Youri was the most beautiful thing Luhan had ever seen in his life.

And she was perfect.

Luhan cradled her in his arms a full day after she’d been born and he couldn’t imagine his life without her already.

More than that, he was already trying to recall why’d been so worried about becoming a father. Because he looked at her now and he felt more of a connection to her than when she’d been inside him, and even more of an urge to protect her. He felt confidence in being able to.

Stoking a finger down her cheek Luhan reveled in the feel of her powder soft skin, and she was downright adorable with the tuffs of brown hair at the top of her head. She was sleeping currently, content and still in his arms, swaddled in a pink blanket. But when she woke and opened her eyes, Luhan knew there’d be mesmerizing dark orbs staring back at him, Sehun’s eyes.

Luhan couldn’t help leaning down and breathing in her fresh scent. She smelled like all of Luhan’s hopes and dreams.

“You know,” Sehun said from the nearby chair, his phone raised as he recorded Luhan and Youri, “most parents think their kid is really cute, but for sure, ours is the cutest.”

Luhan couldn’t help agreeing. Youri’s features were still soft from birth, but her skin was pale like the moon and her features were curved with beauty. She was sure to have a small, almost button nose, but she also had all the hints that eventually she’d have high, regal cheekbones, and a pretty roundness to her face.

It was a lie that babies were cute after they were born. Luhan had seen enough newborns to know that most were incredibly ugly. But Youri wasn’t. Youri was unbelievably attractive, and Luhan wasn’t certain if she’d just lucked out with some weird combination of genes, or if it had something to do with how she’d been delivered. She certainly hadn’t had her skull warped by having to squeeze through a narrow passage.

“She’s so beautiful,” Luhan breathed out, barely able to comprehend that she was in his arms now.

“She looks like you,” Sehun said, angling his phone up higher. “But you know, she also kind of looks like my mom. It’s weird.”

It would probably be years more before they could actually determine who she best looked like, but for now Luhan was more than willing to settle for Youri taking after Sehun’s side of the family.

“She’s a good sleeper too,” Luhan remarked. From the moment he’d been moved to a recovery room, and been allowed to keep Youri with him for most of the day, he’d been privy to her moods. Already she was defining herself as an individual, becoming incredibly cranky and fussy when she was hungry, but also enamored enough by the people around her to quietly observe the world when her diaper was clean and her stomach was full.

She slept an awful lot, too. Luhan had been prepared for a screaming baby most of the time. He’d coached himself to accept a baby who was externally loud and unhappy, at least until he was able to better learn what each of her cries meant. But as long as Youri was fed and changed, she slept on, and did so quite frequently.

Sehun lowered his phone and he leaned over Luhan to kiss the top of Youri’s head. “You’re the most amazing person I know, Luhan. You’re so damn amazing for giving me her.”

“Look at our girl,” Luhan urged. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

Luhan still remembered the exact moment he saw Youri. He’d already been moved to a private room, and was weaning off the drugs he’d been given during his surgery to keep him asleep, when he’d cracked his gummy eyes open and tried to make sense of the blurry world around him.

Everything had hurt. It hadn’t been a severe hurt, proving he was on high quality painkillers, but it was a dull throb from the top of his chest down almost to his thighs that promised something more terrible was coming when the drugs wore off completely.

Then the world had come into focus. Luhan had seen the ceiling above him first, and then Sehun second. He’d seen Sehun’s supportive, somewhat worried face, and Youri had been in his arms.

“She’s perfect,” Sehun had said, and then he’d held her up for Luhan to see flawlessly.

Luhan had fallen in love with her in that moment, something that it was clear Sehun had already done.

“You did all the hard work,” Sehun said, kissing Youri once more, not jostling her in the least bit as she slept on. “I just waited.”

Feeling some weakness in his arms, Luhan handed Youri carefully to Sehun, who accepted her gratefully. Then Luhan leaned back against his pillows gingerly and said, “That’s not true at all. You supported me and loved me and did anything I wanted of you. You did not just wait.”

Luhna thought the picture that Sehun made, holding Youri, was the second best thing he’d ever seen.

It was certainly something that made him feel a warmth of certainty in him that Sehun was always meant to be a father. Youri was something precious to Sehun, and Luhan had only done his part to fulfill something that always should have been.

“She’s so small,” Sehun said, settling comfortably into the plush seat next to Luhan’s bed. He was careful to support her neck and head and keep her held to him in a protective manner. “I know she was in you, so she had to be small, but she feels …fragile. Breakable. I’m kind of terrified holding her.”

Luhan gave a low chuckle that made his stomach ache. “You’re not going to break her.”

“No,” Sehun agreed, and he sounded confident. “But she’s still so small.”

“Seven pounds even,” Luhan relayed. “That’s just about average. But she’ll get bigger. Before we know it she’ll be sitting up on her own, crawling, and then walking. She’ll grow up before we know it. I think we should take some time to enjoy her like this.”

Sehun gave a serous nod. “I’ll never take for granted a single aspect of her life.”

With a sigh of content, Luhan asked, “When are the masses going to start breaking down the door?” He’d half expected to find more than a dozen people in his room when he woke up. He knew that most of them were still at the hospital, camped out in the waiting room, with all the patience in the world. The fact that only Sehun and Youri had been with him in the private room was unexpected.

“Later today,” Sehun said. “Probably right before visiting hours are over. Eunji said by then she’ll be sure that they’re not going to overwhelm you.”

Flatly, Luhan said, “My friends are not going to overwhelm me. Not when I know they’re here to coo over my baby, and not me.”

Sehun, it seemed, had mastered baby whispering over night. Youri was sleeping, which was something that she did frequently, but never lasted for long. Still, she’d been asleep for over an hour now, and it probably had something to do with the rocking motion that Sehun had put her into. It looked a little weird, Sehun dipping back and forth before curling around, but it seemed to be working.

Sehun shook his head. “I think we should be overly cautious right now. You need to take it as easy as possible, and I won’t let anyone get you worked up because they’re excited over Youri.”

It was a little like Sehun had grown up over night. He’d certainly been a man before, but there was new founded maturity that Luhan could see in him.

“Sehun,” Luhan said lightly. “I don’t need to take it that easy. There were no complications with my surgery. I’m sore, yes, but that’ll fade with time.”

Sehun argued back, “There were complications.”

“Mild ones,” Luhan argued back.

He’d had a bad reaction to the anesthesia towards the end of his surgery. It wasn’t something unheard of, and there hadn’t been any lasting effects.  He rather wished that Eunji hadn’t said anything to Sehun about it.

Sehun stilled, Youri clutched delicately. “Luhan, your blood pressure bottomed out. And they were having trouble waking you up. That is not mild. Eunji was in there with you, in the operating room, trying to keep you stable, and I got to learn my daughter had been born from a doctor who meant nothing to me. I thought … I was sure …”

Sehun had thought he was dead. And for that, Luhan was eternally guilty.

Sinking a little further down into the sheets, Luhan said, “You look tired, Sehun.”

“I am tired,” Sehun replied, then he stood carefully to place a still sleeping Youri in the bassinet next to the bed. “Don’t hog the whole bed.”

The thin mattress of the hospital bed sagged a little and then Luhan felt the warmest, best weight against his back, carefully holding him. Sehun was aware of where the IV lines were, and his delicate stitches, and managed to avoid it all spectacularly. Like a real pro.

Sehun’s lips kissed the back of Luhan’s neck and he said, “I really love you so much.”

Their fingers slid together easily. “I love you too.”

“No,” Sehun insisted. “I don’t think you have a clue how much I love you. You are so perfect and wonderful for doing this, and for putting up with everything, and for making something as precious as Youri. I love you so much I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest.”

Luhan chuckled a little. “Is this the baby high Eunji warned me about?”

Sehun’s breath puffed out along Luhan’s skin. “Baby high?”

Tiredly, Luhan let his eyes close as he explained quietly, “It’s this thing that happens with new fathers. They get so high off of having a new baby that they see everything and everyone through rose colored glasses. If Xiumin walked through the door next you’d start hugging him as if he were your best friend, because of the baby high.”

Sehun laughed. “Maybe. It’s possible. I’ll consider your words.”

A grin stretched out across Luhan’s face. “And for the record, I love you too. More than you can possibly imagine.”

There was the distant rumbling of Sehn saying something else, but with Youri sleeping soundly in the basinet not five feet away, Luhan drifted easily into sleep.

The next time he woke up it was with the startling realization that Sehun was gone from the room. And so was Youri.

“It’s okay,” Xiumin said right away, one hand on Luhan’s shoulder, as if he could sense the panic flushing through him. “Youri had to go up to the nursery for some tests and Sehun went with her.”

Luhan cleared his throat and tried to sit up, but there was a stab of pain so horrible in his gut that he simply laid there, trying to get his bearings. “He went with her?”

“Yeah,” Chen said, and it was then that Luhan realized there were several people in his waiting room, including Suho in a rumpled business suit and a sleepy looking Tao. “I don’t think Sehun needed to go with her, he just wanted to hover around to make sure she doesn’t get kidnapped or switched at birth.”

“Shut up,” Xiumin snapped. “That’s not what Luhan needs to hear.”

Luhan swallowed down the rising fear. Sehun had gone with Youri. He was with her and he’d keep her safe until she could be back under Luhan’s protective watch.

“Luhan?” Chen offered, looking bashful. “I’m sorry I said that.”

This was Sehun’s best friend, Luhan told himself. And Chen was a little dull when it came to the propriety of what he said, but he always meant well.

“It’s okay,” Luhan assured, then he forced a smile. “God help the idiot who tries to even breathe on Youri.”

Chen gave an agreeing nod. “Eunji’s been hinting that some of the nurses are pretty scared of Sehun. One of them picked up Youri who was sleeping and she started crying. I guess Sehun almost killed the nurse on the spot.”

That probably should have been something worrying, but in all actuality it was pleasing to Luhan on some kind of instinctual level. Youri was so little at the moment, and completely unable to protect or defend herself. That Sehun would be so attentive and downright scary in her defense, was something that was a complete turn-on.

Luhan blamed the fact that his hormones were still incredibly out of control.

That was the only explanation for nearly popping wood at the mere through Sehun protecting their daughter against a dangerous world. Sehun as a father was the most attractive thing he’d ever experienced, and his body knew it.

Voice scratchy, Luhan asked, “When will they be back?”

Suho patted Luhan’s blanket covered foot. “They left about half an hour ago, so it won’t be long before they’re back. Sehun’s been pushing to get Youri to spent the night here, instead of having to go back to the nursery. Something tells me he’s negotiating that as we speak.”

Luhan gave a weary nod. The absolute worst part of the day was when Youri had to go back to the nursery. With a couple more days left before he could be released, Luhan wanted all of them spent with Youri in arm’s length.

“Have you all seen her?” Luhan asked.

Calmly, Suho said, “We saw her a couple hours after she was born.”

Tao nodded excitedly. “We went up to the nursery and Sehun got to hold her and we got to watch.” He gave a pout. “Xiumin got to hold her too.”

“Sehun let you hold her?” Luhan laughed out.

Xiumin, seated on the edge of Luhan’s bed, said, “Sehun and I have had our differences, but I think some events have made us stronger, and I think we could even call ourselves tentative friends. Youri isn’t just my niece, Luhan. She’s going to be my goddaughter.”

It was something that Luhan had talked to Sehun about recently. Life was short. But more than that, life was unpredictable. It could also be cruel, as evidenced by Jae’s death. Luhan wanted to give Youri the most protection possible, and that was why he and Sehun had decided on a good deal of things related to her, but most importantly who would raise her if anything happened to them.

It was going to be Xiumin. It was always going to be Xiumin, no matter how responsible Suho was, or how Chen was Sehun’s best friend.

Of all the possible candidates, there was no one Luhan trusted more with his daughter than Xiumin, and Luhan knew if push came to shove, he’d love her like she was his own daughter.

“I know,” Luhan said, giving Xiamen a firm nod. “Where’s everyone else?”

Suho laughed out, “Sehun finally convinced his mother and sisters to go home. They got to take turns holding Youri for a few minutes, and it seemed to be enough to hold them over. They left a couple of hours ago, but you can bet they’ll be back before you’re released.”

It was a hard thing, getting used to having family, even extended family, who cared so much they worried and hovered and were quick to help in any way possible.

Tao spoke up, “Kris had to go to work. He stayed until this morning. He said to tell you Youri is the prettiest thing ever, and that if you ever need help beating up any kids who come around wanting to date her, to just call him up.”

“I think Sehun has that covered,” Luhan insisted.

Youri was probably never going to get to date. She’d be lucky if Sehun accepted the concept when she was forty.

“Chanyeol and Baekhyun,” Chen said, “will be back later, too. Baekhyun had a semester prep meeting at the school, and Chanyeol’s got to pick up the slack for Sehun while he’s out.”

Not that Luhan could say anything to any of them, but he was looking forward to speaking with Baekhyun. As far as Luhan knew, they were the only two aware that Baekhyun currently was his medical proxy. And while there’d been a couple of issues at the very end of his surgery, there hadn’t been anything that required Baekhyun to step in.

But still, Luhan wanted to thank him.

Luhan wanted Baekhyun to know that he appreciated Baekhyun’s willingness to make a choice that prioritized Youri over Luhan himself.

Because he’d held Youri now. He’d looked down into her dark, innocent eyes, traced her beautiful features, and soaked in the warmth of her skin. She was worth any sacrifice, even if it was his own life. He needed to tell Baekhyun of how sure he was of that now.

“They’re both coming back?” Luhan asked to be certain.

Chen nodded. “Baekhyun will be back right after the meeting lets out. Chanyeol might be a little longer, and he said something about trying to smuggle in some food for you?”

Luhan nodded and said fondly, “Chanyeol was telling me a while ago about how he had to have his appendix out last year. He said the worst part of it all wasn’t the actual surgery, but the food afterwards.”

Suho rolled his eyes. “He couldn’t keep much down afterwards anyway. It had nothing to do with the quality of hospital food.”

“He said because I had to stay longer than him,” Luhan added, “he was going to make sure I had something good to eat. Comfort food.”

Luhan wasn’t exactly sure was the hospital policy on outside food was, but if there was even a chance Chanyeol could sneak some in, he was going to eat it. Hospital food was terrible. It was barely food in Luhan’s opinion, and after a mere day of it, he was more than fed up with the bland flavors.

As Tao turned to say something to Chen and Suho, Luhan clutched at Xiumin’s wrist.

“Are you okay?” Xiumin asked, leaning down so their faces were close. “Do you need a doctor?”

The most ridiculous, uncontrollable smile crossed his face and he said, “Xiumin, I’m a father now.”

It took Xiumin a half second more to grin back. “I guess you are now. How does it feel?”

Honestly, Luhan said, “Scary. Really scary.”

“It shouldn’t be,” Xiumin said in a genuine way. “You’re going to be such a great father. Even if you don’t know how to be one at first, I know you’re going to take to it easily.”

Luhan tucked a hand under his pillow and sighed, “I want everything to be perfect with Youri. I don’t want to make any mistakes with her or do anything wrong. And it’s making me overly anxious because I know that’s not a reality. I know I’m going to make a ton of mistakes.”

Xiumin twisted his wrist so that they were holding hands. “Everyone makes mistakes. That’s half of what being a parent is. But as long as you always try and do right by Youri, she’ll love you back no matter what.”

Grinning widely, Luhan said, “You really missed your calling, Xiumin. Haven’t I told you that before? You’re wasted as a vet.”

“I like animals,” Xiumin defended. “They’re easy. People are more difficult.”

Luhan reasoned, “I don’t know, you’re pretty good at giving me advice.”

“You’re different.” Xiumin shrugged. “You’re my best friend.”

Sehun arrived back shortly after that, bringing with him Youri who was awake and blinking slowly at the world around her.

“Hey,” Sehun greeted, kissing Luhan gently as he deposited Youri into his arms. “Are these schmucks giving you trouble? I’ll run them all out if that’s what you want.”

“Funny,” Xiumin said flatly.

Luhan barely registered that they were talking to each other, Youri capturing the whole of his attention. She we was swaddled fairly tightly in the way he was learning she preferred, but one tiny hand was peeking out, fingers so small they barely seemed real.

Luhan reached his own finger out, nudging at her hand until her fingers were curling around his digit, holding one with the smallest of grasps.

“What did you take her for?” Luhan asked, kissing Youri’s pale cheeks.

“Some basic tests,” Sehun said, replacing Xiumin on the edge of the bed. “She passed with flying colors, of course. She’s able to track basic shapes, she can hear just fine, her reactions are normal, and Eunji thinks that we’ve got a perfectly healthy, completely normal little girl.”

Across the room Luhan could see as Suho watched Youri with a gleam of wetness in his eyes.

For a second Luhan stopped to consider how difficult this had to be for him.

In a perfect world Suho would have been standing in his brother’s hospital room, awing over a niece who actually shared his blood. Luhan wondered if he was looking at Youri now, taking in all of the features that she shared with Sehun, trying to imagine Jae mixed in instead of Luhan.

“Suho?” Luhan asked, head cocking towards him.

“She’s very beautiful, Luhan,” Suho said, giving him a soft smile. “She looks a lot like you.”

If Suho were a man with less integrity, or had less love for Sehun, he might have bowed out already.

“Do you want to hold her?” Luhan asked. “She’ll be hungry soon, which means she’ll start crying then, but she’s nice and calm now. Are you interested?”

There was an encouraging smile on Sehun’s face that said he absolutely agreed with the offer.

“Me?” Suho asked, surprised.

“Of course you,” Luhan said.

Tao said with a frown, “I want to hold Youri. I’m her uncle, too.”

Sehun’s smile was gone for that. “How about we wait until she’s a little older for you to hold her.”

Tao looked even less happy at that. “I’m not a kid. I’m almost twenty. I think I can handle holding a baby.”

“Suho first,” Luhan said, watching Suho move closer to the bed. “And then yes, Tao, you can hold Youri afterwards.”

Tao wasn’t a child, no matter how juvenile he could seem at times. And he wouldn’t drop Youri. Luhan was certain of that.

Looking pleased with the compromise, Tao moved quickly to the side to give Suho enough room to take the baby comfortably.

“There you go,” Luhan said encouraging to Suho when Youri was safely in his arms. “Not that hard, right?”

Suho gave both Luhan and Sehun the brightest smile he’d ever managed as he looked between them and Youri. “She’s perfect.”

“I know,” Sehun said proudly.

Luhan settled comfortably back against him. “Was there ever any doubt?”

Suho chuckled. “Not really.”

Two days later, feeling a little stronger but still in an incredible amount of pain around his abdominal area, Luhan signed his release papers and got to dress in his regular clothes to go home.

“I’m glad to get out of here,” Sehun said from where he was kneeling on the floor, doing up the laces on Luhan’s shoes. “And to take Youri with us.”

Youri was nearby in her bassinet, dressed in the tiniest, but most adorable lavender onesie that Luhan had been able to find. There were matching newborn mittens on her fingers that would be able to come off soon, and a lace headpiece that helped identify her gender right away. Along with the blanket she’d soon be wrapped in, she was ready to be settled into her carseat and taken out of the hospital for the first time.

Luhan was nervous about that, because it wasn’t until very recently that he’d realized how much of a comfort having a doctor nearby just in case was, but he was excited to get home and settle her in to her nursery.

“It’s about time,” Luhan said gently, holding out an arm as Sehun moved to help him into his jacket next.

Sehun cupped Luhan’s face and kissed him soundly, promising, “I know it’s going to be scary to be on our own with her, but I think we’re going to do okay.”

Luhan pressed up into the kiss. “We have Eunji on speed dial, too,” Luhan reminded.

The most frustrating part, Luhan thought for sure as he eased himself onto his feet with a low groan, was the fact that he couldn’t lift anything. He still needed Sehun’s help to hold Youri confidently, and it was absolutely out of the question that he could lift her into the carseat or carry it to the car itself. “I wish I could carry her out of here.”

“You just had major surgery,” Sehun reminded as he buckled Youri in carefully. Her eyelids were drooping and Luhan was sure she’d be asleep in seconds. She was recently fed and changed, which meant an hour or two nap before she was hungry again.

That was true, and on some level he recognized that, but on another he felt as if he were failing Youri somehow. If she started crying, and Luhan wanted to hold her he had to wait for Sehun to hand her to him. What kind of father was he that he couldn’t pick his baby up?

“Luhan,” Sehun said gently, turning away from Youri to wrap him up in a firm hug. “You carried our baby for nine months. Literally nine months. You did all that work and you risked your life delivering her into this world. So now let me do a little of the carrying. It doesn’t mean anything that you’re recovering from surgery and can’t carry her out of here. If anything, it just means how resilient and determined you are that you came through surgery no worse for wear.”

Luhan wound his arms around Sehun and pressed in even closer. Sehun was absolutely right, and he knew that he ought to be carrying his soreness like a badge of honor.  But he was sore. He was sore and uncomfortable and not being able to tie his own shoes, let alone pick up his daughter, was straining.

“Okay,” Luhan said, forcing himself to accept the situation. For now Sehun would carry Youri, and do for her what Luhan couldn’t. And in a few weeks, when Luhan was feeling better and in less pain, things would be different.

“Fingers crossed,” Sehun said, releasing Luhan and finishing securing Youri in the car seat. “No wailing babies on the way home.”

Luhan reached a gentle finger out and down Youri’s cheek. “She’s not that kind of baby.”

Sehun laughed. “You say that now, but wait until she’s upset at two in the morning. And god forbid we don’t get up fast enough to attend to her.”

“Looking forward to that?” Luhan asked. He forced himself to stop fussing over Youri. She was dressed warmly enough to be outside for a half minute, and she was content enough to make it home.

Sehun reached for the handle to the carseat and lifted it carefully. “Daydreaming about it already.”

They had to walk slow. They had to walk so slow it was almost frustrating, but Luhan could barely shuffle along without feeling a burn of pain, and his top speed seemed to be a snail’s pace.

Sehun, not seemingly bothered by it at all, commented, “You’ll be happy to know that I talked my mom out of ambushing us in the lobby.” They entered an elevator that was thankfully empty, and Sehun leveled Youri up a little higher, telling her, “Your grandma promised not to blind you with the flash on her phone until you’re at least six months.”

Luhan leaned over Youri and said, “Your daddy thinks he’s such a comedian, Daiyu. We’re going to forgive him for now, if he doesn’t push his luck.”

Luhan could feel his stomach pulling slightly as the elevator descended. The motion had never made him feel sick before, but now he couldn’t help wondering if Youri could feel it. It was downright insane how the tiniest of worries seemed to be overtaking him.

“You’ll confuse her,” Sehun warned. “I think Daiyu is a very pretty name, but I bet she won’t be able to realize she’s got two names until much later.”

Luhan laughed. “She won’t be able to recognize she has one name for a while, Sehun.” Then he was deliberately chatting to Youri in Chinese, enjoying the way Sehun’s face fell into a frown. “Fine,” he said, switching back to Korean. “But remember, we agreed, we want Youri to be equal parts Chinese and Korean. Both cultures are important. Both mean something to me, and now to her.”

The elevator dinged and Sehun took a careful step forward, bracing one hand against the doors so Luhan had more than enough time to exit.

“I stand by that,” Sehun said quickly, sounding fierce and determined. “But how about we stick to one name until she gets what it means to have two different identities? I think she’s going to be confused enough when our friends finally agree on a nickname.”

Luhan shook his head. “I really kind of wish they wouldn’t.” At least not until Youri was older and had more of an established personality.

As they made their way into the West entrance’s lobby, Luhan was eternally grateful that Sehun had been telling the truth about his mother. He was very of the opinion that he wanted to document as much of Youri’s life as possible, but Luhan didn’t think he was looking his best at the moment.

Sehun claimed that he was as attractive as ever. And though Sehun had been exceptionally careful when touching him the past few days, he’d certainly done his fair share of touching. Luhan had had his grabbed more than once by a playful Sehun who didn’t appear to notice at all that Luhan was still carrying around the weight he’d gained from the pregnancy.

Eunji had been clear, when Luhan had asked her a day earlier, that the baby weight would come off naturally as time passed and he did a little extra exercise. That was reassuring, but the reality was that due to his surgery, he couldn’t begin exercising for a while. It was all a little depressing to think about.

“See,” Sehun said, as if he was reading Luhan’s mind. “My mom is busy breaking facebook right now with all the pictures and video she snapped of Youri, but she’s not here. I kind of did more than ask her not to be here. I made it the only option.”

Luhan asked surprised, “I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Your mom is a very headstrong woman.”

“Yeah,” Sehun said, like it was a natural thing. “You’re not feeling great, and I know the both of us are terrified of getting in a car with our newborn. The last thing we need is my mom here, hovering around. I love her, but this is our moment. This is us.”

“I wish you wouldn’t say things like this,” Luhan commented, sneaking a glance at Youri to make sure she was still happily watching the things around her which must have still been giant blurs. “You’re incredibly attractive when you do.”

Sehun beamed. “Careful. We just got done making a baby. I wouldn’t want to get you pregnant so quickly again.”

Luhan rolled his eyes. There was no doubt in his mind there would be more children in the future. Carrying and delivering Youri had been a nerve wracking thing, but more overwhelming was the urge to have even more bright eyed, miniature people in the world who were the perfect combination of Luhan and the man Luhan loved.

But was off the table for four to six weeks while he healed. At the very least.

Luhan also had a sinking suspicion that even when he was cleared for , and very much wanted to have it with Sehun, they’d both be too tired dealing with Youri, to get to it. More kids were definitely a long way out.

“Keep dreaming, Casanova,” Luhan chuckled out.

Sehun took them to the closest waiting room and put Youri in her car seat neatly down on one of the chairs. He bent to kiss Luhan and said a little breathlessly, “You two hang out here, okay? I’m going to bring the car to the front and then you can laugh at me if I can’t get the carseat in on the first try.”

“I doubt that’s going to happen,” Luhan called after him. He had it on good authority that a day previous Sehun had practiced putting the carseat in, and taking it out, no less than a dozen times.

“Be right back,” Sehun promised, then kissed Youri gently, and Luhan one more time for good measure. “Don’t move.”

“Your daddy,” Luhan sighed out, looking down at Youri.

He’d been staring at her for three days straight now, and it was still difficult to not be completely distracted by how beautiful she was. It was jarring, in all actuality. And a little scary to think how much more beautiful she’d be once she was older.

Luhan gave a low laugh as he imagined Sehun chasing suitors from their property.

Youri made a grunting sound of sorts and Luhan nodded to her. “Your daddy is something else. And a little weird, no doubt. But I love him very much, and I think you will too. In fact, I’m sure of it.”

“I’m back,” Sehun announced in what felt like a second later. Luhan since then had lowered himself slowly to the chair next to Youri, and was marveling at how well she was grasping his finger. Her grip was stronger every day, and practically every minute.

As expected, Sehun performed marvelously with getting the carseat securely in the car, and with Luhan seated in the back next to Youri, Sehun slid into the driver’s seat and eased off the brake.

“I’ll drive slow,” Sehun said, looking a little pale as he met Luhan’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’ll drive safe.”

With the baby blanket Sehun’s mother had brought for Youri draped over her, Luhan put his hand on the warmth of her body and said, “I know you will.”

They were home half an hour later, perfectly safe, and with a sleeping baby on their hands.

Luhan accepted Sehun’s help in getting out of the car and then stood by patiently as Sehun lifted the carseat out.

“Stairs,” Luhan breathed out, looking up at the alley that led up to his apartment on the third floor. “I didn’t stop to think about the stairs.”

Sehun pecked him on the side of the head and asked, “Do you want me to carry you up?”

Luhan half considered it.

“No,” he said finally, and then started the long trek up.

At the ten minute mark he made Sehun go ahead with Youri, desperate to get her out of the cold, and then he inched his way up one step at a time, telling himself over and over again that he only needed to manage the stairs one time. He wasn’t planning on leaving his apartment for a while again, and at least not until he was a lot more healed up.

Sehun was back to his side before he’d even reached the second landing. And then, despite Luhan’s assurances that he didn’t need to be carried, he was lifted the entire way to the third floor.

“You put her in the nursery?” Luhan asked when he was in his apartment, the door was closed behind him, and he could feel the heater going strongly. He unwrapped the scarf that had been around his neck and toed off his shoes.

“She didn’t even wake up when I put her in there,” Sehun assured, reaching out to help Luhan take his coat off. “You want to see to be sure?”

“Does that make me paranoid?” Luhan asked.

Sehun held his hand tightly and said, “Not at all. I’m pretty sure I’m going to sit in the corner of the nursery tonight and just watch her sleep. That’s way more creepy.”

In the nursery Luhan curled his fingers around the railing on the crib and peered down at his daughter who was doing her best to look like an angel. Her chest rose and fell with quick breaths of air and she looked serenely at peace as she slept.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Sehun, Luhan couldn’t bring himself to care in the least that there were tears in his eyes.

Sehun’s hand came down on top of Luhan’s and he said quietly, “Welcome home, Youri.”

“Welcome home,” Luhan echoed.