To say Baekhyun was surprised to see Jongin standing in front of him would be an understatement. As he came to a stop, one arm automatically coming up to cover his stomach, he felt his heart jump to his throat. And then he realised there was no point trying to hide anything, for two reasons. The first reason being that Jongin was standing not outside his house or outside his workplace but outside the maternity clinic Baekhyun had been walking towards. The second reason being that it was getting to the point in his pregnancy where no matter what he wore his bump was looking a lot more like a bump and a lot less like the kind of excess weight one might put on after Christmas. And as he thought these things surprise and a touch of panic gave way to confusion. How had Jongin found out about his appointment? When Baekhyun had found out about the baby he’d cut all contact almost immediately. And there was no way Jongin could have guessed at the reason. He hadn't given him the chance, 'I don't think this is working' he'd said (in a text no less) and that was it, he hadn't contacted him again. So if he hadn’t told him he was pregnant and Jongin hadn’t guessed then what was he doing, standing outside the maternity clinic on the day of his appointment, one hand in the trouser pocket of the ridiculously expensive and stupidly well-fitting suit he was wearing as he checked something on his phone?

Unless he was there for someone else…

Yes, Baekhyun told himself. That must be it. After Baekhyun had left him Jongin had found himself a nice boy or girl, one from the right kind of family, someone who came from money like he did and that his parents would approve of and now they were expecting a baby and his family were thrilled. And Jongin hadn’t seen him yet. If he just kept his head down and avoided eye contact it would be fine. He’d get inside, hide in the corner of the waiting room. Jongin would never know.

And it might have worked if Jongin hadn’t looked up at exactly that moment and spotted him. And when he did it wasn’t a look of shock or bemusement that crossed his face but a frown. Then he was slipping his phone into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, the suit he looked far too good in Baekhyun couldn’t help thinking again, and striding across the car park towards him. Baekhyun thought about getting back in the car and locking the door, his hand even went to the door handle, but he didn’t. Not because he realised that would be childish and thought better of it but because his feet were refusing to move.

“So it’s true then.” Jongin bit out when he was standing in front of him.

And Baekhyun did what he always did when he was nervous and felt cornered. He gave a smart reply. “Is what true? The weather man got it right and it’s actually sunny today? I got a hair cut? Your shoes must have cost about the same as my monthly rent? You’re going to have to clarify. A lot of things are true.”

Jongin didn’t look very amused. “You know what I’m talking about.” He said.

He really did but that didn’t stop Baekhyun saying “I’m afraid I don’t. I’m not a mind reader.”

Yeah, Jongin looked more than a little annoyed. “You’re pregnant.” He clarified even though he didn’t have to. Baekhyun knew that he knew what he was talking about. “It’s true that you’re pregnant.”

Baekhyun’s eyes flickered to the arm he still held across his middle. It did little to hide the swell of his stomach, but then he’d known trying to hide it was pointless as soon as he’d tried it hadn’t he? He dropped the arm and sighed. “Yeah. A little bit.” He admitted.

And it was Jongin’s turn to drop his eyes to his baby bump. “A little bit?” he said lifting his gaze, eyebrow raised.

Baekhyun felt his face flush red. “Okay, more than a little bit.” He conceded. He was starting to look huge, he knew that, he didn’t need Jongin rubbing it in.

“And is it mine?” Jongin asked next.

And the flush of embarrassment was immediately replaced by a flush of anger. Of course the baby was his. He wasn’t the type to sleep around and Jongin thinking that he might be stung. And even if he was, even if the baby wasn’t Jongin’s he’d never told him that it was. And when he found out who had told him about the baby they were going to live to regret it. This was none of their business. Whoever it was had no right to tell Jongin anything. “I have an appointment.” Baekhyun said managing only just to keep his anger in check. “So if you could move…” and he tried to sidestep him.

But Jongin’s mirrored the action, blocking his path.

“Move.” Baekhyun growled.

“I’m not going anywhere until we get this sorted out.” Jongin told him, a hand going to his shoulder.

“There’s nothing to sort out.” Baekhyun snapped, shrugging the hand off. He was aware that he was raising his voice, that he was on his way to causing a scene in a hospital car park but he didn’t care. He’d been on a high all day. He wasn’t just there for a check-up, he had an ultrasound booked in too. He’d be getting a brand new picture of his baby. He hadn’t decided if he wanted to know yet but if he did decide he wanted to know they might even be able to tell him the gender. He’d been excited. And Jongin was ruining all that with his questions and his accusations. Jongin with his perfectly mussed hair and his pretty mouth and his big brown eyes. Even in his anger Baekhyun couldn’t help studying his face. He’d missed him. And he’d forgotten just how beautiful he was. But beautiful or not that didn’t mean Jongin wasn’t being an he reminded himself. Himself and his hormones. He was pretty sure they had something to do with his inability to stop staring. Yes, he should really stop staring. And then he noticed something. “Wait…” he said slowly, tilting his head to the side slightly to get a better look, “… did someone hit you?” There was slight purpling under Jongin’s right eye and he found himself lifting his hand, tracing the line with his index finger. He hadn’t noticed at first and he realised as he felt the skin under his finger it was because Jongin had tried to cover it up with make-up. But then of course he had. It wouldn’t look good, turning up at the office with a black eye would it?

“He didn’t tell you that part?” Jongin asked, clearly annoyed. Baekhyun couldn’t help noticing that he hadn’t pushed his hand away though.

The question however confused him. “Who didn’t tell me what part?”

“Your friend. The one who barged his way into my office and accused me of abandoning you.”

Oh.

“He didn’t tell you about the part where I told him I had no idea what he was talking about and he punched me in the face?”

Baekhyun didn’t know who he was talking about. A few of his friends knew he was pregnant but none of them knew who the father was. Unless they’d guessed but he’d thought he’d been careful. He’d known from the beginning that whatever it was he and Jongin were doing, it wasn’t going to last, that they were never going to work. So he’d kept it quiet so that when their relationship, if you could even call it that, did eventually come to an end he didn’t have to deal with people’s fake sympathy or their more honest ‘I told you so’s. So he had no idea how to respond. “I don’t… but no one… nobody knows.” He settled on at last.

“That you’re pregnant?” Jongin asked. “Unless you’ve been avoiding everyone you know I think that’s unlikely. It’s pretty obvious.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Baekhyun told him, irritation rising again. If he could just refrain from pointing out how big he was that would be great. “I meant nobody knows the baby’s yours.”

Jongin didn’t look convinced. But then Baekhyun didn’t blame him, someone obviously knew and he had the black eye to prove it. “Then who do they think it belongs to? Because this guy seemed pretty sure it was me. And he told me about your appointment today, said I should be there and if I wasn’t he’d be making a return visit.”

“But I didn’t tell anyone it was you.” Baekhyun insisted. “I didn’t name names. I just told people that I’m not a great judge of character. I said that when I told the father he wasn’t interested. And that I didn’t care and we’d would be better off without him anyway. ” He hadn’t known whether to feel relieved or offended when people had believed him.

“Wow, thanks.” Jongin said flatly.

“I didn’t say it was you.” Baekhyun stressed.

“Well someone worked it out.”

Baekhyun had been trying to figure out who it might be since he’d spotted the black eye. And then it suddenly came to him. “Was he tall?” he asked, hoping for a no. “Kind of gangly. Big smile and big ears.”

“Well he wasn’t smiling but yeah, tall and gangly. Distinctive ears,” Jongin confirmed.

Baekhyun sighed and found himself nodding. And then frowning again. “He knew you existed. That I met you when I worked on that wedding at your hotel. I didn’t tell him I was seeing you but he’s always sticking his nose in where it’s not wanted so he might have worked it out. I mean he’s pretty smart. But hitting you… that’s not very Chanyeol.”

“Yeah, well, it happened.” Jongin said. “I told him he was talking bull and that you left me not the other way around and he snapped.”

“Sorry.” Baekhyun mumbled.

“I don’t want an apology. I want an explanation. Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”

Jongin sounded hurt as well as confused. He was doing those big puppy dog eyes he did so well too. But Baekhyun didn’t want to explain. He wasn’t even sure if he could, not without sounding like an idiot. So he said “I have an appointment to get to” instead.

“Your appointment can wait.” Jongin told him.

“No it can’t.” Baekhyun snapped. “Not when it’s about the health of my baby.” And he stepped around Jongin, successfully this time and headed for the automatic doors of the clinic.

“Our baby.” Jongin called after him.

“Yeah and how long is the our going to last once your parents find out?” Baekhyun shouted back. Then he was through the doors and they were closing behind him. When he looked back he saw that Jongin was still standing there in the middle of the car park, staring after him but making no move to follow. Baekhyun didn’t know why but he felt a little disappointed.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

“So you didn’t tell me because of what my parents might say.”

Baekhyun, who’d been flicking through a parenting magazine and shaking his head at how much money people could be conned into spending on their children as he waited to be called for his appointment almost jumped out of his skin. He hadn’t even heard Jongin sit down.

“No.” He said, eyes still trained on the magazine he was holding, trying not to let Jongin know how much his sudden appearance had startled him.

Jongin ignored the denial and carried right on. “You’ve never even met my parents. You know nothing about them.”

“I know they expect a lot from you.” Baekhyun said quietly, closing the magazine. One of the first things he’d learned about Jongin was that he was stubborn. And after the confrontation they’d already had outside he found he didn’t have it in him to argue. It had been an emotionally exhausting day and it wasn’t even close to being over. When he got home the first thing he was going to do was take a nap he thought as he sighed and looked up at his ex-boyfriend. “You told me that yourself. You’re their only son so it all falls on you. And I know despite that they want the best for you. How could they not? All parents want the best for their children.” He knew he did and he wasn’t even technically a parent yet.

“And?” Jongin prompted, when he went quiet.

“And I know I’m not it.” Baekhyun told him matter-of-factly, wondering why Jongin couldn’t see it himself. “I’m not what’s best for you. This isn’t what’s best for you.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Jongin said, immediately and firmly.

“I’m not being stupid.” Baekhyun insisted. “I didn’t even finish school. The only reason I have a job is because of my grandmother. If her next door neighbour’s cousin’s husband or whoever it was hadn’t been looking to hire a part time florist and she  hadn’t put a word in for me I don’t know what I’d be doing.” He might be a huge disappointment to his parents but his grandmother had always adored him. The fact he now arranged flowers for a living, that he made a living at all, was down to her. “But you, you’re clever.” He continued. “You went to university.  And yeah, your parents had the money to send you there but that doesn’t mean you didn’t work hard. I know you did. There’s no way you didn’t. And now you’ve got your fancy business degree and you’re running more than one of their hotels and I bet they’re so proud of you. You’re so good at what you do and you work so hard. You don't deserve this.”

Jongin was shaking his head slightly as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.

Baekhyun didn’t let this daunt him. “It’s a little embarrassing, that you’re younger than me and you’re doing so much more with your life than I am. But I can't be mad about it. You’re a good person Jongin. Too good for me. And your parents would agree with me. You deserve better. Someone you could happily introduce to your parents. Someone they’d approve of you marrying.”

“You’re having my baby.” Jongin exclaimed, finally able to speak. “And you want me to marry someone else?”

“I’m an uneducated part-time florist.” Baekhyun reminded him. “You don’t need me hanging around, holding you back, when you could be with someone as clever and successful as you are.”

“How do you know what I need?” Jongin asked him.

He didn’t, not really. Baekhyun just knew Jongin didn’t need him. But before he could say so his name was being called. “Sorry.” He mumbled and he stood up. “I have to go.” And he made his way towards the doctor who’d called him.

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

“Dr Choi.” Baekhyun’s doctor said, sticking out a hand. “And you are……”

“Kim Jongin.” Jongin provided, flashing a smile. “I’m the baby’s father.” He clarified.

Baekhyun hadn’t expected Jongin to give up and go home but he hadn’t expected him to follow him into his appointment. But h'd done just that and now he was shaking hands with his doctor.

“Baekhyun didn’t mention you were coming,” Dr Choi looked slightly bemused and Baekhyun didn’t blame him. From the little Baekhyun had said to him he was probably under the impression the father wasn’t around. Which he hadn’t been, up until now.

“It was a surprise to him too.” Jongin said brightly.

“Well it’s nice you could get the time off work to accompany him.” Dr Choi said with soft smile of his own. “And this is a good appointment to come to. Seeing your baby on the ultrasound screen is always special.”

“Seeing the baby?” Jongin asked, turning to look at Baekhyun.

Dr Choi’s look of bemusement returned, obviously he was wondering why Jongin had turned up to surprise him if he hadn’t known today was an ultrasound day but Baekhyun pretended not to notice. “Yeah, didn’t I mention that?” he said instead, feigning confusion.

“Must have slipped your mind.” Jongin replied, a slight edge to his voice. He was probably thinking about the fact telling him he was pregnant at all had ‘slipped his mind’.

“Must have.” Jongin agreed and then Dr Choi was talking again and Baekhyun was glad because that meant he didn’t have to look at the slightly hurt look on Jongin’s face any more.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Baekhyun tried not to look at Jongin as the ultrasound gel was being spread over his stomach but he could see out of the corner of his eye that the younger man was staring. He didn’t blame him, Jongin hadn’t even known he was pregnant and now the proof was staring him in the face. It still made him feel uncomfortable though. He’d never had a problem showing skin before, to Jongin or anyone else, he was pretty confident when it came to his appearance but the bigger he got the less like himself he felt and the more self-conscious he became. Jongin tilted his head, his brow creasing as he studied his stomach intently. Baekhyun felt his face colour.

But again he was saved by Doctor Choi as the man put the ultrasound probe to his stomach.

And a few seconds later there he or she was. It was the second time he’d seen the grainy black and white picture pulsing on the screen but Baekhyun felt his throat tighten anyway. That was his baby. His son or his daughter. Dr Choi was saying something now, something about measurements. Baekhyun caught the words ‘average’ and ‘healthy’, both good words. He nodded, still mesmerised by the image. He didn’t even need Dr Choi to point things out to him this time. He could see the shape of his baby’s head, arms, legs. He could see fingers and toes even if he squinted just slightly. And then he heard the words “ of the baby” and he glanced up at Dr Choi. “I want to know.” He told him immediately. “If you can tell me I want to know.”

Jongin nodded beside him. “Yeah, if you could tell us that would be great.” He added, his voice quiet.

He looked a little shaken Baekhyun observed and without even thinking he took Jongin’s hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Jongin looked momentarily startled but he made no move to remove his hand from Baekhyun’s grip, in fact he squeezed it in return then brought his gaze back to the ultrasound screen in front of them.

“Okay…” Dr Choi said slowly, moving the probe slightly, poking and prodding. “Let’s see…”

Baekhyun waited with bated breath.

“Well…” Dr Choi said at last. “It looks like you’re having a little boy?”

“A boy?” Jongin repeated, he sounded a little thunderstruck.

“I’m ninety nine per cent sure.” Dr Choi told him.

“A son…” Jongin said next.

“Looks that way.” Baekhyun said quietly. He was having a little boy. For some reason knowing that made everything seem so much more real to him. He’d thought he’d come to terms with the face he was going to be a parent soon, but hearing that, it was like realising he was pregnant all over again. He turned to look at Jongin expecting to see shock written across his face, worry maybe or even the hurt look he'd been wearing earlier, it had obviously hit him hard, but that wasn't what he found. He didn't see shock or worry or hurt. Jongin was beaming. Smiling so brightly and so widely that Baekhyun couldn’t help smiling back.

And he knew right then that there was no way Jongin wasn’t going to do all he could to be involved. Okay, so he’d asked if the baby had been his, out in the car park. But that had only been once. There was no doubt there now, none at all. He’d accepted that the baby was his, even though Baekhyun had given him plenty of reason to back out and walk away. But Baekhyun was still worried. There was no way Jongin’s parents were going to be happy about this, no matter what he said. But he wasn’t going to bring that up again, not right now. Not when Jongin looked so happy. It was a conversation that could wait until later. There were plenty of other things they needed to talk about first. Like the fact Jongin didn’t seem to be all that mad at him. There'd been anger there at first but it hadn't lasted. And that puzzled Baekhyun immensely. If their positions were reversed and Jongin had failed to tell him he was pregnant Baekhyun would be furious. And just how involved was Jongin willing to be now he knew? The thought of having a baby and the reality of having a baby were two very different things. And now Jongin knew what was their relationship going to be like? They’d never been a proper couple to begin with, not really. They’d been seeing each other and it had gone on for a while but they hadn’t gone public. It had been a very casual thing. And now he was carrying Jongin’s baby. How were they going to explain that to people? That and the fact they’d waited until he was five, nearly six months pregnant to tell them. So yes, they had a lot to talk about. Worrying about what his parents were going to say could wait.

~~~~~ ~~~~

AUTHORS NOTE

Here you go. Some Kaibeak. And just to let you know from now on I won't be putting up a list of chapters to come. If I keep the list private I can work on other chapters when I get writers block with something and not feel guilty if I post things out of order. But yes, Kaibaek for you all. Hope you liked it. And thank you for all the nice comments and support. I'm glad to be back writing this.