#prayforItaly #prayforMyanmmar #prayfortheworld

Kyuhyun woke up to the scent of red wine mingling with the smell of the citrus shampoo provided to patients at the hospital. He squinted at the bright sunlight illuminating the purple walls through the windows, realising that he had forgotten to draw the curtains last night, as he had been too occupied with trying to calm his omega.  

Canting his head, the involuntary smile stretched across his face as he caught sight of the too long, almost unruly mob of hair concealing his omega's face, the beautiful pale skin peeking out between the onyx strands. Taking another greedy sniff at the addictive red wine, he smoothed the hair with his right hand, his left arm now a dead weight after an entire night under his omega's shoulders. Kyuhyun closed his eyes, relishing in how his omega's tiny form was curled up against him, the fingers still lightly grasping his shirt, as though afraid he would leave. At the thought, he frowned, eyes opening and looking down at his omega once again.

Sungmin was afraid of him leaving. His omega had begged him with big, fat tears when he had discreetly tried to pull away from the bed, thinking his omega had fallen asleep. His omega didn't, had probably not for most of the last twelve hours they were in bed. When he felt sure enough that Sungmin was asleep and thought he could drift for an hour or so, his omega had woken up either screaming or crying from a nightmare. It happened thrice, and in between the frightful awakenings, Sungmin had been fidgeting, tossing, grabbing his shirt so tight while his demons haunted him in sleep. He had patiently coaxed his omega back into sleep each time, his heart bleeding, but it was only until the sun had risen did his omega truly fall asleep for more than an hour.

Kyuhyun brushed his omega's hair away from the face, heartache seizing his chest again at the tightly knitted brows of his omega. He tried to smooth the creases with his thumb, but they were persistent. Glancing at the windows, he wondered if it was the light and carefully, as gently as he could, he turned his body, letting his omega's head slide down from his chest to his shoulder. Immediately, the fingers tightened into a clutch, twisting his shirt as his omega let out a soft, anxious whine.

“Shhh,” He hushed, satisfied that his body was now blocking his omega from the light. “I'm here,” he caressed his omega's head, willing for his omega to relax again. “I'm not going anywhere.” A smile overtook his face again as Sungmin eased back against his arm, fingers loosening around the bunch of his shirt.

The peace lasted for less than a minute, breaking so abruptly Kyuhyun jumped at the loud slam of the room door. Before he could stop the onslaught, the sound of metal clashing attacked his ears, evidently his omega’s too as the small figure snuggled up tighter against him, hiding in his chest.

“Wake up, my sleepyheads! It’s past eleven!” Jinhee strode in armed with her weapons of choice – a metal pot and ladle –, bringing the instruments together without holding back her strength. The beta dressed in her usual apron halted abruptly before the bed, returning Kyuhyun’s glare with a wicked gleam and grin. “Oh—” The delighted gasp lifted Kyuhyun’s brows. “I waited forever to see this!”

Frowning in confusion, Kyuhyun looked at his omega, who was slowly awakening, one hand instinctively covering his omega’s ear. Jinhee’s next babble of excitement answered his silent question. “You two are cuddling in bed! This is too cute!”

Sungmin’s hand came up from between their bodies, sleepily rubbing his eye.

“You should have just left us sleeping,” Kyuhyun said with a sigh, vexed at the disturbance to his omega’s rare, peaceful sleep. It had been later in the day than he thought, which made their time in bed reaching fourteen hours, but the rest still seemed insufficient for his omega considering the fitful sleep and nightmares. “Sungmin?”

“Mmmh…?” His heart skipped a beat at the adorable, sleepy response from his omega. Shoving away the inappropriate thoughts, he caught his omega’s wrist gently, pulling it away from the eyes reddening from the rubbing.

“It’s time to wake up,” he informed softly, smiling as the brown eyes widen to their usual round size. “It’s past eleven. We should get some food into your stomach.”

Sadness, confusion, anger, fear and distress flashed past the expressive pair of eyes in succession and repetition, causing him to yearn for the knowledge of what was going through his omega’s mind. Did Sungmin remember yesterday? He had been utterly shocked at what his omega had tried to offer to him in the ancestral room, but the surprise had given way to the anger tumbling into him so quickly. And then he was abruptly stunned again at Sungmin desperately fighting against his touch, at the pleas that had come out of his omega’s mouth, at how his omega didn’t recognize him then. After pondering on it through the night, he had a vague idea of what had happened, but it was something he couldn’t handle on his own. Professionals had to be brought into the picture, but until then, he would have to try his best to help his omega. First, to solve the basic needs – his omega needed food and nutrition.

“Let’s get out of bed,” he said, softening his gaze to the pair of eyes that never left his since they opened. Pulling back the comforter, he lifted his omega to a sitting position, trying to seem unaffected by the stare.

“Yes, it’s breakfast time!” Jinhee announced brightly, and the whip of Sungmin’s head indicated that his omega had not noticed the housekeeper’s presence until Jinhee spoke again. “I know you’ll love my breakfast today, Sungminnie.”

The beta winked cheekily, then blinked rapidly at his omega. Kyuhyun turned to see what was wrong, and his omega did the same by looking down. “Cho Kyuhyun, you need a damn chill pill when it comes to your omega! Do you have to tear his shirt—”

The hands that were lying casually in his pulled away suddenly. Sungmin scrambled out of bed, fingers bunching up the front of his shirt tightly, manually performing the purpose the missing buttons have once served. When Kyuhyun caught the fearful gaze filled with shame, he realised what his omega saw aside from Jinhee’s surface observation of the torn shirt.

Sungmin glanced towards the open door, feet shifting restlessly. Before his omega could bolt, Kyuhyun was out of bed by his omega’s side, drawing his omega gently into his arms despite how Sungmin flinched. “No, don’t run away from me,” he whispered, ignoring the light footsteps bringing Jinhee out of the room. Kyuhyun gave his omega a few moments of silence, his omega’s back until the mild trembling ceased. “Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

There was a delay in the response, which came in a breathless “Yes”.

“I—”

“I meant what I said,” his omega reiterated. “If you would p-punish me, I—”

“No.” He put as much dominance and authority as he possibly could into that one word, pushing up his omega’s chin to look at him. “I will not punish you for whatever happened in the time you were separated from me.”

Helplessness shone in his omega’s eyes. “But—”

“You want me to keep you.” It wasn’t a question, but his omega nodded. “You want me to claim you as my omega.” Another hesitant nod. “I asked you whether you remembered what happened yesterday because I want to know if you remembered what I said.” He lightly nudged his omega’s chin again, prompting him to lift the lowered gaze. “Do you, Sungmin?”

“I…” The fingers around the shirt twisted uneasily.

“I said,” Kyuhyun paused, waiting until the anxious eyes met his again. “That I wanted you, I needed—need you. I will never throw you away, and I will claim you on your next heat.” He stared into the teary eyes with all the sincerity he had. “Are we clear on that?”

Sungmin gave a shaky nod.

“Answer me,” he demanded. “Tell me that’s what you want.”

“Yes,” his omega whispered, hiding from his gaze again.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes,” his omega nodded, “That is what… what I want.”

“Yes, that is what I want, what?” He knew he was pushing his omega, but seeing Sungmin’s state, he had to be strong for the latter. If this was the way to put his omega at ease, to ground his omega, to reassure his omega—them that they would never leave each other’s side again, he would take charge. He would act like the dominant alpha he was in spite of the desire to hug, kiss—love his omega like the mate he should be.

“I…” Sungmin frowned, lower lip jutting a little as he tilted his head. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Yes, that is what I want, Master.” Kyuhyun lifted his omega’s chin again with his fingers, this time holding it still and pressing lightly into the flesh. “Have you forgotten the rules to abide by as my omega?”

He almost relented at the shudder passing through Sungmin, but he resisted the temptation, waiting for his omega’s answer. It didn’t take long, and a wave of relief rolled over him at the clear determination taking over the lost that filled his omega’s eyes a minute before.

“No, Master,” His omega said louder with more confidence. “I remember the rules.”

“Good.” He released his omega’s face, threading his fingers through the black hair. “We may have to alter a few of them slightly, but that’s for later. I only have one to add now.”

Anxiety seized his omega evidently.

“The omega is to take upmost care to ensure his health and well-being.” Kyuhyun slid his hand down from the shoulder to where the brand hid behind the shirt, persisting despite the tremble shaking his omega. “That means you are not allowed to try to put yourself in harm’s way, in any way. Clear?”

The wide, teary eyes closed, a shaky breath escaping as his omega fought with himself in his mind. The answer was soft but clear. “Yes, Master.”

“Good.” He leaned closer, unable to stop himself from pressing a light kiss to his omega’s forehead. He needed to be an alpha, but perhaps he could be a mate too. You can be strict and loving at the same time, Hyukjae had once told him. “I’m so glad to have you back,” he whispered, slowly pulling away.

Sungmin’s eyes were clenched shut, wet drops sticking to the end of those dark eyelashes. Heart aching at the sight, he wrapped his arms around his omega, tucking the bowed head under his chin.

Perhaps he needed this as much as his omega. He needed the conviction that his omega was back, that his omega was not going anywhere, that his omega was safe.

Anger rushed into him at the thought that he had only noticed yesterday the stressful trauma his omega was struggling to deal with. Sungmin had seemed so normal, so fine, even daring to demand him for a promise regarding the drugs. Kyuhyun had enjoyed, grown to love that Sungmin with a hint of the courageous, passionate, cheeky, feisty omega Sungmin once was. In fact, he had liked it so much his mind was fully occupied with thoughts of how to make it last, especially beyond the moment he would claim his omega again – he didn’t want the submissive nature to erode that Sungmin.

But it turned out that face of Sungmin had only been pretence, a mask his omega had put on to hide the already broken omega.

How could he have missed that? How could he have assumed so naturally that Sungmin would be fine after everything? He didn’t know exactly everything his omega had gone through, but he had heard enough from Siwon to realise that the experience could have easily destroyed an omega—any wolf. Even if Sungmin was stronger than the average omega, how could he have fully striked out the possibility?

He had only thought about how he finally got his omega back, that he would no longer have to miss his omega, that he could at last be happy with his mate.

He had been selfish, so selfish, neglecting Sungmin’s well-being and needs. And he had failed Sungmin. Again.

How could he help his omega if he was so incapable?

Kyuhyun ached for the bottle of pills sitting on the table in his study. At least with the drugs running in his system, he was calmer, he could think, he could function. Without them, he was just an insensitive, selfish monster.

How could he help his omega if he was a monster, if he was broken as well?

Kyuhyun didn’t know.

He tightened his arms around his omega, willing for his tears not to fall.

~--~

The rest of Saturday passed quietly, even quieter after he received the phone number of a psychologist from Kangin and contacted the alpha’s old friend after dinner. Kangin’s friend was a fellow alpha, and upon knowing the patient was an omega, passed the case over to his mate, a beta. It was logically much easier for Sungmin to work with a beta, and the lady beta’s voice had been calming, like how a psychologist’s should be. It convinced Kyuhyun further to give it a try when she had shown urgent concern after hearing about Sungmin’s situation, strongly recommending for Sungmin to be brought in to see her the next day despite it being a non-working Sunday. Kyuhyun had agreed, almost grateful for the psychologist’s eagerness, but telling Sungmin had been a worrying task for him.

However, his omega didn’t protest, neither were there any comments. Sungmin had simply given his default “Yes, Master” answer after some hesitance. Kyuhyun didn’t know if it was a good idea to have taken the choice out of his omega’s hands, but he had ushered his omega to bed, wanting his omega to at least get ample rest before the session. He stayed for the first half hour watching his omega feign sleep, before realizing that the cause of the tension in his omega’s body might have been him and Sungmin might not have wanted him to stay. Unwillingly, Kyuhyun returned to his room, sleep claiming him soon enough after the previous night he had almost spent entirely awake in. Unlike what he had expected, he had woken up to find Sungmin in the kitchen preparing breakfast instead of in bed. He had thought his omega would insist on doing the dishes after they ate, but when he told Sungmin to leave the dishes and go change, his omega complied without hesitation.

“Are you okay?” Kyuhyun asked, waiting for the automatic door to unlock after ringing the electronic bell.

His omega had not volunteered any words aside from answering questions since last evening. Sungmin’s eyes flickered to his face for a moment before looking at the ground again. “Yes, Master.”

There was a string of beeps, the red flashing light of the doorbell panel turning into a green one. “Ready to meet Dr. Song?”

Kyuhyun didn’t miss the tremble of his omega’s shoulders. “Yes, Master.”

He tucked his knuckle under his omega’s chin, pushing the pale face up to him. “It will be alright. I spoke to her yesterday and she sounds nice. But if you don’t like her, we will find you another doctor, okay?”