TWO

"Are we supposed to watch him sleep the whole time?" Chanyeol grouses, dipping his hands into the bag of chips and then unceremoniously shoving a handful of it into his mouth. He chews noisily, and though the tv was on, he was making such a ruckus it overshadowed the sounds of king kong wreaking havoc in NYC. Baekhyun uses a leg to jab into Chanyeol's ribs, causing the other to yelp as he doubles over in pain.

"What was that for?"

"You're making too much noise," Baekhyun hisses. He inwardly curses when Luhan suddenly stirs awake and takes a confused glance around before breaking out into a loud cry.

"Great, now you've woken him up." Chanyeol grumbles. He dusts the chip powder off his hands and leans over to grab the bottle of milk from the baby bag. When he turns back around, Baekhyun is frantically trying to soothe the flustered baby but to no avail. Chanyeol watches in amusement for awhile, wanting Baekhyun to suffer the wrath of a crying baby for a bit longer, as sadistic as it sounds.

"Yeol, pass me the damn bottle." Baekhyun says when he realises what Chanyeol is doing -- nothing, that is.

"Baek, language." Chanyeol chuckles evilly, holding the bottle up and above his head where it's out of Baekhyun's reach.

"Give me the bottle, Chanyeol." Baekhyun narrows his eyes warningly, though he's struggling to keep a hold on Luhan who's starting to struggle in his arms. Luhan could recognize Baekhyun and Chanyeol, having seen them drop by the Wu's pad quite often, but in his perplexed state at having abruptly awoken with unfamiliar surroundings, Luhan did the only thing he could. Scream his tiny lungs out for his parents. Luhan is a lot stronger than Baekhyun had made him out to be and Baekhyun, being almost as flustered as the baby was, ended up accidentally loosening the grip he had on Luhan which causes him to claw at Baekhyun's cheek.

"!" Baekhyun's loud outburst shocks everyone in the room and an awkward silence falls upon them with Luhan staring wide-eyed at the pregnant boy, with Chanyeol frozen in his seat. Even Baekhyun seemed surprised at his inability to keep his calm, resulting in him cursing at a baby. A kid that wasn't his, by the way.

Wordlessly, Baekhyun retrieves the bottle from Chanyeol's hand and hands it to Luhan who took it gleefully in between his palms. The unbearable silence is filled with the sound of Luhan on the rubber tip of his bottle, the incident before seemingly forgotten on his mind. Chanyeol, on the other hand, feels guilt creeping into his system as he continues to steal glances at Baekhyun. Chanyeol didn't have to ask to know just how Baekhyun was feeling. The pregnant boy is trembling lightly despite his firm hold on Luhan, and he's biting down hard on his lips, clearly bothered by his own unexpected outburst.

Luhan finally finishes his bottle of milk and his eyes starts to droop heavily, sleep starting to claim him once more. After burping him, Baekhyun sets the toddler down on the couch in between himself and Chanyeol, adjusting his head on the little pillow Tao had packed. 

Luhan his head to the side as if to ask Baekhyun where his mother was.

"Your mummy's going to be home soon, Luhannie. Just sleep for now, okay?" Baekhyun says gently, smoothing out his shirt.

"!" Luhan giggles before an unanticipated yawn erupts from his little mouth. The one-year-old rubs sleepily at his eyes right before he falls asleep snuggled into the folds of the covers of the couch, completely unaware of the horror on Baekhyun's face.

"Baek?" Chanyeol tentatively reaches a hand out to hold Baekhyun's arm. The pregnant boy seemed to be in a terrified daze still.

"Baekhyun, I'm sorry. I should have given you the bottle."

"Yeol, what is Tao going to say? I taught his baby to curse!" Baekhyun cries, clearly flustered.

"Oh, is that what you're upset about?" Chanyeol sighs in relief, glad Baekhyun isn't mad at him. 

"Why are you saying it as if it's nothing? This is bad, Yeol! Tao's going to skin me alive if he finds out about this!"

"No he won't, because Luhan isn't going to say it again." Chanyeol assures him. He gently runs his finger across the line of scratch Luhan had made on his cheek, noting that it wasn't as red as it had been minutes ago.

"No, no, he will. Don't you know that babies have photographic memories? He's going to remember this." Baekhyun explains, falling back into the couch with a flail of his arms.

"Tao is seriously going to wushu my now." Baekhyun slumps in defeat. Chanyeol frowns at this, moving to seat himself beside his best friend.

"No he won't."

"How are you so sure?" 

"I'm not going to let him lay a finger on you while you're carrying Noodle." Chanyeol declares fervently. Baekhyun sits back up with a wide grin, looking at his best friend as if Chanyeol's his saviour.

"But after you pop that baby out, I can't promise you refuge." Chanyeol says playfully, booping Baekhyun's nose. Baekhyun folds his arms with a small scowl.

"Gee, that's real sweet of you." Baekhyun rolls his eyes, sarcasm freely flowing off his tongue. Chanyeol takes Baekhyun into his arms and cuddles him, repeatedly telling his friend that he's just joking.

"Seriously, though, Yeol, this has got me thinking... What if I say or do the wrong things in front of Noodle? I don't want to set a bad example to our baby." Baekhyun says thoughtfully. There's a slight crease in his forehead, and Chanyeol reaches a hand out to smooth it out with his hand, running his calloused hand along the relatively smooth skin.

"Baek, you're like an angel. You're the most innocent and nicest person ever. You can't even turn away those pesky surveyors without feeling bad and having to apologise, and then going back to do the survey anyway." Chanyeol doesn't give praises freely but Baekhyun is really that kind of person one would want to dote on. Chanyeol has a way with corny words when it comes to Baekhyun, and he never fails to tell his best friend just how much of a ball of sunshine he is in Chanyeol's life.

"You make me sound like I don't have flaws." Baekhyun blushes, hiding his face by averting his gaze to the his fingers that's running the circumference of his swollen belly.

"You don't," Chanyeol shrugs. Baekhyun feels his cheeks getting redder but then Chanyeol breaks his corny streak, adopting his characteristically playful tone once more. "Actually... you're a three-headed monster when you're cranky."

"I'm not!" Baekhyun gasps, completely scandalized. 

"And I think you actually got a tad bit meaner ever since you got pregnant."

"Really? I did?" Baekhyun asks, thinking back on all the times he had yelled at Chanyeol for no apparent reason, or nights when he'd call Chanyeol up just so he could make his baby daddy get him some mangoes despite it being out of season which of course resulted in huffy fits. Now that they have survived that phase of the pregnancy, Baekhyun's mind is much clearer and his emotions less intense, and he's mortified that he had put his best friend through it all. Chanyeol chuckles when Baekhyun's hands fly up to cover the embarrassment on his face, the taller of the two clearly aware of the pregnant boy's sudden self-revelation.

"I rest my case." Chanyeol grins, but it eases into a soft smile when he senses Baekhyun's continuous distress over having mistreated his best friend. "If it makes you feel better, you can always make it up to me next time."

Baekhyun contemplates on the offer and decides that, yes, that sounds like a plan before accepting his friend's proposal, slipping his own hand into Chanyeol's upes.

"Here are the keys." Mr. Jung drops the bunch of silver into Kris' hands. The inner kid in Tao had gone and pried the keys out of his husband's hands as soon as Mr. Jung had left before unlocking the door to their new home. 

"Kris, this is a-mazing!" Tao squeals, sliding across the smooth wooden floorboards in his socks. He stops at the wide ceiling-to-floor windows and gazes at the slowly darkening skies outside with wide eyes. The panoramic view of parts of the city is a pretty added bonus and after a rough childhood, Tao is unable to believe his luck. That he finally got a family of his own, and to top it off, a nice big, safe house to live in.

"And it's all ours, babe."  Kris quietly joins his husband by the window, snaking his arms around Tao's waist from the back.

It's been two years since he'd plucked up the courage to run away from the orphanage in a dubious district of Qingdao, and he has never once regretted his decision to leave the sufferings of his dark past. There had been times when Tao would be reminded of the beatings and verbal abuse his then guardian had hurled at him, often coming to him in tsunami-like waves whenever he was left alone at home while his husband was busy at the office, trying to earn an income for their little family of two. Tao has always been a highly emotional being but those times when Kris isn't there to tell him that he's worth something,  Tao finds himself shedding more tears than usual (which Kris will never come to know of). But then Luhan came along and the little sunshine had filled in whatever little void in their lives. Luhan's birth had truly been a blessing, for Tao no longer found himself crying over the past. Kris was also glad that the routine of torture had been broken, the one where he would wake up in the middle night to chase away the nightmares Tao frequently had.

"Tell me what you're thinking." Kris probes softly, gently nuzzling his face into the side of Tao's neck as his hands flitter teasingly on the skin underneath the shirt. Tao relaxes into his husband's touch, fleetingly reminded of how long it's been since Kris has touched him this way, what with both of them being preoccupied with baby Luhan and work at the office respectively.

"About how lucky I am. To have you and Luhan." Tao answers honestly, the words coming right from the depths of his heart. Kris lets the silence claim the pause, as if anticipating for the tears to come just like it always had when Tao was recalling the past. Surpisingly, they did not come this time. Instead, in its place is the most beautiful smile, the same one that had made Kris fall in love with the dark-haired boy in the first place.

"You know it's the other way around." Kris says with a light chuckle. Tao always denies this -- that he's the reason Kris is the happiest he has been all his life despite his well-to-do upbringing -- but this time he accepts it with the brush of his lips against Kris' biceps.

"...I'm also thinking about how your big hands real good." Tao says cheekily, moving his hands to join Kris' under the hem of his shirt. Kris lets out a small groan, frustration finally seeping into his bones after months of not hearing his husband talk to him in such a manner. Having a baby had really subdued both their personalities and it's only now when Luhan isn't on the top of their minds that Kris realizes how much he's missed his lover's feistiness.

"We should have a housewarming party. Like, right now." Kris says conversationally though his lips have taken to trailing wet kisses on the underside of Tao's neck all the way to the right earlobe with the piercing.

"Isn't it too early for a housewarming party?" Tao asks breathlessly, eyes closed as he savours the moment where his husband is making him feel like the most important person in the world. "I mean, we just got the keys to the house minutes ago--"

"It's the perfect time, Taozi. Luhan's safe with the lovers-in-denial and there's nobody to interrupt us. It's just about you and me tonight, babe." Kris suddenly leaves Tao cold and hanging, and the latter whirls around to see that his husband has moved to the rug belonging to the previous owner that's placed in front of the fireplace. Tao gives his best smoldering look, slowly ing his shirt, careful to keep Kris' gaze on his every action.

"Come on, Taozi. Don't tease." Kris groans yet again, though it's cut off by a chuckle when Tao sticks his tongue out.

And how can Tao possibly deny Kris when he's sprawled on the rug looking all y and needy for his love?

It's close to midnight when Baekhyun's parents return home from work to find their son fast asleep on the couch, with a blanket draped over his waist. The father of their first grandchild has taken the armchair instead, bouncing a softly giggling Chinese baby in his lap. As Byun Minho is busy taking his shoes off, his wife Shinhye stands by the archway, watching Chanyeol quietly cooing at the baby before setting him down in his arms where he snuggles into the tall boy's hold. Shinhye is mildly surprised at the pleasantly deep melody that flows smoothly from the boy who has opted to sing the toddler to sleep. Minho peers over his wife's shoulder to witness the scene that has captured Shinhye's attention. At this moment, the toddler falls asleep to the lull of Chanyeol's singing and the latter looks up with a startle, finally noticing the Byuns.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Byun," Chanyeol whispers with a slight bow of his head. Shinhye is quick to tell him it's okay, and that he shouldn't stand since the child is already asleep in his arms. Baekhyun stirs awake at the hushed exchange of words around him and slowly (as best as his swollen tummy allows him to) sits up as he rubs at his eyes sleepily.

"What time is it?" Baekhyun asks, the last of his words getting muffled by a yawn.

"It's a little after midnight. Baekhyun, why are you sleeping on the couch? It's not good for your posture especially since your water might break anytime soon now." Shinhye lectures her son who grumbles incoherently. 

"That's what I told him but as usual he never listens to me." Chanyeol pipes in, earning himself a look from Baekhyun that screamed traitor.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Minho says as he goes over to tug his son up from the couch. Baekhyun protests but as always, nobody really cares when he does, so Minho sweeps his son off his feet anyway and carries him bridal style up the stairs. Shinhye and Chanyeol laugh at the father-son duo, and for a moment, Chanyeol wonders if this is what it could be like for him and Noodle one day. He never had the chance to experience a father's love growing up and that only makes him determined to be there for Noodle in every phase of his life. 

"Will his parents be back tonight? You guys should just stay here anyway. That poor little angel's completely knocked out." Shinhye says as she turns her attention back to Chanyeol. A phone vibrates on the table just then and Chanyeol's glad it had been on silent mode or it could have woken Luhan up.

"Luhan's asleep. Are you guys going to make it back today?" Chanyeol answers the phone, voice barely above a whisper. 

"That's why I called you, actually. There's been some kind of accident and traffic's been held up on the highway. I don't think we'll make it out here anytime soon. Could you maybe just drop him off at our place tomorrow morning before you go for work?" 

"I really don't want to intrude on them," Chanyeol looks up to see Shinhye shaking her head, mouthing you're not,  "but yeah, okay, I'll do that."

"Thanks man. I owe you one."

They bid their goodbyes and Chanyeol hangs up as he rises from his seat. Luhan whimpers from the change of position but Chanyeol soothes him back to sleep.

"You're family, Chanyeol. You're welcomed here anytime. And you're also the father of my grandson, I can't chase you out, can I?" Shinhye says playfully. "You can let Luhan have Noodle's crib for tonight. I'll go get you some clean towels and a change of clothes and set them in the guest room."

"Mrs. Byun, no need for that," Chanyeol hurries to decline her offer, "I'll just do it myself. You must be tired from work. Don't fuss over me, I'll be fine on my own."

"If you say so," Shinhye smiles tiredly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'll go wash up now. If you need anything..."

"...I can ask Baek. He's probably not asleep yet anyway."

They exchange goodnights before Chanyeol goes to tuck Luhan into the crib. Needing a change in clothes, Chanyeol slips into Baekhyun's room adjacent to the baby's room, knowing he would definitely find something of his in Baekhyun's wardrobe. In fact, there's a whole drawer dedicated to his things and Chanyeol sort of understands now of Kris' claim that he spends too much time with Baekhyun. He pulls out a pair of clean boxers (hoping it was Baek and not Mrs. Byun who had washed it for him, though either way it's embarrassing) and some slacks along with a wife beater, just as Baekhyun emerges from the bathroom. 

"You're staying?" Baekhyun asks as he slowly sits on the bed and takes his time to haul his legs up. 

"Why, you don't want me here?" Chanyeol teases. Baekhyun makes a face.

"Actually I do." Baekhyun admits. Chanyeol likes how his best friend doesn't even try to deny it. Baekhyun knows he can't really lie to Chanyeol anyway. He's too easy to read sometimes.

"I'll be right back. Gonna take a quick shower. Luhan drooled all over the front of my shirt." Chanyeol cringes at the dried spot on his collar as Baekhyun laughs. Baekhyun just hopes Chanyeol is ready for messier times because taking care of Noodle will definitely be no easy feat.

When Chanyeol returns fifteen minutes later, Baekhyun is already snuggled under the covers, eyes heavily lidded. By the way he's struggling to keep them open, occasionally fluttering to a close, Chanyeol is certain the boy had been waiting for him to be done. Chanyeol smiles at the thought. Trust Baekhyun to be such a sweetheart.

"Chan, will you sleep with me tonight?" Baekhyun asks, voice dreary with the need to sleep. Chanyeol pleasantly notes that Baekhyun has called him by the more affectionate term of endearment that he finds rather cute.

"You're being so clingy." Chanyeol grumbles in a teasing manner but complies anyway. Baekhyun's face lights up with a smile as he makes room for his lanky best friend to slip under the duvet with him.

"Could you have at least put some shirt on?" 

"It's too warm in here."

Baekhyun rubs his ice cold hands on Chanyeol's chest, trying to transfer his own body heat to his abnornally warm friend. He pretends to be unaware of how sculpted Chanyeol's abs actually are because honestly speaking, he's quite ashamed that his belly is as swollen as a balloon now, and it's not like he has any to begin with. "There. Now you're cooler, and I'm warmer."

Baekhyun is about to pull his hands away when Chanyeol stops him, tugging his arms close such that Baekhyun ends up squished into his side. 

"Wha-- Yeol. This is real awkward."

"But we do this all the time." Chanyeol retorts. 

"Yeah but it feels like we're married or something." Baekhyun gestures to where Noodle is. It truly looks like they're a perfectly normal couple awaiting the arrival of their firstborn. 

Chanyeol laughs out loud at this. "Is that what marriage is to you? Sleeping together in the same bed?"

"Well, it's better than your silly idea of it."

"But it's true. Kris and Tao have been married for a year and all I've seen them do is bicker about the smallest of things." Chanyeol can only remember the times when Kris would complain to him about Tao being too sensitive about every little thing. It only makes him paranoid about tying the knot. If he ever did, he'd want someone who wasn't very calculative. If he really thought about it, Baekhyun was a perfect candidate because he makes it easy to be around him. But Chanyeol knew Baekhyun and him would never work. It would just be too weird. They've been friends since forever and they know everything about each other, a little too much sometimes. Chanyeol would want a marriage that's about making a new discovery about the other every day and with Baekhyun, there's nothing else to uncover, really.

"True. But to be honest I think they're perfect for each other." Baekhyun muses. "A different kind of perfect from us."

"That's why we're only best friends, aren't we?" Chanyeol adds, sleep close to claiming him. Baekhyun lets out a small, cute yawn and nods against Chanyeol's side.

"That's what we'll stay as, Byun Baek. Best friends forever."

Nothing felt out of the ordinary when Baekhyun awoke in the wee hours of the morning needing to use the washroom. Every night for the past few months, he had found his sleep being interrupted due to his enornous tummy pressing down on his bladder. Baekhyun quietly slips out of bed and pads to the bathroom, but on his journey there, water starts to trickle down his legs. In a moment of panic, he starts to cry, ugly tears running down his cheeks from the sheer embarrassment of having peed in his pants. As if Chanyeol had the sixth sense, he roused from sleep, eyes squinting at the faint outline of the pregnant boy who's frozen where he was.

"Byun Baek?" Chanyeol calls, voice hoarse and raspy.

"Yeol don't come here." Baekhyun tries his best to keep his voice leveled but of course his nose has gone blocked and he ends up sounding like a duck. He shouldn't have said it anyway because now Chanyeol becomes even more suspicious and maybe even panicked at what might have happened. Chanyeol ignores Baekhyun's cries of wanting him to go back to bed. If it wasn't so unconfortable Baekhyun would have made a run for it.

"How can I not worry, Baek. Why are you crying?" By the time Chanyeol arrives, towering over the boy, he's quick to notice the predicament Baekhyun is in.

"I didn't pee in my pants, I swear." Baekhyun cries.

"Baek, I think your water broke." Chanyeol says seriously, moving his hands to join Baekhyun's on either side of his swollen belly. Chanyeol doesn't waste any more time carefully guiding Baekhyun back to the bed and sitting him down on the side.

"Do you feel any pain?" 

"Just a little. Like someone's squeezing my sides." Baekhyun scrunches his nose at the uncomfortable feeling. 

"Baek," Chanyeol chuckles lightly, shaking his head, "how can you not know your waterbag broke? Also, contractions are a clear indication that you're going into labour soon. And you're supposed to be the smart one of us two."

"Don't go all Dr. Oz on me. It's not my fault I can't stand to watch the graphic videos they play us during Biology without feeling the need to throw up my lunch." Baekhyun counters. Chanyeol goes to the bedside table to take his phone and makes a call to their gynaecologist to inform her of the situation. Baekhyun's worries about being in preterm labour ceases when she told them that it's not any real cause for concern, just that the contractions that are bound to come will be a tad bit more painful than usual. She advises them to wait out the contractions till Baekhyun is ready to go. Chanyeol mentally jots down all her instructions and thanks her as he hangs up before returning to Baekhyun. Chanyeol kneels in front of Baekhyun in between his legs, patiently waiting for the rest of the contractions to come so he could offer support to Baekhyun as he weathers through them. It's interrupted by a small gasp on Baekhyun's part. Instinctively, Chanyeol reaches a hand out to hold Baekhyun's that lay limply on the bed.

"Isn't it the start of your midterms tomorrow?" 

"Yeah it is. Don't worry about it, I can always take a retest. I won't be graded for the paper but it doesn't have a great weightage on my final grades anyway." Chanyeol shrugs, and despite the nonchalant explanation, Baekhyun still feels bad about it.

"Such great timing you have, Noodle ah." Baekhyun sighs. The silence this time is abruptly cut by another gasp that escapes Baekhyun's lips, and by the way he's clutching onto Chanyeol's hand, the latter is certain it's a real contraction this time. It lasts for a horrifying 40 seconds and though it's not really that painful, it still terrifies Baekhyun since he hadn't expected it to come this soon. He's definitely a few weeks early and Baekhyun is barely prepared. Chanyeol is still holding his hand when it passes and Baekhyun becomes preoccupied with the thought of how there's really nobody else he'd rather share this moment with. There's no one else he'd want to have kneeling before him, holding his hand, giving him comfort as he underwent a frighteningly new chapter of his life. Chanyeol didn't even have to utter a word. Just his presence alone reassures Baekhyun that everything is going to turn out fine. His mum would have done a good job at getting him to calm down, but Baekhyun is glad it's Chanyeol here instead. And just that thought alone makes him shed new tears.

In the dimness of the moonlight, Chanyeol catches a glint of a tear on Baekhyun's cheek, watching it roll down from the corner of his eye, and a frown spans his forehead.

"Does it hurt badly?" Chanyeol asks, beginning to rub soothingly intricate patterns into the back of Baekhyun's hand. 

"No," Baekhyun chokes out, "I'm just... glad you're here for this." 

Chanyeol's lips pull back into a warm and gentle smile, the kind that eases Baekhyun's frantic heart. "I told you I'd be there for it all, didn't I? For you and our baby."

A/N:  Here's another update :) I know there's not much going on yet but that's just cause the other couples haven't been introduced. There's a bit of Taoris and explanation on how Tao is the youngest of them all but has a kid. Hope you guys understand! Aaaaand, The Heirs' perfect couple makes an appearance. IDK why I chose them, i think it's because they look so... domestic? Is that the word? Just look at them~

they look like they're made for the domestic life. LOL

but p.s Park Shinhye is so pretty *_*

See you in the next update <3