I Hate You, I Love You

SUMMARY:

After being abandoned by their village for being infected by a werewolf, the full moon brings two surprises to Seugmin and Jeongin. Both are painful, but it ends beautifully.

31 Days Of Halloween (Stray Kids): October 2023

Story Nine:

I Hate You, I Love You

Seungmin woke up to Jeongin reading a note to himself. He watched him for a few seconds until he felt a stickiness on his chest. He looked down and the fabric of his overcoat had three slashes on it and blood had soaked down to his socks.
"They've left us," Jeongin said. He had scratches and blood on him too. He ignored how confused he looked and continued. "We're apparently the only two that's been infected.
"By what?" He was surprised at how deep his voice was. It sounded like he hadn't drank water in weeks... or he'd been screaming. Ice-cold fear gripped him and he said, "What has happened, Jeongin?"
He balled the note up and threw it at the wall. "We were attacked by a werewolf. We disobeyed the counsel by going out to the perimeter at night and nature saw it fit to punish us... according to my mentally abusive mother. I hate her. Good riddance."
Seungmin cleared his throat. It was so quiet. Usually, children were laughing or yelling, footsteps could be heard while chores were performed. Now, nothing. "Did they abandon us?"
"Yes. The village has been abandoned... and so have we."

The full moon brought more than one surprise, the first one being unimaginable pain as the transformation snapped and contorted their bones. The second was a surprise realization months later when Jeongin felt something moving inside of him. "It's not possible," he insisted as Seungmin insisted that pregnancy was the issue.
"Werewolves are magical creatures and they have a magical dynamic. Alphas and Omegas, and the Omegas possess a womb. They can give birth to children.
He pushed him. "If that's true then how did the baby get there? I'm a . I didn't even have a betrothed."
Seungmin blushed. "We must have... ed on the full moon."
"That's disgusting. Ugh, I don't even want to think about it."
"I... agree. Nevertheless... it is what it is."
"I'm blaming it on the peppers I added to my breakfast."

They left the village months ago and had set up a camp when Jeongin had been forced to admit, at seven months that he was pregnant.
At nine months, they'd shared real intimacy and it hadn't been much longer when he'd gone into labor.
He grunted at a contraction and squeezed his hand. "I'm too young for this," he growled.
"You're twenty-two. Most couples have their first child at seventeen, eighteen."
"Not... helping." He panted when the contraction stopped. "Oh, that hurt. I hate it. I hate you."
He pushed his bangs off his forehead.
"I know you do. I hate myself a little bit too, but... that baby is still coming out." He jumped back as he tried to bite him, eyes shining silver. "Bad Jeongin. No more mint water for you."
He blinked a few times, realizing what he'd done. "I'm sorry." His eyes shined with tears.
"No no. I thought it was funny." He crawled over. "Please don't apologize." He gripped his waiting hand.
"Kiss?" He sniffled.
He pecked his lips and cheeks and wiped his unshed tears away. "I love you. We're going to get through this. And... after you heal we can go into the town to the North. No one's ever heard of us, and there's bound to be an Apothecary where they can keep this from happening again. Well... unless you want it too, but of course even that is your choice.
"Okay. I hadn't thought of that as a possibility. Like... a tincture or something?"
"Yes, exactly."
"You really are a brilliant man, Seugmin."
He blushed and kissed his forehead. "And you're the strongest person I know."
"Stop or I'm going to cry again."

They'd named her Penny and they'd set up camp in the back of Minho's house. He'd been the witch that had found them during the birth and helped deliver her. He with his witch husband Han owned an Apothecary and had made them a salve that could be used a week leading up to the full moon as a deterrent to pregnancy. It wasn't a hundred percent guaranteed, but two years had gone by and Penny was still an only child.
She liked to line her toys up and Seungmin felt pride as she created backstories for each of them and spoke in full sentences.
Jeongin had met Chan, another werewolf in the woods about a year ago, and his packmates Changbin, Felix, and Felix's mate Hyunjin. They'd quickly become family, a real one. Not like their manipulative village and parents.
Felix would be giving birth in six months and they suspected twins because of his size. He laughed as everyone fluttered around him to help. "I'm not a fair maiden," he said. "She'd probably try to punch you by now." He wiggled further into his nest of blankets, sitting against Hyunjin's chest. "However, I love you all. You're so sweet."

Felix's birth was much easier than his, even with it being two babies. They popped out like nothing.
Minho cleaned him up as Chand and Hyunjin bathed the babies.
Changbin and Jeongin guarded the perimeter of the camp.
"Daddy," Penny asked Seungmin, "Where do babies come from? Cause I asked a girl in my school and she said men can't have babies."
He blinked rapidly, thinking of the extra hole, womb, and ovaries Jeongin had grown. She didn't need to know that yet. "What I'm about to tell you, you have to keep it a secret."
She straightened a black-haired doll and sat in front of him. "Promise."
He knew from experience he could trust her.
"Magic made it possible for Jeong-poppy to have babies. Normal human men can't have babies. Your friend was right.
"Oh, she's not my friend. I don't like her." She zoned out and he knew she was thinking. He loved how much she looked like him, but even more how she acted like him. "I'll tell her I was just joking and... then I'll ignore her from now on."
"That's a good idea, but why would you want to ignore her?"
"She just... I'm smarter than her and she never understands what I'm talking about."
"And you're not trying to be mean?"
"No. Just... honest."
He patted her head. "You're a smart girl, Penny. Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you're not allowed to feel and express how you feel."
"My emotions?"
"Yes."
"Okay, Daddy. I won't."
"Good." She was going to have one hell of a future. In a good way and they'd be there every step of the way.