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Jongho dragged his heavy feet across the ground, not even wanting to try and maintain a straightened posture. Shoulders slumped and head bowed, he entered his house, the wooden door already ajar, signaling his omega dad was already waiting for him inside. Jongho closed both the grail and the door, locking them behind him and stood at the little space where they put their shoes at, and sighed, before toeing his shoes off.
He is so, so, *so* tired.
He had already seen the burnout coming, but that didn't mean he was prepared. He's always never prepared because he is always too stubborn to take a break before it's too late. The piling assignments, friendship problems he always had to play counselor for, the pressure from the teachers on him to get and maintain his excellent grades, the stress of the upcoming exam, the expectations of his teammates whenever they played together, the twinkling admiring eyes of his bandmates when he sings, the hope to win radiating from his fellow actors as they practiced for a musical competition, instead of helping him rise above, he felt like they were all shoving his head underwater and he's tired of fighting back.
He is so tired.
The smell of his dad's cooking filled the house, and Jongho notes that his dad must have just finished cooking and cleaning up. The beta teen walked further inside, seeing his dad's small figure laying on the couch, watching a show on TV mindlessly. Jongho didn't hesitate when he walked straight up to the omega and fell face first onto his chest, burying his face in his dad's shirt.
"Hi, sweetheart," Hongjoong chuckled, turning towards his beta son hugging him, face hidden in his chest. Hongjoong brought a hand up, running his fingers through Jongho's hair, petting his head.
"Appa," came Jongho's muffled voice. "Appa," Jongho mumbled again, nuzzling deeper into Hongjoong's chest.
"What's the matter, baby? Are you okay?" Hongjoong asked.
Such a simple question, but Jongho couldn't help the tears falling from his eyes, soaking his dad's shirt. Jongho tried to hold it in, but it only served to make his body shake harder and his sobs harder to hide.
"Oh, poor darling," Hongjoong muttered sympathetically, his omega parent instincts kicking in. The omega simply gathered Jongho tighter in his arms, hugging the teen closer. "Let it go, baby, Appa's right here with you."
Jongho cried and cried into his dad's chest, and Hongjoong let him, petting his hair and humming a sweet lullaby Jongho has known ever since he was born, and there was a comforting scent filling his nose. His dad's omega pheromones. A sense of familiarity and warmth engulfed him, and only one word came to his mind.
Home.
Yes. He is home.
Hongjoong didn't let go of his son, not even once, and not even when his husband walks through the door, eyes widening in concern at the sight. The omega simply put a finger to his lips, telling Seonghwa to be quiet and let Jongho have his little nap for a little while longer.
Seonghwa didn't try to protest.
---
That night, both Seonghwa and Hongjoong insisted to bring Jongho out to a treat at his favourite Japanese restaurant, telling him to order whatever he wanted. Jongho ate a lot, and his parents treated him like he was a child again, cooing at him and making sure he's okay and not choking, Hongjoong wiping the corners of his mouth and Seonghwa reminding him to drink water between gobbling up all the food.
Normally, he would have swatted their hands away playfully and softly mutter that he disliked being treated like this in public, but Jongho didn't mind it this once. There was so much comfort brought by the babying, and Jongho decided, today, he will let the side of him which likes to be babied show.
That night too, Jongho tried to sleep on his own, but after tossing and turning for an hour, he decided he wanted to feel his parents' warmth, the kisses they gave him as they put him to bed not enough. The boy gathered his blanket and his favourite pillow and shuffled over to his parents' room, peeking in to see the two adults speaking quietly to each other in the dimly lit room. Hongjoong noticed him first, like he always does.
"Jjongie, hi," Hongjoong gave him a fond smile, and extended his arms. "Need a hug?"
"No," Jongho pushed the door open wider. "Wanna sleep here tonight. Can I?"
Hongjoong and Seonghwa exchanged smiles, and Seonghwa then turned to him, nodding with a fatherly smile. His alpha dad got off the bed, gesturing for him to climb into the large king-sized bed.
"Go on," Seonghwa urged as Jongho came closer. "Go get that hug from your Appa."
"Thank you, Papa," Jongho muttered as he climbed onto the bed, quickly snuggling up to Hongjoong, who simply wrapped his arms around his son. Jongho breathed in that sweet warm scent, feeling his shoulders relax and the burdens being chased away, off his back.
"Seongie, turn off the lights, yeah?"
"I know, honey."
Even the way his parents softly talked in hushed whispers made him feel safe, Hongjoong's slightly high and lilting voice complimenting Seonghwa's baritone one in softened ambient tones, coming together to wrap around him like a warm blanket. Jongho is reminded of the times he woke up crying because of a nightmare of being abandoned, and his parents rushing in to embrace him tightly and comfort him. Warmth. Jongho feels warm.
The lights turned off, and Jongho heard the rustling of cloth and felt the dip of the bed as Seonghwa climbed in as well, and a huge blanket was thrown over their figures. Soon, he felt Seonghwa move closer and his father's arm thrown over him and Hongjoong, encasing them in a protective embrace.
As he snuggled closer to Hongjoong, the omega simply pulling him closer, and Seonghwa simply embracing them tighter, Jongho smiles to himself as he is lulled to sleep by their calm breathing.
Jongho thinks he's the luckiest son on Earth.