girls finally reached him. “Why did you guys left Haneul alone?”

             “Haneul’s here too?” Daehyun asked.

             “Yeah, he came here with his Grandma Narae. Himchan hyung would send them here before going to work,” Wonjun said while eyeing the boy, who was playing by himself in the sandpit with his toy trucks.

             Suwoong, who had just gotten out of the car, went straight for the girls. “Uncle Suwoong is home!”

             Only Soyun acknowledged him, asking for a lift, while the other two were still attached to their father’ legs.

             “You like me that much? More than your papa?” Suwoong asked playfully.

             “I love you!” Soyun exclaimed, throwing her tiny hands in the air.

             Daehyun laughed hearing Soyun’s cute reply. “It must be hard to watch over them on your own,” he said to Wonjun.

             The man shrugged his shoulders. “It was at first, but I got used to it.”

             “Where is Sooyoung noona and Hyosung noona?”

             “They’re helping with dinner in the kitchen,” Wonjun said before looking down to his whining daughters. “Don’t you recognize who’s this? You’ve talked to him before.”

             The girls averted their gaze from their father to Daehyun and Jongup. They kept staring at them until Sojin finally remembered the familiar face.

             “Uncle Daehyun!” She released her father’s leg to hold Daehyun’s hand.

             “Oh, you remember me!” Daehyun lowered his gaze down, smiling widely as he returned the girl’s hold.

             “Who is your friend, Uncle Daehyun?”

             “He’s my brother, Uncle Jongup.”

             Jongup smiled and waved at them. He didn’t expect for Somin to come and reach out for his hand too.

             Wonjun laughed. “I’m sorry. She’s a shy one, but she really can’t help herself when there’s a handsome guy in front of her.

             “Do you think I’m handsome?” Jongup asked the quiet girl in disbelief, earning a shy nod in response.

             He was overly happy to receive the compliment, even if it came from a little girl. So, he lifted Somin onto his arm and she couldn’t stop staring at his face with a wide satisfied grin.

             “Uncle Daehyun, Uncle Jongup! Come and play with us!” Sojin tugged on Daehyun’s hand.

             “Can we?!” Daehyun asked in excitement.

             “Yesss!!!” Sojin nodded her head eagerly.

             “We’d love to!” Daehyun exclaimed.

             “We’re going to play just for a few minutes, okay?” Wonjun told them. “Looks like it’s going to rain.”

                Later on, all of them joined Haneul at the playground. Sojin made Daehyun ride the seesaw with her and Somin on the other end. Jongup just stood at the side to watch over the girls, as well as his brother. Suwoong was happily pushing the swing for Soyun, while Wonjun kept his eyes on Haneul.

                In the middle of that, Youngjae suddenly came out from the house and slowly walked towards them. Jongup didn’t realize the man’s presence until Suwoong sent a signal with his eyes. Confused, he turned around and his heart started beating so fast at the sight of the man, both surprised and nervous to see him again.

                Youngjae pulled a thin smile at him. “Jongup, can we talk?”

                Daehyun clearly heard Youngjae’s voice, but he didn’t stop swaying the seesaw and waited for his brother’s response.

                Jongup pressed his lips together as he gave it a thought before turning back to his brother after a moment. “Daehyun hyung, can I leave for a minute?”

                “Of course,” Daehyun said with a meaningful smile.

                With that, Youngjae began to walk to another place and Jongup tailed behind him. Wonjun followed them with his eyes before looking at Suwoong.

                “What’s up with them?” he asked thought the link.

                Suwoong shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

 

 

                Youngae walked quietly ahead of Jongup, leading him to the backyard where there was an arbor at a point on the garden’s pathway. It was pretty secluded with climbing plants covering the sides and the roof, giving him the privacy he wanted in order to talk to the younger man.

                “Um… You didn’t go to work today?” Jongup tried breaking the silence on their way.

                “No, it’s my day off,” Youngjae kept his gaze to the front. When they reached the arbor, he stopped walking, causing the latter to copy his act from behind. He took a deep breath before slowly turning around, his fingers fiddling with each other. Still, his gaze was directed to the ground instead of the person standing in front of him.

                “So… What do you want to talk about?” Jongup asked carefully. He also couldn’t kept his eyes on Youngjae for too long and had to look at somewhere else most of the time. The whole situation was getting awkward for him too.

                Youngjae gnawed on his lips before drawing in some air into his lungs again. Then, he moved to the wooden bench and had a seat there. After a few seconds passed without saying anything, he finally looked up to Jongup.

                “I’m sorry for being rude the other day,” he said.

                Jongup’s breath hitched. He slowly lifted his head and their eyes met. It made him awkwardly look away. Scratching his head, he moved to lean his back against the trellis. With his arms folded across his chest, he glanced at Youngjae who was still looking at him with a genuinely apologetic expression.

                Jongup shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sorry for checking you out while working out.”

                Youngjae shook his head. “It’s my fault.” He casted his gaze to the ground. “I should’ve told you sooner that I already have a lover.”

                Jongup’s brows arched up. “You do?” He tried to sound surprised when actually, he wasn’t.

                “Yeah…” Youngjae muttered.

                Jongup sighed quietly. He took a look around the garden for a moment to consider his response before looking back to the older man. “You don’t have to lie to me, you know. I promise I’ll stop checking you out or even talking to you.”

                Youngjae quickly looked up at him. “I’m not lying. It’s true. I have a lover,” he asserted.

                Jongup pressed his lips together and exhaled through his nose. He just nodded his head after that. “Then, shouldn’t you be a little happier and smile more often?”

                Youngjae was clearly taken aback. All the memories he had with his deceased lover flashed before his eyes, the times when he was the happiest, when the smile never left his face. But now, all he could feel was pain and sadness. If he was given a choice, of course he wanted to be happy again, but how could he do that without the love of his life by his side? How could he let someone else in to his heart that was only meant for his one and only mate?

 

 

                “You had your fun, kids. Now, come on. Let’s get inside,” Wonjun said after taking a look at his watch.

                “Why, papa? We want to play more,” Sojin, who was just coming down from the slide, protested in a whine.

                Wonjun sighed. “You’ve played enough. It’s been an hour. The dinner’s going to start soon and we better go in before the rain falls.”

               Daehyun was leisurely sitting on a swing and just slightly swaying it back and forth when he finally got up. “You better listen to your papa, kids,” he agreed with a smile.

                “Yeah, come on, guys,” Suwoong called, standing at the side of the big slides where all of the kids were playing together at the moment.

               Haneul was the one to get down, waddling on his tiny feet towards him after gliding through the shortest and lowest slide with a loud giggle. Both Wonjun and Suwoong were patiently waiting for the girls to do the same, but then, it started raining.

                “It’s already raining. Let’s go in,” Wonjun hurried her daughters to go inside, but still have to wait for all of them to get down.

                Daehyun was just waiting by the swings until Suwoong would come to guide him into the house. The rain started with drizzle, but it was gradually turning heavier in seconds. So, he pulled his hoodie over his head.

                On the other hand, Suwoong went to get Haneul, who had gone to collect his toy trucks at the sandpit. The oldest two of the girls had slid down and Wonjun was waiting for the youngest and the last one.

                Sojin ran towards Daehyun right after that and grabbed his larger hand. “Come on, Uncle Daehyun!”

                Daehyun gasped in surprise at the sudden tug of his hand. He stumbled a step forward, but managed to secure his footing and keep his feet rooted to the ground.

                Suwoong whipped his head around to see what was going on. After attaining to lift Haneul onto his harm, he rushed to go to Daehyun next. “Hey, wait!”

                At Suwoong’s shout, Wonjun turned to the same direction where the younger man was anxiously looking at. His eyes widened at the sight of Sojin trying to pull Daehyun along with her and now, Somin had grabbed Daehyun’s other hand to do the same.

                “Come on fast, Uncle Daehyun!” Somin uttered.

                “Girls, don’t!” Wonjun yelled. Turning back to see Soyun was starting to slide down, he took her into his hold before the girl could even reach the end of it. Then, he began to rush there when Suwoong had just passed by him.

                Daehyun contemplated whether he should just follow the girls because he really didn’t want to let them down. He began to take small steps forward, but the girls didn’t have time for that. They planned to run into the house since the rain was falling heavily. With their constant sudden and unexpected tugs on his hands, Daehyun eventually lost his balance and slipped on the wet ground.

 

 

                The rain fell when the air between them had been tense for a while. Youngjae thought that it was a good thing since he didn’t know how to keep their conversation going anymore. He got up from the bench, wanted to get inside since the roof formed by plants could not give them a proper shelter. But when he was about to step out of the arbor, Jongup stop him.

                “Wait,” Jongup said before taking off his jacket. He moved closer to Youngjae before holding the jacket above their heads, shielding them from the rain. “Let’s go.”

                Youngjae tried not to think about how close they were and just matched Jongup’s fast footsteps. The younger man’s arm was pressed against his shoulder blades and the side of their body would collide with each other every now and then. It gave him the warmth he needed during the cold rainy day.

                They reached the patio sooner then he thought. The warmth was gone when Jongup stepped away from him right after getting under the porch. The younger man flapped the damp jacket before draping it over a chair.

                “Thanks…” Youngjae muttered.

Jongup turned to the latter and nodded his head with a thin smile. He gestured towards the back door, telling Youngjae to go ahead into the house. But before any of them could make a move, the door was opened by Hyosung. Her expression was uneasy as she looked straight at him.

                “Jongup, your brother…” It was all she had to say to make him dash into the house.

 

 

                Wonjun and his family were gathered in Sooyoung’s old room on the first floor. It was the room they usually used to change clothes and sleep if they were staying over. They had just finished giving their daughters a bath since they were soaked in the rain. When they were putting on the girls’ clothes, Junhong came with a bottle of milk.

                “How’s Daehyun doing?” Sooyoung asked her brother.

                “He’s fine,” Junhong told her based on what he saw in the other guest room that Daehyun was using. He went to take the comb next to his sister on the bed and sat there, placing the bottle of milk beside him. Taking a hold of Soyun’s hand, he gently pulled the girl to him after she was done putting on her clothes and started to comb her short hair.

                “Don’t do it again next time, okay?” Wonjun reminded his first daughter. He was sitting on a cushioned chair at the corner of the room while drying her hair with a towel.

                “But why can’t Uncle Daehyun see anything? His eyes are open,” Sojin wondered with a confused frown.

                “That is what blind means. Even if he opens his eyes, he still can’t see anything,” Wonjun explained.

                “You too, Somin,” Sooyoung said to the middle child of her with a pat on the chubby cheek after helping the girl put on a shirt.

                Junhong was done with Soyun’s hair and he passed the comb to her sister. He helped the girl climb onto the bed before giving her the bottle of milk. Soyun happily took it before dropping her head onto a pillow, making her uncle laugh at her cuteness.

                Junhong went to fix her position and that was when could sense Yongguk’s presence. Turning to look at his sister, it seemed that she too had already smelled the scent of their young alpha since both she and her husband were currently staring at each other.

                “I think he’s home,” she muttered to her mate.

                Wonjun stopped wiping his daughter’s hair and slowly nodded his head. Taking in a deep breath, he stood up before going out of the room.

 

 

                It had been a while since Yongguk was this lighthearted coming home from a whole day of working. His mother had texted him at noon, saying that Daehyun and Jongup were going to have dinner with them, and the smile never left his face until now. Not even when he was driving home with both of his father and uncle constantly teasing him about it.

                Stepping into the mansion, his feet spontaneously trailed after his mate’s strong scent, leaving the other two older man behind. He knew that Daehyun must be in one of the guest rooms, but when he saw Hyosung in the lounging room with her son on his way there, he had to stop to greet them first.

                “Ah, noona, I’m home,” he bowed at her.

                Hyosung bowed back at him from the couch she was sitting on. “Welcome home.”

                “Which room is Daehyun at?” Yongguk asked eagerly.

                “He’s in the second room, but…”

                Yongguk’s brows started to furrow looking at Hyosung’s agitated smile. “But…?”

                Someone was coming down the stairs at the end of the hallway and Yongguk turned at the sound of the footsteps. He could see Wonjun approaching him with almost the same apologetic expression. Sojin tailed after him, followed by Junhong, who was holding Somin in his arm.

                “What’s happening here?” Yongguk looked alternately to Wonjun and Hyosung. His heartbeat unknowingly quickened in fear of something he couldn’t guess, but he was nearly sure that it was about his mate.

                “Yongguk, I know this is going to give you a surprise, but I hope you won’t get mad,” Wonjun began when he stood before the young alpha. Junhong took a hold of Sojin’s hand and brought her away from her father to the lounging room.

                “What are you talking about?” Yongguk asked in confusion.

                Wonjun pressed his lips together to inhale deeply. His eyes were fixed on Yongguk’s as he said it. “You see, just now, Daehyun tripped and hurt his ankle…”

                Only by those few words, Yongguk could already feel blood rushing up to his head. It seemed like Wonjun got something more to say, but he really couldn’t stay still, knowing that his mate was hurt and might be in pain.

                Immediately, Yongguk sprinted towards the particular guest room, his shoulder colliding hardly against Wonjun’s in the process.

 

 

                “The sprain isn’t that bad. It will heal in a few days,” Narae said after she had finished bandaging Daehyun’s ankle.

                “Thanks, Aunt Narae.” Daehyun sent a grateful smile in her direction as he sat on the bed.

               The woman was still kneeling on the floor to tidy all the things used and put them back into the first aid kit. Youngjae and Suwoong gave her a hand, whereas Jongup was bringing out Daehyun’s spare clothes from the backpack.

                Suddenly, there was a loud bang that made Daehyun jump. The others in the room were also startled by the sound of the door being harshly pushed open and slammed onto the wall. They turned towards it and there was Yongguk, looking so red with bulged eyes and breathing heavily through his nose as he stared at Daehyun’s sprained ankle.

                “What’s that?” Daehyun asked someone in general.

                “Yongguk!” Narae unintentionally gave the answer when she called for her nephew who had just went away. Scrambling up onto her feet, she hastily went after him.

                “Oh no,” Suwoong muttered under his breath before getting up and rushed out of the room.

                Daehyun was getting more clueless about what was happening. “Why did he come and leave without saying anything?” he asked, turning to where he thought Jongup was supposed to be.

                “I don’t know…” Jongup too was as confused as his brother. “He seemed… angry…?” He looked at Youngjae, hoping to get some answer, but the man was still busy packing the kit.

                Youngjae quickly closed the box and took it with him when he was running out of the room. Jongup tried to follow him, but he was stopped by Youngjae at the door.

                “Who hurt my mate?!” Yongguk’s thundering voice resounded throughout the mansion.

                Jongup frowned and stared questioningly at Youngjae. “What does he mean by that?”

                “Hurt…?” Daehyun spoke up. “Is he talking about me? Who is he yelling at?”

                “Could you please stay in the room?” Youngjae urged Jongup to back away so that he could grab the door knob. “I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner,” he said before pulling the door close.

                “What’s going on?” Daehyun asked anxiously.

                “I don’t know, hyung,” Jongup replied. He couldn’t hold himself for opening the door again and peeked outside.

 

 

                “Yongguk, please, calm down!” Minjee had come running to the lounging room at her son’s shout and now she was clutching onto his arm to calm him down.

                Dongwan was there shortly after that, followed with Jungsu and Eunbyul. He had gone to his son to rub his back, while the other two went to the kids, who were already crying because of Yongguk’s loud frightening voice. Even though Narae was already there to help Hyosung and Junhong comforting the kids, they usually wouldn’t stop crying that easily.

                “You almost revealed to Daehyun about him being your mate,” Youngjae told Yongguk in a hushed voice once he reached there.

                “Shut up! Nobody should hurt him!” Yongguk yelled back, but Youngjae didn’t even flinch.

                Suwoong pulled Youngjae away before Yongguk could charge at him or something worse might happen.

                “Yongguk I apologize on my children’s behalf but they were just kids. Please forgive them,” Wonjun pleaded.

                At the mention of the children, Yongguk went silent. Only now he could hear their frightened cries. Finally, he came back to his sense and he was guilt-ridden, knowing that he was the cause of it.

                “Just stop it, Yongguk. You’re scaring the kids,” Dongwan advised.

                Yongguk clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists, as if he was pushing his anger back in. He really needed to be alone if he wanted to calm down. So, he left and went upstairs to him room.

 

 

                After helping Daehyun take a bath, Jongup piggybacked his brother to the dining area. Everything seemed to be pretty normal with everyone talking casually to each other. He lowered Daehyun onto a seat before settling down to his right.

                Daehyun kept assuring everyone that he was fine every time they asked him about his ankle. He could already identify each of them based on their voices even if they were all gathered around like this. However, not once had he heard Yongguk’s.

                “Daehyun?” Narae placed a hand on his back, making him turned towards her. “I made something like a herbal drink for you.” She took his hand and put the stainless steel bottle in it. “You can drink as much as the bottle cap for once or twice a day. It may help to heal your injury faster.”

                “Oh, I will. Thanks a lot, Aunt Narae.” Daehyun smiled at her before carefully placing the bottle onto the table.

                Everyone quietened down after that, except the kids who kept chatting with each other and Daehyun wondered if it was because of something he had done. But there was a sound of footsteps coming from behind him, getting closer and closer until he could smell a familiar scent that belonged to Yongguk.

                The man silently took a seat next to him and the others seemed to be fixing themselves in their own seats too. Maybe the previous incident had made it awkward for them to face Yongguk and because of that, Daehyun wasn’t sure how he should act around the man too.

                The air was gradually becoming less tense after they started eating, thanks to the kids who could keep the mood lively. Daehyun was quite surprised when Yongguk suddenly talked to him, asking him about his ankle and the food in a casual way. He responded to the man like he usually would. Just knowing that Yongguk had calmed down made him feel so relieved.

                “So, how long will it take for you guys to complete the assignment?” Dongwan asked, his gaze alternating between Suwoong and Jongup.

                “We should finish it by tonight since it is due tomorrow morning. We don't know how long it'll take, but we’ve already done most of it,” Suwoong stated.

                “Then, why don’t you and your brother stay over for tonight?” Dongwan suggested to Jongup. “Or you have an early class tomorrow?” he asked and Jongup shook his head no. “That should be okay, right? The boys can lend you their clothes and there are new toothbrushes you can use.”

                “I actually thought of the same thing since, you know, it might be very late if we’re going home later and that’s not safe.” Jongup shrugged, implying the previous incident with the thugs. “Even if anyone is willing to send us home, it will be a trouble for them to go back and forth. So, what do you think, hyung?” he asked Daehyun by nudging his leg under the table.

                “I’m fine with staying over,” Daehyun easily agreed. “I’m going to call the studio tomorrow to ask for a day off anyway.

                Dongwan nodded with a smile. “Alright, you can use different rooms if you want.”

                “Ah, no need, we can share a room,” Daehyun refused politely since it would be easier for him to get his brother’s help with the new surroundings, moreover with an injured ankle.

                “You can ask any of the boys for some clothes later,” Minjee said.

                “That’s okay. I brought some spare clothes, just in case,” Jongup spoke. “We’ve actually showered and changed since we were both soaked in the rain. I’m sorry I didn’t ask for your permission to use the shower first.”

                “On, no, that’s alright. You don’t even have to.” Minjee waved an airy hand. “Why don’t you give me the wet clothes later? I’ll wash them for you.”

                Jongup gave her a mannerly nod. “Sure. Thank you so much, aunty.”

 

 

                After dinner, Daehyun was given a ride on Jongup’s back again to return to the same guest room. After making sure his brother was comfortable on the bed with his phone, Jongup left him there to go to the home library with Suwoong to do their assignment.

                Daehyun contemplated whether he should listen to music, audiobooks, or a radio show on his phone. Perhaps he should just check out all of them and then decide which one interest him the most. He fixed the pillow behind him as he leaned against the headboard. When he was about to put on his earphones, someone knocked on the door. So, he put them down and asked the person to come in.

                “It’s me,” Yongguk said after entering the room.

                “Oh, Yongguk hyung.” Daehyun smiled and straightened up his back.

                Yongguk looked around the room, wondering if Daehyun’s brother was somewhere in there. “Where’s Jongup?” he asked when he failed to find him.

                “He went to the library with Suwoong,” Daehyun answered.

                “Right, of course.” Yongguk nodded to himself, mentally smacking his forehead for forgetting the main reason Daehyun was staying here in the first place.

                Stepping further into the room, Yongguk headed towards the bed before cautiously sitting down on it, afraid if the slightest movement could hurt Daehyun’s sprained ankle.

                “Is it still painful? Your ankle?” he asked in concern.

                “Not if I just stay like this.” Daehyun chuckled, but Yongguk really couldn’t so the same.

                Noticing that the older man had turned quiet for a moment, Daehyun wondered if Yongguk was going to get mad again. He had a thought that maybe, Yongguk was losing his mind before because it happened at his place. Maybe he was just feeling responsible for it.

                Breathing in a deep breath, Daehyun spoke up. “You shouldn’t have gotten angry at the children. It wasn’t their fault.”

                Yongguk, who had been staring at Daehyun’s bandaged ankle, whipped his head up to look at the latter. “I know, I know. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what took over me just now.” He heaved a long sigh while shaking his head.

                “They came here before dinner and apologized. I felt bad for making them think that it was their fault when it was actually my fault,” Daehyun said with a frown on his face.

                “It was not anyone’s fault,” Yongguk quickly denied it. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing to them.”

                “Have you?”

                Yongguk nodded. “I have, before they went home earlier. To them, and to Wonjun hyung too.”

                He remembered the troubled expression of the girls’ face when he approached them. It made him realize that he had gone too far in front of the kids. Of course it would give a shock to them. Yongguk rarely got angry before, moreover showing it in front of them. No matter how irritating something could be, he always managed to suppress his anger. Not until now, when he had found his mate, who he cared more than his own life.

                From the way the conversation was going right now, Daehyun was unwittingly recalling about all the things Yongguk had been yelling outside the room before. The curiousity in him was overwhelming because of that. So, he braved himself to get some answers.

                “I want to ask you something.”

                “What is it?” Yongguk asked calmly.

                Daehyun gnawed on his lips as he thought of the right words to use, his fingers twiddling the cables of his earphones. “I heard you said something like ‘my mate’ before,” he uttered carefully. “What did you mean?”

                Yongguk had seen it coming. It was because of his own mistake. His outrage had conquered all the rational thoughts, making him blurt out the supposed to be secret thing. He knew Daehyun could hear him and question him later, but there was no way he could come up with a reasonable answer, except by telling him the truth. He might just do that but, not right now.

                “I think I’ll go take some fresh air outside,” he spoke up after a moment of silence. “Do you want to tag along?”

                Daehyun was clearly taken aback when Yongguk suddenly avoided his question just like that. “Um… It hurts to walk…”

                “I’ll carry you on my back like Jongup did,” Yongguk replied nonchalantly. “And it’s only until we reach the backyard.”

                “But it’ll be tiring…”

                “Do you think I work at a gym for nothing?”

                “But still…”

               Yongguk had enough of Daehyun’s excuse, which made him place his hand on top of the latter’s. “I really want you to come with me,” he earnestly convinced Daehyun.

                Yongguk’s warm touch was already making his heartbeat quickened. But his mind was distracted by thinking of the reason why Yongguk was so desperate to bring him along. “Okay…” he finally conceded.

              Moving closer to Daehyun, Yongguk gave his back to him and brought the hand he was holding to his front across his shoulder. Daehyun also turned his body so that his legs were at Yongguk’s sides. Feeling Yongguk’s hands slipping under his thighs, Daehyun put both his phone and earphones aside before sliding the other hand on Yongguk’s shoulder and held his hands together in front of the man.

              Yongguk easily got up from the bed while hefting Daehyun on his back. He could feel Daehyun’s soft breaths on his neck as he made his way out of the room. Daehyun’s wonderful scent was engulfing him and he tried so hard not to let it get the better of his sensible mind.

               Daehyun, too, was not any different. Yongguk’s back was so broad and warm. Even if it was almost similar to Jongup, the feeling was totally the opposite. His skin was tingling at every part touched by the older man, even by the soft hair that kept brushing on his cheek. Yongguk’s scent was also calming and relaxing. It was something dark and spicy, smoky but refreshing, it was rich and luxurious; everything that perfectly described the man. It was a scent he had grown to love, even more than his favorite flower.

                When they finally stepped out of the house through the back door, they found that the air was quite chilly, probably because of the previous rainfall. None of them said anything though and Yongguk proceeded towards the open space in the backyard.

                “Are we going to sit down on the grass again?” Daehyun asked because that was what they did when they visited Yongguk’s favorite place. “Isn’t it still wet from the rain?”

                Yongguk abruptly halted his steps after noticing that he was squelching on the lawn. “You’re right.” He turned around and went back to the porch. Going for the mats stored on the rack that was mounted on the wall, he bent his body a little lower and neared himself to one of the mat until it touched Daehyun’s hands. He told Daehyun to take it, saying that they would use the mat to sit on the wet ground.

                Daehyun was laughing non-stop along their way to the lawn. It was because the mat roll was quite big and thick that he almost dropped it for a few times. And every time he managed to keep the mat from falling, he would hit Yongguk in the face or almost choked him with it.

                After Yongguk had chosen a good spot, he told Daehyun to throw the mat down. Taking off his slippers, he stepped on the edge of the mat before unrolling it open using his foot. When it was settled, he kneeled down on it and gently lowered his mate. But in the midst of being extra cautious with Daehyun’s sprained ankle, he failed to keep their balance. Daehyun was tossed on his back first, pulling the older man along with him. Yongguk was quick to roll his body to the side before he could crush Daehyun under him.

                “You okay?!” Yongguk hastily sat up to check on his mate.

                However, Daehyun was laughing too hard that it was impossible for him to answer Yongguk. It didn’t affect him in any way since it was only a short fall. The thing that was so funny to him was how Yongguk was so determined to sit on the lawn when they could have been resting comfortably on the bed, and how Yongguk seemed to be so weirdly clumsy tonight. It was another side of the man he had just got to know.

                Daehyun’s precious smile and melodious laughter made Yongguk laugh too. He didn’t know what Daehyun found so amusing, but he didn’t really care. As long as Daehyun was laughing like this, the reason didn’t really matter.

                Yongguk lied down beside his mate, his eyes never tearing off the man’s beautiful face. He gazed at Daehyun without saying anything and he could bet his life that he could do that forever.

                Daehyun was finally calming down after a while and had to wipe his tears. He could feel Yongguk’s presence next to him, but he seemed to have gone rigid. Feeling around with his hand, Daehyun found Yongguk’s warm one close to him.

                “You’re so quiet. I wonder if you’re still there.”

                Yongguk snorted with laughter. “Of course I’m here. Why would I run away and leave you alone?”

                Daehyun chortled at that before letting out a long sigh with a hum. Yongguk’s hand was still beneath his and somehow his habit was at it again. He began to feel every crease and crook of the thin hand, wondering how it could still be warm in this cold weather.

                “Your fingers are long,” he commented, still amazed by it even though he had known from the many times they held hands before.

                Yongguk’s hand turned over and clasped the one above. He raised it up to see Daehyun’s soft hand as he the back of it with his thumb. “Yours are slender and pretty,” he said back.

                Daehyun scoffed, taking it as Yongguk was only being kind to him because he could never see them on his own to confirm it. “My pinky is bent.”

                “Well, I think it’s cute,” Yongguk claimed and started to give the right pinky more attention. It was still endearing to find that it could never be straightened.

                Daehyun could feel his face burning up. He suddenly felt like an idiot for getting so giddy from a trivial compliment. Yongguk had put his hand down, but the man never stopped caressing it. He just let him, liking the brush of Yongguk’s skin on his while he kept facing the night sky. He could always know when it was night time based on the shift of temperature, or the quieter surroundings that made sounds louder, or the absence of the sun’s warmth. Even the smell could sometimes give him a clue. He knew that the sky turns dark at night, but he could only imagine how beautiful it is from all the books he had read and the movies he had watched.

                “Are there any stars?” he asked the other man.

                Yongguk was already gazing up to the sky before that. The darkness of the night was lightened up by the bright moon and the stars scattering across the boundless sky. “Lots of them...”

                “Are they beautiful?”

                Beautiful? Of course they are. They are always beautiful. But when Yongguk turned to look at Daehyun, he knew that he preferred to stare at the man instead of the dazzling starry sky. “Very beautiful.”

                Daehyun hummed in acknowledgement. “What about the moon?”

                Yongguk took a brief glance at it before looking back to his mate. “It’s a crescent. Beautiful,” he said and Daehyun’s face lightened up with a smile, his eyes turning into upward curves, as if they were reflecting the moon. “But compared to your eyes, it is nothing.”

                Once again, Yongguk exceeded Daehyun’s expectations. His cheeks felt even hotter than before and Daehyun had to bite his lips to hold his grin from spreading all over his face.

                Not enough with that, Yongguk added some more, just because he really wanted Daehyun to know how beautiful the things he could see right now. “There are thousands of stars shining in your eyes and when you smile, they will turn into perfect crescents and shined as bright as the moon.”

                Daehyun was so flattered and he knew it was embarrassing. So, he just laughed to cover it up. “Thank you, but you’re exaggerating.”

                He turned his head to the side as he said that, making Yongguk’s heart skip a beat. Daehyun was looking straight into his eyes, and with a realization that it was the first time such thing had happened, his heart started to go wild.

                “You know what, we’re making eye contact right now.”

                “Really?” Daehyun smiled, his eyes widening for a second. “Does it seem like I can see you?”

                Yongguk felt his chest tightened. What he wouldn’t give for Daehyun to really see him. What would Daehyun look like if he were able to see his face? Would Daehyun know that he was always being gazed at with so much love from him? Just what he wouldn’t do to make Daehyun look at him in the same way.

                It was something that Yongguk had always wished for, but only by being this close to Daehyun was more than enough for him. If he couldn’t convey his love through his eyes, he would find another way to do it. Like right now, when his face was inching closer to Daehyun’s until their lips were locked together.

                Daehyun’s mind went completely blank. Right after feeling something moist and soft brushed his lips, his whole body stopped functioning, except his heart that kept beating faster and faster like it was about to explode. Yongguk’s scent was all over him and the way Yongguk’s lips were moving tenderly against his was making him crazy.

                The breathless kiss stopped a moment later with Yongguk pulling away from the other man. He was true. The kiss was a lot better than he had ever imagined. Their lips molded perfectly with each other like how they were meant to be. His heart was still pounding as he stared at Daehyun, wondering what was there for him behind the glazed expression.

                Daehyun wasn’t saying anything at first, since his mind was busy sorting everything out. He shakily exhaled the breath he was holding in before slowly turning his head to face the sky again. There was turbulent of feelings inside his chest that could burst out anytime if he didn’t have any control over it.

                “Why me?” he asked, voice barely audible even in the silence of the night.

                Yongguk pursed his lips and took a deep breath. The anxious feeling was almost making him puke. Fixing his eyes on his mate, he braved himself to confess. “Because you’re the one I fell in love with.”

                Daehyun’s breath hitched. It was suddenly becoming so hard for him to breathe. He could feel his eyes starting to sting and his lips trembling. He brought his free hand to his face, placing his forearm across his eyes to hold his tears, but they were already shed.

                “Oh, Daehyun.” Yongguk immediately propped himself up on his elbow to check on the younger man. “Please don’t cry.” He took a hold of Daehyun’s wrist before pulling it down, revealing his flushed face that was wet with tears.

                “Why are you crying?” Yongguk asked when Daehyun continued to weep. “Is it something I said? Is it something I did? Or I shouldn’t have kissed you just now?” he panicked.

                Daehyun was a sobbing mess. Yongguk didn’t know what to do, but he decided to sit up of the mat before gently lifting Daehyun up into his arms. One of his legs were folded, while the other was bent behind Daehyun, so that his mate could lean against it.

                “Daehyun, what’s wrong? Please tell me.” Yongguk was getting desperate.

                Daehyun tried to wipe some of the tears using the hem of his sleeves, which he began to toy with after dropping his hands onto his lap. His face was casted down when he finally spoke up. “Why did you fall in love with me? I’m a guy.”

                More tears were rolling down his cheeks and he quickly wiped them off. “I’m not rich, I’m weak, I’m helpless, I’m blind. I’m a disabled person. I can’t see anything. I can’t even see what you look like-”

                “All of those don’t matter to me,” Yongguk cut in. One of his hand held Daehyun’s damp cheek as the other was still wrapped around Daehyun’s petite frame. “You’re beautiful... Inside and out. I’m in love with everything that’s you.”

                Daehyun still couldn’t believe Yongguk had said it again. Of course it would be hard for him to believe it when the one saying it was the one he had been in love with. That was a miracle and he wasn’t sure if he was meant to have it.

                Daehyun grasped Yongguk’s hand and took it down to his chest. “But hyung, you’re… You deserve someone better than me.”

                Yongguk sighed. “Daehyun, don’t you remember what I said about being yourself? You know that a leaf can be as beautiful as a flower, right? And you…”

                He nudged Daehyun’s chin upwards to raise his face and for the second time of the night, they were looking straight into each other’s eyes. Even when he was crying, Daehyun still managed to take his breath away. “You are beautiful in your own way. I love you, because you are… You.”

                Daehyun was just calming down when Yongguk’s words left him sobbing again. He let his head dropped onto the crook on Yongguk’s neck with his hand clutching tightly onto Yongguk’s shirt.

                Yongguk tightened his embrace around his mate. “It’s me who don’t deserve you.”

                “No, hyung,” Daehyun directly opposed him, but then he shifted his face so that it was hidden in Yongguk’s shirt. “I… I love you,” he shyly murmured.

                Youngguk could clearly heard it even though Daehyun’s voice was muffled. He acknowledged it by yielding a long kiss on the crown of Daehyun’s head and at last, Daehyun returned his hug by wrapping those thin arms around his torso. It made him smile so hard that he wondered if he was able to stop and sleep for the night.

 

 

---

 

A/N:

whew that's one hella long chapter and I'm so done with this chapter's alignment (¬_¬)

but BANGDAE Y'ALL!!!

Thank you to all upvoters, subscribers, readers and commenters! XOXO