┊hospital.

@ᵒ lee taemin. jongwon was disassociating, floating in the sea of oblivion and ripples of confusion. the smartphone laid foundering to 8 percent battery on his bedside table, untouched after the fervent connection shared between him and taemin was severed, abruptly.

his bedroom reeked of his pheromones and desires that stained his bed covers. his jarring rhythm of breathing, gradually gaining normality while he sat, long legs extended upon the mattress, back slumped to the tall headboard, untethered drawstrings and waistband precariously hung around his lower hips. dazed, mahogany irises preoccupied by the unremarkably plain ceiling above.

he swore he was going insane. the reason— lee taemin.

this was supposed to be a normal phone call, when things developed into something intense, something more ually-charged. but nothing could have prepared the alpha for the agonised voice saying that the omega had to visit the hospital.

he had called, once. the call would connect but no answer. again. he called. and again, and again, then again.

no answer.

he was in the dark, the ecru walls lament with gold due to the dimly lit table light while his silhouette seemed darker and bigger, while in comparison he seemed insignificant and feeble.

he slowly slid downwards, dragging the bedding along with him. all he could do was wait.

jongwon sprung up like a spring when his phone lighted up, he lurched forward to check the message. his chest collapsed, releasing the biggest sigh of relief when he saw taemin's text. only to be drowned by another wave of vexation and he types with understandable haste.

[text: 애기 ]
"if you're okay, why are you at the hospital? are visitors allowed? can i come?"

with bottom lip inside his mouth, he is chewing on the poor flesh, sharp canines breaking it. no answer.

[text: 애기 ]
"taemin-ah. did you fall asleep?"

silence.

[text: 애기 ]

"sweet dreams, taemin. rest well."

only then jongwon could fall asleep, his phone plugged to the charger in case the omega were to reach out to him.

next day, jongwon had slept through his alarm. after the second snooze, he awoke with a groan. his disoriented consciousness rummaging for wakefulness, which was easily gained when he saw a message from his friend.

[text: 애기 ]
"I'll be right there."

a man on mission, jongwon clambered out of his bed. picking the ensemble hung in his closet for the little outing he'd planned this evening, and to the bathroom he sprinted. thirty minutes later, he is shouldering a huge bag and getting inside his car after inputing the destination on his phone.

________________

a worried jongwon appeared beside taemin's bed, dropping the bag to the floor while he pulled a chair closer and sat down clasping the latter's uninjured hand in both of his trembling ones.

"sweetie?"

jongwon beckons, his upper body leaning forward while resting his forehead to their joined hands.

@ᵃ lee jongwon. (TW:// Blood, Bite injury)

Taemin felt terrible while traveling to the hospital, and the paramedics made sure to slow down the bleeding from his hand, applying pressure to the deep gushes that matched the elongated fangs of a clouded leopard. His features winced, and while staring at the ceiling, his mind somehow managed to ignore the throbbing pain in his hand, positive he had broken a bone from the crushing desperation of his bite.

His heart ached, thinking of how he left the phone call with Jongwon. Everything was good, and suddenly, in a blink, it wasn't. One moment, they were exchanging moans and filthy sentences best left between their ears, both chasing their es as their desires to be tangled deeply with one another pooled through their devices.

Suddenly blood tainted Taemin's mouth, and god, it was getting all over the white sheets; the pain buzzed in his mind, then the panic, "Ah......I need to...I need to go to the hospital." These were the last words he managed to express before abruptly ending the call on his friend, now worried about how he was doing. If he were in his shoes, he would probably be pacing back and forth, unable to stop thinking.

The ambulance had pulled into the hospital, where Taemin was taken in for treatment; he pulled on his hoodie, his heart palpitating at the anxiety of being spotty by the public eye. He could still taste his blood lingering in his mouth, making him wonder if he had any to show on his lips or if his scent was still strong because he was still going through his heat. Did he smell of sweat, blood, and all the aftermath of self-pleasure? He wrinkled his nose, he spent so much time locked in his mind chambers he didn't realize he was in a bed, already stitched up with the doctor trying to show him that he had fractured his thumb, that he would need a cast. Taemin nodded gingerly as they worked away to put his hand and wrist into a cast.

"We've supplied you with our suppressants and think it's best you stay overnight just to make sure you'll be safe to go home." The doctor expressed his concerns for the patient before bowing his head and stepping out to leave Taemin alone. The omega glanced around for his phone; thankfully, it was within reach, and he first went to 'Light of my life' and sent a text with his one hand.

[Text: Light of my life]

-Jongwonnie, I wanted you to know I'm okay, I'm sorry for leaving you in the dark. I'm at the hospital for the night, but I'm all good.

He had typed something else on his phone, the hesitation and the fear held him back from sending it. He thought that what he had sent in the first place was good enough. He didn't need to know the ugly details; that he bit himself so hard, he managed to break a bone, all the while picturing himself burying his teeth into a particular alpha he was madly obsessed over.

Time passes, and there is a faint knock at the door, alerting the idol of a visitor he was accustomed to: his therapist, an older, elegant lady who always presented her sleek, tall figure in clean, professional clothing. Her faintly aged features wrinkled as she smiled at Taemin, before sitting in front of his bed. "Mrs. Kim..." He exclaimed softly and sat up, leaning his back against the bundle of pillows, his smile matched hers.

"I was informed of your situation and was summoned for a wellness check-" She began as she took her book out, ready to jot down notes.

"I didn't do this on-" Taemin objected to any rumors that may have started behind his back, and she was quick-witted to reply simultaneously, finishing his sentence in unison. "Purpose." Taemin sank into the pillows, relieved that she knew him too well.

"I know you didn't do it on purpose. But what worries me is that we need to move on to the other suggested things on our safety plan." Her voice is soft and collected; not a single ounce of judgment could be heard or seen as she remeets Taemin's timid gaze. He was embarrassed as he recalled the safety plan they made together. "It's perfectly valid to feel ashamed, but don't forget that all of us living with different animalistic traits face various obstacles. You shouldn't feel like you can't express yourself; there are ways to express it safely."

Taemin sulked and sank further with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Mm, so who is it?" Taemin jerked his head over, eyes widening as the butterflies fluttered in the pit of his stomach, bouncing and begging to be free. Mrs.Kim smiled at him knowingly, pushing the end of her pen against the book on her lap, click, click. "You only show strong, aggressive signs of mating when you have intense feelings for someone. You usually never had any slips until now and during your last relationship."

"ah....m-maybe there is someone, I don't know..." He muttered, pulling the blanket to cover his shyness, his heart pounding in his ears.

"you aren't planning to confess and run off, like last time, hm? This one, it feels you want him to ask you to stay, no?" She waited patiently, not expecting an answer as her eyes studied the man hiding in his bed, making her smile. "I'll repeat what I have said endlessly over our sessions: You deserve to love and be loved, all of you, including your hybrid self. We learn how to work around it; many couples learn together. I have seen endless couples together: prey with predator, hybrids with mating routines that usually end up harming their partners, but they make it work out, and so can you. Instead of always selfishly making the decision, let him decide this time. Please don't run away; open up to him and see where it takes you."

She gets up from her seat, and Taemin finally lowers his covers to see her hand out a folded paper. "Your new safety plan, if he wishes to be a part of it, this will help you two on the right path." With that, she took her leave, and Taemin read over the new safety plan, his features reddening as he pictured how he would explain this to Jongwon. He groaned softly into his arm and placed the paper on his nightstand, opening up his phone, his eyes lingering over the draft message he was hesitant to send.

[Text: Light of my Life]

-I...may have bitten my hand by accident. I got....too..into our phone call....
- May I see you, Jongwon?

After sending the message, he let out a soft whine, grabbing a pillow to submerge his face into it, letting out another muffled cry of embarrassment.