ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS

CHAPTER 48

Two weeks had never felt so short—no, not even close. It was as if time had sped up, slipping through their fingers faster than they could hold on to it.

Even though they had been inseparable for what seemed like every waking moment, it still felt so wrong when they were forced to part. It was as if someone had ripped away half of your body, leaving a hollow ache that no amount of time could heal.

"I'll back him up; don't worry," Jiyong reassured for what felt like the hundredth time, his voice calm but firm.

Harin just smiled, small but undeniably sad, as she nodded. "I know you will, Uncle."

Jiyong gave her a warm smile, ruffling her hair affectionately. "The flight's in a few. Don't say goodbye, alright?"

Her lips quirked upward in an attempt to hide the swell of emotion but she didn't protest. Instead, she walked toward Jeno, who was talking with Jaemin.

The moment she neared, Jaemin flashed a grin and pointed at her, getting Jeno's attention. He looked up and, just like that, the heavy weight of impending separation pressed down on him once more.

"I'll just grab some waffles," Jaemin said with a wink, turning to leave.

Harin stood there, her heart pounding, before finally speaking. "Hey."

Jeno smiled softly, tapping the empty space beside him. When she sat down, he didn't hesitate to pull her into a tight embrace, the kind that promised to hold on to every second of their fleeting time.

"I'll come back for Christmas," he whispered into her hair.

"You should be," she replied, her voice thick with emotion. "That'll be our first Christmas together."

Jeno chuckled lightly, but the sound didn't reach his eyes. He pulled away just enough to gaze at her, as if trying to memorize every feature. "Let me look at you."

Harin blinked, caught off guard by his intensity, but her heart swelled as he took her in. It was as though he were seeing her for the last time, and she couldn't help but feel the weight of it too.

"What? Will you miss this pretty face so much?" she teased, trying to mask the tremble in her voice.

"Mhm," Jeno nodded, his gaze unwavering. "You might as well let me stare at it for the remaining time."

She frowned. "You sound like you won't answer my calls."

Jeno smirked, a glint of amusement returning to his eyes. "It's going to be me calling you every hour, sweetheart."

"Funny," she chuckled softly, "we have different jobs to do, and our time zones are polar opposites."

"So?" Jeno shrugged, his fingers tightening around hers. "Not like something bad will happen. We're just hours away, not forever." He sighed deeply. "Though... I'm not going to be able to touch you for too long. You might fit in my luggage, though."

She laughed, and Jeno couldn't help but stare at her, heart aching with the realization of how much he would miss this.

"Hey, bud, we're up," Jiyong called, his voice cutting through the moment.