Jeonghan felt his heart swell at Haneul's innocent declaration. He pulled the boy closer to him, burying his face in the boy's soft hair.

"I love you too." he whispered, the words a fierce promise and a gentle murmur. "More than you'll ever know."

Jeonghan gently traced Haneul's cheeks, his fingers almost trembling against the boy's soft skin. The gesture was both tender and bittersweet, the love he felt for Haneul intertwining with the pain of the situation.

A lump formed in his throat as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. The mix of love and heartache was almost too much to bear, but he fought back his tears, not wanting to upset the boy on his lap.

"You're such a precious gift, Haneul," he murmured, his voice thick with unbidden tears. "Daddy is so lucky to have you."

Haneul seemed to sense Jeonghan's emotions. He looked up at Jeonghan, his eyes wide and innocent, his small hand reaching up to touch Jeonghan's face.

"Why are you sad, daddy?"

Jeonghan felt his heart break a little more at Haneul's question. The boy's innocence and pure concern only intensified the storm of emotions within Jeonghan.

He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to compose himself. "I'm...not sad." he lied, his voice cracking slightly. "Just a little tired, that's all."

Haneul furrowed his brow slightly, his lips pursing in a small pout. "You look sad," he said, his voice filled with a childish honesty. "You look like you're going to cry."

Jeonghan knew he should continue to deny it, to maintain the facade, but the weight of his emotions and Haneul's innocent observation were too much.

He felt a tear escape his eyes, rolling down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away, but not before Haneul had noticed.

Haneul's eyes widened at the sight of Jeonghan's tear, his small hand reaching out to touch Jeonghan's cheek again. "Daddy," he whispered, his voice filled with a child's concern. "Why are you crying?"

Jeonghan swallowed hard, the lump in his throat growing bigger. He tried to put on a brave face, to smile for Haneul's sake. But the tear, the evidence of his pain, was undeniable.

"It's...it's nothing." he lied, his voice quivering. "I just...I just have a little something in my eye."

Jeonghan pulled Haneul closer, holding him tightly as his body trembled with sobs. The facade he'd tried so hard to maintain crumbled, and he let the tears fall freely.

He buried his face in Haneul's hair, feeling the boy's small arms wrapped around his neck, offering comfort despite not understanding the cause of Jeonghan's pain.

"I...I'm sorry.. Haneul.." Jeonghan managed between sobs, the words caught in his throat. "I'm sorry for everything."

He squeezed Haneul tighter, his emotions completely overwhelming him. The weight of his guilt, his love for Haneul, and the pain of his broken relationship with Seungcheol, it all poured out in a wave of tearful, desperate sobs.

Haneul seemed to sense Jeonghan's pain, his small body still, his grip on Jeonghan as tight as a child could muster. There was a moment of quiet, the only sound being Jeonghan's sobs and the soft hush of their breaths.

"It's...it's okay, daddy," Haneul whispered finally, his voice soft and comforting.

"No...no, it's not okay," he managed to choke out between sobs. His grip on Haneul was tight, almost desperate, as if holding onto the boy would anchor him to reality. "I've...I've done bad things...things that hurt not just your Cheol uncle, but...but you too."

Haneul moved slightly, just enough to look up at Jeonghan. His wide, innocent eyes seemed so old in the moment, as if they were already seeing more than they should in this life.

"But...but you'll fix it, right?" he asked, his voice still soft and full of innocent hope. "You'll say sorry, and everything will be okay again."

Jeonghan's lips trembled as he kissed Haneul's forehead, his heart filled with a mixture of love and guilt. The words spilled out of him like a torrent, each 'sorry' punctuated by a ragged sob.

"I'm sorry." he repeated, his voice hoarse. "I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for hurting you, for making you part of this mess, for...for everything."

Jeonghan's heart ached as he spoke, the weight of his failures pressing down on him.

"I...I've failed you.." he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I've failed as a father. I'm...I'm not what you deserve."

Haneul's small hand wiped at Jeonghan's face, his touch gentle and soothing. "Don't say that, daddy," he said, his voice soft. "You're the best dad."

Jeonghan looked into Haneul's eyes and saw only love and trust. The simple statement from the boy almost broke him.

"No.. Haneul.." he choked out, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm not. A good dad...a good dad doesn't hurt their child, doesn't put them in the middle of their own mess. I...I'm not doing right by you."

"You are." Haneul said firmly, his small hand still on Jeonghan's face. "You are a good dad. The best. You love me, and you take care of me, and you make me laugh. That's what dads do."

Jeonghan's heart thumped against his chest at Haneul's words. The boy's belief and faith in him, despite everything, was almost too much to bear.

"I...I don't deserve you." he whispered, his voice cracking. "You're so pure, so full of love. And I...I'm just...I'm just a mess."

Haneul's small fingers traced Jeonghan's wet face, a tender gesture full of love. "No. You're my dad, and you're the best. Even if you're a mess, you're my mess. And I love you, no matter what."

Jeonghan's heart ached in the most beautiful and unbearable way. He didn't know how to respond, how to accept this love and trust when he felt so undeserving.

So he did the only thing he could do. He held Haneul even tighter, his tears falling onto the boy's soft hair, his voice a shattered whisper. "You don't know me Haneul.. you don't know what I have done what I face."

Haneul's small arms wrapped around Jeonghan's neck, his embrace surprisingly strong for a child.

"I know enough, daddy." he said quietly, his voice gentle and soothing. "I know that you're hurt, that you're scared. I know that you're dealing with things I don't understand. But that doesn't change how I feel about you. You're still my dad, and I still love you."

Jeonghan's heart constricted as he heard Haneul's words.

"You...you don't know the things I've done." he managed to choke out, his voice thick with emotion. "The things I've had to do. If you knew, you...you wouldn't look at me the same."

"Yes, I would." Haneul insisted, his voice firm despite his age. "Because you're still you, daddy. And nothing could change how I feel about you."

"You...you're too good for me." Jeonghan murmured, his tears soaking into the silky strands. "I don't deserve you."

Haneul said "You do. You deserve all the love in the world, daddy. Because you're the best dad in the world."

"You...you shouldn't say things like that," Jeonghan choked out through tears. "I...I'm not a good person, Haneul. There's so much you don't know."

Haneul cuddled closer to Jeonghan, his small body a warm, comforting presence. "I don't care." he said softly, his voice filled with the simple logic of a child. "You're my dad, no matter what you've done. And I'm going to love you and forgive you, no matter what."

Jeonghan felt a fresh wave of tears as Haneul spoke.

"You shouldn't forgive me so easily." he whispered, his voice thick with guilt and regret. "Not before...not before knowing what I've actually done."

Haneul's small hand patted Jeonghan's head, his touch gentle and comforting. "Doesn't matter," he said simply. "Even if you've done bad things, even if you hurt people, I'll still love you. Because you're my dad."

Jeonghan's heart ached at Haneul's words. How could Haneul, so young and innocent, love him so much when Jeonghan knew the depths of his faults and failures?

He buried his face in Haneul's hair, his tears staining the boy's soft locks. "You...you really mean that?" he whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of hope and despair.

"I do, daddy." Haneul said quietly. "No matter what you've done, no matter what you haven't told me, I'm going to love you. You're my dad, and that's never going to change."

Jeonghan closed his eyes, letting the weight of Haneul's words sink in. The boy's love, so pure and unconditional, was both a comfort and a source of guilt. How could he possibly deserve this love, when he knew the depths of his sins?

But in that moment, with Haneul's small body nestled against his, Jeonghan decided to accept this love. Even if he didn't feel worthy, even if he knew he would only fail the boy in the future, he would hold onto this love for as long as he could.

Jeonghan closed his eyes, feeling Haneul's warmth against him. The boy's gentle pressure, the sound of his steady breathing, all served to soothe Jeonghan's weary heart, if just a little.

For a moment, he let himself forget about the pain, the guilt, and the future. He just held Haneul, cherishing the moment of peace in the midst of the storm.

Haneul's small voice broke the silence, a hint of shyness in his tone. "Can I...can I ask something, daddy?"

Jeonghan opened his eyes, feeling the boy's small body shifting against his chest. "Of course." he said, his voice soft. "You can ask me anything."

Haneul's small arm fidgeted against Jeonghan's chest, a small sign of his childish nervousness. "Um." he began, his voice small. "If...if I asked you a question, you'd have to promise to answer me truthfully. No lying."

Jeonghan felt a pang in his chest. The boy's expectation that Jeonghan would always speak the truth, was almost too much to bear, considering the lies he had told.

But he couldn't deny Haneul. He never could. "Yes." he said quietly. "I promise to answer truthfully."

Haneul was quiet for a moment, seemingly thinking about how to phrase his question. Then, in a soft voice, he asked, "Daddy, do you...do you love Cheol uncle?"

Jeonghan's heart lurched in his chest at Haneul's question. He hadn't expected the boy to ask about his relationship with Seungcheol, not tonight.

"It's...it's complicated." he finally said, his voice tight. "But...but yes, I do love Cheol uncle. Very much."

There was a pause from Haneul, the boy taking in Jeonghan's answer. Then, his small voice spoke again. "Then...why are you not together? If you love him so much, why aren't you with him?"

Jeonghan felt a lump form in his throat at Haneul's question. He took another deep breath, his heart heavy. "It's...it's not that simple." he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Sometimes, even when two people love each other very much...they can't be together. Sometimes, the world doesn't let them."

Haneul was quiet for a moment, the weight of Jeonghan's words slowly sinking in. Then he asked another question, his voice softer this time. "Is...is it because...because Cheol uncle is mad at you?"

Jeonghan took a shaky breath, his voice raw as he answered. "Yes.." he admitted. "Yes, Cheol uncle is mad at me. Very mad."

Jeonghan watched as Haneul got off his lap, the boy's small body wriggling out of his embrace. He felt a pang of loss at the absence of the boy's warmth, but he kept quiet, watching as Haneul stood in front of him, a determined look in his eyes.

Jeonghan watched, confused and a bit panicked, as Haneul waddled out of the room. He quickly got to his feet, his heart pounding a little in his chest. "Haneul, where are you going?" he called out, his voice tinged with a hint of anxiety.

"I am coming wait." Haneul said as he disappeared out of the room.

Jeonghan paused, his heart still thumping a little too fast in his chest. He trusted Haneul, he really did, but he also knew the boy still had a tendency to act impulsively. He stood there, waiting, his eyes fixed on the door through which Haneul had exited.

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