To Fall In Love Again [JEONGKYU FF]

Chapter 58

Junkyu stirred slowly, consciousness returning with the gentle weight of someone pressed against his side—warm, solid, real. His heart stuttered as he turned his head, finding Hyo Jun curled beside him on the narrow hospital bed, one protective arm draped carefully over Junkyu's growing stomach. Even in sleep, his mother's face carried the soft lines of someone who had spent decades holding love with nowhere to place it.

He stayed. The thought bloomed in Junkyu's chest. He actually stayed.

This wasn't a dream caused by medication and longing. This was his mother, breathing beside him after years of separation. His scent wrapped around him with the comfort of finally being home.

"Good morning, Sugar." came JeongWoo's voice, soft from the chair beside the bed. Junkyu's gaze found his mate's face, etched with exhaustion but bright with delight. The alpha's fingers intertwined with his.

"He stayed," Junkyu whispered, his voice thick with wonder. "He actually stayed all night."

JeongWoo's smile was tender but tinged with something that might have been mild exasperation. "He hasn't left your side since yesterday. I tried to convince him to use the bed, but he insisted on staying right there beside you." His tone carried the faintest note of wounded pride. "Apparently, I've been demoted from primary caregiver to... supportive bystander."

The slight pout in JeongWoo's expression made Junkyu's heart flutter with affection. He could read the vulnerable uncertainty beneath the alpha's joke—the fear of being displaced, of losing his role as Junkyu's protector.

Hyo Jun stirred then, his eyes fluttering open. For a moment, confusion clouded his features, as if he too couldn't quite believe the miracle of waking up beside his son. Then reality settled in, and his face transformed with a smile so bright it seemed to light up the entire room.

"My beautiful boy," he whispered, his voice rough with sleep and emotion. "I was so afraid I'd wake up and find this was all a dream."

"I thought the same thing," Junkyu admitted, his free hand finding Hyo Jun's.

JeongWoo cleared his throat pointedly. "Not that I'm not thrilled about this reunion," he said, his tone carefully light, "but I should probably mention that breakfast will be here soon. And traditionally, that's been my job—making sure you actually eat it instead of pushing it around your plate."

Hyo Jun's eyes sparkled with mischief that reminded Junkyu so powerfully of his own expressions that it took his breath away. "Oh, I think I can handle feeding my son breakfast," he said sweetly, though there was a playful challenge in his voice. "I did it for the first three months of his life, after all."

The territorial standoff that followed was so absurd that Junkyu found himself caught between laughter and disbelief. JeongWoo's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, his alpha instincts clearly rankled by the gentle dismissal of his caretaking duties.

"With respect," JeongWoo said, his voice carrying the careful politeness of someone trying not to start a war, "I've been perfecting the art of getting him to eat his hospital food. There's a very specific technique involving distraction and strategic timing."

"Are you suggesting I don't know how to feed my own child?" Hyo Jun's eyebrows rose in challenge, though his lips twitched with barely suppressed amusement.

Junkyu watched this delicate dance of territorial affection with wonder and no small amount of entertainment. His heart swelled with the surreal joy of watching the two most important people in his life engage in what amounted to a loving competition over who got to take care of him.

"I'm suggesting," JeongWoo said carefully, "that I know exactly how he likes his eggs—slightly runny, with just a touch of salt—and which foods make him nauseous these days. I've memorized his preferences down to the exact temperature of his orange juice."