Bound by Love (Jaeyong)

Chapter 4: Revelations in the Night

The night was draped in a hazy glow as Jaehyun paced the ornate halls of their home, a sense of unease gnawing at his thoughts. Taeyong had been gone for hours, his absence a shadow that loomed over their fragile marriage. Jaehyun's worry deepened with each passing minute, his mind racing through scenarios of potential danger and recklessness.

When the front door finally creaked open, Jaehyun's heart skipped a beat. He rushed to the foyer, his steps quickening as he caught sight of Taeyong's disheveled form supported by two of his friends. The stench of alcohol clung to him like a heavy cloak, mingling with the faint aroma of cigarettes and perfume that permeated the air.

"Taeyong," Jaehyun's voice was a mixture of concern and reproach as he approached, his gaze searching Taeyong's face for any sign of awareness.

Taeyong's eyes were glazed and unfocused, his features slack with intoxication. He offered a lopsided grin, his words slurred and barely coherent. "Hey, Jae," he mumbled, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement that grated against Jaehyun's nerves.

Jaehyun's brow furrowed in exasperation as he turned to Taeyong's friends, who wore expressions of guilt and discomfort. "Thank you for bringing him home," he murmured with forced politeness, though his eyes bore a silent plea for answers.

One of Taeyong's friends, a young woman with sympathetic eyes, spoke hesitantly. "We're sorry, Jaehyun," she began, her voice tinged with regret. "He insisted on staying longer, and we couldn't stop him."

Jaehyun nodded curtly, his attention returning to Taeyong as he guided him towards their bedroom. The journey was slow and fraught with obstacles—Taeyong stumbled occasionally, his movements clumsy and uncoordinated. Yet, Jaehyun's touch remained steady and supportive, a silent testament to the bond that, despite everything, still tethered them together.

Inside their dimly lit bedroom, Jaehyun gently guided Taeyong to sit on the edge of their bed. The room was suffused with a quiet intimacy that had been absent between them for too long. Jaehyun hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on Taeyong's disheveled appearance—the tousled hair, the flushed cheeks, the vulnerability that lay beneath the facade of defiance.

"I'll get you some water," Jaehyun murmured softly, his voice a soothing melody in the stillness of the night.

As Jaehyun moved to fetch a glass of water from the bathroom, he couldn't help but steal glances at Taeyong, who sat slumped on the bed with an air of defeated resignation. The sight tugged at Jaehyun's heartstrings, stirring emotions he had long suppressed beneath layers of duty and obligation.

Returning to Taeyong's side, Jaehyun offered the glass of water, his fingers brushing lightly against Taeyong's as he accepted it. "Drink," Jaehyun urged gently, his concern palpable in every word.

Taeyong complied with a nod, his movements slow and deliberate as he sipped from the glass. The tension between them hung thick in the air, a fragile thread that threatened to snap under the weight of unspoken truths and unmet expectations.

As Taeyong drank, Jaehyun's gaze softened with a newfound understanding. Beneath the bravado and defiance, Taeyong was a soul adrift—a boy burdened by the weight of his own desires and the expectations thrust upon him. In that vulnerable moment, Jaehyun saw beyond the facade to the heart that beat with uncertainties and unspoken yearnings.

And as he watched Taeyong slowly regain composure, Jaehyun felt a shift within himself—a stirring of emotions that defied logic and reason. He saw Taeyong not just as a disobedient husband, but as a person—a person who, despite everything, deserved compassion and understanding.

"I'm sorry, Jaehyun," Taeyong's voice broke the silence, his words tinged with genuine remorse. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

Jaehyun shook his head gently, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Let's get you cleaned up," he suggested softly, his tone a gentle invitation to start anew.

As Jaehyun helped Taeyong change into more comfortable clothes and settle into bed, a quiet intimacy settled between them—an unspoken understanding that transcended the barriers of their arranged marriage. In that moment, Jaehyun realized that Taeyong's beauty ran deeper than the surface—a beauty forged in vulnerability and resilience, in moments of recklessness and regret.

Jaehyun's heart began to open—a silent acknowledgment of the feelings that had quietly taken root in the wake of Taeyong's tumultuous presence in his life.

Tbc.