"Song Hye Kyo, get down from that ladder this instant!" Joong Ki demanded, wrapping his arms around the waist of his wife of six months and lifting her carefully off the step ladder she had been perched on, attempting to hang tinsel from the curtain rail.

"But! What? Uh!" Hye Kyo exclaimed in surprise, her arms and legs flailing as she was suspended in her husband's arms, before feeling her feet land safely on the soft carpet of their living room floor.

"What am I going to do with you? I leave you alone for 5 minutes and when I come back, you're up a ladder!" Joong Ki sighed exasperatedly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as his eyes swept over her adorably pouty expression.

Hye Kyo folded her arms across her chest. "Joong Ki, I'm ne..."

"You're 'nesting', I know," Joong Ki cut her off. "But can you please nest somewhere that doesn't involve you being three feet off the ground? Like the couch for example! That would be great," he said, manoeuvring her in the direction of the couch and pulling her down with him. "Now, can I get you anything? Hot cocoa? Milk? Juice? Water? Chocolate? Cookies?"

Hye Kyo laughed as she snuggled into her husband's side, Joong Ki automatically wrapped his arms tightly around her middle. "It's ok. I'm fine. Just sit here and cuddle with me for a while."

"Are you sure, coz I can..."

"JOONG KI! I'm pregnant, not terminal!" Hye Kyo exclaimed and Joong Ki glowed red. Truth be known,Hye Kyo was perfectly aware that she was only 12 weeks pregnant, and the 'nesting' phase took place in the final stages of pregnancy. But Joong Ki wasn't, and she took great delight in using the excuse of 'but I'm nesting!' combined with her puppy dog pout, to win him over.

"I'm being over-protective, aren't I?" he asked meekly.

Hye Kyo smiled fondly, reaching up to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. "Over-protective may even be a slight understatement, yeobo, but it's ok – I love you for it," she told him, proving it with a soft kiss on his jaw.

It was October 29th – just two months short before Christmas – and Joong Ki and Hye Kyo were only just getting around to finishing off their decorations. The tree had gone up on the first of the month, but before the other boxes of tinsel, garlands and fairy lights could be unpacked and hung, Hye Kyo had been struck with a mystery illness which had left her vomiting and bed ridden for a week.

A doctor's visit and some blood tests had identified the 'mystery illness' as pregnancy. Hye Kyo and Joong Ki were surprised, but absolutely delighted about their early Christmas present. Hye Kyo was still suffering from mild bouts of morning sickness, but apart from that she was feeling great, and Joong Ki – well, his head was still floating blissfully in the clouds and he had had a permanent grin on his face ever since they had received the news.

Hye Kyo sighed contentedly as she felt Joong Ki kiss the top of her head softly, his hand absently brushing over her abdomen.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" she murmured. "This time next year we'll have a little person to spoil rotten."

Joong Ki smiled into her soft hair. "Naneun gidalil su eobs-eoyo," he replied. "When I stopped at COEX Mall yesterday they had the most adorable little baby suits – all in Christmas colours with things like 'Baby's First Christmas' and 'Santa's Little Helper' on them. I just wanted to buy them all!"

Hye Kyo smiled at his enthusiasm, tracing his jaw with her finger. "You're going to be such a wonderful father," she whispered.

Joong Ki smiled, dipping his head to brush his lips gently across her forehead. "Well you're going to be the world's greatest mommy," he told her sincerely.

Hye Kyo shivered slightly as he began to comb his fingers through her long hair. "When we first met – way back 2013 at the set of TWTWB  – did you ever imagine us here, now...married...a baby on the way?"

Joong Ki kissed her forehead again. "Neh," he replied teasingly. "As soon as I saw you, I thought 'this woman will have my babies one day.'"

"Joong Ki," Hye Kyo giggled, slapping his arm lightly, causing him to laugh.

"I might not have been able to predict our future, but I sure as hell wouldn't change how it turned out," he told her, falling serious. "Here with you, and our little peanut," his hand fell to her stomach again, his thumb tracing soft circles, "I wouldn't swap it for the world."

Hye Kyo smiled up at him. "I love you – so much. You know that, right?"

Joong Ki nodded, sliding two fingers under her chin and tilting her face till their lips met. He kissed her softly at first, nudging her lips gently with his tongue until she parted them, allowing him to slide his tongue inside, exploring the depths of the mouth he knew so well, yet would never tire of.

Hye Kyo reached her hand up to cup the side of his face, his cheek with her thumb as he kissed her deeper. After a moment she began to giggle, pulling back from the kiss, but leaving her hand resting against his cheek.

"You know, all this talk of babies has made me hungry," she said cheekily. "Do we still have some of those gyeongju bread left from yesterday?"

"Mmhmm," Joong Ki replied, peppering her jaw and neck with feather soft kisses.

"Would you be a darling and go grab some for me?" she asked sweetly.

"Arasssooo," Joong Ki drew out, reluctantly removing his lips from her neck. "But only because I love you so much," he told her, giving her one last peck on the lips before lifting himself from the sofa and disappearing into the kitchen.

As soon as he was out of site Hye Kyo giggled to herself, quietly standing and tip toeing in the direction of the step ladder. She hadn't even gotten her second foot on the bottom step when she heard her husband's voice float through from the kitchen.

"...And don't even think about going near that ladder!"

SHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJKSHKSJK

By November 20th, Hye Kyo was beginning to panic. When she and Joong Ki had first learnt of her pregnancy, they had decided that – seeing as it was so close to Thanksgiving – they would keep the news to themselves for a little while, and tell their parents at Thanksgiving.

But now here it was: Thanksgiving Eve and they had yet to decide on the perfect way to announce the surprise.

"We could wrap diapers in with all of their gifts?" Joong Ki suggested. "Give them 'Happy Thanksgiving, Halmeoni and Harabeoji's cards? Sing 'You've got a grandchild on the wa-ay, fa la la la laa, la laa laa laaaa'? Hang a banner from the roof? Have it announced in sky writing? A personalised congratulations text from the President of the Republic of South Korea?"

Hye Kyo glared at him. "Now you're just being ridiculous."

Joong Ki sighed. "Jagiya, I'm all out of ideas. We've been going around in circles for days. I'm about ready to stick copies of the sonogram from Monday in a Thanksgiving card for your Eomma and one for my parents, and be done with it."

Hye Kyo fell silent for a moment before letting out a so