Baekhyun’s POV

Inkigayo stage

My nose itched.

It itched so badly that I had to rub it every twenty seconds.

It took all of my energy and concentration not to scratch it on stage as I performed on our last and final stage for ‘Wolf’. Plus I had a late night radio show to do tonight with Chen. Ugh. I had no idea how I was going to survive that hour of live radio without rubbing my nose.

I was never one to get a sensitive nose. My skin complexion was never really an issue besides the occasional pimples.

So why?

Why did my nose itch so bad?

Was I getting an infection of some sorts?

The moment I stepped off that stage and into the waiting room where no cameras were, my hands flew up to my nose and I furiously rubbed the itch, willing it to disappear.

“What’s the matter?” Chanyeol suddenly materialised beside me. “Why do you look like Rudolph? Why is your nose so red?”

With my fingers still on my nose, I rolled my eyes. “It’s itchy, idiot.”

“Let me see.” His hands pried mine away from my nose, as he bent down to take a closer look at my nose. “Doesn’t look like anything serious. No red spots or anything like that.”

“Why are you looking at his nose?” Jongin’s voice popped up from nowhere.

“Yeol! What are you doing?” Kyungsoo’s voice followed soon after. “Wow. It’s really red, Baek ah. You should stop rubbing it.”

 “My nose just itched, alright? Let me deal with it.” I blurted out, a hint of exasperation in my voice.

Chanyeol continued fussing over my nose, bringing all sorts of ointments and creams and shoving them in front of my face. Kyungsoo too was grabbing some ice and wrapping it in a towel. Great, now my nose had become the star attraction of the day. As if I wasn’t irritated enough with the annoying itch. And then I noticed. Jongin was standing very very still, not taking part in any of the ‘Save-Baek’s-nose’ operation going on around me. Kyungsoo had also sensed his stiff stance and intertwined his hands with Jongin’s.

“Jongin? What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo tilted his head up to him.

“Ya. What’s the matter, Jongin? It’s nothing serious. No need to look so worried.” I let out a weak attempt at a laugh. His face turned serious the moment I mentioned that my nose itched. His usually smiling eyes lacked its former twinkle and took a paler brown shade. His face too paled to the usually flushed appearance after a performance.

Now all the attention, including Chanyeol’s, was on Jongin.

“Your nose… itches?” After a long pause, Jongin asked tentatively, as if having to confirm what he just heard.

I could only nod.

“Well,” he paused slightly, as if contemplating whether to voice his thoughts or not. Kyungsoo squeezed his hands in encouragement and he took a deep breath before continuing. “Kyungsoo never had this symptom or maybe we just didn’t notice. But when I was preparing for his pregnancy, I read many book as well as internet posts to increase my knowledge. And I remember clearly a blog post I came across.”

I could already guess the direction of his words.

“One of the early symptoms of a pregnancy was an itchy nose.”

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Chanyeol’s POV

“One of the early symptoms of a pregnancy was an itchy nose.”

WHAT?

Baek was pregnant?

Jongin continued to explain. “Although it is not scientifically proven, many women had experienced the same thing. While I’m not saying that you are definitely pregnant, there may be a possibility that you are indeed with child. Perhaps you could try out with a pregnancy test. Just to be sure.”

The three of us just stared at him, dumbfounded.

By the time I had worked through the emotions of shock, surprise, admiration, joy and love, Manager Hyung came to whisk Baekhyun and Chen off to the radio studio.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

That word came replaying over and over again in my head, not quite able to believe.

It was ridiculous how quickly my heart could fill with love for a being that I had never met, heard or even seen. At this stage, the baby was probably nothing but a tiny speck of DNA, oh heck, Baek being pregnant was just a possibility. And yet there was nothing more magical than the way my heart felt as if it was beating for this 'child'. This was the magic of purpose and of love in its purest form. Not television love or public display of skinship, with its glare and hollow glint; not and allure, all costumes and makeup, everything both too small and in too much excess, but just love. Love like rain, like the smell of a tangerine, like learning of a new human being.

That night, as I waited eagerly for Baek to return, I buried myself in Jongin’s books and his notes, hoping to be prepared for whatever was to come.

But I guess some things simply can’t be prepared for. 

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A/N: Short chapter, sorry guise. Next one will be long I promise! ><