“Cereals, oatmeals, handwash, toothpaste, cotton, tissue, and cano- what did you say?”

“Canola oil, just put cooking oil in there,” Chanyeol corrected as he scooped up another mouthful of chocolate chip ice cream off the bucket in his hand, lounging comfortably on the couch with his head sideways on Kris’ lap. Kris scribbled some more on the note on the coffe table in front of them, hovering his torso over chanyeol’s head. Chanyeol had been watching spongebob squarepants mostly in half in the last 20 minutes thanks to the back of Yifan’s arm blocking his view.

“What else? fruits? I thought you said you wanted dried persimmons?” Kris asked, eyes re-scanning the grocery list he had written.

“Mmm… I don’t feel like wanting them anymore…”

“Why?”

“I want dried fish, hehehe,” Chanyeol said coyly, knowing his request will get his soon-to-be husband all riled up.

“Chanyeol-aah! We’re not getting any salted dried fish ever again for you, that’s final. The doctor even said it, you keep getting headache and abusing your blood pressure because of too much salt.” Kris used a non-nonsensical tone, dreading that day not too long ago, where he had to prickle Chanyeol’s finger and let some blood out to ease the blood pressure. Chanyeol moaned and pouted. Kris sighed and leaned back, resting one palm over Chanyeol’s that was holding the plastic spoon, fingers brushing the slightly cool metal ring on Chanyeol’s finger. Their engagement ring.

It was a lazy afternoon, and the sunlight that was pouring through the opened blinds was pinkish yellow, giving their one-story, dark mahogany and white dominated house, some soft colors. Kris looked over to the TV where it was rolling the cartoon makers’ names against the quirky Hawaiian-music background, and spoke.

“You wanna come with me shopping?” Kris asked. It was light, since Kris knew how more and more reluctant Chanyeol became in going out unnecessarily ever since his stomach had grown bigger. He absolutely didn’t have a problem getting the task done himself, but asked anyway in case the other was in an exceptionally good mood to step outside. Chanyeol contemplated for a moment, looking outside where the weather was beautiful and friendly and then rolled on his back to face him as if to seek for reassurance.

“It’s Saturday night…” Kris added as he shrugged, blunt fingers mindlessly scratching Chanyeol’s softer ones on top of the swelling belly. Chanyeol squinted his eyes at him and bursted laughing.

“What are we, teenagers?” Chanyeol mused.

“Hey, we’re only twenty five this year!” Kris acted offended, but Chanyeol’s laugh was too contagious that he ended up smiling too.

“So?” Kris asked again.

Because of the weather, and maybe the fact that it’s Saturday and possibly Kris’ face in general, Chanyeol made up his mind to go.

“Sure! I’ll just get ready,” The blonde haired sprung up from his lap with a renewed energy out of nowhere, and headed to their bedroom. Must be from Spongebob, Kris snickered as he reached for the remote control to turn off the TV and join Chanyeol. Kris already felt adequately dressed up with his black big-sized T-shirt and jeans, so he just plopped down stomach first to the mattress, watching Chanyeol browse and pick out clothes.

Kris’ mother, upon hearing the news, was at first, shocked, and to be painfully honest, resented him and Chanyeol for it. But, perhaps because he was still her son, and Chanyeol was still her son’s loved one, she had been getting more accepting towards the whole situation recently and even sent them maternity clothes, in which Chanyeol decided there was no way he could wear those wispy, pretty tops and flowery rubber-waisted pants except at home.

Chanyeol slipped on one of his cotton shirt - that was perfectly fine everywhere except the middle part where it got slightly stretched from his tummy - and topped it with a zipper hoodie and regarded Kris from the mirror.

Kris nodded absent-mindedly. “Yeah…”

“Does it show?” Chanyeol turned to the side and gave Kris his profile look. Chanyeol was 3 going on 4 months pregnant, and it’d be a lie if one said they don’t notice the doubling in size of Chanyeol’s tummy.

“Nah, doesn’t really show, don’t worry,” Kris said as he got up into a sitting position, ready to prepare the car. But Kris always says that, and Chanyeol was obviously less than convinced, so he added:

“And if it does, they’ll probably think you’re a drunk with a beer belly anyways… wait, are you?” Kris smirked, Chanyeol’s mouth widened.

“!” Chanyeol threw his used shirt to the sprinting Kris out the door, but grinned, admitting that that was kind of funny.

…

..

.

In the car on the way to the supermarket, it was 5.30 pm and they were stuck in a traffic jam.

“Where the are all these people going?!” Kris seethed in hate at the sight of cars, motorbikes, buses, and everything all around his own black Audi RS5. Chanyeol sighed. Kris is ALWAYS allergic to traffic jams despite claiming that he loved driving.

“It’s Saturday night~” Chanyeol simply sing-songed as the black haired’s patience was quickly wearing thin beside him.

Kris kept glaring at the red light as if that could change its color faster, and cursed loudly as a motorbike decided to cut across just when he was about to accelerate at the green light. He punched the button down to open the left side of his car window and shouted out ‘SON OF A !!’ to the fleeing motorbike making a beeline off to the distance. They were honked by cars behind them and Kris fixed his eyes back on the road in front of him to resume driving. Chanyeol let out a breath, and Kris glanced at him before muttering ‘Sorry’.

“You want me to drive? Let’s switch,” Chanyeol offered more as sarcasm. Kris frowned.

“No. I said I’m sorry,” Kris answered, and Chanyeol just looked out the window while rubbing soothing circles on his belly from the inside of his hoodie’s front pockets.

…

..

.

They were able to safely get to their destination exactly one and a half hour later (from the supposed-to-be-only-30-minute-drive in usual days), thus, Chanyeol decided to make this shopping trip quick since, clearly, Kris had lost his good mood somewhere along the way.

Walking a little faster than leisurely with Kris trailing behind with the shopping cart, Chanyeol wasted no time in scanning the grocery list and chucking things into it, expertly maneuvering their way around the crowded supermarket. In no time, he got to the last particular item - in which Kris had insisted them to get - on the list, and hesitantly headed over to the dairy products aisle. Browsing the shelves full of colorful packagings of all sorts, Chanyeol tried to find the same brand of maternity milk Kris’ mother likes to supply him lately. He convinced himself that he shouldn’t be embarrassed to even buy anything motherhood-related since people could just assume he was getting them for his wife or something. Hence, he finally found the brand he was looking for right beside a similar one, but with gold-colored band across the box.

Kris himself slipped in and buried a small tin of body-building formula powder into the stuffy cart when Chanyeol’s not looking.

Chanyeol looked at the one he was holding, the familiar light purple one with a picture of a smiling woman holding her big- pregnant belly, then looked at the other one, and noticed the price was more expensive. He glanced around to find a person in charge, and spotted a sales promotional girl with the same milk’s brand sewn across her dress just steps away.

“Excuse me miss,” Chanyeol strode her way, but she was busy chatting with another sales promotional girl from a different brand.

“Miss, excuse me, can I ask you about-“ The girl, finally poked by her chat partner, looked back annoyingly at Chanyeol. “-the difference between these two?” The girl flicked her hair and rolled her eyes, having come across a lot of young guys, like Chanyeol, who just asks her out of wanting to tell a stupid ually-harassing milk joke.

“Isn’t it written there?” She looked at the two boxes Chanyeol was holding like she couldn’t care less. Kris twitched.

“Yeah, but why is this one’s so expensive while this-“

“Isn’t it your job to explain to customers, miss?” Kris interrupted, and the sales promotional girl seemed put-off by Kris’ stern voice.

“Yeeaah, but it’s written there, that one’s for expecting mothers, and the other one’s for lactating mothers after pregnancy.” She finally answered irritatedly.

“Shouldn’t have taken a lot of energy to just simply explain properly in the first place now, should it?”

“Kris…” Chanyeol gave him a look that says ‘I got this’. But then the girl seemed to have been hit right on and just wordlessly turned her attention back to her friend, who smiled awkwardly at the two boys and apologized on her behalf. Chanyeol thanked the girls with his big toothy smile and quickly chucked his usual purple colored one into the pushcart before dragging them away.

At the cash registry though, luck didn’t seem to favor Chanyeol’s side as, just one particularly degrading look at them both and a sneer from the cashier guy, had set Kris into rage.

“What the was that?” Kris spat as their stuff was getting plastic-bagged and Chanyeol was pulling out his wallet to pay. Chanyeol hadn’t missed the disrespectful way the guy had looked at him, but he knew better than to make a big ordeal out of every little thing.

“The was what?” The cashier guy chewing a gum snorted, and he just eyed at the pretty boy in front of him with mocking disinterest.

“Don’t you ‘the was what’ me, you think I didn’t see you giving us that look just then?! Wipe that smirk off your face!”

“Kris! Stop it!” Chanyeol arbitrated, but the cashier made a bad decision of laughing.

“What? Did I offend your boyfriend? I’m sorry, my face is just like this by default.” The cashier guy seemed smug, Kris royally trolled. But neither of them expected Kris to lurch over and grabbed the guy by his collar.

Chanyeol, and the cashier guy’s jaw dropped.

“Your FACE-” Kris growled right under the cashier guy’s nose and glanced at the nameplate on the guy’s chest pocket. “-FIX IT. Park Cho Man.” and the chewing gum fell out of his mouth.

Chanyeol wrenched Kris’ arms off the bulkier, but shorter worker, and paid their stuffs as he bowed apologies to the waiting people behind them on the line, and the attentive spectators who witnessed the commotion around them.

“This guy just gave you the ing Iook, didn’t you see? He started it!” Kris protested hotly, but Chanyeol refused to feed him the support and Kris was left to follow when Chanyeol was done getting their change and receipt and his heels to roll the cart, heading to the parking lot.

“Why the hell are you mad at me, when he’s the one who gave you that look?! You should be mad at him!” Kris still complained as he barely struggled to keep up with his furious’s boyfriend’s pace.

“Can’t you get a hold yourself, just a liiitle bit for me? Yeah, I’ve seen it, but what can we do?! It’s not everyday people see a gay man, pregnant, with his boyfriend! You can’t tell me we’ve never dealt with that before! How many times do you have to be mad at the same thing over and over again?!”

“Oh, so you expect me to just stand back and do nothing? Look, THIS is EXACTLY what I don’t like about you, you just keep getting yourself pushed and stepped all over by people and you don’t even let me stand up for your sake!”

“You don’t like that about me?! Well, . I don’t understand why is it that YOU’RE the one who’s acting like a PMS-ing little when I’M the one pregnant!” Chanyeol hissed as he nudged Kris’ ribs to open the trunk of their car, and Kris rolled his eyes as he got out his car keys and clicked it unlocked before helping him get most of the plastic bags in.

“If you can’t see me standing up for you, then just don’t look! But you can’t expect me to stop. And don’t try to stop me.” Kris said to him, which made Chanyeol’s heart swell with a confusing mix of burning agitation and pleasant warmth at the other’s stubbornness. But he was still pissed though, that was for sure.

“I’m driving.” Chanyeol demanded with one hand out in the air expectantly for the keys. Kris looked at the open palm, then to Chanyeol’s cute pouting lips in combination with his reddening cheeks, and refused with an annoying upturn at the corner of his lips.

“Nah. I’ll do it.”

…

..

.

Chanyeol concluded he really should’ve insisted to drive when he knew very well that a stressed out Kris was - worse than - a bad idea to be let driving in another chaotic traffic jam.

This time on their way home, a certain scumbag with a car full of flame stickers had taken the roadside to cut through traffic, and was expecting Kris to give him way to get into his lane by staying millimeters close to the car in front of them.

“Kris, just let him in… please… he’s already too close…” Chanyeol’s voice was pleading, and weary. Kris didn’t say anything back, and Chanyeol was no psychic, but just one look at Kris’ clenching jaw and he could precisely predict what happened next. Yep, neither was willing to back down and Kris stubbornly pushed forth his car as the mustang did too, and the crystallic front of Kris’ headlamp busted with a loud crack.

Chanyeol was too emotionally exhausted to even speak a word nor to stop Kris when he stepped out of their car to meet the furious mustang driver that barely looked 15 years old. After all, Kris said it, right? To just not look and not try to stop him?

After what felt like an eternity of a ruckus, Kris got back in the car with what looked like the kid’s identity card and driver’s license in his hand. The smug teen had been kicking the ground for some time now, his delinquent face defeated and he was squatting down and rubbing on the horrible dent on his colorful car.

“The brat doesn’t even have a drivers’ license yet, look, it’s not even him,” Kris shook his head in disbelief as he briefly showed it to his fiance before writing a text message to the insurance company. But he did a double take as he noticed Chanyeol’s very red, swollen, glistening eyes looking far away from him.

“You know it wasn’t my fault, right? It was my lane he tried to take,“

“You’re never wrong, just do whatever you want, Kris. It’s your own damn car anyway.” Chanyeol forced a bitter smile, but it looked so wrong and it hurts since all he really wanted to do then was to actually scream the hell out at him saying ‘WHY WON’T YOU LISTEN TO ME? WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS IF YOU’D JUST LISTEN FOR ONCE! and ‘I ING TOLD YOU SO!’. He was just so, so tired. Kris took a deep breath, and him too, was too tired of explaining himself nor apologizing, so he didn’t bother. After a few negotiation calls with the insurance, Kris decided to let the kid go without pressing any charges against him out of pity, and they finally went through the last miles home.

When they finally stopped inside the familiar grounds of their house, an awfully-guilty looking Kris had quickly rushed to his side to prevent him from taking any of the heavy plastic bags, but Chanyeol just had had it with him for one day.

“I’m fine, for God’s sake, give me space to breathe please, my daaarling.”

And so, Kris did, that night. Chanyeol hadn’t even finished asking where he was going when a slam of the front door indicated that Kris left.

…

..

.

Kris had headed to his usual bar where his colleagues usually hang out and was only on his third shot when Tao, his team’s dual PR and Marketing, strutted in with a smirk on his face. Tao was always very easy to bait out as long as Kris promised to pay for his drinks.

“Hey y muthaah~” Tao greeted him as he swung his legs over on the stool right next beside him. Having been friends for such a long time, Tao never fails to bring a smile on his face just with his presence alone.

“Hey Tao,” Kris bro-fisted him and Tao immediately ordered his promised share of beer with a side French fries to that.

“Sooo… it’s been quite a while since you came out of your dungeon, oh we’re definitely going wasted tonight!” Tao drummed his fingers on the table.

“Shut up, I’m driving you idiot.”

“Oh I know. I’ve seen your car.” Tao said matter of factly, having noticed Kris’ car that was parked at the corner, obviously trying to hide something but the car on its right had left and the product of an accident was clear as day. Kris hated his knowing expression and smug smirk that was like a mirror to his own.

“So, how did you lose an audi headlamp? How did it feel? But you’re fine, you look fine, right?” Tao was full-out gloating now with just a dash of concern.

“No, I’m not even going to go there.” Kris scratched his jaw that was starting to itch and stubble slightly, fully understanding Tao’s sick of hearing another’s misery.

“Oh you will, trust me. Chen and Xiumin’s gonna come and you got all night, baby,”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I texted them, It’s so ing rare for you to wanna go out and drink lately they couldn’t pass up this time,” Tao slapped his shoulder. Kris smiled, that was quite nice.

“Haahhh why didn’t you tell Yixing to come? I could use a bit of extra money with my insurance slip right now,” Kris sighed and complained to avoid thanking his best friend.

“Eh you! Yixing’s money is our money too! Don’t do that!” Tao grimaced. It was true, Yixing was their team’s accountant and treasurer, and just because they each had chipped in and invested in their money for their independent contractor team a long time ago, doesn’t mean that it’s money sent from heaven right now.

And speak of the devil…

“Nice try, Kris.” Yixing spoke as he sat down on the stool at Kris’ right side.

“God! I still hate your hair, man!” Kris face palmed his eyes, still struggling to tolerate Yixing’s recently bright yellow bleached hair, and at the same time, starting to feel the slight drowsiness that had finally caught up from the whole day.

“Oh Come on, Kris, never seen a yellow-haired accountant before?”  Yixing motioned the bartender for his usual before patting Kris’ shoulders.

“Actually… NO.”

“I thought you weren’t going to come?” Tao bro-fisted him, a little surprised.

“Yeah, I was really going to sleep, but thanks to your noisy missed calls, I’m pretty much red-bull awake now.” Yixing confessed as he dipped a fry into the tomato sauce. Tao just smirked and nodded in satisfied approval.

Halfway the French fries were completely gone, Chen and Xiumin arrived and they barged into the conversation naturally just like in the office. Chen and Xiumin were their team’s two lawyers and legal advisers, but their same subject of focus apparently made a repel effect like two same polar-ed magnet. Started from their early endless arguments about the South Korean civil law system (or somewhere along that since nobody else really understands what they were on about most of the time), now, the two of them absolutely can’t hold a single conversation about anything without literally arguing.

“Could you guys stop talking about chili sauce and tomato sauce like it’s the first world problem ever?” Tao rolled his eyes and slumped over the island counter, baffled by Chen’s ‘chili actually irritates your tongue and does funky s to your digestive systems, man’ and Xiumin’s ‘tomato sauce in general has more acid than chilli and most of them are so highly preservative-concentrated that you might as well eat them now so you can cut down the cost of your mummification’. Just what the , these two guys can say anything and none of the others can tell whether they’re just pulling facts out of their or really stating some unknown written law. Scumbag law graduates.

Luhan, their lazy hipster graphic designer, had even texted to catch up as soon as he heard the five of them had gathered round to celebrate ‘Kris’ mournful audi headlamp funeral’.

With all five of them, any minutes soon, six, Kris felt really happy. Like, he was back on his sport team, home with his wolf pack. But the thought of Chanyeol doesn’t seem to be able to stop appearing in his mind, especially now that his body was beginning to tire and his brain began to replay random, absolutely pointless images of Chanyeol’s smile, and Chanyeol’s laugh, and his baby bump…. and his red tearful eyes…

“But seriously Kris, what happened to your car?” Yixing asked more seriously.

Kris sighed as he sipped on his mineral water, being extra careful after he finished his fifth shot not long ago as he still had the intention to go back driving his pretty, busted car.

“Some snot-nosed crashed into my lane, and my car, after me and chanyeol went out shopping…”

“Holy , Chanyeol was in there with you too?” Yixing commented.

 “Chanyeol’s…” Tao lowered his voice just above a whisper before continuing “… pregnant, right?”

Tao’s and Yixing’s comment, when pieced together, somehow cornered him uncomfortably, and Kris was reminded of Chanyeol’s hurt remark when they were back in the car just after the minor crash.

“Yeah… and yeah…” Kris muttered guiltily.

“Oh maan… Kris… you gotta be more careful next time, seriously,” Yixing and Tao knew almost as well as Chanyeol how barbaric Kris can become when driving in traffic. Kris’ stomach lurched, and he was sure it wasn’t due to the alcohol.

“Yeah… it’s just that…” Kris contemplated on talking about it or not, but his friends, the four of them, are there, and was listening closely now, and they weren’t laughing anymore.

“I get more insecure everyday thinking, like… will I be…” a great dad? a great husband? what Chanyeol needs? able to protect him?.... and dozens more of the list goes on in his head, but Kris settled for one; “…enough?”

There was an awkward silence before Yixing spoke up.

“You’ll know Kris… only one way to find out.”

“Yeah, since we’re not gay…” Xiumin crushed on Chen’s foot at that stupid remark and quickly added his own words in;

“He meant, we don’t have a Park Chanyeol… as a boyfriend… who is so fun and wonderful…” Chen was reddening both in pain and the dawning realization of what he just said and he was once thankful for Xiumin and his fast tongue.

Kris just gave them an ‘obvious’ knowing look, but dismissed them lightly, knowing they had no malice and were just being open and honest, and it was true anyway.

“I don’t know about Chanyeol or the baby later on, but I’m already 100 percent positive you’ll make a heeeeell of a great husband… or dad… both, whatever,” Tao said it, fumbling on his words, and the other four stared at him like he just grew another head.

“Did you just say that?” Yixing exhaled amusedly, and Tao quickly reddens furiously.

“Yeah, I said it, what? what? huh? Problem?” Tao defended, straightening up as far as his drunk self can manage and Yixing was already shaking from giggling. Chen and Xiumin looked slightly uncomfortable at where this conversation was going, and Chen cursed mentally as Xiumin stole his idea of going to the bathroom right then, but refused to go with him, just because he’s not gay. Kris could only laugh, heartily, just… at this whole situation, and he was reminded again exactly why he chose to drop his career future and luck in this ‘jar’ together with these guys.

Tao’s mobile phone rang just when he was about to put his hands over Yixing’s frail neck, and Kris picked it up for him since he saw the caller ID was Luhan.

“Yo,”

“Yo Tao- wait, is that you Kris?” Luhan’s voice came through the phone and Kris put it on loudspeaker so everyone can listen.

“Yeah, what’s up? Where you at?” Kris asked, and they all can barely hear Luhan’s voice over the blast of loud music in the background as he replied.

“Good, Good, bro, how are you? Did u just crash your car? Anyways, sorry, I think I’m gonna have to pass your party tonight, really, my friend got me into his guest list, and I’m in’ clubbing with Girls Generation!”

The four of them looked at each other in with wide eyes.

“No you’re not. I’m so ing hurt, hyung,” Kris replied back.

“Ha! Yeah I ing am! I’ll send you a picture. Sorry for your head lamp bro, may it rest in peace,  Chao~”

And then exactly 10 seconds later Luhan sent them a picture of him right in the middle of Taeyeon and Jessica and Tiffany and etc. and just basically proving his bluff. Tao grasped his phone out of Kris’ hand and glared at it like it was a prophet’s tablet.

“Son of a biiiiiitch!” Tao, in his drunken state, was red all over and had teary drunk eyes and it was almost too comical to watch as he was so jealous to the point of almost screaming and crying at the same time at Luhan’s picture.

“We’re going to crash that son of a ’s club RIGHT NOW!” Tao meant business as he puts his shoes back on from the floor and grabbed his jacket.

“Dude, it’s not Luhan’s, it’s his friends’ ” Chen reminded him, although, he too, couldn’t deny the temptation.

“I don’t ing care!! It’s ING GIRL’S GENERATION!! Don’t y’all have a ?!!” Tao is scary and desperate, and they all knew no one can stop him now. Chen, being fired up by Tao’s comrade’ heroic - if not lunatic - motivation decided to just it and board along. Xiumin at that moment, got back from the toilet smelling like cigarette.

“Whoa, where are you guys going?” Xiumin looked at his scramming friends.

“CLUBBING WITH GIRL’S GENERATION.” Tao flashed him his dangerous eyes, and Xiumin had to look Kris’ way to re-confirm since Tao surely didn’t look convincing.

“What he said,” Kris simply shrugged. Xiumin didn’t believe it at first, until Chen flashed him Luhan’s picture, and his round face went mad shocked.

Girl’s Generation… and every guy loses their minds…

“Kris, you coming or not?!” Yixing, out of all the guys, even looked slightly desperate.

“COME ON KRIS COOOOOME!” Tao sounded more like shouting blackmail than pleading, but that wasn’t the point. Kris checked his phone, who had vibrated somewhere in their conversation, and finally opened Chanyeol’s message.

From : Chanyeol

Message : What time are you coming home? Please come home, I left the key on the green pot

“I think I’ll pass this time.”

“Really?”

“Really?”

“Really?”

“Really???”

And nope, Kris insisted that not even 4 persistent brothers are going to change his mind.

“Yeah really. Sorry guys, thanks for everything though…” Kris took his car keys and put on his jacket after paying all of the others’ orders including his own and was ready to head out, before he forgot to say something and added :

“And I’m catching you guys a cab, no ing way you guys are driving tonight.”

…

..

.