Now that his secret was out, Seungcheol made it very clear that Jeonghan didn’t need to run and hide. He had told him that he should stay within the orchard’s walls. It meant no trips to town and no walks around the countryside, unless Junhui or Seungcheol were with him. Jeonghan found he didn’t mind it all that much, especially since some of the earlier apples were ready for harvest.
“What will we do with them all?”
There were two barrels full already.
“Excellent question,” Seungcheol said.
He stretched under the late morning sun, and Jeonghan was momentarily distracted by the play of light across the alpha’s muscles under his sweat-soaked shirt.
“I hadn’t thought I’d still be here, so I never made any plans for the fruit,” Seungcheol explained.
“Apple pies?” Junhui suggested.
Jeonghan lit up at the idea. “I can make them.”
Seungcheol grinned at them. “Sure, but what’ll we do with the other two and three-quarter barrels?”
Junhui glanced at the apples wistfully. “Apple crumble?”
Jeonghan laughed at that; Junhui must have been hungry.
“I’ll go start lunch before you plan a whole dessert menu.”
He washed up and got to work in the kitchen, happy to have his hands and mind busy. Seungcheol wandered in a few minutes later, shirtless, his hair damp. He stole the knife from Jeonghan’s hands and took over chopping vegetables for the salad.
“What do you need to make the pies?”
“I guess that depends on how many I’m making.”
“Say… a dozen?”
Jeonghan frowned at him.
“That many? You must really like pie.”
“They’re not all for us. Write me a list of what you need. I can help make them, if you like.”
Jeonghan couldn’t hide a giggle at the image of the alpha baking, an apron around his waist, rolling pin in hand.
“I think I can manage.”
Seungcheol turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. “What, you don’t trust my pastry-making skills?”
Jeonghan tried to hide his smile.
“Pastry is a delicate business.”
“Are you saying I can’t be delicate?”
The salad forgotten, Seungcheol took a step toward him, his hands closing around Jeonghan’s waist. His touch settled something inside Jeonghan. He pressed closer, pushing up onto his tiptoes to kiss the alpha. Seungcheol kissed him back, just for a moment, then pulled away, letting go of Jeonghan and taking a step back. He turned his face away, sounding regretful when he spoke.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t do this. Nothing I said before has changed.”
“But… but everything has changed. I’m having your baby.”
“And I will be there for you and support you through it. But this, you and me, that’s what got us into this mess in the first place.”
Disappointment swamped Jeonghan, but he could see from the expression on Seungcheol’s face that the alpha had made his mind up. Nothing he could say was going to change it.
YOU ARE READING
𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚́𝐧 || 𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥
FanfictionAn omega without a home. An alpha without a family. They need a pack-they just don't know it yet. Seungcheol put everything he had into fulfilling his father's ambitions, almost dying in the process. After a year spent recovering, he has one thing...
