Yixing had read enough pregnancy books to expect his wife’s mood swing, but surprisingly it was pretty tame. Aside from that period early on where Xiuying couldn’t stand his smell, her pregnancy had been rather easy since even now that particular problem had been resolved.           

Of course, Yixing should’ve known better.

A gentle but insistent prodding at his side woke Yixing up and he bolted straight up, eyes still half asleep but heart pounding all the same.

“W-what…? What happened?” he rasped, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before his brain finally functions and he turned quickly to his wife with panic-filled, widened eyes. “Xiuying? Are you alright? Is the baby okay? Are you having pain or-“

He was cut off when Xiuying’s small hand clamped his mouth, a small apologetic smile on her face.

“We’re both fine. I’m sorry that I startled you.”

Yixing glanced at the electronic clock at the bedside table, groaning internally when he saw the time. “Then what is it, what’s wrong?”

“Well….” Xiuying shifted restlessly as she refused to meet his gaze. “….I’m hungry.”

It took a few seconds before her words made sense in his brain and when it did Yixing broke into a small smile.

Xiuying peered up at him from beneath her bangs, her round tummy peeking out from where her pajama top had rose up and she looked so cute and endearing that Yixing wanted to coo at her. Instead he just chuckled and dropped a kiss on her temple as he swung the blanket aside, ready to cook whatever his wife wants.

“Okay then, what do you want me to cook for you? Some fried rice, perhaps, or maybe some soup?”

“Ice cream.”

Yixing was almost halfway across the room when he paused, turning back to his wife in confusion.

“….what?”

“I want ice cream.”

Yixing blinked. And blinked again. Xiuying huffed, forehead frowning with impatience as she sat up, leaning against the headboard.

“I said I want ice cream, Yixing. A sundae with strawberry and mint chocolate chip ice cream, with chocolate sauce and rainbow sprinkles and gummy bears.”

He gaped. “B-baby….I don’t think we have those in the house.”

“Can you please buy some, then?”

If this was a cartoon Yixing was sure his mouth would fall to the ground. “B-But baby….you don’t even like sweet stuffs. A-and it’s almost 2AM, everything will be closed!”

Xiuying stared at him as Yixing stared back, when suddenly her bottom lips quivered and her eyes filled with water.

“B-but I really want to eat ice cream, Xing,” she hiccupped through her sobs. “The baby wants it too.”

Yixing’s eyes widened before he ran back to the bed, quickly pulling her into his arms. His hands ran up and down her back as he shushed her, rocking her from side to side.

“Of course baby, anything you want. I’ll go buy some ice cream but please stop crying, okay? It’s not good for the baby, too.”

When she calmed down Yixing quickly changed his clothes, grabbing his car keys at the small table beside their front door and wondering where the hell he could find ice cream this late at night.

Luckily after one hour of cruising the city he found one large supermarket that was opened and thanked his lucky stars as he quickly bought everything he needs, stocking up on more sweets just in case Xiuying craved for something else.

Xiuying was asleep when he came home but immediately woke up and he led her to the kitchen, seating her down gently before setting up the ice cream sundae as per her instruction. Xiuying looked so excited as Yixing scooped up huge spoonful of the ice cream, putting enough sprinklers and gummy bears on it Yixing was sure he’d get diabetes just by looking at it. The happy gleam in her eyes as he put the finished dessert in front of her made him grin, though it quickly turning into a horrified frown when Xiuying looked at the sundae and her eyes watered again.

“Baby, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? You don’t like the ice cream?”

Xiuying whimpered, letting out wheezed sobs. “There’s no chocolate sauce in it.”

Yixing almost cursed out loud; he knew he’d forgotten something! He looked around the kitchen frantically, his wife’s pitiful sobs loud in the air when his eyes landed on the bag of groceries still on the counter.

“Hold on, I have an idea.”

Quickly he searched around the bag, exclaiming in triumph as he got the big bottle of Nutella he’d purchased earlier. Scooping a generous portion of it into a bowl, he put it in the microwave and quickly brought it to her once it was melted.

Yixing had to stifle his laughter when Xiuying immediately perked up at the sight of the chocolate. She poured all of it over the ice cream and devoured it with the enthusiasm and happy smile of a kid and he knew that the dark circles and eye bags he’d  be sporting tomorrow was all worth it.

When she’d finished she leaned back in her chair and Yixing dropped to his knees besides her. “How are my girls feeling?” he asked, arms around her middle as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Full and content, thanks to you.”

Yixing chuckled as he continued to rub her stomach. “That’s good to hear.” And then he felt it, how Xiuying’s stomach moved on its own. Eyes widening, he looked up to see Xiuying gaping. “Did you feel that too?”

She nodded furiously. “That’s the first time she ever kicks.”

Even before she finished her words, the baby kicked again. A faint, quick flutter before it was gone. They stared at each other before bursting in happy laughter even as Xiuying tearing up.

“Seems that she likes you.”

Yixing’s smile was so wide he thought he’s going to break his face in half as he leaned down to kiss her stomach. “I promise I’ll love you forever, baby dear,” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Apparently the baby moving brought forth more mood swings than Yixing think he could handle, the spectrum of Xiuying’s disposition swing widely from one end to the other.

Xiuying insisted that the baby should stay in their bedroom for at least the first few months to which Yixing agreed wholeheartedly, but they both plan to turn the guest room into a nursery for when the baby is older. He’d clear out the room out of any furniture, got swatches of paint colors for Xiuying to decide on, catalogues of baby furniture and thought that was it.

He forgot to add Xiuying’s mood swing into the equation.

She stood in the middle of the empty room, one hand holding the swatches of paint samples and the catalogues while the other was cradling her tummy since it had gotten so much bigger.           

“I don’t want pink,” she declared, studying the paint samples with a frown. “Just because we’re having a girl doesn’t mean that we’re going to surround her with that color.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s what everyone does!” She threw some of the paint samples away angrily. “Our daughter will not be the same as everyone else!”

Yixing wisely kept his mouth shut.

“This color clashes horribly with the curtains.” A light purple swatch was thrown to the floor. “This one doesn’t match with the color of the hallways.” Another swatch joined the pile that has been steadily growing by her feet, this time a pale orange one.

“That’s alright, isn’t it? We can just keep the color scheme for this room only.” Yixing was getting more than a little frustrated. They have been at this for over an hour and every time Xiuying always finds fault in the colors.

“Of course it matters!” Xiuying yelled. “The room should be in harmony with the rest of the house!”

Yixing took a deep breath, reminding himself to keep calm.

“Every color is the same dull one that everyone uses and everyone uses the same furniture!” Xiuying threw the leftover swatches in her hands, angry tears finally trailing down her cheeks. “And I want everything to be perfect for our baby!”

Even with her big belly she looked so small standing there, eyes puffy and nose red from her cries. “I am not crying over the nursery,” she snapped when she saw Yixing staring at her. “This is just because of these stupid hormones.”

Yixing stood still, convinced that one wrong move will make things worse. He was completely at a loss as to what he should do in this situation and Xiuying looked like she could rip his head off if he even comes closer.

“So get over here and hold me, you idiot!!” Xiuying ordered loudly, stomping her feet and Yixing leaped to obey instantly.

He gathered her in, arms tight around her sides and pressed kisses on her hair. Xiuying clung to him, hands gripping the back of his shirt tightly as her tears wet his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled into the damp fabric of his shirt. “I’m sorry for being so mean.”

Yixing only hummed, rubbing circles on her spine. “It’s alright.” He waited until she stopped sniffling before leaning back. “I have an idea, though.”

“What is it?”

He picked up a swatch of paint, showing it for Xiuying to inspect. “I think this pale green would work well with the curtains and also goes with the hallway’s dark brown walls. And, a friend told me of this great painter who we can hire to paint some children’s murals on this wall here,” he pointed to the empty wall in front of them. “We can also have the baby’s furniture custom-made so that way our baby’s room will still be different from anybody else.”

Xiuying peered at the paint sample, putting it on the wall. There was a smile on her face when she turned back to Yixing. “I knew there was a good reason I married you.”

Yixing burst out in laughter even as he kissed her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yixing had thought they could spend a nice evening out, seeing that they’ve been so busy with all this preparation for the baby. So he booked a reservation at their favorite restaurant and made a call to Xiuying about the plan.  Xiuying had been elated and Yixing was happy that she was happy.

So imagine his surprise when he walked into their room to find Xiuying sitting down pitifully on the floor among heaps of clothes laid haphazardly around her with tears streaked face.

“Baby?” 

He made his way to her, almost tripping from where he stepped on a skirt and gathered her in his arms.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you hurt somewhere? Do you need the doctor?”

Xiuying sobbed even louder as she leaned into him. “N-nothing fits, anymore…..”

“What’s that, baby?”

She waved her hand towards the mountain of clothes. “I was deciding what to wear for tonight’s dinner b-but….but nothing fit anymore!” Her eyes were red and puffy as she turned to him. “I’m fat!!”

Yixing would’ve laughed at that if his wife wasn’t sobbing her heart out so piteously that it broke his own heart.

“Baby, you’re not fat, you’re pregnant. There’s a difference between the two.”

“Yes, I am! I’m a big, fat, ugly blob that needs to go on a diet!”

Yixing pulled back so he can give her a stern gaze. “No diet; you’re eating for two now. And you’re not ugly, not at all!”

“Liar. You’re just saying that because you’re my husband and you’re supposed to say those things. While in truth I’m all fat and bloated and ugly with ginormous, swollen hippo ankles and you’ll be disgusted with me soon and leave me for some new, y, young girl!” Xiuying wailed even louder, her breath coming out in wheezes and sobbing gasps.

This time Yixing couldn’t help his laughter. Xiuying seemed offended by this even as tears still running down her face and tried to get away but Yixing wouldn’t let her, trapping her in his arms while trying to stop his own laugh.

He pressed a kiss on her temple, mirth still bubbling in his throat. “I’m sorry if I laughed, baby, but you have to admit that was ridiculous. You’re as beautiful as always! Heck, you’re more beautiful than ever!”

Yixing had read how pregnant women have this unexplained beauty about them and looking at his wife now, he knew it was true. Xiuying glowed with some kind of inner light that made her somewhat ethereal.

“And what’s this about me finding someone new and y?” He rolled his eyes before kissing her nose.  “Baby, you’re the love of my life and you know it; there’s no way I would even look at another woman.” He winked lecherously and gave her a sly smirk. “And I don’t know whether you’ve noticed or not, but you are still y. In fact, I think you’re even ier now.”

Yixing wasn’t lying. Xiuying may have gotten bigger but it all works out perfectly on her. Her hips were wider and her thighs more rounded, giving her a more voluptuous figure. Her skin had always been soft but now they have an added luster to it. And her ! They were bigger and heavier and Yixing could spend hours just gazing at them.

Xiuying’s sniffles turned quieter, her eyes still doubtful but there was a spark of hope there. “You think so?”

“Oh baby,” he chuckled lowly, wanting nothing more than to show her how he desired her even more now. “I don’t just think so, I’ll show you.”

He kissed her almost harshly, prying open with insisting tongue and reveled in her moans. Running his hands down her sides, her moans escalated and Yixing loved the fact that she was much more sensitive; even the simplest touch made her whimpering in need.   Grabbing both her thighs he looped them around his waist before slowly bringing them up, walking them to the bed where he quickly stripped them both of their clothing.

They didn’t go out that night but as Yixing lay spent besides a contently smiling Xiuying, her back stuck to his chest with sweat and his hand absentmindedly rubbing her belly, the restaurant’s reservation was the last thing on his mind.