章 19: I want to eat pancakes

Before he could piece everything together, the door creaked open. Yeongsoo stepped inside, his sharp eyes immediately locking onto Haeun. There was a brief moment of silence, tension thick in the air as Haeun struggled to find his voice.

"You're awake," Yeongsoo said, his voice calm but holding an edge of something unreadable. He walked closer, carrying a glass of water, placing it gently on the bedside table. "You passed out in the store. I brought you back here. How are you feeling?."

Haeun's eyes widened slightly, his heart pounding in his chest. "Why… why didn't you take me to the hospital?" His voice came out hoarse, betraying his unease.

Yeongsoo sat on the edge of the bed, his expression unreadable. "The hospital would have asked too many questions. Besides, you're not hurt—just overwhelmed. You're safe here."

Safe.

That word echoed in Haeun's mind, but he wasn't sure he believed it. He wasn't safe—not with the way his body reacted to Yeongsoo's presence, to his pheromones. Even now, lying here, he could feel it—the calm, steady warmth of Yeongsoo's scent, keeping him grounded but making him painfully aware of their connection.

Haeun shifted uncomfortably, his hand instinctively moving to his abdomen, and Yeongsoo's gaze followed the movement.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was unbearable, tension crackling in the air between them.

"I… I didn't ask for your help," Haeun finally managed, though the words sounded weaker than he intended.

Yeongsoo's eyes darkened, and he leaned in slightly, his voice low and dangerous. "You didn't need to ask. You're carrying my child, Haeun. I'm not going to just stand by and do nothing."

Haeun's breath caught in his throat. There it was—the truth hanging between them. He had tried to avoid it, to ignore the inevitable, but now it was right in front of him. And there was no escaping it.

"What child? I don't want your help," Haeun whispered, though even he knew it was a lie. His pride fought against the truth, but deep down, he knew he couldn't do this alone.

Yeongsoo watched Haeun carefully, his intense gaze softening just slightly as he spoke, "Haeun, I let you run away and hide for a month, but until the child is born, you'll have to stay by my side. I promise I'll take good care of you and keep you and the baby safe. You don't need to hide from me… at least think of the baby."

Haeun blinked up at him, then, in a voice barely above a mumble, said, "I want to eat pancakes."

For a moment, Yeongsoo just stared at him, caught off guard. "…"

"What?" Haeun's brow furrowed slightly as he raised his hand to rub his temple. "You're talking too much. Me and your baby need pancakes."

Yeongsoo shook his head in disbelief, the tension in the room breaking as a soft laugh escaped his lips. "Alright, I'll make some pancakes for you."

As he stood and moved toward the kitchen, Haeun watched him go, feeling a strange mixture of relief and exasperation. Maybe, just maybe, things would be okay for now—even if only for the sake of their child.

"You're not going to ask me how I found out?"

Yeongsoo asked as he poured the pancake mix into a bowl and then cracking two eggs into another bowl.

"Found out about what? The child? Nope, cause I know you used some shady method. Humph!"

".."

Yeongsoo chuckled as he shook his head, adding milk to the mix.

"I didn't even get the chance to do that, he kept muttering, Yeongsoo…the baby, my baby..in your sleep. Then I just called this Dr. Choi you're were murmuring about to confirm it.."

Haeun's face flushed a deep red as he heard Yeongsoo's explanation. He pulled the blanket up slightly to cover part of his face, muttering under his breath, "I said that?"

"Loud and clear," Yeongsoo teased as he whisked the pancake mix, the sound of the bowl scraping filling the air. "You're quite the sleep talker, Haeun."

Haeun groaned, sinking further into the bed, feeling both embarrassed and irritated. He hadn't even wanted to admit it to himself, let alone blurt it out in his sleep. Of course, this was how Yeongsoo found out—it couldn't be anything less humiliating.

"You could've just pretended you didn't hear," Haeun grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he watched Yeongsoo move about the kitchen with surprising ease. It was strange seeing him like this, so casual and… domestic.

"I could've," Yeongsoo replied with a smirk, flipping the first pancake. "But where's the fun in that?"

Haeun sighed, shifting slightly as he rested a hand on his abdomen again, feeling the quiet flutter of life inside him. As much as he wanted to be stubborn and push Yeongsoo away, the truth was undeniable. They were tied together now, whether he liked it or not.

Silence settled between them again, only broken by the occasional clatter of dishes and the sizzling of the pancakes in the pan. Haeun watched Yeongsoo from the corner of his eye, still trying to process everything—his feelings, the pregnancy, and what the future held for them.

When Yeongsoo finally plated the pancakes and brought them over, setting the plate in front of Haeun with a small smile, there was a strange sense of normalcy to it. Like this was something they could get used to, something that wasn't completely out of reach.

"Eat up," Yeongsoo said, taking a seat across from him at the small table. "You need to keep your strength up."

Haeun eyed the stack of pancakes, steam rising off them, and hesitated before picking up the fork. "Don't think this changes anything," he muttered, though his tone lacked the bite it usually held.

Yeongsoo chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. "We'll see."

"We can talk while you eat," Yeongsoo said, his voice steady but with a hint of something deeper behind it.

Haeun frowned, poking at the pancakes on his plate. He wasn't in the mood to talk, not about serious things at least. But with the way Yeongsoo was looking at him, he knew there was no avoiding it.

"What is there to talk about?" Haeun mumbled, shoving a small piece of pancake into his mouth.

"The future," Yeongsoo replied calmly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Our child, where you'll stay, how we'll handle this… together."

Haeun's grip tightened on his fork. "Together? You really think we're going to be one big happy family now?" He forced a laugh, though it came out bitter. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm suddenly okay with all of this."

Yeongsoo remained quiet, his eyes fixed on Haeun as if waiting for him to say more.

"I don't even know what this is," Haeun continued, his frustration growing. "We barely even tolerate each other. I'm supposed to trust you just because—" He cut himself off, his hand resting on his abdomen again, as if to remind himself of the delicate life inside.

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