Jeonghan's eyes widened at the sudden change in topic, his mind still reeling from the conversation about emotions and vulnerability.

"What?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "We're suddenly talking about that now?"

Joshua chuckled, clearly enjoying Jeonghan's reaction. "Oh, come on." he teased. "You're all emotional and vulnerable, it's a good time to discuss something else for a breather."

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "Right," he drawled. "Because nothing eases tension like talking about...that."

He gave Joshua a side-eye, a warning in his gaze. "I swear, you're just looking for gossip."

Joshua feigned innocence, his hands up in a defensive gesture. "Me? Gossip? Never."

He grinned, his eyes practically sparkling with mischief. "I'm just trying to be a supportive friend. And a curious one."

Jeonghan huffed, trying to maintain his annoyed facade, but it was hard to keep it up against Joshua's playful demeanor.

"Right. Because supportive friends always want to know the intimate details of their comrade's love life."

Jeonghan let out an exasperated sigh, both amused and slightly embarrassed by Joshua's relentless curiosity. "There's nothing to tell." he protested, even as he could feel a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Shut up don't lie I heard both of you last, last... month at his room."

Jeonghan's blush deepened, the blood rushing to his cheeks. "You..." he sputtered, at a loss for words.

"You...you heard us?" he managed, his voice a mix of embarrassment and disbelief.

"Of course, I did!" Joshua exclaimed, his grin widening. "The walls aren't exactly the thickest here, you know."

He leaned back, clearly enjoying Jeonghan's mortification. "And let me tell you, the sounds I heard were very...interesting, to say the least."

Jeonghan was sure the embarrassment would consume him whole at this point. He dropped his head into his hands, the heat from his cheeks almost burning his palms.

"Oh my God." he mumbled, his voice muffled.

Joshua chuckled again, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Every sound." he confirmed, clearly enjoying Jeonghan's discomfort.

"It was quite the...educational experience." he added slyly, his tone suggestive.

Jeonghan groaned, the embarrassment almost unbearable now. "Please, stop." he pleaded, his voice strained. "We don't have to talk about this, okay?"

He looked up at Joshua, his eyes a mix of pleading and mortification. "Can we...can we talk about something else, please?"

Joshua relented, a hint of mercy in his expression. "Okay, okay." he said, his tone lighter. "We'll drop the topic...for now."

His smirk though, remained. "But just know, I'll probably bring it up again someday. Just warning you."

Jeonghan tried to maintain his irritated facade, but it was hard against Joshua's infectious laughter.

"You really are the worst." he muttered, though a hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

Despite the embarrassment moments ago, the talk had been helpful. It had cleared some doubts, reinforced some truths. He would talk to Seungcheol, he decided. He would try to make things right.

Jeonghan watched silently as Haneul played, a soft smile on his face. The night was peaceful, the quiet broken only by Haneul's soft giggles.

He let out a sigh, the calmness of the moment contrasting with the tumultuous emotions inside him. Thoughts of Seungcheol, of making things right, of the talk with Joshua, all danced in his mind.

He tried to push them aside, to just focus on Haneul and the moment. But the thoughts were persistent, and they kept bubbling to the surface, nagging at the edges of his mind.

He reached out, ruffling Haneul's hair gently. The boy looked up, a wide grin on his face. Jeonghan smiled back, the sight of Haneul's happy face managing to soothe some of the turmoil inside him.

And yet, the thoughts remained, a constant buzz in the background. He couldn't escape them, not completely. The thought of having to talk to Seungcheol, of potentially opening up and being vulnerable, it was both tantalizing and terrifying.

But he knew he couldn't avoid it forever. At some point, he'd have to face Seungcheol, and that thought alone made his stomach flutter with both fear and anticipation.

"What are you thinking daddy?"

Jeonghan was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Haneul's voice, the boy's innocent question catching him off guard.

He looked down, a small smile on his face. "Just...thinking about some grown-up things, chipmunk. " he replied gently, running a hand through Haneul's hair.

Haneul looked up, his wide eyes curious. "Grown-up things?" he repeated, his childish innocence making Jeonghan's heart warm.

"What kind of grown-up things?" he asked, clearly eager to know.

Jeonghan chuckled softly. "Well," he began, trying to choose his words carefully. "Just...things that grown-ups have to worry about sometimes."

He paused, considering how much he should really say. Haneul was still young, too young to understand the complexities of life and adult relationships.

Haneul frowned and pouted. "Cheol uncle also told me something like that."

Jeonghan was surprised by Haneul's comment. "He did?" he asked, a pang of curiosity and perhaps a hint of worry in his voice.

He looked down at Haneul, trying to discern if the boy really understood whatever Seungcheol had told him.

Haneul nodded, his expression serious. "He said you and him don't get along," he said, the simplicity of his words belying the complexity of the situation.

"He said you hurt him?"

Jeonghan felt a stab of guilt at the words. Haneul's simple question, echoing the truth, hit harder than he expected it to.

He took a deep breath, trying to find the right response. "I...yes," he admitted, the word feeling heavy on his tongue. "I did hurt him."

Haneul looked at Jeonghan, his young mind trying to process the information. "Why?" he asked, his voice small and confused.

Jeonghan looked down, the weight of his guilt almost palpable. How was he supposed to explain the complexities of his past, of his relationship with Seungcheol, to a child barely out of toddlerhood?

"Cheol uncle said he was angry because you hurt his heart."

Jeonghan cringed inwardly. The simplicity of a child's understanding somehow made the situation seem even more painful.

"Yes," he said quietly, unable to deny it. "I...I hurt his heart."

He looked down at Haneul, the boy's innocent eyes filled with confusion and a hint of upset. "But you know, sometimes, people do things that hurt others, even without meaning to."

Haneul nodded slowly, a frown still on his face. "But...it's not good to hurt people," he said.

Jeonghan nodded, a lump forming in his throat. "You're right," he said softly, the weight of his guilt almost suffocating. "It's not good to hurt people, especially not the people we care about."

He looked down at Haneul, his heart aching at the sight of the boy's confusion. "But sometimes," he continued, his voice strained, "Sometimes, we make mistakes. And those mistakes can hurt people, even if we didn't mean to."

After a moment of silence, Haneul looked back up at Jeonghan, his eyes wide and a little solemn. "You...you made a mistake," he said, the statement more of a realization for himself than a question.

Jeonghan nodded, the lump in his throat growing larger. "Yes..." he confessed, the words thick in his throat. "I made a mistake. And it hurt Seungcheol."

Haneul was quiet again, his young mind seeming to process this. Jeonghan watched him, his heart aching in his chest. He hated that Haneul had to be a part of this, that his mess with Seungcheol had affected the little boy.

"But he will forgive you right if you say sorry right?"

Jeonghan's heart clenched the innocence and simplicity of a child's trust and forgiveness was both endearing and daunting.

"It's...it's not always that easy." Jeonghan said quietly. "Sometimes, even if we say we're sorry, the person we hurt still needs time to forgive us."

Haneul frowned again, clearly not quite understanding. "But...why?" he asked, the childish logic of 'say sorry, and everything is forgiven' still ingrained in his young mind.

Jeonghan sighed. "Because sometimes," he began. "People... their feelings are hurt deeply, and it doesn't heal instantly just because we say we're sorry. It takes time."

Haneul seemed to digest this, his expression still a mix of confusion and curiosity. "And...and Cheol uncle...he needs more time?" he asked, his innocent eyes wide.

Jeonghan nodded again, the guilt and the sadness almost overwhelming him. "Yes.." he said softly, the words hard to get out. "He...he needs more time. And we have to give him that time."

Haneul was silent for a moment, seemingly mulling over Jeonghan's words. "But you'll say sorry, right?" he asked, his small voice filled with a mix of hope and pleading.

Jeonghan felt his heart shatter a little bit more. Haneul's innocent plea for him to fix things, to say the magic word 'sorry' and make everything better, it was almost too much to bear.

"Yes.. chipmunk." he said, his voice strained with emotion. "I will say sorry. I promise."

Haneul's face brightened at Jeonghan's promise, the hopefulness in his eyes almost tangible. Jeonghan felt a pang in his heart, the weight of his promise heavy on his shoulders.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, that saying sorry wouldn't immediately fix the mess he had created. But looking at Haneul's hopefulexpression, he felt a renewed determination to try.

Jeonghan spoke. "You know you are the best thing that happened to me."

Haneul's face lit up at Jeonghan's words, a wide, gummy smile spreading across his face.

"Am I?" he asked, his voice filled with innocent wonder. There was a hint of disbelief in his tone, as if he couldn't quite comprehend the significance of Jeonghan's words.

Jeonghan's heart ached at Haneul's response. The fact that the boy, so young and innocent, didn't fully grasp his value to Jeonghan was a painful reminder of the harsh realities of life.

"Yes." Jeonghan said gently, looking straight into Haneul's eyes. "You are my greatest joy, my little miracle. The best thing that ever happened to me."

Haneul let out a soft giggle as Jeonghan pulled him into his lap, the boy's body fitting snugly against Jeonghan's. Jeonghan wrapped his arms around Haneul, the touch of the boy's small, warm body so unbelievably grounding.

He rested his chin on Haneul's head, savoring the moment. The boy's presence, so carefree and filled with love, had a soothing effect on Jeonghan.

"Remember, Haneul." he whispered softly, his voice a gentle promise. "You're the most important thing in my life, okay?"

Haneul nodded, snuggling closer to Jeonghan. He didn't fully understand the depth of Jeonghan's words, but he could feel the love and sincerity in them.

"I love you, daddy." he said, his voice filled with pure, childish affection.

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