Byun Baekhyun was very aware that he had different problems than most people had in life.

Baekhyun was a 26 year old, smart, good-looking guy with a nice figure and a pretty good metabolism. He could eat almost anything he wanted, work off the calories easily, and still look good. But most people didn't see what he actually looked like. He kept goggles and a lab coat on for so long during the day because of his job, that he didn't feel right otherwise unless he wore oversized clothes and chose glasses with thick rims to wear when he wasn't at work.

He had a high paying job so he never had to worry about how to pay his bills. But his work as a scientist was so confusing and complex that he couldn't explain it easily for an everyday person to understand. He doubted most of his family even knew what he did for a living. It was hard enough for his friends to understand, and they actually cared.

And Baekhyun was really smart. He knew he was blessed to have a high IQ. But it was SO high that he often felt out of place in regular everyday conversation with others. Just to talk to the grocer at the supermarket was a chore, and that was one of the few people other than his friends that seemed to genuinely like him. A lot of other people (including some extended family members) only acted like they liked him for the sake of appearances.

And no matter how smart Baekhyun was, he still felt helpless. But not for the reason most people would think.  

Byun Baekhyun, the young, rich, overly smart scientist, was obsessed with the idea of having children.

Children were amazing. Babies were adorable. Watching a little human see things and do things and learn things for the first time was captivating. A blessed gift that kept on giving and giving and giving as they grew.

And Baekhyun didn't have any.

Two friends in Baekhyun's small social circle had a daughter together. Junmyeon worked at home and his husband, Kris worked at a law firm. Their daughter, EunAe, called them 'Mommy' and 'Mum' when she was being cheeky, and they loved their Eunnie dearly. Baekhyun was always a welcome guest in their home, and the 5 year old loved announcing "Uncle Baekkie's HEEEEEERRREE!" The brainy scientist never felt awkward in her company. 

His brother had children. Two of them! Baekhyun adored his young niece and nephew. Even though they lived on the total opposite end of the city than him, Baekhyun still took the time to video chat with them at least two or three times a week, and he had set up a group-chat for the three of them to be able to text with each other as well. Most of those conversations involved the children reactions to Baekhyun sending a lot of cute animal pictures and cartoon memes. At first, his sister-in-law was a little shaken by his complete and utter devotion to her children, but after a while she got used to it and made sure her phone and tablet were always charged to handle the chats and video time regardless of when they happened. The children equally adored their Uncle Baekkie, so their father felt he and his wife had made the right choice of Baekhyun as the children's godfather. Even if he was a little awkward in social settings with adults, he always looked out for the children and put their happiness first. 

But every time he finished a call or a video chat with his brother's offspring, Baekhyun couldn't help feeling incomplete. He had a large, upscale apartment in one of the nicest complexes in the city. He had a flashy, yet sensible convertible that he could drive anywhere he wanted when he wasn't working. He ate food from any restaurant his palate desired no matter the cost. But even with all the plush furniture and homey fixings he had filled his apartment with, the scientist still felt alone. He wanted children.

He wanted a child of his own. 

Early on in life, when Baekhyun had started showing signs of puberty, his mother had taken him for a routine physical. It was then that they found out he was a carrier and would need to "take precautions" in the future to ensure he didn't have an unplanned pregnancy. Even at that young age he was already smart enough to understand what all that meant. Later as he started making decisions and began working towards a career, the young genius had already begun thinking of how a child would fit into all his plans and dreams.

The smart scientist knew all the options of how he could become pregnant. He didn't date much and didn't have a boyfriend, so that option was out. His close friends were either taken or not gay, so that option was out. He could go the route of artificial insemination, but it wasn't always guaranteed to work the first time and he didn't want to deal with multiple attempts if it would lead to extended frustration. That led to one option that he was a little reluctant to think about. 

Even tho it had been a long while, Baekhyun wasn't a . He dated two guys briefly at different times while in high school and then had a "friends with benefits" sort of relationship for a semester with his neighbor while he was in college. The idea of having was actually really enticing to him. But other than a one-night-stand over a year ago, there had been nothing but the proverbial cobwebs and crickets in his reproductive areas. His hand and a couple of toys were the only methods of scratching that certain itch every great once in a while. It's not that he didn't want a boyfriend, he just hadn't met anyone that interested him lately. His friends made him come out to the clubs with them every few months, in hopes that he might find another hook-up or even the slim chance of meeting the love of his life, but there hadn't been anyone that got his libido going in a really long time.  

However, there was one thing that concerned him more than any other issue surrounding the idea of having his own child. 

When he was in grade school, Baekhyun experienced a lot of ridicule for his high IQ. It wasn't bullying per se, but a lot of the remarks directed towards him were very hurtful and left emotional scars that had taken a long while to get over. He had even overheard his own family members talking at a family reunion about Baekhyun being "too smart". If it weren't for his small circle of close friends in high school, he knew he probably would have been outcast for his brain power.

The intellectually gifted scientist knew there was a strong possibility that this advanced brain power could easily be passed down to any children that he might have. Others might not be as kind as the people that had simply been critical of him. So this was a problem. 

Baekhyun pondered his dilemma for a few months.

Finally, driving back home on a Sunday evening after his nephew's 4th birthday party, Baekhyun made a decision. He felt a sense of clarity come over him as he rode the elevator up to the 14th floor, walked the hallway to the 6th door, and let himself into his apartment.

Toeing off his shoes in the foyer, the scientist headed to the kitchen to start some coffee brewing, then went to his bedroom and changed into comfy pajamas. He came back to the kitchen, filled his favorite mug with coffee, then brought it with him to the oversized couch in his living room. Placing the mug on the end table, Baekhyun settled his thick-rimmed glasses on his nose and picked up his laptop. He opened the Google Search option, cracked his knuckles, and began to type. 

Two hours later, after a careful study of the online yearbook from Hongik University, some screenshots of a specific face, and then some lurking on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Baekhyun picked up his phone.

He pulled up the group chat of his small group of longtime friends and typed in a request. Then he left his phone on the sofa while he went back into the kitchen to top off his mug of cooled coffee.

By the time he got back to the sofa, his phone was blowing up with alerts for incoming messages.

 

KJDeMaaan:   WTF Dude you NEVER want to go out

JunLovesEveryone:   Sweetie are you feeling alright? What happened?  Are you having a hard time at work?

Krisiddydoodah:   I'm in shock YOU actually WANT to join the boys next weekend

NotSoSooweet:    Who the is this & what the have you done with our friend

JunLovesEveryone:   Kyungie, language.

NotSoSooweet:   🙄 [eyeroll] yes Mom

LayMeDown:   Baek you good?

 

Baekhyun chuckled as he typed out his reply.

 

BEqualsMCSquared:   I was just thinking it's been a while since I joined you

BEqualsMCSquared:    Plus I heard about this great club we haven't tried yet

Krisiddydoodah:   No. How thefvck did YOU hear about a club

NotSoSooweet:  ok now I KNOW you're not Baek

JunLovesEveryone:   Kris, language

Krisiddydoodah:   Sorry Mom

JunLovesEveryone:   Why does everyone keep calling me that!?

KJDeMaaan:   Cuz it fits.

KJDeMaaan:   Deal with it.

Krisiddydoodah:   It kinda does Love

JunLovesEveryone:   ANYWAY Baek I was at your nephew's party today

JunLovesEveryone:   You didn't talk to anyone new so who told you about this club?

NotSoSooweet:   That's what I want to know

BEqualsMCSquared:   A coworker told me. It's called SKY

BEqualsMCSquared:   It's in Mapo-Gu but it's new & really happening

KJDeMaaan:   What's really happening is my heart attack that you WANT to go to a club

Krisiddydoodah:   That's what I'm saying

BEqualsMCSquared:   Whatever. 

BEqualsMCSquared:    Soo & Dae are you in for Friday?

KJDeMaaan:   If you're willing I'm going

NotSoSooweet:   Meet at mine at 9 & we'll taxi there

BEqualsMCSquared:   Great! See you Friday

LayMeDown:   Baek you sure you're good?

BEqualsMCSquared:   Never better Xingy 😘 [kissyface]

 

Baekhyun put his phone down on the table and picked up his coffee mug as he settled comfortably into the couch cushions. He sipped the warm liquid with a satisfied smile on his face for a few minutes, ignoring the sounds of more incoming messages. Then he grabbed the remote for his TV and a cooking show. If everything went to plan, he hoped to be cooking for two pretty soon, so it was a good idea to start learning some new recipes.

- - - - -

Friday came along fairly quickly. Late that afternoon Baekhyun hurried home from work, picking up dinner from McDonald's along the way. He munched on the fries as he drove, and by the time he got into his apartment only the burger was left. He wolfed that down easily as he checked Instagram for any updates on the specific account he had lurked on earlier that week.

Satisfied with what he found and finished with his quick dinner, Baekhyun headed to the bathroom. He took a very thorough shower, concentrating on cleaning every nook and cranny of his body. Then he wrapped his hair in a towel and streaked to his bedroom. He pulled on a pair of his nicest underwear, then stood in front of his open closet, contemplating what to wear.

His phone blinged with a quick message from the group chat.

 

KJDeMaaan: Baek we still doing this?

 

Baekhyun smiled as he typed back.

 

BEqualsMCSquared:  Yep getting ready now

BEqualsMCSquared:   See you at Soo's at 9

NotSoSooweet:  Dae why do I feel like we're being catfished

 

Baekhyun cackled, setting down his phone and willing away the nervous energy. He had to keep it together if he was going to achieve his goal for the night.

He ignored his blinging phone and turned his attention back to his wardrobe. He rubbed the towel on his head a little as he rifled through the shirts hanging in the closet, thinking through the possible coordinating pants and jackets that might complete his outfit. It had to be y while still being fairly easy access. But he couldn't be too uncomfortable, or he would be obvious and his friends would never let him hear the end of it. Just enough to catch the eye of the one person he was hoping to conveniently meet tonight, that's all. 

Finally, he decided on a black almost-sheer button-up long-sleeved shirt that Jongdae had given him two years ago. It was supposed to be a joke at the time, but it would work nicely for tonight. He also selected his ripped black jeans that hugged his curves nicely. He wore them often enough whenever his friends drug him out to clubs, so hopefully they wouldn't about the ensemble too much. And his dark grey leather jacket already hanging by the front door would go well with everything.

The scientist vigorously rubbed the towel on his head, carrying his clothes as he went back into the bathroom. His hair was mostly dry, so he put some gel in it and ran his fingers thru the ends to give it a slightly younger spiked look. Baekhyun was satisfied with the overall effect, but he could only hope his friends wouldn't too much about styling it for a change. He slipped into the clothes then looked at himself in the mirror. 

Usually he wore glasses, but after some deliberation he popped in a pair of contacts and on impulse added a thin silver chain for his neck. Then he reached into the side drawer of the vanity and pulled out a zippered pouch that he rarely used. Inside was a small assortment of make-up items.

Baekhyun selected the dark brown eyeliner pencil and took a deep breath. "Come on Byun. You know this is important - you can do this."

He looked at himself and gave the reflection a quick nod before taking off the cap of the eyeliner pencil and leaning in towards the mirror. With another deliberate breath out he drew a soft line along the outward edge of each of his eyelids. Using his pinky finger he carefully smudged the line upwards and then turned his head back and forth a little to check the results.

"..and there we go."

A quick check of the time made Baekhyun jump. Gathering his phone and wallet he ran towards the door. He grabbed his leather jacket as he slipped into his designer black loafers and left his apartment. On the ride down, he put on the coat and gave himself the once-over in the mirrored doors of the elevator, satisfied with his choices. This would not be a night of second-guessing himself. He had made a decision and would stick with it.

The taxi-ride was uneventful and Baekhyun arrived at Kyungsoo's apartment at 8:55pm. Jongdae came to the door. "Hey- DAAYUMmm!!! SOO YOU GOTTA SEE THIS! BAEK MUST BE !" 

Baekhyun scoffed, grinning at his friend. As he started to toe off his shoes, Kyungsoo came around the corner with a cocktail shaker in one hand and a shot glass in the other. "Holy.. Baek what the HELL has gotten into you?!" 

Baekhyun blinked in what he hoped was a nonchalant and innocent manner. "What..?"

Jongdae grinned and slung his arm over Baekhyun's shoulders. "You're obviously trolling for action tonight my friend!  C'mon - Soo's setting us up with pregame shots before the taxi gets here."

Baekhyun grinned back. "You already called for one?" he asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter, watching his friend pour the alchohol into three shot glasses.

"You know I like to be prepared." Kyungsoo said, setting the shaker down. "Ok boys! Bottoms up!"

The three friends each took a shot glass and tossed it back. Being a lightweight, Baekhyun flinched much more than the other two as the concoction burned a little going down his throat. "Wh-hat are we drinking?" he wheezed out. 

"Purple Hooters!" Jongdae cackled as Baekhyun's eyebrows raised in amusement at the name. 

"It's like a combination of a classic shot and a French martini." Kyungsoo explained. "It's got vodka, Chambord, lime juice, and pineapple juice"

"And the perfect name for our straight bartender here!" Jongdae whooped loudly.

"And apparently you've already had a couple!" Baekhyun whooped back, grinning at his loud friend.

"That's his third. He insisted on my mixing as soon as I started talking about tonight. What's the name of that club again?" Kyungsoo asked as he rinsed out the shaker in the kitchen sink.

"It's called SKY and-"

"Yeah yeah! Let's get out of here! The taxi is probably here by now..!" Jongdae interrupted, pushing Baekhyun back towards the door. "C'mon Soo!"

The three friends piled out the door and to the front of the apartment complex where, true to Jongdae's prediction, the taxi was indeed already waiting for them. They hopped in, giving the driver the address. Then Jongdae started an impromptu karaoke session with the popular songs being played on the taxi radio. The driver didn't seem to mind, even turning up the volume and complimenting the three friends as they warbled all the way to the club. Baekhyun was secretly grateful, since it took his mind off of the task he had ahead of him. So grateful that when they arrived outside the club he had payed the driver and gave a nice tip before the other two realized what was going on. His friends didn't complain.

By this time it was 9:50pm, still a bit early for the true nightlife, so the line wasn't all that long to get into the newly opened club. The exterior was painted a mixture of three shades of blue, which all melted into a silvery deep blue that bled on into the establishment. The friends all showed IDs, paid their cover charge, and got a stamp on the back of their hands in the shape of a cloud before being allowed to enter.

The short entryway opened up into a large room with a long bar and stools lining the entire left side. Hightop tables with stools were placed strategically along the walls all around the large room. The dark blue from the outside continued into the room on the ceiling and on the walls, blending with the previous shades of blues from before and getting progressively lighter until reaching a very pale blue on the floor. There were clouds drawn sporadically on the floor and stars on the ceiling, and shimmery whisps of silver throughout the whole room in different places, giving an almost ethereal feel.

"So THIS is why they call it SKY.."  Baekhyun said, looking around wide-eyed at the beautiful paint work.

"Umm.. sure! Yeah. Pretty, huh?" Jongdae said.

Kyungsoo looked at Jongdae thoughtfully for a moment, but then he turned back and looked over at the bar. "Yeah. So far I'm liking your coworker's recommendations, Baek. Let's go check out the bar.." 

A thin, good-looking blonde-haired bartender with slightly dark circles under his khol-lined eyes greeted them as they walked up. "Three hotties at my bar... Did I win the lottery or something?" 

Kyungsoo scoffed at the obvious come-on while Jongdae turned around to look at the few people that were already out on the dancefloor.  Baekhyun leaned on the edge of the long wooden counter. "Oh, are you the owner?" he asked eagerly.

"Nah man.. the place is co-owned by 3 guys, but I unfortunately don't happen to be one of them."

Baekhyun shrugged. "So you don't have to do the taxes for this place then.." 

"umm.. yeah."

Kyungsoo intervened. "My socially inept friend will have a vodka cranberry, and I'd like a Jack & Coke please." He turned to Jongdae who was moving a little to the pulsing music. "You feeling a Lime Rickey tonight?" Jongdae nodded in agreement, moving a bit more as he picked up the beat of the song the DJ was playing.

The bartender smiled. "Got it. Did you want to start a tab?" he asked as he grabbed a bottle of Jean-Marc XO vodka. 

Baekhyun's eyes widened. "Going for the top shelf vodka and you want us to open a tab?"

The bartender laughed. "I see I'm not dealing with a novice here." 

Kyungsoo chuckled. "You don't know how wrong you are, my friend." he said, handing the bartender a credit card. "Yes, we'll open a tab, thanks."

Baekhyun turned around to face the rapidly growing crowd. Word on the street obviously spread quickly about the beautiful club with the unique atmosphere. It seemed to be twice as full as it was when they had come in, only about 20 minutes before that. He scanned the faces to see if any looked like the one he had screenshot captured a couple of times earlier in the week. No one looked familiar so far, but he couldn't be sure.

Kyungsoo nudged his elbow to get Baekhyun to turn back around to the bar. A highball glass filled with a reddish liquid and a lime on the edge had just been placed in front of him. Kyungsoo already was sipping from his brownish-colored drink and the bartender began rhythmically shaking a stainless steel cocktail shaker with the third of their drink orders.

As Baekhyun picked up his drink and was turning around, his elbow bumped into a tall tanned man that had come up beside him at the bar. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" the man said, panicking a little.

Baekhyun looked up and immediately recognized the face of someone that had been in several of the pictures he had seen online earlier in the week. "It's quite alright... No harm done!" he responded, smiling cheerily. 

Kyungsoo looked at his friend in amazement. "Making friends already?" he asked a little quietly, not wanting to cause a scene, but the man heard him and turned more, including them both as he smiled. "It's always nice to make new friends. I'm Jongin. And you are..?"

Baekhyun was quick to answer. "I'm Hyunnie. This is Soo, and the dancing guy over there is Dae. Are you with your friends tonight?"

Kyungsoo gently grabbed Baekhyun's elbow. The tanned man turned slightly, indicating a tall man beside him as he continued. "My friend Chanyeol is here with me, and my boyfriend is talking with other friends across the room." 

Baekhyun felt his heart suddenly thump hard in his chest as he watched the tall man turn around. The somewhat familiar view of a built physique, broad smile, chisled jaw, and large soft eyes greeted him. "I heard my name..?" the man said with a warm baritone voice.

Baekhyun gulped and almost dropped his glass. "Uh.. y-you did!" He took a quick swig of his drink to give himself courage and recovered quickly, giving his best sultry look to the tall handsome newcomer.

Jongin smirked and nudged his friend forward a little. "Chan these are my new friends. Say Hi!"

The tall guy gave a warm smile and a silly sweep of his arm inward as he bowed graciously as though he was in a king's court. "So VERY pleased to meet you! I am Chanyeol." 

Kyungsoo grinned and released Baekhyun's elbow in order to return the funny gesture. "Likewise, I'm sure..!." he said galantly bowing only slightly less than the tall grinning man.

Jongin laughed, but before Kyungsoo had a chance to add anything else, Chanyeol had reached out and grabbed Baekhyun's hand in a gentlemanly manner. "And who might you be?"

Without releasing his hand from the sudden grasp, Baekhyun blindly placed his drink on the bar and then stepped closer to the tall man. "I'm Hyunnie... And I am VERY pleased to meet you as well." he said, looking up with a sly grin.

Jongin stepped around the two flirting men. He reached out to grab the hand of a tall blonde man with a slightly bored expression that had walked over to the group. By the time introductions were being made, Chanyeol had already managed to set his own longneck beer down on the bar, kiss the back of Baekhyun's hand, and pull the blushing scientist away from their friends at the bar.

Chanyeol led Baekhyun out onto the dance floor, never letting go of his hand. When they came to an open spot near the middle, there were some loud whoops as the taller twirled the scientist around once then smoothly pulled him towards himself. They began to move together in time to the thumping tempo and flashing lights. Baekhyun had to fight to keep from smiling too broadly so as to not cause any questions to arise. This night was going better than he had imagined, and for once in his life he was extremely happy with his smart brain.

As the music continued to pulse around them, the area became more crowded. The flashing lights dimmed and swirled slowly, making the whole area feel almost magical. Sweaty bodies moved to the beat of the songs being played by the in-house DJ. As Baekhyun moved to the pounding rhythm and the people around them danced, he felt the hands of the tall man attach gently yet securely to his shapely hips, and they swayed fluidly in time together.

Baekhyun was really enjoying himself.  Soon he and Chanyeol were dancing back-to-front, with the scientist in front, his eyes closing whenever anyone tried to make eye contact with him. He wasn't there for anyone other than Chanyeol. He didn't understand why some people were glaring at him, while other people were looking at him with lust. He didn't care. He wasn't there for them.

Baekhyun felt the tall man get closer to him, and he deliberately moved backwards to let his occasionally rub against Chanyeol's crotch. After about the third time this happened, the hands on the scientist's hips tightened and he swore he heard a growl before his hips were pulled back to bring the two men's lower regions firmly together. Baekhyun giggled, bringing his own hands down onto the hands on his hips. He leaned back against the firm torso of the tall man dancing behind him for a few minutes, then very deliberately changed his movements to simply grind backwards into Chanyeol's crotch.

A girl dancing near them made a sharp noise and looked shocked, then for some reason acted mad and stormed off. Baekhyun smirked, but also noticed a guy dancing near their side, looking seductively at Chanyeol. Baekhyun shot an evil look at the guy, then moved to turn himself around in the taller's hold. Now being chest to chest, the large warm hands stayed on the scientist's hips, as Baekhyun moved his own hands slowly up and down the man's firm arms. He leaned up towards the side, and Chanyeol bent down so Baekhyun could speak to him. "Your arms are so muscular under this shirt. I bet you're really strong!"  he said loudly, trying to still sound y.  He realized he must have said something right, since the taller smirked at him and immediately put his arms around Baekhyun's back, tightening them in a strong hug. The scientist turned his head towards the side where the flirty man from before was dancing. He smirked knowingly as the guy seemed to have a dissapointed look on his face. Baekhyun felt like he had won something when the flirty guy turned away and walked off the dance floor.

"Glad he left. He was watching you too much." Chanyeol spoke huskily into the shorter's ear.

The scientist leaned back to look up at him in surprise, then leaned up to respond into the taller's ear. "I thought he was watching YOU too much.." 

The large hands that were now rubbing slowly up and down Baekhyun's arms made him think of other places those hands could be useful, and he couldn't help a shiver when the man leaned back down to his ear again. "No baby, he was just jealous of me cause he's not the one dancing with you." 

The scientist looked back up through his lashes with his best seductive look and then put his own hands on Chanyeol's hips to draw them together. This time it was the taller's turn to shiver. And that was definitely a groan of arousal that Baekhyun heard in his ear as the man bent over him slightly.

The heat continued rising from all the sweaty bodies and pulsing lights around them, and Baekhyun started to feel a bit overheated. As they continued to sway to the music, he lifted his arms up to bring his hands around the neck of the taller man then leaned back up to speak in his ear again. "Is there somewhere a bit more private we can take this..party..?" 

"I am in love with how you think." Chanyeol groaned in his ear again.

Baekhyun couldn't help thinking how ironic the tall man's words were, but he didn't let the humor distract him. He was on a mission. He gave the obviously aroused man another pelvic grind, then stepped away altogether, keeping their eyes locked.

Chanyeol smirked at him again and grabbed his hand, then turned, leading him through the crowd towards a side door. Baekhyun giggled, following willingly. This plan was turning out to be a lot of fun. Although he hadn't talked to his friends in the last hour, he knew they were probably watching him like they always did and would see him leaving, so he didn't bother trying to find them before he left. He could just text them later.

The pair stumbled out the door into the cool night air. As the taller hailed a taxi, Baekhyun suddenly felt a bit cold from the sweat that was clinging to his body under his clothes. His unlined leather coat and thin shirt didn't insulate quite as well as he would have hoped. Fortunately he didn't have to worry about that long since it wasn't quite midnight yet and an available taxi quickly came to a stop in front of them.

Chanyeol opened the taxi door for him, and Baekhyun felt the large hands trail over his backside as he climbed into the vehicle. He grinned, relishing the feeling. When the taller climbed in after him, he returned the favor, placing his hand on the seat in time to the tall man's rear through his jeans. Chanyeol gasped, then growled as the scientist giggled loudly, eyes twinkling in merriment as he made a show of pulling his hand out from underneath the taller man's bottom then dragging his fingers up the muscular arm to his broad shoulder.

The taxi driver cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. Chanyeol stuttered an apology then rambled off an address before turning back towards the still grinning smaller man. He leaned over the scientist in fake anger, pushing the smaller man's hand off his shoulder, then he put his own hand up around the back of Baekhyun's nape and pulled. Their lips came in rapid and overwhelming contact with each other and the scientist couldn't help letting out a moan. The taxi driver cleared his throat again.

The two men in the back seat pulled away from each other sheepishly, but their hands never left each other the entire ride. The whole time they kept letting their fingers intertwine and weave together to caress each other's hands then pull away to rub each others arms, shoulders and legs. Interestingly, they seem to have an unspoken agreement to not touch each other's crotch yet.

Baekhyun watched the taller chewing on his lips to keep from groaning. He had to bite back a groan of his own when he tried to pull the taller's lips out of his teeth but ended up getting his own thumb into Chanyeol's mouth and held there. 

By the time the taxi pulled up at a mid-sized apartment complex, both men had growing situations in their pants and Baekhyun had a case of the giggles again. Chanyeol paid the driver with cash, yelling "Keep the change!" as he pulled the smaller man out of the vehicle and into the building. It was a short elevator ride to the 4th floor, but the whole way Baekhyun found himself pressed against the walls of the elevator cabin, breathlessly kissed within an inch of his life. The doors opened, they stumbled down a short hallway, then Chanyeol was punching in a code at a door and they tumbled into what was obviously the taller man's apartment. 

- - - - -

The lights of the city twinkled dimly through the curtains of the mid-sized room. Baekhyun rolled over with a slight groan and then froze.

The bedding didn't smell like his usual fabric softener. And even in the darkness of the room he could tell he wasn't wearing any clothes. And there was an unfamiliar yet not really unpleasant ache all over his body that he hadn't felt in a long while. 

The bed moved a little beside him as an arm slung over his waistline.

The scientist held his breath. He listened, hearing the breathing of the body beside him evening back out.

The arm over him wasn't tight or grasping, so he used the pillow under his head and pushed it slowly to his waist area, then under the arm. He carefully wiggled out from under, using the pillow for leverage. As he managed to replace his own body with the pillow, he also eased out of the spacious bed. It was comfortable and would have been lovely to continue sleeping in until the morning, but that wasn't the plan.

Baekhyun turned in the dim light to take one last look at the sleeping man that was now snuggling with the pillow. The scientist sighed and shook his head, then crept silently out of the bedroom. He had made a point of shedding his clothes in a pile in the living room a few hours earlier. It was quite a feat, considering he hadn't been thinking all that clearly when they first arrived at Chanyeol's apartment. Neither man could keep their hands off of each other from the point they left the bar in that taxi, and by the time they had made it in the front door the had exploded. The scientist had just enough wits about him to make sure the tall man didn't have time to grab a , and then lust took over.

Now, as he dressed quickly, Baekhyun had a fleeting moment of weakness. The only thing that kept him from leaving a note was that he didn't have any paper or pen at that moment. Maybe that was a good thing. It would be strange for the tall man to find a note the next morning that said "Thanks for the !"

Retrieving his phone from his jacket pocket, Baekhyun clenched his buttocks together firmly as he texted a request to a 24-hour taxi service. Even in his lust-filled excitement the few hours before, he had made a note of the landmarks and streets near the apartment. Once again, his brain came to the rescue and he was able to give a good location for the taxi driver to pick him up.

As he rode home, Baekhyun thought through the events of the previous hours. He would be a liar if he denied having a good time. The was actually the best he had ever had. Baekhyun had been even more when he discovered his well-endowed one night stand had a piercing in an extremely pleasing location. This discovery, coupled with Chanyeol's reaction to Baekhyun's love of giving head, had started their encounter on a very positive note, and things had only gotten better from there. After three rounds they had both passed out on the tall man's comfortable bed.

However, by the time the sun had finished coming up, Baekhyun had made it back to his own apartment, taken out his contacts, showered carefully, sent a quick message to the group chat, turned off his phone, and tucked himself happily into bed. The last thing he thought before falling asleep was that he would hopefully need to buy a pregnancy test kit in about 4 weeks.

He dreamed of the picture he took in the taxi ride home of the cloud on the back of his hand.

- - - - -

On a Wednesday, about three-and-a-half weeks later, Baekhyun had to excuse himself from the lab for the third time in two days, and then run for the bathroom to try to make it in time before he threw up. When he cleaned himself up and came back out from the bathroom, he thanked his coworker's for their expressions of concern and then gave his boss the head's up that he would be leaving work early to try to "get over the stomach bug".

Baekhyun made it home slower than usual, partially because he didn't drive as fast as he usually did, and partially because he stopped at the drug store to pick up a pregnancy test kit. He couldn't be sure, but he wasn't going to wait if his body already knew what he was hoping was true. 

Half an hour later, Baekhyun was sitting on the floor of his bathroom with a bunch of used tissues lying around him as he smiled thru his tears and held a positive pregnancy test in his hand.

His wish was coming true.

About an hour after that the scientist sat on his couch with a warm cup of caffeine-free tea, as he finished off the last of a large fruit salad he had made from the contents of his fridge. His mind was still swirling about the situation, but he knew it was what he wanted.

He grabbed his laptop and opened a new page for the website to a doctor's office he had researched a few weeks before. Luckily, the site allowed him to make an appointment for two days later with a Dr. Lu Han, the top OBGYN in residence. In a mere 48 hours he would have the official confirmation and would be able to tell his friends. He decided he wouldn't bother his parents with it quite yet. They lived out of town and he didn't want to get their hopes up for a new grandchild until he had passed the danger zone of the first trimester. He didn't want to tell his brother until then either. Baekhyun was confident his friends would be enough support to help him protect the new life growing inside him. 

He went to bed that night with a full heart and dreamt of the pitter patter of little feet.

The next morning Baekhyun woke with a nauseous feeling, but after having some herbal tea and eating wheat crackers, his stomach settled down. He then called his work and informed his boss he would be taking sick leave thru to the weekend.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the couch and watching more cooking shows. Of course, getting hungry from watching all the food on television meant take-out delivery, so his apartment soon smelled like spaghetti carbonara and garlic bread. He only briefly pouted about not being able to drink some wine with his meal, but pacified himself with ice cream as he video chatted with his niece and nephew about an hour after finishing the italian food. In the middle of all the eating, Baekhyun had a fleeting thought about needing to watch his diet during the next 9 months. He knew it would be a challenge, since food was indeed a weakness, but he could only hope his metabolism would continue to help his figure the way it had up to this point in his life. 

The appointment the following morning with Dr. Han confirmed what Baekhyun already knew. The scientist left the doctor's office with a wide grin, an estimated due date, pre-natal vitamins, a detailed list of "dos and don'ts", and a follow-up appointment already scheduled for a month's time. When he got to his car, he pulled out his phone. It was Friday, so everyone would probably be available. He entered two short sentences in the group chat. Then he drove home, humming happily along with the radio the entire way.

- - - - -

That evening at 8:03pm Baekhyun's doorbell rang. He opened the door to see his friends Junmyeon and Kyungsoo, both smiling cautiously at him. Baekhyun greeted them cheerfully and welcomed them into the apartment.

Kyungsoo was carrying a cake box, which he took straight into the kitchen. He placed it on the kitchen island, grabbed some plates and forks, and began serving pre-cut slices of strawbery cake. The other two followed him.

Meanwhile Junmyeon didn't wait ten seconds after getting in the kitchen door to start his interrogation. "Kris stayed home with Eunnie, now tell me what's going on that you had to call an emergency meeting."

Baekhyun was distracted by the cake. "These look good! And it's my favorite! There's 5 slices. Does that mean Dae and Xingy are coming too?" 

Kyungsoo pushed a plate towards him. "Lay can't make it but Dae said he's coming here with Minnie. I guess that means we get to finally meet the girlfriend. You realize they've been dating over five months now...? I'll bet your emergency meeting is interrupting their date night."

"Oh I kinda feel bad now.. " Baekhyun giggled and lifted a bite of cake to his mouth. "Oh well!"

Junmyeon and Kyungsoo exchanged glances. "Oh well..?? Is there an emergency or not?" Junmyeon demanded. 

Baekhyun gulped. "Well, yes there's an emergency, kinda. I wanted to let you all know as soon as possible after I found out." He put another mouthful in, chewed and swallowed quickly, his fork then put it down on the plate.

The two guests exchanged glances again then looked expectantly at Baekhyun, waiting. 

"I'm-" The doorbell rang. "I'm gonna get the door." Baekhyun sheepishly scooted out of the kitchen and hurried to the door, opening it quickly to see Jongdae and another man. "Dae! And...friend..?" 

The unknown man smiled and bowed briefly at Baekhyun. "I'm the boyfriend. Sorry to intrude.. Nice place you have here!"

"Umm.. Thanks.." Baekhyun was confused. 

Junmyeon called from the kitchen. "We're in here!"

Jongdae held his boyfriend's hand and they followed Baekhyun back into the kitchen. Kyungsoo and Junmyeon exchanged yet another glance then looked back at the three men that had just entered the room. 

"Guys, this is my boyfriend, Minseok. Minnie this is Junmyeon and Kyungsoo. And of course, Baekhyun, who called this emergency meeting." Jongdae said as he indicated each man. The two newcomers came over to the island and Jongdae grabbed a plate. "Ooh cake!" 

Baekhyun said what the others were thinking. "Ohhh! Minnie is a GUY! Oh Ok.. -OW!" he winced as Kyungsoo elbowed him in the stomach. "Hey EASY there! Don't wanna hurt the- I mean- Um.. So Dae, I never knew you were bi!" Baekhyun tried to cover what he was going to say, but Kyungsoo grabbed his arm. 

"He can answer that in a minute. What are you worried about getting hurt for?" he said, turning the attention fully on the scientist. "Does this have to do with this emergency meeting?" 

By this time all eyes in the room were on Baekhyun. He tried to stall by making a grab for his cake again, but Junmyeon pulled the plate away and looked at him sternly. "Spill. NOW."

The scientist sighed but then couldn't help the big smile that came on his face. "Ok.. So.. you remember when we went to that beautiful club across town called SKY?" 

Minseok looked surprised but before he could say anything Jongdae had put a hand over his mouth.

Kyungsoo noticed but ignored him and spoke to Baekhyun instead. "Yeah... and YOU flirted your off with that tall guy then disappeared with him before midnight. I remember because all the pretty girls were already taken or just wanted to hook-up with the three club owners, whoevertheheck they were, so I didn't get lucky with anyone that night. After Dae got drunk he just sat in the corner giggling and drunk texting 'His Minnie'... who I thought was a girl, sorry Minseok." Jongdae's boyfriend just shrugged and smiled broadly.

Junmyeon cleared his throat, "A-NY-WAY. What are you trying to tell us, Baek?"

Baekhyun hooked his pointer fingers together in a figiting manner and tried not to grin so hard. "Well... like you said, I went home with the tall hottie, and well.. We had a great time.... andnowI'mpregnant." 

"WHAAAAAAAAATTTT!!" The reaction from the guests in the kitchen was an immense collective explosion. All of them were making loud and varying expressions of shock, amazement and disbelief. Baekhyun stood with a grin on his face in the middle of it all, waiting for the yelling to calm down. Junmyeon practically flung himself at the pregnant man to hug him and pat his shoulders in a consoling manner. Baekhyun patted him back cheerfully. Kyungsoo shook his head, mouth slightly open in shock. Baekhyun grinned at him, still patting Junmyeon. Minseok for some reason was yelling incoherently while clutching Jongdae's arm, who was alternating between "Whatthe!", "No way!", and "No Minnie! No!" Baekhyun was a little puzzled at the last one, but he didn't ask. He just stood calmly in the middle of the chaos, smiling. 

Finally Junmyeon raised his hands straight up in the air. "WAIT A MINUTE! EVERYBODY HUSH!" All the men shut up, looking a bit dazed at him. Junmyeon looked carefully at the scientist. "Baek. Are you actually HAPPY that this happened..?" 

All eyes were immediately back on the pregnant man, who fidgeted a little under the sudden scrutiny. He grinned sheepishly then nodded.

Everyone else in the room began talking at once and Junmyeon was immediately fussing over the scientist. "What were you thinking?  Sleeping with a man you don't know and then ending up getting pregnant! And what about the child? What if this child is overly smart like you? What about-"

Baekhyun began rambling, defending himself. "No it's totally ok! The guy was good looking, but he's a dumb jock so it evens out -- the baby will be cute but not a brainiac! And I had a really good time with the guy! It was even better because he had a piercing that felt AMAZING, and he-"

"OHMYGOD Chanyeol is gonna be a DAD!!" The outburst from Minseok caught the rest of the men totally by surprise. They all whipped around to look at him, except for Jongdae, who closed his eyes as he put fingers up to the bridge of his nose like he was trying to ward off a headache.

Baekhyun looked at Jongdae's boyfriend with surprise. "You know Chanyeol?"

Jongdae sighed and muttered under his breath. "Heeere we go..."

"Yeah, I'm his baseball team manager." Minseok said, nodding with an earnest look on his face.

"WHAT?" "No way!" "Hang on, WHAT??" The other's all looked at him incredulously.

Kyungsoo spoke up "How can YOU be the manager? You don't look like you're out of college yet.."

Minseok laughed. "Thanks I guess. I'm actually 31."

"Duuuude! Dae got him an older maaan!" Baekhyun's outburst made Jongdae whack lightly at the arm of the pregnant man. "Shut up! This isn't about me -- what are you gonna do about this pregnancy?"

"I'm keeping it, of course!" Baekhyun smiled reassuringly at his friends. 

"Wait a minute." Kyungsoo inturrupted the commotion and pointed accusingly at Jongdae. "This is why Dae was uncomfortable at the club and then got drunk and sat in the corner all night! You KNEW who this Chan-whatsis was!"

"It's Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol." Everyone turned to the pregnant man's firm yet quiet correction. 

Jongdae smirked. "You seem to know his name really well for having only hooked up briefly after drinking in a bar a month ago.." He leered at the scientist. "Sounds like you got to know his name REALLY well for you still remember it fully now.."

Baekhyun blushed and grinned. "Well the good-looking doofus DID keep telling me to say it all night.." 

"Oooohhh!!" Jongdae and Kyungsoo both groaned appreciatively. Junmyeon did the same gesture Jongdae had done before, putting his fingers up to the bridge of his nose and shook his head briefly, although he grinned as he did it.

Minseok raised his finger as tho he was raising his hand in a classroom to get a turn to speak. "Umm.. I don't know if you know this, but the guy you called a dumb jock and a doofus is actually attending college on a full scholarship." 

"Right. He's a really good baseball player!" Baekhyun agreed, nodding. 

"And at the top of the senior class with an exceptionally high grade-point-average." Minseok added.

"What." Baekhyun leaned on the counter as though he was suddenly in need of physical support.

"Yeah. He's really smart." Minseok looked at the others that were now all looking at him speechlessly. "Is that.. a problem?" he asked.

Kyungsoo quickly pushed one of the kitchen stools over to Junmyeon who held onto Baekhyun's arm as he helped him sit down. The pregnant man immediately put his head in his hands and whined. "Baby Bean's brain is going to explode."

"I don't understand. Is Baekhyun calling himself Baby Bean?" Minseok looked at his boyfriend with confusion.

Jongdae sighed and sat down on another one of the kitchen stools, suddenly very tired. "Our Baek is blessed with a monster IQ." he explained. "I'm guessing he wanted a kid with normal smarts so he tried to hook up with someone that seemed to be, as he said, a doofus..." Jongdae turned back to the now sniffing scientist. "Baek.. I'm guessing you did a little homework before the hook-up?" 

Baekhyun nodded as he sniffed again, a little louder this time.

"Evidently not enough." Junmyeon sighed as he stood next to him, rubbing his back in a consoling manner.

Minseok huffed. "I don't think this is such a bad thing tho. Chanyeol is a great guy and he loves kids! He's gonna be a great dad-" 

Baekhyun immediately began bawling loudly as crocodile tears fell from his eyes. Junmyeon pulled him in for a tight hug, making shushing noises. Minseok jumped back from the spectacle in surprise, but his boyfriend took his hand reassuringly. They all quietly watched the crying man. 

Kyungsoo stood next to his upset friend, rubbing his shoulder consolingly. "Baek.. Look at the bright side.. You said yourself this guy is a real hottie. You're a good looking guy too, so think of how gorgeous your kid will be..!" The pregnant man seemed to calm down a little.

Junmyeon pulled away far enough to look him in the face. "And there's always home schooling so your child can be as smart as he or she wants without anybody being mean about it.." 

By this point the scientist had resorted to loud sniffles and was now wiping his eyes as he nodded slowly. 

"Hang on..." Minseok said. The others looked at him. "When exactly was it you went to SKY?" 

Jongdae pursed his lips, thinking. "It was.. four weeks ago tonight, I believe." 

Minseok looked delighted. "Really..." 

Baekhyun sniffled and cocked his head in question as he wiped at his nose. "Why?" he asked weakly.

By now Jongdae's boyfriend was grinning widely. He gestured at Baekhyun while looking at the other men in the room. "Because daddy-to-be here must be the one Hongik's starting pitcher has been lovesick over the last month."

"Whaaaaaatt??" "Huhhh??" "Wait, WHAT??"

Baekhyun looked at Minseok with confusion. "I don't.. understand." 

Minseok smiled gently at the pregnant man. "He's been moping around a lot. I've had to jump on him about getting his mind back in the game during practice so many times it's about drove the rest of the guys crazy. One of his close buddies even had to sub for him the first week after he started all this stuff. Sehun was pretty good as a back-up pitcher, but Chanyeol just sat in the dugout and wrote 'Hyunnie' all over our stats sheet the whole game."

Baekhyun looked like he had been shot. "Did.. you say 'Hyunnie'..?" 

Kyungsoo grinned at Jongdae, nodding slowly. "Good choice on the boyfriend..." 

Jongdae grinned back. "He chose me, actually." he said, as he laced his fingers with Minseok who was now grinning back at him. 

Junmyeon gestured with his hands. "Does someone want to explain all this to me?" 

Baekhyun put his hand out, stopping the confused man's gestures. "I went by 'Hyunnie' at the club that night." he said carefully.

"And apparently ruined Chanyeol for any other man, the way he tells it." Minseok added.

"What??" Baekhyun looked over at Jongdae's boyfriend with disbelief.

"Yeah. He told us he found the love of his life and lost him all in one night." Minseok said. "His two best friends are on the team with him, and they told me he's even been useless with helping to keep the club running properly. He's usually in charge of security there." 

"Oh..." Baekhyun looked down at his hands. "I hope the owners aren't too mad at him."

Minseok laughed. "The other two understand. They won't kick out their partner just cause he's lovesick. Jongin and Sehun aren't like that."

"Wait- What??" Baekhyun's eyes were wide as saucers. Junmyeon and Kyungsoo looked like they were starting to understand more, and Jongdae looked like he was trying to keep from laughing.

"Chanyeol, Sehun, and Jongin aren't just best friends and teammates. The three of them own SKY. That's THEIR club." Minseok said, smiling widely. 

"The guys we met that night were the club owners? Ch-Chanyeol is one of the owners??" Baekhyun looked like he wanted to throw up. Kyungsoo and Junmyeon shared expressions of disbelief and amazement.

Jongdae grinned. "Yep! That's one hell-of-a guy you bagged, Baek!" he said, whacking the countertop loudly as he cackled.

Baekhyun suddenly pushed past Junmyeon and ran for the kitchen sink. Kyungsoo was immediately at his side, rubbing the pregnant man's back as he bent over, heaving out the cake he had eaten earlier.

Junmyeon turned quickly to Jongdae. "This is obviously upsetting him! Let's keep all 'enthusiastic' comments to ourselves, shall we boys?!"  

"Yes Mom." Jongdae said in a quiet voice, nodding. 

Junmyeon's glare got stronger. "And STOP calling me that!" 

Minseok leaned in towards his boyfriend. "No offence but your friends are a little strange.." he said quietly.

Jongdae whispered back. "Yeah. But they all say I'M the strange one.."

Baekhyun straightened back up after rinsing his mouth out and wiped his face with a papertowel. He then turned around and leaned back on the sink as he looked over at Jongdae's boyfriend. The friends all waited to see what Baekhyun would say.

The scientist took a deep breath and then spoke quietly yet firmly. "Chanyeol's still in school but already a businessman and probably wasn't planning to settle down or have kids any time soon. I don't want to ruin his life."  

Minseok began protesting but Baekhyun held his hand up to stop him. "I have plenty of money to raise this child on my own. He doesn't have to know about the pregnancy. That way he won't have to worry that me or this baby get in the way of his life. From what you've told us, he obviously has enough on his plate already." 

The friends all started trying to argue with the pregnant man, but he shook his head. His mind was made up. He put both hands out firmly on the kitchen island and and stared them all down till they shut up.

"Now." Baekhyun said. "This cake would taste even better with some hot beverages. Anybody want coffee or tea?" His friends knew this meant his mind was made up. They didn't bring up the subject of the other father any more that evening, and Baekhyun was satisfied. He was finally having a child of his own and nothing would change his happiness about that.  

- - - - -

The following Monday morning Baekhyun went directly to the HR office when he got into work. After involving his boss in the delicate discussion, plans were made for how his job would be altered over the next few months and when he would begin his maternity leave. They came to an agreement that he would work his regular hours thru at least the 6th month of his pregnancy and maybe even the 7th, but if any medical issues arose, he would start his leave immediately. His planned maternity leave would start the middle of the 8th month of his pregnancy, and he would stay on leave for 6 months after the baby was born, then come back to work part time for another 6 months. Baekhyun agreed he would come back to work full time after that. 

The scientist was happy as he put on his lab coat and called his team of coworkers together. Without disclosing the identity of the other parent, and giving as little details as possible about the conception, Baekhyun told them of his current condition. They all were quick to give him their congratulations, and the scientist couldn't help smiling even wider as he informed them of the changes in his work duties and planned maternity leave. All of his coworkers seemed very excited for him, and a couple of techs even started taking wagers on the baby's gender. The boss said he didn't approve of gambling in the workplace, but then proceeded to wink and put money towards the bet along with all the others joining in the fun. Baekhyun told them he didn't care if it was a girl or a boy, as long as it was healthy. His thick protective goggles couldn't hide the happy look in his eyes as he walked into the lab and began his work for the day.  

A little over 7 hours later Baekhyun finished his work day. He felt satisfied that he only had to run to the bathroom and throw up once mid-morning. And the healthy soup and salad he had eaten for a late lunch had settled nicely on his stomach.

On his way home, the scientist stopped at the grocery store to pick up some more crackers and herbal tea, since this seemed to be the current winning combination to keep his morning sickness calmed down. He also selected a variety of fruits and vegetables, thinking ahead to what might be good for snacks and quick meals in the house. 

The vendor next door to the grocery was selling tteokbokki and fish cakes, so he bought some to have for dinner and headed home.

Arriving safely, the scientist put up the groceries, ate his dinner, took a shower, and then cuddled up in his favorite flannel pajamas on his couch in the living room. As he reached for the remote to turn on the TV, the doorbell rang. 

Baekhyun checked his phone. None of friends had sent any messages saying they were coming over, so this was a bit of a surprise. Before he could get to the door, the doorbell rang again. The scientist padded over to the door. "Ok ok, keep your pants on-" 

As he swung the door open, the sarcastic words stuck in his throat when he saw the last person he thought would ever come to his apartment. "Chanyeol.." 

"Hi Hyunnie.." The tall man looked slightly out of breath but absolutely delighted to see the scientist. He seemed to sense the other's feelings and moved cautiously as he bent down a little to be more on the shorter's level. "May I..come in?" he asked carefully.

Baekhyun stumbled backwards in shock. "How did you..?"

"Minseok told me."

The scientist immediately scowled, his shock turning to anger. "I told him not to tell you about the baby..!" He his heel and stomped away from the doorway.

His lanky guest followed, toeing off his shoes in a hurry with a delighted look still on his face. "You have a baby?" he asked gleefully. 

Baekhyun subconciously put his hand on his belly as he walked back over towards the couch. "Not yet. Well, I mean- Wait." he turned back around to face the tall man and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What did Minseok tell you?"

Having noticed the smaller's hand on his belly, Chanyeol ignored the last question and looked at Baekhyun pointedly. "Why do you have your hand on- Are you pregnant, Hyunnie? Wait - you drank at the club! That could harm the baby!" 

"I wasn't pregnant yet then, Doofus!" Baekhyun blurted out. He realized what he had said and put a hand up to cover his mouth as his eyes grew big, seeing the tall man's eyes opening equally wide. He  his heel again, this time to try to run out of the room but the taller caught him, wrapping long arms around the now trembling scientist.

Chanyeol gently pulled Baekhyun in closer to him, leaning over his shoulder a little to speak into the pregnant man's ear. "Minseok didn't mention any baby. He just told me he had found out where the man that stole my heart lives. He also made me do 20 laps of the field just to get the address from him but I skipped the rest of practice so I could come see you. I had to see you." 

At these words Baekhyun had stilled in the man's arms, holding his breath. Chanyeol released his grip and the smaller slowly stepped out of the embrace and turned around but kept his eyes downward, looking at the feet of the tall man who continued to address him. "I need to know. I mean, I felt like we had a real connection that night, but even tho it kills me to think about you with someone else I know it's totally possible, so-"

"It's yours." The scientist's quiet words stopped the taller's rambling.

Chanyeol fidgited for a second like he didn't know what to do with his arms. Finally he reached out and carefully took Baekhyun's chin in his hand, lifting gently to make their eyes meet. "I meant what I said. You stole my heart that night. And I was so upset when you weren't there the next morning. I felt like the biggest idiot because I never got your phone number. I didn't even know your last name to try to track you down."

As he looked at the taller, the pregnant man blinked in a daze and finally spoke.  "But..?"

Chanyeol dropped his hand. "But maybe you don't feel the same way?" He sighed but then squared his shoulders. "I can deal with that. But I don't ignore my responsiblities and I'm going to support you as much as you'll let me."  Finishing his heartfelt speech, the tall man noticed the look that flickered through the smaller's eyes. "What?"

Baekhyun folded his arms over his chest and looked directly at the tall man. "I am a top level scientist for the physics division at LG Group. I make more than enough money to support this child on my own, so don't worry about it being a 'responsibility'." he said crisply.

Chanyeol gulped. "No that's not what I-" he stopped after seeing the shorter's glare. "O-ok.. Wow that's an impressive job. Yes. Ok.  BUT I won't be happy unless I'm in your life and helping you and the baby be happy, so just.. Tell me what you want me to do." 

"I want..." The shorter sighed and looked down as he put his hand on his belly again, but a smile came to his face without him realizing. "I already have what I want." he said finally.

"And you're happy?" the taller asked carefully.

Baekhyun nodded, looking back up at his guest. "I am."

Chanyeol grinned. "Then I'm doing a good job so far!" he said, swinging his arms a little. 

The scientist scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "I can't believe you're not mad about this." 

The taller shrugged with a smile. "I had an amazing time with you the night we met. And if you being pregnant with my child means I get to keep spending time with you, then why should I be mad? If anything, I'm delighted. I love kids! Plus, with your genes this baby is gonna be adorable!" 

Baekhyun blinked and shook his head in amazement then turned around towards the kitchen. "I actually think your genes are a lot better looking, but let's not argue about that. Did you want something to drink?"

"OOhhh! Don't change the subject! You think I'm good looking?" Chanyeol followed the pregnant man into the kitchen as he continued to tease. Baekhyun rolled his eyes but then laughed as he opened his cabinet to get two mugs for hot tea.

He could already tell the next few months would not be boring. 

- - - - -

Baekhyun learned very quickly that the baseball player/club owner was a man of his word and took his responsibilities very seriously. 

After exchanging phone numbers, from that point forward Chanyeol texted the pregnant man every night without fail, asking how his day went and how the Baby Bean was doing. What started as casual questions the first few nights soon became long text conversations between the two men, and Baekhyun finally had to insist on a time limit so it wouldn't interfere with the tall man's studying. It wouldn't be right for the father of his child to lose his academic scholarship.

Chanyeol suggested a compromise and began coming over to visit twice a week with the excuse that he could bring dinner and sometimes get some extra tutoring from the braniac scientist. Stepping into the apartment, the tall man would always greet Baekhyun with a smile and a hug first, and then address his belly with soft pats by his long fingers and little whispers to the Baby Bean. By the time Chanyeol got to the apartment each time, Baekhyun would already be changed out of his work clothes and wearing sweatpants or shorts with a t-shirt, so the intimate gestures towards his belly always caused the scientist to blush wildly even if he didn't hear everything the pitcher said to the unborn child.

Despite the initial awkwardness, the two men got along well and never seemed to run out of things to talk about for conversation. Learning more things about each other was one of their favorite subjects. Chanyeol always made himself useful after dinner by doing dishes or folding laundry while the pregnant man napped. The pregnancy took some getting used to and Baekhyun found he needed the extra sleep more than he wanted to admit. When he woke from his nap each time they would watch a movie or a cooking show, whichever Baekhyun chose. He tried to keep an eye on the clock, so that the tall man would be able to get home at a decent hour. Of course, they soon learned their definitions of a decent hour were completely different, so they compromised and Chanyeol would leave by 10:45 each night.

They began to learn even more things about each other.

Chanyeol almost collapsed from cuteness overload the first time he saw the pregnant man pout. He had to step back and make a determined effort to not give in right away to the perfection of the scientist's lips pursed in a mock grumble. But the pitcher couldn't hide he was definitely weak to 'The Pout'.

In turn, the tall man had begun using his adorable 'puppy eyes' whenever he wanted to convince the scientist to do something. Baekhyun called it his secret weapon. 

One of the things the pitcher wanted was for Baekhyun to come down to the club at least one night each weekend. Chanyeol considered himself "off limits" since his heart was already completely smitten with the shorter man. But they hadn't put any labels on what they were, and there was no way any of the eager girls (and boys) that came to the club would know anything about the situation unless the tall man ended up giving out far much more information than he felt necessary. So Chanyeol was convinced the only way to get the point across was to have Baekhyun come to the club and hang around for an hour or so. If he would let the tall man get him non-alchoholic drinks and sometimes dance together then it would give the correct impression and maybe make everyone give up trying to hit on the baseball player/club owner. At first, the pregnant man was reluctant to do this. He felt his social awkwardness would be an embarrassment. But he was also weak to the 'puppy eyes' and eventually agreed to a compromise of twice a month.

After agreeing to the club visits, Baekhyun sent out a message on the group text, explaining the situation and asking for his friends to tag along whenever he went. Kyungsoo agreed almost immediately. Jongdae was also quick to agree and his boyfriend, Minseok, offered to come along once in a while as well. Lay said as long as he left by midnight he would be happy to bring his girlfriend along. Kris and Junmyeon didn't commit to any attending, but they fully supported the plan. 

Within the first month, the visits to SKY became a group event. It turns out Lay and his girlfriend already knew Jongin as their fellow classmate in an afterschool class at a dance academy they all attended during high school. When they learned that Jongin had met Sehun the first week of college in a dance class, the conversation turned into promises of a spectacle of talent on the dance floor.

The first night they all made it to the club together, Baekhyun climbed up and sat on the actual bartop, down at the end.  The scientist had decided to pay for the first round of drinks, and Kyungsoo had made a note of everyone's order as soon as they came in the door. Tao, the bartender, said he was happy to have the cute scientist there since it brought attention to the bar and made other people want to get more drinks. Jongdae and Minseok got their drinks then went straight to the DJ with music requests. Chanyeol had noticed the group coming in, and he waved happily over at Baekhyun before making his way around the room to join him. Soon the tall pitcher stood at his side with one arm around the pregnant man's middle to hold him steady on the bar as they cheered on their friends who were now tearing it up at the center of the dance floor.

Onlookers noticed the two men leaning in comfortably toward each other and sharing conversation, and a couple of people tried to give dirty looks. Chanyeol reacted by placing a hand on the smaller's knee and looking menacingly towards the people that seemed jealous or mad about the situation. Baekhyun reacted to the hand on his knee with a pretty blush on his cheeks, but casually placed his hand on the taller's shoulder. The dirty looks died down but the two didn't leave each other's side, even when their friends took a break from dancing and came over to hang out at the bar with them. Tao the bartender was more than happy to snap the picture of all of them that became the lockscreen on the pregnant man's phone. Baekhyun found he didn't mind staying long past the agreed upon hour, enjoying the sight of all his friends getting along with the new members of the group. As the weeks went by, his original agreement of only attending twice a month was also overlooked, but the scientist decided he didn't mind that either.

With his initial thought that his friends would be enough support to help him protect his Baby Bean, Baekhyun was happy to see the number of those friends increasing. This growth in friendship numbers was later shared with his brother and parents, even tho the growth of the little one in his stomach was still a secret. 

On the day of his next check-up the scientist took off work and went to the medical facility by himself. He wasn't nervous and didn't think to ask anyone to go with him. Things went smoothly, and he left the office with a positive report, happily carrying a set of little fuzzy black and white pictures. 

Later that evening when he was texting with Chanyeol, Baekhyun mentioned the pictures and told him that Dr. Han was very pleased with the way the pregnancy seemed to be going. This small comment started their first official fight, with the taller insisting he felt slighted that he hadn't been informed of the appointment in advance so that he could attend. This led to some heated words from both men, but after a long discussion and compromising, they came to an agreement. From then on, Chanyeol would be at all of Baekhyun's doctor visits, which were to be scheduled around the tall man's baseball games and school obligations as much as possible. In return, whenever they were in public together Chanyeol would be less clingy or overly affectionate towards the pregnant man's still somewhat flat belly. This sounded like a small thing, but it was important to Baekhyun because he knew the baseball player/club owner was fairly well known, and the last thing Baekhyun wanted to do was call attention to his condition. He didn't explain his reasoning to Chanyeol, but the truth was that he didn't want the father of his child to become an outcast for having a child out of wedlock, and with a male carrier. The smart scientist knew what it felt like to be shunned for things that were beyond someone's control. Chanyeol was smart enough to figure out the real reason behind Baekhyun's request, but he didn't bring it up out of respect for the pregnant man. 

Baekhyun's pregnancy skipped along smoothly. Aside from the need for a pickle in the middle of the night every now and then, the cravings hadn't been too strange. He had gotten used to the changes in work duties as well. Napping was a luxury he knew wouldn't be as easy once the little one arrived, so the scientist tried to not be upset when his body told him to rest more. He was a little frustrated when his hormones started making him emotional at the oddest times. But he learned that the tall handsome pitcher was also a big softie who cried at emotional scenes in movies, as well as when Jongdae and Minseok announced their engagement. The waterworks were also in full force for both parents-to-be when they heard the Baby Bean's heartbeat the first time. The assistants at Dr. Han's office realized they needed to have plenty of tissues available for the pregnant man, as well as the other father of his child. 

At the start of the 5th month, Baekhyun was finally not having morning sickness, and also no longer wearing his usual sized clothes, due to the swell of his stomach. He decided the time had come to tell his family about his Baby Bean. There was quite the uproar that he hadn't told them sooner, but surprisingly his sister-in-law was the most understanding. She immediately offered to loan all of her stretchy yoga pants and in turn demanded a relaxing "mama's only" spa day as soon as their schedules allowed so they could gossip together and relax. Baekhyun laughingly agreed. His niece and nephew were not yet told, since the pregnant man felt the explanation would be easier if they could see his belly when it got bigger in another month or so. Everyone synced their phone calendars to highlight the due date in bright red with a countdown counter starting a week before, and the scientist couldn't help feeling very proud that the idea to do so came from the tall handsome pitcher.

Chanyeol had let it slip to his sister that he was going to be a dad, and she immediately demanded to meet the man that had stepped so dramatically into her brother's life. The next Saturday morning she drove into town and met the couple at a small cafe. Baekhyun and Yoora got along well and quickly bonded over their love of strawberry cheesecake. They laughed together so much at Chanyeol's expense that he began grumbling that he was worried they would join forces to pick on him for the rest of his life. Yoora immediately began teasing, saying that he seemed to be planning on the scientist being permanently in his life. Baekhyun couldn't help his cheeks turning the same color as the strawberry sauce that still lingered on his fork.

His parents were full of questions about the other father and demanded to meet him. A lunch at a pleasant bistro on the following Saturday offered the perfect setting. Chanyeol quickly won them over with his handsome looks, fun personality, and obvious affection for the pregnant scientist and his protruding belly. Baekhyun's parents assured the baseball player they would help him win over Baekhyun's brother, who didn't quite trust Chanyeol's intentions. Baekhyun carefully omitted the details of his deliberate actions the night he first met the club owner. That information was something only he and Chanyeol needed to know in full detail. 

Those details crossed Baekhyun's mind more frequently than he would ever admit. Afterall, the had been the best of his life, and having the gifted pitcher alone with him so much in his apartment wasn't always good for the pregnant man's thoughts. He often found himself zoning out, lost in his memories of that specific night, especially when the weather turned warmer and the tall man started wearing short sleeves, exposing his muscular arms. With his hormones going crazy from the pregnancy, just a hint of the taller's firm biceps were enough to make Baekhyun stop in his tracks and forget what he was saying. Chanyeol picked up on this quickly, and took great delight in making a point of wearing tank tops or an occasional low-cut shirt to expose even more of the skin that he saw obviously distracted the smaller. The pitcher would deliberately flex his muscular arms as he picked up his heavy backpack with his books when he was leaving Baekhyun's apartment in the evenings, and later the pregnant man would often have dreams of being manhandled nicely by those arms and large hands. More than once he woke with a sticky mess in his underwear after such dreams.

One evening Chanyeol was washing dishes again as the pregnant man napped on the couch. Earlier, they had made a large fruit salad as part of their dinner, and the glass bowl was now slippery from the fruits juices. As the usually sure-handed pitcher picked up the bowl to place it in the water, it slipped from his hand and landed in the full sink, splashing water out onto Chanyeol. His pants were only slightly wet, but his tank top was drenched. He laughed as he stepped back to view the damage and decided to take his shirt off to wring it out over the sink. As the tall man pulled the dripping shirt over his head, he heard a distinct gasp behind him. Chanyeol whipped around to see the scientist standing in the doorway, blatantly staring at his now upper torso. 

"I... thought you were asleep?"

"I woke up.. with.. the splash.." the smaller said, a bit dazed as he eyed the muscular pitcher. 

"I see that." Chanyeol tried to contain his smirk as he watched the scientist slowly wandering over to him. "I..um.. got wet, so.. I was going to wring my shirt out..." 

"I see that.." Baekhyun parroted back as he continued to stare at the pitcher's sculpted body.

"And..?" 

By now the scientist had stopped in front of the taller, who waited with a small smile on his face. Baekhyun took the shirt from him and draped it over the back of one of the kitchen stools, then reached slowly towards Chanyeol's mid section. The smaller barely touched the defined muscles, but when the tall man inhaled sharply he quickly pulled his hand back. "I'm sorry.. I-I don't know what came over me." 

"I don't mind." the pitcher said, exhaling. "You've touched a whole lot more of me before.." He reached down and grasped the pregnant man's hand, watching to see the other's reaction. When there was no resistance, he carefully pulled the smaller towards him, deliberately pressing the hand back onto his mid-section as he brought his own arm to circle the wide-eyed scientist. "And I REALLY didn't mind that.. not at all."

Baekhyun chuckled lightly as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "You're killing me here.." he groaned.

"What..?" Chanyeol faked innocence, even as his arm tighted a little more around the smaller's shoulders. He guided the scientist's hand up his torso, till it eventually was close enough to his neckline for him to bend down and kiss the delicate knuckles. 

The shorter man huffed. "See, now.. You do stuff like this, knowing full well my hormones are driving me crazy and making me so I can't concentrate. Even at work I just- ah... I-I mean..." his rambling trailed off after realizing what he had just said.

The pitcher leaned back down and kissed the slender fingers again. "And I REALLY don't mind that either.." he drawled.

Baekhyun looked up at the tall man. "What are you saying..?" he asked slowly.

"I'm saying that maybe you forgot everything we did the first night we met. And if you're , I'm more than willing to help you with remembering all that." The pitcher leaned down to whisper into the pregnant man's ear. "And more.." 

The bright flush was instantly covering the scientist's face, spreading into the neckline of his t-shirt. He looked down and his eyes shifted as he weighed his thoughts carefully.

Just as Chanyeol started to think he might have pushed his luck, the smaller looked back up and met his eyes. "I remember a lot more than you think. But... I'm curious to see if our stories match. Care to enlighten me..?" he asked with a flirty smirk. 

The pregnant man's sudden confidence only threw the tall man off for a second. He recovered quickly, grasping the shorter's chin with his hand to guide their lips closer to each other. "Gladly. I think a bed might be the best setting for this walk down memory lane tho.. Don't you?" 

Baekhyun swung his arms up over the taller's shoulders. "Definitely." he gasped out, just before their lips crashed together. The long-awaited kiss was only interrupted temporarily as the pitcher stooped to pick up the pregnant man bridal style. They continued their lip-lock as the tall man made his way somewhat gracefully to the scientist's bedroom, only stumbling once but never in danger of dropping his precious cargo.

The next hour the glorious sounds of groans, squelching, occasional laughter, , pleading, and skin-on-skin contact echoed thru the apartment. 

- - - - -

A couple hours later Baekhyun rolled over with a slight groan, then froze. He felt the same somewhat unfamiliar yet not really unpleasant ache all over his body that he last felt a little over 6 months ago. He rested his hand on his round belly as he looked over to the other side of the bed. In the dim light he could see that it was empty. The blankets were deliberately tucked to cover him, and he felt strangely sad at the sweet gesture. Just as he thought his bladder might need some attention, the scientist heard a brief noise from the other side of the apartment. His bladder was immediately forgotten as he grabbed his robe and slipped it on as he ran to the living room.

In the darkness Baekhyun could make out the figure of the tall pitcher, bent over the side of the couch. "Were you leaving?" the scientist asked uncertainly as he tied his robe belt.

Chanyeol jumped in surprise, but then reached and  the lamp on the end table. "I.. wasn't sure if I should stay." he said quietly. 

"Oh.. Did.. you want to?..stay?" Baekhyun couldn't help feeling a little hurt, but he also felt hopeful.

The tall man looked almost pained as he nodded. "Did.. you want me to stay?" he asked, as if he was afraid of the answer. 

Chanyeol's hair was messed-up from having obviously gotten dressed in a hurry, and he was missing a sock but Baekhyun realized he was seeing the handsome man in a whole new way. The affection that had been blooming in his heart for the pitcher was swiftly turning into so much more. He had to explain. "Yes. But I also want to apologize." 

The taller raised an eyebrow then cocked his head, waiting. The scientist couldn't help thinking the gesture reminded him of a puppy. He grinned inwardly but made himself go on as he put his hand deliberately on his expanding middle. "I used you before. Even tho it got me what I wanted, I am truely sorry for that."  Chanyeol seemed to want to protest, but the smaller quickly continued.  "BUT.. I don't want you to think I am using you now. I.. I truely want you to stay.. with me.. if you.. still want me to be in your life." 

The expression on the tall man's face was mixture of amazement and disbelief. "You're serious..?"

The smaller nodded as he smiled. He rubbed his hand gently on his stomach, then looked down suddenly. Smiling broadly he walked quickly over to the pitcher, grabbing his hand. "Looks like Baby Bean agrees with me!" the scientist said happily, placing Chanyeol's large hand on the side of his stomach.

The tall man's eyes opened wide as he felt the unmistakable thumps of little feet kicking inside the round belly. He grinned widely as he brought the smaller into a hug and leaned over to speak directly in his ear. "Does this mean I can call you my boyfriend now?"

Baekhyun smiled as he wrapped his own arms around the taller's muscular torso. "Yes, please." he nodded into the firm chest, then looked up at the chisled chin. "Can we go back to bed now?"

Chanyeol looked down and kissed the smaller's button nose. "Yes, please." he parroted back cutely. 

The scientist whacked the pitcher's chest lightly as he started to pull away. "Shut u~p..!" he whined as he grinned. He grabbed the taller's hand and began to go back to the bedroom but noticed Chanyeol was limping slightly. "Why are you walking funny?"

The pitcher grinned sheepishly. "I whacked my toe on the coffee table as I was trying to leave in the dark."

"So THAT'S the sound I heard!" 

Peals of laughter echoed in the apartment as they made their way back to the bedroom. Baekhyun used the bathroom while the pitcher stripped himself back down to just his underwear. They climbed back into bed and laid together with their hands on the pregnant man's stomach, talking as they enjoyed the occasional movements of their Baby Bean. Eventually, Chanyeol wrapped his arms around his boyfriend who his side to be the little spoon, and they let sleep take over. 

The next day Baekhyun had work, and Chanyeol had class. But the two enjoyed eating breakfast together before leaving. They also enjoyed giggling over the reactions of their relationship upgrade after announcing it on the group chat. 

As they were heading out the door, the pitcher asked his boyfriend if he would be willing to attend some of the upcoming baseball games. The scientist said he would think about it. Chanyeol was very happy when less than an hour later he received a text confirming the smaller's approval of the idea. Within a few minutes the scientist had posted the schedule of upcoming games in the group chat and given all their friends an open invitation to come and support the team.

The team was really good this season, and they appreciated every familiar face in the crowd cheering them on. With the warmer weather and his progressing pregnancy, Baekhyun had begun to wear lighter clothing, but he didn't want to get too overheated in the sun while he sat in the bleachers. Junmyeon offered his own favorite large umbrella as a solution. Pretty soon the team got used to seeing the pregnant scientist smiling from the stands, huddled under the large blue and white polka-dotted umbrella, sipping cold strawberry lemonade through a straw from an oversized travel thermos and cheering loudly whenever the team members did well. Everyone understood why the tall pitcher was clearly smitten with his adorable boyfriend.

Chanyeol also seemed to pitch better when he knew his special someone was watching from the stands, and the strike record stats showed the pitcher was truely a force to be reckoned with. Instead of being upset about the possiblity of huge brain power, Baekhyun began to dream of the chance that their Baby Bean would become a great athlete. The brainiac had never tried to be athletic, since he had always been more interested in books and learning, but even as a young child he always had great rhythm and was very flexible. Thinking of how the taller's genes were combined with his to make their little one, the scientist was now even more happy that Chanyeol had ended up being the man he had chosen over 6 months ago. 

As his mid-section grew, Baekhyun visited SKY less and less. The crowded area and loud music was sometimes aggravating for him, and he didn't like flaunting his condition in the faces of the partygoers. When he did go to the club, he usually had a good time. Tao always made sure to have plenty of apple juice for him, serving it over frozen grapes instead of ice. The panda-eyed man had even come up with a non-alchoholic spritzer-style cocktail that he dubbed  "Hyun" in honor of the pitcher's boyfriend. Baekhyun blamed his hormones for tearing up over the bartender's sweet gestures.

When he didn't go to the club, Chanyeol would always text his boyfriend sweetly at midnight to wish him and Baby Bean sweet dreams. The next day Baekhyun would catch up with his friends in the group chat until around noon when the pitcher would call to confirm any plans they had together for the day. 

Just before the first week of his 8th month of pregnancy, the pregnant man noticed the group chat suddenly seemed to be very quiet. Minseok, Jongin, Sehun, and even Tao had all been added months ago, but now everyone was bordering on radio silence. What was almost daily chattering conversations became one or two word responses, and the scientist couldn't get anyone to tell him why. He knew something was up, but decided to act oblivious to the strange changes in the group chat.

Two weeks later, on a Saturday, Chanyeol waited until after Baekhyun finished his early afternoon nap to show up at his door. The pitcher was dressed nicely, but in a different way than he usually did for his club owner duties. He told Baekhyun he wanted to take him out to dinner before they went to the club. The pregnant man had not been planning to go to SKY that night, but for some reason the tall man was insisting he really wanted Baekhyun's company through the rest of the evening. After some pleading and sweet talk, the scientist finally agreed. He changed into a pair of his sister-in-law's nicer black yoga pants, along with a blue silk button-up shirt that he thought would be y enough for the club scene later. He added some gel to his hair, styling it similarly to the way he did the night he had first met the baseball player/club owner. At the last minute, he also added his contacts just to give the full effect, then stepped into the living room where his boyfriend was waiting. Chanyeol whistled his approval at the outfit, then walked over and very thoroughly kissed the pregnant man. The next thing he knew, Baekhyun was being ushered out the door and down the elevator before he could change his dazed mind. 

When the pitcher pulled up in the parking lot next to SKY, the scientist began to question their plans for the evening. They hadn't had dinner yet, so he knew something had to be going on. Chanyeol figited nervously as he helped the now heavily pregnant man in thru the club doors.

The usual flashing lights and pulsing music had been replaced with soft almost daylight level lighting and cute nursery-type children's songs. There were white, pink, and blue balloons with silver ribbons floating up next to the ceiling in all four corners of the room. All the tables had white table clothes with shimmery pink and blue runners. There were small floral centerpieces on each table with minature baby bottles and pacifiers stuck into each one. One table was overflowing with gifts of all shapes and sizes, and an over-sized woven wicker chair with plush cushions had been placed next to it. A generous food spread surrounded by purple cups and plates was laid out along the bar, and a large banner that read "WELCOME BABY BEAN (SOON)" had been hung on the wall.

Baekhyun looked at everything with amazement and then burst into tears. 

Chanyeol immediately pulled his pregnant boyfriend into a warm embrace, cooing at him and rubbing his back as he also kissed his head. When Baekhyun finally calmed down enough, he pulled away from the tall man to look around in wonder.

It was at that point that he noticed the other people there, all smiling at him. All of their friends, all of Baekhyun's family members, all of the baseball team, the scientist's boss and some of his coworkers, and even Dr. Han and a couple of the medical facility techs were there. Chanyeol's parents and sister had even come in from out of town for the surprise occasion.

The pitcher led his teary-eyed boyfriend over to the large wicker chair and helped him sit down. Kyungsoo brought him a plate full of food, and Tao brought over a purple cup full of fruit punch. Within minutes the talking and laughter drowned out the music, and everyone socialized as they helped themselves to the food and drinks. 

After getting himself a plate of food and a purple cup with punch, Chanyeol sat down next to the pregnant man. As they ate, he explained how everyone had stepped up to make the surprise baby shower become a reality.

Minseok and Jongdae had made sure everyone on the long list of guests was politely and properly invited. 

Chanyeol's parents had insisted on paying the club staff's salaries for taking the night off.

Baekhyun's family had made the arrangements for all of the food.

Kyungsoo had provided the ingredients for the delicious fruit punch, and Tao was more than happy to come early to the venue and prepare it properly. 

Jongin had made sure a large helium tank was delivered to the club along with the box of balloons and ribboning, then had a fun-filled time the morning of the party blowing every single one up and tying them off with a pretty finish.

Sehun had called in a favor to his mother, who was an interior designer. She made sure Chanyeol's sister could get everything she needed at very little cost for the tablecloths and runners. 

The baby-themed floral centerpieces had been arranged by Lay and his girlfriend, who happened to be the daughter of a florist. 

Kris and Junmyeon had insisted on being allowed to be in charge of the lighting and music selected. Obviously the theme of the night made their decisions easier, but evidently they let their daughter, EunAe be the tie breaker whenever they clashed while choosing the songs. 

The biggest responsibility had fallen to Chanyeol to make sure Baekhyun wouldn't see anything about the plans on anyone's text, message board, email, or group chat. It was obvious this was the reason behind the strange non-conversations from the previous week. He even had to make sure the pregnant man didn't learn about the sign that had been placed on the door of the club a week earlier saying the venue would be closed for a private event on the following Saturday. 

Baekhyun was beaming as he ate his food and watched everyone. People kept coming up and giving congratulations to both him and his boyfriend, who sat beside him the whole time, grinning proudly. The scientist was delighted to see that Junmyeon and Kris's daughter was getting along splendidly with his niece and nephew. And his brother made a point to come up and shake Chanyeol's hand, finally giving his approval to the person his younger brother had chosen. 

A lot of people had their phones out to take selfies and fun group shots. But the scientist was also touched to learn his boss was the one that hired the professional photographer that was also there, taking pictures and getting many candid shots of the lively event. 

After finishing his food, it was time to open the presents. The crowd all gathered around to watch and comment as the pregnant man dug into the colorful tower of boxes and gift bags. Each new item was appropriately cooed over and appreciated. The photographer took shot after shot of the beautiful scenes.

Finally every gift had been opened.

Then, unexpectedly, Dr. Han asked for everyone's attention. "Everyone gave their gifts except for me."

The scientist shared a look with his boyfriend, then both looked over at the doctor. The doctor smiled back and continued. "Baekhyun, do you still have your cup that Tao brought to you?" 

Baekhyun nodded and held up his purple cup. 

"If you look, you'll notice it is actually two cups, with a white cup inside of the purple one you're holding." 

Sure enough, the cup was exactly as the doctor said. 

"If you will, please lift out the inside cup and read what it says on the side."

Chanyeol helped his boyfriend pull the cups apart and held the purple one as Baekhyun turned the other cup around to see the writing. The pregnant man cried out delightedly and handed it to the pitcher with tears in his eyes. The tall man also had tears in his eyes as he read out loud. "It says: Congratulations! Baby Bean is a Boy!" 

The place erupted in cheers and excitement. 

In the middle of all the reactions, Chanyeol noticed Jongdae collecting money from Jongin, Sehun, and a couple other members of the baseball team. But then Jongdae came over and handed the cash to the pregnant man and said. "Well, you were right!"  

The pitcher burst out laughing, and Baekhyun grinned. "Never doubt a parent's intuition!"

- - - - -

The scientist had only been working half days from the beginning of the 6th month of pregnancy, and his maternity leave began officially right after the baby shower in his 8th month. 

As the last month of the pregnancy loomed, Baekhyun was clingy and whiney. Chanyeol had been staying in the scientist's apartment more and more frequently, so to make sure his boyfriend and Baby Bean were properly cared for, he began staying every night. The only complaint Baekhyun had about this arrangement was that it should have happened sooner.

After they had enjoyed living together for three full weeks, the scientist woke his boyfriend up in the middle of the night and asked to go for a drive. They went out to a quiet parking area overlooking the Han River. The two men sat in the car, looking at the beautiful water and talking quietly. Chanyeol had his arm lovingly around the heavily pregnant man, but it was difficult for Baekhyun to get completely comfortable. Finally they got out of the car and walked slowly along the walkway, holding hands and enjoying the cool night air. 

About an hour later, the bag with necessities they had started keeping in the car was slung over the tall man's arm as he carried his boyfriend into the hospital. The smaller was whining a bit from pain, and totally embarrassed about his sweatpants that were drenched from when his water broke. Baekhyun was whisked away to be prepped for delivery, and Chanyeol took the moment to announce the situation on the group chat. A nurse came and assisted the pitcher into a sterile gown, then brought him into the birthing room where the scientist laid slightly inclined on the specialized bed.

In less than 2 hours, right as the sun was coming up, the healthy cries of their Baby Bean was joined by the sounds of his crying, emotional parents. Chanyeol handed his phone to a nurse, who happily took the first picture of the new family member being held by his teary-eyed fathers. Upon request, Dr. Han also posed with the new addition to the world. These pictures were promptly added to the group chat. The information about the child being a healthy length and weight was also shared, and the group chat blew up. 

- - - - -

Two and a half days after the birth, Baekhyun and the little one were released from the hospital.

The pitcher brought them back to the scientist's apartment and got all three of them settled comfortably on the couch. As the fathers watched their sweet addition squirm a little while he slept in his daddy's arms, Chanyeol reached out and the back of Baekhyun's slender fingers. "You know... I've been doing some serious thinking."

The scientist smiled back. "I have too."

- - - - -

A week later, the group chat blew up all over again.

 

KJDeMaaan:  WTFWTFWTF 

KJDeMaaan: IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING???

MinniesAGuy:  Babe why the hell are you in the other room yelling the same thing you're typing?

JunLovesEveryone: For the last time, LANGUAGE

NotSoSooweet: Why is everyone yelling on here

KJDeMaaan: MOM LOOK AT THE HANDS

JunLovesEveryone: What hands?

MinniesAGuy:  OMG I SEE IT

NotSoSooweet:  I knew it - Dae pay up

KJDeMaaan:  Well

Nininja: YEOL MY MAN

BEqualsMCSquared:  Were you betting on us again 🙄 [eyeroll]

HunnieBear:  Dude! Way to man up guys

Krisiddydoodah:  Wow! Congrats!

BallPark: Thank you

JunLovesEveryone: I get dibs on babysitting while you're on honeymoon!

KJDeMaaan: Aw MAN! I was gonna ask that!

BallPark: Dae you'll have to wait till he's at least 4 or 5

BEqualsMCSquared: I'm with my man on this one

KJDeMaaan:  Dammit

MinniesAGuy:  They're not wrong Babe

LayMeDown: YOUR man. I see you Baek 

BEqualsMCSquared:  Heeheehee 

TipTaoThrutheTulips: What am I missing what's going on what didn't I see someone tell me tell me tell me

MinniesAGuy: Our lovebirds posted matching pics on IG with rings

KJDeMaaan: On THE finger

TipTaoThrutheTulips: omgomgIknewitwouldhappenthisissoexcitingomgomg

 

Chanyeol held the bottle carefully for the little one, tipping it at exactly the correct angle. He smiled affectionately as he watched the scientist holding his phone, giggling as he read the comments on the group chat.

Their matching engagement rings sparkled in the light. But not as prettily as the delight in Baekhyun's eyes as he looked over at the tall handsome man holding their baby.

As he watched the two most important people in his life, the scientist decided he had been wrong for once.

Being blessed with a high IQ wasn't such a bad thing after all.

 

 

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