A few weeks went by and everyone’s life fell into a long welcomed pattern of normalcy. While Seong Mi and Jinhyuk resumed their lives as students, Leeteuk busied himself happily preparing for welcoming a child into his and Kangin’s home.

 

It was an early Tuesday morning and Kangin was straightening his tie in the mirror as he watched Leeteuk pace behind him with the phone glued to his ear. He smiled as he heard a string of ‘ne’s flow out of his husband’s mouth every few moments as a patient smile graced his lips.

 

“Okay, thank you, I’ll see you soon,” Leeteuk said, breaking the pattern, which made Kangin’s eyebrow in amusement.

 

“Another delivery?” he asked once Leeteuk had signaled the end of the call by tossing his phone on their bed. “What is that? The fourth this week?”

 

Leeteuk’s sigh quickly turned into a content smile before nodding. “Everything is suddenly arriving at once. Which I guess is good, because now we can set it all up and it’ll be ready for when he comes.”

 

Kangin nodded in agreement. In the past week their living room had witnessed an explosion of brown boxes with blue baby items spilling out of them. Once they had signed the last of the paperwork, Leeteuk had begun indulging in every baby item that he could find. Although Kangin was not looking forward to seeing the bills arrive, he was happy that finally his husband’s joyful and beautiful spirit had returned to him. And he wasn’t afraid to admit that he too had become excited knowing that any day now he would be holding his son for the very first time.

 

“Are you nervous about today?” asked Leeteuk walking over to Kangin and perfectly straightening his tie.

 

“Thank you,” Kangin smiled and he leaned forward to peck Leeteuk’s lips. “Uh, nervous, no. But just anxious. We’ve been preparing for this day for months now. So hopefully the meeting will go well and the CEO will approve our plan.”

 

“He has to,” said Leeteuk confidently. “You all have covered all of your bases and you know this inside out. Not to mention the amount of exposure this will bring the company. He’d be crazy to not give it the green light.”

 

“Thank you,” Kangin sighed happily as he wrapped his arms around Leeteuk, making their foreheads touch.

 

“If he does approve it—

 

“Ah!” corrected Leeteuk with the raise of an eyebrow.

 

“Okay, when he does,” smiled Kangin. “That’ll finally mean a higher salary for me.”

 

“I thought that wasn’t important for us,” said Leeteuk softly, as he was becoming slightly distracted by the kisses Kangin was planting on his cheeks and the corner of his mouth.

 

“Well now that we will become three, I want to make sure that everything will be taken care of. Meaning you and he will always be more than happy and secure,” said Kangin finally stealing a much anticipated kiss on those full lips.

 

Leeteuk smiled, “I know how important that is for you to be able to do that, but it’s not necessary. Even if we were poor just having you and now our son would be more than enough.”

 

“Well, I agree, but hopefully we’ll never have to test that theory out,” chuckled Kangin softly.

 

It was then that his eyes caught the clock on the bedside table.

 

“I need to leave now or I’m gonna be late,” he sighed as he looked back into Leeteuk’s eyes.

 

“I understand,” Leeteuk said with a nod. “Good luck, though I know you won’t need it. And when you come home today, I’ll have something special waiting for you.”

 

Kangin smiled. “I can’t wait.”

                                                            ~**~

 

Seong Mi had just finished the slow process of getting dressed when her phone buzzed on her bed side table. Picking it up, she smiled upon seeing the message.

 

It was from Jinhyuk.

 

He was concerned with whether she had slept well and eaten yet, as he was every morning. When she assured him that she had, she asked the same.

 

After saying that he hadn’t, he explained that this morning he had his final major exam of the semester and that he had been too nervous to sleep or eat well.

 

Seong Mi wished him good luck and then he let her know that he would be turning off his phone for now, but that he would call her once he was finished.

 

As she was walking through the campus, her head hung low as usual, she felt a sudden tightness in her stomach. She paused in her steps, unsure of what it was that she was feeling, until she felt the sharp pain again.

 

She grimaced, not knowing what to do.

 

She was halfway between her dorm room and the building that held her class, but she wasn’t sure which she could make it to the quickest.

 

Holding her stomach, she looked around for somewhere to rest. Seeing a bench just a few yards away, she waddled over as quickly as she could and sat down, closing her eyes as she tried to recover from the sharpness of the pain.

 

When she felt comfortable enough again, she fumbled to open her bag and grabbed her phone. Within seconds she was hearing the long rings, praying with all of her might that her call would be answered.

 

“Hello? Seong Mi-ah? Sorry, I was busy moving boxes into the nursery, so I didn’t hear my phone,” came a winded breath on the other end of the line. “How are you—

 

“Teukkie it’s happening!” Seong Mi finally spit out.

 

“Wh-What?” asked Leeteuk pausing, he knew he had to have misheard.

 

“The baby—I had my first set of contractions just a few minutes ago!” she gasped, suddenly feeling panicked. “I d-don’t know what to do—I’m in the middle of campus—where do I—

 

“Seong Mi-ah, listen to me,” said Leeteuk sensing the fear in her voice. “You're gonna be fine, you just have to take a deep breath so that you can think clearly. Now, you said you're in the middle of your campus, is there anyone around that can help you?”

 

Seong Mi glanced around. Most of the campus was either still asleep or already in their class, awaiting their exams.

 

“No,” she said helplessly.

 

“Where’s Jinhyuk? Can you call him to come meet you?” asked Leeteuk as he turned circles himself, looking for his car keys.

 

“In class, he’s taking an exam,” sighed Seong Mi.

 

“Okay, well, I can come and get you if you’d like—

 

“Yes, please hurry!”

 

“—but maybe an ambulance can get there faster,” finished Leeteuk.

 

“No, I want you to take me! Please Teukkie, hurry!” Seong Mi said, wincing as she felt another contraction building up.

 

Leeteuk paused in place as he heard her trying to stifle the groan that was forcing itself out of her body.

 

Once he realized the severity of her pain he bolted to the front door, having found his keys sitting in plain view on the kitchen counter.

 

“Okay, I’m on my way! Just stay put and I’ll come and find you! I’ll only be ten minutes!” he said stepping into his shoes.

 

“Hurry please,” Seong Mi’s voice now sounded small and weak.

 

“I will, just hold on Seong Mi-ah, hold on,” he said and then he was out the door.
 

                                                            ~~

 

 

“Teuk-ah, what’s going on? I’m sorry I missed your calls—we’re just about to go into the meeting and I can’t—“ started Kangin apologetically as he sat down on the chair in his office.

 

“It’s happening!” spit out Leeteuk.

 

“What’s…happening?” questioned Kangin though he was sure he already knew.

 

“Seong Mi and the baby,” said Leeteuk as calmly as he could. “She just called me and said that she’s gone into labor. I’m on my way to get her now—

 

“Oh my god!” said Kangin suddenly leaping up from his desk. “I-I have to—I’m coming! I don’t know how I’m gonna explain this to the CEO, but I’ll just—

 

“No, Kangin-ah it’s fine, look go to your meeting and then after everything is taken care of just come straight to the hospital,” said Leeteuk.

 

“Teuk…no, I can’t miss this. I need to be there with you and Seong Mi, you shouldn’t do this alone—

 

“Yeobo, listen, I know that I sound really panicked right now, but it’s just from all the adrenaline. Babies take a long time and Seong Mi has only just gone into labor. You won’t be missing anything, and we’ll be fine.”

 

“Are you sure? Seung Woo can handle this himself if he has to—

 

“Yes, I’m sure. Try to get through this the best you can and then you can meet us at St. Mary’s hospital, okay?

 

“Okay—but if anything happens, call me, and I’ll come straight down, I don’t care if we’re in the middle of the meeting or not.”

 

“I will,” promised Leeteuk.

 

“My G-d,” exhaled Kangin as he sat back in his seat.

 

“What?” asked Leeteuk.

 

“I just can’t believe it. This morning I woke up and thought the best thing that could happen would be if the CEO approved our plan. Now…now I’m going to be a father. Our son is going to be born today Teuk-ah,” said Kangin, a grin appearing on his face.

 

“I know. Everything we’ve been waiting for…it’s finally gonna happen and I…I don’t want to cry right now,” he chuckled, dabbing at the corner of his already damp eye.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kangin smiled. “I have to try not to as well.”

 

“Good luck yeobo,” Leeteuk said happily.

 

“Thank you baby. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way there,” said Kangin looking up. Seung Woo was tapping on his glass wall, signaling they needed to go.

 

“Okay, see you soon.”

 

“See you.”

 

                                                            ~~

 

Leeteuk drove his car through the campus as his phone was glued to his ear.

 

“Are you still near your dormitory?” he asked scanning the scenery on both sides. He looked for her on benches, sidewalks, even stairs, but he didn’t see anyone that resembled a nine-month pregnant girl.

 

“No,” said Seong Mi. “I’m—

 

“Oh wait, I see you!” said Leeteuk with a smile.

 

Seong Mi breathed a sigh of relief when she too recognized Leeteuk’s car.

 

Hanging up when she saw him park and get out of the car, she tried to stand herself.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, let me help you!” said Leeteuk rushing over.

 

He quickly slung her bag over his shoulder and then helped support her waist as she stood. Walking slowly to the car, Seong Mi tried to ignore the questioning glances of the few people passing by, clearly intrigued at the sight unfolding before them.

 

Leeteuk was too preoccupied with getting her into the car safely to care. Putting her in the back seat so that she could have room to stretch her legs, he then rushed over to the driver’s side and got in himself.

 

As the car began moving again, Seong Mi suffered from another contraction.

 

“Oh G-d! Please, please!” murmured Seong Mi as her body tensed, waiting for the cramping to be over so that she could breath once again.

 

Leeteuk glanced over his shoulder and saw Seong Mi’s eyes squinting in pain as she gripped the seat in front of her to brace herself.

 

“It won’t be too long Seong Mi-ah, I promise, I’ll get us there as soon as possible,” said Leeteuk reaching his hand back between the seats.

 

Seong Mi nodded as she opened her eyes. When she saw Leeteuk’s hand she grasped it with hers and squeezed it tight.

 

When they arrived at the hospital Leeteuk was overwhelmed by how busy it was. Walking with Seong Mi inside, her arm slung around his shoulder and his hand on her waist, he helped guide her to the front desk.

 

“Excuse me, nurse?” he asked the woman typing something hurriedly as she stood behind the desk.

 

“Just a minute,” she dragged out in an almost sing-song voice before looking up and doing a double take.

 

“Are—are you—“ she said, her pupils almost doubling in size.

 

“Yes,” Leeteuk sighed. “But can you please be of some help to us. She’s gone into labor and is already in a lot of pain—

 

“Oh, yes, of course,” said the nurse with a big smile on her face as she rushed around the side of the desk to fetch a wheelchair that had been cast off to the side.

 

After wheeling it over she held it steady so that Leeteuk could help Seong Mi sit down slowly.

 

“Okay, we will get you assigned to a bed as quickly as possible, uh…Leeteuk-ssi, would you mind staying here to check in your…wife?” asked the nurse, fishing for an answer as to why he had suddenly appeared in the hospital with a young pregnant girl.

 

“Wife?” Leeteuk choked on the word. “N-no, she’s not my wife. I’m her—she’s just my… no, wife, no. But I will—stay to fill out the paperwork.”

 

If Seong Mi hadn’t been trying to control her breathing she would have laughed at Leeteuk’s blushing cheeks.

 

“Okay, thank you,” the nurse smiled as she began to wheel Seong Mi away.

 

“I’ll be there soon Seong Mi-ah,” assured Leeteuk when he saw her look back at him nervously.

 

Seong Mi nodded weakly as the space between her and Leeteuk grew greater and greater. As she and the nurse finally turned a corner she saw him turn back to the counter and proceed to give another nurse her information.