Johnny quietly stepped out of the bathroom after finishing his shower, taking careful steps into the bedroom as he ran a towel over his wet hair to get as much water out of it as possible. He would typically use a hairdryer to complete the task much faster and so he could get it to the style he wanted it, but he didn't dare do that when Ten was still sleeping in the next room over. Sleep was something the younger deeply valued and if he was woken up before he was ready, Ten would surely bite his head off and that was not something he wanted. 

Johnny always started his days early, traveling to the gym to get his daily workout in so he could start his day off right. Being a model was meticulous and called for a lot of physical care. His body always needed to be in tip-top shape, and with a modeling shoot coming up requiring him to reveal a fair bit of his torso, he had to make sure his body was at peak quality for others to see. He had been making sure to up his weights and up his sets while there, and it was hard but doable and something he would adjust to soon. It was quite the commitment but something he thoroughly enjoyed. Ten would typically go with him and had for years to either run or swim to keep in shape, but with how hugely pregnant he was, that wasn't an option right now. He could if he wanted to and felt up to it, his doctor was still giving him the clear for doing light exercise even at nine months along, but Ten was exhausted and had only recently started letting his body rest in the last few weeks of his pregnancy. Growing a baby is hard work and he deserved some rest and the chance to sleep in. 

And the day before had been his 29th birthday, so this was just an extended gift he needed to recover from the eventful night before. Ten had stayed up much later than he usually would with the help of the few guests they invited to help celebrate. Taeyong and Donghyuk were both quite the chatterboxes and Yangyang and Guanheng were running all over the apartment checking out the stuff they had for their baby. The two had to touch everything to feel how soft it was or feel how new it was and it was pure madness. Johnny had needed to keep them in line and had to push them away from the nursery several times before they ruined it. Ten had spent so much time perfecting and designing it and if they were to mess it up he would surely spiral and cry his eyes out. It had happened once before when Johnny moved a stuffed animal he felt would look better in the rocking chair than on the shelf it previously sat on. Ten noticed immediately and asked why Johnny would do that to him before promptly sobbing into his palms. It was a mistake Johnny quickly learned from, and a mistake he wasn't going to let anyone else make. The nesting phase was far more intense than Johnny anticipated and he wasn't going to trigger any more incidents before their daughter was born. 

Their guests had stayed late into the night, too wrapped up in conversation to notice the time passing. Getting together as one group took a lot of effort and took a lot of working around schedules and planning, and there had been a window of opportunity and they took it. And it just so happened to be on Ten's birthday, the last birthday he would have without children and it was something no one let him forget. It was an exciting thing, not something to lament. 

Most of the conversations had been about the baby and how good Ten looked as far along as he was. Ten had enjoyed every compliment directed at him but enjoyed every comment made towards his daughter even more. She was his pride and joy already, and she was so close to being in his arms. She was due in a week, but a week felt like a lifetime away. Ten was agonizing over the wait but he did want his daughter to develop as much as she could before she was born. It was something he both wanted to end and didn't want to end. He was a little conflicted so he was just going with the motions for now. 

During his time in the apartment, Donghyuk very boisterously claimed several times that he would be the first person to hold their daughter after Ten and Johnny, that he would be the favorite uncle, and that she would love him immediately. With all of his confidence, Ten had to remind him that she was going to be a Pisces, and he was a Gemini. If Donghyuk was lucky, she would at most tolerate his existence. Donghyuk didn't find it very funny, but Taeyong did very much so. She would surely love Taeyong from the get-go and that was something he took with pride. 

It wasn't until Ten started to nod off mid-sentence that they realized they had all overstayed their welcome and took their leave from the apartment. Ten was gently shaken awake by Johnny so he could say his farewells, embarrassment painting his cheeks a pretty red. Plenty of hugs, well wishes, and promises that they would visit once the baby was here were given and it made Ten smile. He was looking forward to showing off his daughter to his friends and that day was creeping closer.

And at the end of the night, Ten was utterly exhausted and ready for bed. Despite Johnny not feeling the fatigue yet for himself, he went to bed with the younger after tidying the apartment per Ten's request. Johnny always cuddled up close to his husband, clinging to his body with so much heart and love. Ten always wanted to feel him against his back, close, so he could feel his heartbeat and let it lull him to sleep. Sleep was hard to come by when you were as pregnant as Ten was but Johnny always made it the tiniest bit easier for him. It had been a wonderful night and Ten was happy he was able to spend it with close friends before he wouldn't be able to for a while. 

That next morning, Johnny smiled contentedly, watching and listening as Ten hummed in his sleep, a hand rested right on the crest of his comically round bump. He often grew too warm in the night, even in late winter, and kicked the covers off to keep cool. Johnny could see Ten in his full glory, every new and beautiful curve of his body and he could see just how big their daughter was. Oh, how the next week could not move faster. Both men were growing incredibly impatient because she was so close to being here and so close to being in their arms, and the fact that she wasn't yet was frustrating to them. It was ridiculous. 

Standing in the bathroom threshold, Johnny watched as Ten stirred, face contorting into a frown as he began to wake up, attempting to turn his body onto his back before he realized that was no longer an easy feat. He gave up and stayed on his side, using a stiff hand to rub at his eyes as they opened after hours of remaining closed. Johnny smiled wider as Ten finally managed to open one eye, squinting as he adjusted to the dim glow of the room that peaked past the curtains that hung in their room. Ten used to leave their curtains open so the sun could wake them up in the mornings, but doing that currently, he had no reason to get out of bed and thought back to how ridiculous the idea was now. He would sleep as long as he wanted to thank you very much. 

With a hum of his own, Johnny made his way towards Ten at his bedside, kneeling so he was eye level with his husband, "Good morning," Johnny greeted quietly, the biggest smile already on his face even though Ten was not looking. He was too busy rubbing at his eyes and trying his best to turn over while groggy. Johnny giggled under his breath; he was so in love with this man, "How did you sleep?" he asked as he placed a soft kiss on Ten's nose. From what he could tell Ten had slept very well, evident by the fact that he had barely moved the night before. He assumed he was content where he laid and that was a huge factor in his sleep quality, something that had deteriorated the bigger he got. Johnny loved it when Ten got a full night's sleep. 

Johnny was expecting an answer along those lines, a good answer that would make him smile in relief, maybe that he slept the whole night through without having to get up to pee, maybe that he woke up a few times but was able to fall back asleep without issue, but instead, he received a low hum and the first thing out of Ten's mouth was a very hoarse and a very pointed, "I want cake," he rubbed at his eyes again, doing his best to wake up faster so he could see Johnny properly. Waking up to a face like that was one of the smallest pleasures in his life. 

But that hadn't been something Johnny was expecting and he had to chuckle to himself, "For breakfast?" there was a good amount of chocolate birthday cake leftover from the night before and it was stored away on a cake stand, trapped under a glass dome to keep fresh. Something like that wasn't meant for breakfast or even in the earlier half of the day. That wasn't something Ten did either, preferring something substantial to start his day with, like protein or leafy greens (he hated fruit and tried to avoid it at all costs but he did small things to incorporate it into his diet in the mornings for his daughter's sake). This was very out of character for him and it caught Johnny completely off guard. Pregnancy cravings perhaps.

"Yes," Ten nodded, light returning to his features the more he woke up. Both his eyes were open now and they weren't struggling as much to keep open, "Nothing else sounds as good as cake," he had dreamt of cake in his sleep, imagining several, all different flavors lined up and just waiting to be eaten. His first waking thought had been to get some real cake to eat and that's what he was going to do whether Johnny liked it or not. That chocolate cake in their kitchen was calling his name. 

And while Johnny would usually argue that, suggest he eat something healthy, looking at Ten's face and considering how he would do anything for him, Johnny couldn't deny him any one of his requests. What Ten says goes, and if he wants cake for breakfast then he was getting cake for breakfast, "Cake for breakfast it is then. Let me help you up," he stuck his hands out for Ten to take, knowing the younger would need help getting out of bed. He was too big to do it on his own in a timely manner anymore, and if he wanted to spare time he was going to need Johnny's help. 

Ten grabbed Johnny's hands and grunted as he shifted atop the bed, turning his body in ways it didn't turn so easily in anymore. Losing his agility had been a huge frustration the bigger he got, but Johnny was always close by to help him move and Ten didn't have to suffer for too long. When Johnny was out of the house is when Ten had the hardest time and he was just thankful Johnny was here now to help him along the way.

Johnny gently pulled Ten into a sitting position and now that he was upright the younger took the opportunity to stretch his spine out, leaning back on his arms and stretching as far back as his huge belly would let him. Their daughter was a big baby and she was positioned all out front, leaving Ten a sizable bump. He started showing from early on and he had loved it from the moment his daughter started out as a small bump just under his belly button. Now that she was full term, he loved it a little less but loved her a lot more.

It hit Johnny then that he hadn't wished his daughter a good morning yet. Taking the chance while Ten was stretching and distracted, Johnny placed both hands on his husband's bump to hold it, leaning close until his nose was bumping the curve of Ten's belly, "Good morning, Eden," he greeted, smiling enough that his nose scrunched and his eyes disappeared. Her name was something they had chosen together, a name that was unique to them and influenced by Johnny, a name they had fallen in love with almost immediately. She had always been an Eden and it hadn't taken very long for them to find that out, "I hope you slept well last night," even though she couldn't understand or speak back, Johnny always made sure to talk to her so she would know his voice. He wanted that bond once she was here. 

There was a kick to Johnny's hand and he felt a giggle roll deep from within his chest. It was a mixture of pride and love, "She slept pretty well; didn't move too much," Ten assured, relaxing from his stretch and placing one hand