A/N: This update is earlier than estimated because Kyu's pov ran too long and I've decided to split it into three chapters instead. So the next chapter would still be Kyu's pov. Thanks for the patience and enjoy the chapter! :) 

Sungmin was shy.

It had been two hours later when he woke his omega up. For the first half an hour, his omega had been unable to fall asleep, or perhaps refused to sleep, closing eyes and abruptly opening them repeatedly. He eventually managed to coax his omega into relaxing, the latter falling into a peaceful slumber he didn't want to disturb. With his right hand clasped tightly by his omega's hands like a stuffed toy before his omega's chest, he spent the hour observing his omega who was turned towards him, familiarizing himself with the light rhythm of his omega's breaths.

He had counted down the minutes on his watch, caressing his omega's hair and delaying the waking up as much as he could. It was approximately thirty minutes before school ended for the majority that he decided he definitely had to wake his omega up and bring his omega home in case some classes ended earlier. Eliminating the possibility of carrying his omega to the car without waking his omega up (because he was worried he would accidentally cause pain to his omega without knowing the severity and span of the ), he patted his omega's cheek, calling softly, "Sungmin."

His omega's eyebrows knitted tighter, lips pushing out in an adorable pout. He smiled, nudging his omega's shoulder with more strength. "It's time to wake up, Sungmin. You can sleep more at home."

"Mmmh..."

"Sungmin..."

His omega opened his eyes blearily, staring at him sleepily before shock and fear suddenly filled the wide eyes. "It's okay," he whispered, quickly running his fingers through his omega's hair again. "I'm here, it's okay."

His omega swallowed, eyes fixed on him turning glassy.

"Let's go home..." he carefully said, "You can continue sleeping at home, okay?"

He was relieved when his omega gave a firm nod, eyes softening with the fear dissolving. And as gently as he could, he had led his omega out to the car, only stopping to bid goodbye to the doctor.

Resisting the urge to pick up his wincing omega on the way back, he patiently waited for Sungmin to take off his shoes and enter the house. Kyuhyun closed the door, the beep from the automatic electronic lock sounding in his ears as he turned to his waiting omega.

“To your room—wait.” He strode into the kitchen, filled up a clean glass quickly and returned to his obedient omega still standing in the same spot. “Drink this.”

His omega silently received the glass, downing it without hesitation. Satisfied that his omega's chapped lips looked more moisturised, he took the glass from his omega's hands, placing it down on the coffee table. "To your room, let's go."

He was observing his omega half-limping towards the staircase when he decided that it would take too much effort for his omega to climb the stairs on his own. With firm steps, he strode forward, arms reaching out for his omega. However, his omega abruptly flinched, cowering away from him and pressing tight against the staircase handle. "I'm s-sorry..." He almost didn't catch the soft apology from his omega, chest constricting at the thought that his omega was that afraid of him.

Wordlessly, he tried again, slowly wrapping his arms around his trembling omega's waist and thighs, picking up his omega. His omega didn't dodge or protest this time, but he could feel how tense his omega was against his body, evidently trying not to push him away. "I'll be quick," Kyuhyun had murmured without a glance at his omega, immediately ascending the steps quickly.

He didn't put his omega down at the top of the staircase, but rather, carried his omega all the way to his omega's bed, asking his omega to open the door in the process. Once his omega was settled on the bed, he turned towards the closet, picking out a set of comfortable clothes and handing them to his omega. "You can change here. I'll use your washroom."

Kyuhyun was surprised when he walked out of the attached washroom, spotting his already changed omega hanging up his uniform. He hadn't taken very long in the washroom, perhaps only forty seconds or so, which meant his omega changed at a rapid speed despite the injury. Curious as to the seriousness of his omega's injury, he approached his omega, who appeared engrossed in tidying the uniform, hands reaching out for his omega's pants without hesitation.

His omega let out a squeak when he pulled down the elastic band along with his omega's boxers, two hands flying to tug the pants up over his hands. "Just a while, let me check." His omega's hands moved to pull and hold up the pants on the front instead, giving him the chance to inspect his omega's injury.

Like the doctor had told him, there were no open wounds fortunately, but the brute strength that the scumbag had put into the hits had created a fierce mess of purple and green bruises. The redness had apparently dissipated, and though there were no welts, it reminded Kyuhyun of the wounds he caused his omega in the first punishment. Carefully pulling the pants and boxers back in place, he resisted the urge to hug his omega, masking the attempt to comfort his omega by directing his omega back to the bed with hands on his omega's shoulders.

When his omega sat down with a bowed head, he finally saw how red his omega's face was, shy and embarrassed from...

Had he been too direct in his actions? He had thought it was fine because he had already seen much more, and wasn't that uncommon with the shifts. Did his omega change so fast because he was afraid of him walking out of the washroom and seeing his body?

Subconsciously, his hand reached out for his omega's burning cheek, running his thumb across his omega's cheekbone as usual. Kyuhyun almost couldn't hold back his chuckles at the shyness and innocence of his omega, but a smile still slipped when his omega bowed his head further, hiding the red face from him. Dropping his arm, he adjusted the pillow for his omega, patting it. "Lie down, Sungmin. Go back to sleep."

His omega obeyed, gaze never meeting his before the eyes clenched shut tightly. Reckoning he should leave his tensed omega alone so that his omega could relax, he ran his fingers through his omega's hair one last time. "I'll wake you up later." With that, he left the room, instantly picking up the sound of his companions entering his house and discussing about the scumbag.

What happened after calling the betas to his house to cook dinner and then Doojoon's report was mostly blinded by fury - the multiple calls he did make to multiple parties in a hostile tone, ordering for Lee Hanwoo to be fired. He felt no pity or remorse for making that scumbag lose his rice bowl for the second time because it wasn't even his fault that the scumbag's family business went bankrupt. Instead, he even did the scumbag's father a favour to keep most employees, excluding the management, in the company. But being in his position, it invited unreasonable and unfounded blame. Thus, he had learnt to be heartless - being kind to your enemies is being cruel to yourself. And he had many others he needed and wanted to protect; it wasn't just about himself.

He had considered recruiting help to remove the scumbag entirely, but Doojoon convinced him to give another chance, that "what Lee Hanwoo did doesn't deserve death". He didn't agree; hurting his omega was unforgivable, but that was what he appreciated Doojoon for. Doojoon kept him sane, Doojoon kept him humane, so that decades down the road, he would not be haunted by more devils than the ones he couldn't even chase away now.

That didn't deter his dominant alpha side from planning how to torture and make the scumbag pay should he make another mistake. What eventually distracted his thoughts was the entrance of his omega, who looked better and less afraid of him. And the shadows of his insane, sadistic dominant side were finally chased away when his omega turned to him, thanking him with a bashful smile.

Sungmin tried too hard to be brave and independent.

That was what he thought when he found his omega sleeping right outside his door. It was fortunate that his door swung inwards, and that his throat felt overly thirsty after he had woken up to release his bladder. He didn't know how much longer his omega would have slept on the cold floor outside his door if he had slept through the night. Carefully and quietly, he had carried his omega back to bed, hoping his omega would admit the need for him one day. He wanted his omega to rely on him, though he admired his omega's courage and independence.

His omega seemed recovered the next day, both mentally and physically, albeit a little quieter than usual around his friends. It was enough for him to believe that he could leave his omega with others in class, skipping the lesson Leeteuk had excused him for without asking for a reason. In fact, it was Leeteuk who suggested for him to skip it – there was nothing Leeteuk was going to talk about in that lesson that he didn't know already.

Though he didn't have to attend the lesson, the knowledge that the lesson was being held still had an unexplainable effect on him. Forcing himself to think of anything else but the memories was tiring, thus the task of moving things from their previous council room became a fortunate distraction, except that it came along with the company of Jongwoon.

"Sungmin-ssi is in class?" Jongwoon finally broke the silence after twenty minutes of peaceful working. It was rather surprising that it took that long, but after Jongwoon had claimed Ryeowook, the elder appeared to be trying his hardest to be considerate. Kyuhyun didn't appreciate the effort much though – either ask right away, or live without knowing at all.

“Where else would he be?” He had answered not too politely, flipping the pages of the file in his hand loudly though his focus on them was gone.

“I couldn’t join you all for lunch today so I wasn’t sure if he came to school today. How is he?”

He was tempted to simply ignore Jongwoon, but he knew his hyung was still staring at him and waiting for a reply. “He’s fine, just a little shaken.”

“A little?” Jongwoon repeated, pitch raising a few semitones. “Don’t you think you’re treating things too lightly regarding your own omega?”

“Hyung, even you?” He thought Jongwoon was just expressing concern for Sungmin; he hadn’t expected to be told off by yet another person. “First Kikwang, then Doojoon, and now even you?” Holding in his disbelieving snort, he glared at the papers in his hand, trying his best to control his temper. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Sure, you know what you’re doing. But you don’t know how Sungmin’s feeling.”

The self-righteous tone irritated him – on what basis did they all claim to know his omega’s feelings and thinking? “And you do?”

“No, I don’t. All I know was that even I felt heartbroken seeing him begging me not to tell you what happened just because he didn’t want to make you angry. Although I didn’t know him personally before, I’ve heard about him in school. He would have just walked out or defended himself in the past, but he obediently took the punishment. He did it for you.”

The lengthy explanation eliminated some of the anger, but exasperation took over. “I know, hyung. I kicked that damn bastard out of school. What more do you all expect?” Did everyone expect the heartless Cho Kyuhyun to kill that guy?

“Not that I wanted to eavesdrop, but I was right outside when you two were talking in the clinic yesterday.” He should have realized that, but he was too occupied with his omega to care about others listening to their conversation. “You were glad that he’s your omega? Couldn’t you just tell him that you’re proud of him? How hard is it?”

Unknowingly hard. He had wanted to say it, but the words refused to voice. However, he would never admit that to anyone, not even to himself. “You know why, hyung. I’m already softening up a lot on him, I can’t give him any wrong idea that it’s okay for him to act like how he used to.”

Recalling his original reasons, he convinced himself that he couldn’t let his omega behave that way; he couldn’t be indulgent. Once omegas gain rights and freedom, they run in pursuit of what they truly want.

“I really don’t understand your reasons, Kyuhyun. This isn’t just about protecting him and avoiding these nasty tongues. It has always been that thing, isn’t it? Wook told me you all were having a lesson on black omegas today.”

The waves of memories whipped strongly against the stone cliff, threatening to drown out all barriers of his control. “Hyung, please.” Not today. “Don’t start. I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Kyuhyun, it’s all in the past.” Jongwoon sighed. “Look, I’m sorry about Ryeowook. Things would be much easier if he was your omega instead, but you don’t have to be so hard on yourself and Sungmin.”

Because Ryeowook understood, more than he himself did. But Ryeowook didn’t belong to him. Ryeowook didn’t want to belong to him. “Hyung, I’ve told you a million times. There’s nothing to be sorry about regarding Ryeowook. We agreed on a fair competition and we both know he has always liked you.”

“But if you didn’t go for the friendly match that day…”

“No, hyung! Please!” There’s no more ‘if’s. “It wasn’t just you choosing Wook, he chose you, okay? And he’s more than happy about it. So please, just love him as much as he loves you.” He was surprised at how steady his voice was and how accepting he sounded. “You two be happy together and I will be happy.”

“Kyuhyun…”

“I have Sungmin now,” he said, realizing how true the words echoing in his ears were. “He’s my only omega.” As though the mention of his omega brought back his omega’s addictive scent, he caught a brief but strong whiff of red wine, suddenly realizing that it wasn’t just his imagination.

“But you—”

Kyuhyun lifted his hand to stop Jongwoon, closing his eyes as he concentrated on his surroundings. It wasn’t an imagination – he could sense his omega’s shaking aura.

“Sungmin, come in.”

It took a few seconds, but his omega’s hesitant face eventually appeared behind the door. With the irritation from the conversation with Jongwoon carrying over, he had questioned his omega impatiently. “I told you to stay in class, didn’t I?”

“I…” His omega bowed his head in submission, a practice that had become common. “I’m sorry, Master. I wanted to know where you were.”

“Now you know, go back to class.”

“But I—”

Hoping to clear things up this time instead, he approached his omega, remembering what Doojoon had told him about his omega’s suspicion. “Did you overhear anything?”

His omega shook his head without looking at him.

“Sungmin, I’m giving you one chance. If you heard anything that you have doubts on, you can ask now.” He was offering his omega a chance to clear any suspicion about Ryeowook, not knowing how much of the conversation his omega had overheard. His omega was unsettled, the demeanor one of hesitance as the fingers clasped tightly, eyes flickering from one to another, teeth gnawing the lower lip in anxiety. He tried his best to be patient, giving his omega time to arrange his thoughts, but his omega that tried too hard still shook his head in silence.

Kyuhyun assessed his omega’s expression for a moment, before deciding to let the matter go. If his omega didn’t want to know, why should he stir up trouble by clearing up something that didn’t exist?

“Go back to class then,” he dismissed, turning away from his omega.

He was planning to bury himself back in work when abruptly, he realized that there wasn’t the usual reply from his omega. Looking back, he was surprised to see that his omega had an arm raised.

“Sungmin. Anything wrong?” He asked casually, but his omega’s contrasting reaction shocked him.

“Sungmin?” He instinctively tried to shrug out from the tight hold his omega had enveloped him in, but his omega held on tighter, clinging to him as the face pressed flushed against his chest. Belatedly, he recognized what his omega was doing – ear against his chest—no, heartbeat. It was what calmed his omega down previously – his heartbeat.

“P-Please, Master… Don’t l-leave me alone…” His omega sounded so vulnerable he had wanted to kiss the fears away, but he stood there awkwardly, letting his omega hug him until a hiss from Jongwoon stole his attention.

“Hug him back!” The alpha mouthed, almost in exasperation.

Looking back down at his slightly trembling omega, he gave in, gently holding his omega by the waist as best as he could. “Are you still thinking about what the teacher said?” He asked, reckoning that it was the highest possibility that made his omega think that he was going to leave him. “I told you not to listen to him, didn’t I?”

His omega relaxed a little from his words. “I’m s-sorry, M-Master… I’ll do better…” And the plea was there again. “Please… Please don’t l-leave me a-alone…”

Don’t leave him alone? Wasn’t that an admission that his omega needed him?

He smiled in comprehension, relieved and glad that he meant something to his omega, that his omega trusted him, that his omega needed him. “I won’t.” I’ll be wherever you need me. “You don’t want to go back to class alone? Then stay here and help us unpack.”

His omega nodded eagerly against his chest, and his smile widened as he lowered his face to his omega’s hair, breathing in the addictive scent. Somehow, the scent was relaxing instead of exhilarating this time.

He forgot about not wanting to appear indulgent to his omega, indulging in his omega’s warmth and scent instead.

Sungmin was stressed out.

Keeping Sungmin in the council room didn't seem to help much; his omega was constantly on edge, even though his omega tried hard to hide it.

It was a great distraction for him, and when Doojoon called him out of his daze of observing his omega for the fourth time, he decided to move the team bonding session a week earlier. The inability of concentrating any longer was a reason, but he wanted his omega to relax as well.

However, his omega had refused to play, offering to carry water instead. He tried to mask his concern with nonchalance, absently playing the game until break time. The moment their eyes met across the court, he knew it was the right chance to cheer up his omega.

Waving his omega over, he watched the small black-haired boy shuffling across the court to him. He always knew his omega had a small body frame like most omegas do, but his omega always appeared strong and tough in his eyes with the martial arts skills and persevering attitude. However, watching his head-bowed omega from afar, it struck him how small his omega was, how vulnerable his omega seemed.

The fact that his omega didn't look up at him at all intensified the need to protect and cheer his omega up. He didn't like this overly vulnerable, brooding omega. He wanted to see his omega smile, like how his omega did before with his orphanage friends.

He finally managed to get his omega to look up at him when he abruptly withdrew his hand. "Do you want to play basketball?"

"No... Master..." His omega lowered his gaze again.

"Why not?" When his omega grew anxious again without replying, he tried to approach in a different way. "Do you play basketball?"

"Sometimes with Hyukjae-ssi and the rest," his omega answered softly.

Kyuhyun deliberately lowered himself, staring keenly at his omega's face. He didn't know what he was searching for – a sign that his omega was lying? Some hint that his omega enjoyed basketball? But he didn't find it; he only saw the heightened uneasiness from his omega.

Pulling back, he insistently pushed the ball to his omega's hands. "Play with me."

"Master..."

"Come on, Sungmin, show me your skills," he encouraged, hoping the little game would make his omega feel better. "Try getting past me to shoot."

His omega hesitated, but when he beckoned again, his omega gave in, dribbling the ball naturally. It was evident that his omega played from the automatic defence posture, the quick counter response from his sudden attack, and the eventual, perfect lay-up. He was once again impressed by how well his omega did in physical activities compared to the typical omega, and he was stunned when his omega returned a little, beautiful smile.

It wasn't the bright Sungmin smile he had seen before; it was subtle, reserved, yet dignified. It was beautiful; it was for him. The relief and happiness that he had managed to make his omega smile caused his heart to thump excitedly against his chest, warming his entire being. However, it only lasted for a second, transforming instantly into panic when he saw the unsteady turn by his omega.

He leaped across that short distance, time slowing tremendously as he saw his omega's body giving way little by little. Pushing his muscles, he reached just in time to catch his omega, breaking the fall as they slid to the floor together.

"Sungmin," he called out worriedly, but the only response from his omega was the struggling eyelids. "Sungmin, are you okay? Answer me." He patted his omega's cold cheek, unsure of what he should do as he repeated his omega's name.

He felt Doojoon's comforting hand land on his shoulder as everyone else gathered, Dongwoon taking the place in front of his omega in his embrace. The beta was the assigned medic of their team, training in that area after he realised he could never match the physical abilities of his brothers but excelled in this area. Kyuhyun looked anxiously towards the beta, waiting for the diagnosis.

"He's burning," the beta announced as he pulled his hand away from Sungmin. Kyuhyun replaced his hand immediately on his omega's forehead, noting how hot it was.

"Is he in heat?" Junhyung commented jokingly, but was quickly shot down by Changmin.

"Are you dumb? If he's in heat, he would be kissing the soul out of Kyuhyun now."

"It's a fever," Kikwang, the second medic, said. "Seems like he had been too exhausted recently."

"Let's get him to the clinic," Dongwoon suggested.

"It's already 5.30pm. Dr. Kim might have gone home already," Junsu added, joining the discussion.

Staring at his omega's pale face, Kyuhyun chided himself internally for not noticing earlier. "Let's just get him home," he said, wanting his omega to just be resting in a comfortable bed instead of the awkward position they were in. "Sungmin, can you hear me?" He tried to get his omega's response by patting his omega's cheek lightly again.

It took two seconds for his omega's eyelids to flutter open, but there were no focus in the pair of tired eyes despite the searching. "Mas...ter..." Catching the soft voice, Kyuhyun leaned closer, only to hear his omega's apology. "I'm...sorry..."

His heart ached at the exhausted apology. How stressed had his omega been to have developed a fever and yet was still apologising? "Silly," he ran his fingers through his omega's hair. "Why are you apologising?" I should be the one apologising for not taking good care of you.

"Kyuhyun," Doojoon called out, prompting him to let his companions support his omega up. Hoisting his omega up by the waist, he turned for the companions to lift his omega to his back.

"I'll get you home to rest," he said, feeling his omega's head land lightly on your shoulder. "Sleep if you're tired."

The following happenings were like a repeat of the night his omega had ended up drunk. The only difference was the lack of whining from his omega, though it had been replaced with the nagging from Jinhee. He was tired by the time he had his omega tucked cleanly in bed with a makeshift cold compress on his omega's forehead, but there was only more nagging from Jinhee awaiting him as he stepped into the kitchen.

"There are so much food in the fridge made by Sungmin but why does he look like he starved for a week since I last saw him?"

Ignoring Jinhee’s nagging and the apologetic expressions Doojoon, Yoseob, Kikwang and Dongwoon threw him, Kyuhyun poured a glass of water for himself, sliding onto the empty seat beside Kikwang. The glass was right before his lips when it was abruptly snatched from his hand, a tray landing not too softly on the table before him.

“Take care of your omega before you take care of yourself,” Jinhee reprimanded, nudging the tray