Ahn Hyejin paced back and forth near the entrance of the bathroom. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun and she was dressed in large baggy shirt and comfortable long slacks. The noises of someone retching their guts out violently were in the background. She worried her bottom lip as she practically paced a hole in the carpet. “Unnie, are you certain that you don’t want me to contact at least Wheepup?” She yelled, so that her best friend could hear her. “I don’t trust the doctor that you’ve seen two days ago.”

The noises stopped for a moment, followed by the sound of flushing. Kim Yongsun lumbered out of the bathroom tiredly, her face ghostly pale. She looked like she had lost some weight even though it had been merely two days. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she leaned against the door frame heavily, resting a hand on the other side of her hip. Tendrils of her ash-brown hair clung on her face.

“I just want that tea,” murmured Yongsun softly, resting her full weight on the door frame. For the life of her, she could not remember the herbal tea that Moon Byulyi had brewed for her when she was suffering from mild concussion. That moment felt like an eternity ago when she was still viewing Byulyi with so much wariness and they were still trying to find footing in their new relationship.

All she remembered was the faint fragrance of apple and a sour taste that eased nausea. And of course, that delightful warmth that sprouted from the middle of her chest and spread to the rest of her body. It settled the queasy stomach and eventually soothed her completely.

Maybe, that tea only sounded so magical because Byulyi had brewed it perfectly, not too hot that it would scald her tongue, but with sufficient warmth to sooth the upset stomach; or that the tea was just the metonym of her patient and generous love. Being this ill made her even more vulnerable to the painful absent of Byulyi and her pup, Doldol.

“Hajoon doesn’t even know what I was talking about,” complained Yongsun in a soft whine. She pushed the hair away from her face. “But I’m really fine.” Her hand rested on her toned abdomen fleetingly before she consciously moved it to her hips.

She wasn’t the sort who would throw a pity party. She was the sort who would find that flicker of sunshine and pushed herself until the remote possibility became real—there was no time to remain down. But she had wanted, just for a moment, to indulge herself with this misery.

“Are you very sure, Unnie?” Hyejin enquired worriedly, touching her forehead. She had never seen her best friend in such a low mood.  She touched her own forehead. “No, you’re not running a fever.” Her faint brows furrowed, confused. “Is the medicine really helping with your giddiness?”

“Jinie-ah, I’m really fine,” smiled Yongsun weakly as she lumbered towards the bedroom. Hyejin immediately grabbed the crook of her arm, ignoring the weak glare from Yongsun, as she helped her into the bedroom carefully.

The popular singer was already considering calling Byul Unnie discreetly. At least, she would be able to learn the name of herbal tea and prepared it for her. She knew that Yongsun would flip out if she revealed her intentions since the Colonel would rush home at once, abandoning her duties.

The doorbell rang and Hyejin grumbled under her breath. Who would even visit her at this hour? “Aish, let me get that, Unnie. It’s too late for guests.” She ensured that Yongsun was resting on the bed before she dashed out to answer the door.

Yongsun sighed, getting comfortable in this very familiar bed. When Hyejin and she finally managed to earn sufficiently, they had rented this apartment. Dopul, her pup, had literally grew up on this very queen-sized bed, sleeping on it since he was a toddler.

She could still remember her heartache when she had to spend a large portion of her check just to afford this bed. However, it was worth every penny. There were baby guards lined on two sides of the bed when Dodol was still a young toddler. When the precocious kid turned three, it was removed since he understood the consequence of rolling off the bed.

In a blink of an eye, Doldol was now ten and could compose himself wonderfully among dignitaries. She caught the headlines on her family yesterday. Her handsome alpha, Moon Byulyi, dressed in an evening tail, stood paternally next to her Doldol, dressed similarly in an evening tail as they spoke to world leaders confidently. The very image of her handsome and confident alphas mingling wonderfully with dignitaries made her day.

Yongsun turned to smell the sheets wistfully and sighed. What was she hoping for? Of course, there was no more scent of her son clinging on these fresh bed sheets. She rested on her back, staring at the white ceiling blankly.

Recently, Hyejin had given the apartment a fresh coat of paint and the bedroom looked more calming. Her hand shielded her eyes absently, as she tried to ignore the giddiness and rest.

The irresistible scent of bergamot filled her nostrils and her heart skipped a beat.

How could it be?

She flung her arm away from her face, sitting up abruptly. That was a mistake, her universe swirled violently and she felt bile surging upwards. She placed a hand on , trying to stop herself from throwing up.

Byulyi kept her still, wrapping her arms protectively around her. She was buried into the familiar crook of the shoulder and she clung onto the person like a lifeline instinctively, inhaling the soothing scent of bergamot.

This was a breath of fresh air.

Inexplicable feelings welled within her as she hugged the younger woman with all her might. “Babe.” Her eyes prickled abruptly, and she sniffed, burying her face deeper into her neck. The sudden peace that washed through her from their reunion brought so much relief that some of the tension that she did not know she was feeling melted.

Somehow, she ended up curling in the lap of her mate, since all she could see was the straight silver hair that contrasted starkly against her black silk shirt.

Now, she was far too mortified to lift her face to look at Byulyi. She felt like a naughty child anticipating a shelling from the parent. The sick omega knew from their bond that Byulyi was just putting up a façade of calmness since anxiety from bleeding from their connection. She felt even worse, unsure of how to alleviate Byulyi’s concern and explain herself.

Silence lengthened in the bedroom.

She felt Byulyi caressed her cheek gently, an unadulterated expression of affection. The unwell omega could not help but press her face into her hand, savouring this much-needed comfort.

The tension in the bedroom seemed to dissipate and Byulyi sighed finally.

“Unnie, I promise you that I’m not upset with you,” began Byulyi softly. “Would you like to lie down?” Her voice was slightly raspy from exhaustion, a sign that she had probably worked around the clock just to return so early.

Yongsun subconsciously clung harder to her mate, disliking the very idea of losing this closeness. Nameless, tumultuous emotions that she had bottled up for the past few days surged through her. A permeating sense of weighty disappointment seemed to shackle her. “Byul-ah, I’m only suffering from stomach flu.” She hated how dead her voice sounded. It wasn’t meant to be a big deal!

Yet, Byulyi nodded, acknowledging her pain. It stunned Yongsun briefly. “I know, Unnie.” Her answer was thick with empathy as she pulled her even closer, as if she was trying to absorb her into her body.

Yongsun froze, a lump of emotions forming in —Byulyi understood. The younger woman had heard the unspoken words: I wasn’t carrying a pup. They need not speak of the unwarranted anguish that she simply could not shake off, a pain that they shared collectively. Tears welled in her eyes when Yongsun recognised that Byul felt the same regret that they were not having another child.

It was a little irrational since nausea was a symptom for plenty of conditions besides pregnancy. But it wasn’t crazy for them since the status quo allowed the expansion of the family. Byulyi did not offer hollow commiserations, just took her pain as hers and grieved together.

They clung on each other with all their might for what it felt like an eternity.

Byulyi released her first, giving her some space. She applied a little pressure as she rubbed Yongsun’s abdomen under her T-shirt. The friction created did wonders in relieving her upset stomach.

 Yongsun sighed out of relieved and started to relax more.

“Unnie, will you lie down please?” Byulyi’s voice was like a tender caress, a balm for her soul.

The unwell ash-brown haired woman followed her instructions obediently, easing out of her lap to lie on the bed. Her attention was focused on the way those skilful hands rubbed together to generate some warmth before resting them on her bare, toned stomach again.

Finally, she mustered her courage and lifted her face to glance at Byulyi. Her handsome alpha was as beautiful as she remembered. In fact, she looked much rested compared to the last time they had seen each other. Asking Doldol to accompany her was a very good choice since it helped the younger woman to settle down. Byulyi was leaning over her, her silver brows furrowed in concentration as she focused on massaging her stomach.

Yongsun stared at her, entranced.

There was a sudden knock on the door and Yongsun averted her gaze, blushing. It was Hyejin. “One serving of special tea is here!” She was holding a teacup gingerly as she walked into the bedroom. She recognised the faint fruity scent and brightened at once.

“Thanks, Jinie. It is nothing special, just apple and cinnamon. I’ll take it instead,” spoke Byulyi, taking the cup from the younger woman carefully. “Jinie-ah, why don’t you turn in? I will remain here with Unnie.”

Hyejin hesitated at the door and nodded finally. “That will be for the best. I had no idea how to help Unnie feel better. Anyway, let me know if Unnie needs more rest.” She knew better to conclude that Yongsun was too unwell to handle work. Her future partner was a workaholic who poured her heart and soul into everything that she did. There was simply no guarantee that she would remain at home to rest even though she was puking her guts out.

The handsome silver-haired woman nodded. “I’ll keep you updated. Thank you, Jinie-ah. What will we do without you?” There was levity in her tone, trying to put the younger woman at ease. She knew that Hyejin was waiting for the other shoe to drop since she had not informed her that Yongsun was so unwell.

Hyejin chuckled. “What would Unnie do without you, Byul Unnie?” She teased. Unbidden, she let out a yawn. “I’m really knacked. Good night, Unnie.” She shuffled out of the bedroom, leaving the couple alone.

Byulyi focused fully on cooling the herbal tea by blowing it. Her silver brows were furrowed in concentration as she looked at the cup intently. When she was satisfied with the temperature, she helped Yongsun to sit up. With utmost care, she guided the rim of the cup to Yongsun’s generous lips, encouraging her to sip the tea slowly.

Gentle warmth saturated her system and calmed her upset stomach even more. The sweet and sour taste was helping to ease the giddiness. She was certain that it was a combination of Byulyi’s steady presence, her attentive to her needs and the tea that was helping her to feel better.

Soon, she had finished the cup and Byulyi set it aside, still resting a hand on the older woman to centre her. “Unnie, I’ll be back, OK?” She stood up and walked briskly out of the bedroom.

Yongsun only realised that Byulyi was wearing a black silky shirt tucked into a pair of jeans when she walked out of the door. She relaxed, reclining on the headboard, waiting for the younger woman to return.

They haven’t had a meaningful conversation yet.

She let out a yawn, starting to feel tired.

Byulyi returned to the bedroom, carrying a basin of warm water. She closed the door with a foot and set it on the floor carefully. “Unnie, I’m going to wipe you down—”

“—I can do it, Byul,” protested Yongsun, making a face.

“No, let me,” insisted Byulyi firmly, she rolled her sleeves to her elbows as she soaked the washcloth into the basin of water.

Sounds of water dripping back to the pool of water as she lifted the cloth up filled the bedroom.

Yongsun reached for her T-shirt and tried to undress herself but she was stopped by an intense stare from Byulyi. She released her T-shirt immediately, remaining still. The younger woman approached her and undressed her clinically, keeping her eyes away from her body respectfully.

The older woman had to admit that her respect helped to make this experience less mortifying. It was still equally surreal. The colonel removed her pyjamas top quickly, took the wringed-out cloth and wipe Yongsun’s skin, starting with one of her arms.

The cloth felt soothingly warm against her skin, a very comfortable sensation. She had not realised that the permeating sticky sensation was one of the reasons for her discomfort, but her mate knew.

Byulyi’s focused gaze did not deviated from her task, concentrating on wiping every inch of Yongsun’s body properly. The razor-sharp focus of Byulyi on the task kept the awkwardness away.

Yongsun watched with rapt interest at how Byulyi cared for her. The handsome woman rinsed the cloth whenever the cloth turned cool. She worked meticulously, cleaning every crevice and fold, ignoring the way her hands had turned red from the heat. When she had completed her front, Byulyi assisted her to sit forward and cleaned her back thoroughly.

Byulyi placed the washcloth back in the basin, fished out a fresh T-shirt and helped the older woman to put it on. Her tender ministrations after two days of deprivation, a change of shirt and the clean, comfortable sensation on her skin were starting to lull her to bed. Her eyelids were getting heavier and she laid down, ready to sleep while the younger woman took the basin of water out of the bedroom dutifully.

“Again?” Yongsun asked in a whine when Byulyi sat next to her and removed her sleep pants and underwear.

“Just bear with me a little more, Unnie,” crooned Byulyi musically, noting the way Yongsun’s brows furrowed with irritation. The exhausted woman was pouting adorably but Byulyi steeled herself and continued wiping her lower body, including her privates.

She kept her touches deliberate and clinical, watching Yongsun relaxed even more with her ministrations. Her cherry-shaped lips curled in a faint smile, glad that she was helping her.

Yongsun had to admit that the scent of bergamot, along with the occasional sound of water dripping back into the basin worked wonders in lulling her to sleep. She needed to only raise her hips when the younger woman dressed her in a fresh pair of sleep pants and underwear.

When Byulyi took the basin of water away, Yongsun finally breathed a sigh of relief. She smacked her generous lips blearily and found a comfortable position on the bed blearily, ready to sink deeper into slumber.

It seemed as if Byulyi was not done with her.

Yongsun’s eyes sprang open in shock when she felt a warm cloth touch her face.

“Close your eyes, Unnie,” crooned Byulyi sweetly. “I’m just wiping your face.” The cloth was warm, rubbing her face soothingly. The last thing that Yongsun could recall before she fell deeply asleep was the ticklish sensation of someone kissing her forehead sweetly.

It did not feel like time had passed at all when Yongsun opened her eyes the next morning. She felt incredibly refreshed as she pushed her limbs outward to loosen her muscles. Sunlight was drifting into the bedroom through the curtain. She sat up gingerly, resting a hand on her colic stomach.

She still felt queasy, but it was much better.

“Ah, you’re up, Unnie,” greeted Byulyi as she glided into the bedroom with careless elegance. “I made some rice porridge for you.”

There was something about Byulyi that was different.

Yongsun blinked owlishly when she realised that her girl was wearing her clothes! Somehow, Byulyi had dug out a large baggy shirt and matched it with a three-quarter pants. She her lips out of appreciation. How could someone even make this look work?

“Byulie,” purred Yongsun throatily. “You look very good in my clothes.”

To her astonishment, the handsome woman threw her head backwards and laughed heartily. It took her a while to calm down sufficiently to speak, mirth still dancing in her remarkably blue eyes. “y Unnie,” chided the younger woman teasingly. “Is that the first thing you notice when you feel a little better?” She slid next to her, studying her countenance openly.

The older woman harrumphed, unimpressed.

Humour faded from Byulyi’s eyes as she raised her hands up in surrender. “My bad, Unnie.” She cleared and became serious. “How are you feeling?” She caressed her cheek tenderly.

“A lot better after some sleep,” confessed Yongsun at once. “Did you rest at all?”

Byulyi nodded at once. “I took a shower, cuddled you and fell asleep. I only woke up just to prepare breakfast for you. Jinie-ah has already gone to work.”

Yongsun’s eyes widened at once, ready to scramble out of the bed. “What? What time is it?”

“Morning,” concluded Byulyi sternly, putting some pressure on her thigh. There was steel in her tone that brook no protest. “You’ll rest today, Unnie. Do you want Pip to see you in this state later?”

Yongsun gasped. “Crap, where is my Doldol?” What kind of mother was she that she forgot about her son?

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