Only You (YeonGyu)

Chapter 24: The Breaking Point

Kai’s resistance melted. He couldn’t say no.

Soon, they were curled under Soobin’s blanket, their bodies pressed together like they belonged. Soobin’s arms wrapped around Kai, his thumb gently tracing circles on the younger’s back as if committing his warmth to memory.

“Thank you for staying,” Soobin whispered, eyes never leaving Kai’s. “I don’t think I could’ve slept without you tonight.”

Then, in a voice more vulnerable than before, he added, “You make me feel things I’ve never felt. When I’m with you, the world feels… lighter. Brighter. I don’t know how else to explain it, but... being with you feels like coming home.”

Kai’s breath hitched, and tears welled up before he could stop them. He tried to blink them away, but they spilled down his cheeks anyway. He wasn’t sad—not at all. It was joy. Overwhelming, raw, real joy. A happiness he never thought he’d be allowed to feel.

Soobin’s arms tightened, his lips brushing Kai’s forehead. “Cry all you need,” he murmured. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Kai sobbed softly into Soobin’s chest, muffling the sounds as he allowed himself to unravel. Soobin held him through it all, never once letting go. Not when Kai trembled, not when he whispered broken words, and not when he finally looked up, eyes red but shimmering.

Soobin cupped his face, gently wiping the tears away. In his eyes, Kai was ethereal—his messy hair, flushed cheeks, and wet lashes made him look like something divine. It almost hurt to look at him.

“You’re so beautiful,” Soobin whispered. “You don’t even know.”

Their eyes locked again. And this time, when their lips met, the kiss was slow. Tender. A promise. It wasn’t lust—it was love, honest and bare. Kai melted into it, letting the emotion consume him.

As their foreheads rested together, Kai whispered softly, “Do you think… I deserve this? To be this happy?”

Soobin smiled, his thumb grazing Kai’s cheek again. “You do. More than anyone.”

Kai nodded slightly, letting the words sink into the deepest parts of him. His heart was trembling from being full.

“I love you, Huening Kai.”

“I love you more.”

And there, wrapped in each other’s arms, they drifted into the quiet comfort of the night—hearts full, souls intertwined.

+×+

Morning crept in with golden beams of sunlight pouring through the curtains of Beomgyu’s room. The warmth touched his face, but he didn’t feel it—not really. He lay motionless, eyes swollen from crying, limbs heavy with sorrow. The weight of last night sat thick in his chest like stone. His gaze was blank, unfocused, lost in the spinning silence that echoed louder than any voice.

There was no motivation to rise, no joy in beginning the day. Just the quiet ache of heartbreak and betrayal—the pain of being caged by his own mother.

He wanted to stay there forever, buried in the sheets, but he knew better. His mother wouldn’t allow him the luxury of weakness, not even if he was sick or broken. She’d already made it clear: he had no say.

With a weary sigh, Beomgyu finally forced himself out of bed, dragging his limbs as he went through the motions of getting dressed. His body moved, but his spirit remained hollow.

When he descended the stairs, the tension hit him immediately.

His mother was waiting by the door, dressed impeccably as always—but beside her stood a man in black. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Stone-faced. Beomgyu paused mid-step. He recognized that face. It was the same man from yesterday—the one watching him from a distance. Now he was in their home.