Yeosang pants as soon as he flops his back onto his and Dongwoo's bed, "That's the most walking I've done since we first came here," he breathes out, his forehead still wet with sweat.

They just got back from hiking, and Yeosang feels absolutely exhausted -- and his mate, Dongwoo is right there with him... However, he still has a bit of stamina left in him as he crawls up over Yeosang on their bed, shining a smile down at him, "Yeo~ You did so good today," Dongwoo praises.

Yeosang giggles, his eyes trailing up and down Dongwoo's body as he hovers over him, "I could barely move my legs towards the end there, you know."

"Mmhmm," Dongwoo hums, nuzzling his nose into Yeosang's mating mark, "That's why I offered to carry you the rest of the way," He says, running his hand down Yeosang's side gently.

Yeosang smiles, "You're the best, Dongwoo..." He breathes out, biting down on his bottom lip when Dongwoo's hand reaches the curve of his hips. Yeosang sits up and connects his lips with his mate, his wolf craving Dongwoo's kisses even when it's hardly been a day without them.

Dongwoo's surprised by Yeosang's eagerness, but he falls into the comfort of their kiss easily, letting his other hand come up to caress the back of Yeosang's head so his neck won't hurt. He lays them back down onto the bed and his wolf growls lowly as Yeosang's hands tease him, playing with the hem of his clothing as they deepen their kiss.

Yeosang slowly begins to remove Dongwoo's clothing as their kiss becomes more heated, but Yeosang gasps when Dongwoo finally releases from the kiss to move down to his neck.

Dongwoo ravages Yeosang's neck with kisses and soft love bites, liking the way Yeosang leans his head back to allow him more room.

With Yeosang's head back against the pillow, he finds himself staring up at the ceiling as he pants, his needy body rolling his hips up against Dongwoo's.

"I love you so much, Yeosang," Dongwoo says softly before going back to kissing on his neck, his hand going down to clasp itself with Yeosang's.

Yeosang feels his eyes start to water at Dongwoo's statement of love, feeling this unusual pang of pain in his chest. He feels wrong, but his wolf feels so right. He wants to be with his mate, of course.

Yeosang's mind can't help but linger towards thoughts of Wooyoung and how it felt when he was the one touching him. He feels an overwhelming amount of dread come over him and his body starts to slightly shake. Yeosang's throat feels as if it's closing in on itself as he looks down at Dongwoo still holding his hand and showering his neck with affection.

Yeosang slowly lets his grip on Dongwoo's hand loosen and a sting goes through his mating mark.

"Yeo...?" Dongwoo asks worriedly, looking up at Yeosang to see tears streaming down his cheeks and his eyes ridden with fear, "Oh my- Yeosang, what's wrong? What's wrong, baby?" Dongwoo immediately sits up, getting off of Yeosang to tend to him.

Yeosang's eyes follow Dongwoo's movements, his words sounding like they're muffled by the flood of emotions that's filled his thoughts.

"I-" Yeosang tries to speak, but seeing the caring way that Dongwoo looks at him makes it all the more painful.

"Yeosang, it's okay, baby... I'm right here, okay? Please let me know what's bothering you..." Dongwoo says softly, not wanting to overwhelm or startle his mate.

"Dongwoo..." Yeosang starts, his voice feeling lost, "I-I did something unforgivable..." He finally says, and as soon as he says it, his mating mark begins to burn. It's not an intense burn, but the ignition is clear.

Dongwoo also feels his mating mark start to burn and he's about to continue trying to calm Yeosang down, but he suddenly can't. His eyes drift down to Yeosang's neck and he stares at his mark he made a little over a year ago.

Both boys sit in silence with one another.

An unspoken understanding rests between them.

Dongwoo's the first to speak up, "What did you do, Yeosang...?" He finally manages to ask, wanting to hear the words come out of his mate's mouth, unable to believe what his mind has concocted up in that devastating silence they just shared.

Yeosang wouldn't do that...

Dongwoo meets eyes with Yeosang, his own filling with tears just as Yeosang's had, "I-It's okay..." He whispers, still trying to be there for him.

Dongwoo's voice breaks Yeosang, a loud cry escaping his mouth as he breaks their eye contact and forces his head down so he doesn't have to face this situation head on.

"It's not okay, Dongwoo..." Yeosang says between gasps, trying to catch his breath through the sobs, "I-I... I cheated on you," he says, and as soon as the words leave his mouth, his mating marks seethes in excruciating pain.

Dongwoo flinches at the scorching flames he feels beneath his skin, but his body stills as he sits there on his knees with Yeosang. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as Yeosang's words echoed through his brain.

He knew. Of course, he knew, deep down... But to hear Yeosang actually say it made it real for him. He should've known when his mark kept hurting, but he always pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to believe the truth that was right in front of him.

The only sound that can be heard in the room is Yeosang's sobs.

After a few more minutes of silence, Dongwoo slowly wraps his arms around Yeosang and embraces him once again. He quietly shushes his mate, choking back his own emotional wreckage to ensure Yeosang stops crying.

Yeosang's sobs tone down into sniffles and he looks up at Dongwoo when he pulls back from him, seeing the hidden pain in his eyes and the way his mating mark is going all veiny similar to Wooyoung's was doing.

"A-Are you not angry at me, Dongwoo...?" Yeosang asks shakily.

Dongwoo sighs, "I'm not angry, Yeo... I'm just... Sad," He tries to give a smile, but all hope he tried to put in it was missing, "I love you, Yeosang... But, if you don't want to be mated with me anymore, it's-- it's okay... I just want for you to be happy, Yeosang, even if that is not with me."

Yeosang rubs his eyes and under his nose, knowing he looks like an absolute mess right now in front of Dongwoo, but he can't control it. He can even sense his wolf's sadness as his mating mark slowly disappears. Yeosang watches as Dongwoo's mark slowly fades as well, and he's confused.

That's not what happened with Wooyoung's mark...

What makes this so different...?

Dongwoo brings Yeosang in for another hug and gently kisses the top of his head, "Please live a happy life, Yeosang. Promise me?" He asks, tears finally shedding and exposing his real emotions as he makes eye contact with Yeosang.

Yeosang nods, wiping away Dongwoo's tears with his thumbs, "I promise, Dongwoo... But, you promise me too. You're much too good to not be happy... I'm so sorry that I've done this to you. You didn't deserve this," Yeosang cries.

Dongwoo connects their foreheads and smiles through the tears, "I promise, Yeo."

Yeosang feels an odd sense of calmness as they sit there together, both accepting the mutuality of their break-up. Their marks soon fade into a slight skin color change of where they once were, their veins around them still popping out a bit, but their color starts fading as well.

~

That night, Hongjoong and Jongho are in the group sleeping area, laying down after getting home from the exhausting hike they just partook in. They're both caught up in each other's stares that neither of them say anything, enjoying the soothing silence of just lying there together -- or as close as together they can be, being on two separate beds.

Jongho chews on the inside of his cheek, trying to build up the courage to reach his hand out for Hongjoong to hold onto. He's been thinking about doing it for what feels like hours, but he can't seem to move his arm.

"Can't sleep?" Hongjoong asks, breaking their pact of silence with a smile.

Jongho shakes his head and finally gets it in him to reach out for Hongjoong, "Nah... You?" He says nonchalantly, trying to make it not seem like a big deal to him.

Hongjoong smirks when he sees Jongho's hand jut out toward him. He meets him in the middle and intertwines his fingers with Jongho's, "I want to talk more with you. Can we go outside?" He says, ignoring his question and looking around at all the other guests already asleep in the beds near them.

Jongho quickly nods and sits up, a bit too eagerly, "Of course," he whispers, standing up without losing hold of Hongjoong's hand as the two exit the group sleeping room and make their way towards the exit of the boys' building.

Hongjoong sits down with Jongho, letting their legs brush up against each other as he rests their entwined hands in his lap. He watches Jongho's attention drift across the way, so he looks over as well.

They see what seems like a female alpha entering into one of the Park's rooms.

Their gaze is soon brought back to the front door of the boys' building sliding back open, seeing San on his way out.

"Where you going, Choi?" Jongho asks, quickly pulling his hand out of Hongjoong's and putting them behind his back.

San smiles confidently towards his two friends, "I'm going to see Seonghwa," He explains, patting the rolled-up blanket he has under his arm. His heart beats faster at the thoughts of seeing him, and he hopes he hasn't fallen asleep yet. Seonghwa did seem pretty tired after their hike.

Hongjoong chuckles, "Ahhh, you two be safe," He winks and leans back on his hands as well, one of them crawling over to touch Jongho's again without San seeing.

San's eyebrows furrow and his face heats up, "W-We are not doing anything!" He dismisses, shaking his head. His wolf purrs at the thoughts that enter his mind, but San does his best to get back into the innocent territory of his mind.

"Mhmm," Jongho teases, his smirk mirroring Hongjoong's, "That's what they all say."

San scoffs and starts walking away towards Seonghwa's room, not wanting to stay for the friendly bullying these two are putting him through. San ignores the continued teasing calls Hongjoong and Jongho still send him as he walks off.

He walks down the hallway, passing Areum's door, but he swears he hears voices and quiet giggling, followed by coughs coming from her room. San doesn't pay much mind to it, being too focused on his oncoming night with Seonghwa he had planned out.

San stands in front of Seonghwa's door and gently knocks, praying to the goddesses that he's still awake. San's prayers don't go on for long, though, when Seonghwa's door slowly slides open, revealing the omega dressed in a more comfortable-looking white robe that's clearly for sleeping.

Seonghwa's eyes sparkle as he looks up at San, feeling the way his heart skips a beat. He really came, Seonghwa thinks to himself.

"Would you like to come watch the stars with me, Hwa?" San asks, a smile coming across his lips as he holds back the urge to caress his fated mate's face and admire the stars he already sees in Seonghwa's eyes.

Seonghwa hesitates at first, "I'm not sure..." He says, reluctant to accept immediately before he thinks about the possible repercussions he might face if anyone were to find out. Seonghwa's wolf hums within him, urging him forward, and he knows that his wolf wants for him to go. It's not that Seonghwa doesn't want to go with San, he's just nervous that doing this might get San into trouble. They have to be careful around each other.

Seonghwa is surprised at his own thoughts, shocked that he's worried about San's safety first instead of his own. He's so used to worrying about himself, that this new change in thinking is making his brain turn into mush. Why is San doing this to him? Not that he can complain...

"I won't touch you, if that's what you're worried about," San reassures, "I want to show you that I respect you, Seonghwa... I was not aware of your rules before."

Seonghwa can't hide his surprise this time. San was worried that he was uncomfortable with his touch?

"It's okay," Seonghwa says, his eyes catching on San's hand and the urge to hold it crashes into him like a wave. Did he just say it's okay? He's never let anyone touch him aside from his family, and even then, hardly at all... Why would he allow for San to have free reign over his body? He feels his wolf purr as Seonghwa reaches out to clasp onto San's hand, the familiar sensation of electricity bursting through both of their bodies.

San's eyes widen, looking down at their hands united as one makes his heart do somersaults while his skin burns warmly. He looks back up to Seonghwa, only to see him looking away with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Let's go," Seonghwa says softly, tugging on San's hand for him to lead them to where he wanted to take him.

San smiles brightly again and nods, leading Seonghwa off a little way into a large field of grass. The sun has completely gone down by the time San lays out the blanket he brought for the two of them. The stars are shining in the sky and the moon is full, allowing them some light as they lie down together on the blanket.

San looks over at Seonghwa, admiring the way the moonlight illuminates his fated mate's face, "You're so handsome, Seonghwa. I don't think that I've ever seen anyone that catches my eye quite like you do. I mean... it's understandable considering our situation," he says softly, keeping his voice low.

Seonghwa takes the chance to turn his head toward San and meets his eyes instantly, "But?" He asks, figuring that San has more to say.

San smirks at Seonghwa's knowingness, "I know I'd be taken by you even if we weren't fated to be together. There's just something about you, Hwa. You put up this cold-hearted exterior, but I know there's warmth in you. I've seen it," he squeezes Seonghwa's hand, "Aren't you starting to see it, too?"

Seonghwa's eyes soften when San compliments him, never having thought that he would be this affected by such remarks. He's never cared much for praise, but from San? He's realizing this is something that he could get used to -- that he wants to get used to. Seonghwa tightens his grip on San's hand when he feels him squeeze, thinking about what San said.

Is he opening up more?

Is he warming up to him and others more now?

Seonghwa nods slowly, "I've been feeling different since you came here, in all honesty..." He reveals, wanting to let out his feelings for once instead of keeping them bottled up within him, "I felt something back when we first met in Eclipse, too, but I refused to allow myself to accept you back then. I... I don't even think I properly can now, but," Seonghwa pauses, making sure he has San's full attention as their eyes never leave each other, "I hope you know that, I-- I want to."

San's heart electrifies as Seonghwa talks about his thoughts and how he's been feeling.

"I want to accept you, San..." Seonghwa whispers, barely audible as his breath catches from his own surprise at what he's admitted aloud for the first time.

San's wolf goes wild inside of him not only from his and Seonghwa's close proximity, but mostly from Seonghwa's confession.

He wants to accept him...

"Can't you...?" San asks, trying to sound confident as usual, but he has a feeling the reply won't be one he wants to hear -- even if he already knows what it'll be.

Seonghwa lets out a sigh and rolls back onto his back to stare up at the dark sky full of shining stars, "It's impossible for us to be together, San."

"You said that back then, too... But isn't there anything we can do? I could talk to Eunji, I could talk to your parents--" San says frantically, staying turned towards Seonghwa as he goes through all the possible options.

"You can't."

"Seonghwa..."

Seonghwa sucks in his bottom lip, his emotions feeling like they're on a rollercoaster that doesn't seem like it's stopping anytime soon. His inner wolf is stirring within him, purring at all the contact he's allowing. His wolf tries to tell Seonghwa to let go and be with San, but his strict discipline keeps him from completely taking over Seonghwa's mind. He does take over a small portion, however...

Seonghwa shifts his eyes to look back at San, only to see him still looking at him, as if he was waiting for him to return back to his gaze. He can't control himself when his eyes flicker to San's lips. He's admired them before, when San wasn't looking, but lying here with him under the stars, they look especially tempting, both to him, and his wolf.

Through all of Chrysalis' rules, one thing that can be said as an umbrella rule would be to never give into temptation.

But...

Seonghwa's lips part as his eyes become glossy as he looks back and forth between his eyes and lips.

Do not kiss anyone until you are mated.

Seonghwa finds that his mind is at war with itself as his authoritarian side of himself battles the side that just wants to surrender. As the rules run through his brain, one thing stays at the forefront.

San is his mate.

Official or not.

Seonghwa shakily reaches his hand up and caresses San's cheek, his eyes widening at the burning sensation flooding his skin starting with his hand. He can't imagine how blushed his cheeks must be by now, but judging from the tender smile gracing San's lips, he can only assume he's scarlet.

Seonghwa's fear lessens when he notices San leaning into him as well, knowing that both of their wolves must be losing control at the prospect of having each other's lips finally united.

Seonghwa closes his eyes when San takes his face into his own hands as well, letting him take the lead as he gently presses his lips onto Seonghwa's. Their bodies feel like they go up in flames when they finally meet as one, both of their touches careful and precise while they explore the locks of one another's hair.

While the kiss felt like it lasted for years, it didn't feel like long enough, in Seonghwa's eyes. They parted and San pressed his forehead against Seonghwa's, "I would wait a lifetime for you, Seonghwa. Please... Spend more time with me like this before we have to leave each other..." He whispers against Seonghwa's lips.

Seonghwa's heart feels like it stopped the moment their lips met, his mind going array as he listens to San. In this moment, he would give San anything. He knows that if he asked him for something, he would immediately agree. His wolf eases, but has the underlying craving for more -- more of San, more of his breathtaking kisses, more of this moment.

Seonghwa has been slowly realizing everything that he's been missing out on while conforming to his parent's wishes and his pack's rules.

This is what he could've had a year ago...?

Seonghwa's worldview widens immensely as he allows himself to think about every single possibility that's opened up. He knows that he can't let all these precious moments with San go to waste while he's still able to be with him. He remembers what his mother said about her past friend and how she was torn away from her. Seonghwa knows that will inevitably happen to him as well, but until he and San find a way to change the future...

Seonghwa wants to savor the time he has left with San.

End of Chapter Twenty Eight