Wonshik couldn’t sit still. He was constantly pacing back and forth or bouncing his leg, obviously nervous.

“Wonshik, will you relax?” Taekwoon sighed, placing a hand on his boyfriend’s knee.

Wonshik looked at him and asked, “How are you not nervous?!”

Taekwoon looked him in the eyes and said, “Who said that I'm not?”

Wonshik looked confused and said, “But you don’t look nervous at all!”

“Do I ever look nervous?”

Wonshik sighed and said, “Look… I may or may not be… panicking… a little….”

Taekwoon gave him a look of sympathy.

“But,” Wonshik said, giving a tiny little grin, “You know that they say, ‘panicking burns a -ton of calories’.”

Taekwoon looked at him in confusion and asked, “Who even says that?”

“Me. Just now.” Wonshik said, the grin falling from his face again.

Taekwoon took both of his hands into his and said, “Why are you panicking?”

“We’re about to meet the woman who’s gonna give us a baby,” Wonshik said, eyes so wide it looked painful, “How the hell can I not be panicking?!”

Taekwoon smiled at him and kissed him lightly.

“Relax,” he whispered, bringing his hand up to cup one of his cheeks, “It’ll all work out. You’ll see.”

Wonshik took a shaky breath and nodded. A few minutes later, the doctor came back in with a woman in toe, a woman that Wonshik recognized.

“Maxina?!” Wonshik exclaimed with wide eyes.

“Wonshik?!” The woman said back, a smile spreading across her face.

Wonshik quickly stood up and hugged the girl, making Taekwoon even more confused than he already was.

“It’s been so long!” The woman squealed, holding Wonshik’s hands happily.

“I know, it has,” Wonshik said, grinning, “Oh, Max, this is my boyfriend Taekwoon. Taek, this it Maxina Archer, an old friend.”

Taekwoon nodded and Max quickly bowed and shook his hand, greeting him.

“Wait, your name is Taekwoon?” Max asked.

Taekwoon slowly nodded and Max turned to Wonshik with a huge smile.

“Is this the same Taekwoon from high school?” She said, sounding excited.

Wonshik blushed lightly and nodded as he said, “Um, yeah… it’s the same Taekwoon….”

Max happily clapped her hands and said, “That’s so cute! High school sweethearts!”

Taekwoon smiled a little at that and everyone finally took their seats, Wonshik sitting Max on his left while Taekwoon was on his right. They went over all of the medical stuff they needed to before getting to something they didn’t really think about.

“Ok, so who’s are we using for the insemination?” The doctor asked, looking at the three in front of them.

Max looked to the couple and noticed that both of them seemed caught off guard, looking like deer caught in headlights.

“Um…,” Wonshik muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “We hadn’t really thought about that….”

The doctor nodded and excused himself to go meet with another couple while they figured it out.

“You really haven’t talked about it?” Max asked, moving her chair to sit in front of them.

The couple shook their heads and sighed, at a loss.

“Well,” Max started, catching their attention, “Since we’re doing this the traditional way, you might want think about who’s genetics and physical traits might mix the best with mine.”

The two males nodded and they started talking about it. After a while of talking, they decided that they would use Taekwoon’s. the doctor came back in a little while later and they set up a date for the procedure.

 

 

 

“Alright, are we ready for this?” The doctor asked, looking at the couple and surrogate.

They all nodded and they were led back to the room.

“Alright, are either of you staying in the room for the procedure?” The doctor asked, looking at the couple.

They looked at Max and she smiled as she said, “Stay! You’re part of this too, so you should be here!”

They nodded and moved to sit at her side. Taekwoon noticed that the young woman looked rather nervous, and he gently took her hand. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand, thanking him for comforting her. Afterwards, they took her out to lunch and Wonshik tried his hardest to help Max and Taekwoon get to know each other.

“So how did you guys meet?” Taekwoon asked, sipping his iced coffee.

“We lived next door to each other for eight years.” Wonshik said.

Max giggled and said, “The only reason we even met though was because some older boys decided to follow me home and pick on me. But Wonshik came home at just the right time and beat them up. We’ve been friends ever since.”

Taekwoon nodded and played with the straw of his coffee.

He looked up after a minute and shyly asked, “Did anything ever… happen… between you two…?”

Both Wonshik and Max were confused at what he meant.

Taekwoon took a deep breath before he clarified, “Did you guys ever… you know… date… or anything….?”

Max and Wonshik stared at him in silence for a moment before busting out laughing.

“Us date?!” Max laughed.

“Hell no,” Wonshik said, laughing just as much as Max, “I would sooner date a walrus’ then date her!”

Taekwoon blushed in embarrassment and Max started to laugh harder. She was laughing so hard that she started snorting, making Wonshik laugh even harder.

“I’m sorry,” Max said, smiling and wiping a stray tear from her face, “It’s just, people always used to ask us if we were dating all the time back then and it’s just so funny to us. We would never date each other, so it’s just funny when people ask.”

Taekwoon nodded and sipped his coffee again.

“We weren’t laughing at you.” Wonshik said, taking his boyfriend’s hand.

“Well,” Max said, smiling a little, “I kinda laughed at how adorable he looks when he blushes.”

Taekwoon blushed more and covered his face with his hands. Wonshik chuckled and kissed his cheek, trying to get him to relax. They talked about some random things for a while before exchanging phone numbers and promising to meet for lunch again the next week.

 

 

 

“Guys!!” Max called, catching the attention of the couple.

They looked over at her and saw her running towards them with a huge smile on her face. Once she was close enough, she launched herself into both of their arms, catching them both off guard.

“It worked,” she exclaimed, pulling back and jumping up and down happily, “I’m pregnant!!”

The couple were beyond surprised, since it had only been three weeks since the procedure.

“Wait, you can find out this early?” Wonshik asked, confused.

Max nodded and showed them the positive test result from her doctor. Wonshik smiled brightly and hugged the girl before kissing his boyfriend. Taekwoon smiled and hugged Max as well, squeezing her tightly to let her know how happy he was. After the happy news, they went to a book shop and bought several books about pregnancy and babies. They went back to Wonshik and Taekwoon’s apartment and sat down in the living room, flipping through the books.

“Well, no more sushi for me.” Max said, shrugging her shoulders.

Taekwoon scanned a page in his book and said, “Or coffee.”

“Wait, I can't drink coffee anymore?!” Max asked, looking up at him quickly.

He looked at her and said, “At least, not for the first trimester.”

Max groaned and whined, “Why not?”

Taekwoon read a few more lines on the page and answered, “I guess it’s not exactly proven, but there are some studies that suggest that too much caffeine can cause miscarriages.”

Max was quiet for a minute before she said, “Ok, so no coffee or soda while I'm pregnant.”

“It only says for the first trimester.” Wonshik said, looking up from his book.

Max shook her head and said, “I’m not risking it.”

Taekwoon smiled softly and said, “We really appreciate that.”

She nodded and they went back to reading their books, commenting on things they found funny or strange.

“Oh,” Max said, turning around to face the boys, “So I was thinking, maybe we could do those parenting classes during the pregnancy? That way you guys get to practice some stuff and I can know what I'm up against when I go into labor.”

They couple nodded and Taekwoon said, “So… we were thinking… that maybe, Max, you should move in with us.”

Max’s eyes widened and asked, “R-really?!”

They nodded and Wonshik said, “We really don’t want you living on your own while you’re pregnant. It’s that we don’t trust you or anything, but we know that it can be dangerous for a pregnant woman to live alone.”

“You’re sure it wouldn’t be a bother for me to live with you guys…?” Max asked, worried about being a burden.

Taekwoon shook his head and said, “Not at all. If you live with us, then we can help you through the pregnancy.”

“And you can Taekwoon company while I’m at work since he works at home.” Wonshik said, draping his arm over his boyfriend’s shoulders.

Max smiled and nodded, feeling happy that they wanted her there.

 

 

After that, the boys helped her pack up her things and move into their large apartment. They didn’t let her do very much no matter how many times she reminded them that she was only a month pregnant. After she was all settled in, the three really had fun living together. The boys dotted over the woman constantly, especially when she got later into the second trimester. Wonshik especially worried over her, and his worries were only made worse when he had to go out of town for a week to meet with a client.

 

“Are you guys sure you’ll be ok?” Wonshik asked for hundredth time as Taekwoon placed his suitcase in the trunk of the taxi.

“Wonshik,” Max said, placing her hands on his shoulders and making him look her in the eyes, “For the millionth time, we will be fine. It’s only a week, and Taekwoon and I can take care of ourselves.”

Wonshik sighed and looked between the girl and his boyfriend worriedly. Taekwoon kissed him softly and promised him that they would be ok. After a few more reassurances, Wonshik was finally in the taxi and on his way to the airport. Max and Taekwoon went back inside and sat down, relaxing since there was nothing to do.

“Oh! Ugh….” Max groaned, rubbing her decently sized baby bump.

“What is it?” Taekwoon asked, worried.

Max shook her head and said, “It’s nothing, Jimin just kicked me in the liver I think. You know what, I don’t know what she kicked since I don’t know what organs are where, but she kicked something.”

Taekwoon sighed in relief and nodded, putting his hand on her stomach and rubbing.

“She’s starting to get more active, isn’t she?” He asked, feeling a few small kicks here and there.

Max nodded and said, “Yep. And she’s starting to use my bladder as a pillow and a punching bag.”

Taekwoon laughed quietly and the tv, flipping through channels before settling on a random movie. After a little while, Taekwoon heard a small noise come from Max that he had never heard from her. He looked over at her surprised and she blushed a little.

“Sorry…,” she muttered, poking her tummy lightly, “Six months is about when the gas starts….”

Taekwoon looked at her for another minute before laughing, shaking his head and letting her know not to worry about it. She puffed her cheeks out in embarrassment and absentmindedly rubbed her stomach.

“Only three more months.” Taekwoon said, patting her small bump.

Max snorted and said, “Yeah, then at least six months of feeding. I heard that it at first.”

Taekwoon smiled sympathetically and nodded, remembering reading about it on a blog.

“Mm, what time is it,” Max asked, looking around, “We have a class tonight at 5:00.”

“It’s 4:28. What’s it on tonight?” Taekwoon said, looking back at Max from checking the time.

She thought for a minute before she said, “It’s either feeding or more exercises I think. I don’t really remember.”

Taekwoon nodded and they got up, getting ready to go before getting in the car. After a relatively short drive, they were settled into the circle with the other soon-to-be parents. Everyone in the class knew that Max and Taekwoon weren’t together as a couple, but that she was his and Wonshik’s surrogate. Normally both men came to the classes, so the other moms were confused as to why the younger male wasn’t there.

“No Wonshik tonight?” One asked, looking curious.

“Is he sick?” another asked, sounding concerned.

Max and Taekwoon shook their heads and Taekwoon said, “He’s on a business trip this week.”

The other moms nodded and they started talking about their new symptoms and how their spouses were helping them.

“How have you been lately Max?” The woman sitting on their right, Joon, asked.

Max smiled at her and said, “Good. Though Jimin has been beating up my organs.”

The older woman laughed and nodded, saying that her baby boy had been doing the same.

“Has your back been hurting?” Max asked, rubbing her own lower back.

Joon nodded and said, “Yeah, it’s getting worse the farther along, huh?”

Max nodded and as she was saying something else to Joon, she felt large hands start needing the tight muscles of her lower back. She sighed happily and let her head drop down.

“You’re so lucky,” Joon said, smiling, “Both Taekwoon and Wonshik are so sweet to you.”

“Well we are best friends,” Max said, patting Taekwoon’s knee, “And besides, it wouldn’t do them any good to be s to their surrogate.”

Taekwoon snorted and Max and Joon giggled. Soon the class started, but Taekwoon continued working the knots out of Max’s back, shoulders, and neck. He really didn’t need to pay attention during this class since it was about Kegel exercises. To say that Taekwoon was a little uncomfortable was an understatement. Max knew that he was shy and that this class was more than a little too much for him, and she promised him that they wouldn’t have to talk about it after that class was over.

 

 

The rest of the week went by uneventfully and Wonshik was happy to get home. Max told him about the uncomfortable class they had to sit through and of course he was amused. After that, they made their registry and the boys planned the baby shower.

 

 

 

“Oh, ow….” Max said, placing a hand on her large stomach.

Wonshik looked over at her and asked, “Are you ok?”

She nodded and said, “Yeah, I think she just kicked the wrong place really hard.”

He nodded and turned back to the tv, wrapping his arm around Taekwoon as he cuddled into his side. Max rested her head on his shoulder as they all lounged on the couple’s large bed, watching a movie together. She didn’t really think much of the pain until another, similar pain hit a while later. She started to get suspicious and after it happened four more times, she was 90% positive what it was.

“Um, guys,” she said, making them look over at her, “I think I’m having contractions….”

Their eyes widened and Taekwoon quickly crawled over Wonshik’s legs to sit next to Max’s hips, gently placing his hand on her stomach.

“How bad?” He asked.

“Painful, but not horrible yet.” Max said.

They talked about a little more and decided that it wasn’t time to go to the hospital yet, so the boys did everything they could to help her stay comfortable. After a few hours, when it was around 1 am, it was finally time to go to the hospital. When they got there, Max was taken to get prepped and the boys waited for a nurse to come get them. Wonshik looked panicked again and Taekwoon took his hand.

“Are you panicking?” He asked.

Wonshik nodded and said, “But you know what they say—”

“I know, ‘panicking burns a -ton of calories’. And only you say that.” Taekwoon said, smiling at his boyfriend.

He kissed him and tried to keep him calm until they were able to join Max in the hospital room.

“How are you doing hon?” Taekwoon asked, brushing some hair out of her face.

She scrunched her nose and said, “I've been better.”

Wonshik put his hand on her leg and asked, “Have they done the epidural yet?”

Max shook her head and said, “No, not for another hour they said.”

The boys nodded and again did what they could to try to keep her as comfortable as possible. After an hour passed, the nurse came back in and gave Max the epidural, the boys almost more relieved than she was. They were sat on either side of her, both with an arm around her shoulders. Now that she wasn’t in pain, she dosed off, her head resting against Taekwoon’s chest.

“We’re about to be parents….” Wonshik said, taking a deep breath.

Taekwoon nodded and reached over to take his hand. They rested their intertwined fingers on Max’s stomach, waiting patiently for their baby girl to finally arrive.

 

 

A shrill cry rang out through the room as Max flopped back on the bed, finally done with labor.

“You did such a good job!” Wonshik said, hugging her.

She gave him a tired smiled and Wonshik looked over at Taekwoon to see him watching the nurses take care of the baby. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the tiny human. The couple cut the umbilical cord together, and after the baby was cleaned off a little, they had the nurse hand the baby to Max.

“Me first…?” She asked, surprised.

They nodded and Taekwoon said, “You just spent eighteen hours in labor. You deserve to hold her first.”

Max smiled and took the baby from the nurse, looking at the crying infant softly.

“She kind of looks like you Taekwoon.” She said, smiling up at the older man.

Both males smiled, and soon the baby was taken off to be properly cleaned and examined. Once back in her room, Max fell asleep quickly and Wonshik hugged Taekwoon tightly.

“We’re parents….” He whispered, burring his face in Taekwoon’s neck.

The older male nodded and kissed Wonshik’s temple, the smile never leaving his face. A little while later, a nurse wheeled in a bassinet with sleeping baby in it. She congratulated the couple before leaving, and they stared down at the baby quietly.

“Max is right,” Wonshik said softly, smiling down at the little girl, “She does look like you.”

2147483647. smiled and kissed his cheek before reaching down to gently the baby’s chubby little cheek. They couldn’t be happier, knowing that they had just started their small family, and they couldn’t wait for it to grow.