“28…29…30, ready or not, here I come!”

Minseok and Kris lean back in the lawn chairs, watching as Sehun immediately runs off to go find wherever Tao is hiding.

“Be careful!” calls Minseok as Sehun trips over his feet. Leave it to Sehun to turn a harmless hide-and-seek game into an impending concussion fest.

Sehun simply giggles before running off at full speed again, eager to find his cousin.

“He gets it from you,” chuckles Kris, sipping slowly on his cold lemonade drink as he reclines in his seat fully. “Maybe it’s because you guys are closer to the ground.”

Minseok leans over and lands a small punch on Kris’s arm. “I am not clumsy or short.”

“Okay, sorry, you’re a fun-sized whale then,” says Kris before laughing as Minseok punches him again.

“You have to be nice to me,” pouts Minseok, retracting his hand and putting it over his huge belly. He can feel his eyes starting to water, and he tries his best to hold them back.

He wouldn’t be so sensitive right now if he hadn’t weighed himself earlier. The baby has made him gain over thirty pounds now and he figures Kris is right, he is a whale.

“Okay, no, no, please, not the waterworks!” panics Kris when he notices Minseok sniffling, getting up from his seat and crouching down next to his younger brother. He pulls him into his arms and slowly rubs his back.

“I’m not a baby, hyung,” grumbles Minseok, wiping away the lone tear that has bravely escaped. “I’m just an overdue fat !”

“He’ll come when he’s ready,” assures Kris, pulling away and patting Minseok on the head. His brother looks absolutely adorable with his large, watery eyes and he can’t help but squeal under his breath.

“He was supposed to be here two weeks ago!” huffs Minseok, pushing Kris away and gripping the arms of the chair so he can stand up. He struggles for a bit before giving in and looking at the other for help.

“You can’t force a baby to come out,” reminds Kris, helping the heavily pregnant male to stand.

“Oh yes I can. I’m giving this lazy baby one more day before I go and get induced. I’m dying,” complains Minseok as he slaps away Kris’s hands once more. He usually isn’t this unpleasant, the baby is just making him so agitated.

“I’ll drive you there myself,” mumbles Kris under his breath as he reaches forward to help Minseok walk again. “Luhan doesn’t get back for two more days, so just hold off until then.”

“ Luhan! He’s not the one who’s been suffering for 42 weeks.”

Kris opens his mouth to retort, but figures he is better off not saying anything to further piss off the shorter male. He can only sympathize with Luhan, who he knows has been experiencing a different kind of suffering at the hands of a very hormonal Minseok.

“I’m going to call the hospital later and book a room. It’s time for this baby to be born—”

Minseok is cut off as Tao and Sehun come running into them, sending Minseok tumbling on top of Kris.

“Daddy look! Tao found a small lizard,” squeals Sehun, crouching down as he shows them the little reptile looking curiously between his hands.

“Sehun! Tao!” Kris all but shrieks, wrapping his arms around Minseok and slowly sitting them up. “I told you two to be careful!” He frantically runs his hands over the shorter male, checking to see if everything is still in one piece.

“Sorry,” murmurs Tao as he sends them an apologetic look.

“But Uncle Kris, the lizard!” says Sehun, shaking his hands for emphasis.

“Sehun, apologize now,” says Kris sternly, still looking worriedly at Minseok. The pregnant male is awfully quiet for someone who would’ve been letting loose some tasteful profanities by now. “Should I take you to the ER, Minnie?”

Sehun crawls over to his father, holding out the lizard between his fingers and pecking it softly against Minseok’s cheek. “Chen gave you a kiss because he’s sorry,” he tells the still dazed Minseok. “I’m sorry too, daddy.” Sehun reaches around his father with both arms to give him a hug.

“Um…Minseok?” calls Kris again, waving his hand before the male’s face but still not getting a response.

“Did Uncle Minseok break?” asks Tao quietly.

“No,” Minseok finally speaks up in a shaky voice. “But my water just did.”

***

“Daddy, are you going to be okay?” asks Sehun apprehensively, watching as his dad struggles through another tough contraction.

Minseok is lying on the hospital bed, sweating and panting heavily as the severe pain subsides a little, allowing him to glance over at his worried son who’s sitting on the couch with an untouched lollipop in his hand.

“I’m okay,” he reassures, sending him a small smile. “Pretty soon you’re going to have a little brother. Are you excited?”

Sehun shakes his head back and forth, causing Minseok to frown slightly.

“What’s wrong, Sehun?”

Sehun juts out his lower lip as his small body begins shaking, and Minseok can tell his little boy is trying his best not to burst out crying.

“Come here,” says Minseok, scooting over in his bed and patting the empty space for Sehun to join him.

Sehun immediately crawls up and curls into his side, pressing his face there. Minseok can feel his hospital gown slowly becoming wet.  

“Why are you crying, baby?” asks Minseok, rubbing Sehun’s back slowly as he sobs.

“Are you gonna die?” Sehun’s voice is muffled but Minseok hears him anyway, chuckling lightly in response. “It’s not funny, daddy,” he cries harder.

“No, of course it’s not,” agrees Minseok, knowing that his son is probably freaked out from watching him groan and cringe in pain for the past two hours. “But I’m not going to die, Sehun. I’m just having a baby.”

He feels the onset of his next contraction, and Minseok wonders if he spoke too soon because it rips through his body, pulsating and twisting his insides as he grips onto the bed rail hard. He grits his teeth and purses his lips to level his breathing. He isn’t dying but it sure feels close to it.

He tries not to react too much, otherwise he knows Sehun will only freak out more. He hopes Kris will be back soon. The older male left with Tao an hour ago to go pick up Luhan from the airport.

As the contraction dwindles, Minseok can’t help but start to grow nervous. He’s beginning to get the urge to push but the only problem is there’s no way for the baby to come out. His Cesarean has been scheduled, but the doctor reassured him that he would be able to wait until Luhan arrives. Except now the pain is becoming unbearable and he doesn’t think he’ll be able to hold the baby in any longer.

He reaches over to grab his phone, careful not to wake Sehun who is now sleeping soundly by his side. He smiles at his son, running a hand softly through his dark hair as he dials Luhan’s number.

“Minnie! How are you? I’ll be there in about an hour! Are you okay? Is the baby fine?”

Minseok chuckles as Luhan rattles off, clearly anxious about the impending birth. “I’m okay—I just need you to come fast.”

“Why? Did the doctor say anything? Kris, pedal on the ing metal!”

Minseok smiles as he hears Kris yelling at him to stop cursing around Tao. “I-I think I’m going to have to go in right now,” he says, hitting the call light. The baby is definitely coming.

“Right now? , I’m so sorry Minseok. I’m such an idiot, I should’ve never left. I should be there—”

“It’s okay, dummy,” reassures Minseok. “I understand, the meeting was important.”

“But you’re more important! I left you when you were so close to the due date.”

“It’s not your fault Kyungsoo didn’t want to be born on time,” he says as the nurse comes in to check the monitor and vitals. “He’s totally your son.”

“I’m so sorry, Minseok.”

“I told you, its fine. Now make it up to me by getting here quickly.” Minseok laughs one more time as he hears Luhan cursing Kris out for not having the ability to fly over all the traffic.

He hangs up as the nurse pages the doctor to let him know that Minseok is ready.

***

As the anesthesia begins to wear off, Minseok hits a button next to his bed that delivers him his next dose of analgesics. He’s sore all over the place and he can feel the tight pull on his abdomen, but the pain meds do their work efficiently. He begins closing his eyes once more.

It’s been about thirty minutes since little Kyungsoo made his appearance in the world. The tiny infant was born swiftly and safely within minutes, and Minseok blubbered like an idiot. He had the brightest eyes and the reddest lips, and he wailed loudly, showing off his strong lungs.

Now, Kyungsoo is napping away in the small crib next to his bed while his toddler is still knocked out on the couch from before he went into surgery. He can’t wait for them to meet.

The next time Minseok opens his eyes, he’s met with a chaotic scene of Luhan rocking a wailing baby as Kris acts like an idiot to cheer him up, while Sehun and Tao are hanging off the idiot’s legs to get a better look at the newest addition to their family.

“He’s so small and pink,” he hears Luhan comment.

“He looks just like me,” offers Kris as he makes a funny face at Kyungsoo, who proceeds to cry louder.

“Yeah, just like his adopted uncle. I think I see the resemblance,” remarks Luhan, shielding his son from him to help stop the crying. “Stop showing him your ugly face.”

Kris feigns a gasp. “I’m offended. My face is beautiful.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” grins Luhan, settling down on the couch when Kyungsoo begins to calm down. “Sehun, Tao, come say hi to Kyungsoo.”

Immediately, the two boys crowd around Luhan, looking at the little baby in awe.

“This is your little brother,” he says to Sehun, bringing up his dimpled hand to pat gently on Kyungsoo’s covered stomach. “You have to help us take care of him, okay? He’s going to follow you everywhere and want to be just like you, so you have to set a good example as an older brother.”

Sehun nods understandingly, reaching up to poke Kyungsoo’s cheek gently. “Dad, he’s squishy.”

They laugh as Luhan introduces Tao to his new baby cousin, causing Tao to look up at his dad.

“Dad?” he calls, getting Kris’s attention. “I want a baby brother too.”

Kris chokes on his saliva, causing him to cough and sputter wildly. “What was that, Tao? I didn’t hear you.”

“I want a baby brother. Can you make me one too?”

“But you have one right there,” says Kris, pointing at little Kyungsoo who’s now looking up at everyone with wide eyes.

“But he’s Sehun’s little brother. I want one too,” he says with a whine, looking back down at Kyungsoo with want. “So I won’t be alone all the time.”

Luhan gives Kris a look, but it’s Minseok who finally speaks up.

“Tell your dad to find someone special, Tao,” he says weakly, smiling as everyone turns to look at him.

“MINSEOK!”

They all rush to his bed, Luhan a bit slower than the others with Kyungsoo in his arms.

“How are you feeling?” asks Tao before anyone else gets the chance.

Minseok smiles, reaching over to grab Tao’s hand. “All better.”

“But we hurt you…”

Minseok sees the sad look on Tao’s face, making him wonder if the boy’s been blaming himself for causing this the entire time. “I wanted to thank you, actually. Because of you and Sehun, Kyungsoo was born today,” he says reassuringly, his heart easing when a grin blooms across Tao’s lips. “So don’t feel bad, I owe you one.”

“Daddy, did you see the new baby?” questions Sehun, jumping up and down while clinging on to Luhan’s pants.

“We barely made it about ten minutes ago. Apparently some lady climbed onto a truck and shut down the highway, so we were stuck in traffic,” says Kris, smoothing back Minseok’s bangs and pressing a soft kiss on his forehead. “What is wrong with the world these days…”

“ lady, huh? And yes, I saw the baby, Sehun,” answers Minseok, motioning Sehun closer to he can give his son a kiss. “He looks just like you when you were born. All red and wrinkly with a tuft of black hair.” He chuckles when Sehun pouts, muttering that he was not a wrinkly baby.

Minseok then looks to Luhan, who hasn’t said a word this entire time. Instead, his husband is just standing there by the foot of his bed, looking at Kyungsoo and…sniffling?

“Luhan…are you crying?” he asks, sending Kris a grin before looking back to his husband who still hasn’t looked up. Minseok can see how his ears have turned red, and if his shoulders shuddering are any indication, his husband is definitely shedding some tears. “Aren’t you going to give me a kiss? I did deliver your son not too long ago. I think I deserve something.”

“Dad is crying?” asks Sehun loudly, eyes wide as he goes over to him and peers into his face. “Why is dad crying? He was so happy in the car!" Sehun is definitely confused as to why his dad is sobbing silently to himself. The toddler has never seen this side of him, so he is definitely concerned.

“I am happy, Sehun,” Luhan finally says, wiping at his cheeks before looking up at Minseok. “I’m just crying because I remembered that lady. The mental image is terrifying.”

Minseok laughs as Luhan walks towards him, their newborn nestled snuggly in his arms. He hands Kyungsoo to him before reaching down and giving him a passionate kiss, not caring how Kris hoots loudly and Sehun and Tao make choking noises.

“Thank you,” he whispers before pecking Minseok’s lips once more. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, crybaby,” replies Minseok before reaching up to wipe another tear that’s making its way down Luhan’s cheek.

“I’m telling you it’s because of that lady. There’s a reason I like and not—”

“Really?! In front of the baby, Luhan?” Minseok smacks Luhan on his arm before looking around him to make sure the others didn’t hear. They seem to be busy messing with Kris so he sighs and looks back at him.

“What? It’s not like he can understand anything. He was born like two seconds ago,” whines Luhan before leaning in for another kiss.

Minseok hits him once more before relaxing into the kiss, playfully nipping at Luhan’s bottom lip. “If my sons pick up your bad language, I’m going to castrate you,” he says with an innocent smile, pressing their lips together again.

“That would mean no more kids.”

“I literally just popped one out and you’re already thinking about our next one?”

“Why not? I’m thinking a few more would be enough for a soccer team. Or baseball. I’m not picky.”

“Just kiss me,” says Minseok, shaking his head as their lips meet once more.

He can’t believe Kyungsoo is already here, sleeping quietly in his arms like the peaceful baby he is. He can’t believe Luhan is standing next to him, kissing him breathless. And he really can’t believe it when Sehun opens his mouth to ask Luhan what a “” is.

“You’re dead.”

The nervous smile Luhan gives him makes him certain that he wouldn’t have it any other way.
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a/n - can y'all believe that lady thing actually happened? I was stuck in that traffic LOL Anyway, I hope the fluff clogged your arteries but y'all are still alive because...I'm gonna add bonus chapters! I'm having fun writing domestic xiuhan. Thank you for reading ^^