Poppy – sacrifice

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                Yongguk could feel his eyelids drooping as he stared at the monitor. He averted his gaze to his mate. Daehyun was sitting at the end of the long sofa, having earphones on as he tapped on his mobile phone, most likely playing some games. It was one of the days Daehyun would follow him to the gym. So, he better make the most out of it.

                Yongguk stretched out in his seat with a loud groan, but it didn’t seem to get any reaction from his mate, though he was sure Daehyun could still hear clearly even with those earphones on. He got up and went to drop himself on the same sofa before lying down on Daehyun’s lap.

                “You were already here half an hour ago,” Daehyun remarked nonchalantly.

                “No,” Yongguk firmly denied. “It’s less than that.”

                “Even worse,” Daehyun chided.

                “I’m getting sleepy.” Yongguk yawned.

                “I’ll get you some coffee, then,” Daehyun said, already taking off his earphones and putting everything aside.

                “No, just let me lie here for a minute,” Yongguk insisted before getting himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

                Daehyun clicked his tongue. This is the sole reason he rarely follows Yongguk to the gym. Today, he just felt bad for the older man because it had been several days since he last came here. He knew Yongguk would stick to him most of the time, but every time Yongguk did, he would eventually gave in and let his lover have his own way in the end. Like right now, he just started to massage Yongguk’s head.

                “Oh… That feels good,” Yongguk was really enjoying it.

                “Hyung, it just crossed my mind, you never told me how Youngjae, Sungjoon and Suwoong were taken into your clan,” Daehyun randomly spoke what came to his mind.

                Yongguk naturally opened his eyes at that. He frowned, trying to remember if there was anything he had said about them to Daehyun, but nothing came up. “Right, I never told you,” he admitted. “Hmm… Where to start?” He thought about it first, taping his fingers on his belly.

                “Actually, my clan had never accepted any outsider,” Yongguk began. “But when Youngjae ran away from his clan two years ago, Aunt Byul asked my dad to accept him.”

                “Youngjae ran away because his clan killed his mate, right? Jongup told me about it,” Daehyun said.

                “Yeah, that’s true,” Yongguk confirmed and moved on. “From then, we all thought that accepting an outsider is not a bad idea. We could still treat them like family and our clan could grow in size. Not long after that, Sungjoon applied for a job here. He said that he left his clan because they harm humans for fun once in a while. He tried to protest, but he would be the one getting harmed.”

                Daehyun’s jaw dropped in a silent gasp. That clan was horrible. “Poor Sungjoon,” he muttered.

                Yongguk felt the same. “Yeah, I hope he’s happy with our clan now.”

                Daehyun honestly wished for that too, but he couldn’t help remembering Sungjoon’s conversation with Junhong about preferring Heeyeon over him as the next luna. Even so, he quickly pushed that thought away for now.

                “I believe he does,” he said with a small smile.

                “Months later, Himchan and Minsu came across Suwoong on their way to the gym,” Yongguk resumed. “Suwoong had left his clan too since his mate was a female alpha. She couldn’t accept a male omega as her mate, so both of them agreed to reject each other. His clan thought it put a shame on them. They made him feel isolated, so he thought there was no need to keep being in that clan.”

                “Wow… I didn’t know they’d have such a tragic past,” Daehyun really could not believe all of them had gone through those terrible things at such a young age.

                Yongguk too found it hard to swallow the first time he met them. “Yeah, I’m glad my clan took them in.”

                By now, Daehyun had stopped massaging Yongguk’s head and started playing with his hair instead. He knew his lover doesn’t like to style his hair except when he needs to go to the family’s company. While running his fingers through the wavy hair, another question arose in his mind. “But hyung, do your clan kill others?” he carefully voiced it up.

                “Well, my clan killed some of the Massifs, remember?” Yongguk answered casually. “When they attacked me and my brother three years ago. Even before that, we had to kill the rouges who were harming my clan and the people in our territory,” he sighed in disgust towards the Massifs. “It’s just – kill them before they kill you,” he clarified. “You know how dangerous they can be.”

                He looked up to the expression his mate was making, afraid if the said man would get the wrong idea. Daehyun was slightly frowning and Yongguk hoped it was not because of getting scared.

                “But that is our last resort,” he added to his explanation. “I mean, we could just easily wipe out the rouges with our number, but as I say, that’s the last option.”

                There was only silence for a moment until Daehyun spoke up again. “Do you ever kill someone, hyung?”

                Yongguk turn his gaze aside, wondering why Daehyun was asking him about the matter. How would Daehyun react if he were to know the truth? What would he say after knowing that his lover had done horrific things in life? Now Yongguk was the one getting scared, but he had no choice except for telling the truth.

                “I did,” he began before gulping down the lump in his throat. “Two rogues. And I remember each of them.” He released a regretful sigh. “They were from different times, but both of them were during the fight in the downtown when I tried to stop them from abducting people.” He looked up at Daehyun again. “Why did you ask?” he questioned warily.

                Though he was still busy playing with Yongguk’s soft hair, the frown on Daehyun’s face deepened and his lips were pressed into a thin line. “I could never imagine killing people.”

                Yongguk’s eyes widened as something crossed his mind. He abruptly sat up and turned his body towards his mate. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna reject me because of that?!” he asked in horror.

                Daehyun gasped. “No! No, hyung!” He strongly denied. “I’m just worried,” he revealed, followed by a heavy sigh. “Anybody could die in the fight.”

                Yongguk was easing up after hearing that. He just hoped Daehyun would trust him and tell him the truth in return. He also wanted to get rid of the frown on Daehyun’s face and replace it with a smile.

                “I love you, hyung. I don’t ever want to lose you,” Daehyun whined, a hand groping the air for the older man.

                Yongguk let out a relieved sigh. “I love you, too.” He took a hold of Daehyun’s searching hand before scooting closer to him. “So I’ll try my best not to get killed, okay?”

                “Promise?” Daehyun asked, squeezing Yongguk’s hand with both of his on his lap.

                “Promise.” Yongguk leaned in before locking his lips with Daehyun’s.

                The kiss lasted long enough for both of their face to turn pink. “I’m gonna go get coffee,” Yongguk said after that as he got up on his feet. “Do you want some?”

                “Sure,” Daehyun answered.

                “Not for free though.”

                Daehyun grinned at Yongguk’s teasing tone. “How should I pay, then?”

                Yongguk bent down, placing his hands on top of the sofa’s back at either side of his mate to prop himself up before pecking Daehyun’s lips. “That,” he said after they parted.

                “That’s all?” Daehyun asked in feigned surprise. “I can even give you an extra,” he offered with an impish smile.

                Yongguk chuckled, finding his mate to be very adorable. “It’ll be rude to refuse.” He shrugged before leaning down again and after much more sweet lingering kisses, he was finally able to leave.

                Daehyun smiled, even after the other man had went out of the room. He yawned and stretched on the sofa. The sleepiness was indeed contagious. Or maybe he had been sitting there for so long. He probably should get up, maybe go for a run, but then Yongguk was bringing him coffee. So, he just thought of playing with his phone again, only to remember something out of a sudden.

                “Oh, right.” Daehyun reached down to get his bag. He pulled it up onto his lap before searching the inside amongst his other stuffs.

                A small wooden dragon figure was taken out. He put his bag away before getting up and began counting his steps towards Yongguk’s desk with his hands sticking out in front of him.

                He just wanted to place the figure somewhere on the desk. So when he reached there, he started to feel around for an empty spot. He found the monitor first before checking around it.

                His hand then nudged something. He picked it up after putting down the dragon figure somewhere on the table and tried to find out what it actually is only by feeling with his hands.

                At the same time, Yongguk pushed the door of the office with his body as he was carrying two cups of coffee.

                “I’m back,” he announced. But once he saw Daehyun at his desk, his feet rooted to the ground.

                By now Daehyun could already figure out that it was actually a photo frame. “Hyung, what picture is this?” he curiously asked right away.

                “Um…” Yongguk could not bring himself to say anything because he was not expecting this to happen.

                “What?” A frown etched on Daehyun’s face when Yongguk hesitated to answer. “Is it something you need to keep a secret from me?” he urged. “Is it something I shouldn’t know?”

                His mind started running with all the possible reasons why Yongguk wanted to hide it from him. Is it another woman? Or is it another man? Is Yongguk cheating on him?!

                “Well… kinda…?” Yongguk timidly answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

                “What?!” Daehyun shrieked in disbelief.

                “I never thought you’d find out about this,” Yongguk said while walking to the low table in front of the sofa to put down the cup of coffees.

                “Because I can’t see?” Daehyun guessed in a bitter tone.

                Yongguk’s face changed. “No, Daehyun. It’s not because of that.”

                Daehyun sighed. He really didn’t want to get into a fight now, moreover because of that matter. “Just what picture is this?” he asked again in a calmer manner, but still irritated nonetheless, waggling the frame to express his feelings.

                Yongguk too heaved a deep breath. He went to his mate and stood by his side, taking a look at the picture in his hand. “Yours,” he said. “It’s your picture.”

                Daehyun immediately blushed. It could be one of the reasons Yongguk wanted to hide the picture from him, but it never came to his mind before. Now that he finally knew about it, he didn’t really know what to say. He just wanted to contain the overwhelming embarrassment before anything else because one, it was his own picture he was worried about, and two, Yongguk had framed his picture to put it on his office desk.

                Yongguk still had his eyes fixed on the picture, so he had yet to see Daehyun’s reddening face. “I admit it is my fault because I know you can’t see and yet I didn’t tell you about it. But I actually didn’t want you to find out because I know you wouldn’t like it.”

                Daehyun cleared his throat. “W-Why would you put my picture here?”

                The stammering caused Yongguk to look up and what he saw put a smirk on his lips. “Because I’d miss you every time I go to work.” He began to get mischievous.

                Daehyun noticed the sudden change in Yongguk’s tone and he knew that man was back to teasing him again. “W-What kind of picture is this?”

                “It’s a very beautiful picture of you,” he said before sighing dreamily. Then, he whispered close to Daehyun’s ear. “And that’s not the only one.”

                “What?!” Daehyun once again had to raise his voice after receiving another shocking news. “There’s more??”

                Yongguk jutted out his bottom lip, shaking his head. “It’s not a lot…”

                Daehyun immediately fumbled around the desk again, more thoroughly this time. The more he had found, the clumsier he got that he almost knock off a few.

                “All of these are my pictures?” he asked incredulously.

                “No. There’s one of my family and one of the clan,” Yongguk casually answered.

                Still, Daehyun couldn’t believe that the rest was his. “Hyung! You arranged my pictures from one end of the table to the other! It’s embarrassing!” he whined loudly, his face grew even redder than before.

                “What are you embarrassed about?” Yongguk retorted. “No one will see from the front.”

                Daehyun inhaled before letting out a long heavy sigh. “I want you to tell me what kind of picture each of them is,” he demanded.

                Yongguk nodded. “Well, the one you’re holding is a smiling Daehyun with a flower tucked behind his ear,” he explained before adding, “My favourite.” He grinned, taking his time to gaze fondly at the picture in Daehyun’s hand, not realizing Daehyun’s cheeks were burning up again.

                “Then,” Yongguk turned to the other pictures. “There’s a laughing Daehyun, pianist Daehyun, pouting Daehyun, gardener Daehyun, Daehyun kissing my cheek, and, sleeping Daehyun.”

                The said man gasped loudly. “Even while I was sleeping?” Daehyun had to press his lips together to keep calm and stay sane. “I’m seizing that one,” he firmly stated.

                “Okay.” Yongguk nodded, shrugging his shoulders. “Guess which one.”

                Daehyun scoffed. “I’m seizing all of them,” he quickly changed his statement, already starting to for the frames.

                Only now, Yongguk was truly panicked. “No, wait, wait.” He stopped the latter by grabbing his hands. “You can’t do this to me. They’re all very cute. It’s my everyday motivation to work, you know.”

                “I’m not cute,” Daehyun snapped back, despite his flushed cheeks.

                “No.” Yongguk seemed to be agreeing with what his mate just said, but then he added, “You’re very cute.”

                Daehyun hissed. His brows knitted together and his jaw was tight. His bulging eyes were glaring, though it was a little to the right from the person he was aiming for.

                It only caused Yongguk to snort with laughter. “You’re cute even now.”

                That made Daehyun try to wriggle his hands out of Yongguk’s grip, only to be held tighter.

                “Please?” Yongguk pleaded desperately. “I took pictures of you with your consent, you know.”

                Daehyun clicked his tongue to his irritation. “You didn’t ask for my consent to display them.”

                “Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Yongguk genuinely apologized. “But please, let me keep them?” He was almost begging by now.

                Daehyun thought quietly for a moment. “Fine,” he huffed before finally putting down the frame in his hold. “But you stop right there. No more putting up my pictures without me knowing,” he warned.

                Yongguk raised his brows. “So it’s okay if I let you know first?” he asked carefully.

                Daehyun’s mouth opened and closed in a silent stutter. “Yeah, I’ll consider about it,” he mumbled after a little while. His lips slightly pouting and his cheeks tinted with pink.

                Yongguk laughed at the adorable sight. “Aww… Daehyun…” His arms slipped around the younger man’s lean build, engulfing him in a big hug. “Thank you.”

                Daehyun smiled before looping his arms around Yongguk’s waist in return. His head lied comfortably on Yongguk’s broad shoulder. But it was only for a short while when Yongguk pulled away. The taller man lifted his chin and gave him a sounding kiss on the lips.

                Yongguk fixed his highback chair before taking a seat, pulling Daehyun along onto his lap. The younger man naturally circled his arms around his neck.

                “What were you doing at my desk?” Yongguk asked, his thumb mindlessly caressing Daehyun’s thigh while his other hand was wrapped around Daehyun’s waist.

                Daehyun had to think about it for a second. He really forgot. “Oh, I was gonna put a dragon figure,” he told his lover and started to feel around the desk to find it.

                Yongguk easily saw the said dragon figure before picking it up. “This one?” he asked by tapping it on Daehyun’s seeking hand.

                Daehyun turned over his palm to take it and instantly recognized the familiar feeling of the touch. “It’s my favourite that I took from my place,” he said while having a fond smile, after taking it closer to his chest.

                No wonder he felt like he had seen the same figure before, Yongguk thought. He remembered seeing the number of dragon figures at his mate’s house and this one was from the desk in Daehyun’s room, the one that has a funny face.

                “What makes it your favourite?” he asked.

                “It’s the first dragon figure I got from my dad for my birthday, my 13^th birthday,” Daehyun explained. “And…”

                “And…?” Yongguk arched up his eyebrows.

                “And… It reminds me of your dragon form the most,” Daehyun muttered shyly.

                Yongguk hummed, despite his heart skipping a beat. “Well, there’s a little bit here and there that looks like me, but I think I’m better looking than this.”

                Daehyun dropped the figure to pinch Yongguk’s chest with a scowl on his face, causing the man to recoil in pain.

                “But that’s okay, that’s okay.” He hastily took Daehyun’s hand away before sighing in relief. He picked up the figure from Daehyun’s lap and placed it on the desk again. “I’ll take it, as long as I’m your number one,” he bargained.

                Daehyun smiled, sliding his hands to the side of Yongguk’s face, making it as a guide for him to lean closer. “Well, aren’t you the most good looking dragon?” he asked cynically, the tip of his nose touched the middle of Yongguk’s. So he tilted his head a little bit down and pressed their foreheads together.

                “As if you’d really know that,” Yongguk voiced his doubt in a teasing manner, his lips were already brushing against Daehyun’s.

                “Oh, believe me, I know,” Daehyun whispered, smiling into the kiss.

                It was warm and gentle at first, until Yongguk’s tongue grazed his lips. Daehyun welcomed it enthusiastically and soon they were tasting each other’s mouth. The pleasure was intense, to the point where Daehyun couldn’t hold back his moan.

                He brought his arms around Yongguk’s neck again as the kiss deepened, whereas Yongguk was feeling Daehyun’s back under the shirt. None of them wanted to end the moment yet, but of course it wouldn’t happen.

                “Yongguk?” Himchan called while knocking on the door.

                Both Yongguk and Daehyun nearly jumped out of their skin. Good thing Daehyun broke off the kiss with a loud gasp before getting anyone’s tongue bitten off by the other. The only bad thing was when Yongguk was so surprised, that his knee accidentally his the button under the table to unlock the door.

                Himchan opened it right away after hearing the sound of the door unlocking and stepped inside.

                “You need to-” he cut off his own sentence after looking up from the phone in his hand.

                What he saw was Daehyun clumsily getting up from Yongguk’s lap with a help from the young alpha.

                “Ah… I came at the wrong time, didn’t I?” Himchan sent a rueful grin in return.

                Daehyun, who was fixing his supposedly disheveled appearance at the side, blushed so hard, his face looked like a ripe tomato that was about to burst. He cleared his throat and thought of leaving to give some space for them to talk, only to bump his hip against the corner of the desk.

                “Ow!” Daehyun yelped.

                “Daehyun!” Yongguk jumped out of his chair in the blink of an eye to steady his mate.

                Himchan, on the other hand, was about to rush towards Daehyun, but only after a step forward, he had to change his mind. The death stare from the young alpha was something he couldn’t bear.

                “Get lost,” Yongguk gave his order in a grave tone, throwing daggers with glowering eyes.

                “Yikes!” Himchan scrambled out of the room, but not forgetting to shout his apology before the door was closed. “I’m sorry but you’re the one who opened the door!”

 

 

 

 

                Daehyun made his way to the parlor with his walking stick at the sound of someone playing the piano. “Who do we have here?” he asked a few steps before reaching there.

                Junhong stopped playing and looked up at the voice of his expected guest. “You already know, don’t you, hyung?”

                Daehyun halted his steps once his cane hit one of the piano’s front leg, his hand sticking out until it touched the side of the piano. “Well, I probably don’t if you actually listened to me and don’t repeat the same mistakes,” he jokingly remarked.

                Junhong shrugged his shoulders. “You have to teach me again, then.”

                “Alright.” Daehyun felt for the bench before taking a seat and folded his cane. “What song should we play today?” he asked when his fingers were already positioned on the keys. Soon, he fluidly created a melody that was pleasingly familiar to Junhong’s ear.

                Junhong just watched with his head bobbing to the tune, letting Daehyun take his time in deciding the song on his own like he always did. “Where is Yongguk hyung?” he asked in the meantime.

                “He’s taking a shower,” Daehyun answered.

                “So, hyung, when are you going to mate with Yongguk hyung?”

                The song was paused. “Are you allowed to ask something like that?” Daehyun chided before resuming the song.

                “Why not?” Junhong shrugged his shoulders, honestly confused. “Hyung, I’m 16.”

                “Exactly. Still underage,” Daehyun pointed out the fact.

                “How else should I say it?” Junhong complained in return.

                Daehyun finally brought the song to an end with a sigh. “Are you okay with it?”

                Junhong arched up his brows. “With what?”

                “Me being… your next luna…?” Daehyun was obviously insecure while putting the question forward.

                Junhong was even more confused. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

                Daehyun brought down his hands from the piano keys, his fingers fiddling with each other on his lap. “Well, I mean, I’m not a weredragon and I’m kinda still blind? Unlike Heeyeon noona, who’s an alpha…” he muttered.

                Junhong’s mouth hung opened as he was left speechless. He stared at how Daehyun’s head hung low, how Daehyun’s back was hunched now compared to when he was playing the piano earlier and it made him look a lot smaller. Junhong was not liking it.

                “What are you talking about, hyung?” It was his turn to scold the older man. “You know I like you, right? We all do,” he tried convincing him.

                “It’s not about liking me or not,” Daehyun argued. “It’s whether I deserve to be the luna of this clan.”

                The corner of Junhong’s lips tugged into a slight smirk, just because Daehyun’s statement sounded absurd. “Of course you do, hyung,” he firmly assured, turning his body to properly face the older man after bringing one leg over to the other side of the bench.

                “If it’s gonna be Yongguk hyung to lead the clan next, then you deserve to be the luna more than anyone else. You’re his mate,” he said, but Daehyun was still unmoving. He averted his gaze for a second to think of something more to say before looking at Daehyun again.

                “I know that Heeyeon noona is an alpha, and maybe sometimes the clan members would unknowingly compare you to her, but she is who she is and you are who you are,” Junhong continued. “She is Yongnam hyung’s mate. If Yongnam hyung is still alive and supposed to be the next leader, then Heeyeon noona does deserve to be the luna.”

                Junhong reached out and took a hold of Daehyun’s hands, causing the latter to stop fidgeting with his fingers. “But now, the next leader is Yongguk hyung. And for someone who is very fierce and emotional, you’re perfect for him.”

                Daehyun tilted his head up a bit. “Really?” he asked dubiously. “How?”

                Junhong drew his eyes aside to give it a thought. “Well,” he began, jutting out his bottom lip and shrugging his shoulders. “You’re kind, loving. You know what to say in any situation. There’s just something comforting about you,” he conveyed his sincere thoughts and managed to catch a faint blush colouring Daehyun’s cheeks. “Yongguk hyung changed so much since you came into his life. He talks more, he smiles more. He even gains much more confident in himself,” he added.

                “That’s good for him,” Daehyun agreed because he had been noticing those things too. “But I don’t know about me.” He sighed. “It feels like I’ve taken Heeyeon’s noona place as the next luna.”

                Junhong snorted in laughter. “See.” He drew his hand and folded his arms across his chest. “Both you and Yongguk hyung are so much like each other.”

                Daehyun’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

                “Yongguk hyung used to say the same thing, that he didn’t deserve to be the next leader, that he didn’t want to take Yongnam hyung’s place,” Junhong explained. “But look at him now, all ready to fight the rogues and protect his clan and territory.” He took Daehyun’s hand again, holding it tightly with both of his. “So, I believe that one day, you’ll grow to be an awesome luna too, hyung.”

                Daehyun’s chest swelled with comfort at the boy’s words. He might still be insecure, but now that he knew the clan members believe in him and support him as the next luna, he surely wouldn’t want to let them down.

                Heaving a deep breath, Daehyun finally pulled a smile. “I've got no other choice than to try my best, do I?”

                Junhong matched the smile. “I’ll be rooting for you.” He patted Daehyun’s back “The whole clan will.”

                Daehyun smiled even wider. “Thank you.” He turned to the boy, opening his arms and bringing his body closer to him.

                “Wait.” Junhong placed a hand on Daehyun’s chest to hold him back. “Is this okay?” he asked worriedly. “I don’t want Yongguk hyung to smell my scent on you later.”

                Daehyun frowned, still smiling though as he found Junhong’s nerves to be ridiculous. “Of course it’s okay. It’s just a hug,” he said, but then his frown deepened and his smile disappeared entirely as his jaw dropped in a loud gasp. “Is this why Suwoong has been acting weird before?!”

 

 

 

 

                Youngjae walked along the hallway as he tried to locate Jongup based on his scent. The said man had left early after they had done cleaning up after dinner, leaving him with the other younger clan members. He might seemed fine on the outside, but deep inside his heart, he actually wanted to spend more time with Jongup.

                The scent led him to the balcony and there was Jongup, leaning against the balustrade railings while viewing the dark forest. He quietly made his way towards the younger man, taking the viewing spot next to him.

                “Has this been your favourite spot now?” he uttered to start a conversation.

                “I’ll miss the view,” Jongup replied without diverting his gaze from the night forest illuminated by the full moon.

                Youngjae frowned a little at the man beside him. “What do you mean?”

                “I mean, of course I won’t be staying here forever.” Jongup turned to look at Youngjae with a thin smile. “I’ll go home when everything’s over and safe again.”

                Youngjae slowly nodded. “But your brother’s staying here, isn’t he?”

                “He should.” Jongup was back to gazing at the view again. “He’s Yongguk hyung’s mate after all.”

                “And you’re okay with that? Being away from your brother?” Youngjae asked in concern.

                Jongup sighed. “Well, it’s hard, but I’ll be fine,” he calmly dismissed Youngjae’s worry.

                “You can just stay here, you know,” Youngjae told him as a suggestion. “You’re already a part of our clan.”

                Jongup nodded. “Yeah, I like it here, but I think I’d feel indebted to them if I stay longer,” he stated his reason with a shrug of his shoulders. “I won’t like it, and I’m sure the clan won’t like it either.”

                Youngjae hummed, turning his head to the front. “So, you’d be living on your own?” he asked rhetorically.

                Jongup’s head dipped as a thought crossed his mind, a thought that had been weighing at the back of his mind for a while now. “Well,” he began, looking up at Youngjae and making the latter do the same. “There’ll be a vacant room since Daehyun hyung will move all the way out. So, I thought of renting it to someone else.”

                “I see…” Youngjae muttered a reply.

                Jongup gulped and braved himself to voice out his thought. “And… you’ll be the first person I’m making an offer to.”

                Youngjae’s eyes widened for a split second. His gaze drifted to the backyard below as a smile spread across his lips. “You’re persistent, aren’t you?” he uttered before looking up at the latter again.

                Jongup just breathed out a small laugh in return, his eyes looking straight into Youngjae’s for only a few seconds before shifting them away.

                Youngjae heaved a deep breath. He just stared at Jongup’s side profile, wondering how this good-looking man had fallen deep for him without gaining anything in return. Is that why love is said to be blind?

                “Have you ever thought that your effort might be in vain?” he asked. “You know a weredragon would have only one mate in his lifetime, right?”

                Jongup took his time to ask himself the same thing. Of course he had his doubts, but when it comes to his heart, he wanted to try following it. He turned to the beautiful person at his side, the person who had conquered his heart, and he would follow him as long as he was allowed to. “Then I won’t be your mate,” he said with a smile. “I’ll be your lover.”

                Youngjae’s expression didn’t falter despite his heart skipping a beat. “And you know the one I love is him.”

                Jongup nodded, still smiling. “Choi Dabin’s really lucky to have you as his mate,” he said genuinely from the bottom of his heart, but there was still a hint of jealousy in his voice. “I wish I could receive your love as much as you give him, or even less than that. I’d still be grateful.”

                Youngjae stared at Jongup as if the man had lost his mind. “What’s so lucky about being my mate?” he retorted, voice filled with irritation. “You’d end up getting killed.”

                Jongup shook his head. “If I’m in his place, I don’t mind being killed because of my love for you.”

                “Don’t…” Youngjae closed his eyes to calm himself down. “Don’t say that…”

                “You’d do the same if you were in his place,” Jongup reckoned. “It’s a choice we’d make to protect the one we love.”

                Youngjae let out a shaky breath. What Jongup said might be true, but the truth always hurts. “He still died because of me,” he murmured.

                “But he’s gone to a better place,” Jongup reassured the man. “You’re the one who’s suffering right now and I think it’s enough,” he blurted out as if he really had reached the limit of his patience. “I wish you could smile again, hyung.” He gazed at Youngjae with pleading eyes. “I really wish you could be happy again.”

                Youngjae stared at Jongup’s pained expression. Just how much does this young man love him that he’s willing to share his pain? A pain that comes from him loving another man? His heart squeezed at the thought. It had always been in pain because he couldn’t be with the one he loves, but now it is not only Dabin. And he wanted to change that. He wanted to be with the one he loves.

                “Actually,” Youngjae spoke up with a shaky voice. “The first time I saw you,” he paused to his suddenly dry lips. “I… had the same feeling… as the first time I saw Dabin hyung… but I thought it must be a joke…” he breathed out a nervous laugh. “A weredragon would never find his mate twice…”

                Jongup had his eyes fixed on Youngjae as he was still trying to digest everything. “But you did…?” he managed a reply after a while.

                Youngjae smiled. “I know I did…” he rasped when the tears were b his eyes. “I feel the sparks when we touch…”

                Jongup’s lips carved a broad smile. He knew it was hard for Youngjae to admit that, but it made him feel like the happiest person in the world. He reached out and placed a hand on top of Youngjae’s on the railing. “Well, that explained why I’ve been feeling the same thing.”

                Youngjae chuckled. And then both of them.

                “I’ve really let him go…” he said under his breath as the tears spilled onto his cheeks.

                Jongup immediately pulled Youngjae into his arms. They stayed like that for a long time without any of them saying anything, only feeling their hearts beating fast against each other.

 

 

 

 

                Yongguk was on the way to his room to get some rest since it was not his turn to patrol their territory until the second half of the night, but when he was passing by the living room, he saw Heeyon trying to lift her sleeping son from her lap.

                “Here, let me help,” he said while nearing both of them.

                Heeyeon stopped what she was doing to look up at him. “No…” she shook her head. “It’s okay, I got this.”

                Yongguk was already holding on to Yohan’s tiny hand despite her protest. “I’d love to tuck in my nephew once in a while,” he tried to persuade her with a smile.

                Heeyeon easily gave in because she knew the young alpha wouldn’t listen even if she were to say no. After nodding her head, Yongguk proceeded to pick up the boy. Yohan made little whining noises at first as his sleep was disturbed, but Yongguk made him lie his head on his shoulder and patted the boy’s small back till he fell asleep again.

                Yongguk effortlessly carried Yohan all the way to his shared bedroom with his mom, the said woman tailing quietly behind. When they reached there, Yongguk let Heeyeon open the door and turn on a dim light. He straightaway went to the bed after that, carefully lying down his nephew before fixing the pillow. He then covered the small body with blanket, making sure the boy was thoroughly comfortable.

                “That should do it,” Heeyeon uttered from the end of the bed. “Thank you.”

                Yongguk turned to look at her and returned her smile. He nodded and glanced at Yohan one more time before finally leaving him.

                “You know,” Yongguk spoke up, though a little awkward. “You can ask for my help, the clan members’ help, anytime if you want,” he said on his way to the door while having his gaze casted down the whole time. “I mean, it must be hard to raise a son on your own.” He turned around once he stepped out of the room and lifted his head to look at Heeyeon again, who was now standing in front of him.

                “Sure,” Heeyeon nodded, smiling. “But the clan have helped me so much already even if I didn’t ask for it.”

                Yongguk shrugged his shoulders. “We’re a clan after all. Helping each other is what we do.”

                Heeyeon let out a small, but genuinely happy laugh. “This is the perfect clan for Yohan to grow up.”

                It put a broad smile on Yongguk’s face too. “I’m glad you chose to join us.” He pressed his lips together before averting his gaze to the floor. “I didn’t expect it.” He shook his head. “I mean, after I told you about Yongnam’s death that day, I thought I’ve made you hate me…” he trailed, slowly bringing his eyes up at her.

                “I don’t hate you,” Heeyeon quickly opposed. “You did nothing wrong,” she convinced him, followed by a pensive sigh. “Yongnam oppa wanted to save you on his own. He wanted to protect you because you’re his brother. I’d do the same if I were him,” she voiced out what had been on her mind all along. “It’s just that his time to go had come. And we couldn’t do anything about that. So, I told myself to accept it and move on.” She sent him an assuring smile before shrugging her shoulders. “At least, I have Yohan with me now.”

                Yongguk breathed out a relieved laugh. “Thank you… for… for finding us… and introduce us to Yongnam hyung’s son,” he wanted to express his gratitude, but he had to arrange his words and make sure everything came out as what he had in mind. “Thank you for loving Yongnam hyung and bringing a part of Yongnam hyung’s to us. It means everything to our clan.”

                Heeyeon was already in the verge of tears. Her head bobbed up and down, acknowledging everything Yongguk said. “Thank you for accepting us,” was all she could reply for now.

                Yongguk opened his arms, offering a hug to Heeyeon and she gladly accepted it. “We’ll make sure you and Yohan have a great life here,” he promised.

                “You’ve done more than enough,” Heeyeon muttered with the widest smile.

 

 

 

 

                Opening the door to his bedroom, it was dark. Still, he could see Daehyun lying on the bed with only an earphone in his left ear, probably scrolling through the social media. The moonlight seeping through the thin curtains shined directly on his mate.

                Daehyun still had his eyes closed when he called Yongguk out. “Yongguk hyung?”

                Just hearing his name coming from his mate, a smile tugged on Yongguk’s lips.

                “Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” Yongguk asked, flipping the switch at the same time after closing the door.

                Daehyun’s mouth opened in a silent gasp. “Oops, I forgot.” He grinned ruefully. His eyes opened at the flicking sound of the switch and gasped again, audibly. “Wow, it’s actually this bright in here!” He joked, though it actually warmed his heart to be able to say that.

                Yongguk could only sigh because it was not the first time Daehyun sat in the dark all alone and he totally understands that before. “Yeah, it is brighter when you turn on the lights. So, how could you still forget?” He went to Daehyun before plopping down on the bed beside him.

                Daehyun scrunched up his face, feeling embarrassed. “I’m still not used to it…? I guess…?”

                Yongguk chuckled at his mate being adorable. His hand went to squeeze Daehyun’s cheeks until his lips looked like a fish’s. He only stopped when Daehyun whined while trying to pull his hand away.

                “What’re you doing?” Yongguk asked.

                “Nothing,” Daehyun claimed before continuing to tap on his phone screen.

                Yongguk just watched quietly at first. Daehyun never played with his phone without plugging in one or both of the earphones if he is not alone, since he is afraid other people will be annoyed at the robotic voice that describes everything on the screen to him. Though Yongguk had made it clear multiple times that he doesn’t have any problems with it, but Daehyun still preferred to listen with the earphones on.

                Seconds passed and Yongguk was already feeling neglected. So, he climbed onto his mate, trapping the smaller body in between his legs and grabbing those slender wrists to make way for his kisses attack.

                Daehyun squealed when Yongguk’s kisses scattered all over his face and when they moved down to his neck, he became ticklish. He just started giggling while trying to push Yongguk away.

                “What are you doing?”

                “Showering you with my love,” Yongguk replied nonchalantly and kept smooching every part of Daehyun’s face.

                Daehyun squeezed his eyes shut as he laughed. “Well, I’m drowning.”

                Yongguk snorted a laugh before kissing Daehyun on the lips. It lasted more than a moment before he moved up to kiss the tip of Daehyun’s nose and then the forehead.

                “Is this how you leave your scent on me?” Daehyun remarked when Yongguk’s lips were still attached to his skin.

                Yongguk finally pulled himself away to stare at his mate, confused. “Where did you hear that?”

                “It’s just Junhong refusing my hug,” Daehyun began while taking off the earphone and placing them together with his phone on the bedside table, forcing Yongguk to release his wrists. He just had to place his stuffs at the usual spots or it would be a trouble finding them later.

                “When I asked him why, he told me you had warned Suwoong not to do that before because his scent would stick to me,” he explained further.

                “It’s fair enough,” Yongguk huffed, sitting back on his heels. “Why would you go hugging everyone else when you should hug me and only me?”

                Daehyun chortled at Yongguk’s nonsensical argument. His body slid up to sit against the headboard. “I am a hugger! I like hugging people. And it’s just a hug! I’m sure you hug other people too,” he countered.

                As if on cue, the scene of him and Heeyeon hugging flashed in his mind. Yongguk cleared his throat. “Well, I didn’t tell Suwoong not to hug you at all. He can hug you, hold your hand, but not too much,” he retorted. “I mean, how could I hold you like this if there’s someone else’s scent?”

                Daehyun was quiet for a second, trying to weigh Yongguk’s reason. “Hmm… I don’t know if you’re jealous or you’re just possessive right now.”

                Yongguk raised his brows. “What’s the difference?”

                “It’s cuter if you’re jealous.” Daehyun grinned.

                Yongguk scoffed loudly, crawling closer to his mate. “I’m not cute,” he denied it right under Daehyun’s nose. “You are,” he rectified before sealing their lips together.

                Daehyun laughed into the kiss, cupping Yongguk’s face for a longer one.

                Yongguk went down to Daehyun’s hip after they parted, tugging down the waistband a little to give the faint bruise a kiss, the one he got at the gym’s office earlier that day.

                “Does it still hurt?”

                “A little, but that’s nothing. I’ve had worse,” Daehyun claimed.

                “Really? Where?” Yongguk asked in concern.

                “The latest one was here.” Daehyun pointed to the middle of his forehead. “Jongup made me walk right into a pole because he’s busy thinking about Youngjae.” He pouted.

                “Aww, poor you,” Yongguk cooed, feeling himself melting at the cute sight. He crawled back to his mate to plant a kiss on the exact spot.

                “You must’ve bumped your nose too,” he reckoned before pecking Daehyun’s nose.

                “Hmm,” Daehyun admitted, enjoying all the caressing touches given by his lover. “Good thing it didn’t break.”

                Yongguk smiled as he stared at his complaining mate, but he still felt sorry for him. “I shouldn’t have let you gotten hurt.”

                Daehyun sighed. His hands trailed up to Yongguk’s biceps before rubbing small circles with his thumbs. “I did it on my own, hyung. I deserved it for bothering you during your work time.”

                Yongguk arched up an eyebrow. “I didn’t feel bothered though?” He lowered down to press his lips against Daehyun’s. “It all went wrong when I pushed the button to open the door out of surprise,” he added after that.

                Daehyun burst out laughing. “You’re such a dork.”

                It also made Yongguk crack up. “That guy’s really a nuisance,” he insisted, referring to Himchan.

                Then, his eyes were locked at Daehyun’s thick lips. Somehow, the need to take Daehyun tonight surged inside of him. He gently brushed his thumb along those lips at first, before muttering, “And now that I know we wouldn’t be disturbed…”

                Yongguk didn’t finish his sentence as he dived in for another kiss, his tongue forcing Daehyun’s mouth open to get a taste inside. Daehyun welcomed him although a little bit taken aback. His hands tangling in Yongguk’s hair, tugging a bit as he moaned into the kiss.

                When Yongguk parted, he could see Daehyun was slightly panting with his cheeks reddening. Just how could he back off from that?

                “Now, shall we continue where we left off today?” he asked in his low voice.

                Daehyun chuckled. It was impossible to say no. “I seriously can’t with you, hyung.” He pulled Yongguk for one kiss before another.

                Now that the mood was set, Yongguk sat back to take off his shirt. But halfway through, he stopped.

                “Hyung?” Daehyun was utterly confused when his lover was stilled all of a sudden.

                Yongguk turned towards the window to make sure he didn’t smell it wrongly. But it was the scent he would never be mistaken for anything else. Quickly, he brought his shirt back down before anxiously telling his mate. “It’s the Massifs.”