The wrist Hyeseong grabbed burned up as if scorched. But Ihyeok wasn’t even concerned about that right now. He held Hyeseong’s hand, knelt beside the bed and met his eye level. 

 

“Hyeseong-ah, are you alright?”

 

Ihyeok was exercising crazy self-restraint at the moment. It was inevitable to examine Hyeseong writhing in heat and emitting pheromones in front of his eyes. He had already finished singing the national anthem up to the 4th verse in his mind long ago. He was trying his best not to even glance at the slightly bulging front.

 

“Hyeseong-ah, just stay put for a bit. I’ll go get a cold towel.”

 

Ihyeok brushed back the feverish forehead. The eyes seemed to somehow open hazily but his mind still didn’t seem right. Ihyeok’s heart twisted in vain seeing Hyeseong like that. How much pain must he be in to not even be able to speak properly?

 

Ihyeok knew well that the first heat is quite difficult. Of course, it was a distant memory so he couldn’t remember the details, but for sure, his first rut didn’t pass easily either. Although he didn’t know the circumstances, it must be even harder for Hyeseong who was a special case that manifested as an omega later.  

 

“I’ll be right next to you so don’t worry.”

 

Ihyeok stroked the hot forehead with a pitying touch. He wanted to at least kiss him but thought it best not to in case of any unforeseen accidents.    

 

As Professor Moon said earlier, the most urgent matter was to first bring the fever down. 

 

“…Please.”

 

It was then. The voice that grabbed Ihyeok’s ankle as he tried to get up.

 

“Hm? What did you say?”

 

Hyeseong’s hand wriggled out from under the blanket again and grabbed Ihyeok’s wrist. The always pretty, snow-white hand was pitifully grasping him.

 

“…Please help me.”

 

The hoarse voice scattered in the air. Ihyeok’s pupils wavered and shook. The words asking for help coming from that child’s mouth came as quite a shock.  

 

Hyeseong had an upright and diligent personality, so he fundamentally didn’t ask for help or rely on others. He was the type to tackle and get through any task somehow on his own. Sungjin even joked that Hyeseong would go to work even if a war broke out seeing him like that.

 

Since he never showed it even when his body was struggling, Ihyeok had no choice but to constantly tell him not to overdo it.

 

It must have been influenced by losing his parents early on and maturing quickly. Although he had known him for 6 years, to his confidence, he had never heard Hyeseong say things like help me or do this for me even once.

 

“Ahju…ssi, please help me…”

 

But for a child like that to ask for help. While thinking how much he must be struggling to say such words even if his rationality is paralyzed from the fever, it was also confusing. He couldn’t tell what this touch was wanting from him. 

 

Ihyeok gulped. At this rate, he might interpret those words however he wanted. It seemed best to step outside for some fresh air.

 

“Okay. Hyeseong-ah, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right beside you. Just a moment.”

 

Ihyeok smiled with difficulty and tried to detach Hyeseong’s hand. He couldn’t comprehend why it was so hard to escape from this small hand when it wasn’t even gripping that strongly. 

 

But no matter how much he tried to shake it off, Hyeseong tenaciously held Ihyeok’s hand. Maybe it was just his feeling, but it seemed like even more pheromones were emitting than before.

 

“Whew, Hyeseong-ah.”

 

Ihyeok swept back his hair with a slightly flushed face. At this rate, not just Hyeseong, but he himself was in danger. If he lost his reason, he might really cross a river of no return.

 

“Hyeseong-ah, if you do this, it becomes hard for me to hold back too, okay?”

 

This was almost a plea. He wanted to somehow nurse the sick child, but at this level of pheromone concentration, it was fatal even for an alpha like him. For the first time ever, he hated his own nature. He became disgusted with himself for helplessly reacting to sick Hyeseong’s pheromones for the first time.

 

As expected, he couldn’t just watch like this after all. He wanted to respect as much as possible that Hyeseong didn’t want to reveal the fact that he manifested as an omega, but it seemed much better than allowing the situation to flow to the worst.

 

“Ahjussi, I’m struggling…”

 

“Okay. Let’s go to the hospital.”

 

“Hospital… I don’t want to…”

 

Hyeseong wriggled and buried his face in Ihyeok’s large palm, shaking his head.

 

“Whew, this is driving me crazy.”

 

Ihyeok cursed under his breath in a voice too small to hear. Originally, he planned to personally take Hyeseong to the hospital in his car, but that seemed impossible now.

 

Ihyeok fumbled for his pocket. He intended to call 119 and have an ambulance take Hyeseong. While cradling Hyeseong’s face with one hand, he tried to operate his cell phone with the other but his hand froze.

 

Hyeseong grabbed Ihyeok’s hand and brought it towards his own neck. Ihyeok’s eyes began shaking even faster than before. 

 

“Ahjussi, your hand is cold.”

 

Hyeseong exhaled heated breaths. The touched neck was hot like a pit of fire. The pulsing sensation felt from the blood vessels consumed his hand.

 

“…Hyeseong-ah.”

 

Ihyeok’s voice trembled.

 

“Ahjussi, I really don’t want to go to the hospital…”

 

Faced with the whining child, a momentary impulse started to ignite. He didn’t know if Hyeseong’s heat transferred through his hand, or if his body temperature rose from being pickled in the pheromones filling the room, but it was sweltering.

 

Ihyeok roughly unbuttoned the top of his shirt and sighed.

 

“Hyeseong-ah.”

 

“Yes, Ahjussi.”

 

Hyeseong kept calling him Ahjussi since a while ago without knowing whose pace it was and only looking for him. To be honest, leaving here wasn’t that difficult. Although Hyeseong was holding onto him, it wasn’t with that much strength, and he could just go out, call 119, and calm down until the ambulance arrived.  

 

But why? Why can’t he let go of the hand that child is holding? Where does the impulse to directly knead that thin and smooth neck that fits in one hand come from?

 

If he thought about it a little, it wasn’t hard to realize that all this fire originated from the dirty and vulgar desire deeply embedded somewhere inside him.

 

If it was his past self, no matter how aroused the omega, he would have felt horror at the fact that he wanted to embrace the precious younger brother he had cherished for 6 years.  

 

But Ihyeok knew now. Why he was having those abnormal thoughts. 

 

He wanted to kiss those lips, bite and suck the white flesh hidden under the clothes, and taste it all. He wanted to enter Hyeseong’s most intimate place and spray his marks as much as he wanted. The explicit imaginations he had tried not to conjure up recklessly messed up and conquered his mind like that.

 

As the dam that had been precariously holding on broke all at once, Ihyeok slowly began sinking into the uncontrollable surge of desire towards Hyeseong.

 

“You… what do you want me to do for you?”

 

“…”

 

Hyeseong slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ihyeok. The chestnut-colored pupils were damply wet. An illusion arose as if he wouldn’t be able to escape from those clear eyes like falling into a swamp.

 

“…Do whatever you want, Ahjussi.”

 

“Why are you so fearless, kid.”

 

Ihyeok sighed heavily. If Hyeseong said something else now, he tried to rebuild the broken dam, give up everything, and leave this room. But Hyeseong didn’t let go as if to drive the point home.

 

“Ahjussi.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“The reason… haa, I could be fearless was because you were by my side, Ahjussi.”

 

Hyeseong exhaled rough breaths in between.

 

“When you’re with me, I’m not scared at all.”

 

The corners of Hyeseong’s mouth lifted slightly. The moment he faced that expression, it felt as if his thoughts stopped in place. Ihyeok slowly rose from his spot and approached Hyeseong’s desk. Then he quickly rummaged through the place where the pamphlet and suppressants he found in the living room drawer earlier were scattered.  

 

Hyeseong still followed Ihyeok’s back with a dazed gaze. Ihyeok grabbed something and turned back to approach Hyeseong.

 

“Hyeseong-ah.”

 

Ihyeok slowly climbed onto the bed. The bed tilted to one side with the added weight, making its characteristic creaking sound. Hyeseong’s gaze slowly lifted. Ihyeok, who had climbed on top at some point, gently stroked Hyeseong’s face and caressed his neck.

 

“I’ll make it so you’re not scared.”

 

Ihyeok lowered his lips like that and kissed Hyeseong.

 

“Eung.”

 

A small moan burst from Hyeseong’s mouth at the momentary stimulation. Ihyeok gently licked and tasted Hyeseong’s lips with his tongue so as not to startle him.

 

Even though he wasn’t in his right mind, Hyeseong politely clasped his hands in front of his chest as if surprised. Ihyeok strongly sucked Hyeseong’s lips and held the tense hands.

 

“Ah, Ahjussi, haa.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Your hands are hot.”

 

“Yeah. It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

 

Ihyeok soothed and comforted Hyeseong, clashing lips as if to completely swallow the saliva. In Ihyeok’s hand was the contraceptive he found on the desk earlier.