Epilogue.

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Warning: Mindless fluff ahead. Plus a non-graphic, unrealistic birth scene. Oh and a little Jongkyung if you squint.

Remember that time when he thought Minho was only being nice to him because they’re having a baby and Taemin was scared out of his wits that Minho would dump him once the baby arrives? Yeah, that thought’s coming back now, full force, along with a particularly strong contraction and Taemin groans into Minho’s shoulder.

“Take a deep breath, baby,” Minho coos, rubbing Taemin’s back in circular motion as Taemin pants and grips his arm with deathly force. Minho reaches between them to caress Taemin’s rock hard belly and winces as Taemin lets out a muffled, strained wail.

“This is the transition phase,” Doctor Kwon explains calmly, eyeing the monitor that shows both Taemin’s and the baby’s vitals. She seems satisfied with what she’s seeing, and turns to smile at a grimacing Minho. “The pain is worse here, but it doesn’t last long, usually. He’s fully dilated, and as soon as this phase passed, he’d be ready to push—”

“Shut the up,” Taemin hisses, and Minho cringes, smiles apologetically at the doctor. Kwon Boa simply smirks and gives him an understanding nod. “Oh God, I’m going to die—Jesus Christ, Choi, don’t you ing touch me!” he growls, and Minho pulls his hand off Taemin’s midsection.

“Sorry.”

Taemin doesn’t answer. He sobs onto Minho’s neck and clutches onto him for dear life, occasionally letting out short, pained noises that he seems to be trying his best to hold back. Minho kisses the top of his head.

“Minho?” he calls in a small voice once the storm died down about five minutes later—though it felt like hours for both of them, since Minho is pretty sure his arm is sporting bruises—and Minho hums in respond “You’ll still love me even when the baby’s here, right?”

Minho pulls back to stare at him oddly. Taemin flushes. “Of course, Taemin. That's a stupid question.”

“I know,” Taemin says, nervousness peeling off slowly. “I just needed to make sure.” He lays his forehead on Minho’s shoulder once again, enjoying the weight of Minho’s hand on the small of his aching back. There are voices outside that make Taemin’s head snap up, and the next thing he knows, Minho is being shoved out of the way by an eager Kibum.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry I couldn’t get here earlier, sweetie, the flight was delayed and Jinki said that I shouldn’t come here because I’d freak out at the sight of you in pain but I think that’s nonsense because I’m totally not freaking out, especially at the fact that I’m going to have a nephew soon and so we fought about it for a while in the car and so thank God and all that is holy that we didn’t get into a car accident and I’m totally not speaking real fast because I’m nervous, because I’m not. Not even like, a little bit—why? What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?” Kibum practically screeches and takes Taemin’s hand in his, gripping is tighter than what is probably necessary and yeah, Taemin thinks, Kibum really is freaking out.

“Baby’s coming,” Taemin grits out, and Kibum’s eyes bulge out so far it would have been funny if Taemin isn't feeling like a bowling ball is trying to rip him apart from the inside. Both Minho and Doctor Kwon are at his sides instantly, and Taemin lets his head fall back to the pillow behind him, half-sitting as he stares at the woman by the end of the bed, looking at him with soft eyes and encouraging smile.

He turns to his side, where Minho is smiling at him, obviously nervous and a lot worried, but he’s smiling nonetheless. Taemin looks over his husband’s shoulder to look at Kibum’s pale face and Jinki’s wide grin and yeah, he can do this.

*

Three hours later, the doctor is pulling out a slimy, tiny body out of his and places it on the fluffy towel on his stomach and Taemin’s mind goes from I’m going to die get that thing out of me now to oh God he’s so tiny in 0.8739 seconds. The wrinkly little thing starts to wriggle and coughs and lets out an ear-splitting wail and Taemin can only stare in wonder and amazement as he lifts the tiny baby and places him on his chest, watching as Minho wipes the blood of their baby’s face gently and wonders if too much happiness can cause death.

Because if it can, he’d be in the highest level of Nirvana right now.

“It’s a boy,” he hears Minho whisper, amazement and giddiness in his voice. Taemin looks up and the sight of Minho’s teary eyes and his hesitant, careful hand cradling their baby’s tiny body is enough to bring tears in his eyes, again.

Jinki and Jonghyun are taking pictures on the background, and he thinks he heard Sekyung telling Kibum not to pass out in a soothing, motherly tone, but none of that matter, because right here in front of him is his family.

Everything has an end, but our job is to cherish it while it lasts.

Taemin looks at his husband and baby boy and realizes that there’s no room for his insecurity here. There’s only effort and trust and love and he’s sure they’ll be just fine.

He just has to give it a shot and do his best.

*

They named the baby Choi Cheonsa, meaning angel, and he has the biggest eyes and cutest lips and his first word—thank God—was not a curse word; it was no. It’s a clear indication that he spent too much time with a certain Kim Jonghyun—who teaches him ways to be rebellious at such early age—but Taemin and Minho were just too busy cooing over him to mind. Besides, it makes an interesting twist to a conversation, considering how no is his default answer; no matter how contradictive they are. Cheonsa is also, thankfully, a perfect mix of both their good traits (not that it really shows in a one year old, but you cannot mistake that stubbornness, grumpiness, occasional aegyos and persistent, competitive streak to be from anyone else other than his a-little-funny-in-the-head parents).

Jonghyun finally gathers enough courage to propose to Sekyung, in front of their friends, and she was stunned into silence for a whole minute, making Jonghyun nearly burst into tears from the overwhelming nervousness. She, then, takes the ring and puts it around her finger before whacking Jonghyun upside the head for taking such a long time. Jonghyun doesn’t stop grinning for two days straight.

Kibum decides that he wants to move in with Jinki, and Jinki actually yells “HALLELUJAH!” in the middle of a family gathering. Taemin snorts into his soup and Minho facepalms. Kibum looks embarrassed as he pinches Jinki’s side, but his smile is blinding nonetheless.

(Minho would later learn that the exact words from Kibum was actually a “So, um, I’m kind of bored with the view in my apartment, so I was wondering if I could maybe, um, crash at your place, for like, ever.” And he suddenly isn’t so intimidated by Kibum because apparently, he could be a blabbering mess, too).

All in all, their lives are good, and Minho thinks that maybe he can write a guide book out of it; telling people that really, all you need to do is face your fear, tackle your worries, and just do it.

He tamed Lee Taemin with those steps. Everything else is possible.

-끝-

Thank you for everyone who read and followed and subscribed and upvoted and commented on this fanfiction. I know this is far from perfect, but I promise I will keep doing my best to be better. Once again, thank you, you're all beautiful people ㅠㅠ