Powerless (And I Don't Care)
Kris/Kai, 9689, NC17
Warnings: mpreg, Kris as a bottom, catboys, this is a mess
Yifan's a mess, but he has Jongin. So that makes him slightly less of a mess.
Yifan sits in the public bathroom, staring at the tiny piece of plastic in his hands. He narrows his eyes and stares some more before tipping his head back on the probably germ-encrusted walls. He can't really bring himself to care though, as he chances one last look at the tiny white stick, just to see if it had changed at all in the past few seconds. Yifan sighs, running a hand through his hair.
Well, shit.
Yifan's not very good at relationships, hasn't been in anything long-term since high school. Usually he just hangs around, meets up with friends-who all seem to have found their other halves-and then goes on walks in the middle of sleepless nights. He'd started trying out a few bars and clubs a while back, and then he'd gone home with someone.
It hadn't just been one guy, but Yifan hadn't minded. It was exciting, and for the most part, he'd parted with his one-night-stands amiably, over coffee the morning after.
And then Yifan had met him. They had talked at the bar for a while, bought each other drinks, and then he had invited Yifan home, hand resting on Yifan’s thigh as he’d asked. Of course, Yifan had agreed. It was as if they couldn’t get there fast enough. The door handle had dug into his hip when Yifan had been pushed up against it, warm mouth pressing insistently over his own and a hand cupping his chin while the other had searched for keys. They tumbled into the apartment, shedding clothes on the way to the bedroom, Yifan clawing at a defined back once he’d rid it of the thin button-up. The man had pulled away for a moment, swore, and then genuine dismay marred his features as he confessed he didn’t have any condoms on him. Yifan had pulled him back, fingers threading into thick hair and he’d said that no, it was fine, they didn’t need one. As long as he pulled out, it would be fine. But then they’d forgotten. It was hard to remember his name let alone minute details as Yifan was fucked open, low moans falling from his lips, growing in number and pitch until he’d come with a silent scream, clenching around the thick cock and breathing deep as the man above him followed, shuddering as he came. Yifan hadn’t thought anything of it, but now…
He kneads his temples, willing away the bile that rises in his throat. No, he doesn’t need any more of that. Yifan taps his finger restlessly on the plastic stick, staring at the bright red line. Positive. It’s positive and he’s pregnant. Definitely not a fluke; it’s the third tester he’s used.
Yifan figures he’s sulked for long enough. He pulls his pants up and walks out, dumping the used testers and those that are left in the box into the trash can. He strides out of the bathroom and into the train station. He stops at a convenience store and buys a Coke-no more alcohol, it seems-before boarding the train bound for home.
Once he reaches his shoddy apartment, he collapses onto his couch. It’s too late, he has work in the morning, but there’s no way he can go to sleep now. Not after he’d found out the reason behind the frequent trips to the bathroom and the sudden churning in his stomach at the smell of coffee. He takes out his simple touch screen phone, unlocks it and flips over to the contacts, thumb hovering over an unnamed contact. Should he? Yifan takes a deep breath and nods. At this point, he could really use any advice at all, and he can’t think of anyone else to call. His hand shakes and the screen darkens, a dull ringing audible in the silence. Yifan flounders, raising the phone to his ear as the ringing stops.
“Hello?”
Yifan licks his lips. “Hey, can we meet up tomorrow?”
-
Yifan warms his hands with the steaming mug of tea-coffee still makes him queezy and he has a scarf covering his mouth and nose to filter the smell. It’s cold enough outside that it doesn’t look too conspicuous-and he frowns when his fingers overlap, the mug too small to warm the tips of his fingers.
“So, what’s up with the sudden call?” A warm voice asks across from him. “Is something the matter?”
Yifan looks up. The man is different, his hair’s longer, curling at the ends, and he has dark scruff on his cheeks and chin. But the real difference is on his face, the smile that pulls at his lips even when he isn’t consciously grinning, and the light in his eyes that dances even in the unkind lighting. Yifan feels something like dread pool in his stomach. He isn’t the reason behind either of those. Despite that, he forces a smile onto his face. “No reason, just wanted to catch up. I haven’t seen you since…” he trails off. He’s fairly sure that they both remember the last time they’d seen each other. Yifan lets out a shaky breath. “So, has anything happened?”
The man grins at the invitation. “Well, since you asked,” he pauses for effect, leaning his elbows on the table and positively beaming, “I’ve met someone. She’s completely lovely-an elementary school teacher, she adores children-and she’s just moved in with me this past week!” He reveals the news with nothing less than complete joy, legs jiggling beneath the table. “So, what’s new with you, Yifan?”
Yifan looks away, eyes roaming the cafe, desperately searching for something else to focus on-Yifan’s throat feels constricted and his eyes burn slightly-until they come to rest on a figure with pointed ears sticking out of a woolen hat. He relaxes a bit at the sight, interest overcoming anxiety. It shouldn’t be that odd, seeing a hybrid out in public, but Yifan’s still rather unused to it. The affluent neighborhoods are crawling with them, but the smaller single-room apartment buildings like the one Yifan lives in maybe have two or three, so every time he sees one in public he has to steel himself. He watches as the hybrid eagerly grabs the hand of its owner and they both stand, heading for the door. Yifan’s eyes follow them, and he finds himself back to looking at the man seated across from him. Yifan starts, realizing that he’d been waiting for an answer this entire time. “Me? Oh, nothing’s new. Same job, same apartment, nothing’s changed.” Yifan considers biting his tongue, but he finds himself going on to say, “So, tell me more about your girlfriend.”
He decides, after listening to the man ranting for half an hour about this woman, that he’s not going to tell him. He can’t. Not when his warm, brown eyes light up as he tells Yifan about his first date with his girl-his soulmate he says once, blushing in embarrassment and changing the subject to a different event soon after-all the way up until last night, when she’d cooked his favorite meal and stayed awake until he’d come back from his late shift. He checks his watch and swears. “I told her I’d meet her for lunch.” He hesitates before hastily adding on, “You’re welcome to come, if you want.”
But Yifan can see the indecision clear in his eyes, the way he holds himself a bit tense. It’s not a sincere invitation, merely a polite add-on. He wants Yifan to decline. Yifan pulls up the corner of his lips in a sad attempt at a smile. “It’s fine. I have somewhere I need to be after this.”
The man eases up, relieved. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He begins to clear his things, pull on his jacket. “Well, it was lovely meeting up with you. I’d love to catch up with you again sometime. Don’t hesitate to give me a call!” That, at least, is sincere. He gives Yifan’s shoulder a quick squeeze that means nothing more than farewell, and then takes his leave.
As soon as the doors close behind him, Yifan takes out his phone. He scrolls through his contacts, not hesitating for even a second as his thumb glides across the screen and confirms the action, deleting the number from his phone. No, Yifan will not ever be seeing him again.
-
He spends all his spare time learning about babies. How they grow, how they’re born, and how to prepare for them. Yifan begins a reputable diet regimen, ignoring the ridicule he receives from the idiots in his office; Zitao, Sehun and Jongdae-sometimes Chanyeol, though he’s a good kid and usually won’t join in unless he’s egged on-because vegetables are important and they will build a good immune system for the baby, no matter how odd it looks to be munching on uncooked carrots in the middle of the day.
Yifan thinks about it clinically, like he has a temporary affliction that will be gone in just a few months. But then he reaches the “Preparing For Arrival” section of the self-help book he’d purchased under the guidance of a particularly helpful website and realizes he’s in way over his head. He’s not just having a baby. He’s having a kid. A kid that he’s going to have to raise and care for every single day, even when he’s angry, sad, not feeling up to it. He’s signed himself up for a lifetime of commitment.
When Yifan comes to this realization, he crawls into bed and doesn’t drag himself out until the sun is high in the sky and he’s almost late to work.
He’s realized that there’s no way he can do this alone. Yifan likes kids, but he doesn’t know how to take care of them. He needs something to help him, someone to keep him in check. Yifan doesn’t have any relatives near enough or close enough to help, no friends that he’d trust enough with the task. So he turns to the internet. He discovers reviews for nannies, likes the idea of someone with years of experience to stay in his apartment and look after his kid while he was at work, but then he sees wages and the occasional negative, but extreme, comment and decides that no, maybe a nanny isn’t the best solution.
Then, one day at work while he’s wasting away his break time, he stumbles across an article. He narrows his eyes and reads the title again. Hybrids and Infants-The Perfect Match! Yifan figures that, at this point, he has nothing to lose, and opens the article. It’s a story on a married couple who were worried about their hybrid’s reaction to a new addition to the family, but were pleasantly surprised with how well she had taken to the baby. The hybrid herself had even added in her say, professing her love for the newborn and her luck for having been purchased by such a lovely family. The end of the article details other, smaller stories that are similar. One dog hybrid acting as a babysitter for the family, another that had practically raised the child, shown in a photograph as a middle-aged dog hybrid beside a gowned girl, hugging her tight as she happily shows her high school diploma to the camera.
Yifan pushes away from his desk. He has his own little alcove, but right around the corner is Sehun’s desk. He rolls himself forward and peeks around the wall, lips quirking when he sees the kid with his head hanging off the back of the chair, carefully placing a fifth pen on the pile already atop his nose. “Sehun,” he whispers so as not to cause the boy to topple his pen pile masterpiece. “Are hybrids good with kids?”
“What?” The boy hisses back, frowning. “Uh, I guess so? Daeun has one that plays with her kids, and she loves it. Why do you ask?”
Yifan shrugs. “No reason.” He wheels back to his desk and types in a new search for all the hybrid sellers in his area.
-
He steps inside and the place is warm, gives off a welcoming vibe. Yifan likes it and eases a bit under its calmness. His back had begun to ache, and his ankles have started to swell if he’s on them for too long. He hates it.
“May I help you?”
The woman at the front desk dons a small, no-nonsense smile that is still inviting enough that Yifan’s smile stays as he steps forward.
“Um, yes. I called ahead of time?” He states, more of a question than anything else. On the phone, the feminine voice had merely asked him what time he would be coming, hadn’t informed him at all about the details of the visit. He doesn’t know how these sorts of things work.
The woman looks down at something at her desk. “Mr. Wu?” She asks, looking up only for a moment to see Yifan’s nod, then turns back to her desk. “Yes, I have you right here. Thank you for arriving early, I’ll have someone here for you in just a second.” She offers a wider, more welcoming smile and Yifan vaguely wonders how often she has to deal with more unsavory customers before he follows her gaze to a small collection of couches and plush chairs. He thanks her quickly and heads over to the empty area, lowering himself into a couch that looks soft.
He looks around as he waits, at the framed pictures on the wall of hybrids and people by their sides, no doubt their owners, and the pictures would seem staged if not for the crazy poses, the mouths open in outrageous laughter, and the way the people in each picture seem to have forgotten the camera is even there.
“Do you like them?”
Yifan jumps, head snapping up to see a woman standing before him, warm smile on her lips. She gives off a strong maternal vibe, dressed in a large knit sweater and long skirt, both cream. Her smile is warm and Yifan decides immediately that he likes her. “Yes,” he says, “they’re all different.”
She nods, pleased smile on her face. “We encourage all of our patrons to send us pictures with their newest members of their family and, with their permission, we hang them on our walls.” She points to one and her smile widens. “This is Ms. Kim. She’s bought five hybrids and sent us so many pictures we had issues picking which ones to put up. She visits every now and then, brings the others with her to play with the ones who haven’t found a home yet.” The woman laces her fingers together and directs her smile fully on Yifan. “So, shall we?”
Yifan nods and stands, struggling for just a second before he gives in and uses the arm of the couch as a crutch. The woman waits patiently as he straightens his shirt and moves up to her side. She leads him out of the front room, through two double doors that lead to a short hallway hallway lined with a few more double doors and a few pictures of laughing hybrids.
“So, Mr. Wu, what exactly are you looking for in a companion?” The woman asks as she pushes past the first doors on the left and holds one open for Yifan to follow. “I remember you saying that you were single over the phone?”
“Yes,” Yifan affirms, curiosity quickly morphing into confusion as he hears faint screams and laughter from the end of the hall that grow louder as they near.
“Many of our single patrons are looking for something a little younger, that will bring vibrancy and excitement into their lives.” She pushes open a door and the laughter and screams are right there, inside a large room. “We get quite a few pups and kittens, and I’ve only heard good things from those who have brought one home with them. They’re a little more work than an adult hybrid but it’s well worth it. Their love and trust is given the moment they set eyes on you.”
Yifan swallows at that, lump in his throat. That isn’t what he wants at all. He looks around the room they’ve just stepped into, staring at all the hybrids inside. There’s at least a few dozen, a group of feline hybrids napping in a corner despite the din, a few dog hybrids play fighting on the colorful mats laid out, and others spread around as they talk and groom themselves. A few look up at him, hopeful smiles painting their features. They all look like they’re still in high school. Yifan knows they’re all legal-they have to be, since the place is certified-but it still makes him uneasy. He doesn’t want something else to take care of.
“So, feel free to look around and talk to some of our hybrids. I’ll be right outside when you’re ready to-”
“I’m sorry,” Yifan interrupts, “but I don’t think that these are quite what I’m looking for.” When the woman quirks a brow, taken aback, Yifan struggles to explain. “I’m… going to have children in my apartment. Very often. I’m not sure that such a young hybrid would be a wise choice.”
The woman nods, face softening as she motions Yifan out of the room, looking back at the young hybrids apologetically. “You’re quite right,” she says once they’re back in the halls, heading away from the room. “I’m very sorry, I wasn’t aware that there would be children. In that case, we have a fair few hybrids who were specially trained so that they interact well in a family that already has children or other hybrids. This means they require less attention and won’t become jealous if their owner devotes attention to someone else.” Yifan smiles and nods. That sounds exactly like what he’s looking for. The woman leads him back into the larger hall and makes to open an adjacent set of doors. “Of course, this means that they’re a bit more expensive but it’s a minor thing.”
Yifan winces. He doesn’t have that kind of money. He reaches forward and places a hesitant hand on the shoulder of the woman in front of him. “I’m sorry,” he starts when she looks at him quizzically. “I’m on a tight budget and I don’t think I could afford anything higher than the average cost.” In fact, he’s not even sure that he has enough to buy just one hybrid. This is all on a whim.
The woman lets go of the door, nods slowly. “I… I might have something,” she says, turning and walking to the last door at the end of the hall, holding it open for Yifan.
This hallway is smaller, less pictures. Yifan feels a shiver run down his back. It’s colder here, too.
“I don’t know if you are aware, but we also serve as a shelter. Hybrids returned to anywhere in the area are sent to us, and we do our best to find them a home for a while, and then we send them somewhere where they might have more luck.” She pushes past a heavy door and behind it lies a large room with rows of doors along the sides, tables and chairs in the middle, and a large window in the back of the room. It’s probably the same size as the one crawling with pups and kittens, though there are only four out in the middle of this room. One is sitting at one of the tables, reading a book; two others are leaning back against the walls, curled in on themselves and presumably asleep; and the last is pressed up against the back window, back to them.
“I try my best,” the woman goes on to say, “Any abandoned kittens or pups are added to the rest, and they usually take the transition well and get along with the others. But the older ones, the ones who have been returned, they’re harder.” She lowers her voice, “The four hybrids here are all lovely, but they’re not what the average patron is looking for. But, feel free to look around. Each of them is looking for a nice home even if they may seem a little less than enthused about it.”
When Yifan looks away from the woman, the hybrid in the back, at the window, is staring at him. Yifan meets his gaze and instead of turning away, the feline hybrid’s ears perk up anxiously, tail rising into the air and fluffing out to look double its size. Yifan glances at the hybrid with the book and when he looks back, the hybrid at the window had his back facing him. “Um, could you tell me about the hybrid in the back?”
The woman levels him with a look-though she’s a head shorter than him-and inclines her head slightly. “That’s Jongin. He’s been with us for a little over half a year. He was still young enough to be considered a kitten when he was given to us, but he didn’t like the others so I moved him here. He can be a little,” she sighs, mouth twisting into a frown, “temperamental, but he’s just waiting for the right person.”
He takes a long hard look at the hybrid. Yifan guesses he probably has the same amount of luck with the reading hybrid, or either of the ones that are asleep, but there’s just something about the feline in the back. Yifan has a good feeling about him. “I think,” he starts, voice barely above a whisper, “I’ll take him.”
The woman’s lips pull into a wide grin. “If you’re sure,” she stops to laugh when Yifan quickly nods, “then come with me. There’s paperwork to be filled out.”
-
Jongin comes home with him the very next day. Yifan takes the train past his stop, and instead gets off at the one closest to the store. When he enters, the woman on the front desk looks up before offering a kind smile, raising a finger to point at a lone figure sitting in one of the chairs. Yifan quietly makes his way over, until he’s standing directly in front of the hybrid.
“Hey, are you ready to go?” He frowns when the hybrid startles violently, directing a glare right at Yifan before hissing under his breath. Yifan murmurs an apology and watches as the hybrid stands, grabbing a small backpack and hefting it onto his back. Yifan opens his mouth to comment on the size, to ask if that’s all he has, but then he realizes the mistake before he makes it and closes his mouth. Jongin leads the way out of the building and Yifan stops to wave at the woman at the front desk, who waves back.
Once outside, Yifan comes to the sudden realization that Jongin is tall. Not taller than himself, but maybe just a few inches shorter. Pretty tall for a hybrid. They walk side by side to the train station and Yifan remembers just in time to buy Jongin a ticket, offering it to the hybrid who snatches it, careful not to let their fingers touch.
It’s not rush hour, so they sit beside each other. Yifan makes a few sad attempts at small talk, but gives up when Jongin merely shrugs or grunts in response. They reach their stop and make the short trek to the apartment building, marching up a few flights of stairs and ending up at Yifan’s door. He opens it slowly, allows Jongin to enter first.
“It’s not very big,” Yifan begins with an air of apology as Jongin slowly slips off his backpack and drops it in the entryway, beside the sneakers that he toes off. “There’s only one bedroom, so I was thinking that you could take my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch until I figure-”
“No.”
Yifan stops mid sentence, blinking in confusion at the hybrid who’s standing by his window, looking down at the busy street below. “No?” He repeats, a question instead of the firm objection the hybrid had emitted.
“No,” the hybrid agrees, turning to face Yifan. “You can’t sleep on the couch. You’re,” he pauses, looks at his feet instead of at the man, “pregnant.”
Yifan walks over to his couch and sinks down onto the faux leather. “Yeah,” he agrees, not about to argue, “How did you know?”
Jongin doesn’t look up. “I could smell it on you.”
Yifan nods to himself. Right. Hybrids have the sensitive noses. But then-”Where are you going to sleep?”
Jongin shrugs. “Your couch is fine, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll sleep there,” Jongin states, flopping onto the other end of the couch, curling in on himself so as not to touch Yifan. The latter doesn’t move a muscle, opting to close his eyes and sink into the couch as time passes, careful not to disturb the hybrid.
He gets up to make dinner after the sun sets and goes to invite Jongin to eat with him, but the feline hybrid is obviously asleep, face hidden in the cushions of the couch and legs stretched out, feet resting on the arm. Yifan eats quietly and leaves the leftovers on a covered plate with a small note.
When he wakes up the next day, it looks like Jongin hasn’t moved, but the plate and note that were on the table are gone, and a clean plate has been placed in the sink. Yifan goes to work with a smile on his face.
-
Jongin doesn’t talk much, and Yifan isn’t a fan of one-sided conversations, so he curtails his efforts of trying to talk to the hybrid. Jongin is very independent for a hybrid, based on what Yifan has seen and heard. He can cook, clean, and wash himself, and only talks to Yifan is he’s answering a direct question or returning a greeting. They work around each other, tiptoeing across lines that have been drawn, and those that are in the process of being drawn. Though Jongin isn’t quite what Yifan was expecting, he enjoys the company anyway and still makes the effort to smile at Jongin whenever they’re in the same room.
Meanwhile, his pregnancy continues. The baby grows in size and so does he, lower stomach visibly jutting out when he goes to check himself in the mirror each morning. Yifan bids goodbye to his tight-fitting shirts and solely wears sweaters and jackets that had been too big on him in years past, but now fit just about right, with a little bit of wiggle room.
He thinks he’s on his sixth month; the aversion to coffee hasn’t disappeared yet and the journey to and from work is starting to become cumbersome, he has to take breaks on the stairs in his apartment complex. So, it’s with resignation and a bit of sadness that he walks into his boss’ office on a Wednesday to ask for a few months of leave.
Yifan hardly ever calls off sick so the man is understanding, takes the request in stride and promises Yifan his desired months of paid leave before wishing him well. Yifan thanks him and then heads home, a slight skip in his step despite the swollen ankles and aching joints.
Jongin looks mildly surprised when he returns home hours before he usually does. Yifan quickly explains his situation, that they’ll be seeing each other a lot more often now, and then heads into his room to take a nap. Pregnancy is draining.
-
Yifan swears that he blinks and then soft light is filtering into his room. He groans, rolls over to check the time. He’s been asleep for fourteen hours. Fourteen. He drags a hand across his face and muffles a moan into his pillow. He needs to get up, exercise, be healthy. He slowly pulls himself up and sits on the edge of the bed for a moment, resting a hand on his distended stomach as he collects himself.
It isn’t until he’s right beside the door that he hears the noises coming from behind it. They sounds like muffled groans from behind the barrier, and Yifan vaguely wonders what’s going on, mind still foggy with sleep. He opens the door and immediately finds the cause of the noise.
He freezes.
There, on his couch, Jongin is lying on his back. His shirt is pushed up, revealing a toned stomach, and his shorts are pushed down to his ankles. He has a hand wrapped around his hard length and he moans when he drags his hand down his cock, eyes screwed shut. Yifan’s mouth goes dry and he’s rendered speechless as Jongin’s moans rise in pitch, hand tugging his cock until he comes with a low moan, translucent white landing on his stomach. Jongin opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is Yifan, standing there.
“I’m-”
“I’m sorry!” Jongin interrupts, trying to stand as he pulls up his pants and stand at the same time, tripping on the fabric and almost falling onto his face. “Usually I can control it but this morning-your scent-I just couldn’t help myself.” He hangs his head. “I can’t believe you saw that.”
Yifan’s feet are taking him forward before he’s consciously aware of the motion. He stops less than a foot away from Jongin, reaching forward as Jongin raises his head in confusion. Yifan threads a hand into silky hair, fingers lightly tracing over a velvet-soft ear before he adjusts Jongin’s head at a better angle and moves forward, pressing their lips together.
Jongin makes a muffled noise, something between a cry of alarm and a pleased hum, and then his hands are threading into Yifan’s hair. After a few chaste kisses, Yifan takes a leap and traces the seam of Jongin’s mouth with his tongue, grinning into the kiss when Jongin parts his lips, his own tongue moving against Yifan’s. Yifan tightens his hold on the hybrid’s hair and regrettably breaks away, leaning down to press an open-mouthed kiss below his ear. "I need more," he whispers, decidedly only paying attention to the want that is filling his gut. Yifan's been wanting more for a while, read that urges like these are common at about this time in the pregnancy, but he hasn't had anyone to help him with that, but if Jongin is willing-
Yifan's thoughts are cut off as a hit mouth sucks the skin on his neck, saying, "Okay," before leaning down to press kisses to Yifan's collarbones.
Yifan shivers, leans back down to press their lips together, humming happily as he begins to lead them into his bedroom. When the back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress, he stops. He isn't expecting the firm push from Jongin, landing on his back with a surprised gasp. Jongin works over him, hand rummaging through Yifan's bedside table drawers, returning to give attention to Yifan's exposed neck, slim bottle in hand.
They're wearing too many clothes. Yifan pushes at Jongin's thin shirt, stopping to gasp a little as teeth dig into his sensitive skin, but are quickly replaced by a soothing tongue. Jongin breaks away long enough for Yifan to rid him of his shirt, throwing it onto the floor. Jongin works off his shorts and underwear by himself, kicking to the ground. Then they both work on Yifan's clothes, four hands pulling up his large sweater, Jongin pulling it over his head as Yifan pushes himself up slightly to help, and then it's thrown to the floor with the rest. Jongin's straddling his waist, not moving, and Yifan looks up to see what the issue is and promptly flushes.
Jongin is staring at his stomach.
The hybrid carefully presses a hand onto the stretched skin, fingers running over it almost reverently. Then, so quick that Yifan's sure that if he'd blinked he would have missed it, Jongin presses a chaste kiss to the bump. Then he stays there and makes quick work of Yifan's pants and underwear before removing his own, kneeling in between Yifan's parted thighs. "How," Jongin starts, but his voice comes out barely louder than a breath and he has to take a second, clear his throat before continuing, "How do you want this?"
Yifan closes his eyes, head cushioned on his pillows. He can feel his cock already hard with arousal, erect against his stomach, and he almost squirms at the thought of Jongin's cock inside him, pushing against his prostate. Yifan opens his eyes. "Fuck me."
Jongin nods and immediately, the sound of a cap clicking open reaches Yifan's ears. He watches in mild interest as Jongin focuses his attention where Yifan can’t see, and then he blames his dry spell for the loud cry that leaves him when something cold and wet presses against his asshole. He sees Jongin’s eyes widen anxiously, and is quick to reassure the other, hand coming down to rest on Jongin’s knee. “It’s fine,” he whispers, voice strained. “Keep going.”
Shoulders relaxing, Jongin continues. He works Yifan open slowly, adding one finger and then two, stroking and stretching Yifan’s walls until he presses down on a spot inside Yifan that has the man gasping, writhing on top of the sheets.
Yifan feels the fingers leave him as he gasps for breath, but he has no time to collect himself because something else is pushing in, thicker than the fingers. He gasps, reaching out to sink his fingers into Jongin’s firm biceps, moaning when Jongin shifts, leaning forward and bracing his hands on Yifan’s shoulders. His stomach is a bit of a barrier, but it doesn’t stop him from wrapping his legs around Jongin’s slim waist and leaning his head back as he’s fucked slowly, deliberately, with soft groans falling from his lips.
Yifan’s eyes snap open-he doesn’t know when he closed them-when he hears low moans and looks up to see Jongin staring at him, eyes hooded. He moves a hand up to the other’s neck and pulls him down, leaning up so that their lips meet halfway. The kiss quickly devolves into Yifan moaning into Jongin’s open mouth as the thrusts pick up in pace and he can feel heat pooling in his gut.
Something soft wraps around his thigh and constricts ever so slightly, and he’s confused for a moment until he remembers that Jongin’s a hybrid. But then he can’t even feel that as Jongin puts his weight onto his left hand and reaches between them with the other, rhythm erratic as he tugs Yifan to his finish. Jongin removes his hand just before he bottoms out, choked off moan filling the room as he comes. Yifan follows, biting down on the hybrid’s full bottom lip while he spurts white on his protruding abdomen.
Jongin extricates himself from Yifan’s limbs and reaches for something on the bedside table as Yifan lies there, catching his breath. The hybrid quickly wipes up the cum on Yifan’s stomach and then hops off the bed, leaving the room with the soiled tissue in hand. Yifan stares after him, then his gaze falls to the floor, where all their clothing is strewn. He grits his teeth and rolls onto his side, making a face as the weight inside him shifts. Yifan thins his days of sleeping on his back are over.
He evaluates the situation. So, he’d caught Jongin masturbating, and then after about a month of not talking to each other, that had led to sudden sex. Yifan covers his face with both hand and groans. He blames the hormones.
Spreading his fingers, he stares at the open door that Jongin had disappeared through. What if, after this, things just go to the way they were before, the two of them carefully skirting around each other and barely noticing the other exists? Yifan frowns. He doesn’t want that.
“Hey.”
Yifan returns to himself and notices Jongin standing in the doorway, holding a bowl. The hybrid slowly makes his way over, not minding his nakedness. He stops beside the bed, tail flicking anxiously behind him.
“You didn’t eat after you got back yesterday, so I made something this morning,” he says, offering the bowl, with a small spoon inside, to Yifan. “I’m sorry, I’m not very good at cooking. I just saw that you had cans of soup in the pantry.”
“No, no, this is great!” Yifan promises with a wide grin, pulling himself up and quickly pushing two pillows behind his back to support him. He accepts the bowl with yet another round of thank yous, and spoons a bit into his mouth. He hums, eyes closing in delight. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. “Chicken noodle,” he almost asks, looking to the hybrid for confirmation. Jongin nods, small smile on his lips. Yifan continues to eat, noticing Jongin shifting on his feet. He hold the bowl in one hand, patting the space on the bed beside him.
Jongin smiles and eagerly crawls onto the bed, sprawling across the space. After a second of hesitation, he drops his head onto Yifan’s thigh, humming happily when the man doesn’t object. Yifan finishes off the rest of the soup and sets the bowl aside, leaning back against the pillows. He raises a hand and slowly reaches over to drop it on Jongin’s head, feeling the boy seize. Yifan takes one ear between his fingers, petting it softly, then sinks his fingers into the soft brown hair, making small circular motions with his fingers. A small rumbling begins, then becomes louder until Jongin is practically vibrating against his thigh and Yifan realizes that the hybrid is purring.
He smiles. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
-
Yifan wakes up to an awful smell in the kitchen. Gagging, he pulls himself up-it’s difficult now, what with the size of his stomach-and hurries into the bathroom, dropping to his knees and heaving, head on the toilet seat.
“Oh my god,” Jongin appears in the doorway, looking horrified. “Are you okay?”
Swiping the back of his hand across his lips, Yifan manages a glare at the hybrid. “Are you making coffee?”
Jongin nods, eyes wide. “After we stayed up watching movies late last night, I thought it would help!”
Yifan gags. “The smell of coffee makes me sick,” he manages, before turning back to the toilet. He hears a muffled curse in from behind him and then a series of loud banging and clanging in the kitchen. Then, after the smell of coffee is almost completely gone, he feels a hand rubbing his back.
Jongin squats next to him. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, “I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine,” Yifan assures. “I feel better already. Here, just help me to the couch.” And between the two of them, they manage to get Yifan upright and into the living room, Jongin slipping into the spot beside him once he’s seated. Yifan has to repress the laugh that bubbles in his throat when he sees the look on the hybrid’s face. “What’s the matter?”
“My other owner drank coffee everyday when she was pregnant,” Jongin muses, eyes unfocused and gaze faraway.
Yifan stills. He’s been home for a week now, and although things with Jongin have gotten better-in that the hybrid had crawled into his bed one night and has been there every night since-they still don't know each other that well. They watch movies and eat together, laughing about trivial things and small jokes, but Yifan hasn't really talked about his pregnancy yet, and Jongin hasn't said anything about his past owners.
"You know, you can ask me about them if you want,” Jongin mumbles, fringe falling over his eyes. “I don’t mind.”
“Oh,” Yifan hums. He drapes an arm around the hybrid and begins to play with the soft head of hair, smiling when Jongin drops his head onto his shoulder. Yifan supposes that he shouldn’t let this chance go. “How many owners have you had before me?”
“Just one.” Jongin cranes his head up and sees the mountain of unasked questions reflected in Yifan’s conflicted features. He smiles, flicks the man’s nose, and drops his head back onto Yifan’s shoulder, moving the hand in his hair to his ears, rumbling happily when Yifan strokes his ears. “They were a family,” he starts, voice muffled in Yifan’s shoulder, “They bought me when I was a kitten for their daughter, who was two and needed a playmate. I loved her. I loved all of them. I think they loved me, too. When the woman found out she was going to have another child, I was the first one she told. But," Jongin stops, reaches across Yifan to fist the man's sweater. "The man lost his job. She didn't work. The little one had just turned five and was in pre-school, and they didn't know what to do. The woman found work at a grocery store and the man tried his best to look for a job that paid even close to what his old one had. But it was hard.
"We moved into a smaller apartment and I slept on the couch in the living room since there wasn't enough room on the girl's floor. Things were grim and... they had to choose between the baby and me. They couldn’t possibly take care of the both of us. They made the right choice." He hides his face in Yifan's sweater. "I thought they'd come and get me after things started getting better, so I only packed a few things. But. They didn’t. I waited a long time and they never came.”
He shifts so that he’s looking Yifan in the eye, and the latter is surprised when he sees no tears. “Aren’t you-”
“It doesn’t upset me any more. Not like it used to. But it still hurts,” Jongin says, cutting Yifan off. He shifts, throwing one arm across Yifan-above the bulge of his stomach-and wiggling another behind his back in vain until Yifan finally assists him, leaning forward so Jongin can thread his fingers together and rest them on Yifan's side. "You know, I thought it would be the same with you. But when I walked inside, there wasn't anyone else."
Yifan can hear the question in his tone. Well, he'd been waiting for this anyway. "Yeah, it's just me." He looks down, past the arms wrapped around him, staring at his distended stomach. He presses his lips together. "I didn't want to do this alone."
Jongin scoffs. "Of course you won't be alone. You have me." He lowers his arms, scooting closer so he can rest both hands on Yifan's stomach. "The baby is going to love me more, you know."
Yifan chuckles and pulls an arm free of the embrace to flick one of Jongin's ears. "Don't be so sure." Jongin flicks his ear, turns to level Yifan with a glare, and the latter can't help the laughter that escapes him.
-
“Let’s go.”
Yifan whines, flopping onto his side on the bed, hiding his face in the unmade blankets. “No.”
Jongin stands at the foot of the bed, hands on his hips, ears at attention, and tail lashing behind him in frustration. “Yifan, you are super pregnant and you need to exercise. Get up now.”
“Super pregnant?” Yifan repeats, peeking up at the hybrid from under his arm. “That’s adorable.”
Jongin groans when Yifan reaches for him, though he willingly lets himself be dragged to the bed and pulled down onto it, wriggling with a frown on his face as Yifan wraps his arms around him and holds him hostage. “Seriously,” he huffs, voice muffled by the sleeve of Yifan’s too-large shirt. “We agreed. Walks everyday.”
Yifan sighs and reluctantly nods, letting the hybrid go. Jongin had chewed him out when he had admitted that he didn’t know exactly how far along he was, because he hadn’t yet been to see a doctor. So he’d dragged Yifan to the best obstetrician he could find via a quick google search. The nurse who had added Yifan for an immediate appointment also gave him a stern lecture while Jongin sat beside him and nodded. Then the nurse-his name had been Baekhyun, he wouldn’t let Yifan forget it, handing him every contact card he owned for Yifan to call-was replaced by an easygoing doctor who hadn’t yelled at him. Yifan had liked him. Zhang Yixing, the doctor, had taken a few samples to determine the approximate date he’d be having the kid and then offered to give him an ultrasound (Yifan had declined and Jongin pouted all the way home.) Yifan got the call yesterday, when Jongin was cat-napping. He has two weeks.
“Come on. You know, if you get up now, I’ll have a surprise for you when we get back.” Jongin couples the less than innocent suggestion with a lecherous wink and Yifan almost doesn’t catch himself before he rolls his eyes.
“By that, I hope you mean a nap. I won’t accept anything else,” Yifan grumbles, slowly rolling onto his feet, Jongin steadying him with a hand on his elbow.
Being the little sweetheart he is, Jongin leads Yifan to the couch, where he gently pushes the man down before running off to grab his shoes, returning to tie them meticulously, grinning when he has two perfect bows, one on each shoe. Yifan laughs and runs a hand through the hybrid’s hair, fingers skimming across his sensitive ears, and Jongin rumbles with pleasure before standing and helping Yifan upright.
There’s a park nearby, a fairly large one with beautiful gardens and huge trees with branches that shield, and even when they’re not full of leaves, they’re still gorgeous in the winter. Jongin and Yifan head over there, hand in hand, the walk almost ingrained in their minds after weeks of outings.
The only coat that fits Yifan still strains at his stomach, rendering him slightly breathless as they stroll into the park. He looks over at Jongin and smiles. The hybrid’s wearing one of his older jackets and a scarf they had bought merely a week ago that Jongin wears all the time, looping it around his neck several times until all that can be seen of his face are his chestnut hair, bright brown eyes, and soft ears-flattened so as not to freeze in the brisk weather.
They find a park bench and sit after Yifan complains about his legs. The taller man slumps onto the metal bars, groaning. Jongin slides in beside him, fisting a hand in his jacket and nuzzling his face into his neck. Yifan chuckles. “You do that a lot.”
Jongin hums, sending vibrations down Yifan’s neck.
“That one time, you talked about my scent,” Yifan muses, smiling when Jongin starts in surprise at the reminder. “Does it not bother you anymore or something?”
“You smelled enticing, then,” Jongin says before nuzzles further into the juncture of Yifan’s neck and shoulder. “Now, you just smell warm. Like home.” He grins against the skin and presses a kiss to Yifan’s neck. “And like me.”
Yifan raises his hand to push the hybrid away, but thinks better of it and drapes an arm around Jongin, pulling him fully against his side. They sit like that for a while, silently watching the people that pass by and how, despite the overcast sky, there’s still a huge group of kids playing in the open field. While they’re sitting there, a few of the kids leave and the remainder continue the game. It’s obviously unfair, one team has three more members than the other, and Yifan feels Jongin stiffen against his side. He grins and looks down at the hybrid, who is growing more restless by the minute.
Jongin notices Yifan’s gaze and whines, looking pointedly at the children. “Can I…?”
Yifan laughs. “Of course! Go!”
Jongin leaps out of the seat and sprints over to the children, where he immediately snatches the ball from one of the boys with an unfair advantage, one who was about to try for a goal kick, and neatly dribbles the ball to the other side of the field before cleanly kicking the ball right into the goal. The children, who had begun to lose hope, cheer and immediately swarm Jongin. The hybrid laughs and passes the ball to the other team, peeling children from his as the game begins, both sides just as motivated to win, now.
Yifan watches the game unfold with a smile on his face. When Jongin facilitates another goal by passing to a small girl by the goal, who manages to kick it past the goalie, his shouts can be heard even from where Yifan is sitting. He lifts the girl into the air and swings her in a circle, congratulating her.
Yifan frowns and doubles over after feeling a dull jab on the inside of his stomach. He grins when he realizes what the jab was and subconsciously, a hand moves to the large bump, rubbing it softly to calm the kid inside. “You’re right,” Yifan murmurs, “That’s the guy who’s going to take the best care of you.”
Jongin returns only after all the children have left, parents having come to thank him for entertaining their child before heading home. Jongin accepts each thanks with a bashful smile, and by the time he reaches Yifan, his cheeks are tinged red. In the orange of the setting sun, he looks almost mythical, tail flicking excitedly behind him as he nears, skin tinted a soft bronze.
“You didn’t trip on your tail!” Yifan offers as congratulation.
Jongin rolls his eyes and offers both hands to the man, who readily grabs them as Jongin slowly hauls him to his feet. “Let’s get you home, shall we?”
Yifan nods, leaning against the hybrid’s side when Jongin sets a hand on his waist. “The kid kicked while you were playing, you know,” Yifan says casually when they’re about halfway home, “I think he wanted in on the game.”
Jongin looks downright devastated. “The baby kicked?” He repeats, eyes watering. “And I missed it?”
Yifan rolls his eyes at the dramatics and soothes Jongin with a hand scratching lightly between his ears. “Don’t worry. This kid’s awake at all hours. I’ll be sure to grab you the next time it happens.” He winces suddenly when he feels another kick aimed at the inside of his skin. “Damn, you’d better play with the baby every second of every day.” He rubs his stomach through the thick jacket. “The kid’s got a gift.”
Jongin beams. “Of course I will!” And then he launches into detailed descriptions on everything he will do with the baby once it’s born, smile widening by the second. By the time they reach the apartment, Yifan is pretty sure that his smile mirrors it.
-
Yifan wakes up in the middle of the night, not knowing why. Jongin is curled up in front of him, head tucked under Yifan’s chin and tail curled around the taller man’s ankle. He’s just beginning to fall back asleep when it happens again; a sharp, shooting pain in his midsection that leaves aftershocks of pain in its wake. Yifan’s eyes widen in realization.
“Jongin,” he hisses, voice at a normal level. The hybrid snuffles lightly, shifting closer. Yifan hates to wake Jongin up like this, but something important as this can’t be excused. “Jongin,” he tries again.
The hybrid moans, opening one eye to glare at Yifan. “What.”
“It’s happening.”
And then Jongin’s shooting out of the bed, grabbing the overnight bag they’d packed a few days ago, dashing into the living room to call a taxi. Meanwhile, Yifan pulls himself upright. Jongin returns for him in record time, helping him up and dragging him to the front door and out, down the flights of stairs and onto the front curb. He leans Yifan against a grimy wall and runs back to the apartment to fetch the back and lock the door.
Despite the early hour, Jongin is at attention, one hand placed on Yifan’s bulging stomach and the other on the man’s back. Whenever Yifan sucks in a breath, Jongin sucks in one too and glances at him with worry as he curses the taxi company and anything else he can think of.
The ride is short and all it takes at the front desk is the mention of his name-he was expected to come only two days later anyway-and they’re rushing him up, to the delivery and nursery floor. Yifan keeps a firm grip on Jongin’s hand, only letting go to shed his clothes and don a hospital gown.
A doctor comes in with an epidural, explaining that they’ll have to perform a C-section. Yifan grips Jongin’s hand harder and the hybrid squeezes back.
When the contractions are too close together and Yifan can’t even stand, let alone think straight, nurses come to rush him out of the room. YIfan makes sure that Jongin comes with him.
The hybrid has gone pale and isn’t looking at him anymore, resolutely staring ahead. “Hey,” Yifan hisses, giving his hand a firm squeeze. Jongin’s head immediately snaps in his direction. “I’m going to be fine. Everything is going to work out.”
Jongin nods shakily and when they step out of the elevator, Yifan’s vision starts fading. He remembers the doctor giving him something else meant to put him out, but Yifan doesn’t want to go this soon.
“What is that?”
The voice is faint, but Yifan realizes with surprise that it’s coming from right in front of him.
“It’s his hybrid, Doctor. He wouldn’t leave the room without it. I think he intends to bring it into the operating room with him.”
“Do we even allow hybrids in the operating rooms?”
Yifan’s eyebrows knit together. “Jongin stays,” he manages, voice thick. He moves his hand to lie atop his stomach when he feels another contraction, and he realizes that there won’t be anything inside the bump when he wakes up. He grabs his stomach more fiercely, feeling the dull sensation of his fingernails biting into the skin of his stomach, but it’s all so far away.
The last thing he feels is Jongin’s thumb running over the back of his hand before he’s gone.
-
Jongin is the first thing Yifan sees when he wakes up, and he thinks that that’s a good thing. He feels tired, exhausted, but he manages to keep his eyes open. Once he’s crossed that canyon, he opens his mouth.
“Hey.”
Jongin’s reaction is instantaneous. He turns, grins at Yifan, and then is coming to his side as fast as he can, fingers tracing over Yifan’s face, his hands, his shoulders. “You did great,” the hybrid is saying, “so, so great. He’s beautiful, Yifan. He’s absolutely perfect.”
Yifan grins, holding the hybrid’s hands still on his cheeks. “He?”
Jongin nods, head moving so fast that Yifan’s scared it’ll fall off. “Here, you should meet him.” He presses a kiss to Yifan’s temple, moving away to a clear plastic container in the corner. When he returns, he has a blue bundle in his arms that he hands off to Yifan.
He’s sleeping, Yifan realizes, watching the tiny chest rise and fall. He peels back the blanket a bit and marvels at the tiny little hands, fingers gently tracing over the soft skin before he’s pulling the blanket back and gently hugging the infant to his chest. He grins up at Jongin. “He’s here.”
The hybrid nods, lips turned up as if they’ll stay that way forever. Slowly, carefully, he slides onto the hospital bed beside Yifan. With gentle movements, he plays with the few, thin strands of hair atop the infant’s head. “Now we just have to think of a name.”
Yifan’s mouth screws up into a frown. “I’m awful with names.”
Jongin groans, head slipping onto Yifan’s shoulder. “Me too.”
Quietly, Yifan laughs, leaning down slightly to place a kiss on Jongin’s ear, grinning when it flicks a second later in irritation. “Don’t worry,” he says, looking down at the tiny bundle in his arms, “we’ll figure something out.”
-
Raising a child is hard work, but the little hellraiser has finally started to sleep through nights, crib moved into the living room so that Yifan and Jongin don’t wake the little one when they get up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night.
As soon as the baby is asleep, Jongin tackles Yifan-who had been putting on his pajamas-to the bed. “He’s finally asleep,” Jongin whispers with an anticipatory grin.
Yifan isn’t known for being a tease. And especially after months of nothing, he’s not going to pass this up. Immediately, he leans up and presses their lips together, wasting no time in licking into Jongin’s mouth.
Jongin’s hands roam his body, lingering at the smooth planes of his stomach before going further, fingers slipping beneath the waistband of Yifan’s boxers. Yifan’s head falls back, his back arching as Jongin takes his cock into his hand, pumping him until he’s completely hard.
Jongin leans back, tearing off his own clothes, and then he swears.
“What is it?” Yifan’s voice comes out rough as he sets both hands on Jongin’s thighs, trying to fix whatever the problem is.
“We don’t have any condoms,” Jongin hisses, frown on his face. “We forgot to get them last time we were out and-”
Yifan leans up, halting Jongin’s sad speech. He threads his fingers into soft hair and grins. “It’s fine,” he assures the other. “Keep going.”
Jongin stares at him, then groans low and long. “God-Yifan-” He swears, swooping down to seal their lips together as he trails his fingers over Yifan’s stomach, past his hard cock, stopping when he gets to a puckered entrance.
Yifan knows that this is exactly the same situation, the déjà vu doesn’t escape him, but he can’t help but think that it wouldn’t be that bad if this ended the same way as before. He wouldn’t mind in the least. But then Jongin’s thrusting two fingers into him and any thoughts he has churning in his brain are forgotten.
“Hey,” Jongin whispers, once he’s fully sheathed inside Yifan. “I love you.”
Yifan’s reply is a mix of garbled words as Jongin begins to thrust, but the hybrid understands anyway, peppering Yifan’s face with kisses before laughing loud and long.
Shrill cries erupt from the living room.
Both men freeze and Yifan covers his face with his hands, groaning.
Jongin carefully pulls them away, placing a kiss on the man’s nose. “Hey, I got it,” he says, pulling out and tripping out of the bed, quickly pulling on a pair of discarded shorts. He pauses in the doorway. “But when I get back, we’re continuing where we left off.”
Yifan chuckles and hides his face among the pillows, counting his blessings. “I love you,” he calls, just before Jongin leaves to tend to the sobbing child in the living room.
Jongin beams. “I know.”
Warnings: mpreg, Kris as a bottom, catboys, this is a mess
Yifan's a mess, but he has Jongin. So that makes him slightly less of a mess.
Yifan sits in the public bathroom, staring at the tiny piece of plastic in his hands. He narrows his eyes and stares some more before tipping his head back on the probably germ-encrusted walls. He can't really bring himself to care though, as he chances one last look at the tiny white stick, just to see if it had changed at all in the past few seconds. Yifan sighs, running a hand through his hair.
Well, shit.
Yifan's not very good at relationships, hasn't been in anything long-term since high school. Usually he just hangs around, meets up with friends-who all seem to have found their other halves-and then goes on walks in the middle of sleepless nights. He'd started trying out a few bars and clubs a while back, and then he'd gone home with someone.
It hadn't just been one guy, but Yifan hadn't minded. It was exciting, and for the most part, he'd parted with his one-night-stands amiably, over coffee the morning after.
And then Yifan had met him. They had talked at the bar for a while, bought each other drinks, and then he had invited Yifan home, hand resting on Yifan’s thigh as he’d asked. Of course, Yifan had agreed. It was as if they couldn’t get there fast enough. The door handle had dug into his hip when Yifan had been pushed up against it, warm mouth pressing insistently over his own and a hand cupping his chin while the other had searched for keys. They tumbled into the apartment, shedding clothes on the way to the bedroom, Yifan clawing at a defined back once he’d rid it of the thin button-up. The man had pulled away for a moment, swore, and then genuine dismay marred his features as he confessed he didn’t have any condoms on him. Yifan had pulled him back, fingers threading into thick hair and he’d said that no, it was fine, they didn’t need one. As long as he pulled out, it would be fine. But then they’d forgotten. It was hard to remember his name let alone minute details as Yifan was fucked open, low moans falling from his lips, growing in number and pitch until he’d come with a silent scream, clenching around the thick cock and breathing deep as the man above him followed, shuddering as he came. Yifan hadn’t thought anything of it, but now…
He kneads his temples, willing away the bile that rises in his throat. No, he doesn’t need any more of that. Yifan taps his finger restlessly on the plastic stick, staring at the bright red line. Positive. It’s positive and he’s pregnant. Definitely not a fluke; it’s the third tester he’s used.
Yifan figures he’s sulked for long enough. He pulls his pants up and walks out, dumping the used testers and those that are left in the box into the trash can. He strides out of the bathroom and into the train station. He stops at a convenience store and buys a Coke-no more alcohol, it seems-before boarding the train bound for home.
Once he reaches his shoddy apartment, he collapses onto his couch. It’s too late, he has work in the morning, but there’s no way he can go to sleep now. Not after he’d found out the reason behind the frequent trips to the bathroom and the sudden churning in his stomach at the smell of coffee. He takes out his simple touch screen phone, unlocks it and flips over to the contacts, thumb hovering over an unnamed contact. Should he? Yifan takes a deep breath and nods. At this point, he could really use any advice at all, and he can’t think of anyone else to call. His hand shakes and the screen darkens, a dull ringing audible in the silence. Yifan flounders, raising the phone to his ear as the ringing stops.
“Hello?”
Yifan licks his lips. “Hey, can we meet up tomorrow?”
-
Yifan warms his hands with the steaming mug of tea-coffee still makes him queezy and he has a scarf covering his mouth and nose to filter the smell. It’s cold enough outside that it doesn’t look too conspicuous-and he frowns when his fingers overlap, the mug too small to warm the tips of his fingers.
“So, what’s up with the sudden call?” A warm voice asks across from him. “Is something the matter?”
Yifan looks up. The man is different, his hair’s longer, curling at the ends, and he has dark scruff on his cheeks and chin. But the real difference is on his face, the smile that pulls at his lips even when he isn’t consciously grinning, and the light in his eyes that dances even in the unkind lighting. Yifan feels something like dread pool in his stomach. He isn’t the reason behind either of those. Despite that, he forces a smile onto his face. “No reason, just wanted to catch up. I haven’t seen you since…” he trails off. He’s fairly sure that they both remember the last time they’d seen each other. Yifan lets out a shaky breath. “So, has anything happened?”
The man grins at the invitation. “Well, since you asked,” he pauses for effect, leaning his elbows on the table and positively beaming, “I’ve met someone. She’s completely lovely-an elementary school teacher, she adores children-and she’s just moved in with me this past week!” He reveals the news with nothing less than complete joy, legs jiggling beneath the table. “So, what’s new with you, Yifan?”
Yifan looks away, eyes roaming the cafe, desperately searching for something else to focus on-Yifan’s throat feels constricted and his eyes burn slightly-until they come to rest on a figure with pointed ears sticking out of a woolen hat. He relaxes a bit at the sight, interest overcoming anxiety. It shouldn’t be that odd, seeing a hybrid out in public, but Yifan’s still rather unused to it. The affluent neighborhoods are crawling with them, but the smaller single-room apartment buildings like the one Yifan lives in maybe have two or three, so every time he sees one in public he has to steel himself. He watches as the hybrid eagerly grabs the hand of its owner and they both stand, heading for the door. Yifan’s eyes follow them, and he finds himself back to looking at the man seated across from him. Yifan starts, realizing that he’d been waiting for an answer this entire time. “Me? Oh, nothing’s new. Same job, same apartment, nothing’s changed.” Yifan considers biting his tongue, but he finds himself going on to say, “So, tell me more about your girlfriend.”
He decides, after listening to the man ranting for half an hour about this woman, that he’s not going to tell him. He can’t. Not when his warm, brown eyes light up as he tells Yifan about his first date with his girl-his soulmate he says once, blushing in embarrassment and changing the subject to a different event soon after-all the way up until last night, when she’d cooked his favorite meal and stayed awake until he’d come back from his late shift. He checks his watch and swears. “I told her I’d meet her for lunch.” He hesitates before hastily adding on, “You’re welcome to come, if you want.”
But Yifan can see the indecision clear in his eyes, the way he holds himself a bit tense. It’s not a sincere invitation, merely a polite add-on. He wants Yifan to decline. Yifan pulls up the corner of his lips in a sad attempt at a smile. “It’s fine. I have somewhere I need to be after this.”
The man eases up, relieved. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He begins to clear his things, pull on his jacket. “Well, it was lovely meeting up with you. I’d love to catch up with you again sometime. Don’t hesitate to give me a call!” That, at least, is sincere. He gives Yifan’s shoulder a quick squeeze that means nothing more than farewell, and then takes his leave.
As soon as the doors close behind him, Yifan takes out his phone. He scrolls through his contacts, not hesitating for even a second as his thumb glides across the screen and confirms the action, deleting the number from his phone. No, Yifan will not ever be seeing him again.
-
He spends all his spare time learning about babies. How they grow, how they’re born, and how to prepare for them. Yifan begins a reputable diet regimen, ignoring the ridicule he receives from the idiots in his office; Zitao, Sehun and Jongdae-sometimes Chanyeol, though he’s a good kid and usually won’t join in unless he’s egged on-because vegetables are important and they will build a good immune system for the baby, no matter how odd it looks to be munching on uncooked carrots in the middle of the day.
Yifan thinks about it clinically, like he has a temporary affliction that will be gone in just a few months. But then he reaches the “Preparing For Arrival” section of the self-help book he’d purchased under the guidance of a particularly helpful website and realizes he’s in way over his head. He’s not just having a baby. He’s having a kid. A kid that he’s going to have to raise and care for every single day, even when he’s angry, sad, not feeling up to it. He’s signed himself up for a lifetime of commitment.
When Yifan comes to this realization, he crawls into bed and doesn’t drag himself out until the sun is high in the sky and he’s almost late to work.
He’s realized that there’s no way he can do this alone. Yifan likes kids, but he doesn’t know how to take care of them. He needs something to help him, someone to keep him in check. Yifan doesn’t have any relatives near enough or close enough to help, no friends that he’d trust enough with the task. So he turns to the internet. He discovers reviews for nannies, likes the idea of someone with years of experience to stay in his apartment and look after his kid while he was at work, but then he sees wages and the occasional negative, but extreme, comment and decides that no, maybe a nanny isn’t the best solution.
Then, one day at work while he’s wasting away his break time, he stumbles across an article. He narrows his eyes and reads the title again. Hybrids and Infants-The Perfect Match! Yifan figures that, at this point, he has nothing to lose, and opens the article. It’s a story on a married couple who were worried about their hybrid’s reaction to a new addition to the family, but were pleasantly surprised with how well she had taken to the baby. The hybrid herself had even added in her say, professing her love for the newborn and her luck for having been purchased by such a lovely family. The end of the article details other, smaller stories that are similar. One dog hybrid acting as a babysitter for the family, another that had practically raised the child, shown in a photograph as a middle-aged dog hybrid beside a gowned girl, hugging her tight as she happily shows her high school diploma to the camera.
Yifan pushes away from his desk. He has his own little alcove, but right around the corner is Sehun’s desk. He rolls himself forward and peeks around the wall, lips quirking when he sees the kid with his head hanging off the back of the chair, carefully placing a fifth pen on the pile already atop his nose. “Sehun,” he whispers so as not to cause the boy to topple his pen pile masterpiece. “Are hybrids good with kids?”
“What?” The boy hisses back, frowning. “Uh, I guess so? Daeun has one that plays with her kids, and she loves it. Why do you ask?”
Yifan shrugs. “No reason.” He wheels back to his desk and types in a new search for all the hybrid sellers in his area.
-
He steps inside and the place is warm, gives off a welcoming vibe. Yifan likes it and eases a bit under its calmness. His back had begun to ache, and his ankles have started to swell if he’s on them for too long. He hates it.
“May I help you?”
The woman at the front desk dons a small, no-nonsense smile that is still inviting enough that Yifan’s smile stays as he steps forward.
“Um, yes. I called ahead of time?” He states, more of a question than anything else. On the phone, the feminine voice had merely asked him what time he would be coming, hadn’t informed him at all about the details of the visit. He doesn’t know how these sorts of things work.
The woman looks down at something at her desk. “Mr. Wu?” She asks, looking up only for a moment to see Yifan’s nod, then turns back to her desk. “Yes, I have you right here. Thank you for arriving early, I’ll have someone here for you in just a second.” She offers a wider, more welcoming smile and Yifan vaguely wonders how often she has to deal with more unsavory customers before he follows her gaze to a small collection of couches and plush chairs. He thanks her quickly and heads over to the empty area, lowering himself into a couch that looks soft.
He looks around as he waits, at the framed pictures on the wall of hybrids and people by their sides, no doubt their owners, and the pictures would seem staged if not for the crazy poses, the mouths open in outrageous laughter, and the way the people in each picture seem to have forgotten the camera is even there.
“Do you like them?”
Yifan jumps, head snapping up to see a woman standing before him, warm smile on her lips. She gives off a strong maternal vibe, dressed in a large knit sweater and long skirt, both cream. Her smile is warm and Yifan decides immediately that he likes her. “Yes,” he says, “they’re all different.”
She nods, pleased smile on her face. “We encourage all of our patrons to send us pictures with their newest members of their family and, with their permission, we hang them on our walls.” She points to one and her smile widens. “This is Ms. Kim. She’s bought five hybrids and sent us so many pictures we had issues picking which ones to put up. She visits every now and then, brings the others with her to play with the ones who haven’t found a home yet.” The woman laces her fingers together and directs her smile fully on Yifan. “So, shall we?”
Yifan nods and stands, struggling for just a second before he gives in and uses the arm of the couch as a crutch. The woman waits patiently as he straightens his shirt and moves up to her side. She leads him out of the front room, through two double doors that lead to a short hallway hallway lined with a few more double doors and a few pictures of laughing hybrids.
“So, Mr. Wu, what exactly are you looking for in a companion?” The woman asks as she pushes past the first doors on the left and holds one open for Yifan to follow. “I remember you saying that you were single over the phone?”
“Yes,” Yifan affirms, curiosity quickly morphing into confusion as he hears faint screams and laughter from the end of the hall that grow louder as they near.
“Many of our single patrons are looking for something a little younger, that will bring vibrancy and excitement into their lives.” She pushes open a door and the laughter and screams are right there, inside a large room. “We get quite a few pups and kittens, and I’ve only heard good things from those who have brought one home with them. They’re a little more work than an adult hybrid but it’s well worth it. Their love and trust is given the moment they set eyes on you.”
Yifan swallows at that, lump in his throat. That isn’t what he wants at all. He looks around the room they’ve just stepped into, staring at all the hybrids inside. There’s at least a few dozen, a group of feline hybrids napping in a corner despite the din, a few dog hybrids play fighting on the colorful mats laid out, and others spread around as they talk and groom themselves. A few look up at him, hopeful smiles painting their features. They all look like they’re still in high school. Yifan knows they’re all legal-they have to be, since the place is certified-but it still makes him uneasy. He doesn’t want something else to take care of.
“So, feel free to look around and talk to some of our hybrids. I’ll be right outside when you’re ready to-”
“I’m sorry,” Yifan interrupts, “but I don’t think that these are quite what I’m looking for.” When the woman quirks a brow, taken aback, Yifan struggles to explain. “I’m… going to have children in my apartment. Very often. I’m not sure that such a young hybrid would be a wise choice.”
The woman nods, face softening as she motions Yifan out of the room, looking back at the young hybrids apologetically. “You’re quite right,” she says once they’re back in the halls, heading away from the room. “I’m very sorry, I wasn’t aware that there would be children. In that case, we have a fair few hybrids who were specially trained so that they interact well in a family that already has children or other hybrids. This means they require less attention and won’t become jealous if their owner devotes attention to someone else.” Yifan smiles and nods. That sounds exactly like what he’s looking for. The woman leads him back into the larger hall and makes to open an adjacent set of doors. “Of course, this means that they’re a bit more expensive but it’s a minor thing.”
Yifan winces. He doesn’t have that kind of money. He reaches forward and places a hesitant hand on the shoulder of the woman in front of him. “I’m sorry,” he starts when she looks at him quizzically. “I’m on a tight budget and I don’t think I could afford anything higher than the average cost.” In fact, he’s not even sure that he has enough to buy just one hybrid. This is all on a whim.
The woman lets go of the door, nods slowly. “I… I might have something,” she says, turning and walking to the last door at the end of the hall, holding it open for Yifan.
This hallway is smaller, less pictures. Yifan feels a shiver run down his back. It’s colder here, too.
“I don’t know if you are aware, but we also serve as a shelter. Hybrids returned to anywhere in the area are sent to us, and we do our best to find them a home for a while, and then we send them somewhere where they might have more luck.” She pushes past a heavy door and behind it lies a large room with rows of doors along the sides, tables and chairs in the middle, and a large window in the back of the room. It’s probably the same size as the one crawling with pups and kittens, though there are only four out in the middle of this room. One is sitting at one of the tables, reading a book; two others are leaning back against the walls, curled in on themselves and presumably asleep; and the last is pressed up against the back window, back to them.
“I try my best,” the woman goes on to say, “Any abandoned kittens or pups are added to the rest, and they usually take the transition well and get along with the others. But the older ones, the ones who have been returned, they’re harder.” She lowers her voice, “The four hybrids here are all lovely, but they’re not what the average patron is looking for. But, feel free to look around. Each of them is looking for a nice home even if they may seem a little less than enthused about it.”
When Yifan looks away from the woman, the hybrid in the back, at the window, is staring at him. Yifan meets his gaze and instead of turning away, the feline hybrid’s ears perk up anxiously, tail rising into the air and fluffing out to look double its size. Yifan glances at the hybrid with the book and when he looks back, the hybrid at the window had his back facing him. “Um, could you tell me about the hybrid in the back?”
The woman levels him with a look-though she’s a head shorter than him-and inclines her head slightly. “That’s Jongin. He’s been with us for a little over half a year. He was still young enough to be considered a kitten when he was given to us, but he didn’t like the others so I moved him here. He can be a little,” she sighs, mouth twisting into a frown, “temperamental, but he’s just waiting for the right person.”
He takes a long hard look at the hybrid. Yifan guesses he probably has the same amount of luck with the reading hybrid, or either of the ones that are asleep, but there’s just something about the feline in the back. Yifan has a good feeling about him. “I think,” he starts, voice barely above a whisper, “I’ll take him.”
The woman’s lips pull into a wide grin. “If you’re sure,” she stops to laugh when Yifan quickly nods, “then come with me. There’s paperwork to be filled out.”
-
Jongin comes home with him the very next day. Yifan takes the train past his stop, and instead gets off at the one closest to the store. When he enters, the woman on the front desk looks up before offering a kind smile, raising a finger to point at a lone figure sitting in one of the chairs. Yifan quietly makes his way over, until he’s standing directly in front of the hybrid.
“Hey, are you ready to go?” He frowns when the hybrid startles violently, directing a glare right at Yifan before hissing under his breath. Yifan murmurs an apology and watches as the hybrid stands, grabbing a small backpack and hefting it onto his back. Yifan opens his mouth to comment on the size, to ask if that’s all he has, but then he realizes the mistake before he makes it and closes his mouth. Jongin leads the way out of the building and Yifan stops to wave at the woman at the front desk, who waves back.
Once outside, Yifan comes to the sudden realization that Jongin is tall. Not taller than himself, but maybe just a few inches shorter. Pretty tall for a hybrid. They walk side by side to the train station and Yifan remembers just in time to buy Jongin a ticket, offering it to the hybrid who snatches it, careful not to let their fingers touch.
It’s not rush hour, so they sit beside each other. Yifan makes a few sad attempts at small talk, but gives up when Jongin merely shrugs or grunts in response. They reach their stop and make the short trek to the apartment building, marching up a few flights of stairs and ending up at Yifan’s door. He opens it slowly, allows Jongin to enter first.
“It’s not very big,” Yifan begins with an air of apology as Jongin slowly slips off his backpack and drops it in the entryway, beside the sneakers that he toes off. “There’s only one bedroom, so I was thinking that you could take my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch until I figure-”
“No.”
Yifan stops mid sentence, blinking in confusion at the hybrid who’s standing by his window, looking down at the busy street below. “No?” He repeats, a question instead of the firm objection the hybrid had emitted.
“No,” the hybrid agrees, turning to face Yifan. “You can’t sleep on the couch. You’re,” he pauses, looks at his feet instead of at the man, “pregnant.”
Yifan walks over to his couch and sinks down onto the faux leather. “Yeah,” he agrees, not about to argue, “How did you know?”
Jongin doesn’t look up. “I could smell it on you.”
Yifan nods to himself. Right. Hybrids have the sensitive noses. But then-”Where are you going to sleep?”
Jongin shrugs. “Your couch is fine, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll sleep there,” Jongin states, flopping onto the other end of the couch, curling in on himself so as not to touch Yifan. The latter doesn’t move a muscle, opting to close his eyes and sink into the couch as time passes, careful not to disturb the hybrid.
He gets up to make dinner after the sun sets and goes to invite Jongin to eat with him, but the feline hybrid is obviously asleep, face hidden in the cushions of the couch and legs stretched out, feet resting on the arm. Yifan eats quietly and leaves the leftovers on a covered plate with a small note.
When he wakes up the next day, it looks like Jongin hasn’t moved, but the plate and note that were on the table are gone, and a clean plate has been placed in the sink. Yifan goes to work with a smile on his face.
-
Jongin doesn’t talk much, and Yifan isn’t a fan of one-sided conversations, so he curtails his efforts of trying to talk to the hybrid. Jongin is very independent for a hybrid, based on what Yifan has seen and heard. He can cook, clean, and wash himself, and only talks to Yifan is he’s answering a direct question or returning a greeting. They work around each other, tiptoeing across lines that have been drawn, and those that are in the process of being drawn. Though Jongin isn’t quite what Yifan was expecting, he enjoys the company anyway and still makes the effort to smile at Jongin whenever they’re in the same room.
Meanwhile, his pregnancy continues. The baby grows in size and so does he, lower stomach visibly jutting out when he goes to check himself in the mirror each morning. Yifan bids goodbye to his tight-fitting shirts and solely wears sweaters and jackets that had been too big on him in years past, but now fit just about right, with a little bit of wiggle room.
He thinks he’s on his sixth month; the aversion to coffee hasn’t disappeared yet and the journey to and from work is starting to become cumbersome, he has to take breaks on the stairs in his apartment complex. So, it’s with resignation and a bit of sadness that he walks into his boss’ office on a Wednesday to ask for a few months of leave.
Yifan hardly ever calls off sick so the man is understanding, takes the request in stride and promises Yifan his desired months of paid leave before wishing him well. Yifan thanks him and then heads home, a slight skip in his step despite the swollen ankles and aching joints.
Jongin looks mildly surprised when he returns home hours before he usually does. Yifan quickly explains his situation, that they’ll be seeing each other a lot more often now, and then heads into his room to take a nap. Pregnancy is draining.
-
Yifan swears that he blinks and then soft light is filtering into his room. He groans, rolls over to check the time. He’s been asleep for fourteen hours. Fourteen. He drags a hand across his face and muffles a moan into his pillow. He needs to get up, exercise, be healthy. He slowly pulls himself up and sits on the edge of the bed for a moment, resting a hand on his distended stomach as he collects himself.
It isn’t until he’s right beside the door that he hears the noises coming from behind it. They sounds like muffled groans from behind the barrier, and Yifan vaguely wonders what’s going on, mind still foggy with sleep. He opens the door and immediately finds the cause of the noise.
He freezes.
There, on his couch, Jongin is lying on his back. His shirt is pushed up, revealing a toned stomach, and his shorts are pushed down to his ankles. He has a hand wrapped around his hard length and he moans when he drags his hand down his cock, eyes screwed shut. Yifan’s mouth goes dry and he’s rendered speechless as Jongin’s moans rise in pitch, hand tugging his cock until he comes with a low moan, translucent white landing on his stomach. Jongin opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is Yifan, standing there.
“I’m-”
“I’m sorry!” Jongin interrupts, trying to stand as he pulls up his pants and stand at the same time, tripping on the fabric and almost falling onto his face. “Usually I can control it but this morning-your scent-I just couldn’t help myself.” He hangs his head. “I can’t believe you saw that.”
Yifan’s feet are taking him forward before he’s consciously aware of the motion. He stops less than a foot away from Jongin, reaching forward as Jongin raises his head in confusion. Yifan threads a hand into silky hair, fingers lightly tracing over a velvet-soft ear before he adjusts Jongin’s head at a better angle and moves forward, pressing their lips together.
Jongin makes a muffled noise, something between a cry of alarm and a pleased hum, and then his hands are threading into Yifan’s hair. After a few chaste kisses, Yifan takes a leap and traces the seam of Jongin’s mouth with his tongue, grinning into the kiss when Jongin parts his lips, his own tongue moving against Yifan’s. Yifan tightens his hold on the hybrid’s hair and regrettably breaks away, leaning down to press an open-mouthed kiss below his ear. "I need more," he whispers, decidedly only paying attention to the want that is filling his gut. Yifan's been wanting more for a while, read that urges like these are common at about this time in the pregnancy, but he hasn't had anyone to help him with that, but if Jongin is willing-
Yifan's thoughts are cut off as a hit mouth sucks the skin on his neck, saying, "Okay," before leaning down to press kisses to Yifan's collarbones.
Yifan shivers, leans back down to press their lips together, humming happily as he begins to lead them into his bedroom. When the back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress, he stops. He isn't expecting the firm push from Jongin, landing on his back with a surprised gasp. Jongin works over him, hand rummaging through Yifan's bedside table drawers, returning to give attention to Yifan's exposed neck, slim bottle in hand.
They're wearing too many clothes. Yifan pushes at Jongin's thin shirt, stopping to gasp a little as teeth dig into his sensitive skin, but are quickly replaced by a soothing tongue. Jongin breaks away long enough for Yifan to rid him of his shirt, throwing it onto the floor. Jongin works off his shorts and underwear by himself, kicking to the ground. Then they both work on Yifan's clothes, four hands pulling up his large sweater, Jongin pulling it over his head as Yifan pushes himself up slightly to help, and then it's thrown to the floor with the rest. Jongin's straddling his waist, not moving, and Yifan looks up to see what the issue is and promptly flushes.
Jongin is staring at his stomach.
The hybrid carefully presses a hand onto the stretched skin, fingers running over it almost reverently. Then, so quick that Yifan's sure that if he'd blinked he would have missed it, Jongin presses a chaste kiss to the bump. Then he stays there and makes quick work of Yifan's pants and underwear before removing his own, kneeling in between Yifan's parted thighs. "How," Jongin starts, but his voice comes out barely louder than a breath and he has to take a second, clear his throat before continuing, "How do you want this?"
Yifan closes his eyes, head cushioned on his pillows. He can feel his cock already hard with arousal, erect against his stomach, and he almost squirms at the thought of Jongin's cock inside him, pushing against his prostate. Yifan opens his eyes. "Fuck me."
Jongin nods and immediately, the sound of a cap clicking open reaches Yifan's ears. He watches in mild interest as Jongin focuses his attention where Yifan can’t see, and then he blames his dry spell for the loud cry that leaves him when something cold and wet presses against his asshole. He sees Jongin’s eyes widen anxiously, and is quick to reassure the other, hand coming down to rest on Jongin’s knee. “It’s fine,” he whispers, voice strained. “Keep going.”
Shoulders relaxing, Jongin continues. He works Yifan open slowly, adding one finger and then two, stroking and stretching Yifan’s walls until he presses down on a spot inside Yifan that has the man gasping, writhing on top of the sheets.
Yifan feels the fingers leave him as he gasps for breath, but he has no time to collect himself because something else is pushing in, thicker than the fingers. He gasps, reaching out to sink his fingers into Jongin’s firm biceps, moaning when Jongin shifts, leaning forward and bracing his hands on Yifan’s shoulders. His stomach is a bit of a barrier, but it doesn’t stop him from wrapping his legs around Jongin’s slim waist and leaning his head back as he’s fucked slowly, deliberately, with soft groans falling from his lips.
Yifan’s eyes snap open-he doesn’t know when he closed them-when he hears low moans and looks up to see Jongin staring at him, eyes hooded. He moves a hand up to the other’s neck and pulls him down, leaning up so that their lips meet halfway. The kiss quickly devolves into Yifan moaning into Jongin’s open mouth as the thrusts pick up in pace and he can feel heat pooling in his gut.
Something soft wraps around his thigh and constricts ever so slightly, and he’s confused for a moment until he remembers that Jongin’s a hybrid. But then he can’t even feel that as Jongin puts his weight onto his left hand and reaches between them with the other, rhythm erratic as he tugs Yifan to his finish. Jongin removes his hand just before he bottoms out, choked off moan filling the room as he comes. Yifan follows, biting down on the hybrid’s full bottom lip while he spurts white on his protruding abdomen.
Jongin extricates himself from Yifan’s limbs and reaches for something on the bedside table as Yifan lies there, catching his breath. The hybrid quickly wipes up the cum on Yifan’s stomach and then hops off the bed, leaving the room with the soiled tissue in hand. Yifan stares after him, then his gaze falls to the floor, where all their clothing is strewn. He grits his teeth and rolls onto his side, making a face as the weight inside him shifts. Yifan thins his days of sleeping on his back are over.
He evaluates the situation. So, he’d caught Jongin masturbating, and then after about a month of not talking to each other, that had led to sudden sex. Yifan covers his face with both hand and groans. He blames the hormones.
Spreading his fingers, he stares at the open door that Jongin had disappeared through. What if, after this, things just go to the way they were before, the two of them carefully skirting around each other and barely noticing the other exists? Yifan frowns. He doesn’t want that.
“Hey.”
Yifan returns to himself and notices Jongin standing in the doorway, holding a bowl. The hybrid slowly makes his way over, not minding his nakedness. He stops beside the bed, tail flicking anxiously behind him.
“You didn’t eat after you got back yesterday, so I made something this morning,” he says, offering the bowl, with a small spoon inside, to Yifan. “I’m sorry, I’m not very good at cooking. I just saw that you had cans of soup in the pantry.”
“No, no, this is great!” Yifan promises with a wide grin, pulling himself up and quickly pushing two pillows behind his back to support him. He accepts the bowl with yet another round of thank yous, and spoons a bit into his mouth. He hums, eyes closing in delight. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. “Chicken noodle,” he almost asks, looking to the hybrid for confirmation. Jongin nods, small smile on his lips. Yifan continues to eat, noticing Jongin shifting on his feet. He hold the bowl in one hand, patting the space on the bed beside him.
Jongin smiles and eagerly crawls onto the bed, sprawling across the space. After a second of hesitation, he drops his head onto Yifan’s thigh, humming happily when the man doesn’t object. Yifan finishes off the rest of the soup and sets the bowl aside, leaning back against the pillows. He raises a hand and slowly reaches over to drop it on Jongin’s head, feeling the boy seize. Yifan takes one ear between his fingers, petting it softly, then sinks his fingers into the soft brown hair, making small circular motions with his fingers. A small rumbling begins, then becomes louder until Jongin is practically vibrating against his thigh and Yifan realizes that the hybrid is purring.
He smiles. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
-
Yifan wakes up to an awful smell in the kitchen. Gagging, he pulls himself up-it’s difficult now, what with the size of his stomach-and hurries into the bathroom, dropping to his knees and heaving, head on the toilet seat.
“Oh my god,” Jongin appears in the doorway, looking horrified. “Are you okay?”
Swiping the back of his hand across his lips, Yifan manages a glare at the hybrid. “Are you making coffee?”
Jongin nods, eyes wide. “After we stayed up watching movies late last night, I thought it would help!”
Yifan gags. “The smell of coffee makes me sick,” he manages, before turning back to the toilet. He hears a muffled curse in from behind him and then a series of loud banging and clanging in the kitchen. Then, after the smell of coffee is almost completely gone, he feels a hand rubbing his back.
Jongin squats next to him. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, “I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine,” Yifan assures. “I feel better already. Here, just help me to the couch.” And between the two of them, they manage to get Yifan upright and into the living room, Jongin slipping into the spot beside him once he’s seated. Yifan has to repress the laugh that bubbles in his throat when he sees the look on the hybrid’s face. “What’s the matter?”
“My other owner drank coffee everyday when she was pregnant,” Jongin muses, eyes unfocused and gaze faraway.
Yifan stills. He’s been home for a week now, and although things with Jongin have gotten better-in that the hybrid had crawled into his bed one night and has been there every night since-they still don't know each other that well. They watch movies and eat together, laughing about trivial things and small jokes, but Yifan hasn't really talked about his pregnancy yet, and Jongin hasn't said anything about his past owners.
"You know, you can ask me about them if you want,” Jongin mumbles, fringe falling over his eyes. “I don’t mind.”
“Oh,” Yifan hums. He drapes an arm around the hybrid and begins to play with the soft head of hair, smiling when Jongin drops his head onto his shoulder. Yifan supposes that he shouldn’t let this chance go. “How many owners have you had before me?”
“Just one.” Jongin cranes his head up and sees the mountain of unasked questions reflected in Yifan’s conflicted features. He smiles, flicks the man’s nose, and drops his head back onto Yifan’s shoulder, moving the hand in his hair to his ears, rumbling happily when Yifan strokes his ears. “They were a family,” he starts, voice muffled in Yifan’s shoulder, “They bought me when I was a kitten for their daughter, who was two and needed a playmate. I loved her. I loved all of them. I think they loved me, too. When the woman found out she was going to have another child, I was the first one she told. But," Jongin stops, reaches across Yifan to fist the man's sweater. "The man lost his job. She didn't work. The little one had just turned five and was in pre-school, and they didn't know what to do. The woman found work at a grocery store and the man tried his best to look for a job that paid even close to what his old one had. But it was hard.
"We moved into a smaller apartment and I slept on the couch in the living room since there wasn't enough room on the girl's floor. Things were grim and... they had to choose between the baby and me. They couldn’t possibly take care of the both of us. They made the right choice." He hides his face in Yifan's sweater. "I thought they'd come and get me after things started getting better, so I only packed a few things. But. They didn’t. I waited a long time and they never came.”
He shifts so that he’s looking Yifan in the eye, and the latter is surprised when he sees no tears. “Aren’t you-”
“It doesn’t upset me any more. Not like it used to. But it still hurts,” Jongin says, cutting Yifan off. He shifts, throwing one arm across Yifan-above the bulge of his stomach-and wiggling another behind his back in vain until Yifan finally assists him, leaning forward so Jongin can thread his fingers together and rest them on Yifan's side. "You know, I thought it would be the same with you. But when I walked inside, there wasn't anyone else."
Yifan can hear the question in his tone. Well, he'd been waiting for this anyway. "Yeah, it's just me." He looks down, past the arms wrapped around him, staring at his distended stomach. He presses his lips together. "I didn't want to do this alone."
Jongin scoffs. "Of course you won't be alone. You have me." He lowers his arms, scooting closer so he can rest both hands on Yifan's stomach. "The baby is going to love me more, you know."
Yifan chuckles and pulls an arm free of the embrace to flick one of Jongin's ears. "Don't be so sure." Jongin flicks his ear, turns to level Yifan with a glare, and the latter can't help the laughter that escapes him.
-
“Let’s go.”
Yifan whines, flopping onto his side on the bed, hiding his face in the unmade blankets. “No.”
Jongin stands at the foot of the bed, hands on his hips, ears at attention, and tail lashing behind him in frustration. “Yifan, you are super pregnant and you need to exercise. Get up now.”
“Super pregnant?” Yifan repeats, peeking up at the hybrid from under his arm. “That’s adorable.”
Jongin groans when Yifan reaches for him, though he willingly lets himself be dragged to the bed and pulled down onto it, wriggling with a frown on his face as Yifan wraps his arms around him and holds him hostage. “Seriously,” he huffs, voice muffled by the sleeve of Yifan’s too-large shirt. “We agreed. Walks everyday.”
Yifan sighs and reluctantly nods, letting the hybrid go. Jongin had chewed him out when he had admitted that he didn’t know exactly how far along he was, because he hadn’t yet been to see a doctor. So he’d dragged Yifan to the best obstetrician he could find via a quick google search. The nurse who had added Yifan for an immediate appointment also gave him a stern lecture while Jongin sat beside him and nodded. Then the nurse-his name had been Baekhyun, he wouldn’t let Yifan forget it, handing him every contact card he owned for Yifan to call-was replaced by an easygoing doctor who hadn’t yelled at him. Yifan had liked him. Zhang Yixing, the doctor, had taken a few samples to determine the approximate date he’d be having the kid and then offered to give him an ultrasound (Yifan had declined and Jongin pouted all the way home.) Yifan got the call yesterday, when Jongin was cat-napping. He has two weeks.
“Come on. You know, if you get up now, I’ll have a surprise for you when we get back.” Jongin couples the less than innocent suggestion with a lecherous wink and Yifan almost doesn’t catch himself before he rolls his eyes.
“By that, I hope you mean a nap. I won’t accept anything else,” Yifan grumbles, slowly rolling onto his feet, Jongin steadying him with a hand on his elbow.
Being the little sweetheart he is, Jongin leads Yifan to the couch, where he gently pushes the man down before running off to grab his shoes, returning to tie them meticulously, grinning when he has two perfect bows, one on each shoe. Yifan laughs and runs a hand through the hybrid’s hair, fingers skimming across his sensitive ears, and Jongin rumbles with pleasure before standing and helping Yifan upright.
There’s a park nearby, a fairly large one with beautiful gardens and huge trees with branches that shield, and even when they’re not full of leaves, they’re still gorgeous in the winter. Jongin and Yifan head over there, hand in hand, the walk almost ingrained in their minds after weeks of outings.
The only coat that fits Yifan still strains at his stomach, rendering him slightly breathless as they stroll into the park. He looks over at Jongin and smiles. The hybrid’s wearing one of his older jackets and a scarf they had bought merely a week ago that Jongin wears all the time, looping it around his neck several times until all that can be seen of his face are his chestnut hair, bright brown eyes, and soft ears-flattened so as not to freeze in the brisk weather.
They find a park bench and sit after Yifan complains about his legs. The taller man slumps onto the metal bars, groaning. Jongin slides in beside him, fisting a hand in his jacket and nuzzling his face into his neck. Yifan chuckles. “You do that a lot.”
Jongin hums, sending vibrations down Yifan’s neck.
“That one time, you talked about my scent,” Yifan muses, smiling when Jongin starts in surprise at the reminder. “Does it not bother you anymore or something?”
“You smelled enticing, then,” Jongin says before nuzzles further into the juncture of Yifan’s neck and shoulder. “Now, you just smell warm. Like home.” He grins against the skin and presses a kiss to Yifan’s neck. “And like me.”
Yifan raises his hand to push the hybrid away, but thinks better of it and drapes an arm around Jongin, pulling him fully against his side. They sit like that for a while, silently watching the people that pass by and how, despite the overcast sky, there’s still a huge group of kids playing in the open field. While they’re sitting there, a few of the kids leave and the remainder continue the game. It’s obviously unfair, one team has three more members than the other, and Yifan feels Jongin stiffen against his side. He grins and looks down at the hybrid, who is growing more restless by the minute.
Jongin notices Yifan’s gaze and whines, looking pointedly at the children. “Can I…?”
Yifan laughs. “Of course! Go!”
Jongin leaps out of the seat and sprints over to the children, where he immediately snatches the ball from one of the boys with an unfair advantage, one who was about to try for a goal kick, and neatly dribbles the ball to the other side of the field before cleanly kicking the ball right into the goal. The children, who had begun to lose hope, cheer and immediately swarm Jongin. The hybrid laughs and passes the ball to the other team, peeling children from his as the game begins, both sides just as motivated to win, now.
Yifan watches the game unfold with a smile on his face. When Jongin facilitates another goal by passing to a small girl by the goal, who manages to kick it past the goalie, his shouts can be heard even from where Yifan is sitting. He lifts the girl into the air and swings her in a circle, congratulating her.
Yifan frowns and doubles over after feeling a dull jab on the inside of his stomach. He grins when he realizes what the jab was and subconsciously, a hand moves to the large bump, rubbing it softly to calm the kid inside. “You’re right,” Yifan murmurs, “That’s the guy who’s going to take the best care of you.”
Jongin returns only after all the children have left, parents having come to thank him for entertaining their child before heading home. Jongin accepts each thanks with a bashful smile, and by the time he reaches Yifan, his cheeks are tinged red. In the orange of the setting sun, he looks almost mythical, tail flicking excitedly behind him as he nears, skin tinted a soft bronze.
“You didn’t trip on your tail!” Yifan offers as congratulation.
Jongin rolls his eyes and offers both hands to the man, who readily grabs them as Jongin slowly hauls him to his feet. “Let’s get you home, shall we?”
Yifan nods, leaning against the hybrid’s side when Jongin sets a hand on his waist. “The kid kicked while you were playing, you know,” Yifan says casually when they’re about halfway home, “I think he wanted in on the game.”
Jongin looks downright devastated. “The baby kicked?” He repeats, eyes watering. “And I missed it?”
Yifan rolls his eyes at the dramatics and soothes Jongin with a hand scratching lightly between his ears. “Don’t worry. This kid’s awake at all hours. I’ll be sure to grab you the next time it happens.” He winces suddenly when he feels another kick aimed at the inside of his skin. “Damn, you’d better play with the baby every second of every day.” He rubs his stomach through the thick jacket. “The kid’s got a gift.”
Jongin beams. “Of course I will!” And then he launches into detailed descriptions on everything he will do with the baby once it’s born, smile widening by the second. By the time they reach the apartment, Yifan is pretty sure that his smile mirrors it.
-
Yifan wakes up in the middle of the night, not knowing why. Jongin is curled up in front of him, head tucked under Yifan’s chin and tail curled around the taller man’s ankle. He’s just beginning to fall back asleep when it happens again; a sharp, shooting pain in his midsection that leaves aftershocks of pain in its wake. Yifan’s eyes widen in realization.
“Jongin,” he hisses, voice at a normal level. The hybrid snuffles lightly, shifting closer. Yifan hates to wake Jongin up like this, but something important as this can’t be excused. “Jongin,” he tries again.
The hybrid moans, opening one eye to glare at Yifan. “What.”
“It’s happening.”
And then Jongin’s shooting out of the bed, grabbing the overnight bag they’d packed a few days ago, dashing into the living room to call a taxi. Meanwhile, Yifan pulls himself upright. Jongin returns for him in record time, helping him up and dragging him to the front door and out, down the flights of stairs and onto the front curb. He leans Yifan against a grimy wall and runs back to the apartment to fetch the back and lock the door.
Despite the early hour, Jongin is at attention, one hand placed on Yifan’s bulging stomach and the other on the man’s back. Whenever Yifan sucks in a breath, Jongin sucks in one too and glances at him with worry as he curses the taxi company and anything else he can think of.
The ride is short and all it takes at the front desk is the mention of his name-he was expected to come only two days later anyway-and they’re rushing him up, to the delivery and nursery floor. Yifan keeps a firm grip on Jongin’s hand, only letting go to shed his clothes and don a hospital gown.
A doctor comes in with an epidural, explaining that they’ll have to perform a C-section. Yifan grips Jongin’s hand harder and the hybrid squeezes back.
When the contractions are too close together and Yifan can’t even stand, let alone think straight, nurses come to rush him out of the room. YIfan makes sure that Jongin comes with him.
The hybrid has gone pale and isn’t looking at him anymore, resolutely staring ahead. “Hey,” Yifan hisses, giving his hand a firm squeeze. Jongin’s head immediately snaps in his direction. “I’m going to be fine. Everything is going to work out.”
Jongin nods shakily and when they step out of the elevator, Yifan’s vision starts fading. He remembers the doctor giving him something else meant to put him out, but Yifan doesn’t want to go this soon.
“What is that?”
The voice is faint, but Yifan realizes with surprise that it’s coming from right in front of him.
“It’s his hybrid, Doctor. He wouldn’t leave the room without it. I think he intends to bring it into the operating room with him.”
“Do we even allow hybrids in the operating rooms?”
Yifan’s eyebrows knit together. “Jongin stays,” he manages, voice thick. He moves his hand to lie atop his stomach when he feels another contraction, and he realizes that there won’t be anything inside the bump when he wakes up. He grabs his stomach more fiercely, feeling the dull sensation of his fingernails biting into the skin of his stomach, but it’s all so far away.
The last thing he feels is Jongin’s thumb running over the back of his hand before he’s gone.
-
Jongin is the first thing Yifan sees when he wakes up, and he thinks that that’s a good thing. He feels tired, exhausted, but he manages to keep his eyes open. Once he’s crossed that canyon, he opens his mouth.
“Hey.”
Jongin’s reaction is instantaneous. He turns, grins at Yifan, and then is coming to his side as fast as he can, fingers tracing over Yifan’s face, his hands, his shoulders. “You did great,” the hybrid is saying, “so, so great. He’s beautiful, Yifan. He’s absolutely perfect.”
Yifan grins, holding the hybrid’s hands still on his cheeks. “He?”
Jongin nods, head moving so fast that Yifan’s scared it’ll fall off. “Here, you should meet him.” He presses a kiss to Yifan’s temple, moving away to a clear plastic container in the corner. When he returns, he has a blue bundle in his arms that he hands off to Yifan.
He’s sleeping, Yifan realizes, watching the tiny chest rise and fall. He peels back the blanket a bit and marvels at the tiny little hands, fingers gently tracing over the soft skin before he’s pulling the blanket back and gently hugging the infant to his chest. He grins up at Jongin. “He’s here.”
The hybrid nods, lips turned up as if they’ll stay that way forever. Slowly, carefully, he slides onto the hospital bed beside Yifan. With gentle movements, he plays with the few, thin strands of hair atop the infant’s head. “Now we just have to think of a name.”
Yifan’s mouth screws up into a frown. “I’m awful with names.”
Jongin groans, head slipping onto Yifan’s shoulder. “Me too.”
Quietly, Yifan laughs, leaning down slightly to place a kiss on Jongin’s ear, grinning when it flicks a second later in irritation. “Don’t worry,” he says, looking down at the tiny bundle in his arms, “we’ll figure something out.”
-
Raising a child is hard work, but the little hellraiser has finally started to sleep through nights, crib moved into the living room so that Yifan and Jongin don’t wake the little one when they get up to go the bathroom in the middle of the night.
As soon as the baby is asleep, Jongin tackles Yifan-who had been putting on his pajamas-to the bed. “He’s finally asleep,” Jongin whispers with an anticipatory grin.
Yifan isn’t known for being a tease. And especially after months of nothing, he’s not going to pass this up. Immediately, he leans up and presses their lips together, wasting no time in licking into Jongin’s mouth.
Jongin’s hands roam his body, lingering at the smooth planes of his stomach before going further, fingers slipping beneath the waistband of Yifan’s boxers. Yifan’s head falls back, his back arching as Jongin takes his cock into his hand, pumping him until he’s completely hard.
Jongin leans back, tearing off his own clothes, and then he swears.
“What is it?” Yifan’s voice comes out rough as he sets both hands on Jongin’s thighs, trying to fix whatever the problem is.
“We don’t have any condoms,” Jongin hisses, frown on his face. “We forgot to get them last time we were out and-”
Yifan leans up, halting Jongin’s sad speech. He threads his fingers into soft hair and grins. “It’s fine,” he assures the other. “Keep going.”
Jongin stares at him, then groans low and long. “God-Yifan-” He swears, swooping down to seal their lips together as he trails his fingers over Yifan’s stomach, past his hard cock, stopping when he gets to a puckered entrance.
Yifan knows that this is exactly the same situation, the déjà vu doesn’t escape him, but he can’t help but think that it wouldn’t be that bad if this ended the same way as before. He wouldn’t mind in the least. But then Jongin’s thrusting two fingers into him and any thoughts he has churning in his brain are forgotten.
“Hey,” Jongin whispers, once he’s fully sheathed inside Yifan. “I love you.”
Yifan’s reply is a mix of garbled words as Jongin begins to thrust, but the hybrid understands anyway, peppering Yifan’s face with kisses before laughing loud and long.
Shrill cries erupt from the living room.
Both men freeze and Yifan covers his face with his hands, groaning.
Jongin carefully pulls them away, placing a kiss on the man’s nose. “Hey, I got it,” he says, pulling out and tripping out of the bed, quickly pulling on a pair of discarded shorts. He pauses in the doorway. “But when I get back, we’re continuing where we left off.”
Yifan chuckles and hides his face among the pillows, counting his blessings. “I love you,” he calls, just before Jongin leaves to tend to the sobbing child in the living room.
Jongin beams. “I know.”