It was a stirring that woke Yifan up, but it was the serene sight next to him that kept him awake. Tao's face, usually thoughtful or tense, was completely relaxed in the depths of sleep, and his hands were curled softly next to the pillow. Yifan intertwined their fingers, and Tao barely even stirred. He thought back to their conversation the night before, where Tao had confessed his always-present fatigue. Even now, in the sharp light from the window, dark circles surrounded his eyes. If it was the baby causing his lover the stress, maybe Doctor Kim had something to help him.

Speaking of Doctor Kim . . . Didn't Tao have a meeting with him today? In . . . An hour?

"Tao," Yifan whispered, running his free hand along Tao's hairline, "sweetheart, you have to wake up now."

In answer, Tao crinkled his nose and turned his face into the pillow. Yifan chuckled and continued to tease his hair into tighter curls.

"Hiding isn't the answer."

"Yes it is," came the muffled response. Laughing loudly, Yifan threw the covers off his side of the bed and padded over to Tao's. He sat down and patted where he presumed his shoulder was. Finally, Tao rolled over and glared at Yifan over the top of the blanket.

"It's not my fault you have an appointment with Dr. Kim today."

"Yes it is," he repeated, but he could see it was a losing battle. With a sigh, he pushed himself up the headboard with his elbows. If he tried to use any muscles in his stomach, he'd spend the rest of the day wracked with cramps. Yifan kissed him softly and smiled at the blush that spread across his boyfriend's cheeks.

"What's the appointment for?" Tao asked, yawning and stretching his shoulders.

"Just a checkup for the baby, I think." Yifan pulled the covers off fully and both boys stared down at Tao's swollen stomach. Gently, in case it made him uncomfortable, Yifan leaned down and kissed the crown of the bulge.

"That feels weird," Tao laughed. "Not bad, just . . . Weird."

"Get ready and I'll drive you down to the office."

Yifan brushed his lips across Tao's forehead and went downstairs.

---------------

Doctor Kim welcomed Tao and Yifan and carefully flipped the door sign to no disturb.

"How are you, Zitao?" Dr. Kim asked in his soft tenor voice.

"Good, I guess." He answered uncertainly, glancing at Yifan. He got a nod of encouragement and continued. "There's just a few things we'd like to talk to you about."

Dr. K