3 Paths to Love

Chapter 61

Myungsuk padded into the kitchen, as Seunghyeon poured water into three mugs. He paused in the door frame as Seunghyeon glanced up.

"Where's Insoo?" Seunghyeon asked.

"He fell asleep after his bath."

"Oh," Seunghyeon said. He pushed the unfilled mug to the side and set the kettle down.

"Where's Kwangsun?" 

"He's asleep too." Seunghyeon picked up the two mugs and held one out to him.

Myungsuk took the mug, sighing heavily at the warmth against his fingers. He took a sip of the chamomile tea. "Aren't you tired too?"

Seunghyeon shook his head, staring into his mug. "Can't sleep." He glanced up at Myungsuk. "Aren't you? You walked like ten kilometres."

"Am I tired?" Myungsuk shrugged. "I can't sleep either."

"Right..."

The two of them stood in silence, occasionally sipping their tea.

"I'm sorry," Seunghyeon muttered.

"Hm?" Myungsuk blinked and tilted his head. "What was that?"

Seunghyeon sighed and leaned back against the counter, cradling his mug. "I'm sorry I thought Insoo was a bad guy. And I'm sorry we broke you guys up."

Myungsuk gnawed his bottom lip and frowned. He padded over and stood next to him, their shoulders brushing. "It's okay. Daehyun-hyung reminded me that you two have always been protective. Although"–Myungsuk furrowed his brows–"I still don't understand what Bu Jaejin has to do with this? Even Insoo's dad brought him up."

Seunghyeon raised his eyebrows. "He did?"

Myungsuk nodded.

"Damn, news travels fast," Seunghyeon sighed. "Well, it's like this..." Seunghyeon explained the entire situation. Jaejin and Hyunwoo's unstable marriage. Eunae the shop girl. Hyunwoo also comes from an alpha-only family. What Hyunwoo told Taeyong before the baby shower. How his family treated Jaejin after.

Myungsuk wiped his eyes with his sleeve and shook his head, leaning against Seunghyeon. "I see," he muttered.

Seunghyeon wrapped his arm around his shoulder and nuzzled the top of his head. "All the pieces were so similar on the surface, that we freaked out. And when Taeyong-hyung found your collar, we thought Insoo lied about being nice and was like Hyunwoo."

Myungsuk nodded and let out a heavy sigh. A part of him wished the coiling anger in his stomach didn't loosen when Seunghyeon explained how they saw things. But a bigger part of him knew the timing was too coincidental, too fresh in everyone's mind not to spill the emotions of one situation into the other.

"Can we sit down?" Myungsuk asked as he pulled away. Seunghyeon nodded. He led Seunghyeon to the dark living room and settled on the couch. Seunghyeon lit up the fireplace and wrapped a blanket around them.

Myungsuk shifted closer and held his mug to his chest. "Can we call Hyung?"

"Yeah, we can." Seunghyeon pulled out his phone and dialled Taeyong, holding it out for both of their faces.

The video picked up to an equally dark room with Taeyong's face lit by a distant light. "Hello?" Taeyong crocked out.

Myungsuk tilted his head. "Hyung?"

Taeyong gasped. "Myungsuk?" He sat up and with a groan, he switched on the light beside him. Taeyong's eyes were swollen and his face was blotchy. Myungsuk pouted at the way Taeyong's bangs stuck to his forehead.

"Did we wake you?" Myungsuk asked.

"No, I can't sleep." Taeyong groaned as he shifted to lay back down, resting his phone beside him. Myungsuk spotted Daehyun's silhouette, he remained asleep in the plush armchair beside him. "I wake up with every contraction."

"They didn't give you that thing?" Seunghyeon asked, waving his hand. "The pain thing."

"Epidural?" Myungsuk asked.

Seunghyeon snapped his fingers. "Yeah, that."

Taeyong sighed. "It might slow the baby's progress even more. Plus, I don't want to be completely numb down there." Myungsuk and Seunghyeon scrunched their noses and Taeyong rolled his eyes. "Exactly."

Myungsuk smiled softly and rested his head on Seunghyeon's shoulder. "Hyung," Myungsuk started. "Seunghyeon-hyung told me why you guys did it."

Taeyong's smile dropped and he gulped. "I'm sorry, Myungsuk. I shouldn't have gone behind your back."

Myungsuk nuzzled Seunghyeon's arm before turning to the screen. "I accept your apologies. But"–Myungsuk held up a finger–"Don't ever do this again."

Seunghyeon and Taeyong grinned and Seunghyeon kissed his head. "Promise," they said.

Myungsuk nodded curtly. "And don't ever be mean to Insoo again. Even if you were right about his dad."

Taeyong sighed and nodded. "I know, I know." Taeyong squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. "I wish I wasn't right. But how could someone throw out their own child like that?"

Seunghyeon shrugged. "I have no clue," he said and gritted his teeth. "I want to punch him so bad."

"Right?" Taeyong scoffed. "Next time I see him–"

"Hey." Myungsuk pouted at them. "No more fighting. Got it?"

Seunghyeon and Taeyong glanced at each other and nodded.

Myungsuk sighed, smiling softly. "Good."

They moved on to other, lighter conversations. Mainly Seunghyeon and Taeyong talked with hushed voices as Myungsuk's gaze trailed off. With the cozy fire flickering and his mind settling, Myungsuk yawned, his eyes drooping, purring at Seunghyeon scratched the top of his head.

"Seunghyeon?" Taeyong whispered after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry for lying to you too."

"It's okay," Seunghyeon muttered. "I'm sorry for calling you a... bitch." Seunghyeon muttered the last part under his breath.

"It's fine. I deserved it."

"No, it was too much," Seunghyeon said. "Though, it's a fun word to say."

"Seunghyeon," Taeyong scoffed and the two of them giggled, Myungsuk biting his lip to muffle his own.

Seunghyeon shifted, brushing back Myungsuk's hair. "Are you still awake?"

"Barely," Myungsuk mumbled, keeping his eyes closed.

"You two should get some sleep," Taeyong said through his yawn.

Seunghyeon nodded. "We'll come in around ten. How does that sound, Myungsuk?"

"Okay," Myungsuk hummed.

"I'll update you guys if there's any progress then," Taeyong said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, hyung," the two of them said and hung up.

With limbs too heavy to move, Seunghyeon pulled off Myungsuk's glasses and laid beside him, draping the blanket over them.

Myungsuk took a deep breath of Seunghyeon's sweet scent and caught a whiff of Taeyong's scent buried in the couch. Myungsuk cracked a smile.