It could have gone better. That was the foremost thought in Luhan’s mind days after his meeting with Sehun. It could have gone much better. He could have been more patient. He should have been less confrontational. There should have been more communication, less accusations, and the kind of behavior expected from a person who was about to become a father.

More than anything, Luhan was disappointed in himself.

But something good, at the very least, had come from the confrontation.

Before he’d worked up the courage to go and see Sehun, and before he said what needed to be said, regardless of how little tact he’d probably used, Luhan had been completely uncertain about the baby he carried. He was keeping it, that much he’d determined within hours of finding out about it. Getting rid of it, or giving it up …those were two options that made him feel absolutely sick to his stomach. Raising a baby wasn’t going to be easy, and there went most of his plans to have fun before he got too old, but he was already feeling a warmth and love in his heart for the little person who would look like him.

He was going to do his best, too. He was going to work hard, provide for his baby, surround it with love and comfort and security, and make sure that even if it was the two of them, two was enough.

Going to see Sehun had made him feel stronger than ever, capable, and determined. He didn’t need Sehun in his life to be a good father. He didn’t need support or money or anything from Sehun.

The only regret he now harbored, lurking darkly in the back of his mind, was that one day his baby was going to grow up. And then he or she would start asking questions. And Luhan would have to explain how that baby had been conceived, and how its other father hadn’t wanted anything to do with either of them.

“I will go over there right now and murder him.”

Luhan’s gaze panned away from the ultrasound picture he had tacked up on his refrigerator and over to Tao who was burning a hole in his carpet with his pacing.

“Calm down, Rambo,” Kris announced from the sofa.

Tao turned a dark gaze on him. “Are you serious? This gets our friend pregnant, then won’t take responsibility. And you want me to calm down?”

It was Lay, who’d thus far been silent near Xiumin, all of Luhan’s closest friends gathered around to hear how it had gone down at Sehun’s house, who offered, “It’s a heavy thing to hear, Tao. Not everyone is ready to accept the responsibility of fatherhood immediately.”

That was something to consider, Luhan supposed. He had sort of sprung the news on Sehun harshly, and then all but demanded accountability from him. He didn’t think that excused Sehun’s behavior, but it did make him a little more understandable.

“Right,” Kris said, tugging Tao down from where he’d been pacing. “That’s why if we’re going to go murder this , we’re not going to go do it in broad daylight. It’ll be at night, and we’ll need a plan first.”

The fact that Luhan couldn’t quite tell if Kris was joking or not was something of an interesting nature, but it made him smile a bit nonetheless at his friend’s reaction.

“No one is murdering the father of my child, please.”

“Then what are we planning on doing?” Xiumin asked, casting him a waiting look.

The we was not lost on Luhan.

“Nothing,” he said finally, letting out a breath of air. “You can’t make someone be a father. You can’t make them want something like that. And I wouldn’t want to force him anyway. I told you guys, he’s married. He’s probably got a family already. I’m not going to mess that up for them, regardless of what I feel for him.”

Tao’s head cocked. “You have feelings for him?”

Luhan glared. “Not like that. I mean, sure, he’s really good looking, the beer wasn’t making me hallucinate that, but he’s the father of my child. I’m not in love with him. I’m not even in lust with him anymore. I have complicated feelings for him, but certainly not romantic ones.”

Luhan had honestly thought that when he sat his four closest friends down, three of whom were some of the only people in Korea that he could talk about China with, and one who was the only person Luhan trusted emphatically in the world, that there might be a bit of judgment. After all, hadn’t he just become a statistic of some kind? But they’d rallied around him from the second the news of his pregnancy had come out, and it had been heavily implied that the four of them were more than willing to make up for any deficiencies that might be created from Luhan’s child not having a second parental figure.

“I just want to move past this,” Luhan said, trying to control the urge to feel his stomach up.

Before the bomb had been dropped on him, his pants had begun fitting a little snuggly, but only just, and he’d always worn pretty form fitting clothing anyway. He’d simply thought that staying indoors, spending most of his time studying for his finals, and eating junk food of all sorts, was catching up with him. But since learning of his baby’s existence, he’d started to notice that he was rounding out even more fully as the days passed. He was tall and thin which meant he was going to show like a massive blimp before long, but for now he could still hide it. That didn’t meant he wasn’t aware of his bump every second of every day.

“You want to just forget about the fact that some guy is not going to take, at the very least, financial responsibility of his own kid?” Kris asked skeptically.

Luhan shrugged. “Like I said, you can’t make someone be a father, and I don’t want or need his money. You guys, why should I want someone who doesn’t want me? Why should my baby want someone who doesn’t want him or her?”

Tao grumbled, “I still say we drive right over there and destroy him.”

“I’ve got to go,” Xiumin announced, struggling his way up from Luhan’s incredibly comfortable sofa. “Luhan, remember what we talked about? My sister’s deal?”

Luhan flashed him a thumbs up.

“I’ll talk to you guys later,” Xiumin said, stepping over Tai who was stretched out across the carpet now, kicking dejectedly at Kris who was only ignoring his pouting. “Text me if we decide to commit a felony. I’ve got the getaway car.”

“I should go too,” Lay said, making sure to squeeze Luhan’s shoulder.

“I just don’t get how you can be so calm,” Tao said, sticking his arms into his university shirt and looking every bit the kid he still kind of was. “Luhan, this . This a lot and you don’t deserve it.”

Of all his friends, and Luhan had many more that he considered precious to him outside the four that he was the closest with, Tao was probably the only one that had prepared him at least a little, for his impending fatherhood. Tao was the youngest of them all, petulant and needy, and while he could also be charming and caring, he too quite a bit of work to handle. Dealing with Tao made Luhan think that he could handle a baby.

Luhan asked him, “Don’t you have a summer class to get to?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Tao rolled up to his feet, hands on his hips. “I do.”

Kris gave him one last nudge. “Then get going, slacker.”

Tao gifted him with a very rude, and not at all respectful of their age difference gesture, then high tailed it towards the door, calling over his shoulder, “I still think we should go with the murder route! My uncle has some land out in Incheon. It’s the perfect spot!”

Luhan lurched his way up to his feet and trekked over to the apartment’s small kitchen. The smell of coffee from the shop under him was wafting up, reminding him rather ostentatiously that he was currently and severely greatly reduced in his allowed caffeine intake.

“You can hang around for a while, if you want,” Luhan told Kris, getting to work on the dishes he’d set out earlier to dry. The best part of living away from his parents, Luhan had deduced long ago, was that he’d become very self sufficient. He could do dishes now, laundry, keep his apartment clean, and all of the things that his mother would have insisted on doing for him. It was kind of liberating, to know he was already able to do all of the household things young men didn’t learn until much later in life.

“Nah,” Kris said, though he didn’t look like he was making an effort to get up. “I have to go into the office today.”

Luhan made a face at him. “It’s Saturday.”

“I know.” Kris made the face back at him. “But there’s one last thing I want to talk to you about.”

“Okay.” Luhan paused, leaning forward on the counter a little, giving Kris his whole attention. “But this isn’t going to be a lecture of some kind, right? Or an attempted handout due in part to the extra passenger I’m lugging around? Xiumin’s sister got me hired by the hospital to finish up the mural in the children’s ward starting next week. It’s going to take me a couple of months to get everything planned out and then painted. The boost in money means I won’t be your charity case.”

Kris didn’t seem offended in the least as he reminded Luhan, “You work hard and you don’t mess around, that means you’ve never been a charity case. But no, this isn’t my repeated offer to make you assistant manager, even though everyone knows the customers like you best, and you know your way around the coffee shop better than the actual manager.”

Curiosity piqued, Luhan asked, “Then what’s this about?”

Kris put his feet flatly down on the ground, back straight, and looked a million times different from the carefree slouching man he’d been moments earlier.

“You need to look into some legal action concerning your pregnancy.”

“What?” Luhan, unable to help his kneejerk reaction. “Why?”

“Why?” Kris echoed. “Obviously because we’re talking about the fact that you’re about to have a baby, and if this Sehun guy wanted to complicate things, he could do it very quickly and very effortlessly.”

Luhan forced a laugh, but there was a hint of anxiety that had been sparked in him. “You’ve been working around lawyers for too long.”

When they’d been in school together, mere months ago when Luhan really thought about it, Kris had been an accounting major. Luhan had suspected that he’d go on to be a number crunching human calculator, spending five days a week in a cubical, looking twice his age far before his time. But instead Kris had been picked up by a premier law firm, was working his way towards becoming a paralegal, and was less boring now than Luhan had dared to hope for. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Kris spent his days now surrounded by soul prosecutors who could smell guilt from a mile away.

Kris fit in effortlessly among them in a scary kind of way.

“Luhan,” Kris said, voice tight. “If this guy says he doesn’t want to be any part of your kid’s life, you have to get it down in writing. You have to make sure it’s airtight.”

“You can’t be serious.” Luhan headed quickly over to him, dishes completely forgotten.

“I am.” Kris asked him, “So what if this guy decides he doesn’t want kids right now, but he changes his mind a year from now? What if you have to deal with him showing up on your doorstep, asking for his kid, and you didn’t make sure he couldn’t?”

Luhan looked down now, at his mostly flat stomach, to his baby who was the size of the walnut and months away from having fingers and toes. He wouldn’t know his baby’s gender for a while still, and couldn’t begin thinking of names until then. How could he imagine what it would be like in a year.

But more importantly, Luhan told Kris, “You seem to be forgetting that no matter how poorly Sehun took the news, this is his baby too. I would never try to stop him from seeing the baby, or being a father to it. That’s not right.”

Kris reached out, and with a gentle poke to Luhan’s stomach said, “Imagine he shows up on your doorstep one morning and he’s got a letter from a judge saying that he’ll see you in court. And when you show up, his lawyer argues that he’s going to be a more fit parent then you are, and guess what, the judge believes him for whatever reason. I want you to picture that moment when you have to hand over either full or partial custody of this baby to Sehun, not knowing what kind of person he is, and without it mattering how much you love this baby and instinctively want to protect it.”

Luhan sat heavily next to Kris. “You think he might try and take my baby.”

“I don’t know,” Kris said with an even tone, “because I don’t know Sehun, and neither do you. And when we don’t know what people are capable of, that’s the scary part.”

Feeling dizzy, Luhan slumped down against the cushions, fingers splayed out across his stomach. “I can’t even think about that. Oh, god.”

“I think,” Kris said, one hand on his knee, “you should come down to the office on Monday. One of the lawyers is a pretty good friend of mine. He can advise you on what you should do, but what I think he’s going to tell you to do is get this Sehun guy to sign over his parental rights to you. That’ll make it so he can never show up one day, out of the blue, and want custody or visitation rights.”

“Give up his parental rights?” Luhan asked, absolutely shocked at he mere idea. A man not wanting anything to do with his child was unfortunately, not that uncommon. But to sign over everything that legally tied a person to their child? “I don’t think he’ll do it.”

Kris asked, “Why wouldn’t he? He doesn’t want anything to do with you, or that baby, and you said he already has a spouse, maybe even a family. You should, if you do this, tell him that if he signs the paper, he’ll never have to see you again, but more importantly, you won’t seek any kind of monetary aid from him.”

“This is crazy,” Luhan eased out.

“No, it’s safe.”

Luhan met his gaze. “I don’t know, Kris. This seems … drastic.”

After a moment of quietness, Kris said in a low voice, “I’ve been working at the firm for a few months, Luhan. Just a few. But in that time I’ve seen all of the worst sides of people. And I am telling you, it is the smart thing to do, to protect yourself and this baby. Luhan, at least promise me you’ll come down on Monday and listen to my friend. You don’t have to do anything right away.”

Legal action?

Luhan couldn’t imagine how trying to get Sehun to give up his parental rights would unfold, but neither did he want to think about the worst case scenario that Kris had posed.

Because he didn’t really know Sehun. He didn’t know anything about him, actually, other than what kind of underwear he wore. He knew nothing about Sehun’s temperament, his motives, or his possible ruthlessness. What if Kris was right? What if he didn’t protect himself and his baby, and something did happen a year from now?

If Luhan had to give up his baby, the tiny, precious little life in him that he was already so in love with, he’d die. He’d honestly rather die.

“I’m not going to let anyone take my baby from me,” he told Kris, and he’d do whatever it took to make that vow a reality.

With a loud exhale, Kris stood, telling Luhan, “I’m not trying to scare you. I just think you should be prepared.”

“I’ll come on Monday,” Luhan said, not moving to see Kris to the door. He wasn’t sure his feet could support him if he tried. “I’ll listen to your friend.”

“Good,” Kris said. “And jeeze, try to keep your blood pressure down. That’s my niece in there.”

Luhan threw a sofa pillow at him. “You’re the jerk who’s putting these thoughts into my mind. And hey, this could be a boy.”

“I hope it’s a girl,” Kris called back as he pulled open Luhan’s front door. “The last thing we need around here is more testosterone.”

Kris had been gone only mere seconds before Luhan was looking back down at his stomach, trying to imagine what his baby would look like, and trying to figure out if it was possible that he’d be even more protective of the baby once it was there, than he was already.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Luhan told the baby, rubbing a hand across his stomach as the indigestion he’d been feeling for days gnawed away at him. “I’ll do whatever it take to protect you.”

He supposed the meeting that he showed up for on Monday, wearing the only high collared shirt now that didn’t make him look like he was putting on weight, and slacks that were still roomy around his waist, was supposed to make him feel better. But listening to Kris’s friend explain to him how easily it would be for him to lose custody, only served to fray his nerves even further.

He went home with a packet full of legal paperwork and regretted for the first time that he’d said anything to Sehun at all. If he’d just kept his pregnancy to himself, and not gone looking for Sehun, he wouldn’t be laying awake at night, envisioning all the things that could go wrong.

To pass his time, and try to sooth his anxiety, Luhan threw himself into his new job. It was only temporary employment, and the pay was only slightly better than what he’d be making at the coffee shop, but as far as Luhan was concerned, getting to paint meant all the freedom in the world.

The hospital had given him mostly free reign to decorate the children’s ward and Luhan had settled on an aquatic theme, spending the first few weeks mapping out which fish would go where, which mammals to include, and how he was going to juggle being bombarded by absolutely adorable children, and getting his work done at the same time.

It was, by all accounts, a dream job.

It was also almost enough to make him forget that as his baby grew bigger, so did the looming cloud that was Sehun. Luhan hadn’t spoken to him again, not since their last parting, and though he’d finished going through the paperwork Kris’s lawyer friend had given him, he hadn’t filled any of it out. It was all pushed to the back of his mind as the days flew by, the paint went up on the walls, and Luhan’s artist praise was sung by a visiting doctor from a nearby hospital who was rumbling about how his own pediatrics ward was in need of a makeover.

“And my sister’s having a baby,” the man had also said, surprising Luhan with how forthcoming he was. “She and her husband have been arguing for days over which wallpaper to use. I think a hand painted nursery would be much better. Do you do that sort of thing as well?”

Luhan had sputtered for a bit, surprised at how easy it was to line yet another job up, and assured, “My doctor cleared me for paint fumes, as long as I use all of the protective gear, for several more months.”

The moment Lay had found out about the job offer he’d pointed Luhan directly to a friend of his who sat him down in front of a computer on his first free day and together they built a webpage for him, advertising his services. And like that he had a working business, and the hope that he’d be able to support his baby through something that was nothing short of a passion of his.

On top of that, as he moved along in his fourth month, the nausea that had tormented him thus far, started to pull back. Sometimes he could get through his whole morning meal without having to make a mad dash towards the bathroom. If that wasn’t a blessing, Luhan didn’t know what was.

What was not a blessing, however, was coming home to a man he recognized all too well waiting for him on the doorstep.

It wasn’t Sehun, and for that Luhan could be endlessly thankful, but it was the man he remembered to be Sehun’s brother-in-law. And if this wasn’t going to be a confrontation, Luhan didn’t know what else it could be.

“Luhan?” Xiumin asked, spying him before he got close enough to the man to say anything. Xiumin was in the back doorway to the coffee shop that connected to the stairs leading up to the apartments. There was a worried, apprehensive look on his face, but also the promise that he could spring into action if needed.

Xiumin was pretty much the most laid back and casual guy Luhan had ever seen. Xiumin was almost diplomatic to fault, even more than Lay who claimed to be a pacifist. But Luhan had seen Xiumin go at someone once, in particular someone who’d been harassing a friend of his. It had been pure savagery that Luhan had witnessed, and there was no doubt now in Luhan’s mind that Xiumin could take anyone in a match, save for probably a professional fighter of some kind.

If Sehun’s brother-in-law came at him in any way, Luhan knew he’d have Xiumin backing him up.

“Give me a second to figure out what he wants,” Luhan requested quietly as he brushed past Xiumin.

Xiumin gave him a silent nod, but didn’t tear his eyes away from the other man for a second.

His feet only dragging a bit, Luhan came up on the man and asked, “Is there something I can do for you?”

It was absolutely not lost on Luhan the way the man was eyeing his stomach. Of course Sehun would have told his brother-in-law. Maybe he’d even sent the man over here to make sure that Luhan kept his distance. If that was the case Luhan was going to pass him the legal paperwork for the parental rights there on the spot. And then he might even ask Xiumin to show the man out.

Or let Tao have at Sehun. Tao was a savage little monster when he fought, too. And the difference between Tao and Xiumin was that Tao liked picking fights all too much.

“I wanted talk to you, actually,” the man said, giving his name additionally as Suho and bowing respectfully to him. “If you have the time for me. I can come back if it’s not an appropriate time. I apologize for not calling in advance, but I didn’t have your number. It took some doing to get your address, actually. And your full name, for that matter.”

The man was … very respectful. And there wasn’t a hint of aggression from him. It was possible it was a ploy, but it honestly didn’t feel that way.

“Okay,” Luhan said finally, waving Xiumin off with a smile. “I’m up on the third floor. I hope you don’t mind climbing.”

Suho gave him a startled look and wondered, “Is it okay for you to be climbing stairs?”

A surprised smile made its way to Luhan’s face. There’d been honest concern in his voice. “I’m very healthy. Trust me, it’s fine.”

They climbed quickly, Luhan trying not to glance behind him as the door neared. And when they were inside the apartment Luhan bought himself some extra time by making drinks for both himself and Suho.

“Did you get the money I sent you?” Luhan asked, handing Suho a cup of icy, sweet tea.

“Sehun passed it along to me,” Suho confirmed, then sipped appreciatively at his tea. “You surprised me by returning the money.”

Luhan said, “Of course I returned the money to you. I said I would. But I only had that one address. I had to guess that you’d get the money if I had it delivered there.”

“I appreciate it all the same,” Suho said, then set his tea aside. “You have to be wondering why I’m here.”

“It’s driving me pretty crazy,” Luhan confessed, feeling at ease despite the stranger in his apartment. “Your brother-in-law … well … it didn’t go well the last time we spoke.”

“Sehun is,” Suho said with a sigh, “not himself right now.”

With a frown, Luhan said firmly, “I went to tell him about my pregnancy because I thought he deserved to know. I told him because this is his baby, too, and I didn’t know if he wanted to be a father. I didn’t want anything from him. Maybe he thought I wanted money. That’s not it at all. And I’m not trying to pressure him into being a father. He didn’t ask for this baby, not anymore than I did, at least. I just thought I’d be considerate.”

Suho’s features mellowed as he smiled at Luhan. “You’re very respectful, and very charming. I can see why Sehun was drawn to you. And I want to apologize for his behavior. Sehun is going through a horrible time in his life at the moment and it’s, to say the least, made him a different person.”

“I didn’t exactly break the news to him in the best way,” Luhan offered.

But Suho was having none of it, insisting, “Sehun’s temperamental right now. He’s walking a precarious line with himself, and I think he took his emotional instability out on you when you last spoke. I think you deserve a proper apology, and until he’s ready to give it to you, I’ll do it in his stead.”

More than a little impressed, Luhan said, “You care a lot for him, don’t you?”

Suho gave a smile nod. “He’s family.”

And there it was, the reminder that Sehun was married and Luhan was the proverbial home wrecker.

“I’m not trying to ruin Sehun’s life or marriage. That’s what I want you to know. I don’t want to do anything to disrupt it. I won’t be hanging around with a baby, demanding Sehun’s attention or money. That should never be a worry of yours.”

Worry lines creased on Suho’s forehead. “I’m not sure I--”

“In fact,” Luhan said, his own tea forgotten, “if Sehun has absolutely no interest in being a father to this baby, I--”

Suho interrupted this time, saying, “Sehun and fatherhood … that’s a dangerous association. But really, I think we’re having a miscommunication here.”

Luhan paused, halfway across the room already to get the paperwork Kris’s lawyer friend had given him. “What kind?”

Suho put his hands on his knees and leaned forward. “You’re not … Sehun isn’t …” There was something dark spreading across Suho’s face, something painful in fact. He finally broke out with, “You’re not ruining any marriages.”

Not sure, Luhan asked, “But isn’t Sehun your brother-in-law?”

Suho gave a somber nod. “It’s just not what you think. Sehun was married to my little brother, Jaehyuk.”

“Was?” Luhan asked, heartbeat picking up.

“There was an … accident,” Suho said, fingers curling into the fabric at his knees. “My brother passed away. By the time you and Sehun created that baby in there, my brother was already buried.”

“Oh,” Luhan eased out, so conflicted to say much more. But then he had sense enough to offer, “I’m so sorry.”

Suho gave him an appreciative look. “Thank you. But like I said, there’s no marriage that you’re disrupting. Sehun is alone now, and maybe that’s really the root of the issue here. Sehun, at least I think, is wrecked with guilt that he’s alive and my brother, Jae, is gone. He’s getting better at passing through the days, but he’s not really feeling much anymore.”

His stomach churning with nausea, Luhan had to take a quick seat, leaning forward a little as it really kicked up.

“Are you okay?” Suho asked, looking like he wanted to dart to Luhan’s side. “Is it the baby?”

“It’s okay,” Luhan tried to reassure, taking a deep breath. “It’s just morning sickness.”

“It’s four in the afternoon.”

With a chuckle, Luhan said, “It’s just called that. It’s an all day thing, unfortunately. It has been getting better, though.” Luhan asked tentatively, “So when I sprung this baby news on Sehun, he was pretty much still hurting terribly?”

“More than you know,” Suho revealed. “My brother was pregnant when he died. He was nearly full term, too. Eight months.”

Luhan gripped his stomach instinctively. “The accident … he…”

Pale faced, Suho continued, “The doctors tried their absolute best to save Jae, and when they couldn’t, they tried to save the baby. But there was just too much blood loss and too much trauma and neither of them made it. Sehun … some of us, some of the family, we really thought he wasn’t going to make it either. He didn’t look like he was going to be able to keep going without them.”

His hormones ragging, Luhan felt his eyes tear up. He couldn’t imagine, couldn’t even begin to think about how horrific and devastating that kind of loss had to be for Sehun.

“He wanted that baby so much,” Suho said with a laugh. “Sehun’s never been very paternal, but that’s probably just because he’s the baby of his family. But once he found out he was going to have a baby--a daughter, he put his whole self into the idea of it. He and Jae did everything right, read all the books, took all the classes, and damnit if they weren’t so close when the accident happened.”

How had Sehun survived it? It was a question that Luhan could think of no answer to. How had Sehun dealt with not only losing the man he loved, but also his baby?

Suho cleared his throat. “Anyway, Sehun suffered unimaginable psychological trauma with their deaths. You getting pregnant must have done a number on him.”

“I …” Luhan regretted his actions so much. He regretted being brash and impatient and wanted to apologize until he was blue in the face. “I had no idea.”

“My point is,” Suho said, “Sehun probably couldn’t have taken the news well no matter how you told him, even if you let him know with extreme delicacy. I just don’t think he’s ready to face the idea of being a father again. I don’t think he’s ready to start feeling and living yet.”

“Of course.”

Suho took another drink from his tea. “I’m still hoping that he’ll get there, too. And I think you can help him.”

Luhan questioned, “You don’t think I’m just going to be a horrible reminder?”

Suho admitted, “Maybe at first, but you’re the kind of reality he needs to face. If he keeps seeing you, and is able to realize that not every pregnancy that he cares about ends in death, he might come around.”

Sipping at his own tea, Luhan asked, “So what do you want me to do? Show up on his doorstep every chance I get?”

“Not something so drastic,” Suho reasoned. “But maybe keep him up to date with the progress of the baby? Leave him more sonogram pictures? Every once in a while you could invite him along to a doctor’s appointment, or maybe even to some baby and me classes.”

“You think he’ll be interested in any of that?”

Suho, his calming presence helping to settle Luhan’s stomach, said, “I think he’ll be angry and refuse you and do whatever it takes to try and run you off. At least at first, is my hope. He just needs time, Luhan. I know it. We just have to keep trying. If you do right by Sehun, I’ll do right by you.”

Luhan pulled back slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean? I mean, no offense, but I’m the guy that your brother-in-law got pregnant. Probably not that long after your pregnant brother died, too.”

“You’d be surprised if I told you how quickly afterwards it happened.” Suho exhaled. “What I just meant is that if you keep trying with Sehun, I’ll be here for you. I’ll help you however I can, support you however you need, and you won’t have to worry about that baby wanting for anything.”

He didn’t need Kris’s handouts, and he certainly didn’t need Suho’s either.

“Listen here--”

Suho said sharply, “I know that you’re not Jae, and I know that your baby is not his. I know that there’s absolutely nothing tying us to each other, either. But that is Sehun’s son or daughter, and Sehun is my family. When Jae and Sehun got married I knew that Jae could handle keeping Sehun happy, but my brother isn’t here anymore, so now it’s my turn. This is just what family does … and I guess kind of in an odd way, this baby is my family, too.”

Face scrunching a little, Luhan asked, “You really feel that way? About my baby?”

Exasperated, Suho said, “I won’t lie to you, I’d much rather entertain the idea of Sehun having kids with my brother exclusively, but that’s really not an option anymore. But this is Sehun’s kid you’ve got in there. I love Sehun, so by extension, I love that baby. I’m going to help take care of it, if you let me. I’m not asking for anything I return because family just doesn’t do that sort of thing. Agree?”

Begrudgingly, Luhan agreed, “I guess you’re right.”

“So is everything okay in there?” Suho asked, gesturing to his stomach. “You’ve been taking care of yourself?”

It was a little awkward, but Luhan was already warming up to Suho. “Everything is going great,” he promised. “I just hit my fourth month not that long ago. In a couple of weeks I get to learn the gender.”

Suho had finished half of his tea by that point, and chatted happily, “I really hope it’s a boy, you know.”

Luhan offered, “Most of my friends want a girl, actually.” It took Luhan a moment more to realize why Suho hoped it was a boy. Of course he wanted it to be a boy. Sehun had been expecting a girl. Another girl would be … difficult.

“Here,” Suho said, reaching into his pocket. “This is my business card, but I wrote my personal line on the back.”

Luhan accepted he rectangular card and glanced over the information. “Impressive.” He recognized the business logo in the corner. He passed by the thirty story building in the heart of Seoul all the time.

Suho reminded, “The number is on the back. I want you to call me anytime. For anything. I mean it. My secretary already knows to put you through without issue.”

Luhan palmed the card. “Okay.”

Luhan walked him quickly to the door, but it wasn’t until Suho was in the hallway that he said, “Sehun is a pretty amazing guy. He’s driven and compassionate. He’s creative and intelligent and attentive. If you’d met him before my brother died, you’d think he was a completely different person. Now he goes to work and pretends he’s okay, then goes home to his empty house and just sits there, letting his guilt consume him. He wasn’t always like this Luhan, and I hope he won’t be like this forever.”

“Suho,” Luhan said, hand gripping the door handle, “I mentioned earlier about finding out the gender. The appointment is two weeks from now. The doctor thinks she may be able to see it by month five. I’ll ask Sehun if he wants to come with me.”

“Thank you,” Suho said, stepped back. “And hey, if he won’t go, which I suspect he won’t, you can call me. I’ll go.”

“Um…” Luhan was pretty sure he’d be bringing Xiumin or Lay with him if it came down to it, and certainly not Suho who was about to become a very confusing person in his life.

Suho laughed loudly, moving down a few stairs. “I’m just your backup, Luhan. You don’t have to call me. Just take care of that baby. Sehun can’t realize right now how much it matters to him, but someday he will. Protect it, please.”

Luhan shut the door after Suho and knew for a fact that he didn’t have to be asked to protect his baby.

“Well, baby,” he told his stomach, patting it gently, “here we go. Wish us luck.”

Something about Sehun told Luhan he really was going to need it.