HANEUL stared up at Taeyang through hazy eyes. His mind was too foggy to catch most of what the other was saying. All he knew was that Taeyang was here now. And that meant the ache inside him would finally ease. Just having him close, breathing in his scent, already made him feel better than he had since this whole nightmare started.
Taeyang watched as a small, sweet smile spread across Haneul’s face. Even though it was weak, Haneul’s hand tightened around his. At that moment, all Taeyang wanted to do was pull him close and hold him. But he held back. He knew the doctor would step in if he tried anything more than what he was there for. And Haneul’s mother was watching too. So he pushed down everything he wanted to do. Every urge, every instinct. He locked it away and focused on what he was supposed to do.
He slid his hands carefully under Haneul’s arms and lifted him, slow and steady, until the other was sitting upright. Haneul’s head dropped forward, his body too weak to hold itself up. Taeyang kept a firm but careful grip on him, making sure Haneul’s back was pressed securely against his chest for support. Then his gaze fell to the exposed curve of his neck.
Taeyang’s eyes traced the line where Haneul’s neck met his shoulder. The skin there was flushed, warm, and slightly damp with sweat. Beneath the surface, a faint, steady pulse beat against his skin. He could see the slight sheen of moisture, and the way Haneul’s collarbone rose and fell with each shallow breath. It was bare and vulnerable, open to him. He swallowed hard and forced himself to focus. This was to help Haneul, nothing more. He couldn’t let himself think past that.
He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then opened them again. This time, there was nothing but resolve in his gaze. He lowered his head slowly, aiming for the gland at the back of Haneul’s neck. But as he closed in, he couldn’t stop himself from pressing his nose there first. Just for a second. And then he breathed him in.
The scent hit him. A deep, warm sweetness that filled his lungs and settled low in his chest and somewhere even lower. It was caramel but layered with something softer underneath. He could smell the heat radiating off Haneul’s skin, the salt of his sweat mixing with that sweetness. His mouth watered. His jaw tightened. His hands gripped Haneul’s shoulders a little harder than he meant to. The urge to bite down, to sink his teeth into that spot, was overwhelming. His whole body tensed with it.
Taeyang gritted his teeth, forcing himself to hold onto what little control he had left. But it was so damn hard. He needed to be clearheaded when he bit down on Haneul’s gland. If he weren’t, he might do more than just mark him. The suppressants they’d pumped into him should have kept him steady. But the leash he’d put on himself was fraying, and he could feel it snapping strand by strand. What the hell kind of cheap suppressants did they give him? They were barely doing a damn thing.
With trembling hands gripping Haneul’s shoulders, he clawed back a sliver of control. Then he bit down. His canines elongated, piercing the soft skin of Haneul’s neck with a sharp, instinctive precision. A low sound rumbled from his throat, caught between a growl and something deeper. He let his canines stay locked in place, releasing his pheromones directly into Haneul’s gland, letting them flood the mark.
The first thing Haneul felt was the sharp sting of teeth sinking into the back of his neck. It made his whole body go rigid for a second before the pain faded into a spreading warmth that travelled down his spine and settled low in his body. His muscles loosened, and a wave of heat curled through him, pulling a quiet sound from his throat.
Then something else flooded into him through the bite. It was thick and warm, spreading through him like liquid heat. The ache inside him sharpened, pushing a needy pulse through his core. He leaned back into Taeyang’s chest, instinctively seeking his warmth. The space between his legs felt tight, and he squeezed his thighs together, trying to ease the pressure building there. A low, wanting sound slipped out of him as his hips shifted restlessly. He needed more. He needed Taeyang.
"M-More..." Haneul gasped, his voice breaking. "P-Please, Taeyang. I-I need more."
He arched his body, seeking more contact, more friction, anything to ease the pressure building inside him. He wanted Taeyang’s hands on him. He wanted them to slide down his chest, to press against his stomach, to go lower. But Taeyang wasn’t moving, wasn’t touching him beyond where their bodies met. A frustrated sound caught in Haneul’s throat, and he pushed closer, his back pressing harder against Taeyang, wordlessly pleading for more.
Taeyang’s breath hitched as Haneul pressed back against him. A low moan vibrated from his throat, muffled by the bite still locked on Haneul’s neck. His body was on fire. The taste of Haneul’s skin, the scent flooding through him, and the way Haneul kept pushing closer -- it was all too much. Heat pooled low in his gut, and he felt himself harden against the curve of Haneul’s back.
His hands, still gripping Haneul’s shoulders, trembled with the effort of staying still. He wanted to move them. He wanted to slide them down Haneul’s chest, feel the heat of his skin, and pull him tighter. But he stopped himself, instead he bit down harder, grounding himself through the contact.
"I think that’s enough now, Jung Taeyang-ssi."
Taeyang heard the doctor’s voice somewhere in the distance, but the words didn’t fully register. All he knew was that he didn’t want to stop. He wanted to stay like this, connected to Haneul, breathing him in. Then he felt a firm tap on his shoulder.
"Jung Taeyang-ssi, you can stop now."
The tap on his shoulder snapped him back just enough. And with what seemed to be the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his life, he wrenched his teeth away from Haneul’s nape.