Chapter Text
It was quiet in the car for the ride home, Gao Tu mostly just chewing on his bottom lip and holding Wenlang’s other hand tightly in his lap. He was still trembling lightly as the adrenaline ran its course, even if he knew he was safe now. They were safe.
His mate didn’t coax him to talk, just held his hand in his own and drove them straight home, only murmuring quietly that Lele would stay with his uncles for the night. It was a good idea, for if their sweet, caring little boy saw his baba like that, there would probably be a barrage of questions and maybe nightmares as well. He still had to apologize for not picking up Lele like he promised.
His alpha didn’t let go of his hand until they got to their apartment, then moving to embrace him tightly and pressing his face against his neck. “I thought I lost you”, Wenlang said quietly, breathing in his scent as if to reassure himself that he was there. “Both of you.”
“But you didn’t”, Gao Tu whispered, pressing as close as he could with his bump. He had tasted the darkness Wenlang had been running from, and he never wanted to feel anything like that. Never wanted Wenlang to feel anything like that.
“Did he hurt you?” his mate asked, gaze flicking from his head to his toes, searching for anything wrong. “No”, he murmured, choosing to omit the slap, “just threatened. Almost choked me with his stench.”
A low growl sounded from the alpha, placated immediately by the gentle hand he placed on his chest. “We’re okay”, he promised, looking his partner in the eyes. “Your daughter kicked for the first time”, he then said quietly, watching as the fear and worry in his mate’s eyes turned into wonder and softness. “She did?”
“She did”, the omega nodded, “when I was wondering to myself what we were going to do… She kicked.”
Wenlang almost whined softly, embracing him tighter and scenting him almost obsessively. “We’re okay”, Gao Tu said again, mostly to himself, hands gently stroking Wenlang’s back.
“Take a bath, please”, the alpha said after releasing him from his hold. “You’re cold, and you’ve had a rough day. Relax, take your time.”
The strong, competent part of him wanted to argue that he only needed his mate, but he quietened it down. He was cold and covered in assorted dust from the warehouse, so a bath was a good idea. After that, all he wanted was the embrace of his mate, his safety.
When the door to their bathroom closed, Wenlang sat down and released a shuddering breath, pressing his head into his hands. The stress and trauma of it all were trying to catch up to him, but he wouldn’t let them. Everything was fine, his family was safe, that’s it. He would protect them, wouldn’t let anything hurt them ever again.
He fought to regulate his breathing, closing his eyes for a moment and just returning himself back to earth. Just then his phone vibrated quietly on the table, and he flicked his gaze onto the screen just to catch the message that arrived.
He’s gone.
Wenlang stared at it for a moment, and then took a deep breath. Gone. No more of a shadow looming over him and his life, no reason to be afraid of his past catching up to him. He was… Free, in a sense. No parents, only his own family.
He stayed sitting there, looking at nothing in particular, just breathing in the silence surrounding him. Should he have cried? Should he have felt anything at all? He had never had a normal relationship with his father, so did he even have anything to grieve?
He didn’t know, and his thoughts were restless until gentle arms wrapped around him from behind, a bath fresh soothing scent of sage wrapping all around him. His partner was warm, clad in a soft shirt and pants, finding his way into his lap without inhibitions. The kitchen chair he had sat on squeaked lightly under their weight, but he didn’t care. He only nuzzled his mate’s neck, holding him close and feeling his pulse against his lips. His other hand slowly found its way to Gao Tu’s stomach, caressing the bump protectively, until settling on top of it. He was startled, when after a moment he felt a swift little kick against it, his eyes widening in wonder. “I told you she kicks”, his mate murmured, wincing when another kick landed on his stomach. “Feisty little thing.”
Wenlang’s heart soared, hand splayed against the warmth as if to say hello to his child. “For you I’d brave anything”, he whispered quietly, biting his lip when his emotions tried to take hold. He hadn’t really thought about how much he had to lose before, but now he was hyperaware of it. There wasn’t only his business empire or his lover, but now two children - as well as Gao Tu’s health, his mind, his everything. It frightened him if he was honest, and he found himself biting his lip. ”I need you to tell me everything he said to you”, he mumbled, ”for my sanity.”
”I don’t think that’s a good idea”, his omega muttered back, stroking his cheek lovingly. ”Tell me”, Wenlang insisted, looking him in the eye and pleading.
The omega, now without his glasses and hair slightly damp, hesitated for a while, before sighing gently. ”He told me he wanted you to focus on business and to do that I needed to go away”, Gao Tu said, other hand stroking his back. ”And that I had a choice - to leave on my own, or to give the choice to him.”
Despite the knowledge of his father being gone, Wenlang felt his heart clench with fear and anger. ”It wasn’t enough for me to just leave, because you would follow”, his mate continued, ”I had to leave in a way that made you believe there was nothing for you to follow, that we… That we didn’t want you anymore. To leave you hopeless.”
He even felt a little nauseous listening to it, mind feeding him the images painted by the words. It was terrible, and he didn’t even notice his arms tightening their hold on Gao Tu. ”And if I didn’t leave, well… He made it very clear he would get rid of us”, the omega whispered, ”I asked him why he hated you so much he wouldn’t let you be, and he said it wasn’t about hate. That it was about control, and he didn’t need a son who was out of control.”
Wenlang didn’t even notice he was trembling again, until Gao Tu laid his other hand on his cheek. ”Calm down”, he said gently, ”it’s over, we’re here, you got us.”
He was practically forced to breathe easier, as he stared into his mate’s eyes and felt himself drown a little in their calmness. ”I said no, by the way”, Gao Tu whispered, pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead.
”To what?”
”To leaving you. Making you think we didn’t want you anymore.”
”Why on earth would you do that? He would’ve killed you, I could’ve always-”
”Because I didn’t want you to meet your darkness again”, the omega interrupted, looking him in the eye and showing him a gentle, almost wistful smile. ”Because I’d rather die myself than subject you to that ever again. I love you, and now that I’ve experienced the monstrosity of your father I want to protect you even more. You’re mine, Shen Wenlang, and I won’t leave you.”
There were tears in Gao Tu’s eyes, threatening to spill on his beautiful face. Wenlang himself wasn’t really faring any better, eyes feeling wet and stinging. ”I love you”, he murmured, kissing his mate with a desperation like a man drowning, almost as if he’d stop breathing if he didn’t kiss Gao Tu. It was slow but deep, both of them releasing all the fear and worry they harbored from the day. Any spilled tears were wiped away with gentle hands, foreheads pressed together after pulling away from the kisses. ”I’ll never let anyone take you away from me again”, Wenland swore, ”never again. I’m going to keep all three of you safe, no matter what it takes.”
”You’ll keep all four of us safe”, the omega said softly, ”you’re our safety. So keep yourself safe too.”
The alpha swallowed a sob, nodding to his mate and holding him close. ”Fuck”, he mumbled to himself, ”I’ve never been as scared as I was today…”
A gentle hand petted his head, his iris blending with the sage flowing around him. ”Wenlang”, his lover said after a while. ”Please also remember you’re allowed to grieve for him.”
He almost scoffed out a statement of how he hated his father or something like that, but in the end he just nodded. ”Even if there was a bad relationship or no relationship at all, you’re allowed to grieve”, Gao Tu whispered, ”I did too.”
Wenlang nodded again, both of them falling into a comfortable quiet.
”Let’s go to bed”, his omega suggested after a while, standing up from his lap and grabbing his hand. The only thing Wenlang wanted right then was to keep the man in his arms, so he had no qualms about retiring to their bedroom. Maybe he wouldn’t sleep, who knew, but at least he could just hold his Gao Tu. Maybe feel his daughter kick again, press into his memory the way they were still with him. Time would heal.
It always did.