Jonghyun comes home from class after two in the afternoon. Kibum is just finishing up his online class for the day, leaning forward slightly to set his laptop on the coffee table before putting his feet up.

"Hey, babe. How was your day?" Jonghyun kisses Kibum before taking a seat next to him.

"Long and lonely," Kibum says, fixing his shirt over his stomach slightly before setting his hands on top. "Hara is giving me a hard time today. I think she knows I wasn't paying attention to her. Did you bring me that Frosty I wanted?"

Kibum has been choosing a different name every other week for the baby. One week it was Minah, another it was Sooyoung. Jonghyun likes Hara the best so far (Minah is a close second though), but he doesn't say that and lets his boyfriend have his fun with the name game.

Jonghyun chuckles, handing him the Frosty. "One medium vanilla Frosty for my sweet," Jonghyun watches Kibum scoop out some ice cream. "Your cheeks are starting to get puffy, babe. It's really cute."

Kibum pouts, pressing his palm to your cheek. "Twenty-five extra pounds does that to you."

"Cooking a baby for thirty weeks does that to you," he laughs. "I don't know what you're going to do after the baby. All you've been doing is eating things you'd never think of eating before. You might get used to it."

"No. Hara is just making me crave unhealthy things, that's all."

"Treating yourself every once in a while doesn't hurt, you know."

"I'm making up for lost time then," Kibum smiles as he his thumb. "How was college, by the way?"

Jonghyun shrugs. "Okay, I guess. They give me a lot of work, so I'd better get on that... in a few minutes. I'm starting at my dad's firm on Monday. We're splitting up work, so I could be home as much as possible, with you. I'll only be at the office when I absolutely need to."

Kibum nods slowly. "Ah... I scheduled my c-section today. Your mom brought me, which was really sweet of her," Kibum hands Jonghyun a strip of ultrasound photos with a smile. "These are the last ultrasound pictures before I have her..."

Jonghyun studies the pictures with a small smile. "She finally looks like a baby... So when is the c-section going to be, hmm?"

"By the way I'm measuring, we have it set for December 23," he bites his lip. "It's slightly tentative since I still have about sixty-eight days until I'm full term, but I think I'll be in a hospital bed on Christmas."

"That's fine, Kibum. I'll be with you either way."

"I might be able to wait until after the holidays, but it might put the baby at risk."

"She has to come when she's ready. If it's two days before Christmas, then it's two days before Christmas. You'll still get your presents. If it makes you feel better, I'll even get a tiny little Christmas tree to set up in your room. Would you like that?"

Kibum smiles over at Jonghyun, biting his lip. "Yeah... I'd really love that."

"It's as good as done then," Jonghyun stands and rubs Kibum's thigh gently. "I have to get going on some homework now. The workload is crazy, but I'll get used to it."

---

Kibum stands in front of Jonghyun, smiling softly to himself as he helps the other boy with his tie and straighten it out. Once he's finished, he pats down the collar of Jonghyun's suit jacket. 

"You look good in a suit, Jjong."

"I feel all stuffy in it. I don't like it," Jonghyun mutters, frowning at Kibum. "It's not like wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

Kibum laughs, tightening his tie enough to choke him before loosening it. "You'll get used to it, babe. Just see how good you look. You better not go attracting all the ladies in the office, young man."

"Nah. I got a such looker waiting for me back home," Jonghyun pecks Kibum's lips quickly. "I should get going now, but expect me home tonight. We can go out and celebrate tonight if you're feeling up to it, mm?"
   
"That'd be nice. What time do you think you're going to be home?"

"Around five or five-thirty, I think. I'll come home with Dad tonight since its the first day for me and all, and we can go out. Be ready for me, alright? I'll take you wherever you want."

---

Kibum isn't at home at five-thirty. Jonghyun checks around the house for a note at least, but he comes up empty handed. He calls Kibum's cellphone, but he hears it ringing from the living room and sighs.

"Now where did he go off to without leaving a note or taking his phone...? Huh... Kim Kibum, you're an odd ball, that's for sure. Guess I'll just be making dinner at home if he's not around.

Jonghyun goes into the kitchen, calling his mother to ask if she saw Kibum when she stopped home for her lunch break. She tells him that the house was quiet when she was at home, but she didn't check to see if he was napping upstairs in the bedroom. Jonghyun thanks her and tells her not to worry about bringing home dinner.

---

It's nine-thirty, and Kibum still isn't back. That's when Jonghyun begins to worry. It isn't like Kibum to wander off and not let Jonghyun where he's off to, especially when he's thirty weeks pregnant. Jonghyun is almost positive that he didn't walk anywhere either, not with his feet hurting him like they had been recently.

Jonghyun's parents have both been home for well over an hour at that point, worrying just as much as Jonghyun. His father thinks that Kibum may have just gone out with friends (although Jonghyun knows he didn't have many from their school). His mother doesn't voice an opinion, but she's sitting quietly at the kitchen table, and that scares Jonghyun more than if she had said something.

"This is worrying me now," Jonghyun says finally, standing up from the kitchen table. "I've known Kibum long enough to know he wouldn't do something like this. He never goes anywhere without his and definitely not when he isn't with me. Something is going on."

"Jonghyun," his father interjects. "Don't dive head first into this. He's seventeen years old. He has a live. He's allowed to go out without you."

Jonghyun picks up his car keys. He's exhausted and wants to sleep at this point in the night, but Kibum pushed himself to his number one priority.

"Dad, you don't understand. He doesn't do this. I-I'm just going to stop by his parents' apartment quickly. Maybe he went there... Hopefully he did. He wanted to patch things up with them before he has the baby."

---

Tears flood Kibum's face as he stares down at the adoption papers in front of him. His hands are balled into fists on the table, fingernails digging into his palm so hard that blood is beginning to bead up. Both of his parents are standing over his shoulder, glaring down at him and his movements.

"I'm not signing them."

Kibum should have known. He should have known that the kindness his parents expressed over the phone was only an act. When they had invited him over so nicely to apologize, it had only been a lie. They sat Kibum down at the table immediately, throwing adoption papers at him.

Kibum knows their intentions now. They think that if Kibum just gives up the baby, this blemish on the family could be forgotten. As soon as Kibum lost the extra baby weight, it would be as if the pregnancy never happened. They could move on as the happy family they forced themselves to believe.

"You can't really want that baby," his mother sneers. "At least if it had tasteful genes..."

"If I give up the baby, it's going to be on my own terms, Mom. If Jonghyun and I are both in agreement, we'll give up the baby. I'm certainly not going to do it just because you throw adoption papers at me. You and Dad aren't worth more than Jonghyun to me."

"It's cute how you think he's going to stick around for you."

"Because he is."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you," Kibum spits back. "So stop."

"He hasn't been responsible about anything else. He didn't take care of you. If he did, you wouldn't be facing this disaster. He certainly never cared about his grades either. I talked to the neighbors about him. His grades were laughable, Kibum. It's rubbing off on you!"

Kibum glares. "Grades don't determine someone's self-worth, Mom. He isn't holding his own child hostage trying to get them to give up their child."

"You're not being held hostage."

"Oh no? I think I am," Kibum lifts a handful of the papers up, shredding them with his hands. "That's what I think of your adoption papers, Mom."

Kibum doesn't expect to be hit as hard or as suddenly as he is. He isn't prepared and nearly tips backward off the chair but catches himself on the side of the table. His hand flies up to his cheek. He and his parents never saw eye to eye in the past but never before had they laid a hand on him.

"He's made you completely unhinged, Kibum. What happened to our son? What happened? You never talked back or went against us or put anything before your studies! Now look at you! You think you're actually able to raise a-- a child when you're a child yourself."

All three look up when the doorbell rings. Kibum tries to stand, holding onto a shred of hope that it's Jonghyun, but his father forces him back into the seat. He covers Kibum's mouth and, although he's putting up a struggle, he manages to keep Kibum quiet and out of the line of sight of the front door.

It's Jonghyun. Kibum hears his voice and tries just a little harder to break free.

"Is Kibum here?" He asks, and Kibum can hear how frantic and exhausted he sounds. "He's been gone all afternoon, and I was hoping he came here. Have you seen him... or at least heard from him?"

"He hasn't been here since the day he left."

Jonghyun gets the front door slammed in his face.

---

Jonghyun hangs outside the apartment for a little while longer after that, but it's almost dead silent on the other side of the door. He listens for Kibum but can't hear a hint of that voice he's come to love so much. Still, he has no other ideas as to where Kibum could be and decides to give up. If Kibum were at his parents' apartment, he would have heard something from him by now through those thin walls.

"Mom, I'm not putting my name on it!"

Jonghyun stops walking mid-step when he hears Kibum yell with tears in his voice. He turns and hurries back to the door,gritting his teeth when the door is locked. He growls, pounding on the door.

"Kibum! Kibum, I'm here. Don't worry, alright? You're okay, babe."

Jonghyun throws his weight at the door. Breaking the door down probably would strain Jonghyun's relationship with Kibum's parents even more (as if it wasn't bad enough), but right now, it was the only thing separating Jonghyun from Kibum.

The hinges strain against the frame. Jonghyun rams his shoulder into the door once more, and it gives. Jonghyun looks up just in time to see a pile of papers get thrown at Kibum. Jonghyun doesn't need to read them to have a pretty good idea of what they are.

Jonghyun walks right past Kibum's parents and helps him up, holding him to his chest. Kibum turns into him immediately, gripping his shirt in two fists. Jonghyun can feel him shaking in his arms.

Jonghyun picks up one of the adoption consent forms, crumbling it in his hand before nudging Kibum to walk toward the door. "Go on, Kibum. It's alright... I'm taking you home now."

"Let him go. That's kidnapping! You're over eighteen. This can be illegal. I'll call the police."

Jonghyun slams the door shut behind them, wiping Kibum's cheeks with one hand when he begins to speak. "They're not going to call the cops."

"I know, sweetheart," Jonghyun rubs his shoulder. "Are you okay? Stop crying... Your nose is getting all red."

Kibum reaches up to wipe his nose. "I'm just upset. They invited me home, and... I thought we were going to make up, but they just tried to get me to sign adoption papers for when the baby is born, but I wouldn't. Not without you agreeing..."

"You shouldn't have signed them either way," Jonghyun sighs, helping Kibum into the car and buckling him up. "How long were you there?"

"Since around noon, I think..."

"Did you eat?"

"A little."

"Are you hungry?"

Kibum nods a bit, rubbing his eye. "A little."

Jonghyun smiles at the small, repeated response and kisses his head gently. "We'll get something quick and get you home so you can sleep," he leans over to cup Kibum's cheeks and rub away the tears with his hands. "No more crying, baby, okay? I'm here now... They're not going to bother you, yeah? I'll protect you."