Junpyo walked into the room like a ghost. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel. It was only when he saw Jaekyung sitting up in bed, looking pale and drained but alive, that his subconscious allowed himself to relax: my Jaekyung is all right now...

He couldn't see Eunhye and Jandi standing in the room and he didn't care either. Jaekyung looked at him and gave him a tiny smile. "Jun-"
It seemed that he was at her side in a single step. He let out all the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding and whispered brokenly, "I was so scared..."

Unthinkingly, he leaned down and cupped her wane face in his warm hands and pressed his lips against hers. I love you. He should have done this earlier. Why hadn't he? He felt her soft lips remain unmoving in shock and her hands gripped the sleeve of his shirt tightly, and she gave a short gasp.

Junpyo broke away but his hands were still on her face, caressing the skin with his thumbs in circular motions. She didn't meet his eyes – she kept her eyes fixed downwards, and bit her lip. Junpyo hated the confusion on her face – there was nothing to doubt in this! But maybe... it was too sudden? Too unexpected?

"Sorry," he murmured.
She didn't reply.

"I should have waited for a better time."
She finally gave a weak smile.

"I'm just... Jun, I was so scared."
"Me too, Jae, me too..." he said. But I was more scared that I might lose you...

She took a deep breath and winced slightly.

"Are you in pain?" asked Junpyo immediately. "Shall I call someone?"
"I think... the birth is starting," she said through laboured breathing. "Jun..."
He turned around to go call someone but she suddenly tugged his sleeve. "What is it, Jae?"
"Please... you have to come back, ok?" she said softly. Junpyo could see that she was still scared and he yearned to make her feel safe and protected. "I want you here with me..."
Junpyo kissed her forehead softly. "I'll be right back. I won't leave, promise. Just hold on..."
He ran out and found Eunhye right outside and he yelled, "The babies! It's really starting! Jae-"
Eunhye wasted no time in getting to Jaekyung.

Junpyo hadn't even noticed that Eunhye and Jandi had left when he kissed Jaekyung... and it didn't matter to him anyway. Nothing mattered to him anymore besides her...

* * *

Minhyuk arrived breathless and dishevelled, his shirt buttoned up wrong and his coat inside out. One shoe was white while the other was black.

Woobin looked at him with wide eyes. What was with the messy appearance?

"Jaekyung," he gasped. "Where is she?"
"In the delivery room," said Krystal, jerking her thumb towards the door.

"It started?" Minhyuk's eyes widened.

Yijung nodded and Minhyuk hastened to the door but Jihoo stopped him. "Sorry," he said. "Only the father is allowed inside."
"You mean to tell me Junpyo is in there now?" he demanded.

"He is the father you know..."

Minhyuk seemed to deflate. I want to be with Jaekyung... Please be safe....

"Come here and wait," called Junhee. "Sit down, it might take a while too."
"Ah!" suddenly exclaimed Krystal. "I just remembered! Binnie, where is Jae's phone?"

Woobin looked at her blankly.

"Oh come on!" she said impatiently. "I gave you Jaekyung's phone because it needed charging."

A flash of relief went across Woobin's face and he hurriedly took out the phone from his poccket. "Here you go..."
Krystal took it away to get charged and Yijung nudged him. "Why did you look scared huh?"
"I didn't."
"Yes you did! You were all happy when she only wanted Jae's phone. Binnie boy, you hiding something?"
"No!" protested Woobin. "Absolutely not!Why would I anyway?"
Yijung raised one eyebrow. "Huh. You're very suspicious, that's all."
Woobin ignored him and was very glad Krystal was back – when she was around, Yijung didn't bother him too much.

* * * *

His hand hurt so much. Jaekyung kept squeezing the life out of it, then clawing his arm and her nails actually broke into the skin at one point and tiny drops of blood oozed out. But that was nothing.

Jaekyung screamed in pain and dug her nails into him for relief, perspiration soaking her hair and running down her face. To Junpyo though, she was still so beautiful. It didn't matter that her skin became all waxy and pale, or that her lips were dry, or the grunts and cries and tears.

To Junpyo, this moment was something beautiful. The lives they had created together were at their final stages – and after that came a new era. The physical era, where the lives could be held in his arms and he could hear them talk and laugh and cry.

It's so strange, because I've never really thought about being a father. I could never imagine myself as being responsible enough or anything... but then again, I never dreamed I would end up marrying Jaekyung and being ok with it. More than ok, in fact. And I think she's ok as well...

His eyes filled with tears when she suddenly grabbed him by the hair and shrieked "IT HURTS!!!"
"I'm sorry!" he yelped. His beautiful curls! Being ripped out by this mad woman!

"DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!"
"I... I don't know," he said helplessly. "Jae, let go, it hurts!"
"That hurts?" she demanded. "WHAT ABOUT ME? THAT IS ALWAYS THE THING ABOUT YOU MEN! YOU DON'T REALIZE THE EFFORT IT TAKES TO GIVE BIRTH! CAN YOU PUSH A SHOE OUT OF YOUR NOSTRIL HUH?"
"N-n-no," he stammered. "But this isn't a shoe and it's not a nostril either! See, you expand and-"
She screamed and gripped his hair tighter. "SHUT UP I DON'T CARE!"

Much to Junpyo's relief, he was rescued by a very nice nurse and Eunhye asked Jaekyung to calm down.

"That's right," she said, sitting at her feet where her lower half was covered with a sheet. The nurse looked at him with pity – what a stupid husband, didn't he understand that after getting attacked once he could get attacked again?

She grabbed his arm and Junpyo gulped.

He encouraged her to breath, kept cheering her on and his heart sputtered when Eunhye announced that she could see a head.

"Almost there!" she cheered. "Come on, Jae! A bit more, keep going!"

Jaekyung huffed and puffed and Junpyo had to admit that she was brave. He would have never been able to give birth – all right, she attacked him but still.

I remember you asking me to be the father so well, it feels like yesterday. To be honest, I was scared. Being a father is a life long commitment, it's not like a short little thing but it's actually raising human beings. And... I was scared that I won't do a good e