Seungcheol's heart thumped in his chest. The moment he had been dreading had arrived. He nodded wordlessly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

The room seemed to shrink as the door closed, leaving them in a thick, silent tension. The only sound was Haneul's soft hiccups from Jeonghan's arms, his small body still quivering with lingering sobs.

Jeonghan gently stroked Haneul's hair, hushing him softly before shifting the boy in his arms to rest against his shoulder. Once Haneul's sobs had quieted a bit, Jeonghan looked up, his gaze fixed on Seungcheol.

"We need to talk." he spoke, his voice gentle yet determined.

There was a moment of silence as Seungcheol waited. The weight of unspoken words and strained emotions hanging heavily between them. Then, Jeonghan swallowed hard and let the words spill out.

"I'm sorry." his voice a whisper, echoing a sentiment that had been lodged in his chest for what felt like forever. "I'm sorry for...for everything. I'm sorry."

Seungcheol said nothing, his face giving nothing away. He stood there, looking at Jeonghan, the words hanging in the thick air between them.

Finally, he reached up and brushed his hair back calminghis own racing heart down. His voice sounding almost weary as he spoke. "I know you're sorry." He said, his tone neutral yet tinged with a hint of sadness.

Jeonghan's heart sank at Seungcheol's reply. The man's tone, the resignation in it, it...it wasn't what he had hoped for. He had expected anger, expected shouts and accusations. But this...this was somehow worse.

"That's it?" Jeonghan asked, disbelief creeping into his voice. "You're not even going to yell at me? You're just going to stand there and say 'I know you're sorry'?"

Seungcheol sighed softly, his shoulders tensing a bit. "What else do you want me to say?" he asked, his voice still carefully neutral. "You apologized. I'm not going to yell at you."

"I want you to scream at me," Jeonghan snapped, frustration slipping into his tone. "I want you to yell and curse and punch me if you need to. I don't want this cold, stoic act you're putting on!"

Haneul, who had been resting against Jeonghan, stirred at the tone of Jeonghan's voice. The boy lifted his head from Jeonghan's shoulder, his small eyes widening as he looked between his father and Uncle Cheol.

Jeonghan felt the boy's movement and quickly tried to soften his tone, his hand returning to stroke Haneul's hair.

"Sorry, buddy." he murmured, his voice more gentle once again. "Didn't mean to scare you."

Haneul nuzzled against Jeonghan's chest, his small fingers gripping the collar of Jeonghan's shirt. He was tense, still shaken by the sudden rise in voices.

Jeonghan held the boy tighter, his hand continuing to stroke his hair. He couldn't let Haneul get involved in this, not when things were already so tense between him and Seungcheol.

Haneul cuddled closer, his small body seeking comfort and security in his arms. He peeked over Jeonghan's shoulder, eyes wide and wary as they looked at Seungcheol.

Seungcheol held Haneul's gaze for a moment, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He sighed and walked towards the bed, taking a seat on the opposite edge of where Jeonghan was holding Haneul.

The bed creaked softly under Seungcheol's weight, the silence in the room growing thicker. Haneul fidgeted in Jeonghan's arms, the boy able to feel the tension between the two men.

Jeonghan watched as Seungcheol settled on the bed, his heart thumping in anticipation. The man was so close now, close enough that Jeonghan could almost reach out and touch him - almost but not quite.

The distance between them felt like a chasm, as if an invisible wall separated them. It felt impossible, the space between them stretching even though physically, they were only a few feet apart.

Haneul reached out cautiously towards Seungcheol's hand, his small fingers wrapping around Seungcheol much larger ones.

Seungcheol looked down, his gaze softening a little as his hand was engulfed by the boy's tiny grasp. He let Haneul hold onto his fingers, making no move to pull away from the boy's innocent gesture.

The sight of Haneul's small fingers around Seungcheol's large hand made Jeonghan's heart ache, the innocent gesture such a stark contrast to the tension and hurt between the two men.

Haneul seemed to sense the slight change in Seungcheol's mood, the softness in the man's expression encouraging the boy to continue his contact. The boy held onto Seungcheol's fingers tightly.

Seungcheol looked up from Haneul's fingers, his gaze meeting Jeonghan's for a fleeting moment. There was a softening in his eyes, an emotion so subtle that it was hard to catch if one didn't know him well.

The softness in Seungcheol's gaze sent a surge of hope through Jeonghan's chest, the small indication of a crack in the man's cool facade.

Jeonghan felt his heart quicken, his chest becoming tight with anticipation. He could see it, how Haneul's innocent gesture was getting through to Seungcheol, how the boy's soft touch was breaking through the man's walls, however slightly it might be.

Haneul looked up at Seungcheol, his small fingers still gripping the man's hand. "Uncle Cheol." he whispered in a small voice. "I really want you and daddy to make up."

Seungcheol's expression softened even further with Haneul's words. He looked down at the boy, his heart aching a little. The sincerity in Haneul's voice was impossible not to feel touched by his innocent plea. He swallowed hard, his gaze shifting from Haneul to Jeonghan, who was watching them both intently, waiting for his next move.

Seungcheol met Jeonghan's gaze for a moment, a silent conversation passing between them. There was a mix of emotions in that moment - hesitation and uncertainty, mixed with a hint of longing.

The pause felt like an eternity, the silence heavy with possibilities. Then, finally, Seungcheol exhaled softly and looked down at Haneul, his expression still a little guarded but less tense.

"Haneul, can I ask you something?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with something that sounded almost like vulnerability.

Haneul let out a small giggle, his fingers giving Seungcheol's hand a little squeeze. "Does that mean you're not mad at daddy anymore?" he asked, completely changing Seungcheol question, his small voice filled with hope.

Seungcheol smiled faintly, the sight of Haneul's hopeful expression tugging at his heart. "I'm still working on it." he said, his gaze flicking up at Jeonghan before looking back at the him. "But...I need to talk to your dad for a bit to work some things out. Can you give us some space for a moment?"

Haneul's smile faded a bit, replaced by a look of slight disappointment. "But I want to stay." he protested, his grip on Seungcheol's hand tightening. "I want to hear what you're going to say."

Seungcheol let out another soft sigh, his heart aching at Haneul's plea. But he knew this talk was something he and Jeonghan needed to have alone, without interference or influence from a child too young to understand the complexity of the situation.

"I know." he replied gently, his hand patting the boy's small fingers. "But some conversations are better without little ears around. Can you give us five minutes?"

Haneul was quiet for a moment, his small brow furrowed in childish contemplation. Then, he looked up at Jeonghan, who had been watching the conversation silently. "Is it okay, daddy?" he asked, his voice small and uncertain.

Jeonghan felt a pang in his heart at Haneul's question. He wanted to say no, to keep the boy with him, but he knew Seungcheol was right. Some talks were better without little ears around.

He gave Haneul a small, comforting smile. "It's okay." he said. "Go wait in your room. I'll come to you in a little bit, okay? Seungcheol and I just need to talk for a moment."

Haneul frowned deeper, not quite satisfied with the answer but knowing better than to argue with his father. With a small pout, he released Seungcheol's hand and clambered off the bed. "I'll be waiting." he muttered a little petulantly before leaving the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Once Haneul was gone, the room fell silent. The absence of the boy's presence was tangible, the weight of the talk they were about to have becoming more pronounced in the quiet. Jeonghan let out a soft exhale, his eyes still on the closed door.

Seungcheol stayed silent, his gaze fixed on his own hands now that Haneul's small fingers were no longer around them. The absence of the boy's innocent touch made Seungcheol's heart ache a little, but also reinforced that this talk, as hard as it was going to be, needed to happen. Just him and Jeonghan, without any distractions or buffers.

Jeonghan shifted on the bed, his gaze moving from the door to Seungcheol. The silence was heavy and uncomfortable. He swallowed hard, after a few more seconds of silence, he finally spoke up.

"Seungcheol." he began. "I...I don't know where to start. There's so much I want to say, so much I need to say..."

Seungcheol looked up, his eyes locking with Jeonghan's. There was a mixture of sadness and pain in his gaze, a mirror image of Jeonghan's own feelings. "Then just talk." he said softly. "Say whatever you need to. I'm listening."

Jeonghan took a deep breath, his heart beating faster. He didn't know where to start, there was so much pent-up emotion, so many unspoken words. But he knew he had to start somewhere.

"First." Jeonghan began, his voice shaky, "I have to say I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. For the secrets, for the lies, for the pain I've caused you-"

Seungcheol held up a hand, interrupting Jeonghan. He sighed softly, his expression still guarded. "I know." he said quietly. "You've said so already. You're sorry. Sorry for everything."

Jeonghan fell silent, his heart clenching at the bluntness of Seungcheol's words. But he knew he deserved it. He deserved the coldness, the detachment in Seungcheol's voice.

"I know." he repeated, his voice quieter now. "But I want you to know I really am sorry, Cheol. I never meant for any of this to happen-"

"But it did." Seungcheol said sharply, his voice cutting through Jeonghan's. "It happened. And there's no going back. No matter how many times you say you're sorry, that doesn't change what happened."

Jeonghan flinched at the coldness in Seungcheol's voice, his heart aching. But he knew Seungcheol was right. The past couldn't be erased, no matter how much they both wished it could be.

"I know." he whispered, his eyes dropping to his hands. "I know there's no going back. I just..." He paused, swallowing down the lump in his throat. "I just wish there was."

Seungcheol was quiet for a moment, his gaze on Jeonghan's bowed head. Seeing the other man so defeated, so full of self-blame, it tugged at his heart in a way he didn't want it to. But he couldn't let himself soften too much, not yet. They had barely scratched the surface of the conversation that needed to be had.

"Jeonghan." he said, his voice slightly gentler now. "I need you to be honest with me. Completely honest."

Jeonghan looked up, their gazes meeting again. The seriousness in Seungcheol's eyes was evident, the weight of the conversation growing heavier.

"I've always been honest with you." Jeonghan said, his voice wavering a little. "But what more is there to be honest about? I...I've told you everything, I-"

"No." Seungcheol replied, his voice firm. "No, you haven't. There's something you've been holding back, something you still haven't been completely honest about. I can feel it."

Jeonghan's heart froze in his chest. He had hoped, he had prayed, that he'd been able to hide it well. But here they were, with the man knowing there was more to the story.

"I..." Jeonghan began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I...I don't know what you're talking about. I've told you everything, I swear, I-"

Seungcheol leaned forward a bit, his gaze locked with Jeonghan's. "Don't lie to me, Jeonghan." he said, his tone breaking no argument. "I know you too well. I know there's more. Don't make me ask again. Just be honest with me."

Jeonghan swallowed hard, his heart feeling as if it were going to burst out of his chest. He knew the moment of truth had come. Still, the thought of admitting it, of putting into words what he had been keeping secret, it was almost too much to bear.

"I...I..." he started, the words sticking in his throat.

"Just say it."

Seungcheol's voice was firm. He knew Jeonghan needed a bit of a nudge, a gentle push towards the honesty he was struggling to voice.

Jeonghan took a deep breath, his hands clenching the sheets as he steeled himself to finally say the words he'd been avoiding. But just as he was about to open his mouth, they were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"Daddy?" came Haneul's small voice from the other side of the door. "Are you guys done yet?"

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Guyssssssss finally I came out of writer's block seriously about to cry because I wasn't being able to write something nice.......

Sorry for waiting so long hope you enjoy!