Just to clarify, this is very early on in the timeline. Shang has yet to be born. ^^

“Okay, then.” The doctor smiles warmly, tucking one of her braids behind her ear. “Everything seems to be looking good,” she clicks her tongue against her teeth as she presses the doppler down a little further on Kyungmi's exposed stomach. “And I think we're in luck! Baby's in full display today.”

They all crane their necks, Kyungmi shifting a little, leaning on her elbows so that she can peer at the screen eagerly. Jongdae grabs Yixing's hand, squeezing excitedly, and they share a nervous grin. They can't deny the fact that they've been a little...worried, especially with Kyungmi being so down after her break-up with Joonmyun. If her stress levels had affected the baby, they're not sure she'd have been able to take it.

But the foetus on the screen seems fine, from what they can see (Yixing's just relieved he can actually see the baby this time, unlike the disaster that was the first scan).

“So,” the doctor clears , still smiling. “I know we discussed this, but remind me – do you want to know the ?”

Jongdae and Kyungmi share a furtive glance, steadily avoiding Yixing's suddenly tense expression. He draws his hand away from Jongdae's, arms folded. “I don't want to know.” His eyebrows knit together, lips a thin line. “I want it to be a surprise.”

The doctor swallows, unsure how to mediate the situation she's now a part of. She's used to couples having arguments about whether or not they want to know, of course she is – but usually, there's only one or two people, not three. It's throwing her a little. “Well, we could leave it for today – “

“No!” Kyungmi exclaims, pushing herself upright. The transducer falls off her stomach, and the grainy picture of their baby is lost abruptly. The sight of her all het up and over-excited with her t-shirt hitched up around her s is kind of comic, but Jongdae slaps a hand across his mouth before he can start laughing. “I'm the one who has to push it out, I want to know what I'm going to end up with!”

Yixing sighs, because he can't best that argument and Kyungmi knows he can't. Damn her. He turns to Jongdae, hoping his boyfriend will be on his side – because otherwise, said boyfriend will be sleeping alone tonight, and petulant whining about being cold will not sway him. “Jongdae?” He sidles closer, just to throw him off, and slides a crafty arm around his waist. “You can see where I'm coming from, right?” He murmurs the words into his boyfriend's ear, hand slipping down to cup Jongdae's . Kyungmi glares at him, mouthing 'not fair' furiously. He smirks.

Jongdae gulps. The doctor blinks, but doesn't say anything; it's not the first time she's seen ual trickery used by one partner or another to get their own way.

“Um,” he dithers, staring blindly from his best friend to his partner. Yixing's hand squeezes, massaging gently. He squawks. “Iwanttoknowifit'sagirloraboyI'MSORRY.”

Kyungmi narrows her eyes in satisfaction, lying down obediently once more. She can see that Yixing is having trouble making sense of what Jongdae just said, and so merely basks in her victory, waiting for the moment in which he realises she's won.

Wow. Maybe her mum's right. Pregnancy really is turning her into an irrational little . Of course, Jongdae would argue that she was one already, but it's partially his fault she's in this situation anyway, so neither he nor Yixing get to comment on her mood swings. They have an agreement. She made them sign it.

In blood.

“Jongdae,” Yixing smiles – not his usual, happy smile full of dimpled glory – but a shark-like grimace. “I urge you to rethink that.” Or you'll be alone with your hand for the next three months.

Kyungmi resists the urge to cackle.

“Baby, I'm sorry,” Jongdae's voice has taken that pleading, desperate tone he uses when he knows he's in trouble and there's no way out. “But I really want to know! I want to know if we're going to have a little boy or a girl, I've been waiting for this for months!”

Kyungmi begins muttering something about having earned this, dammit, but her little monologue is (thankfully) cut short by the doctor. “If I could interject, I have a suggestion.” All three of them stare at her expectantly, glad that, for once, there's an objective fourth party to act as an intermediary in their ridiculous arguments.

It used to be Joonmyun.

“Why doesn't – Yixing, is it?” – Yixing nods, slightly wistful for the time before, when Joonmyun knew all of their names, and what's more, could actually say them – “stand outside the room, I can tell you two what the baby's is, and then everyone's happy.”

Jongdae latches onto this plan immediately, seeing it as a way to keep himself in Yixing's and Kyungmi's good books. “That seems like a good idea!”

Yixing eyes him suspiciously, feeling a little left out. He shrugs. “Okay. I'll be outside, then.” Jongdae reaches for him, upset by the hurt tone in his voice, but he's already by the door before he can clutch onto his sleeve and apologise. “Thank you doctor. You've been really helpful.”

Well, . Now he feels extra guilty. Honestly, having such a nice, polite boyfriend is a pain.

***

It's the longest ten minutes of his life, waiting outside the doctor's office with only his thoughts for company. Passing patients and hospital workers keep eyeing him weirdly, and he really, really wants to tell them that he's not some creepy stalker, but he's not sure how to without sounding like he is one.

He ends up playing with his phone, while surreptitiously squinting at the office down the hall he knows belongs to Joonmyun, because if he's in today and Kyungmi bumps into him...it's not going to end well. Kyungmi's cried enough over the bastard. They don't need another week of Adele songs blasting through the walls; they all end up sobbing, and then he and Jongdae have to physically tackle Kyungmi in order to stop her from calling him.

Tackling a hysterical, pregnant woman with boundary issues is not fun. Especially when she has an iron grip, which is going to be so fun in the delivery room; he and Jongdae are both a little afraid of having their hands broken, which is why they were very keen to talk her out of a home birth.

Well, one of many, many reasons.

He hastily shoves his phone in his pocket when he hears movement, schooling his face to look blank and displeased. It's petty, but he's hurt not one of them took his side, and hell, isn't part of the excitement not knowing?

Okay. Maybe he's afraid he's going to lose the bet they have going on whether the baby is a boy or a girl, and is therefore trying to prolong the amount of time in which he has to prepare...but they don't have to know that.

Kyungmi's the first one out. “So,” he s his hands into his pockets. “Are you happy now?”

Why does she have to look so damn pleased with herself? Kyungmi pulls his hands out of his pockets, grabbing them in hers so she can dance him around happily. “Please, Yixing, let me tell you. I really, really want to celebrate this and I can't if you don't know and – “

“No!” He hisses, looking around wildly for any source of distraction. He's going to have to take to humming loudly or something so he doesn't hear anything he doesn't want to know. “You and Jongdae will keep this to yourselves on pain of death, okay?”

Kyungmi rolls her eyes. “That's not going to work, you idiot – there won't be a baby to keep a secret about if you kill me. And if you kill Jongdae, well, that's just cutting your nose off to spite your face. You should have thought this through, Yixing.” She shakes her head, sighing in a rather patronising manner.

Yixing wrinkles his nose in annoyance. “Okay, okay, I won't kill you.” They both turn to face the door as Jongdae holds it open, still chatting with the doctor. She laughs, patting his shoulder and then waves goodbye to all three of them.

“I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Keep out of trouble until then!” One last smile, and she shuts the door gently, evidently about to wait for her next patient.

Jongdae is thrumming with energy, a grin threatening to split his face from ear to ear. Yixing glares at him grumpily, his hands still held in a loose grip by Kyungmi. “What are you so happy about?”

His partner practically twirls, pulling his hand out of Kyungmi's grip and into his. “I won!” He grabs Yixing by the waist, almost bouncing with excitement. “I won the bet! You owe me.” He's interrupted by Kyungmi's gasp of horror, but – still unaware of what he's done – he just chuckles softly, and wraps his arms around Yixing's neck so that he can kiss him.

He gets half a second of that kiss, before Yixing pushes him away in shock as he realises what just happened. “Wha – it's a boy – we're having a boy?” He staggers backwards, Jongdae's face falling as he cottons on to what he's just done.

“I'm sorry, Yixing!” He's practically shouting, and they're probably going to get thrown out of the ward, but , he's doomed – he's doomed – why does he have to be such an idiot? He was just so happy, and he wanted Yixing to pay up right away and oh god – Yixing's never going to forgive him. .

Kyungmi leans towards Yixing, wondering if there's any way to fix the massive mistake Jongdae just made (but hey, at least it was him and not her this time). “Yixing, honey, you can just forget we said any – “ He wards her off, arms outstretched.

Wow. Well, they're ed, and they really should get out of this corridor before the other parents-to-be start judging them. Again. Really, this wouldn't happen if Jongdae didn't have such a big mouth.

Yixing's face crumples, Jongdae's fingers twitch, and Kyungmi can't tell if she's hungry or if it's just the baby moving. “We're having a son,” Yixing chokes, tears trickling down his face. “We're having a little boy,” the end of the sentence is lost in the ugly croaking sound he makes, but they get the idea.

Jongdae can't take it anymore. He moves in for the hug, taken completely by surprise when Yixing kisses him so hard he can't breathe. “Dickhead,” Yixing mutters, tugging on the tiny hairs at the base of his skull; he resists the urge to scream in pain. “You're lucky I'm too happy to kill you.” He's still sobbing, his face turning all splotchy and pink. Jongdae would call it cute, but it's really not. “Kyungmi, join in the hug,” he manages, gathering her in between them with one arm.

They all snuggle in, uncaring of the fact that they've spent an inordinately long amount of time in a hospital corridor, or that Jongdae's face is getting dangerously close to Kyungmi's cleavage. “I love you guys,” Kyungmi sniffs. “Our son is going to have the best parents ever.”

Jongdae coughs, trying desperately not to look down (it's so hard – he might be gay, but that doesn't stop him appreciating a nice pair of s and wow they're so big now). He stretches his arm so that he can pat her back awkwardly.

“Let's not get too hasty,” he tells her, “we still haven't learnt how to change a nappy without crying yet.”

Yixing groans. Trust Jongdae to ruin the moment.