Incheon International Airport was utter chaos on a Saturday afternoon around noon. Made worse was the fact that it was summer time, and flights had been booked through for months. There were swarms of people everywhere, people rushing about, and clusters of traveling groups. There were lines everywhere, from the bathroom, to the shops lining the walkways, and it was probably the least intelligent decision Luhan had made in months. But there he was. At the airport.

Vomiting up his breakfast into the toilet.

There’d certainly been no line for him as he all but slammed his way into the bathroom, flushed and sweating, calling out a single warning before his body reacted terribly to the smell of pork in the air.

In the pork’s defense, it looked quite good. Luhan preferred beef, but the slow roasted pork on the more Western inspired breading, had looked amazing. Then Luhan had smelled it, and then his body had protested violently.

Now Luhan was hovering awkwardly over to the toilet in the airport bathroom, one hand braced up on the stall wall, trying to get his breathing back under control. His stomach rolled in protest still, and if he hadn’t been feeling so miserable at the moment, he’d be embarrassed.

“Get out of the way! Get out of my way before I make you!”

Luhan gagged a little more into the toilet, hating every second of it.

“I will end you, you , if you don’t move! Do I look like I’m trying to cut in line? No. That’s right. So get the fuc—”

Luhan found his words then, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. He called out sharply, “Baekhyun!”

In his rush to get to the bathroom, Luhan hadn’t exactly taken the time to lock the door behind him. So it was only a second later before Baekhyun was popping into the narrow stall, anger written across his features, but certainly not at Luhan.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asked roughly.

“Fine.” Luhan said. He reached a hand out to Baekhyun, requesting help up to his feet.

Baekhyun spied the hand for a second. “You didn’t get any vomit on your fingers, did you?”

Luhan was just the right height, on his knees, to reach out and punch Baekhyun in the balls. And Baekhyun seemed to realize that right around the time Luhan was contemplating it.

“I’ve got you,” Baekhyun said, hefting Luhan, and all his extra weight, up to his feet.

Baekhyun guided him over to the rows of sinks across the room, glowing darkly at anyone who dared to look their way.

“The bull continues?” Baekhyun asked. He cocked a hip out with his arms crossed over his chest, and watched Luhan splash some water on his face. “Sehun told me it was pretty much never ending, but I thought he was just being his usual hovering, suffocating self.”

Slowly Luhan began to feel better. He was less sticky with sweat, his breathing was back to normal, and all he could smell in the bathroom was the bleach used to clean it. He looked over to Baekhyun and said, “It’s called hyperemesis gravidarum.”

Baekhyun stared at his blankly.

“Lingering and strong morning sickness,” Luhan supplied, turning to bump his belly deliberately against Baekhyun as he went to dry his hands. He did his best to pretend there weren’t a dozen eyes on him at the moment, and a dozen ears who’d heard him puking his breakfast up. “It’s not common, but it happens. Lucky me.”

They stepped out of the bathroom and Baekhyun pointed out, “You’re practically out of your second trimester at this point. How can you still be getting sick over a smell?”

“Maybe this is the universe balancing itself out,” Luhan mused, relishing a bit in the feeling of Baekhyun’s fingers at the small of his back when they slipped into the crowd of the airport. “I had almost nothing with Youri. I suppose in a way, her little brother is trying to make up for that.”

Almost on cue, and in a way that inspired nothing but fondness, Luhan felt a ripple of movement from his son.

His son.

Youri had been the thing that saved Sehun. She had jumpstarted the kind of family Luhan had always desperately hoped to have, and brought about the formation of the greatest love Luhan thought humanly possible. Youri was a godsend in every way possible.

But there’d been trauma and difficulty attached to her conception. Everything with her had been a struggle, even if none of it was her fault.

This baby was different. His and Sehun’s son was different.

Luhan could hardly believe they were having a son. It seemed like practically everyone, including Sehun, had expected Youri to have yet another sister. Sehun had even laughed out, “The evidence is pretty conclusive now, isn’t it? I’m really good at making little girls.”

A girl would have been fine. A girl would have been loved and cherished.

But Luhan almost felt validated and vindicated by the idea of a son. There was going to be a son to carry on the family name. The Chinese values in Luhan had never really faded, no matter how long he’d been here in Korea, and the thought of having a son to do so, made every sick moment worth it.

Mostly, though, Luhan just liked balance. He liked the idea of having a son and a daughter, and maybe that was enough. He and Sehun had talked about more children before their son had been conceived, and they’d known they wanted another after Youri, but that was where the talks had stopped. Luhan wondered if this would be it. If two would suffice. He wondered if it even mattered talking about it prematurely.

“You’ve already got a difficult one,” Baekhyun pointed out. “How about the new kid tries something else for a change. Sehun’s going to be bald by his next birthday if this keeps up.”

Luhan felt justified in stating, “Youri isn’t difficult.”

That was a lie. His daughter was difficult in most things. But difficult wasn’t bad. Because in her difficulty, she was also fiercely independent, and wonderfully inquisitive. She was adventurous and determined, and there was no such thing as the word no to her. She wanted to try everything, and do everting, and she bounced right back from her failings. Youri was going to be someone in life. She was going to grow into greatness. And it was because she didn’t compromise, or settle, or sit back.

“Last week your daughter tried to convince mine to climb up on the kitchen table and then jump off it,” Baekhyun pointed out sourly.

Luhan laughed a little. “She put pillows down on the ground. She was just conducting an experiment in physics.”

Bakehyun leveled a scathing look at Luhan. “Your daughter is three. My daughter isn’t far behind. How can a three-year-old know about physics?”

Up ahead he and Baekhyun made their way to the receiving gates. Despite the chaos and frantic nature of the airport at the moment, most flights were running on time. And for that Luhan was eternally grateful. He was beyond fatigued. He wanted to sit down for a while, relax, drink as much water as he could stand, and be away from all the coughing people carrying who knew what kinds of diseases.

With Youri’s pregnancy, Luhan had pushed head first into life with no worries.

With his son’s, Luhan worried about everything now.

“Suho,” Luhan explained casually. “He’s been sending her all of these toddler and child focused math and science lesson books. They come with videos. You should borrow one for Ahra, actually. They’re designed to keep a kid’s attention using costumes and bright colors, and they explain everything very, very simply.”

Bakehun shook his head. “I repeat, no three-year-old needs to know about physics.”

“It’s not physics to Youri,” Luhan said. “It’s just funny people in funny clothing, showing her cool experiments that make her laugh. In ten years she’ll realize she’s been learning about Newton’s laws of physics. But now she’s just having fun. Suho’s practically over the moon. He’s determined to make her an astrophysicist yet.”

“Sounds like Suho needs to get his own baby to experiment on.”

More loudly than before, Luhan laughed. It was a good laugh, the kind that shook all the way down in him. “How about we get him married first?”

They arrived at their destination right as Bakehyun was asking, “Isn’t that what Sehun has been trying to do for the better part of a year now? Suho’s been dating that American girl for two years. They live together. She’d taken Suho to meet her family. Remind me again why they’re still not married?”

Ignoring the ache to his back, Luhan supposed, “Suho’s just not they type to rush things. I’m certain that’s the girl he wants to marry. He’s said as much without actually saying it. But Suho also seems the type to do things once, the proper way, and in his own time. Sehun doesn’t want to rush him. But we’ll be back here in a week’s time to pick Suho up from the airport. So I think Sehun plans to work on him then.”

Truth be told, Luhan was a little apprehensive about Suho coming back into town. Luhan adored Suho, and their relationship had never been stronger than it currently was, but Suho would be the last person of their extended family to arrive. And then afterwards Luhan and Sehun had painstakingly planned a get-together party for everyone. They were using their son as an excuse, but really it had just been too long since everyone had been together.

Time had a way of pulling people apart.

From Suho to Chen to Lay, all of Luhan’s friends had ended up in differenet places, save for a few. It would be nice to have everyone together. Even if the idea made Luhan nervous. What if they’d all changed a little too much?

There were only a couple steady things Luhan thought he could hold onto, and oddly enough, Baekhyun was one of them.

If Luhan had been told years ago, that Baekhyun would end up being one of his best friends, he would have laughed himself sick. And they did have an often tumultuous friendship, with good days and bad ones. But Baekhyun was always there for him. They’d only grown closer as their daughters had. They spent time together simply out of friendship now, and confided in each other, and most importantly, they trusted each other.

After Sehun and Xiumin, Baekhyun had been the next person he told about his pregnancy.

In a way, Luhan thought it was the fact that they’d had to work for a good friendship, that made it strong. Nothing that came easily was usually worth bearing fruit from.

Baekhyun was worth it.

“You might think about helping him out,” Luhan said as he strained up to his tip toes to see the arrival’s board being projected up on a monitor. The plane he was interested in was listed as on time, and had already started disembarking its passengers. “Next to Sehun, Suho listens the most to you. You could give him confidence. You’ve been more than his little brother’s best friend for a long time.”

Shoulder to shoulder with him, Baekhyun shrugged.

Luhan tried to bring Jaehyuk up to Baekhyun has little as possible. It was still, if there was something that lingered between them, the single cause for continuous contention. Baekhyun openly and loudly stated often that Luhan wasn’t someone he saw as a usurper. Baekhyun was Luhan’s friend because he wanted to be, and because for all his trying, he actually liked Luhan. But Baekhyun had never been able to let go of Jae, not like Sehun had.

Sehun could talk fondly about Jae now without wincing, or being struck by a morose look in his eyes. He could take Youri to the side and tell her all about Jae and Seoyoung, and his life before Luhan. Sehun could relish in the memories he had of Jae without too much pain, and for that Luhan was eternally thankful for.

But Baekhyun carried a soreness with him about Jae. And Luhan talked about him as little as possible because of that.

It seemed Baekhyun had had as much of the topic as possible, because he asked Luhan, “So are we really here, doing this?”

Luhan looked around a little exaggeratedly. “Here? in the airport? Baekhyun, you’re talking nonsense. Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Okay, you antiquated meme. I mean, are we really here together at the airport, picking up the guy who was okay with your family practically kidnapping you, all so he could force you into marrying him, and probably popping out a kid eventually.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t say it like that.”

“I really wish that weren’t the real story.”

Frowning, Luhan pointed out, “I didn’t ask you to come with me. You invited yourself along, I recall.”

Baekhyun didn’t look bashful in the least when he pointed out, “Sehun’s stuck at work all day today because of that big project. Chanyeol told me the two of the are pretty stressed out over making the deadline for the contract. And that guy who pretends to be your best friend—”

“You sound jealous of Xiumin.”

“He,” Baekhyun pressed on, “would rather spend all day at that clinic of his. So someone had to be here. Or were we supposed to just let you go traipsing off into danger with a five pound baby sitting on your bladder?”

“There are so many things wrong with that statement,” Luhan said, but ultimately he was touched by Baekhyun. He had just simply mentioned to Baekhyun and Taeyeon, when he’d come to pick Youri up from her playdate with Ahra a couple of days ago, that he was planning on going to the hospital by himself to pick up Wei.

And Luhan was not missing Wei’s arrival. His long-time friend was going to be in Korea for the first time in over three years, and while they spoke often on the phone, Luhan wanted to see him in person.

“Xiumin just received a full-time position at the clinic,” Luhan said in a distracted way as he arched up onto his tiptoes. People were beginning to arrive through the gate, and he wanted to spot Wei the second he was through. “He’s got to prove to his bosses, who pretty much gave him the job right out of school and with no serious experience, that he’s worth the investment. Oh, and if you find the danger to my safety around here, please point it out to me.”

Baekhyun grumbled, “Just explain to me how Sehun is oaky with this guy being anywhere near you.”

Luhan sighed. If he did, it was going to be a very long story.

And mostly, he just wanted to concentrate on seeing his old friend. After an intital few months of silence, ones that stretched into the time after Youri’s birth, Luhan and Wei had found their way back to each other again. And it was for the best, in Luhan’s opinion. Wei had needed the time to get himself set up in America, and Luhan had needed to focus on his famiy.

Now Wei was coming back a successful journalist, someone who knew exactly who he was, and someone that Luhan was more than proud to call a brother.

“Look,” he told Baekhyun, turning away from the disembarking passengers. “I’m certainly not trying to invalidate the trauma of your childhood by saying that Wei had it worse, but Wei definitely had it worse. You were able to grow up how you wanted, Baekhyun, and make your own choices, and be who you wanted to be. It was different for Wei and me in China. We were forced to be who we weren’t, and were under an incredible amount of pressure. I got away to Korea as soon as possible, and that was something lucky on my part. Wei wasn’t so lucky, not at first.”

The barest hint of pressure came from Baekhyun pressing his hand against the stretched skin at Luhan’s stomach. The baby inside kicked back playfully, and Baekhyun said, “He hurt you, he could have hurt Youri, and that’s unforgivable.”

Luhan let his fingers curl around Baekhyun’s wrist gently, and he said just for the two of them, “The man you’ll meet any second now, is not the man who did those things. People change, Baekhyun. People can be better. I think both you and I know that, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun looked soured, which meant to Luhan, who spoke fluent Baekhyun, that his words were hitting home.

“Wei saved me when we were kids,” Luhan stated. “He kept my secrets, Baekhyun. And he kept me sane for all the years and I had to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. Sehun understands that. I won’t lie and say that Wei is Sehun’s favorite person, but Sehun respects what Wei means to me.”

Still unhappy, Baekhyun commented, “Enough to let him stay with you guys.”

“Just until the first of the month when Wei is able to move into his new apartment and start his lease.” Luhan squeezed Baekhyun’s wrist. “It’s important to me that Wei gets to spend the next six months here with me, while he takes this work assignment, and it would be really nice if my friends could all get along.”

Baekhyun remarked, “You’re such a pain in the .”

Luhan could have kissed him. “Thank you, Baekhyun.”

“Luhan!”

Luhan turned at the sound of his name, echoing across the large area, deep and boisterous.

A second later the crowd parted a little, and a tall man was charging his way towards Luhan, a bag thrown over his shoulder and a grin on his face.

“Wei!” Luhan waved a hand at him, but he only managed for a second before Wei was there, tugging him into a heavy hug, laughing and reminding Luhan of home.

A good home.

Wei felt like the memory of sneaking out at midnight to eat shaved ice and talk about manga, and making up frivolous stories in their free time that they had every desire in the world to bring to fruition. Wei was warm hugs on cold days, and comfort, and understanding, and friendship.

That kind of home.

“You look so good,” Luhan said, holding Wei out at arm’s length. Wei had always been taller than him, with broader shoulders and just a bigger presence. But now Wei looked happy, and healthy, and all the things that Luhan had hoped for him. Wei looked like he’d been spending time in the sun, and laughing. “You look so good!”

“Me?” Wei countered with a scoff. “Look at you. Baby number two!”

Baekyhun scoffed from the side and said loudly, “A language we can all understand, please.”

It was startling to Luhan how easily he’d slipped into Chinese with Wei. At home, Luhan spoke Chinese to Youri often out of principle, trying to acquaint her with the language. But other than that, Luhan’s day was filled with the Korean language.

“Wei,” Luhan said, still amused greatly by Baekhyun’s obvious jealousy, “this is one of my greatest friends, Byun Baekhyun. His daughter and Youri are best friends, and we’re practically living out of each other’s houses at his point.”

Wei held out his hand to Baekhyun and announced, “Luhan’s talked a lot about you, actually. I feel like I practically know you already.”

Baekhyun bristled. “He has, has he?”

“Only good things,” Luhan insisted with a grin.

“It’s true,” Wei confirmed. “He said you’re a great friend.” Wei swung his attention back to Luhan. “Now, where’s my niece?”

The three of them began the long trek back to the car in the garage, and Luhan said, “Youri’s at her preschool.”

“No way.” Wei shook his head. “She can’t be that big already, can she?”

Baekhyun snorted out, “She’s already doing physics, apparently.”

Luhan elbowed him and said, “It’s nothing serious, just a daytime academy that she goes to where she can practice her numbers and letters, and that sort of thing. Half of the time she’s there she’s just playing on the jungle gym. But it’s good to get her into a routine for when school does actually start.”

Wei looked impressed. “That’s great. I’m so excited to see her again. I’ve brought her something from the States that will solidify my status as best uncle ever.”

Baekhyun looked pretty livid at the idea of that, and Luhan smothered down a laugh. Baekhyun liked to consider himself to be Youri’s favorite uncle, and it was absolutely true that she doted on him the most out of all the men in her life she called uncle. Naturally Suho thought he was the best uncle, and truthfully they were all amazing uncles to Youri, but Baekhyun took pride in the distinction.

Anxiety about the upcoming gathering with everyone, Wei and Baekhyun included, was definitely lunging up to the forefront of Luhan’s thoughts all of the sudden once again.

But having Wei around just made Luhan happy. It was a feeling of happiness just being near him, and not even Baekhyun’s scowl could dislodge it. “Well, I hope you’re really to go toe to toe with a lot of other guys for that distinction.”

Wei laughed off, “Let the games begin.”

Thankfully, after that, conversation turned much easier and lightered. Wei was only too happy to tell Luhan his previous time spent in the States, and how he was nervous to be in Korea despite being at least averagely proficient in the language, but excited to do something new.

“I’m happiest when I’m moving and doing things,” Wei said confidently. “I’m definitely not designed to sit in a cubicle or office all day long and go over sales projections.”

Turned in his seat at the front of the car that Bakehyun drove, Luhan replied, “You would have been just as miserable as me if we were stuck in China, then.” Luhan couldn’t imagine a life outside of his art studio, away from his colors and brushes and freedom of expression.

“Maybe a little less miserable if I had you as a friend,” Wei said, and Luhan agreed with a nod.

A little under an hour later Baekhyun was pulling up in front of Luhan and Sehun’s home. He put the car in park and turned to Luhan asking, “You good? I can always pick Youri up in an hour or so, if you want. Or Taeyeon can. She’s only doing a half day at work today, and she’ll be out in time if you don’t feel like walking down to the academy.”

Luhan waved him off and undid his seatbelt. “I’m feeling much better now. It think Wei and I should be there today to pick Youri up. She was so upset she didn’t get to go to the airport to pick him up this morning she’s practically not speaking to me.”

Wei leaned forward in his seat to ask, “I thought she was treating you like the villain because she found out a couple months ago you’re pregnant?”

Luhan winced a little. “She’s still growing into the idea.” More like she had dug her heels in and was fighting every step of the change.

“That’s putting it lightly,” Baekhyun said, bursting out laughing. “She tried to sell the baby to Ahra about a month ago for an extra snack cookie.”

“It’s a work in progress,” Luhan said definitively. He told Baekhyun, “Thank you for taking me to the airport, and then bringing the both of us back here. I appreciate it. See you this weekend?” Baekhyun had agreed to come over and bring Ahra to help Luhan and Sehun put together the final touches of their planned gathering of friends. Luhan wasn’t certain he and Sehun could do it without Baekhyun, and hopefully Taeyeon who had a way of focusing people to a task that couldn’t be matched.

“I’ll be there,” Baekhyun promised.

As soon as Baekhyun sped off, Wei gave a low whistle and looked up at the house. “You showed me pictures, but you didn’t say it was this nice.”

“Sehun and I are lucky,” Luhan agreed, taking Wei to the front door. “Sehun has an established career that lets him provide easily for a family. Even a growing one.” He patted his stomach. “I think I’m really starting to get some traction in the art community, too, and with any luck, I’ll be able to have another gallery showing this year.”

“You absolutely will,” Wei said supportively. “You’re an amazing artist, Luhan. I just wish you had the confidence in yourself, that everyone else has in you.”

“Oh,” Luhan decided. “When you say stuff like that you make me believe that you’re going to fit in just right here.”

“Huh?”

Luhan pushed open the front door and said, “Everyone around here’s got a monologue like that just waiting to come out. Save yours for the others, okay?”

Luhan gave Wei a tour of the house, pointing out the small trinkets from Wei that were littered around, evidence of the amount of traveling the man had done in a past few years.

“We’re going to put you up here,” Luhan said, showing Wei to the guest room. It was sandwiched right between Youri’s room and the nursery, and it was small in nature, but it faced the east, got good light, was clean, and would serve a purpose.

“I know you said he was cool with it,” Wei said, putting his bag on the bed. “But are you sure Sehun’s okay with me staying here until my lease kicks in? I don’t want to cause problems between the two of you, especially with a baby on the way. I can stay in a hotel for a couple of weeks. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“It is to me,” Luhan said sharply. “You’re my oldest friend, and I won’t have you at a hotel.” He was quiet for a second, then divulged, “Sehun’s been in therapy for a long time now. Three years and then some. And the foundation of our relationship, and the thing that therapy has given him, is the ability and necessity for him to speak up and say what he’s thinking. To tell the truth. To be honest. I believe him when he talks, because of this. And he told me he’s okay with you staying here, so I believe him. He knows you’re family to me, so you’re family to him.”

In a quiet, reserved tone, Wei said, “I’m the guy who tried to take you from him. I’m the guy who tried to steal his daughter away.”

“I don’t see that person here.” Luhan took confident strides towards the doorway. “If you see him, we’ll discuss it them. Otherwise come on, let’s get something to eat and sit down for a while. My feet are killing me and it’s at least a fifteen minute walk to Youri’s academy.”

Of course food for Luhan, with his extreme aversion to smells now, meant a glass of water and some watermelon, but it was easy on his stomach and it felt good just to be able to sit next to Wei and talk about their childhood.

Afterwards they made the walk down to pick Youri up.

They were waiting for her lesson to be over when Wei commented, “You know, skype calls have been amazing, but I haven’t held Youri in my arms since before she could walk.”

“She runs now,” Luhan chuckled.

“That’s terrifying,” Wei said.

Luhan couldn’t agree more. Then he posed, “When are you going to have one of your own?”

Smiling white teeth at Luhan, Wei reminded, “I’d have to find someone for that sort of thing, right?” He sighed and said, “I thought I had someone. For a while, I thought I had the one. Then he just couldn’t take it.”

“Take it?”

“The traveling,” Wei said. “The fact that I go on assignment sometimes and have to be in Singapore, then Wales, then Los Angeles, sometimes all in the same year. And I get it, you know. That’s a lot to ask from someone in a relationship. I’m not holding that against anyone. I’m just …”

Lonely. Luhan could see it all over Wei’s face, and in his body language. Wei was lonely.

“Anyway,” Wei said with false confidence, straightening up. “I’ve got Youri, haven’t I? And I’ve got that new baby of yours. I’ll be in Seoul long enough to see him born, and that’s something that I’m looking forward.”

To all of that, Luhan had no idea what to say. But the need was taken from him when Youri spotted them. And then she was headed at them like a torpedo, calling out for Wei, arms stretched up for him.

“I think she loves you more than she loves me,” Luhan said wryly, but not without humor. It was heartwarming to see the way Youri wrapped her arms around Wei’s neck and hugged onto him tightly.

“I missed you,” Wei said, rubbing her back.

Youri said in a muffled way, “Baba was so mean. He said I couldn’t come get you.” Youri shot him a betrayed look.

Luhan ignored it all the same. Youri was definitely quick to anger, but she was just as quick to forgive. Youri didn’t hold grudges well, and soon enough Luhan knew she’d be willing to overlook it all, as soon as Luhan gave her her after school snack.

“Ready to go home?” Luhan asked. He held his hand out to her when she was on her feet again, pleated dress smoothed out.

Her tiny hand reached up for his and Luhan started them back.

“Everything went okay?” Sehun asked on the phone an hour later when everything had settled down completely. Luhan was situated in Sehun’s office for some privacy, but from where he was standing he could just see through the study’s glass door to where Youri was situated at the kitchen table. She had a workbook out in front of her, a plate of sliced apples to the side coated in peanut butter, and Wei was across from her with his laptop. The two of them were working in relative silence, but Luhan could seem them exchange words once in a while.

“Perfect,” Luhan reported. “Wei’s plane was on time, he said the flight was smooth, and as expected, Youri was delighted to see him. She practically talked his ear off on the way home.”

“And what about now?”

Luhan bit back a laugh. “Now Youri looks like she’s close to needing an afternoon nap. She’s working on an activity book—numbers I think. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Sehun sputtered a little. “Luhan, how could you even—”

“I knew when you had those security cameras put in the house,” Luhan broke in, “exactly what you were planning to use them for.” He turned to the once discretely placed in the corner of the study. There were a little under a dozen cameras all over the house, all of which were accessible from either Luhan or Sehun’s phones. Sehun claimed it was all for security, but then Sehun had never really grown out of his helicopter parenting.

Just for fun, Luhan gave the camera in the room a small wave.

A half second later, Sehun commented, “You look tired.”

Satisfied with Youri’s doings, Luhan leveled himself down onto the sofa in the room slowly. “I am tired. I’m always tired.”

Sehun huffed out, “This is your second trimester. You should be getting your second wind now. This isn’t fair.”

Luhan was inclined to agree. When he’d been pregnant with Youri, he’d had an abundance of energy all the way up until the end. Now, on the worst of days, getting up and down the stairs was a challenge. The doctors all still thought it was perfectly fine, but the last thing Luhan needed was Sehun going into extreme worry mode.

“I’ll probably go to bed early tonight,” Luhan told him. “But I feel okay, I promise. How are things going at work?”

“Busy as always.” Now Sehun was the one who sounded tired. “I think Chanyeol is worried we aren’t going to make the deadline. And we are running behind. I’m sorry, but I think that means I’ll be working some late nights. I might even need to stay overnight a couple of times. I have to make this deadline.”

“No, I get it, it’s okay.” Sehun had been doing nothing but working long hours as of late, but it wasn’t as if he was doing anything but acting the responsible adult. It wasn’t Sehun’s fault his boss was being overly demanding, and that the company was short staffed. And Luhan certainly wasn’t going to take all of that out on Sehun. “Do I need to come down there with some food and make sure you’re eating right and resting when you need to?”

There was such love in Sehun’s voice when he said, “You’re too good to me. What did I do to deserve you?”

“I know you too well,” Luhan chided. “You won’t do any of us any good if you burn out.”

“I know. I know.”

With pursed lips, Luhan asked, “Are you going to miss dinner again?”

Sehun’s silence was telling. It would mark the third time that week.

“I’m going to send Kris over,” Luhan decided. “I’ll have him bring something hearty up to you and Chanyeol, and I’ll make sure he stays long enough to be confident that you’re actually eating the food.”

“I don’t want anyone to go out of their way,” Sehun started.

But Luhan’s mind was made up. And what was the point of having a friend in the food business if he couldn’t take advantage of it occasionally?

Of course, Luhan knew Kris hadn’t meant to end up running the chain of his parent’s cafes that were littered from Incheon to Busan, with the epicenter in Seoul. But he’d quit his corporate job when his father had suffered a , and then his mother had quit working to take care of him.

Still, it was the best thing that could have happened to the business. Kris had taken four small but aclectic coffee shops and turned them into something expectional. There were eight of them now, and they served soups and slightly heavy foods now, branching out their menu and customer base. They were the same welcoming alternative to Starbucks, but now they were meant to have a more broad appeal.

Sehun had worked with Kris for a short period to revamp the chain’s market appeal, and when profits had doubled in a year, Kris had insisted that they were eating and drinking whenever they came in for free, for life.

Kris’s empire was building steadily and with a great projection, and despite Luhan knowing how little Kris had wanted the job in the first place, he now seemed happy and content.

Luhan severely doubted that Kris was going to say no to helping out a bit. Kris never said no, no matter how obstinate he could be.

“Do it to make me feel better,” Luhan requested, effectively trapping his husband with guilt.

Sehun knew it, too, and commented, “That’s dirty of you, Luhan.”

“Do it for me and the baby. For your son.”

“So dirty.”

Now Luhan did laugh openly. “I’ll send Kris your way in a couple of hours. I’m serious, eat and get your strength back. And don’t drive home if you’re too tired. I can come get you, if you want. That second car you insisted we needed is just sitting in the driveway, you know.”

A bit darkly, Sehun said, “You know I get nervous now when you drive. You’re … delicate right now.”

“I am not.” Luhan lugged himself over to the office door, just to verify that Youri was sit seated in her boosterseat at the kitchen table, working away. Maybe Sehun wasn’t the only one helicopter parenting. “I should go now. Youri’s likely to face plant on the table any second, and you have a deadline to make. I’ll see you later tonight, and call me if you need a ride home.”

“All right,” Sehun agreed. “I’ll call if I’m too tired. Tell Wei I said hi, and give Youri my love.”

“Just Youri?”

“I am doing something very, very wrong,” Sehun said, “if I have to tell you how much I love you, and how you’re the center of my world, and how you are the reason I get up in the morning, and the reason I breathe, and why I—”

Quickly, Luhan said, “I love you too.”

He loved Sehun so much it nearly hurt in his heart at times.

As expected, Sehun most certainty didn’t make it home in time for dinner. But that was okay, because Wei was a fantastic cook, and he insisted on involving Youri in the process as much as possible. It served to distract her from Sehun’s absence.

She did, however, ask when it was bath time, “Will daddy tuck me in?”

Luhan was kneeling next to the bathtub, washing down her back with lavender scented soap when she asked. She looked at him with big eyes, earnestly asking the question.

“Daddy’s working late again,” Luhan eased out, lifting her arm to get underneath.

“Oh.”

She looked so disappointed Luhan said, “Remember how we talked about this last time? Daddy works late a lot because he’s very important. And a lot of people rely on him. He doesn’t work late because he wants to.” Bath toys bobbed in the water, and Luhan added, “Daddy will tuck you in tomorrow night for certain.”

Youri looked up at him with certain suspicion. “You promise?”

Instead of answering, and Luhan was terrified to making one that couldn’t be kept, he asked, “Would you like Uncle Wei to tuck you in tonight?”

Her fact lit at that. “Yes, please!”

So Luhan stood in the door frame of Youri’s room forty minutes later, listening to Wei’s soothing voice as he read a book. Youri’s eyes were drooping a little more with each minute that passed, and then finally they didn’t open again. Wei seemed to wait with baited breath, not sure if she was really out at first, before standing and tucking the book away.

Youri’s door was shut successfully behind them when Wei asked, “Does this happen a lot?” He didn’t look happy in the least bit. “Does Sehun have to work late? Are you stuck doing all this with Youri by yourself?”

Luhan leveled a finger up at him. “Don’t.”

“I’m not,” Wei tossed back just as quickly. “I’m not blind, Luhan. I see what his hard work has provided for you and Youri. I know he’s a good man—better than I am, and I respect that. But this is a lot for you to shoulder by yourself. This is too much, especially since you’re not feeling well. And what’s going to happen when you have a newborn?”

Luhan protested, “Sehun took paternity leave when Youri was born. I assume he’ll do it again.” They just hadn’t really talked about it. But Luhan also wasn’t finished with his second trimester. They had time.

Unmoved, Wei asked, “If Sehun goes to work all day, and you do this with Youri, and try and keep the house running smoothly, when do you have time to paint?”

Luhan poked at his stomach. “I’m not doing any painting right now. In fact, the last time I even passed by my paints, I got sick.”

“You know what I mean.”

Luhan felt a ripple of movement across his stomach and said, “Sehun is just trying to get settled into his promotion. His work load practically doubled. He’ll take paternity leave when the baby is born. He’ll be here as much as he can now, and more in the future. Don’t suggest otherwise.”

Wei looked far from done with their conversation, but he was also far too considerate to push the issue with the growing hour. So instead he sighed and said, “I’m sorry. And I’m also completely jet lagged. I think I’ll head to bed now.” He put a comforting hand on Luhan’s shoulder, then headed directly to the guest room he was staying in.

Luhan stood in the hallway for some time after Wei’s bedroom door closed. And then slowly, with some effort, he made his way to the master bedroom.

He took off his watch and set it on the dresser, near the silver framed picture of Sehun and Jae on their wedding day, which was next to his and Sehun’s own wedding day picture, and then began pulling at his clothing.

He barely remembered getting into bed and settling down.

But he most certainly felt the dip in the bed sometime later. Having Youri had made Luhan a much lighter sleeper than he’d been before. He practically startled awake until he felt a soft kiss to the back of his neck, and a familiar hand slid around to his stomach.

“It’s just me,” Sehun whispered in the darkness of the bedroom.

Luhan squinted at the clock across the room and frowned at the hour. “It’s so late.”

“Sorry,” Sehun apologized as he settled into place. He pressed his chest against Luhan’s back and held him firmly. “Work tonight. Thanks for the food. It was good. Kris says hi.”

Luhan was quiet for a little, then confided, “I missed you.”

“I always miss you,” Sehun returned. “I miss you, and Youri, and baby.”

Luhan could feel Sehun sink against him in exhaustion.

It wasn’t fair, Luhan wanted to shout. It wasn’t fair Sehun was working himself into the ground to provide for them, and everyone was suffering for it.

Luhan brought his hand up to cover Sehun’s across his stomach. “I love you,” he said, wondering if Sehun was even still awake.

“Mmm,” Sehun said a second later. “Not as much as I love you.”

Sehun smelled like carpet cleaner and paper, evidence that he’d been at work long after the janitors had started working, surrounded by mountains of memos, likely. And the smell made nausea want to claw its way up Luhan’s throat, but he ignored it, breathing in the scent of their sheets instead.

“Not possible.”

Sehun hugged him just a little tighter, kissing his skin again. “Absolutely possible.”

Luhan fell back off to sleep just after that. And when Youri woke them in the morning, jumping up and down on the bed in glee to see Sehun, most of Luhan’s worries were put aside for the moment.

He’d always been good at compartmentalizing.