Parallel Heart (Jaeyong)

Chapter 24: Answers and Acceptance

The morning sunlight streamed into the room, casting a warm glow over the two figures still tangled together. Taeyong stirred first, his body aching but the intense pain from the night before had subsided. He slowly opened his eyes to find Jaehyun still holding him, his expression soft and protective even in sleep.

"Jaehyun..." Taeyong whispered, gently shaking his friend awake.

Jaehyun blinked, his eyes focusing on Taeyong. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I'm better," Taeyong replied, his voice still shaky. "Thank you for staying with me. I'm so sorry for everything... for avoiding you, for dragging you into this mess."

Jaehyun frowned slightly, pulling Taeyong into a gentle hug. "You don't have to apologize. I want to be here for you, no matter what. Just tell me why you avoided me."

Taking a deep breath, Taeyong explained everything—the strange episodes, the pain, and his fear that being around Jaehyun might be the cause. Jaehyun listened intently, his hold on Taeyong tightening with each word.

When Taeyong finished, Jaehyun pressed a comforting kiss to his forehead. "We'll figure this out together, okay? You're not alone in this."

They shared a comfortable, reassuring hug before getting ready to face the day.

---

A few days later, at the campus, they ran into Doyoung. "How's the research going?" Doyoung teased, a knowing smile on his face.

Taeyong and Jaehyun exchanged glances. Taeyong decided to take the plunge. "Doyoung, why is it us? Why are Jaehyun and I experiencing these things? And who exactly are you? How do you know everything we're going through?"

Doyoung's smile faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. "I'm nobody special. Just someone with a duty to watch over the two of you."

Taeyong wasn't satisfied. "But why the heat cycle? There must be a reason I'm experiencing it when I'm not even an omega. What's going on?"

Doyoung sighed, looking at both of them with a mix of sympathy and resignation. "It's all the universe's work. Sometimes, the lines between different realities blur. You, me, us—we can only accept it."

Jaehyun, sensing Taeyong's frustration, stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We may not understand everything right now, but we'll get through this together. Right, Doyoung?"

Doyoung nodded. "Yes. Just keep supporting each other. The answers might come in time, or they might not. But you have each other."

As they walked away from Doyoung, Taeyong felt a sense of acceptance settling over him. The confusion and frustration were still there, but so was a new resolve. With Jaehyun by his side, he felt ready to face whatever the universe had in store for them.

They spent the rest of the day talking, sharing little moments of closeness that made the strangeness of their situation feel a bit more bearable. Jaehyun's presence was a comfort, a reminder that no matter how complicated things got, they would always have each other to lean on.

To be continued