Chapter Text
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩…
Taehyung's head jerks up with a soft chime of the doorbell.
Putting the book away Taehyung's feet slip inside his slippers and pads towards the door, faint sound of his flip flops patting the floor echoes in the empty apartment.
The omega opens the door and a wide smile stretches onto his face when he feels a little, a familiar figure wrap around his leg, instantly.
Crouching down, Taehyung picks the little one up in his arms, "Afternoon teacher."
She beams, her words a little slurred and toppling over her tongue cutely.
"Good afternoon, baby." Taehyung pats her head gently before turning to look at the omega.
Her parent.
The wide smile that has been adorning his face dims a little, the shimmer in his eyes flickers down, he bows his head in greeting.
The omega smiles sweetly, "Tae, the teacher has been pestering me about her viva. She says her recognition isn't that strong."
Haemin stresses, a crease forming in the middle of her perfect eyebrows.
At her words Iseul with her little doe eyes looks at Taehyung and shakes her head multiple times. Taehyung rubs his hand over her little back.
"Haemin, she's just three years old and trust me for a pup that young she's doing her absolute best."
The omega standing in front of him runs her gaze over the perfectly manicured nails, rings sitting on her fingers, she looks up. Eyelashes fluttering in worry. Taehyung wants to roll his eyes.
"Tae, I don't care. I just don't want to get continuous calls from her school asking to meet, I'm so busy with other things."
She adjusts her sling purse over her arm, heels clicking on Taehyung's marble floor as she takes a small step back while talking.
"Now you see, I had to cancel the invite from Chanel just so I could learn my pup can't recognize some alphabets and numbers at school. It's a loss for me. So please take care of it."
There's a low bite in her words, her facial expressions changing from annoyed to calm in a snap of a finger; as if Taehyung imagined it all.
She runs a hand over the satin dress she was clad in and takes a step back, "Will come pick her up after I'm done with my meeting."
Taehyung curtly nods, biting his tongue so he doesn't speak anything out of the line.
He watches as Haemin slides in the back seat of the limousine, the car zooms off leaving small clouds of mist in Taehyung's driveway.
Sighing deeply he bolts the door, settles Iseul down so she runs towards the couch— their study place where they sometimes play wrestling too.
Watching the little pup scatter her books and stationery on the fuzzy rug in front of the couch all the tension seems to leave his body only leaving behind a softness for the pup.
"What is Iseul studying first?"
The 3 year old sits with her legs folded, books neatly placed in front of her one after the other and small hands full just by holding a pencil and an eraser.
Taehyung walks towards her with a hop in his steps that makes the pup squeak out a giggle.
He sits criss-crossed on the rug and —just like she always has— Iseul crawls into Taehyung's lap, making herself comfortable on his thigh as the omega picks up her school notebooks.
"We'll first complete our homework, hmm? Then we'll colour."
Taehyung tells the little one, his right arm caging her to his chest so she doesn't lose her balance and brings the notebook to her lap.
With an enthusiastic nod, Iseul holds her floral pencil in her dainty palm, eraser in another, eyes focusing and nose scrunching a little in
concentration.
Taehyung knows Iseul is aware of what she has to do as she draws strokes on the page, matching one dot to another making a shaky but recognizable '2'.
She's gotten a lot better since her first day here; a month back. Iseul had been shy and quiet for a whole week, not answering any of his questions just staying busy on her own.
All it took was Iron Man to get her to warm up to Taehyung.
They had talked endlessly about Iron Man, though Taehyung doesn't like it but if that's what it takes to get the little pup to talk to him then so be it.
According to Haemin, Iseul is the happiest when arriving at his place and he knows it's always a trouble to get her to go back home with her mother every evening.
"TaeTae done!"
She exclaims and Taehyung rattles out of his head, eyes gazing down at the notebook the little one is holding up with a satisfactory smile.
Taehyung beams, nodding his head at her and they close that notebook; not before erasing some shaky twos and rewriting them more neatly.
A colorful button on her shorts catches the pup's attention, her small pointer finger rises to fiddle with it, lower lip jutting out.
"Okay baby, want to tell TaeTae what these are?"
Haemin's words from earlier are still ringing in his head so he makes sure to let Iseul practice recognition at her own pace, he just decides to give her a little push.
Iseul tears her eyes off the small button, fingers still wrapped around it, "Fruits?" Her voice is unsure, head tilting sideways in thought.
"Yes.." Taehyung softly assures, pointing at one of the fruits in the middle of the page,
"Which fruit is this?" Iseul places her own finger right beside Taehyung's. His long, slender fingers, dwarfing her little chubby ones.
"Wawa?"
The grip around the button loosens as she finds something more captivating to play with, Taehyung's charmed bracelet.
"It's guava. Look at TaeTae~" Iseul does, her soft black bangs falling a little over her eyes making her blink rapidly.
Taehyung gently brushes the hair away, resting his hand on her back before speaking, "Gu~" His lips pout and so does Iseul's as she tries to imitate.
"Ah~" "Va~ Guava."
"Guvava?" Taehyung smiles broadly and nods.
Iseul repeats until her tongue is familiar with the tricky word and Taehyung waits before moving to another fruit.
Their study sessions go on for a while, and, mindful of not putting a lot of pressure on the little one's brain, Taehyung makes sure to play little games with her.
Eventually when Iseul's stomach rumbles around two hours of study and play she pads her way towards the kitchen where Taehyung has been standing by the countertop.
Fisting the fabric of his sweatpants over his thigh in her small hands she grabs his attention, too tired to whine out.
"There baby, I'm done, just wait a little more, hmm?" Taehyung coos, flipping the pancake in the pan as the butter crinkles.
Iseul runs back to the living room, sitting patiently by her small table, waiting for the food, her little Pooh waiting too.
Taehyung evenly slices the pancake jeon into four equal halves and carries it to the very impatiently waiting pup.
To say Iseul's eyes lit up at the sight would be an understatement. Taehyung sits beside her to help feed the little pup.
~~~
The book he has been reading earlier rests in his lap, finger hovering over the corner to flip the page, eyes going over each and every word. He can feel Iseul snuggling closer to his side, Winnie the Pooh playing on the television.
He turns over the page, Iseul buries her face in his bicep which is a dead giveaway that the pup is sleepy. It's understandable, it's seven in the evening.
Taehyung has been reading to distract himself from the anger boiling up in the pit of his stomach whenever his eyes find the clock and then land on the pup.
Giving up, he places the book away and cradles Iseul in his lap, her cheek resting over his chest and his arms coming up to wrap around her small body.
In no time he hears soft snores leaving the pup's body. Taehyung sighs, resting his head back on the crest of the couch.
He feels bitter, but no ounce of it is directed towards the pup in his arms sleeping so peacefully; more like towards her parents.
It's always like this.
Haemin drops off Iseul at his house when she has an event to attend and mind you she always has an event to attend.
Picks her up late at night when the pup is tired to the bones and Taehyung is torn between laying her in the bed or keep holding her. If he should wake her up or let the little one sleep.
Shaking his head Taehyung holds Iseul properly to take her to bed when the doorbell rings, the anger that was burbling in him shoots up and he can't help but grit his teeth.
Picks up Iseul's backpack and with the little one in his arms he unlocks the door and finds an unfamiliar male standing at his doorstep.
"Yes?" He wants to take Iseul back and lay her comfortably in his bed but the man standing doesn't give him that chance as he brings his arms up to take Iseul from him.
Taehyung steps back, a protective hand coming up to rest behind her head to shield the pup.
"I am here to take Iseul back home."
He says at last making Taehyung squint his eyes at him, a low snarl ready to tear off his chest,
"Haemin Ma'am is in the car."
He adds while noticing the omega's hesitation, holding up his hands in front of himself as a gesture that he means no harm. A foot out of the door ready to bolt if the omega takes another step forward.
Taehyung looks threatening.
Taehyung's eyes for a split second lands on the limo and of course, she can't walk two steps to pick her own kid up. He wants to scoff.
"I'll take her there by myself."
And without waiting for a response Taehyung is walking towards the car, the driver walking with his head hanging low.
The driver opens the car door for him. Taehyung crinkles his nose at the faint stench of alcohol that fills up his nostrils.
Haemin, lying on a seat, passed out. Her satin dress riding up her thighs, hair that were neatly brushed now seems like a bird's nest. He rolls his eyes.
For a moment Taehyung doesn't even want to make Iseul sit in the same car as her mother but who is he to make the decision.
"Sir, please make it quick." The beta impatiently breathes out.
With locked jaw Taehyung sits Iseul down on the seat, quite away from her mother and straps on the seat belt. Laying the pup down would be dangerous.
He just hopes sitting doesn't get too uncomfortable for the little flower.
The girl's head lolls to the side, Taehyung really wants to pick her up and take her back to his house and cradle her to his chest but he knows he can't do that.
Iseul isn't his pup. He isn't her father.
The omega presses a kiss to her forehead and steps aside; only to get a glimpse of the little one peeling an eye open with pouty lips before the car door is slammed shut and soon the car zooms off.
Iseul was about to cry.
Something pinches Taehyung's heart at the realization and fuck he really should've taken her inside so she would have slept peacefully.
Alcohol bottles toppled upside down, vibrant lights flashing in the car and Haemin passed out— Taehyung grimaces, just what type of upbringing her parents are providing Iseul with.
"It's always the undeserving shits who have everything in their life." He spits.
Heart still aching as he walks back to his empty house, dejected.
~~~
Taehyung feels a small smile creeping onto his lips when his phone goes off and it's his husband calling him.
"Hello.." his voice is soft, anticipating and so full of enthusiasm. It's after a long week his alpha has contacted him.
Gripping the phone with both hands he shifts his weight on one foot, eyes roaming around the house waiting for his husband to speak but when he does his face falls.
'You have an appointment tomorrow at 4pm sharp. Be there.'
Of course.
How can he be so dumb to think that his alpha had called him to serenade him? Obviously it's about the appointment.
His voice catches in his throat, 'Taehyung?'
There is an authority in his deep voice that swirls something ugly in Taehyung's belly every time he uses that voice. It makes his skin tremble in fear.
"Y-yes hyung." He mewls, the alpha makes a sound of approval before murmuring a 'good' that somehow eases Taehyung's nerves or so he wants to believe, his wolf is anything but at ease right now.
"Hyung?" Taehyung manages to call out, voice soft and a little tremble making itself known in its timber.
Hyunki hums out, the lines go silent. He wants to speak but for a reason cannot bring himself to.
"Speak up Taehyung. I don't have the whole afternoon to entertain you."
He growls on the other side and Taehyung is sure if he had been here Hyunki would've glared daggers at him. The mere thought makes him shudder.
"When will you be home? It's been a week." Taehyung shifts his weight from one leg to another, blood pumping inside his ears.
"I have work, Taehyung. I'll be home soon."
That kind of gives Taehyung the satisfaction he was looking for but still his omega feels unsettled inside him.
"Look after your omega on your own."
He recalls and if a part of him was wishing to spill his worries to his alpha he holds back because he knows, he was taught this on their very first night when Hyunki had knotted him and was up to leave right after. He had curled his fingers around his wrist that got swatted away with a lesson.
His omega was unsettled back then, was looking for comfort and he was told to not bother the alpha regarding something as meagre as this.
Taehyung bites hard onto his lower lip, "Now if there's nothing more. I'll hang up."
The omega nods with a hum, his chest feeling heavy and when he hears the beep of the phone is when he flops down on the couch.
Talking to your own husband shouldn't feel so consuming.
"I'll pick her up by the evening." Haemin steps back to leave but Taehyung's voice stops her.
"Haemin she gets so tired by then, can you pick her up in the afternoon? Like in an hour or two? I myself just got back from school."
Taehyung hears the faint flutter of pages being flipped in the living room, letting him know that Iseul is ready to study.
Haemin's long finger pushes the blonde strands of hair out of her eyes, red painted lips turning down in a frown, "Tae, you're good with pups. I thought you'd know how to handle her." Her voice is laced with frustration.
"I-" Taehyung breathes out through his nose, "Alright."
That prompts a bright smile on the younger omega's face as she waves him bye.
Never once did Haemin wished Iseul bye like a mother would.
Does she really deserve to be a mother when she is so ungrateful for something that nature has provided her with?
"Teacher, story?" Iseul questions innocently when Taehyung quietly sits down beside her. She crawls into his lap.
Taehyung boops her button nose with his index finger the book already open in the pup's lap.
"This story, TaeTae." Her chubby hands pats the page she has opened, looking up at the omega with hopeful eyes.
Now how can Taehyung say no to those doe eyes and that little pout.
"The Tale of Benjamin Bunny." Iseul wiggles on his thigh and Taehyung has to curl his arm around her little body so she doesn't fall off his lap.
Her happy, little dance makes his heart feel light too, "What makes you so excited?"
"This story is about appa."
She squeaks and Taehyung looks at her with frowned eyebrows. This story is clearly about a bunny and not a human.
"Your appa?"
Iseul nods, points at the white fluffy bunny in the book and matches Taehyung's confused eyes, "Appa looks like a bun."
She giggles into her hand and Taehyung can't help the snort that leaves him.
Taehyung starts reading and he watches Iseul wiggle and giggle whenever a bunny is mentioned, pointing at the picture with an "appa" rolling off her tongue.
She is so adamant that her father is a bunny that by the end of the tale Taehyung kind of believes too, though he has never seen the said father.
How an alpha can look like a small bunny is past him.
Her school homework is long over and now Iseul is sitting on the edge of the couch,Taehyung sprawled on the floor as the pup combs his hair with her pink unicorn hairbrush.
Taehyung relaxes back, having a kid really does things to your heart, he wishes he had a pup too.
"TaeTae?" She calls out, small hands wrapping around his neck to grab his attention, he hums.
"I love you." Taehyung's breath catches in his throat, slowly craning his neck to look at the little one once again busying herself in combing Taehyung's hair.
She whines a little when Taehyung abruptly scoops her up in his arms and makes her sit on his thighs, "Say that again, baby." Taehyung's voice bends down in a soft plea.
When he heard that roll off her tongue it felt as if his own daughter had said that to him.
It made a rush of happiness surge through him, Iseul tilts her head in confusion.
"I love you, TaeTae." She repeats, Taehyung lets out a shaky exhale, but before he could say anything further Iseul is already speaking.
"Appa taught me yester… yesterday. We say 'I love you' when we love someone."
Iseul says in one breath, cheeks tinting a light pink after stressing so much on her words and what she wanted to say.
Iseul crawls towards Taehyung's face, his hands caging her so she doesn't hurt herself as she stretches her little arms fully to cup Taehyung's face in her two small palms.
"You love me?" He finds himself asking, Iseul nods, enthusiastically, "I love you."
Taehyung wraps his arms around the little one, hugging her close to his chest, "I love you too, baby."
"Haemin, I won't be teaching tomorrow." Taehyung hands over Iseul's bag to the omega who immediately frowns at the male.
Obediently, Iseul walks towards her mother when Taehyung puts her down. He doesn't miss the way she's pouting at him.
Today Haemin came early to pick her, he should be happy for the pup but he doesn't feel like separating her from himself.
Haemin huffs, handing the school bag and Iseul both to the driver who walks the pup to the car, she turns to look at her teacher.
"Why?" She at last breathes out, voice showing her frustration, "I have an important meeting tomorrow with a fashion brand, I can't take
her with me."
Taehyung looks down at his fingers, "I was counting on you." He knows, she had told him two days in advance so that he can clear his schedule.
"I have an appointment."
"Isn't it abrupt?" Haemin resists the urge to roll her eyes with a snarl though Taehyung sees right through her. Knowing her for years has its own pros.
Taehyung breathes out through his nostrils, "Haemin last moment things can happen in my life too, it's not just you and if that bothers you
so much just find another teacher for Iseul."
Haemin shuts her eyes for a brief moment and when she opens them there is a soft smile on her face.
Fake.
Taehyung wants to call her out on that.
"She's gotten comfortable with you." More like, no one would be willing to play caretaker for Haemin which would lessen her chances of always being out. Taehyung zips up his lips.
"Okay, I'll manage for a day." Haemin finally says, waves her hand in Taehyung's direction.
Taehyung's eyes find Iseul through the car window, she brightly waves at him; he won't know what he will do if someday Haemin actually decides to change her tutor.
It's not only Iseul but Taehyung has grown a soft spot for the little pup too.
Waving one last time at the pup Taehyung takes a step back and closes the door, a sigh leaving his body that he has been trying to hold all this while.
~~~
The omega nervously bites on his lower lip while getting off the examination couch. Fingers fidgeting under the table sitting across the alpha.
His heart beats in a mix of horror and anticipation as the doctor writes something down on her notepad.
"Mr. Kim.."
Taehyung flinches a little, "Yeah?"
"You aren't pregnant." Taehyung feels the horror set beneath his ribcage slowly crawling its way up to his chest and throat.
He gulps.
"Is there any hope in the future?" This is the first time he has asked this. Never been brave enough to have someone verbally tell him if he's lucky enough to bear a pup or not.
The sigh that the alpha exhales makes a thick lump coil in his throat, it feels like a rock when she looks at him with sympathy in her eyes and he knows.
He knows what her next words will be but he still waits. Maybe the words will change after rolling off her tongue.
"I am sorry, Mr. Kim." She breathes out, lips pursing in a thin line, aware of the condition her patient might be going through, it's visible physically.
Taehyung's heart sinks. Tears blurring his vision and he blinks rapidly to get rid of them, still a small one rolls down his eyes and it's wiped away just as quickly.
The omega nods, trying to tug the corners of his lips upwards in an attempt of a smile.
"You can always adopt, Mr. Kim. There are pups waiting for a family and I know you and Mr. Hyunki would make great fathers."
She says and the timber of her voice feels like she's trying to put a small bandage on a wound he got from a sword.
He nods.
"Thankyou doctor."
With shaky legs he walks out of the hospital and it's only then he heaves out a breath.
Lump growing bigger in his throat that he tries his best to swallow down but a soft sob escapes his lips instead. He flops down on the nearest bench he finds in the small park nearby its mostly empty.
He knows.
He's known this for a couple of months now. His omega isn't strong enough to hold and nourish a pup.
He's had an inkling ever since the first time his alpha took him and decided to ignore it. But a few months ago his suspicions were confirmed.
It became a prominent fact of his life when one night Hyunki had yelled at him and stormed out of the room. He is frustrated but so is Taehyung.
Tears flow down his cheeks, his honeyed scent turning rotten and sour.
His chest feels heavy, quieting his sobs Taehyung grabs his phone from his pants pocket and dials the first number sitting on the call logs.
"Hel-"
"I'll call you back in an hour." With blown eyes Taehyung pulls away his phone, looking at the screen.
He hung up.
Pocketing his phone, Taehyung wipes his face free of tears and starts walking in the direction of his house.
After an hour Taehyung reaches his house, without doing anything he makes his way towards his bedroom, changes into comfy clothes and slips under the covers.
A million things going on in his head. Taehyung has always wanted to be a father, to be able to bear pups and bring one into this world.
His hopes have been brutally crushed and all that is left inside him is a lone omega and a broken heart.
Taehyung flips over to his husband's side and immediately scrunches his nose and moves away from Hyunki's pillow.
As absurd as it may sound, Taehyung has always avoided his alpha's scent. For a reason unknown, his scent makes him dizzy and not in a good way.
The overly sweet scent makes him nauseous. Maybe because his neck is still bare. Maybe because it isn't adorned by his alpha's mark even after three years of marriage.
Maybe because he has a husband, an alpha who knots him but not a mate who would look after him as well.
Someone might call him weird for hating his own husband's scent but truth to be told he has never found anyone's scent good enough to be on him.
Hyunki never left his scent on him and he's thankful.
Taehyung pulls the sheets over his chest, snuggles into the mattress, his cotton shirt riding up his waist in the process.
A groan slips past his lips when his phone rings on the bedside table. It's from the alpha.
"Hello?"
Taehyung lays on his back, eyes trained on the ceiling, he really should clean all the fans, they're starting to collect dust.
"What'd the doctor say?"
The omega frowns, a non humorous chuckle leaving him, "You aren't going to ask how I am doing?"
Hyunki huffs on the other side,"I don't have that much time. What'd she say? You can get pregnant now right?"
Obviously, he doesn't.
"I can't bear pups." Before Hyunki could make a comment, Taehyung is already interrupting him, urgency in his voice, "We can always adopt a p-"
"I want my own blood. My own pup." Taehyung's heart drops in the pit of his stomach at the low growl of his alpha.
He gulps, breath quickening.
"I can't get pregnant, Hyunki." He can't help but irritably raise his voice a little that resonates in the empty bedroom.
"Well then we're done here, Taehyung." He finalises.
Taehyung grips the phone tighter, "Where are you? When are you coming home?"
"I was there last night and I won't be home for next two or like three weeks. I am preparing to fly out."
Hyunki sighs. Taehyung stills. He didn't even tell him.
"You aren't even going to meet me before going?"
"Told you, I am busy." Taehyung hears some shuffling on the other side, he probably kept him on speaker to continue his work.
Taehyung bites hard on his lower lip, something burbling inside him; agony.
"What about my heat?" He ends up asking.
There's a low thud of papers being slammed, "Take care of it yourself. God, Taehyung, I am busy and I have no time to coddle you."
Beep.
Taehyung pulls the phone away, "You don't even remember my heat cycle. I took care of it already."
The phone slips out of his hold, fingers gripping the soft duvet as he tucks himself in it.
Tears slide down his eyes and once again he feels so pathetic for expecting something from his alpha.
He knew he didn't deserve love but now there's no happiness in his life too, no matter how hard he tries he ends up losing everything.
Taehyung doesn't know when sleep took over him and all he remembers is crying his heart out, muffling his sobs in the pillow before falling asleep.
~~~
Iseul hugs Pooh closer to her chest while getting her hair brushed in a loose braid by one of the maids, tears clinging to her eyelashes.
Haemin walks in the room with a broad smile sitting on her lips, "Oh my! You're ready baby?"
Iseul's pout grows, the maid wipes her eyes and cheeks free of tears before applying the baby lotion.
"Eomma.." she cries out, Haemin turns around with raised eyebrows, flicking away the professionally straightened hair out of her face, "Yeah?"
"No tuition today." Her face crumples, small fingers digging in her Pooh plushie, the maid once dressing the little one up and packing her bag leaves the room after bowing to Haemin.
"That's not how it's going to work, little one. We are going to tuition."
Iseul knows better to not say no to her mother. Haemin raises a fine brow at her, the smile slowly slipping off.
Choking on a sob she nods and the omega smiles, grabbing her hand she walks outside the mansion not noticing how the little girl is crying.
The doorbell rings, Taehyung groans under his blanket. He's not strong enough for anything today. It rings again.
Taehyung stands up. He'll have to send Iseul back today.
Running a hand in his disheveled hair he pads towards the door, shirt hanging loosely over his torso, baggy sweatpants covering the heels of his feet as he walks.
Haemin's over excited voice greets him. He cringes as his head throbs with a migraine.
Iseul quietly clings to Taehyung's leg and if he wanted to send her back today he can't find it in himself to do that now.
Haemin hands over a duffle bag to Taehyung and he frowns at her, "Please look after her today? I have this really important meeting and I won't be home till night. There's all the stuff she'll need in here."
Taehyung's mouth falls open, aware of the little pup still clinging to his leg, unmoving.
"Haemin," Taehyung weakly curls his fingers around the strap of the duffle bag, "You know that I am not a caretaker right?"
Haemin tilts her head, playfully side-eyeing Taehyung, "Can't you do this much for your ex-benchmate?"
"It was years ago, Haemin."
Haemin smiles widely at him nonetheless, Taehyung's fingers pats Iseul's head who is still standing in the same spot, he can feel her toying with the fabric of his sweatpants.
The omega starts to close the door but stops when Haemin suddenly turns around,
"Ah I almost forgot. Today her father will be here to pick her up once he is done with his office work." Taehyung nods.
As if that'd make any difference. At the end of the day, it's clear as glass that the two don't give a flying fuck about their daughter.
Bolting the door Taehyung crouches down to pick Iseul up in his arms, the pup rests her face on Taehyung's shoulder, arms wrapping around his neck.
Sitting the little one on the couch, Taehyung grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
"No study." Iseul says once Taehyung sits down beside her.
Though Taehyung wasn't planning to teach her today, he still is taken aback a little because she never says no to studying and learning.
He smiles, hand petting her head gently, "Okay baby."
Lips jutting in a pout, Iseul crawls in Taehyung's lap, rests her cheek over Taehyung's chest, his hands instinctively holding her securely.
Something is surely not right.
Taehyung too leans his head back on the crest of the couch, hands patting Iseul's back in a rhythm that might make the little one sleepy.
Crying the whole night really exhausted him and gave him a headache. He doesn't know what he should be doing.
It feels like he hasn't lived a day once Hyunki and him tied the knot.
Only if his parents had been thoughtful enough before marrying him to literally anyone just for some money.
It feels like they sold him just so Hyunki could save their drowning business.
Taehyung scoffs.
Iseul jerks back in Taehyung's hold, he sits straight, eyes wide.
She crawls up and throws her little arms around Taehyung's neck, burying her face there and that's when he feels it.
Her skin is burning.
Taehyung's heart misses a beat.
"Iseul?" No response, not even a hum. He gulps, "Baby, are you okay?"
Taehyung tries to pull her back but the little one only tightens her hold around him, little sniffles leaving her body like breath.
In no time Taehyung feels the fabric of his shirt soaking around the neck, he doesn't know what he should be doing. He doesn't know how he should tend to the little girl.
His own throat clogging up with sobs that he tries to suppress.
Taehyung finds himself in a cab heading to the hospital and Iseul clinging to his chest like a koala.
His head securely placed behind her little head while she looked out of the window.
The omega feels the little girl shift in his hold. Iseul looks up, a hand placed over her throat, “Hurt.” She chokes, Taehyung wants to shred those to pieces who dare call themselves her parents. They can’t look after a pup for heaven’s sake.
Taehyung hugs her close, resting her face in the crook of his neck, his omega subconsciously releasing calming pheromones which seem to put the pup to sleep as he soon hears soft snores.
He feels restless, it’s the third time the beta driver has ogled at him through the rearview mirror while driving. Being on an edge Taehyung snaps,
“What?” Voice laced with irritation and malice prompts the driver to quickly avert his eyes and shake his head sharply.
“Are you a single father?” The driver questions which doesn’t help Taehyung calm down one bit.
“How does it concern you?”
The driver once again shakes his head, “Nothing.”
He mumbles and the rest of the car ride is quiet; if we overlook the noise within Taehyung then it was really quiet.
“Where will I find a pediatrician?” Taehyung asks the nurse at the main reception of the hospital. Iseul is still soundly asleep in his arms, skin not as hot as it was an hour ago.
“Floor number 5, ask at the reception there.” Taehyung bows and mumbles a small thank you and rushes towards the elevator.
Stench of medicine filling his nostrils as the elevator door opens but it’s already full. With an urgency he pressed the buttons for another and that one too was full of patients, different scents hitting his nostrils making him scrunch up his nose in disgust.
He knows waiting for the elevator here is stupid because even if he steps into one he'll come out feeling dizzy and nauseous and he can't afford to fall sick right now.
The omega rushes towards the flight of stairs, climbing two steps at a time. By the time he reaches 5th floor he's out of breath and sweaty, Iseul awake in his arms.
She buries her face back in Taehyung's neck, scrunching her little button nose at the mixed stench of medicines and scents, but calms down when Taehyung's honeyed scent engulfs her.
"Where will I find a pediatrician, please?" The male looks up at him and then with his pen points behind him, "Go that way. Down the 4th hallway. Room 35."
Taehyung bows, sheen of sweat forming in his hairline as a drop trickles down over his eyebrow.
"4th hallway, room 35."
Taehyung mumbles to himself, looking at the huge 1 pasted on the wall in bright red to attract attention.
Passing the first hallway he looks for the sign and then the second one and walks down that way.
Securing Iseul in his arms, a shriek makes it past his lips when he feels someone grip his elbow and pull him to the side.
"What are you doing here, Taehyung? And whose pup is this?"
The omega breathes out a breath of relief at seeing who it is.
"Dr. Kim, she's one of my students' and she's sick. I need to visit a paediatrician." Saying he's already stepping back but the doctor pulls him back to himself.
"Come inside." The tall alpha, clad in navy blue shirt tucked inside black pants steps away to let Taehyung in.
"Doctor.."
"Just get in. I'll help you." And he knows he can trust the alpha.
Taehyung tries to make Iseul sit on the examination stool but the little one tightens her grip around Taehyung, "No TaeTae." She softly mewls.
The older alpha places his palm over her forehead, "I don't think she has a fever now."
He says and then looks at Taehyung, eyes softening, "My husband will be here shortly. Just wait."
Taehyung opens his mouth to say something but the doctor is already interrupting, "Yes, he's the pediatrician you were going to see. It's his lunch break actually."
"Oh.. I'm sorry to have disturbed you." Seokjin shakes his head, "It's our job, Taehyung." Taehyung breaths out, slumping back in the chair, Iseul finally turning around to look at the doctor.
"You know TaeTae?" She cutely asks and the alpha melts in his chair, eyes finding Taehyung and then back at the little one.
He nods, "I do know him. How do you, a little pretty girl know him?"
Isuel now completely turns around in Taehyung's lap, his arms securely placed on her sides, "I am not little."
That prompts a chuckle from Taehyung as he watches the doctor's face scrunch in surprise, he smiles widely, placing a hand over his chest, "Oh my. Please accept my sincere apology, young woman."
They didn't have to wait for long when an omega steps inside Dr. Kim's cabin. Doctor's coat hanging off his arm, strides tired as he yawns.
"Joonie~" The alpha calls out and that's when the omega notices another presence in the cabin.
Taehyung pats her chest softly, wrapping her in the blanket as she soundly sleeps.
Not being covered properly at night might have been the reason for the fever, the doctor told him.
They gave her medicine there so she feels a little better and maybe that's why she is finally snoring peacefully instead of shuffling around in her sleep.
Surrounding her little body with fluffy comforters, Taehyung pads towards the kitchen, his thighs burning at every step he takes.
He hisses when he stretches out his arm to open the upper cabinet of the kitchen and his muscles painfully flexes.
Running while carrying the pup is making its effects known in his body but he can't bring himself to care, at least Iseul is fine now.
The doctor asked him to feed her liquid food until she recovers fully; so soup it is.
"There's no ache now?" Namjoon had asked the pup and she just shook her head. The doctor looks back up at the omega.
"It might be because of your pheromones. Your omega noticed and released calming pheromones rich with healing essence." Taehyung gapes, "But.. that's something only her biological parents can do."
"I know, Taehyung, but your omega is familiar with the pup. He is attached to her and this is also the reason why the biological parents can do this. Their wolves recognize the pups hence creating a bond with their growing pup."
Namjoon's smile is warm, "Why else do you think her fever went down without any medication?"
Taehyung sharply inhales through his nose, "Your omega recognises the pup as his own."
The omega squeezes his eyes shut when Dr. Kim's words resonate against the walls of his brain, the grip around the spatula tightening, he continues to stir the soup.
"No. You cannot. S-she is not your pup." Taehyung growls lowly at the wolf, eyes burning.
He switches the stove off and covers the pot with a lid.
Throat constricting the omega walks towards the basin to wash his hands.
The cold water hits his skin and he breathes out, doing nothing as he stands there, hands under the flowing water and his mind wheels.
He doesn't know when and how his omega had started recognising someone else's pup as his own but this is not something he can afford happening in his life.
Knowing Haemin, she won't always send Iseul to Taehyung, someday she'll find another teacher as her pup will grow up and enter higher grades. What will his omega do then?
He flinches at the sudden sound of the doorbell. Quickly turning off the faucet, Taehyung wipes his hands with the towel kept on the countertop.
Hisses when the doorbell keeps ringing.
Agitated, Taehyung pats his hands over his sweatpants, free of any remenants of wetness, eyebrows creasing at the sound resonating in his empty apartment.
Buzzz…
"Jesus Christ!" Taehyung throws the door open, lips curling in a snarl and eyes turning into slits.
On the other side stood a man Taehyung has never seen and it agitates him more.
He opens his mouth to say something but Taehyung opens the door further, teeth gnashing together levelling up the male with his gaze,
"I can hear very well the first time. No need to ring the bell as if you're going berserk. The pup will wake up."
Taehyung spits, the man's mouth falls open for a split second before he straightens his back and glares at the omega standing in front of him.
"I am Jeon Jeongguk, Jeon Iseul's father. Please send her." Taehyung's being falters, snarl slipping away and he once again looks at the alpha from head to toe.
He steps back a little, a tiny bubble of guilt popping inside his chest. He didn't want to snap at anyone.
"She's sleeping, you'll have to wait."
Taehyung says softly this time, the alpha's glare hardens.
"She's sleeping in your room?"
Taehyung can hear the underlying disapproval in the alpha's tone and the anger he was trying to quieten, burbles up in the pit of his stomach, "No where else? She had a fever and I had to take her to the hospital. Poor little pup was struggling so much."
Taehyung completely steps back to walk to his room, not expecting the alpha to follow him as well and that kind of makes him want to chastise him and ask him to wait in the living but decides against it. He has already yelled enough at a stranger.
"What?" The alpha's feet falter at the newfound information.
He halts by the doorway of the room as Taehyung walks to the bed and sits beside the pup who was sleeping so peacefully, huddled up with so many comforters.
A soft smile stretches on Taehyung's lips, his fingers gently running in Iseul's hair, the pup in her sleep scoots closer to Taehyung, snuggling up into his palm.
"Baby..?"
He calls out softly, for a brief second forgetting there's her father waiting by the door for his pup. Iseul throws an arm over Taehyung's thigh, cuddling.
"Baby, wake up."
She peels an eye open, Taehyung suppresses the urge to cradle her in his arms and let her sleep all she wants, "No.."
"Iseul, appa is here." She curls into Taehyung, hides her face in the soft blanket that is too big for her little body, "No."
It's firm and finalised; Taehyung helplessly looks behind him, at the alpha still standing by the door, eyebrows raised, their eyes met.
Jeongguk looks at Taehyung with raised eyebrows and eyes getting round and for a moment it feels like Taehyung is looking at Iseul, he nods, quickly averting his eyes back to the pup.
Jeongguk then pads his way to the other side of the bed and crouches down, deeming it unethical to sit on someone else's bed, "Princess..." he calls out, Taehyung's thumb gently runs over Iseul's little palm he had in his hand.
It only takes that much for Iseul to turn around and quickly crawl towards her father, mumbling a soft and whiny, "appa" in his neck as he picks her up.
Taehyung balls his empty hand and stands up straight by the bed, ignoring the pang he feels in his chest and the way the bed he
prepared for the pup is empty now.
This is what he was fearing.
Meanwhile Jeongguk collects Iseul's bags, Taehyung quickly pours the soup in a container and packs it.
The alpha is about to step out when Taehyung calls out, "Mr. Jeon!" Jeongguk turns around with raised eyebrows, Iseul already falling asleep on his shoulder.
The omega stretches out the food container in front of him, "I cooked soup for her. The doctor prescribed her these medications," he points at the carry bag below the container, "and she ought to only have liquid food until her throat ache completely goes away."
Jeongguk hesitatingly holds the container and the carry bag, "Contact me if you get confused with the medicines and the quantity, Haemin has my number. Just don't mess up her medication it might… affect her health."
Jeongguk nods, doesn't know what else to say so he just nods his head at the omega.
The alpha subconsciously steps back when Taehyung takes a step closer and just like he does every time, he leans in to press a soft kiss on the pup's forehead that stirs her awake.
She beams, "Bye bye TaeTae~" her voice is woven with sleep, he cracks a small smile, not noticing how the alpha has gone rigid beside him.
"Bye baby." Taehyung pats her head gently and steps back, Jeongguk breathes out, getting a whiff of the omega's scent that causes a weird and faint clawing at his chest.
His arm comes up to rest behind the pup’s head and the CEO bows to the omega, he returns the gesture and looks at Jeongguk with calculating eyes.
Jeongguk waits, he doesn’t know what he is waiting for but he does.
Taehyung bites onto his lower lip, gaze bouncing between Iseul and Jeongguk.
The alpha clad in his work suit tilts his head, eyes unmoving from the omega’s scrunched up face.
Taehyung breathed out through his nose, “Is she… adopted?” He ends up asking and immediately bites down hard onto his tongue.
That was harsh.
Jeongguk’s eyes widened, mouth falling open, the hand that came up to the pup’s back tightening as he subconsciously pulled the little one flush into him, “No! She’s mine.”
Taehyung rapidly nods, not knowing what else to say.
“She’s not adopted, I am her biological father. She’s my daughter.” The panic rises in the alpha’s tone and Taehyung feels bad for even voicing it out.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jeon.”
He bows apologetically, Jeongguk just shakes his and steps out of the door.
Taehyung closes it behind him, cursing himself for speaking something so out of the line.
“Are you hungry, baby?” Iseul rubs her eyes, while Jeongguk changes her into her nightwear, she nods as a yawn slips past.
Jeongguk chuckles and once the pup is dressed for the bed he makes his way towards the open kitchen where he left the container Taehyung gave him.
As asked, Iseul’s soup was ready to be served, the kitchen maid placed a small spoon in the tray, was about to pick it up when Jeongguk shook his head and took the tray himself, walking back to his room.
The click from the front door makes his feet halt and turn around, his jaw clenches when he sees Haemin stumble inside from another one of her crazy rendezvous.
She doesn’t look drunk tonight which is a first in many weeks. Jeongguk breathes out the anger through his nostrils- he has a pup to put to bed right now. The alpha closes the door behind him, ignoring the calls from the living room. Iseul was sitting upright on Jeongguk’s bed, Pooh clutched in her arms as she talked about god knows what.
Jeongguk carefully places the tray on the bedside table and sits across the little pup before holding the bowl in his hand.
“Appa, what is this?” Iseul questions, eyes intently trying to peek inside her Pooh feeding bowl with a matching red and mustard spoon that she loved so much. Jeongguk slowly stirs the soup before answering and lowering the container to let the pup see, “Tomato soup.”
Jeongguk’s own shimmer when he sees Iseul getting excited to have the soup. He blows on it before feeding the pup who does her little happy wiggle after having the first taste.
“TaeTae has soup too.” Iseul says and Jeongguk halts for a second.
Presuming the said TaeTae to be the tuition person he met a while ago, he asks, “He does?” Iseul gives him a big nod as if she’s all knowing.
“Before sleeping with Pooh, TaeTae said I will get soup,” Iseul slurps the rest of it. Most of the time she eats her food herself, but tonight neither did she fight over eating herself nor did Jeongguk want to let her eat on her own.
“What else did TaeTae tell you?”
Jeongguk keeps the empty bowl and tray aside on the bedside table. Stands up and walks towards the bathroom to get a wash towel to wipe her mouth with before she falls back on the pillow with Jeonnguk beside her. Iseul holds the plushie to her chest, Jeongguk curls an arm under her head and cradles her in his arms, “TaeTae love me,” Iseul repeats Taehyung’s words from earlier when she was about to fall asleep.
Jeongguk’s fingers brush away the bangs from her forehead. Her little fingers getting attracted to the sleek silver chain around Jeongguk’s neck, “My princess got a fever today? Why didn’t you tell eomma? We could’ve skipped tuition for today, hmm?”
Iseul’s lips turn down at that and it surely isn’t missed by Jeongguk, “Eomma said we have to go to tuition.” Jeongguk feels ugly swirls in his belly, jaw clenching.
“Eomma said that? She didn’t give you medicine?” Iseul shakes her head innocently, “I am a bad girl if I say no to Eomma.” Jeongguk feels like he’ll snap in two with how he’s resisting the urge to barge in Haemin’s bedroom right now and demand answers. He doesn’t want Iseul to be the witness. He doesn’t want Iseul to see just how ugly some relationships can be when she is at an age to absorb everything like a sponge.
“We’ll brush our teeth and then sleep. Okay?” Iseul looks up at her father, “In my room?” Jeongguk leans down to place a soft peck on her temple, “No~” his voice is soft, “we’ll sleep in appa’s room today.”
It’s contagious how the pup gets excited over littlest of things. Jeongguk pats her chest in slow rhythmic motion lulling the pup to sleep. The pup had the omega’s scent on her which made that weird swirl in his chest heighten.
He recognized it the moment he crouched down to wake her up in Taehyung’s house. Jeongguk made sure to scent his pup, to remove that honey scent from her and engulf her little body in his sandalwood scent.
Once the pup was fast asleep and snoring peacefully while her face was stuffed in her Pooh plushie, Jeongguk leaned down to peck her cheek and cover her up properly before climbing out of the bed. He keeps the fairy lights on, not wanting for the pup to wake up because of the dark and softly closes the door behind him.
The CEO runs a hand through his raven locks, walking towards the room he didn’t even face for a whole month. Jeongguk steps inside after rapping his finger on the wooden door, closing it behind him. Haemin turns around with a raised eyebrows, her face marred with surprise as she puts down her face cream on the dresser.
“I knew you won’t be able to take the distance. Surprised you kept your guards up for a whole month.” The omega turns back to the mirror and with slow hand movements applies the night cream gently over her flawless face.
Park Haemin. A beautifully gracious model, in high demand of the fashion brands because of her bewitching beauty or so those headlines always say.
Haemin had big, round eyes, eyelashes so long that they would fan under her eyes when she closed them. Her nose was small just like Iseul, but Iseul resembled Jeongguk a lot. The model had plump lips. She was beautiful altogether.
Haemin ties her black robe before walking towards Jeongguk who hadn’t said a word since he stepped inside her bedroom, he kept staring,
“Having a lonely night?” Haemin seductively whispers in his ear that seems to bring him back from wherever his mind had wandered to.
The alpha matches her eyes, she was just a few inches shorter than Jeongguk, the difference wasn’t really noticeable. Haemin brings a hand up to brush Jeongguk’s bangs away from his forehead and Jeongguk moves his head away. There are a million things going on in Jeongguk’s head right now, Haemin’s hand comes down to rest over his chest while looking into Jeongguk’s eyes, Jeongguk exhales,
“Iseul had a fever today. Didn’t you know? He starts calmly, not wanting to make a scene by yelling. Haemin’s hand drops from his chest as she takes a step back, a scowl making its way on her lips,
“She didn’t tell me.”
“She did. She did ask you if she could stay home. She’s a kid, of course she wouldn’t tell you with specific words.” Haemin’s eyebrows knit together, Jeongguk can’t mask away the worry for his pup.
“So this is why you are here? To lecture me about her upbringing and shit like that?” Jeongguk takes a step forward, “I’m not have to lecture you Haemin, I’m here to talk. I know you’re busy but don’t be so busy that you have to neglect your pup.”
“I don’t have time to even breathe Jeongguk, trust me. If it bothers you so much, why don’t you look after her?” The alpha knows it’s stupid to argue with her right now, he nods.
“Fine. You don’t have to pick her up from school, I’ll do that. Stay busy, Haemin but do not complain when Iseul grows up to hate you or not be attached to you because you brought that upon yourself.” His voice is dangerously low but that doesn’t budge the omega even a little, she just huffs, her scent turning sour.
“Get out, Jeongguk. I have to sleep. I’ve had a long day. Step out of my room, please.” The model heads towards her queen sized bed, her back facing Jeongguk.
The alpha immediately takes several steps back until he feels the cold doorknob under his palm, “Sure. Hope you sleep well, Haemin.”