Chapter Text
He parks his car, takes a glance in the mirror, and fixes his hair before taking out with him a bouquet of fresh pink roses before making his way to the house he has been visiting for the past few months. It has been almost a year since he does this — coming here whenever he does not have much job at hand. Once the fact that he is a father kicked in, he decided to leave his thug life behind, passing his family's legacy to Wonyoung for the alpha to handle. It shocked her when one day Taeju came in his casual attire instead of a suit or simply slacks and a shirt. It weirded her out until Taeju sat and told him his plan of leaving the thug life. He also told her about Euihyun and their child.
"So you do love him." Wonyoung suddenly said, which made the alpha almost spit back at her, but he realised that his cousin was right.
If he did not love Euihyun, he would not go this far, leaving a lifestyle which he spent years living just because he wants to be a better version of himself to Euihyun and their child. Thinking back to everything he did to Euihyun just because he did not want to let Euihyun go and be with that alpha neighbour of his, Taeju realised that he was terrible at expressing his love. No wonder Euihyun doubted it when Taeju said to him that he wanted to be something more to the omega. If he were to be Euihyun, he would do the same too. It sounds scary to have a dangerous thug and an asshole like him actually confess, saying he hoped for more from whatever messed up relationship they had. The thoughts of his past behaviour leave a bitter taste on his tongue, but pushing aside those thoughts, he puts on his best brightest smile as he knocks on the door.
The door clicks open, revealing an unamused Euihyun with Taehyun hugging his legs.
"Hello, my sweethearts." Taeju greets as he hands Euihyun the flower bouquet which the omega takes reluctantly.
"Uncle Taeju!" the little kid screeches in glee once he sees who is standing at the doorway.
Releasing his grip on Euihyun's legs, Taehyun waddles his way to Taeju with his arms open and fingers wiggling as he demands for a hug from the alpha just like he always did during Taeju's visit.
"My Taehyunie! Come here." the alpha crouches down, opening his arms before the little kid tackles him to the point he falls on his butt onto the floor.
"I miss you so much, uncle." Taehyun says, lisping as he rubs his face in Taeju's chest, inhaling the comforting scent.
Taehyun is still young and he does not understand why Taeju's scent calms him so much like Taeju is someone important in his life, but all that he knows is that Taeju is his uncle. His father always tells him that and the alpha in his arms never denies it. He only nods, with a smile on his face but it was never as bright as the one he puts on right now.
"Really? Uncle misses our Taehyunie too." Taeju replies as he rubs the back of the little kid while littering small kisses on the top of the boy's head.
Euihyun who stands still at the doorway, hands still clasping around the fresh pink roses bouquet, only watches the father and son's interaction. Truthfully, it makes him feel guilty lying to his child about Taeju. But his rational mind keeps telling him that Taeju needs to learn a lesson and this way maybe he can prove his sincerity. The first week after the incident at the sea, Taeju did not visit them and it honestly made Euihyun feel disappointed thinking that maybe Taeju put his pride first before anything. However, Taeju proved him wrong when he suddenly came to their home with some snacks for Euiyoung and a bouquet of fresh flowers for the omega.
Talking about fresh flower bouquets, Euihyun notices that ever since the first time Taeju visited them, he never missed bringing a flower bouquet. Although some of them ended up in a trash can and the alpha was aware of it for he once caught Euihyun dropping the bouquet in the trash can. Despite the omega telling him that he threw the flower bouquet away because it started to smell bad, Taeju knew that it was not the case. From how Euihyun did not look him in the eye, he knew that the omega was lying, but he just let it slide. The moment the bouquet got into Euihyun's hands, the omega has all the rights to do anything he wants to it including throwing it away and Taeju would even hand in his heart to Euihyun although in return he might not get Euihyun to do the same.
Pulling himself out of the daze, Euihyun invites Taeju to come inside his house. In the living room, Euiyoung can be seen sprawled on the floor with books scattered around him. The little alpha seems to be doing his homework. Close to him, there is a clutter of child's toys which belong to Taehyun — some of them were gifts from Taeju. The alpha takes a seat on the couch while Euihyun transfers the flowers into a vase before making his way to the kitchen. With the chopping sounds reverberating in the small space of the house, Euihyun is apparently preparing lunch for their little family although Taeju is not sure whether he is invited to join them for the meal or not.
Their child is playing with his toys, not giving much attention to Taeju even though he did express his longing for the alpha beforehand, leaving Taeju with nothing to do. That is how Taeju finds himself approaching the omega in the kitchen, wanting to offer some help.
"Need some help?" Taeju asks out of the blue, unintentionally startling Euihyun with the way they are standing so close in the confined space.
"Gosh! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Euihyun says as he picks up the spoon he accidentally dropped as he was startled.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Do you need a hand? I can help with anything." Taeju still offers to help.
"There's nothing for you to do here. Instead, you can help me prepare the table while I finish this." Euihyun says as he points to the boiling stew.
It is just a small interaction, but it makes Taeju feel giddy. It feels like they are truly a happy little family and he is not an outsider who only visits them on the weekend.
"Should we go to the beach?" Taeju asks both Euiyoung and Taehyun after the little alpha finishes his homeworks with Taeju's help.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Taehyun cheers as he jumps on his feet upon hearing Taeju's idea.
It is like their routine to go to the beach together. There were times when Euihyun did not join them. Instead, he chose to stay with Granny Shim and help her with some chores. The first few visits were somewhat awkward as Taeju felt like every single one of his movements was monitored by Euihyun to the point he felt stiff being around his child. It is understandable as Euihyun did not fully trust him after what happened between them. However, Taeju can see that the omega is slowly putting his trust in him after Taeju for a few times explained to him that he would not take Taehyun away.
"Alright, we'll go to the beach with Euiyoung and appa, okay?" Taeju asks.
The little boy quickly runs to the kitchen where Euihyun is. The omega was tidying the kitchen when suddenly his child came running to him. Taehyun seems energetic from the way he flails his hands in all directions while inviting Euihyun to go to the beach with him, Taeju and Euiyoung. Euihyun cannot resist the urge to crouch down right in front of Taehyun before cupping his cherubic cheeks and nuzzling his nose to Taehyun's as he agrees to join them.
"We'll go once I finish with my chore, okay?"
"Okay!" Taehyun enthusiastically replies before running back to the living room to tell Taeju about Euihyun's answer.
Four of them walk down the road to the beach with Taehyun in between Taeju and Euihyun, holding his parents' hands while swinging them. Euiyoung watches the three of them and thinks that they look like a happy family and the little alpha hopes that whatever is going on between his brother and the older alpha can be resolved. He does not like how sometimes the atmosphere can be suffocating to him too while witnessing these two people dance around each other. They were a few metres away from the beach when one of the old folks who lives in the same neighbourhood greeted them. Probably because Taeju frequently comes here, the old lady seems to recognise him.
"Oh, Euihyun! You're here too, Taeju?"
"Yeah, I came here to visit them today." Taeju replies with friendliness laced in his tone while pointing to Euihyun, Taehyun and Euiyoung.
"You're such a good lad. I won't be surprised if you say they're your family. Even our Taehyunie looks a lot like you."
"Is that so? I would be happy too if I am Taehyun's father." Taeju says and it makes Euihyun feel a pang in his heart.
"Uncle Taeju is the best! Taehyun will feel happy too if he becomes my father!" the little boy interrupts which causes the old lady to laugh before saying that he should ask Euihyun first whether Taeju can be his father or not.
"Appa..? Can Uncle Taeju be my father?"
The question makes Taeju feels nervous about Euihyun's answer. He knows Euihyun and how strong-willed he is. His frequent visits for the past few months probably did not change Euihyun's decision at all. Not to mention, he has caused Euihyun so much pain and the omega definitely grew to distrust him over time. He can see how Euihyun's fists clench and that gesture seems to give Taeju a hint of what the answer will be, hence why he cuts the omega off before he can answer.
"Should we go to the beach now? It's getting late and I need to go home after this." Taeju asks, which instantly receives a nod from Euihyun before he turns in the old lady's direction and excuses themselves.
Stepping to the beach seems to relive the old memories as Euihyun suddenly halts his steps. His eyes look at the wide sea and in his peripheral vision as if his eyes are tricking him, he can see two silhouettes — one of them with curly blonde hair and another one with silky black hair. The blonde guy is kneeling on his knees, his hand on his throat as if he is having trouble breathing, meanwhile, the other guy cups his mouth, helping him. He has seen this scene before and he knows where it leads to.
"Are you okay?"
A sudden touch on his shoulder pulls him out of his stupor. Tilting his head, he sees Taeju, face scrunching with worries. The alpha places one of his hands on Euihyun's forehead and another one on his own, comparing their body temperature just in case the omega is feeling unwell.
"I'm fine. I just zoned out." Euihyun says as he removes Taeju's hand from his forehead.
The omega then leaves Taeju behind, making his way to the shore where Euiyoung and Taehyun are. Euiyoung is building a sandcastle while Taehyun wanders not far from him picking up anything he sees fit to be the castle's decoration. Euihyun's smile grows as he sees Taehyun carrying with him a strand of seaweed to Euiyoung. The little alpha also bursts into laughter before eventually Taehyun cracks a smile too because the seaweed looks weird to be placed on top of the castle.
Taeju who stands a few feet from them also smiles but deep down, he feels pain blooming in his heart. He wants this to end. This situation where he is just a kind outsider who always visits the little family. He knows he should have expected this, but the tiny voice inside his head keeps on telling him that maybe this should come to an end. That tiny voice keeps on whispering that Taehyun should finally know the truth about Taeju, but at the same time, Taeju feels like it is not time yet.
He takes a spot next to Euiyoung, helping him with the sandcastle. The three of them are having fun building sandcastles and sometimes Taeju helps Taehyun find some seashells while playing with water at the shore. They were picking up a shiny white shell when suddenly the sky turns grey and thunder cracks in the air. Quickly, Taeju picks Taehyun in his arms before going to where Euihyun and Euiyoung are.
"It's gonna rain. We should hurry up and go home." Taeju says.
Without wasting any time, all of them walk back to their home, along with other people who visit the beach today. As they leave the beach, Euihyun has come up with a new resolution.
It's almost late in the night, but the rain is still pouring. Taeju would already be at home if he drove back right after they came back from the beach. However, he did not even make it to his car when suddenly Taehyun cries and begs Euihyun to let Taeju spend the night at their home. He kept on saying that Taeju should not drive in the bad weather since it is dangerous. The thought that Taehyun cares about him and his safety makes Taeju feel warm. And that is how he finds himself clad in a pair of tight pyjamas with teddy bear print, sitting in the living room with Taehyun in his lap.
"You look hilarious, uncle." Taehyun says when he sees Taeju walks out of the bathroom with a tight shirt wrapping his torso a moments ago. The alpha can only grin and from the corner of his eyes, he sees how Euihyun tries to hide his smile while he helps Taehyun with his own pair of pyjamas.
"Taehyun, it's time to sleep. Come here." Euihyun who just tucks Euiyoung to sleep in his own bedroom, makes his way to both of them, wanting to pick Taehyun up before the little boy quickly wraps his arms around Taeju's neck.
"Don't wanna. I wanna sleep with Uncle Taeju." the little boy mumbles as he hides his face in the crook of Taeju's neck. The alpha only glances at the omega, wishing that he will agree for this opportunity does not always come.
Euihyun sighs in defeat.
"Alright, you can sleep with Uncle Taeju. Come give appa a goodnight kiss first." the omega says as he opens his arms. In an instant, Taehyun waddles to Euihyun's arms before placing multiple kisses on the omega's face.
"Thank you, appa! I love you!"
"I love you too." Euihyun replies, kissing back Taehyun on his cheeks before his gaze lands on the alpha who watches them intently.
"We need to talk." Euihyun mouths the words which confuse the alpha.
While he was lulling Taehyun to sleep, Taeju could not stop thinking about what Euihyun wants to talk about. He grows anxious, afraid that it is related to what happened this evening when they were on their way to the beach. He looks at the little boy laying next to him. The serene look on Taehyun's face as his breaths even out has Taeju leaning in and leaving a kiss on the boy's temple. In a small voice, he whispers.
"Taehyun-ah, daddy's here. Daddy's always been here." his hand strokes the soft blonde locks. Too immersed in watching his son sleeping, Taeju does not notice a silhouette peeking at both of them in the dark.
Making himself look presentable before clearing his throat, Euihyun steps closer to the alpha and his child before ushering Taeju to come with him. He leads the alpha to the bedroom where he usually sleeps with Taehyun. He invites the alpha in before leaving the door open just in case Taehyun wakes up crying if he realises he is left alone.
"Uhm, what do you want to talk about?" Taeju questions as he stands before Euihyun who sits on the edge of the bed. Taeju looks like a child waiting to be lectured with his head lowered.
"I wanna end this. I don't think I can do this anymore." Taeju was right, Euihyun wants to talk about it.
The alpha can feel sweats start forming on the back of his neck. Out of instinct, he begins to get down on his knees, wanting to beg for something that he himself cannot pinpoint.
"Huh? Why are you kneeling? Get up." Euihyun says as his hands pull on Taeju's biceps.
"I will do better and I won't ever mention being Taehyun's father again. Please, Euihyun-ah." the alpha keeps on kneeling as his hands hold Euihyun's.
"Taeju… You've done enough and I think this is for the better. I don't wanna continue this. I don't wanna lie to Taehyun anymore." Euihyun says.
It takes a moment for the alpha to realise what Euihyun meant. He lowers his head, eyes not meeting Euihyun's before his sobs reverberate in the confined space. He has been waiting for this moment and no one would have thought that it will come so soon. The alpha cannot contain his tears as his shoulders shake.
"I can't deny that I was mad, furious even for everything that you've done but as Taehyun grows up, I come to realise that one day, he'll ask me where his father is and I can't imagine myself keep on lying to him when his father is actually within his reach. But what I fear the most is if Taehyun comes to hate me if I keep on hiding the truth from him. I don't want that to ever happen." the omega confesses.
He then moves to Taeju's side, kneeling while he engulfs the alpha in a hug. His soothing scent permeates through the air in an attempt to calm the alpha down. It seems to work when Taeju hugs him back and plants his face in the crook of Euihyun's neck.
"You're forgiven, Taeju." Euihyun says as he ruffles Taeju's hair.
The alpha lifts his head. With his red-rimmed eyes, he looks at Euihyun's face. Even with only the light from the bedside lamp, the omega still looks beautiful as he remembers. From this up close, Taeju cannot stop looking at Euihyun's face. He dares to bring one of his hands to cup Euihyun's cheek. Rubbing circles on the skin with his thumb and that has the omega shudders.
"T-thank you, Euihyun-ah. Although I feel like I don't deserve this, still I wanna thank you." Taeju says.
They stay like that for a while before Taeju breaks the silence with his words which leaves Euihyun speechless and the omega feels tears brimming his eyes, blurring his vision.
"I know this is probably too late, but I love you. It was already too late when I first realised it and I know that when I confessed to you while in a rut sounded ridiculous, but my feelings have grown stronger since then."
"How…? I'm not like other omegas."
He knows Taeju's feelings towards him, but to know that the alpha's feelings remain unchanged, but actually grow stronger hits him with a wave of emotions.
"And that's what makes you even more special." the alpha who notices that Euihyun is crying quickly wipes the tears.
"But you didn't want to have a baby with me before. Were you scared to be tied with me?" Euihyun questions.
"I’d be lying if I say it didn’t scare me in the first place if you suddenly came to me and told me you’re pregnant. But you know what was scarier? To wake up one day and go to your house only to discover that you left without any trace." Taeju says as he decides to be the one to soothe Euihyun this time.
Euihyun sniffles as he inhales Taeju’s scent. It is comforting in this situation and the way Taeju’s heart beats so loud in his chest tells him that the alpha is nervous too as if one wrong word from him and the omega in his hands will disappear into thin air.
“At first, I wanted to find you, but from the way you left without a trace nor goodbye, I take it that you didn’t want to be found so I didn’t try to look for you. One day, one of my men said he saw someone who looks like you and I came here just to see it with my own two eyes.”
Euihyun just listens to Taeju talking. When the alpha glances towards the omega, he finds that Euihyun remains calm in his hold. The omega then starts to bring his hands around Taeju’s waist. His inner alpha feels delighted with every touch the omega lays on him.
“The day I went to your house wasn’t the first time I came here. I was here once when you were heavily pregnant. I thought I would feel terrified once I saw you with your baby bump, but instead, I felt giddy knowing that you were carrying my child.” Taeju says and his voice croaks as fresh tears roll down his cheeks.
At that, Euihyun tilts his head to look at Taeju’s face. He looks debauched with tears on his cheeks but he has this small smile when he tells the omega what he felt.
“How were you so sure that it’s your child?” Euihyun asks.
“I know you well enough that you love Euiyoung and you probably didn't have the time to hook up with any alpha." Taeju goes silent before he continues.
"It’s also because of me that you have trust issues in alphas so I think you probably didn’t let any alpha come near you.”
Euihyun senses guilt in Taeju's voice. The alpha seems to avoid his eyes, opting to fiddle with their hands before Euihyun cups his cheeks.
"It's all in the past now. I don't even wanna think about it. What matters to me right now is the future. I want you to always be with us, Taeju. Can you do that?"
The alpha enthusiastically nods as he holds Euihyun's hands, promising the omega that he will always be there for them.
After a while, both of them walk out of the room with Euihyun carrying his pillow and blanket. He lies down beside Taehyun while Taeju lies down on the other side of their child. Although the bedding does not feel as comfortable as his usual bed, that night Taeju still had the best night of his life and he cannot wait for what the future has in store.
"Don't cry, Taehyun-ah." Taeju says as he engulfs the little boy in his arms. His eyes glance at Euihyun who has panic written all over his face.
'Did I mess up?'
'Does he hate me?'
“I don’t hate you, appa.” the little boy answers and that makes Euihyun realise that he might have spoken his thoughts out loud.
Taehyun now holds out his hands as he walks to Euihyun. They are in the living room of their house, early in the morning after having their breakfast together when the omega decides that he wants to let the cat out of the bag. He had so many scenarios of what could happen after coming clean to his son playing in his head. He had expected Taehyun to throw a tantrum and be disappointed in him for hiding the truth from him, but he did not expect his son to be silent before slowly erupting into tears.
“Aren’t you mad at me, Taehyunie? Appa had lied to you.” the omega sniffles, unconsciously crying.
“Appa, thank you.”
“W-why? You should be mad at appa?”
“I won’t. I’m happy, appa. Every night, before I go to bed, I pray to anyone up there to let Uncle Taeju be my father.” Taehyun pulls away from the embrace he shares with Euihyun before bringing his hands to Euihyun’s face, wiping away the tears on his father’s face.
“Don’t cry, appa.” Taehyun goes back to hugging his father before ushering Taeju with one of his hands to join the hug and the alpha does not let the chance slide. He immediately kneels next to his little family before engulfing them in his arms while his calming scent permeating in the air.
At that moment, Taeju’s heart feels full again. Every broken piece of it is now glued together. Every effort that he put into winning Euihyun’s heart again and proving his sincerity in redeeming himself seems to work. It feels fulfilling when Euihyun finally forgives him and decides that he wants them to live together. It is like Euihyun now can see his worth to be Taehyun’s father and the way how instantly Euihyun answers to him afterwards just proves it right.
“Euihyun, I know this is probably too early, but will you be my mate?”
“I told you my answer last night.”
Upon hearing Euihyun's answer, Taeju has this stupid grin plastered on his face as he leans closer to Euihyun’s face. Taehyun who only watches does not know what his fathers are talking about, but pretty sure it is a good thing as both of them now are sharing kisses and Euiyoung has to interrupt by covering Taehyun’s eyes while he makes a gargling sound as he has to witness his brother and the blonde alpha being lovebirds. Taeju has dreamed of this moment so many times before but it definitely feels different when he experiences it himself.