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first trimester
wonwoo tells mingyu he is pregnant over dinner at one of the old ramen shops lined up at a dingy alley near the university campus.
he tells mingyu he is 12 weeks along and he is keeping the baby despite everyone’s wishes — his parents who are banking on him to find a high income job so they can pay off their debt. but wonwoo, he’s always wanted a baby to raise even if it comes off as a surprise. it might not be the best of circumstances, but he’ll work hard to give the child a good life.
wonwoo also tells him that he is the father of the child he is carrying and he needs to know what mingyu wants to do with it. just to be fair.
after all, mingyu is just an acquaintance whom he fucks with on the semi-regular. mingyu isn’t in the best place to help him out with the kid either, when he struggles to make ends meet after his parents have shunned him out because they disapprove of his career choice.
so wonwoo is somewhat giving him an out.
when mingyu takes too long to come up with a reply, he bolts out of the shop. mingyu chases him down the road.
“i want to be a part of the baby’s life.” mingyu says.
mingyu doesn’t doubt that wonwoo isn’t telling him the truth nor does he deny the probability of his paternity to wonwoo’s unborn child. something did happen between them and he played the poorly decided part of foregoing the use of protection when they did the deed.
mingyu isn’t fazed by the idea of responsibility, it’s just that he needed to process the news wonwoo just sprung on him.
“how sure are you about this?” wonwoo asks, skeptical.
there’s no way in hell mingyu is letting this kid grow up without him. “just as much as you are.”
for a moment, wonwoo’s steely facade drops and he lets his shoulders sag in relief. he was probably hoping for the worst, but mingyu isn’t that kind of guy.
“okay.” he manages to say. “but this doesn’t mean we’re getting together. we’re going only going to be parents to this kid. we’re not going to fuck up their life.”
mingyu simply nods in agreement.
before the night began, mingyu has been hoping he’d be able to tell wonwoo about the feelings he harbored over him during the past year. that mingyu, after their recent fuck had been thinking about trying it out with him.
wonwoo, in all his glory, isn’t someone mingyu can just be friends with.
however, with a baby into the mix, mingyu decides it’s much better to put his feelings aside. he’s going to be a dad soon, which is something much more important than pining on someone you fuck on the semi-regular.
second trimester
in the weeks that come, wonwoo is keen on keeping his independence despite the challenges that naturally come with growing a life inside of him. at the same time, this leaves mingyu just hanging around to be of any help to him whether he wants it or not.
like now, mingyu has accompanied him to pick up some stuff on the grocery store and helping him lift the heavy items he can’t anymore.
everything tires wonwoo out easily so when they return to his apartment, mingyu lets him retreat to the couch as he takes care of their purchases for him.
“gyu, come here.” wonwoo calls out to him.
mingyu abandons the bag of groceries he’s unloading on the kitchen counter and heads to the living room where wonwoo is lounging comfortably on the couch.
“do you need anything?” mingyu asks.
“sit here.” wonwoo instructs, tapping the free space right next to him on the couch. mingyu obliges, not quite sure what wonwoo wants. he supposes wonwoo wants him to massage his foot, tired from all the walking they did in the supermarket earlier.
wonwoo lifts his shirt up, revealing his bump. he’s on his 22nd week and even if it’s not quite obvious underneath his usual layers of baggy clothing, the swell of his belly is more pronounced now on his slender frame.
he takes mingyu’s hand and places it on top of his bump, surprising mingyu with the sudden gesture. “is it okay if i am touching your stomach?” mingyu asks in concern.
“it’s alright, mingyu.” wonwoo assures him. “i just want you to feel something.”
“okay.” mingyu mumbles, stretching out his palm on top of wonwoo’s smooth skin. during the entire course of his pregnancy, this is the only time wonwoo has shown his bump to mingyu, much less offer him to touch it.
“can you feel it?” wonwoo asks excitedly.
mingyu’s brows furrow in confusion. what does wonwoo mean? what was he supposed to feel in there? he is about to pull his hand away but wonwoo holds it in place. it is only then when he finally understands what wonwoo means. he feels a nudge on his palm, it’s coming from wonwoo’s belly. after a few seconds, it happens again — there’s a flutter underneath mingyu’s palm.
mingyu’s eyes grow wide. “was that the baby?”
wonwoo nods his head. “the baby is kicking already.”
“since when?” mingyu asks, eager.
“just now.” wonwoo answers. “a little after we arrived.”
mingyu’s grin grows from ear to ear. another kick comes and wonwoo tightens his hold on mingyu’s hand.
“oh, the baby is saying hi again.” wonwoo says, looking at mingyu with glassy eyes. mingyu leaves a caressing touch on wonwoo’s stomach.
“i really cannot wait to meet our baby.”
wonwoo agrees. “me too, mingyu. me too.”
a few seconds later he moves to the edge of the sofa and perches his legs on top of mingyu’s lap. “can you rub my feet for me? it’s kinda sore.” wonwoo requests.
“of course.” mingyu beams.
it’s not a secret that mingyu is always more than willing to oblige for wonwoo (and their baby).
third trimester
wonwoo goes into labor in his 39th week.
it has been 15 hours since his contractions started and an hour since the midwife had to break his waters. mingyu can tell that wonwoo’s pain has progressed quite badly since then with how much he has been writhing to cope with it.
at first, things were moving slow and wonwoo took it upon himself to move around — walking, squatting on the yoga ball, staying on all fours to let gravity take its course and make things faster. but right now, he is at the point where the contractions have been coming nonstop and mingyu could only be there to be by his side as he goes through with it.
the midwife asks wonwoo if he wants to go back in bed and wonwoo agrees, so mingyu helps situate him on the bed. he’s laying sideways so that mingyu can massage his lower back, to alleviate where the pain is radiating.
wonwoo winces in discomfort when the midwife checks on his cervix again, holding onto his heavily distended belly to ground himself.
when the midwife withdraws her hand, she greets them both with a smile. “you’re fully dilated now, mr. jeon.”
wonwoo looks at him, worry and apprehension heavy on his expression. mingyu is scared shitless too, with what is about to happen in the next few moments but he also knows he could only imagine how everything must be so overwhelming for wonwoo right now.
the midwife’s voice breaks mingyu out of his thoughts and reels him back to reality. “you can start pushing at the next contraction.” she tells wonwoo.
their baby is really coming now.
mingyu swallows the nervous lump sitting on his throat and extends his hand to wonwoo. “you got this, won. i’ll be here with you.”
wonwoo accepts his hand and holds onto it tightly while the midwife puts him into position, placing his feet on each stirrup and pulling his buttocks close to the edge of the bed. not a few seconds later, wonwoo begins to bear down with a low groan. mingyu doesn’t complain when the latter crushes his hand in the process.
an hour passes and wonwoo is still pushing with barely little progress made. the baby’s head keeps sinking back to his birthing canal and in turn, it leaves wonwoo more irritable by the second.
wonwoo releases his last push with a shaky exhale. “i’m so tired.” he starts to cry, tears falling from his eyes. “the baby isn’t coming yet. when will it come out?”
it’s the first time mingyu has seen wonwoo cry over the course of his pregnancy and it really breaks his heart to helplessly watch wonwoo have a hard time. if he could just make this all easier for wonwoo in one go, mingyu won’t hesitate to do it for him.
wonwoo screams when he begins to push again, mingyu quickly circling his free arm overhead to hold wonwoo’s face and try to soothe him.
“just a little more, won.” mingyu motivates him. “just a little more and the baby will be here. just breathe.”
by the end of the push, the midwife reaches over and she guides wonwoo’s hand down to his gaping hole. mingyu looks over to see wonwoo’s hand touching a tuft of hair. wonwoo is crowning now.
“the baby is almost here, won.” mingyu says. his voice is shaky. he feels like he is falling for wonwoo deeper now, deeply in awe to witness wonwoo bring to the world an entire human being they can both call theirs.
wonwoo reaches back to hold onto mingyu’s bicep as he redirects his focus on bringing the rest of the baby’s head out, fluid gushing along with it. the worst part is now over and wonwoo relaxes for a bit as the midwife checks for the cord around the baby’s neck.
“you can push again now.” the midwife coaxes wonwoo, clearing that it’s safe for the baby to continue. he gives two more pushes while screaming mingyu’s name before the baby slips out of him and into the waiting hands of the midwife.
a shrill cry erupts in the room and everyone is relieved to hear the sound of the baby’s happy wails. wonwoo and mingyu’s child is finally here.
“it’s a girl!” the midwife announces gleefully. she deftly unbuttons wonwoo’s hospital gown and places the baby on top of his chest so they can have their first contact.
wonwoo breaks into a sob as he holds his newborn baby in his arms for the first time. “hi there, my little angel. i have been so excited to meet you.”
she’s squirming in his hold, tiny arms and feet thrashing against his skin. while they have their moment, mingyu is handed a pair of medical scissors by the midwife.
“it’s time to cut the cord, sir.” she tells mingyu.
he looks down at wonwoo, a little hesitant. cutting the baby’s cord is a significant moment, mingyu would love to do it but he’s not sure if wonwoo wants him to.
“go do it, gyu.” wonwoo nudges him. “she’s yours too.”
mingyu snips the cord, eyes blurring up with tears. he is so happy to have been here to welcome his daughter. he returns to wonwoo’s side and places a kiss on the top of wonwoo’s forehead.
“i love you, wonwoo.” mingyu tells him without any sort of hesitation. they’ve been through so much and mingyu couldn’t hold it in any longer. “i really love you and i’d do anything for you and our daughter so much.”
postpartum
mingyu wakes up with a crick on his neck and a surge of panic when wonwoo isn’t on his bed. he rubs his nape as he surveys the room and finds wonwoo standing close to the large window, humming out a tune.
mingyu follows wonwoo to find him cradling nabi in his arms, the first rays of morning sunshine illuminating her tiny features.
“good morning, won.” mingyu’s voice is hushed, careful not to disrupt the tranquility.
wonwoo returns the greeting with a sated smile, angling nabi towards her other father. mingyu gently caresses her pink cheeks with his pointer finger.
“the nurse told me it’s good for nabi to get some natural vitamin d from the morning sun.” wonwoo tells him.
“did the nurse help you get out of bed?” mingyu asks.
“mhm.” wonwoo hums. “when she brought nabi in from the nursery.”
“you should’ve woken me up.” mingyu frowns.
“it’s okay.” wonwoo tells him. “you were sleeping really well. yesterday must be so tiring for you too.”
“but you just gave birth, won.” mingyu points out. “how are you feeling by the way? tell me if something hurts.”
wonwoo grabs his arm and squeezes it. “i’m still a little sore but it’s okay. i’m enjoying my time with nabi — oh, won’t you look at that she’s getting sleepy.”
wonwoo coos at his yawning daughter. mingyu is quick to roll the cot in closer. wonwoo bends down to put her in but decides against it at the last second.
“or would you like to hold nabi while she sleeps, gyu?” he turns to mingyu, holding out their daughter towards him. “you guys still haven’t gotten a chance to bond yet since she came yesterday.”
“of course.” mingyu says without hesitation. “i’d love to hold nabi too as long as it’s okay with you.”
“silly.” wonwoo chuckles. “of course it is. you’re nabi’s dad too.”
wonwoo uses his free arm to tug the sleeve of mingyu’s shirt. “off.” he instructs. “skin to skin contact helps build your bond with nabi. she’ll love it.”
mingyu slips off his shirt easily and chucks them on the bed. wonwoo carefully hands nabi into mingyu’s waiting arms, softly cradling her skull until it’s cushioned safely.
“be careful with the head, gyu.” wonwoo tells him as he fixes the pink flower bonnet on her head.
nabi is squirming a little in mingyu’s arms but thankfully wonwoo keeps his hand on her tiny legs to stabilize her. and maybe mingyu by extension, because it’s quite nerve wracking for him to be carrying her.
nabi is so small and light that mingyu is panicking on the inside. “i’m afraid i will break her.” he says to wonwoo.
“no, you won’t.” wonwoo reassures him. “she seems to like it when you sway her for a little bit.”
mingyu sways nabi and it seems to do the trick because she settles down in his hold. wonwoo is just there on the side watching them contentedly.
mingyu traces nabi’s features and etches them into his mind. the shape of her lips and nose are quite similar to wonwoo’s; while her eyes are that of mingyu’s. she also has the same beauty mark placements as mingyu’s. she is clearly the perfect blend of mingyu and wonwoo.
mingyu sidles closer to wonwoo so they can admire nabi together. “look at how beautiful our flower work is.”
“she really is.” wonwoo stands behind mingyu, a finger reaching out for nabi to latch onto with her hand.
the two stand side by side in comfortable silence as they watch the peaceful rise and fall of nabi’s tiny chest in mingyu’s hold. with the birds chirping happily outside and the sky clear, it’s nothing but a wonderful first morning with nabi.
a few moments later, wonwoo is the first to talk.
“mingyu.”
mingyu hums to acknowledge him.
“i just wanted to say thank you.” wonwoo says earnestly. “for everything; for being there for me and nabi since i told you about her. i honestly didn’t expect you to but if anything, nabi is so lucky you are her dad.”
“won, there isn’t anything i wouldn’t do for her and even for you.” mingyu tells him. “i already loved you before she came and ultimately, she gave me more reasons to love you now, wonwoo and that won’t change soon in all honesty. it just grows deeper by the minute.”
wonwoo’s eyes are brimming with tears now, moving to properly face mingyu. “let’s be a proper family now.” he proposes. “you. me. nabi.”
mingyu’s heart soars hearing wonwoo say this.
“it would be nice if we stayed together for the rest of our lives because i’m getting there in terms of you, mingyu.”
“i’m so glad you asked, wonwoo.”
wonwoo places a palm on the sides of his face and leans in; their foreheads touching. “i’m all yours.” he mutters to mingyu in a soft whisper.
mingyu closes the distance and brings their lips together. nabi gurgles in between them, breaking her parents apart so they can turn to her and give her attention.
“we haven’t forgotten you at all, baby.” wonwoo laughs as mingyu rocks a now fully-awake nabi.
standing here with wonwoo by his side and nabi nestled in his arms, mingyu has never felt so complete. he now has a family he can truly call his own.