rabenhorst (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rabenhorst) wrote2011-03-23 06:36 pm
rabenhorst) wrote2011-03-23 06:36 pm
[fic] Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi – SJM – Why Louis Vuitton Should Make Maternity Pants – Oneshot
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PART I
It is Heechul’s idea that he can accompany Zhou Mi to the excessive baby-clothing shopping trip, to ‘spare Kyuhyun’s feet and nerves’ according to his own words, even though they all know he has his selfish reasons to it. Kyuhyun hesitates only for a second, before he hands his (their, he corrects inwardly, sharing a bank account means it has both their earnings) credit card to Zhou Mi, with a reasonable warning.
“If you bring home one single leopard printed piece of baby clothing or accessories, I swear you’ll be sleeping on the couch for a week.” Kyuhyun tries to sound stern, but he can hardly cover the amused glint in his eyes as Zhou Mi pulls off a perfect innocent look, blinking at him from big brown eyes.
“How about Hello Kitty?” It is kind of inevitable, really, when it comes to Zhou Mi.
Kyuhyun groans at that nevertheless, rolling his eyes. “What if they’re boys?” He is vaguely concerned, since what if they will have baby boys and they will be forced to turn girly and love Hello Kitty and pink and glittery things before they even learn to walk? Then again, he isn’t quite sure if that’s such a bad thing in the end.
Zhou Mi arches an eyebrow pointedly, and he doesn’t even need to say anything. Kyuhyun nods. He should’ve known the obvious answer to begin with. “Oh. Right.” Curse grown men and their love for pink and fluffy things, he notes inwardly. And yet he is helplessly and irreversibly in love with one, and wouldn’t change it for the world.
Two minutes later Heechul is dragging the enthusiastically waving Zhou Mi down the street, leaving Kyuhyun and Hangeng behind to spend the following hours as they wish. They at least agreed that it would have nothing to do with shopping. Or anything else that would require spending much money, their better halves would take care of spending everything they had anyway.
Their shopping trip begins with a huge bang and five minutes into it they already both have a plastic bag to carry, the first purchases made. They go through several designer stores, as well as some little boutiques that happen to cross their way. They take turns in being the voice of reason: Zhou Mi tells Heechul it might not be a good idea to buy clothes that make you look like a miniature Lady Gaga, while Heechul stops Zhou Mi from buying every single glittery piece of baby clothing he sees.
Finally they’ve found some kind of a medium and Heechul is humming to himself as he goes through the blankets, trying to find something fluffy and warm for napping. “How about this blue one?” He digs out a navy blue blanket that feels so sinfully soft it must be forbidden. He could buy it for himself, but it is after all a baby blanket and it’s slightly too small.
Zhou Mi doesn’t really even spare it a glance, since he has noticed something else that grabs his attention. “Aw there is one with baby elephants!” He pulls out a light blue blanket with adorable pattern of playing baby elephants and soap bubbles printed on it. He already holds the blanket up to his face, pressing it against his cheek with a soft, happy sigh.
“You and your baby elephants,” Heechul rolls his eyes. A similar scene has replayed already several times that day, as somehow the other man seems to have developed a liking to baby elephants. How, Heechul has no idea, since the only explanation he got had been something about cute and cuddly and not at all coherent. “You would buy everything with baby elephants if you could.”
“Well baby elephants are cute.” Zhou Mi shrugs, his smile even widening as he notices a matching set of sheets. His eyes sparkle and it’s obvious he is as enthusiastic as a kid in a candy store.
That makes Heechul grin, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards as he eyes the scene presented for him. “Maybe you like them since right now you look like one yourself? A long legged elephant, though, but elephant nonetheless.” He suggests, placing his palm on his hip as he resigns to his fate, knowing they’ll be there for a while to admire the blanket and the sheets.
“Could be.” Zhou Mi doesn’t seem to mind the analogy in the slightest. He is still beaming like the sun itself, collecting various items into his arms so he can add them to the ‘maybe pile’. Which is probably going to turn into ‘yes buying these’ pile rather sooner than later. Neither of them has ever been good at leaving anything they like into the shop. “You know, now that we’re here we could get Hangeng and Kyuhyun something too.” Zhou Mi looks up, eyes sparkling.
“Here? In the baby clothes department?” Heechul arches a perfectly plucked eyebrow as he gestures around them at all the baby accessories.
“No!” Zhou Mi laughs as he folds the blanket – the one with the baby elephants – and adds it to the purchases. “We go to the third floor with all the stylish designer stuff. Let’s make our men look dashing!”
“Oh, Hannie did buy me that amazing necklace so I suppose he deserves something nice.” Heechul muses, tapping the floor with his foot. He doesn’t even try to hide the small smirk that stretches his lips as he looks at his friend. “Don’t tell me Kyuhyun did something extra nice lately, though! The man is like the least romantic person on earth.” And that was saying a lot, judging how non-romantic his own choice for a mate was.
“He got me marshmallows at three am when I had a craving,” Zhou Mi informs brightly. Judging by the way his eyes are sparkling he is convinced that is the best thing a man can do to his partner.
Heechul can barely hold back a chuckle, his grin stretching a bit further. “…he is supposed to, Seasoning. He is the one who knocked you up in the first place.”
Zhou Mi just smiles and he looks so utterly happy that there is really nothing one can say to that. Heechul simply heaves a sigh, hooking their arms as he guides his friend towards the escalator to the third floor. “Is there anything that could wipe that grin off your face?” He asks by the way since it feels like the other man has been smiling ever since they began their shopping trip, smiling so bright it never seems to stop. Not that he wants it to change, he is just curious, and whenever he is curious he asks questions, tact be damned.
For a second Zhou Mi frowns, considering the words. “Well, my back is killing me. But there is nothing that a new pair of shoes couldn’t fix!” He decides, the smile back on his lips. Heechul mirrors it, turning in his tracks to guide them to the shoes instead. They could buy presents to their boyfriends later.
Six hours later, Hangeng finally spots something that looks like Heechul and Zhou Mi underneath seven billion plastic and paper bags, approaching the restaurant they had agreed to meet in. Kyuhyun has already had to tell the waiter three times they are still waiting for more company, and they are both relieved that the escapade seems to be over and done with. Not that the amount of bags is calming, and Kyuhyun hopes dearly some of those are Heechul’s purchases and not everything comes out of their bank account.
“Hannie!” Heechul calls already from further away and with a sigh Hangeng gets up from his seat, approaching the two to take those masses of shopping bags off Heechul’s arms. Kyuhyun would get up and help Zhou Mi, too, but he knows from experience that it’s not needed, it’s actually near to impossible to peel those bags away from the other man when he’s all enthusiastic and excited about the shopping trip. So he just waits, sits at the table and grins at the display when Hangeng tries to listen to both Heechul and Zhou Mi. Heechul is obviously complaining loudly about the inadequate service in some shop, while Zhou Mi speaks in such rapid-fire Mandarin it’s impossible to catch even half of it, even with Kyuhyun’s improved skills.
Hangeng doesn’t look all too bothered, though, hiding away a small grin as he finally piles the shopping bags next to the table and helps Heechul off his coat. Zhou Mi plops down right next to Kyuhyun, leaning in to plant a small kiss on his lips. “We had so much fun!” He bursts out happily, having the decency to turn back to Korean from his mother tongue. “Just wait, once we’re home, I’ll show you every single thing we bought and I swear, you will love it all.”
“So is that all yours?” Kyuhyun asks what has been burning on his mind ever since he first spotted the two in the distance a few moments prior. “Please tell me we can still afford to buy food for the rest of the month?” Although he both looks and sounds serious, he knows that Zhou Mi can look straight through him. That is proven when the taller man reaches out and grabs his hand to twine their fingers. “Relax, Kui Xian. What Heechul carried, Heechul bought.”
“And Heechul bought a lot,” the man in question speaks up happily, looking quite proud of himself. It is obvious to anyone two minutes into knowing Heechul how much he loves shopping, and in Zhou Mi he has found someone as enthusiastic as he is. Sometimes Kyuhyun thinks that it’s a wonder those two didn’t end up together, the way they obsess over new trends and fashion together. Then again, it’s kind of nice to be the long suffering husband together with Hangeng while they both roll their eyes at their fashion addicts.
The waiter appears once again and finally they can place their orders, after Heechul has demanded long explanations on the dishes and their nutritional values, deciding on one after a painstakingly long process. Kyuhyun doesn’t really notice though, it’s always like this and besides, he is too busy toying with the ring on Zhou Mi’s finger. It’s not even conscious, a gesture so automatic and so familiar to them both.
A few minutes into the dinner the talk has turned from shopping to the babies, and once more Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi have to go through the whole process thus far, from the ultrasounds to the fact they think they’re going to have either football players or just really flaily kids judging by the amount of kicking they do. Zhou Mi spends a good ten minutes complaining how he doesn’t want his child to turn out a boxer, but it damn well feels like it’ll be one.
All in all, they’re happy though. Even if they’ll get a boxing football player kid. Throughout the whole meal Heechul and Hangeng bicker like the old married couple they’ve been ever since they met, and they have practically grown attached at the hip by now. So Zhou Mi doesn’t think his question is all that far fetched when he speaks up. “So when are you going to get babies?”
Hangeng nearly chokes on his drink. The next minute they have to spend trying to get him to calm down, while he hacks up a lung and tries not to pass out from the lack of air. Heechul’s reaction is less amusing, he simply snorts as he picks on his salad, selecting the next bite carefully before he guides it to his lips. “Never.” Is his curt reply. “Children are only bearable if they’re adults. And not always even then.”
Zhou Mi looks slightly hurt. If it was anyone else, Heechul would just shrug it off and go on about how he finds children completely off-putting, but he (like so many others) has never been good at resisting a pout on that specific face. Somehow Zhou Mi has a way to make everyone want to see him happy. So Heechul hurries to add. “I’m sure your kids will be pure sunshine. An exception to the rule, or something.”
It’s enough to make Zhou Mi smile. And everything is fine in the world again.
When they get home, Zhou Mi enthusiastically shows Kyuhyun what he bought. In the end there is one leopard printed item amongst the shoppings. But considering the fact that it’s a stuffed toy that is supposed to be a leopard, Kyuhyun lets it slide. There isn’t even much Hello Kitty. Instead, Kyuhyun realizes that they will have two of the most fashionably clothed babies in the world (or close enough).
Inwardly, he kisses his next paycheck goodbye. Or two next ones. Or three. But when he watches the happy glow on Zhou Mi’s cheeks, he thinks that maybe it’s not such a bad thing. Money is meant to be spent.
Though he’d have to attend the next shopping trip just to make sure they’d still afford their apartment afterwards.
If someone had told Kyuhyun that nine months is a short time, he would’ve laughed at them, cruelly. Now he realizes that nine months actually is a short time. Besides, they are told that if they make it to seven months they can consider themselves lucky. There are way too many complications and risks, and although sometimes Kyuhyun thinks ignorance is bliss he has read dozens of articles about it, trying to find out everything he can. The information makes his head swim and he thinks he could probably make a damn good doctor by now. Or at least a midwife.
They get lucky indeed and pass the six month mark. Twenty-four precious weeks, while every single day counts. As each day passes, Kyuhyun gets more and more nervous. He tries to force it down, knowing that it’s at least equally bad for Zhou Mi and he doesn’t need a panicking kid to take care of in addition to his condition. Most of the time he is fine, looking forward to what is to come. But sometimes he feels like all this anxiousness is suffocating him.
Looking at the way the growing children have twisted that lanky, gangly body by now, Kyuhyun isn’t all sure if Zhou Mi can actually handle those two little monsters leeching off him much longer. He is as thin as ever, except for where the two small bodies inside of his own are stretching him further. That, combined with the thin arms and long long legs creates an image that is both a little bit scary and endlessly fascinating. He should’ve known he would always think of Zhou Mi as an attractive person, but this even confirms it.
He is just scared. Scared since it almost looks like Zhou Mi’s spine could snap in half any moment, scared since he can’t do anything to help. Except for the chores he does already, trying to force the other man on the couch to rest whenever he can. He doesn’t even let Zhou Mi cook, although his own cooking is famous for being a huge failure. He can heat soup or stuff something into the microwave oven, but that is pretty much everything.
Zhou Mi insists that he won’t break. Kyuhyun forces him into bed anyway, bringing him all kinds of canned foods until Zhou Mi can’t take it anymore and sneaks into the kitchen in the middle of the night to cook something. He might not be the best cook in the world but compared to Kyuhyun he is a five star chef.
When Kyuhyun catches him in the act he only scolds him for a moment, before parking his butt at the table. He is hungry, too. And it makes Zhou Mi smile when he fills them both a full bowl of something – anything – self-made and warm instead of those frozen meals. Sometimes they end up in the middle of a food-war, noodles and veggies flying through the air and sticking to their hair, their clothes and pretty much everywhere. Sometimes they eat in silence, only exchanging soft smiles, occasionally kicking each other underneath the table. Sometimes they talk about everything and nothing. Sometimes, they forget the food and focus on each other.
Always, they enjoy every single second of it.
Kyuhyun wakes up with a start, his heart racing. He blinks several times, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. Dark. It can’t be morning yet, the way it’s so smothering dark in the room, and one glance at the digital numbers of the clock confirm that. 03:48. It’s definitely no time to be awake, and Kyuhyun groans as he drops back into the mattress. He rubs on his eyes, rolling over in an attempt to get the blanket better on top of himself.
Then he hears it again.
The same sound that woke him up resonates through the apartment, a metallic pang that he can not quite identify. He tries to ignore it but then it sounds again, sending him upright in a split second. His eyes are used to the darkness enough that he can confirm the bed is empty, except for himself of course, and he begins to have his own suspicions on where the sound comes from.
Slowly he slides his feet on the floor, grimacing at how cold it is. It takes him three tries to find his slippers and when he pushes them on, he notices that the big toe of his right foot is peeking out. That damn dog, he thinks fondly, deciding to buy a pair of new slippers. For the dog to chew on, he was too fond of this pair to give up on it. With small steps he makes his way towards the kitchen, treading his fingers through the mess of hair that falls on his face continuously.
He stops in the doorway, blinking at the scene in front of him. There are pots and pans scattered all over the worktops, a kettle on the stove and some chopped vegetables… well pretty much everywhere. There is something in the mixer, something that looks like a healthy fruit smoothie or alternately just plain fruitmash. Even the oven seems to be on. There is also a small dog lying on the floor, watching everything from attentive eyes.
And in the middle of everything, there is Zhou Mi.
“What is going on?” Kyuhyun croaks, wincing a little at how undignified he sounds. He is still half-asleep, damnit, and by the looks of it he might as well be dreaming. What is this hurricane that has hit their kitchen? He didn’t really need an answer to that.
Zhou Mi smiles at him over his shoulder, briskly adding something into the kettle, before moving over to chop some spring onions. “Oh, Kui Xian, you should be sleeping! Don’t mind me. I just… well, I had a craving.”
“A craving?” Kyuhyun can’t believe his ears and he tilts his head a bit, looking at the other man like he has finally lost his mind completely. “What kind of a craving turns out kitchen to a battlefield?”
“Mashed potatoes and watermelon!” Zhou Mi announces, with a firm nod and almost angry chopping. Whatever those innocent spring onions did to him, he is at least taking revenge effectively. “That’s how it started.” And indeed there are some watermelon peels and even some slices of the fruit on a plate right next to where Kyuhyun is standing. “Then I started to feel like curry, so I decided to make some, since I am so hungry! It’s like I’m eating for three!”
Kyuhyun refrains from pointing out that he actually is eating for three. Besides, he doesn’t have the time to speak up before Zhou Mi goes on with his explanation. “Then, you know, you can’t really have curry without having mom’s apple pie for dessert. We don’t have any apples so I decided to just go for a peach pie instead. We had some canned peaches in the cupboard. They’re a bit old – something like half a year – but they still looked good and I decided to try. I put the rest of them into the mixer with some bananas we had, and I think it looks delicious. Oh and – ”
This time Kyuhyun doesn’t wait for him to finish but raises his hand, silencing the other man with an impatient gesture. “You do know it’s 4 am?” He asks (or more accurately, he groans), blinking in an attempt to keep his eyes open and focused. Zhou Mi just nods and beams at him. How can someone be this happy at friggin’ four am is beyond Kyuhyun’s comprehension.
For a second Kyuhyun eyes the chaos in the kitchen. He gives up then, heaving himself to sit on the nearest chair beside the table. “Give me some of that fruit mix thing.” He grumbles and in mere seconds he has a glass of bright orange health drink right in front of him. A moment later it is accompanied by a slice of fresh peach pie and Kyuhyun thinks that the peaches don’t taste any weird at all, old or not.
Kyuhyun watches Zhou Mi fuss over his half a dozen projects, obediently tasting everything he sets in front of him. Occasionally he offers snarky comments or useless advice, only to get his head slapped or more pie forced down his throat.
Later he realizes he’s been up for hours. It’s past six am and he is laughing at a stupid joke Zhou Mi just made. He thinks he is slowly going insane.
He doesn’t really mind.
When they reach thirty weeks it’s more than anyone thought they would get to. It’s seven and half months and that is already a victory in itself. Zhou Mi has been ordered to bed-rest for weeks now and he tries very hard to stay still. He watches TV, reads magazines and even actual books, listens to music, surfs online when he manages to steal away Kyuhyun’s laptop, flips through catalogues full of horrendously expensive designer items.
And is bored to death.
Zhou Mi has never been one to stay put for long, he loves being busy, doing things, living on an impulse. So being tied to bed – in the wrong way – has him more than frustrated. Kyuhyun is the one who has to live with that. He already knows how to take the annoyed grumbles and the severe moodswings. The only thing he still isn’t used to is the tears, and he doesn’t think he ever will. He can handle Zhou Mi complaining about the food, saying he’s so fed up with canned things they’re coming out of his ears. But as soon as the first tear appears in those big, clear eyes, he is lost.
Thankfully it doesn’t happen that often and Kyuhyun takes the annoyed, grumbling Zhou Mi over that anytime. Somewhere along the way, Zhou Mi has decided they have to talk about their day in the evening before sleep. That is how they always end up lying in the dark side to side, sometimes the bedside lamp still on. Sometimes Zhou Mi organizes his limbs and cuddles close to Kyuhyun, but it’s easier for him to lie on his back so he doesn’t do it every evening.
When he does, Kyuhyun secretly enjoys it. He never says anything, but he sneaks an arm around Zhou Mi’s shoulders, combs his fingers through his hair, toys with the sleeve of his shirt. It feels so different now that there is a huge belly between them, too, and sometimes it still startles him with its existence.
Zhou Mi’s voice is soft but carries through the darkness, breaking the comfortable silence they both settled in. “You know what, Kui Xian?” He doesn’t really even wait for the answer, all Kyuhyun manages is a soft noise in between, before he goes on already in a slightly annoyed tone. “If we’ll ever get more babies, you will be the mother.”
That now makes Kyuhyun snort and he turns his head a bit to look at the taller man, currently cuddling close with his head on his shoulder. “How so? I thought this was a sign from above. You know, it’s not like we didn’t give it chances to happen both ways. Still it’s you who got knocked up.”
“I think it’s highly unfair.” Zhou Mi frowns. “What makes me a better mother candidate than you? I think you would’ve made a perfect mother! And I can’t stand all this water gathering in my legs! They get ugly!” He whines, and Kyuhyun can’t help but to chuckle a bit. Of course, water in the legs. Zhou Mi hears the snort and protests instantly. “Hey, don’t get all smug on me mister! I swear I – ”
Kyuhyun shuts him up with a kiss. It’s as easy as ever and Zhou Mi practically melts into the contact, bringing his hand up to brush his fingertips over the younger man’s cheek. He doesn’t seem to remember he had anything to complain about anymore.
One kiss turns to two, two kisses turn to three, until they’re both out of breath and their lips are reddened by the contact. Kyuhyun is severely out of breath as he looks Zhou Mi in the eye, trying hard to focus on the words to get them out clearly enough. “Do you think we can? Even with the babies?” He knows that it is clear what he means, if not for any other reason then because his palm is resting in the small of Zhou Mi’s back suggestively.
“Let’s… just be careful?” Zhou Mi breathes out as he rolls on his back, pulling the younger man along. Kyuhyun barely has the time to grin before their lips meet again.
Already for some time it has been difficult for Zhou Mi to actually lie down on the couch properly, so their TV has found a new home in the bedroom, propped on a big cardboard box at the foot of the bed. Zhou Mi doesn’t even remember when he last left the room for more than a trip to the kitchen, the bathroom or once a week to see their doctor. He has resigned to his fate, and even their little dog gets a special permission to jump on the bed. Kyuhyun grumbles about it at first but a couple of days later he props a low chair next to it, just to make it easier for the dog to get on the bed with its short, stubby legs.
It becomes their favourite pastime. Zhou Mi takes up more than half of the bed, settled comfortably against a mountain of pillows and blankets. He is already flipping through channels when Kyuhyun appears in the room with the dog yapping at his feet, a huge bowl of ice cream balanced in his hands. He sneaks on the bed and settles next to Zhou Mi on his knees, handing the bowl to the other man to free his hands. Wordlessly he reaches down to scoop up the dog, and soon they have a happy ball of fur curled up at their feet.
Zhou Mi smiles at that, rewarding Kyuhyun with a soft peck on the lips as the younger man tries to find a good position, settling down in a half-lying position with his head resting on Zhou Mi’s shoulder. His hand finds its way to the other man’s huge belly and silently he strokes long fingers over it, never saying a single word. They share the bowl of ice cream and even only have one spoon after they realized they always ended up feeding each other more than eating themselves.
“The chocolate ice cream is mine!” Zhou Mi claims it instantly, digging the spoon into the cool mass to take the first mouthful. Before, he used to be the type to like the fruity ice creams, everything from mango and strawberry to pear and passion fruit. Now it is all about chocolate though, and he claims it’s the babies. They like chocolate ice cream and of course that explains why he needs to have it all.
Kyuhyun just hums, grinning as he snatches the spoon from Zhou Mi’s long fingers, sighing theatrically around a mouthful of the sweet, chocolaty mass. Zhou Mi frowns but he doesn’t even try to grab the spoon away before he is certain the other man got what he wanted. “Didn’t I just say it was for me?”
“I thought you said it were the babies who like the chocolate stuff?” Kyuhyun points out with one of his typical smirks, amusement dancing in his deep eyes. “Or am I wrong?”
“No.” Zhou Mi admits, but he is still pouting playfully. “You are incredibly mean, Kui Xian. Denying your own children their dosage of chocolate. What if they grow up to be twisted and psychotic now?”
Kyuhyun chuckles, settling back down against the other man, except this time he rests his head on Zhou Mi’s chest instead, closer to the bump of his stomach. “I’m sure they won’t get any more psychotic than they’d already be anyway.” He doesn’t get any further before there is a spoonful of ice cream right in front of his face – chocolate, he realizes contently – and with a happy little hum he closes his lips around the treat.
“You’re right.” Zhou Mi muses, tapping his lower lip with the spoon while thinking of the matter. “And with an uncle like Heechul they will grow up twisted anyway. I bet he is already looking forward to spoiling them rotten.”
“I thought Heechul didn’t like children?” Kyuhyun tilts his head until he can sneak a peek at the other man curiously.
Zhou Mi simply flashes him a smile. “That’s what he tries to make people believe. Trust me, he likes them.” Kyuhyun doesn’t question any further and doesn’t even demand to know where that piece of information comes from. He only makes a soft noise in acknowledgement, just barely getting it out before he is offered another spoonful of ice cream again.
They finish their icy treat in silence and a moment later Kyuhyun reaches to put the bowl on the nightstand. He leans back on his comfortable spot and yelps a little as Zhou Mi sneaks his cold fingers underneath his shirt to warm them up. Still he doesn’t pull away, only shudders palpably while his body tries to regain the heat it just lost. He can feel how Zhou Mi relaxes, how his fingers slowly get warmer again.
It’s such a slow moment they are almost drifting off, sleep lingering somewhere in the edges of their consciousness, alluring them. Zhou Mi has already closed his eyes when there is a soft hum in the room, making him open his eyes automatically. He doesn’t stir when he realized it’s coming from Kyuhyun, when the soft humming is strengthening and slowly turning to words. After a few minutes it’s not only silent notes, it’s clear words and Kyuhyun’s voice gets stronger the more confidence he gains.
It’s a simple lullaby, nothing fancy, and yet Zhou Mi could swear it’s the most beautiful song he has ever heard in his whole life. He closes his eyes again, focuses on the words lingering in the still air. He can feel how Kyuhyun is slowly stroking his stomach, brushing over his hipbone, shifting to press his ear against his chest to hear his heartbeats. It makes him smile and he could swear that his heart is about to burst with the sudden flood of emotion. Moments like this make him believe that yes, they can do this. They will do this.
Zhou Mi doesn’t want to disturb the delicate moment so he pretends he’s asleep. After the song ends Kyuhyun begins another one, going through the whole variety of lullabies he knows and moving smoothly over to romantic ballads. His smooth, satiny voice fills the still air and Zhou Mi thinks this is how he always wants to fall asleep.
That is the last thing on his mind before he sinks into the land of dreams. Even in his sleep he can hear Kyuhyun singing.
Kyuhyun has never been more scared in his life than when he hears he can’t follow into labour. It’s done surgically and he knows he would be just in the way, but it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t want to be there and hold Zhou Mi’s hand through it all. For all of fifteen minutes he lasts alone, biting his knuckles to calm down, but then he digs out his phone and flips through his contacts to figure out who he could call. Sungmin lives too far, he has to discard him instantly. As well as their parents.
Somehow, god only knows how, he ends up dialling Heechul’s number. Half an hour later he has a cup of strong coffee in his hand and a nagging Heechul telling him to stop worrying and start breathing. “It doesn’t help anyone if you pass out, moron. Seasoning needs you awake, not lying in bed with an IV drip!” He means well, everyone knows that, and Kyuhyun can’t help but smile weakly.
While Heechul is like a mother hen, Hangeng is like the steady rock in the ocean and already a reassuring smile from him calms Kyuhyun down a little bit. He allows the two to push him down on one of the uncomfortable chairs and sips his coffee obediently. His fingers are shaking and he feels like crying, although he would never admit that to anyone. He would rather throw himself off a building than admit how shaken he is.
It feels like days but in reality it’s less than four hours, before a smiling nurse appears in the waiting room. “You can go see them in a while. I’ll come get you then!” She congratulates him, and in his dazed state he forgets to ask if they now have girls or boys, all he gets is “both babies are healthy and everything went fine!” before the woman disappears again.
Kyuhyun doesn’t even realize he is grinning like an idiot before Heechul’s voice drags him back to reality. “Hey, Earth to Kyuhyun. Wipe that stupid smile off your face and give me a hug!” He orders and Kyuhyun is too fazed to even argue, he simply pulls Heechul into a bone-crushing hug. He doesn’t manage to get rid of his grin, though. There’s no way in hell.
After a quick phone call to his parents and Zhou Mi’s parents, he is finally ready to greet his family. Kyuhyun is practically glowing, ready to burst with pride. They made this happen. They survived the first obstacle course and now… well now they would just need to raise the children, make sure they would turn out responsible adults and wouldn’t injure themselves severely, watch over them until they would start their own lives. No biggie.
Zhou Mi is lying in bed, propped up against the headboard and he has a big roll of blankets in each arm. Except that each of those blanket-rolls is actually a baby, and Kyuhyun feels like fainting – again – already when he steps closer to them. Zhou Mi is smiling despite the tiredness, practically radiating happiness. And Kyuhyun is certain his own grin is big enough to break his face in half.
The first thing he does is steal a chaste kiss from Zhou Mi, bury his nose into those soft strands of hair and inhale that familiar scent deeply. Slowly he strokes his lover’s cheek with his thumb, runs his fingertips down his long neck. He doesn’t have any words for how happy he is that everything went fine, that Zhou Mi is fine, but he doesn’t even need to. The other man knows how he feels anyway. After another second he finally pulls back, swallowing as he gets ready to meet the new additions to the family.
The little girl looks so much like a girl-version of Zhou Mi that when Kyuhyun sees her the first time he laughs. The picture is complete from the long, scrunched up nose to the sweetly pursed lips, and Kyuhyun falls in love right then and there. The girl is awake, making unhappy gargling noises that fade when Kyuhyun softly touches her cheek.
“See! She smiled at you!” Zhou Mi’s excitement is palpable, and Kyuhyun doesn’t have the heart to tell him that babies don’t smile for real before they’re a couple of months old. Besides, somehow it seems fitting that Zhou Mi’s child would be born smiling. That’s what his mother says of him. So he smiles too, thinking that if his baby girl smiled at him, she definitely deserves to have the favour returned.
The little boy looks like Kyuhyun. That’s what Zhou Mi insists, but Kyuhyun can only see an adorable, wrinkly baby-face and can’t really see anything of himself there. Maybe when the boy grows older? He doesn’t know, and he doesn’t even really care since he knows that the babies are gorgeous and perfect, ten little fingers and ten little toes, everything he ever wanted. Everything he could’ve asked for.
They sit there until the nurses come and try to shoo Kyuhyun out, insisting it’s the time for the babies to get some food. After a little bit of pleading and two sets of begging puppy eyes later, Kyuhyun is allowed to stay and the two feed their babies for the first time, together. Kyuhyun has troubles balancing the bottle but the little girl doesn’t seem to mind. Zhou Mi is a natural, grinning at Kyuhyun as he sways the little boy in his arms.
It feels surreal. And they both know they will get tired of feeding and changing diapers and listening to baby-screams but right now, everything feels like magic.
It takes surprisingly little effort for them to settle into a routine. They are constantly exhausted, they never get enough sleep or a proper moment for themselves, they worry too much and they still need to learn the babies won’t break so easily. They get used to the smell of poop and puke. They take turns to calm down the crying children in the middle of the night. They have frantic visits to the doctor, too enthusiastic friends and overprotective grandparents.
They laugh. They live. They love. Zhou Mi sings to the babies in Chinese, Kyuhyun sings to them in Korean. Sometimes they sing together in a mix of both languages.
Eventually, that is the only thing that matters. They started this the same way they will finish this.
Together.
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11 586 words
I… have no excuse. Overdosage of sugar, anyone? I can’t help it I love mushy stuff ;___;and the sequel would be Kyuhyun getting knocked up and Zhou Mi being all gleeful about it since now it’s his turn to suffer XD
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PART I
It is Heechul’s idea that he can accompany Zhou Mi to the excessive baby-clothing shopping trip, to ‘spare Kyuhyun’s feet and nerves’ according to his own words, even though they all know he has his selfish reasons to it. Kyuhyun hesitates only for a second, before he hands his (their, he corrects inwardly, sharing a bank account means it has both their earnings) credit card to Zhou Mi, with a reasonable warning.
“If you bring home one single leopard printed piece of baby clothing or accessories, I swear you’ll be sleeping on the couch for a week.” Kyuhyun tries to sound stern, but he can hardly cover the amused glint in his eyes as Zhou Mi pulls off a perfect innocent look, blinking at him from big brown eyes.
“How about Hello Kitty?” It is kind of inevitable, really, when it comes to Zhou Mi.
Kyuhyun groans at that nevertheless, rolling his eyes. “What if they’re boys?” He is vaguely concerned, since what if they will have baby boys and they will be forced to turn girly and love Hello Kitty and pink and glittery things before they even learn to walk? Then again, he isn’t quite sure if that’s such a bad thing in the end.
Zhou Mi arches an eyebrow pointedly, and he doesn’t even need to say anything. Kyuhyun nods. He should’ve known the obvious answer to begin with. “Oh. Right.” Curse grown men and their love for pink and fluffy things, he notes inwardly. And yet he is helplessly and irreversibly in love with one, and wouldn’t change it for the world.
Two minutes later Heechul is dragging the enthusiastically waving Zhou Mi down the street, leaving Kyuhyun and Hangeng behind to spend the following hours as they wish. They at least agreed that it would have nothing to do with shopping. Or anything else that would require spending much money, their better halves would take care of spending everything they had anyway.
Their shopping trip begins with a huge bang and five minutes into it they already both have a plastic bag to carry, the first purchases made. They go through several designer stores, as well as some little boutiques that happen to cross their way. They take turns in being the voice of reason: Zhou Mi tells Heechul it might not be a good idea to buy clothes that make you look like a miniature Lady Gaga, while Heechul stops Zhou Mi from buying every single glittery piece of baby clothing he sees.
Finally they’ve found some kind of a medium and Heechul is humming to himself as he goes through the blankets, trying to find something fluffy and warm for napping. “How about this blue one?” He digs out a navy blue blanket that feels so sinfully soft it must be forbidden. He could buy it for himself, but it is after all a baby blanket and it’s slightly too small.
Zhou Mi doesn’t really even spare it a glance, since he has noticed something else that grabs his attention. “Aw there is one with baby elephants!” He pulls out a light blue blanket with adorable pattern of playing baby elephants and soap bubbles printed on it. He already holds the blanket up to his face, pressing it against his cheek with a soft, happy sigh.
“You and your baby elephants,” Heechul rolls his eyes. A similar scene has replayed already several times that day, as somehow the other man seems to have developed a liking to baby elephants. How, Heechul has no idea, since the only explanation he got had been something about cute and cuddly and not at all coherent. “You would buy everything with baby elephants if you could.”
“Well baby elephants are cute.” Zhou Mi shrugs, his smile even widening as he notices a matching set of sheets. His eyes sparkle and it’s obvious he is as enthusiastic as a kid in a candy store.
That makes Heechul grin, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards as he eyes the scene presented for him. “Maybe you like them since right now you look like one yourself? A long legged elephant, though, but elephant nonetheless.” He suggests, placing his palm on his hip as he resigns to his fate, knowing they’ll be there for a while to admire the blanket and the sheets.
“Could be.” Zhou Mi doesn’t seem to mind the analogy in the slightest. He is still beaming like the sun itself, collecting various items into his arms so he can add them to the ‘maybe pile’. Which is probably going to turn into ‘yes buying these’ pile rather sooner than later. Neither of them has ever been good at leaving anything they like into the shop. “You know, now that we’re here we could get Hangeng and Kyuhyun something too.” Zhou Mi looks up, eyes sparkling.
“Here? In the baby clothes department?” Heechul arches a perfectly plucked eyebrow as he gestures around them at all the baby accessories.
“No!” Zhou Mi laughs as he folds the blanket – the one with the baby elephants – and adds it to the purchases. “We go to the third floor with all the stylish designer stuff. Let’s make our men look dashing!”
“Oh, Hannie did buy me that amazing necklace so I suppose he deserves something nice.” Heechul muses, tapping the floor with his foot. He doesn’t even try to hide the small smirk that stretches his lips as he looks at his friend. “Don’t tell me Kyuhyun did something extra nice lately, though! The man is like the least romantic person on earth.” And that was saying a lot, judging how non-romantic his own choice for a mate was.
“He got me marshmallows at three am when I had a craving,” Zhou Mi informs brightly. Judging by the way his eyes are sparkling he is convinced that is the best thing a man can do to his partner.
Heechul can barely hold back a chuckle, his grin stretching a bit further. “…he is supposed to, Seasoning. He is the one who knocked you up in the first place.”
Zhou Mi just smiles and he looks so utterly happy that there is really nothing one can say to that. Heechul simply heaves a sigh, hooking their arms as he guides his friend towards the escalator to the third floor. “Is there anything that could wipe that grin off your face?” He asks by the way since it feels like the other man has been smiling ever since they began their shopping trip, smiling so bright it never seems to stop. Not that he wants it to change, he is just curious, and whenever he is curious he asks questions, tact be damned.
For a second Zhou Mi frowns, considering the words. “Well, my back is killing me. But there is nothing that a new pair of shoes couldn’t fix!” He decides, the smile back on his lips. Heechul mirrors it, turning in his tracks to guide them to the shoes instead. They could buy presents to their boyfriends later.
Six hours later, Hangeng finally spots something that looks like Heechul and Zhou Mi underneath seven billion plastic and paper bags, approaching the restaurant they had agreed to meet in. Kyuhyun has already had to tell the waiter three times they are still waiting for more company, and they are both relieved that the escapade seems to be over and done with. Not that the amount of bags is calming, and Kyuhyun hopes dearly some of those are Heechul’s purchases and not everything comes out of their bank account.
“Hannie!” Heechul calls already from further away and with a sigh Hangeng gets up from his seat, approaching the two to take those masses of shopping bags off Heechul’s arms. Kyuhyun would get up and help Zhou Mi, too, but he knows from experience that it’s not needed, it’s actually near to impossible to peel those bags away from the other man when he’s all enthusiastic and excited about the shopping trip. So he just waits, sits at the table and grins at the display when Hangeng tries to listen to both Heechul and Zhou Mi. Heechul is obviously complaining loudly about the inadequate service in some shop, while Zhou Mi speaks in such rapid-fire Mandarin it’s impossible to catch even half of it, even with Kyuhyun’s improved skills.
Hangeng doesn’t look all too bothered, though, hiding away a small grin as he finally piles the shopping bags next to the table and helps Heechul off his coat. Zhou Mi plops down right next to Kyuhyun, leaning in to plant a small kiss on his lips. “We had so much fun!” He bursts out happily, having the decency to turn back to Korean from his mother tongue. “Just wait, once we’re home, I’ll show you every single thing we bought and I swear, you will love it all.”
“So is that all yours?” Kyuhyun asks what has been burning on his mind ever since he first spotted the two in the distance a few moments prior. “Please tell me we can still afford to buy food for the rest of the month?” Although he both looks and sounds serious, he knows that Zhou Mi can look straight through him. That is proven when the taller man reaches out and grabs his hand to twine their fingers. “Relax, Kui Xian. What Heechul carried, Heechul bought.”
“And Heechul bought a lot,” the man in question speaks up happily, looking quite proud of himself. It is obvious to anyone two minutes into knowing Heechul how much he loves shopping, and in Zhou Mi he has found someone as enthusiastic as he is. Sometimes Kyuhyun thinks that it’s a wonder those two didn’t end up together, the way they obsess over new trends and fashion together. Then again, it’s kind of nice to be the long suffering husband together with Hangeng while they both roll their eyes at their fashion addicts.
The waiter appears once again and finally they can place their orders, after Heechul has demanded long explanations on the dishes and their nutritional values, deciding on one after a painstakingly long process. Kyuhyun doesn’t really notice though, it’s always like this and besides, he is too busy toying with the ring on Zhou Mi’s finger. It’s not even conscious, a gesture so automatic and so familiar to them both.
A few minutes into the dinner the talk has turned from shopping to the babies, and once more Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi have to go through the whole process thus far, from the ultrasounds to the fact they think they’re going to have either football players or just really flaily kids judging by the amount of kicking they do. Zhou Mi spends a good ten minutes complaining how he doesn’t want his child to turn out a boxer, but it damn well feels like it’ll be one.
All in all, they’re happy though. Even if they’ll get a boxing football player kid. Throughout the whole meal Heechul and Hangeng bicker like the old married couple they’ve been ever since they met, and they have practically grown attached at the hip by now. So Zhou Mi doesn’t think his question is all that far fetched when he speaks up. “So when are you going to get babies?”
Hangeng nearly chokes on his drink. The next minute they have to spend trying to get him to calm down, while he hacks up a lung and tries not to pass out from the lack of air. Heechul’s reaction is less amusing, he simply snorts as he picks on his salad, selecting the next bite carefully before he guides it to his lips. “Never.” Is his curt reply. “Children are only bearable if they’re adults. And not always even then.”
Zhou Mi looks slightly hurt. If it was anyone else, Heechul would just shrug it off and go on about how he finds children completely off-putting, but he (like so many others) has never been good at resisting a pout on that specific face. Somehow Zhou Mi has a way to make everyone want to see him happy. So Heechul hurries to add. “I’m sure your kids will be pure sunshine. An exception to the rule, or something.”
It’s enough to make Zhou Mi smile. And everything is fine in the world again.
When they get home, Zhou Mi enthusiastically shows Kyuhyun what he bought. In the end there is one leopard printed item amongst the shoppings. But considering the fact that it’s a stuffed toy that is supposed to be a leopard, Kyuhyun lets it slide. There isn’t even much Hello Kitty. Instead, Kyuhyun realizes that they will have two of the most fashionably clothed babies in the world (or close enough).
Inwardly, he kisses his next paycheck goodbye. Or two next ones. Or three. But when he watches the happy glow on Zhou Mi’s cheeks, he thinks that maybe it’s not such a bad thing. Money is meant to be spent.
Though he’d have to attend the next shopping trip just to make sure they’d still afford their apartment afterwards.
If someone had told Kyuhyun that nine months is a short time, he would’ve laughed at them, cruelly. Now he realizes that nine months actually is a short time. Besides, they are told that if they make it to seven months they can consider themselves lucky. There are way too many complications and risks, and although sometimes Kyuhyun thinks ignorance is bliss he has read dozens of articles about it, trying to find out everything he can. The information makes his head swim and he thinks he could probably make a damn good doctor by now. Or at least a midwife.
They get lucky indeed and pass the six month mark. Twenty-four precious weeks, while every single day counts. As each day passes, Kyuhyun gets more and more nervous. He tries to force it down, knowing that it’s at least equally bad for Zhou Mi and he doesn’t need a panicking kid to take care of in addition to his condition. Most of the time he is fine, looking forward to what is to come. But sometimes he feels like all this anxiousness is suffocating him.
Looking at the way the growing children have twisted that lanky, gangly body by now, Kyuhyun isn’t all sure if Zhou Mi can actually handle those two little monsters leeching off him much longer. He is as thin as ever, except for where the two small bodies inside of his own are stretching him further. That, combined with the thin arms and long long legs creates an image that is both a little bit scary and endlessly fascinating. He should’ve known he would always think of Zhou Mi as an attractive person, but this even confirms it.
He is just scared. Scared since it almost looks like Zhou Mi’s spine could snap in half any moment, scared since he can’t do anything to help. Except for the chores he does already, trying to force the other man on the couch to rest whenever he can. He doesn’t even let Zhou Mi cook, although his own cooking is famous for being a huge failure. He can heat soup or stuff something into the microwave oven, but that is pretty much everything.
Zhou Mi insists that he won’t break. Kyuhyun forces him into bed anyway, bringing him all kinds of canned foods until Zhou Mi can’t take it anymore and sneaks into the kitchen in the middle of the night to cook something. He might not be the best cook in the world but compared to Kyuhyun he is a five star chef.
When Kyuhyun catches him in the act he only scolds him for a moment, before parking his butt at the table. He is hungry, too. And it makes Zhou Mi smile when he fills them both a full bowl of something – anything – self-made and warm instead of those frozen meals. Sometimes they end up in the middle of a food-war, noodles and veggies flying through the air and sticking to their hair, their clothes and pretty much everywhere. Sometimes they eat in silence, only exchanging soft smiles, occasionally kicking each other underneath the table. Sometimes they talk about everything and nothing. Sometimes, they forget the food and focus on each other.
Always, they enjoy every single second of it.
Kyuhyun wakes up with a start, his heart racing. He blinks several times, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. Dark. It can’t be morning yet, the way it’s so smothering dark in the room, and one glance at the digital numbers of the clock confirm that. 03:48. It’s definitely no time to be awake, and Kyuhyun groans as he drops back into the mattress. He rubs on his eyes, rolling over in an attempt to get the blanket better on top of himself.
Then he hears it again.
The same sound that woke him up resonates through the apartment, a metallic pang that he can not quite identify. He tries to ignore it but then it sounds again, sending him upright in a split second. His eyes are used to the darkness enough that he can confirm the bed is empty, except for himself of course, and he begins to have his own suspicions on where the sound comes from.
Slowly he slides his feet on the floor, grimacing at how cold it is. It takes him three tries to find his slippers and when he pushes them on, he notices that the big toe of his right foot is peeking out. That damn dog, he thinks fondly, deciding to buy a pair of new slippers. For the dog to chew on, he was too fond of this pair to give up on it. With small steps he makes his way towards the kitchen, treading his fingers through the mess of hair that falls on his face continuously.
He stops in the doorway, blinking at the scene in front of him. There are pots and pans scattered all over the worktops, a kettle on the stove and some chopped vegetables… well pretty much everywhere. There is something in the mixer, something that looks like a healthy fruit smoothie or alternately just plain fruitmash. Even the oven seems to be on. There is also a small dog lying on the floor, watching everything from attentive eyes.
And in the middle of everything, there is Zhou Mi.
“What is going on?” Kyuhyun croaks, wincing a little at how undignified he sounds. He is still half-asleep, damnit, and by the looks of it he might as well be dreaming. What is this hurricane that has hit their kitchen? He didn’t really need an answer to that.
Zhou Mi smiles at him over his shoulder, briskly adding something into the kettle, before moving over to chop some spring onions. “Oh, Kui Xian, you should be sleeping! Don’t mind me. I just… well, I had a craving.”
“A craving?” Kyuhyun can’t believe his ears and he tilts his head a bit, looking at the other man like he has finally lost his mind completely. “What kind of a craving turns out kitchen to a battlefield?”
“Mashed potatoes and watermelon!” Zhou Mi announces, with a firm nod and almost angry chopping. Whatever those innocent spring onions did to him, he is at least taking revenge effectively. “That’s how it started.” And indeed there are some watermelon peels and even some slices of the fruit on a plate right next to where Kyuhyun is standing. “Then I started to feel like curry, so I decided to make some, since I am so hungry! It’s like I’m eating for three!”
Kyuhyun refrains from pointing out that he actually is eating for three. Besides, he doesn’t have the time to speak up before Zhou Mi goes on with his explanation. “Then, you know, you can’t really have curry without having mom’s apple pie for dessert. We don’t have any apples so I decided to just go for a peach pie instead. We had some canned peaches in the cupboard. They’re a bit old – something like half a year – but they still looked good and I decided to try. I put the rest of them into the mixer with some bananas we had, and I think it looks delicious. Oh and – ”
This time Kyuhyun doesn’t wait for him to finish but raises his hand, silencing the other man with an impatient gesture. “You do know it’s 4 am?” He asks (or more accurately, he groans), blinking in an attempt to keep his eyes open and focused. Zhou Mi just nods and beams at him. How can someone be this happy at friggin’ four am is beyond Kyuhyun’s comprehension.
For a second Kyuhyun eyes the chaos in the kitchen. He gives up then, heaving himself to sit on the nearest chair beside the table. “Give me some of that fruit mix thing.” He grumbles and in mere seconds he has a glass of bright orange health drink right in front of him. A moment later it is accompanied by a slice of fresh peach pie and Kyuhyun thinks that the peaches don’t taste any weird at all, old or not.
Kyuhyun watches Zhou Mi fuss over his half a dozen projects, obediently tasting everything he sets in front of him. Occasionally he offers snarky comments or useless advice, only to get his head slapped or more pie forced down his throat.
Later he realizes he’s been up for hours. It’s past six am and he is laughing at a stupid joke Zhou Mi just made. He thinks he is slowly going insane.
He doesn’t really mind.
When they reach thirty weeks it’s more than anyone thought they would get to. It’s seven and half months and that is already a victory in itself. Zhou Mi has been ordered to bed-rest for weeks now and he tries very hard to stay still. He watches TV, reads magazines and even actual books, listens to music, surfs online when he manages to steal away Kyuhyun’s laptop, flips through catalogues full of horrendously expensive designer items.
And is bored to death.
Zhou Mi has never been one to stay put for long, he loves being busy, doing things, living on an impulse. So being tied to bed – in the wrong way – has him more than frustrated. Kyuhyun is the one who has to live with that. He already knows how to take the annoyed grumbles and the severe moodswings. The only thing he still isn’t used to is the tears, and he doesn’t think he ever will. He can handle Zhou Mi complaining about the food, saying he’s so fed up with canned things they’re coming out of his ears. But as soon as the first tear appears in those big, clear eyes, he is lost.
Thankfully it doesn’t happen that often and Kyuhyun takes the annoyed, grumbling Zhou Mi over that anytime. Somewhere along the way, Zhou Mi has decided they have to talk about their day in the evening before sleep. That is how they always end up lying in the dark side to side, sometimes the bedside lamp still on. Sometimes Zhou Mi organizes his limbs and cuddles close to Kyuhyun, but it’s easier for him to lie on his back so he doesn’t do it every evening.
When he does, Kyuhyun secretly enjoys it. He never says anything, but he sneaks an arm around Zhou Mi’s shoulders, combs his fingers through his hair, toys with the sleeve of his shirt. It feels so different now that there is a huge belly between them, too, and sometimes it still startles him with its existence.
Zhou Mi’s voice is soft but carries through the darkness, breaking the comfortable silence they both settled in. “You know what, Kui Xian?” He doesn’t really even wait for the answer, all Kyuhyun manages is a soft noise in between, before he goes on already in a slightly annoyed tone. “If we’ll ever get more babies, you will be the mother.”
That now makes Kyuhyun snort and he turns his head a bit to look at the taller man, currently cuddling close with his head on his shoulder. “How so? I thought this was a sign from above. You know, it’s not like we didn’t give it chances to happen both ways. Still it’s you who got knocked up.”
“I think it’s highly unfair.” Zhou Mi frowns. “What makes me a better mother candidate than you? I think you would’ve made a perfect mother! And I can’t stand all this water gathering in my legs! They get ugly!” He whines, and Kyuhyun can’t help but to chuckle a bit. Of course, water in the legs. Zhou Mi hears the snort and protests instantly. “Hey, don’t get all smug on me mister! I swear I – ”
Kyuhyun shuts him up with a kiss. It’s as easy as ever and Zhou Mi practically melts into the contact, bringing his hand up to brush his fingertips over the younger man’s cheek. He doesn’t seem to remember he had anything to complain about anymore.
One kiss turns to two, two kisses turn to three, until they’re both out of breath and their lips are reddened by the contact. Kyuhyun is severely out of breath as he looks Zhou Mi in the eye, trying hard to focus on the words to get them out clearly enough. “Do you think we can? Even with the babies?” He knows that it is clear what he means, if not for any other reason then because his palm is resting in the small of Zhou Mi’s back suggestively.
“Let’s… just be careful?” Zhou Mi breathes out as he rolls on his back, pulling the younger man along. Kyuhyun barely has the time to grin before their lips meet again.
Already for some time it has been difficult for Zhou Mi to actually lie down on the couch properly, so their TV has found a new home in the bedroom, propped on a big cardboard box at the foot of the bed. Zhou Mi doesn’t even remember when he last left the room for more than a trip to the kitchen, the bathroom or once a week to see their doctor. He has resigned to his fate, and even their little dog gets a special permission to jump on the bed. Kyuhyun grumbles about it at first but a couple of days later he props a low chair next to it, just to make it easier for the dog to get on the bed with its short, stubby legs.
It becomes their favourite pastime. Zhou Mi takes up more than half of the bed, settled comfortably against a mountain of pillows and blankets. He is already flipping through channels when Kyuhyun appears in the room with the dog yapping at his feet, a huge bowl of ice cream balanced in his hands. He sneaks on the bed and settles next to Zhou Mi on his knees, handing the bowl to the other man to free his hands. Wordlessly he reaches down to scoop up the dog, and soon they have a happy ball of fur curled up at their feet.
Zhou Mi smiles at that, rewarding Kyuhyun with a soft peck on the lips as the younger man tries to find a good position, settling down in a half-lying position with his head resting on Zhou Mi’s shoulder. His hand finds its way to the other man’s huge belly and silently he strokes long fingers over it, never saying a single word. They share the bowl of ice cream and even only have one spoon after they realized they always ended up feeding each other more than eating themselves.
“The chocolate ice cream is mine!” Zhou Mi claims it instantly, digging the spoon into the cool mass to take the first mouthful. Before, he used to be the type to like the fruity ice creams, everything from mango and strawberry to pear and passion fruit. Now it is all about chocolate though, and he claims it’s the babies. They like chocolate ice cream and of course that explains why he needs to have it all.
Kyuhyun just hums, grinning as he snatches the spoon from Zhou Mi’s long fingers, sighing theatrically around a mouthful of the sweet, chocolaty mass. Zhou Mi frowns but he doesn’t even try to grab the spoon away before he is certain the other man got what he wanted. “Didn’t I just say it was for me?”
“I thought you said it were the babies who like the chocolate stuff?” Kyuhyun points out with one of his typical smirks, amusement dancing in his deep eyes. “Or am I wrong?”
“No.” Zhou Mi admits, but he is still pouting playfully. “You are incredibly mean, Kui Xian. Denying your own children their dosage of chocolate. What if they grow up to be twisted and psychotic now?”
Kyuhyun chuckles, settling back down against the other man, except this time he rests his head on Zhou Mi’s chest instead, closer to the bump of his stomach. “I’m sure they won’t get any more psychotic than they’d already be anyway.” He doesn’t get any further before there is a spoonful of ice cream right in front of his face – chocolate, he realizes contently – and with a happy little hum he closes his lips around the treat.
“You’re right.” Zhou Mi muses, tapping his lower lip with the spoon while thinking of the matter. “And with an uncle like Heechul they will grow up twisted anyway. I bet he is already looking forward to spoiling them rotten.”
“I thought Heechul didn’t like children?” Kyuhyun tilts his head until he can sneak a peek at the other man curiously.
Zhou Mi simply flashes him a smile. “That’s what he tries to make people believe. Trust me, he likes them.” Kyuhyun doesn’t question any further and doesn’t even demand to know where that piece of information comes from. He only makes a soft noise in acknowledgement, just barely getting it out before he is offered another spoonful of ice cream again.
They finish their icy treat in silence and a moment later Kyuhyun reaches to put the bowl on the nightstand. He leans back on his comfortable spot and yelps a little as Zhou Mi sneaks his cold fingers underneath his shirt to warm them up. Still he doesn’t pull away, only shudders palpably while his body tries to regain the heat it just lost. He can feel how Zhou Mi relaxes, how his fingers slowly get warmer again.
It’s such a slow moment they are almost drifting off, sleep lingering somewhere in the edges of their consciousness, alluring them. Zhou Mi has already closed his eyes when there is a soft hum in the room, making him open his eyes automatically. He doesn’t stir when he realized it’s coming from Kyuhyun, when the soft humming is strengthening and slowly turning to words. After a few minutes it’s not only silent notes, it’s clear words and Kyuhyun’s voice gets stronger the more confidence he gains.
It’s a simple lullaby, nothing fancy, and yet Zhou Mi could swear it’s the most beautiful song he has ever heard in his whole life. He closes his eyes again, focuses on the words lingering in the still air. He can feel how Kyuhyun is slowly stroking his stomach, brushing over his hipbone, shifting to press his ear against his chest to hear his heartbeats. It makes him smile and he could swear that his heart is about to burst with the sudden flood of emotion. Moments like this make him believe that yes, they can do this. They will do this.
Zhou Mi doesn’t want to disturb the delicate moment so he pretends he’s asleep. After the song ends Kyuhyun begins another one, going through the whole variety of lullabies he knows and moving smoothly over to romantic ballads. His smooth, satiny voice fills the still air and Zhou Mi thinks this is how he always wants to fall asleep.
That is the last thing on his mind before he sinks into the land of dreams. Even in his sleep he can hear Kyuhyun singing.
Kyuhyun has never been more scared in his life than when he hears he can’t follow into labour. It’s done surgically and he knows he would be just in the way, but it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t want to be there and hold Zhou Mi’s hand through it all. For all of fifteen minutes he lasts alone, biting his knuckles to calm down, but then he digs out his phone and flips through his contacts to figure out who he could call. Sungmin lives too far, he has to discard him instantly. As well as their parents.
Somehow, god only knows how, he ends up dialling Heechul’s number. Half an hour later he has a cup of strong coffee in his hand and a nagging Heechul telling him to stop worrying and start breathing. “It doesn’t help anyone if you pass out, moron. Seasoning needs you awake, not lying in bed with an IV drip!” He means well, everyone knows that, and Kyuhyun can’t help but smile weakly.
While Heechul is like a mother hen, Hangeng is like the steady rock in the ocean and already a reassuring smile from him calms Kyuhyun down a little bit. He allows the two to push him down on one of the uncomfortable chairs and sips his coffee obediently. His fingers are shaking and he feels like crying, although he would never admit that to anyone. He would rather throw himself off a building than admit how shaken he is.
It feels like days but in reality it’s less than four hours, before a smiling nurse appears in the waiting room. “You can go see them in a while. I’ll come get you then!” She congratulates him, and in his dazed state he forgets to ask if they now have girls or boys, all he gets is “both babies are healthy and everything went fine!” before the woman disappears again.
Kyuhyun doesn’t even realize he is grinning like an idiot before Heechul’s voice drags him back to reality. “Hey, Earth to Kyuhyun. Wipe that stupid smile off your face and give me a hug!” He orders and Kyuhyun is too fazed to even argue, he simply pulls Heechul into a bone-crushing hug. He doesn’t manage to get rid of his grin, though. There’s no way in hell.
After a quick phone call to his parents and Zhou Mi’s parents, he is finally ready to greet his family. Kyuhyun is practically glowing, ready to burst with pride. They made this happen. They survived the first obstacle course and now… well now they would just need to raise the children, make sure they would turn out responsible adults and wouldn’t injure themselves severely, watch over them until they would start their own lives. No biggie.
Zhou Mi is lying in bed, propped up against the headboard and he has a big roll of blankets in each arm. Except that each of those blanket-rolls is actually a baby, and Kyuhyun feels like fainting – again – already when he steps closer to them. Zhou Mi is smiling despite the tiredness, practically radiating happiness. And Kyuhyun is certain his own grin is big enough to break his face in half.
The first thing he does is steal a chaste kiss from Zhou Mi, bury his nose into those soft strands of hair and inhale that familiar scent deeply. Slowly he strokes his lover’s cheek with his thumb, runs his fingertips down his long neck. He doesn’t have any words for how happy he is that everything went fine, that Zhou Mi is fine, but he doesn’t even need to. The other man knows how he feels anyway. After another second he finally pulls back, swallowing as he gets ready to meet the new additions to the family.
The little girl looks so much like a girl-version of Zhou Mi that when Kyuhyun sees her the first time he laughs. The picture is complete from the long, scrunched up nose to the sweetly pursed lips, and Kyuhyun falls in love right then and there. The girl is awake, making unhappy gargling noises that fade when Kyuhyun softly touches her cheek.
“See! She smiled at you!” Zhou Mi’s excitement is palpable, and Kyuhyun doesn’t have the heart to tell him that babies don’t smile for real before they’re a couple of months old. Besides, somehow it seems fitting that Zhou Mi’s child would be born smiling. That’s what his mother says of him. So he smiles too, thinking that if his baby girl smiled at him, she definitely deserves to have the favour returned.
The little boy looks like Kyuhyun. That’s what Zhou Mi insists, but Kyuhyun can only see an adorable, wrinkly baby-face and can’t really see anything of himself there. Maybe when the boy grows older? He doesn’t know, and he doesn’t even really care since he knows that the babies are gorgeous and perfect, ten little fingers and ten little toes, everything he ever wanted. Everything he could’ve asked for.
They sit there until the nurses come and try to shoo Kyuhyun out, insisting it’s the time for the babies to get some food. After a little bit of pleading and two sets of begging puppy eyes later, Kyuhyun is allowed to stay and the two feed their babies for the first time, together. Kyuhyun has troubles balancing the bottle but the little girl doesn’t seem to mind. Zhou Mi is a natural, grinning at Kyuhyun as he sways the little boy in his arms.
It feels surreal. And they both know they will get tired of feeding and changing diapers and listening to baby-screams but right now, everything feels like magic.
It takes surprisingly little effort for them to settle into a routine. They are constantly exhausted, they never get enough sleep or a proper moment for themselves, they worry too much and they still need to learn the babies won’t break so easily. They get used to the smell of poop and puke. They take turns to calm down the crying children in the middle of the night. They have frantic visits to the doctor, too enthusiastic friends and overprotective grandparents.
They laugh. They live. They love. Zhou Mi sings to the babies in Chinese, Kyuhyun sings to them in Korean. Sometimes they sing together in a mix of both languages.
Eventually, that is the only thing that matters. They started this the same way they will finish this.
Together.
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11 586 words
I… have no excuse. Overdosage of sugar, anyone? I can’t help it I love mushy stuff ;___;
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haha they already are as good as married, they just need to make it official XD