Kihyun didn’t want to leave the bathroom. The air conditioning was on in the main hotel room too but the tiled walls and large airy space made the bathroom feel cooler and after a day full of travelling cool was what he needed. Travelling was always exhausting but he found it especially exhausting now that he was pregnant. And the warm weather hadn’t helped. He’d tried to dress appropriately, opted for shorts and a baggy t-shirt when he’d usually wear jeans, but he’d still ended up feeling overly warm and sweaty and tired. He’d tried not to let this show, Minhyuk had put a lot of effort into planning this trip. He wanted to celebrate their first wedding anniversary properly and had arranged for them to spend a long weekend in Osaka. It was where they’d spent their honeymoon and wanting to make their anniversary trip special, he’d booked them into not only the same hotel but the same room.

And not only had Minhyuk put in all that effort but he’d even made sure to ask him, before finalising any of their anniversary plans, if he thought he’d be up to travelling. And Kihyun had assured him that yes, he’d be fine. By the time their anniversary rolled around he was going to be nearing the end of his second trimester so he was going to be noticeably pregnant but hopefully not hugely pregnant meaning he would still be allowed to fly. And it wasn’t as if they were planning to do anything too strenuous. He was sure he’d be able to cope with dinner out and a little bit of sightseeing. There was no need for Minhyuk to worry, he should go ahead and book it.

So Minhyuk had, he’d booked their trip and here they were and there was nowhere Kihyun wanted to be more than back home in his own bed, binge watching a boxset with a bag of salted popcorn open beside him because lately he couldn’t focus on watching anything unless he had popcorn there to snack on. He’d lost count of the number of bags he’d gotten through in the last few weeks and Minhyuk had expressed some worry that their baby may end up being born with a popcorn addiction. Kihyun had told him to shut up, that wasn’t how cravings worked.

But he wasn’t at home, and while he’d compromise and settle for sitting on the hotel bed and finding a movie to watch, he couldn’t. Minhyuk had booked them a table at one of their favourite restaurants and that was where they were supposed to be heading now. That was why Kihyun was currently in the bathroom in front of the mirror. He’d changed into jeans and a dress shirt and was trying to make his hair look presentable. There was one tuft right at the back of his head that was refusing to stay flattened no matter what he did. It was frustrating.

“Be careful, if the wind changes your face might stay like that.”

He’d been so focussed on getting his hair to behave he hadn’t heard Minhyuk come into the bathroom and as such this sudden announcement was enough to make him visibly flinch.

“Firstly,” Kihyun said, after taking a moment to assure himself that his heart wasn’t about to beat it’s way out of his chest, “there’s no wind in here so that doesn’t even make sense. And secondly, don’t sneak up on me like that. One day it’s going to backfire and I’m going to turn around and punch you on reflex.”

“Sorry, won’t happen again.” Minhyuk told him.

Kihyun hadn’t turned around when he’d entered the room but he could see his husband’s reflection in the mirror and had spotted the flicker of a smirk on his face as he’d apologised so he wasn’t holding out much hope. Minhyuk had told him before how adorable he thought he was when he was surprised so he doubted he was going to be stopping it anytime soon. But whether he meant it or not the apology was appreciated, it was definitely better than him teasing him further which is what Kihyun had expected him to do. “Thank you” he said, his hand going back to his hair. “This just won’t stay flat. It’s so annoying.”

“That’s what’s got you frowning so hard?” Minhyuk asked, coming to stand behind him and taking a closer look.

“We’re supposed to be going out.” Kihyun reminded him. “And I look like a mess.”

“I think you look cute.” Minhyuk told him, taking the hand he still had pressed to the back of his head and gently lowering it. “But let me try…”

“Do what you like but it’s not going to stay down.” Kihyun told him as he started combing his fingers through his hair. “It’s grown a mind of its own lately.”

“I’m sure it’s gotten thicker since you’ve been pregnant.” Minhyuk mused, his free hand going to rest on his husband’s hip as continued trying to flatten his hair. “Did you try wetting it?”

“Of course I tried wetting it.” Kihyun grumbled, “what do you think I’ve been doing in here, staring at my reflection in the mirror and willing my hair to behave?”

“No, I think you’ve been stalling because you don’t want to go out to dinner.” Minhyuk said casually, eyes still focussed on the back of his head.

It took a moment for Kihyun to answer, his mouth parting slightly in surprise because how could Minhyuk know that? He hadn’t said a word about how tired he was feeling. In fact he’d been doing his best to pretend that he was fine. And he’d thought he’d succeeded…

“I haven't been stalling. It takes longer to get ready now that’s all.” He eventually protested, deciding that was as good an excuse as any. “We’re going out somewhere nice and I want to look like I’ve made an effort. And it’s not just my hair that won’t behave. My skin hasn’t been this much of a problem since I was a teenager,” he complained, one hand going to subconsciously rub at the spattering of acne that had recently sprung up on his jaw.

“It’s not that bad.” Minhyuk said soothingly, and giving up on trying to tame his hair he dropped his hand onto Kihyun’s shoulder and started massaging that instead. “And even if it was it’s not as if anyone’s going to notice.”

“You’re right,” Kihyun agreed with a sigh, his other arm going to cradle his ever growing bump, grimacing as their little boy made his presence known by pushing what Kihyun was guessing was an elbow into his belly button, he’d been far more active today than Kihyun was used to which wasn’t a bad thing as such, but being poked and prodded from the inside when he was already uncomfortable wasn’t doing anything to help his mood. “it’s not like anyone’s going to be looking at my face.” The bigger his belly grew the less he had to worry about people spotting his acne because they’d be looking at his middle instead. When he was in a good mood, well rested and happy, this didn’t bother him. In fact it made him feel kind of proud, the fact people were looking meant that their baby was growing well. But when he wasn’t feeling great all the staring just made him feel awkward and self-conscious.

With a sigh of his own Minhyuk stopped kneading Kihyun’s shoulder and wrapped his arm around him, pulling him closer so he was practically pinned to his chest. Then he settled his chin on his shoulder. “So you don’t want to go?” he mumbled, his cheek pressed so firmly against Kihyun’s that Kihyun felt more than heard him say it.

Kihyun thought about shrugging him off and putting some space between them. It’s what he usually did when Minhyuk got clingy, he wasn’t a big fan of being coddled or of the air being squeezed out of his lungs which was always a danger if Minhyuk got too carried away. But he found himself leaning back into Minhyuk’s chest instead, all pretence of being fine going out the window. “I don’t.” he admitted, feeling guilty but knowing there was no point pretending otherwise, “I’m sorry. I know how much you’ve been looking forward to this trip and I know we haven’t actually done much today, other than travel and it’s not like we walked here, I’ve spent most of today sitting down, but I’m just so tired. I don’t know why.”

“I know why.” Minhyuk told him, sounding nowhere near as disappointed as Kihyun had expected him to.

“You do?” he asked, surprised not to have been met by an argument or at least by a heavy sigh and some grumbling.

“Well you’re growing a baby, aren’t you?” Minhyuk reminded him, the hand he’d had resting on Kihyun’s hip working its way around to his side. “That takes a lot of energy, And our little one isn’t quite so little anymore is he?” he added, flattening his hand against his bump. “Carrying him around all day can’t be easy for you.”

Kihyun knew he wasn’t huge yet, he knew their baby had a lot of growing left to do and he was only going to get bigger, but he felt huge. “He is getting pretty heavy.” He admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t go out to dinner. I’m being silly. We should just go. I’ll be fine once we get there.”

But Minhyuk wasn’t having it. “I don’t want you to be ‘fine once we get there’, I want you to enjoy yourself and you’re not going to enjoy yourself if you’re exhausted. So why don’t you get changed and I’ll order us room service instead?”

“But you booked us a table.” Kihyun protested. Staying in when he’d gone to so much effort felt like such a waste.

“I can cancel our table.” Minhyuk told him, not giving in.

“Well if you’re sure…”Kihyun said slowly deciding that putting up a fight would be pointless. Minhyuk could be ridiculously stubborn sometimes. Add to that the fact he was right and there was no way he was going to win.

“I’m sure. I’ll bring you some clothes and you can get changed.”

------- -------

So their first anniversary dinner had been eaten at the table in their hotel room, both of them in sleep shorts and a t-shirt which hadn’t been what Minhyuk had planned but he’d seemed to enjoy himself. Kihyun had tried to apologise again, pointing out if this was how they were going to spend their anniversary they could have stayed at home but Minhyuk had waved the apology away. Dinner at home wouldn’t have been the same he’d reasoned, one of them would have had to make it. And wasn’t being in the same room that they’d spent their honeymoon in nice? Didn’t it bring back memories of the last time they were there?

And Kihyun had had to agree that it did. They’d spend their first full day as a married couple in the same room, it definitely brought back memories, of not only their honeymoon but of their wedding too.

Back then he couldn’t believe life could get any better. The day of their wedding the weather had been on their side, the ceremony had been beautiful, their family and friends had been so incredibly happy for them. It had been the perfect day followed up by the perfect week in Osaka. The first time they’d visited the city it had been as friends and with friends. On their last night there Minhyuk had suggested they go for a walk, just the two of them and Kihyun had taken him up on the offer and he was glad that he had because they’d come back to Korea a couple. So going back to Osaka for their honeymoon had made perfect sense. They’d revisited all of the places they’d been to as friends, amused by the fact that when they were last there they would never have guessed they’d be back as a married couple.  And not only had the wedding ceremony and the honeymoon been perfect, but how many people got lucky enough to marry their best friend? He’d been on cloud nine, he couldn’t imagine being any happier. He hadn’t thought it possible.

But here he was, one year later, in the same city, in the same room, sitting back against the headboard of the same bed, Minhyuk sitting beside him, realising he’d been wrong. He was tired, his legs were aching from standing in line at the airport, his back was hurting from sitting so long on the plane, but he was so ridiculously happy. And not just because Minhyuk had called room service after dinner to ask if they had any salted popcorn then charmed them into finding him some when they’d said no.

“I love you.”

Minhyuk had been scrolling through the movies that were available to rent Through the hotel TV, turn to look at him, his brow furrowing in bemusement, clearly thrown off-guard by his sudden confession.  “I love you too.”

“I don’t think I tell you that enough.” Kihyun explained even though Minhyuk hadn’t asked.

But Minhyuk was quick to argue. “You tell me all the time.” He said with a smile. “You tell me every time I feed you lately. You know I’d still get you the food you want even if you didn’t say it, right?”

“Shut up.” Kihyun said, valiantly resisting the urge to smack him. “You know that’s not the only time I tell you I love you.”

“Okay, so if this isn’t about the popcorn then what brought that realisation on?” Minhyuk asked, smile only widening.

“I don’t know… I just… it’s just… I’m really happy now, that’s all.” Kihyun mumbled, a hand going to rest on his belly. He could feel his face starting to redden, which was ridiculous, he’d known Minhyuk far too long to be embarrassed by that statement, but one of his husband’s special talents was making him blush for seemingly no reason at all.

“Me too.” Minhyuk admitted, thankfully not calling him on it. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be and no one else I’d rather be with. And what about this one?” He asked, placing his own hand beside Kihyun’s, running his thumb across the fabric of his t-shirt. “Is he happy? He’s not giving you any trouble is he?”

Kihyun shook his head. “He was a little excited earlier, I don’t think he liked all the travelling, he isn’t used to me sitting down for so long and I don’t think he liked the noise on the plane or in the airport.” He wasn’t usually so active during the day, he tended to keep most of his kicking for the evening so Kihyun was putting all of the wriggling he’d been doing throughout the day down to the change in routine. “He’s settled down now though.”

Minhyuk nodded, shifting as if he was about pull his hand back, but before he could their little boy gave a firm kick in the spot where his palm was resting, making Minhyuk’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “He must know we’re talking about him.” He said, his eyes meeting Kihyun’s, the smile from earlier right back on his face.

“He must.” Kihyun agreed, finding the obvious wonder on Minhyuk’s face to be incredibly endearing.

“Sometimes I can’t quite believe this is real.” Minhyuk admitted, eyes going back to Kihyun’s middle as he rubbed his hand across the swell of his stomach. “That we’re going to be parents… we’re going to be a family of three.”

“I know, it’s still hard for me to believe sometimes too.” Kihyun admitted, marvelling as their little boy continued to push his foot against his father’s hand. “This time next year we’ll have a nine or ten month old son.”

“Next year we should spend the weekend at the beach.” Minhyuk suggested, eyes lighting up in excitement. “We can let him put his feet in the sea for the first time. He’ll be eating solid food by then too, we can go to all the best food places and he can try new things and we can take pictures to commemorate our first trip altogether as a family.”

“Our second.” Kihyun corrected him, covering Minhyuk’s hand with his own and keeping it in place. “This is our first trip altogether as a family.” And even if they didn’t do anything at all other than watch movies in bed and eat popcorn he knew it was going to be something he’d remember. It was going to be one more good memory to add to their ever growing list.