Chapter Text
People say they are lucky.
People said they’re meant to be.
That despite their families arranging the marriage, they fell in love with each other naturally.
Seungcheol can still recall seeing Jeonghan the first time as if it was yesterday. There has always been an intimidating aura around him— being a dominant omega and all. He’s confident, spontaneous, a person that says things as it is. He’s very wise, humorous and pretty unnerving.
Seungcheol recalls stuttering the first time they talked. Jeonghan had him blushing (something that rarely happens), had him on his toes the entire time.
But he is also very kind, considerate— very loving. He likes taking care of the people he holds close to his heart.
Seungcheol fell in love right away.
And although it took a while before Seungcheol was able to convince him to want to start a family, Jeonghan was a natural when it came to the triplets.
Of course they were overwhelmed. Triplets! Who wouldn’t?
But Jeonghan remained calm. He worked so hard on rearing the children. He would religiously wake up every four hours to feed them alternately, wash their clothes even though they can easily hire a help. Jeonghan wanted to do it all. He wanted to be the best father.
He is.
And Seungcheol is still at awe for him.
He wanted to be at least half the parent Jeonghan is. But obligations— responsibilities keep him off it. He’d be stuck in between papers and contracts when all he really wants to do is be at home with his family. To play with his boys and to have sweet uninterrupted time with his omega.
But the business isn’t doing well and he has to pull through for the sake of maintaining their lifestyle and to not tarnish both their family names. Seungcheol hated the pressure— despised how everything revolved around money when it should be about family and quality time together.
He wants to tell Jeonghan. He wants to rant, wants to let it all out. He wants to cry and tell him he’s doing his very best for all of them, that he doesn’t want to be stuck in the office but he has to. Given he’s an alpha, they’re often portrayed strong and dependable and fierce.. But he’s human too.
He has bad days. He’s got some dark places. And sometimes all he really wants is to be held by his omega and tell him he’s doing okay. That his best is enough. That he’ll love him regardless.
Seungcheol lets out a bitter laugh.
Jeonghan doesn’t even tell him he loves him nowadays. He doesn’t even try to say it. He just hums or nods or does something else but never really says it.
Seungcheol glances at the clock beside him. 6am. He hasn’t slept at all has he?
Well, too late to try and get some shut eye now.
So he stands up, quietly walks out of the room and down to the kitchen to prepare some food for the boys.
He readies their cereals first— frosted flakes for Soonyoung, fruity loops for Seokmin and Honey stars for Seungkwan (who claims he’s the bestest boy ever and deserves stars in all he does). Then he makes himself and Jeonghan some breakfast in hopes that they would start the day on good footing for once.
Next are the boys lunchboxes. He cooks meat and scoops cupful of rice. He doesn’t forget to add the milk boxes and fruits— “balanced diet daddy!” He smiles to himself as Seokmin’s voice rings in his ears.
Once done, he goes up to the boys’ bedrooms and wakes them up. He would start with Soonyoung (who doesn’t need help bathing anymore because he’s a big boy) then Seokmin (who doesn’t need help too but still stay there and look at him clean himself anyway) and finally Seungkwan who needs extra time waking up because God forbid he needs 10-12 full hours of sleep (apparently, this boy classmate Hansol told him this and he’s been doing it religiously ever since).
With the kids all clean and dressed up, they head downstairs to have breakfast.
“Is appa still asleep?” Seokmin asks.
“Yes buddy, he is. We’ll let appa rest a little more today, okay?”
But as if on cue, footsteps on the stairs meant Jeonghan is up. He stares at the 4 men (okay, 1 man, 3 boys) by the kitchen counter as he rubs on his still sleepy eyes.
“Morning appa!!” The boys greeted in unison.
Jeonghan slowly approached the kitchen, eyeing the lunchboxes and two extra plates for breakfast. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I wanted to have an early bonding with the boys. And it’s been long since i’ve cooked for everyone.” He hovers an arm around Jeonghan’s waist, testing if the latter will refuse his touch. But Jeonghan leans on him so he takes that as an invitation.
He even got to kiss him on the head this time and oh how his mate smells good. He missed this. Jeonghan’s relaxed pheromones linger in the air.
When Jeonghan finished eating, he volunteered to take the kids to school while Seungcheol gets ready for work. After he finished showering, he sees Jeonghan back (school is only a few blocks away) and seated on the couch.
“That was nice.” Jeonghan tells him. “You, cooking for us. It was nice.”
Seungcheol walks up to him and gives him a kiss on the forehead “I plan to do it regularly.” And just as when he’s about to pull away, Jeonghan holds his nape and pressed their lips together. Seungcheol, although taken aback by Jeonghan’s sudden change of treatment towards him, welcomes the kiss and deepens it.
Jeonghan breaks away to say “Do you think it’s okay to come to work late today?” He whispers as he licks Seungcheol’s bottom lip and gives it a playful bite. His wondering hands go from the alpha’s chest, grazing on his nipple down to his taut stomach and finally to where the towel is wrapped around. He gives it a pull and Seungcheol is naked in front of him with his erection right by his face.
Jeonghan doesn’t touch it, instead nuzzles his face on it— breathing Seungcheol’s scent. Then he gives it one long lick from base to tip and finally enclosing his hot cavern around his head. Seungcheol tries to hold back the build up in his groin but fuck— Jeonghan’s mouth on him feels amazing as ever.
Seungcheol pulls him up and turns him around. He parts Jeonghan’s ass cheeks and dove his tongue right in. A low throaty moan escaped Jeonghan’s beautiful lips. He teases Jeonghan’s entrance, prodding and circling and flicking— all while pumping him leisurely. “Fuck!” Jeonghan gasps.
Fuck, indeed. He’s so hard he thinks he’ll come without stimulation. Just seeing Jeonghan surrendering to him like this again seems enough to get him to release. Jeonghan squealed when he suddenly turned him around again and carried him up to the dining table. Then he saw Jeonghan smile in a way he hasn’t for the longest time and then he realized— this is it. This is what Jeonghan wants. Spontaneity, fun— not plain old bedroom sex.
Fuck work. He’d rather be balls-deep in his husband than stuck in his office right now. So he takes his sweet time fucking the daylights out of Jeonghan— something he hasn’t done in what feels like a lifetime.
When they finished, Jeonghan is either too satisfied or too exhausted to form any coherent words. So Seungcheol just gives him a lingering kiss before he heads to work. .
-
A week later
From: Jeonghan
Seungkwan’s game is later this afternoon, make sure to be on time.
To Jeonghan
I’ll be there baby.
-
It’s not working out, it’s not working out.
Seungcheol wants to bang his head hard on the table.
He will loose this client. He’s sure of it now.
He will loose this project and at least half of the people working for him because where else will he get money to pay them off? He could sell the vacation home, but that would risk Jeonghan getting mad at him again and he can’t. Not now. Jeonghan had just started opening up to him again and he can’t afford to do another mistake because that might trigger Jeonghan’s grumpy attitude again.
Maybe I can ask Jihoon for some help.
Yes, why not? Trusty Jihoon always to the rescue.
He fishes his mobile phone from his pocket and immediately freezes.
10 missed calls from Jeonghan.
20 messages from Jeonghan with the most recent one saying: “Seungcheol where the fuck are you?”
Seungcheol, in his state of panic, finally recalls why. Seungkwan’s game.
Fuck!
He sends a quick message to Jeonghan to let him know he’s on his way and that he’s very very sorry.
-
Seungcheol sees disappointment— even resentment in his mate’s eyes the moment their gazes met and he feels like shrinking. Just like that, all his efforts from the past week were shoved out the window and Jeonghan will only see him for the mistake he did. But he takes his seat anyway and finds his son on the field. Even with the hurt feeling making his chest constrict, he finds it in him to suck it up and cheer loudly for his son. Seungkwan’s eyes found him and immediately lights up and he moves to score his first goal. Seungcheol stood up in celebration, temporarily forgetting everything else because his son needs him to be okay.
At least his sons need him.
-
As expected, Jeonghan is already set on their bed when he came in their bedroom. Seungcheol takes off his shirt and slides in under the blanket, eyes fixed on Jeonghan’s back.
One mistake and he gets acquainted with his back again.
But he takes the courage to reach out., carefully— slowly, as if scared to touch his mate. He doesn’t even know when he started feeling scared— scared to be rejected. Scared to be hurt. He thought he was over it now. He thought that finally, the tension between them is over.
But he’s back to square one.
He feels Jeonghan flinch from his slightest touch. Shoulder’s square, back muscles tensed. And although it hurts— it kills him that his husband, the man he loves the most, jumps at the feel of his touch,, he swallows the lump forming in his throat and caresses his back. “Hannie..” he breathes.
“Hannie i’m sorry about today.. I lost track of time..” then he presses his palm flat on his husband’s back, sliding down to his waist, hoping he could hook it there and bring him in for an embrace. “Would you hold me, baby? We don’t— we don’t have to do anything I just… I just want you to hold me, please?”
I just want to cry.
He just wants comfort.
But Jeonghan dismissed him and said “Go to sleep Seungcheol.”
-
“I don’t know what’s happening, Ji. It’s like one minute he’s hot the next he’s cold. We were okay for a week but after the let down on Seungkwan’s game he’s back to ignoring me. I don’t know what to do, man. I don’t even want to go home to my own house.”
Jihoon taps him on the shoulder. “Maybe you and Jeonghan are just going through a phase. Give it some time, Cheol. Give him some space too.”
“But that’s all he has lately! Space! Lots of it! He sleeps on his side of the bed as if he’s scared of our bodies touching. I— I don’t know anymore, Ji. I feel like I don’t know him anymore.” He downs another glass of his white russian. “I wish he would see past my shortcomings. I wish he would see me.”
Seungcheol continued to pour it out until Jihoon said he had to go. Seungcheol opted to stay. Maybe he’d go home once Jeonghan is asleep.
“Another one please!” He puts down his glass but instead of the low, rough voice the bartender had earlier, he heard a calm, almost soothing voice coupled with a distinct vanilla scent. An omega.
“You look quite drunk, sir. I suggest you have some wine instead?”
“I don’t drink wine.” Seungcheol eyes him.
“Why don’t I give you a sample and let’s see if you still feel the same after?” Although reluctant, Seungcheol agrees.
The bartender— or whoever this is— took something from the display behind him and poured it on a wine glass. “This is one of my favorite wine. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. It’s rich and decadent and very indulging.” The man puts the glass in front of him. “I didn’t mean to evesdrop but you were kind of loud so I heard a little of your conversation with your friend. You sounded like you needed a bottle of wine instead of hard liquor.”
“I haven’t seen you here before.” Seungcheol says. “I’m a regular here and I havent seen you before.”
“Ahh.” The other smiles “that’s because I usually work behind the scenes. I own this bar.”
“Oh. Wow!” Seungcheol is impressed. The other looked too young to be an owner of an esteemed bar. “Well uh— sorry I was loud. I’m just a little—“
“Worked up?”
Seungcheol nodded.
“I know it’s about preference but Alcohol actually makes people aggressive. Wine, on the other hand— sedates you and puts your body and mind at ease. It helps calm you and slows down your thoughts so it doesn’t overwhelm you.”
“I’m not usually this troubled, you know.”
“But you are right now.”
Seungcheol shrugs and takes a sip. Okay, not bad.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He was surprised when the other man asked him this.
“I think you heard most of it. And i’ll probably get over it soon. I have to anyway. Since i’m the alpha of the family and all.”
“But being as alpha doesn’t always mean you’re the strongest. Or the most able .You don’t always have to be put together. It’s alright to show people you struggle, that you need something from them too rather than them needing you all the time.”
Seungcheol notes there’s something about this man. Or maybe it’s the wine. But there’s something— and he cant quite point it out but it’s like he’s being drawn into him. That even with this short conversation they had, he was calmed.
Okay but maybe it is the wine.
“Anyway, I hope tomorrow is a better day for you. I have to get going now..”
“Wait! Uh— Can I have a name?”
The other man smiles. “Minghao.”
Minghao.
Seungcheol ended up ordering a bottle of that wine. Just in case.
He walks back to his car and sobers up on the driver’s seat.
He can still smell him.
Jeonghan used to smell that sweet.
But most of all,
Someone listened to him. Someone paid attention to him. Someone was interested to know how his day went. Someone acknowledged his struggle.
Someone validated him.
Seungcheol heaves a deep breath.
For a while it felt good.
It hasn’t felt good in a while.
-