[Fic] Come What May

[thesockmonster]

Title: Come What May
Pairing: Minseok/Sehun
Rating: NC-17
Length: 11k
Author's Note: Originally written for xiuhunation.
Warnings: abo, mpreg
Summary: Sehun getting pregnant was not part of Minseok's plan.



Minseok runs his palm up Sehun’s spine, enjoying the feel of sweat slick skin dragging over his fingertips and watching as Sehun bends away from the touch, sensitive. As soon as he gets to Sehun’s neck, he drags his nails lightly back down, watching as red blossoms in trails over the canvas of Sehun’s skin. Sehun hisses, sinking all the way down on Minseok’s cock and clenching purposely around him. Minseok groans, head falling to rest on the back of the couch as Sehun resumes bouncing.

It’s been a long heat.

Sehun had started over the weekend - late Saturday night when he’d fitfully rolled off the bed, and when Minseok had checked on him, Sehun had pulled him down to fuck him on the floor. It’s midday Wednesday now and Sehun’s heat has kept the both of them occupied the entire time. Not that Minseok will complain. His omega is always so responsive, so needy and desperate for his knot that sometimes Minseok wishes they could live tied together.

He breathes in the scent of his mate, letting it take over as his head spins, pleasure rushing through every limb as Sehun frantically races to his end. Minseok’s knot is expanding, catching on Sehun’s rim every time he raises and Minseok thrusts up, wanting nothing more than to sheath it inside Sehun permanently. Even after years of being together, Minseok will never tire of this, will never get over the thunderous way his heart beats when Sehun smiles at him, kisses him, clings to him and begs for his knot over and over.

Sehun is his one and only. Minseok is fortunate to have held on to such a prize of an omega.

“Almost,” Sehun gasps, reaching blindly behind him until Minseok takes his hand, linking their fingers together and resting them on Sehun’s stomach.

The way he has to press his chest to Sehun’s back keeps Minseok from being able to thrust up, but Sehun is fucking himself hard and fast enough that it doesn’t matter. It’s isn’t long before his knot is too thick to pull out and Sehun wiggles his hips until it’s fully snug up his ass. He lets out a soft whine and Minseok helps Sehun rock on his cock, head tipped back and Minseok’s mouth on his neck. There are marks littered over Sehun’s neck on both sides, some fading with age and others more recent.

Minseok’s teeth catch on the back of Sehun’s neck, scraping, and Sehun moans out his name, clamping so tight around Minseok’s cock as his orgasm ripples through him. It’s a beautiful thing - Sehun falling apart. He always seeks Minseok’s presence, like he’s not already there, clutching tight to his omega to ground him until his head clears.

“Better?” Minseok rumbles against pink stained skin. A flourish of goosebumps race over Sehun’s neck and he leans back against Minseok fully, sticky and sated.

Sehun hums softly, turning his head enough to leave a dry-lipped kiss on Minseok’s mouth. “Your turn.” Sehun’s smile is teasing, mischievous and Minseok hisses through his teeth when Sehun circles his hips as he clenches around Minseok’s knot. He’d been so close before Sehun came that it won’t be long at all until he’s filling his mate up. Perhaps it will be the last time this heat; Sehun seems to be slowing.

The pressure is almost unbearable the moment just before Minseok feels it release. He groans, his hold on Sehun tight as Sehun shudders, a soft, pleasured noise spilling from his lips. Every part of Minseok is pleased, purring in contentment because Sehun is his and he is Sehun’s. Sehun gets comfortable, his weight pushing Minseok into the couch as they wait for Minseok’s knot to shrink.

Sehun falls asleep and Minseok has to carry him to bed to sleep it off as he cleans up their couch. Not for the first time, Minseok’s glad they popped for the water resistant linings inside the cushion covers. All he has to do is take them off and stick them in the washing machine while Sehun snores through the afternoon.

It gives Minseok the time to boot up his laptop and check his emails from work. When he sees the number of new messages, he decides to just close the laptop instead, leaning back in his chair as he wipes his hands over his face. He’s so behind even with Lu Han stepping in to take on some of his workload while he was out.

Minseok's alarm goes off in the morning and he rolls, letting out a soft sigh as he's pulled from sleep. He fumbles blindly for his phone to shut off his alarm before scooting to where Sehun is threatening to fall off the bed. Minseok fits an arm around Sehun's waist, pushing his nose to Sehun's neck. There is the lingering scent of his heat that still clings, but it's not enough for Sehun to need him.

As much as Minseok would love to stay home with Sehun again, he can't. Minseok leaves a soft kiss behind before stealthily getting out of bed. He turns to make sure Sehun is still sleeping, smiling at the disheveled state of his mate.

He takes a quick shower, brews a cup of coffee and gets dressed as quietly as he can. Sehun could probably sleep through anything after his heat, but Minseok doesn't want to chance it. Sehun needs his rest and Minseok needs to get to work and take care of the slew of emails he'd been too tired to deal with the day before.

There is always some new product cropping up on the market, claiming to be the best at keeping omega pheromones from seeping through walls and tempting anyone who passes. With the recent government regulations that require all buildings - residence and business alike - to upgrade their pheromone insulation, Minseok is scrambling to keep up. The company he works for is a government subcontractor; their job is to test the products and determine their own results and the government bases their standards from their analysis.

Minseok's part in all this is to gather up all the information and pass it down to his underlings, setting up groups for testing and gathering the results after to send to his superiors. It doesn't seem like much, but it can be demanding, especially when their deadlines creep closer. Minseok had always wanted to change the world when he was in college. He supposes doing it through insulation and other products that could protect omegas is one way to go about it even if it wasn't exactly what he had planned.

Lu Han is waiting for Minseok in his office. Minseok groans, stopping in his doorway to scowl at his coworker and best friend because the last thing he needs is Lu Han being sugary sweet so early.

"Don't give me that look. I brought you coffee. And the intern is under orders to go out and get coffee for you every two hours. It's the closest I could come to a caffeine drip. You're going to need it."

Minseok grunts, shuffling over the carpet to get to the coffee already placed on his desk. Lu Han rubs a hand up Minseok's back, fingers tapping mindlessly on his neck.

"I'd ask for a thanks, but you look dead and you still smell like Sehun so I'm giving you a free pass."

Minseok grunts again, taking a swallow of his hot drink. The coffee he'd downed quickly before leaving the house wasn't going to get him far, so he really does appreciate the gesture. Lu Han is always there for him, even when he makes it out like it's a personal sacrifice, like he only does it for himself. He's a good guy. Usually.

As promised, the intern returns every couple hours with a fresh, steaming cup of coffee that tastes like heaven. Minseok thanks her every time, a little guilty because he can never remember her name. Lu Han's taken to just calling her Joy because she's a plucky thing with a smile that doesn't wilt and an enthusiasm that hasn't been sucked out of her yet.

Minseok has to field two team meetings, a conference call with a potential new vendor and steadily answer every email that came in while he was away. By the end of the day, his head is buzzing from over-caffeination, his tie is hanging loose around his neck and his stomach is gurgling because he'd skipped lunch so he could catch up.

Sehun is there to catch him when he practically falls through their front door. He's so warm and comforting and familiar and Minseok gets his arms around Sehun to hold him close, nose to Sehun's neck. "Missed you," he murmurs against Sehun's skin. "So much. Were you okay today?"

Sehun gives Minseok a half shrug. "Nothing I couldn't handle myself. You smell like you brought an entire coffee shop home with you."

"I think I drank an entire coffee shop," Minseok quips, refusing to release his mate.

Sehun hums, waddle walking the two of them backwards until they're out of the foyer and in the living room. It's so easy to let Sehun drop onto the pile of beanbags they have in the corner, pulling Minseok with him. The beanbag chairs are remnants of their college days, each one with its own memories attached to it. No matter how much their friends poke fun at them, Minseok and Sehun refuse to get rid of the outdated furniture.

There's a pink beanbag chair with yellow polka-dots that's under their heads and that's the beanbag Sehun was sitting in when he'd asked Minseok on a date. Minseok had been in his final year of college and Sehun was an incoming freshman. Everything about their age difference screamed no! but Minseok had been so enamored with the earnest omega that he'd said yes before thinking. It was the best decision he ever made.

They’d taken things super slow, going at Sehun’s speed because Minseok was afraid of making him uncomfortable or pushing him past boundaries he was hesitant to pass. The tie-dyed beanbag chair that is nestled comfortably under Sehun’s butt is the one Minseok had been draped on when Sehun kissed him the first time. It was also the witness, months later, for Sehun’s first attempt at a blowjob that ended as an awkward handjob and Minseok pushing Sehun into the bright red beanbag chair - the one by his feet - to suck Sehun off until he screamed his name.

There are too many memories, too many milestones for either of them to give up their hodgepodge collection of beanbag chairs even if they don’t go with anything else in the house. Minseok knows Sehun lays in the pile when he’s feeling insecure or angry at himself and Minseok himself is known to stand in front of them, sipping on his drink of choice - usually coffee because he’s a hopeless addict - and pondering over his decisions while letting the past comfort him.

They’ve been together for a long time now. It feels like ages since they were in school and Minseok was tip-toeing around what he should and shouldn’t be doing with an omega who still had a one prefacing his age. But they’d made it through intact, their relationship surviving Minseok diving into the workforce after graduation and Sehun continuing on in school until his own graduation. They’d made adjustments for each other, give and take, and Minseok would gladly give again and again to keep Sehun at his side.

Sehun swings a leg over Minseok’s thighs, wedging himself closer as the beanbags under them shift. “I made dinner,” he says, his fingers gently tugging on Minseok’s shirt to untuck it from his slacks. “We should reheat it after.”

It’s a testament to Minseok’s grogginess that he doesn’t quite get it. “After?” he asks.

Sehun makes this pitchy whine, getting his point across when he shoves his hand down Minseok’s pants to curl his fingers around Minseok’s dick. Oh. Minseok lets Sehun strip him down before intervening, pulling the two of them off the beanbags. Their only house rule is ’no sex on the beanbags’. Anywhere else is fair game. That’s why Sehun ends up bent over the side of the couch, whining into the cushion as Minseok fucks into him from behind.

He might be exhausted, but he’s never too exhausted for Sehun.

There's a lingering guilt that hovers on the edge of Minseok's thoughts when he spares a glance at the time on his phone and the notifications of Sehun's texts under it. He's been up to his elbows in bureaucracy bullshit for the entire day and it's not made any better now that he has had to stay late and fix the situation before it snowballs into chaos.

Lu Han is with him, tie off and sleeves rolled up as they sift through every group testing result in the last six months to find the two that were mixed up. It wasn't Minseok's fault, but it is his ass on the line and it means a lot to him that Lu Han's has stayed behind to help.

His phone pings again with a new text and Minseok sighs, wishing he could magic the right files into his hands. It's not that one evening late is enough to feel bad for, but the late nights at the office have been recurring for the last month, leaving little time for Minseok to spend with Sehun. Even weekends are spent with Minseok on his laptop frantically trying to keep up. He knows the workload will die down, but getting to that point is taking its toll.

Sehun graduated at the top of his class, earning himself a degree in child care - something that Minseok had been so proud of him for. But finding a job in that field as an omega wasn't easy. Despite his record and his previous experience, no place in the city had a position open for him. All daycares require a delicate balance of alpha, beta and omega in their employ and they're over-saturated with omegas.

Sehun had tried staying at home for a while, but he'd soon gotten too frustrated. He told Minseok he wanted to feel useful, to carry his own weight so Minseok didn't feel obligated to pick up the slack. Minseok had professed that the only slack he would ever pick up was Sehun's and he would be glad to do it, but Sehun had waved him off.

Now he works part-time at a used bookstore to get out of the house. But the hours aren't long and Minseok knows that Sehun is alone at home, waiting for him, and it makes him feel that much worse. Ever since Sehun's last heat broke, they've hardly been able to spend any time together.

It's nearing nine when Lu Han calls it off for the night, forcing Minseok from where his butt is glued to the expensive chair. "Go home," Lu Han commands with all the authority of an alpha even if he's only a beta. Minseok obeys anyway.

When Minseok quietly slips into his home, he drops the pretense of keeping quiet in case Sehun was sleeping when he hears low voices. From the foyer, he can see the flickering lights from the television and he rounds the corner to find Sehun laying on the couch, snuggled comfortably in the arms of his best friend, Jongin.

Minseok's long since gotten over that twinge of jealousy that used to flare in his chest at the sight of the two of them together and now he's just thankful that Sehun has someone to be here for him when Minseok can't be. Minseok glances into the kitchen, a frown pulling at his lips when he sees the dinner Sehun had made now sitting in containers for Minseok to reheat.

Guilt.

"You're home," Sehun says, sleep thick in his voice. He's nestled against Jongin whose pressed to the back of the couch, looking like he's on the verge of falling asleep too. It's easy to pull Sehun up when he holds out his arms, and Jongin helps until Sehun is snug in Minseok's embrace. "Missed you," Sehun mumbles.

Sehun is a barnacle; he wouldn't come off even if Minseok tried to pry him away, but he has no intention of doing so. Sehun is home and Minseok breathes him in deep. There's something a little off about his scent. It's probably just from laying with Jongin who also smells strongly of his mate, Chanyeol.

Minseok offers Jongin a ride home, but the omega brushes it off, sending a text to Chanyeol to come pick him up instead. Jongin probably had to listen to Sehun venting about being lonely now that Minseok’s working so much and Minseok thanks him several times before Sehun is dragging Minseok down the hall and to bed. Jongin knows his way out and he has a key to lock up behind himself.

The mix of Jongin and Chanyeol, who's only a beta, still stick to Sehun even after they shower. Minseok smells it on Sehun before he leaves for work the next morning and wonders how long Jongin had been over.

It nags at him, but Minseok puts it off to stress and Sehun being around other people when he's at work. Every night he comes home from work and Sehun's scent is just off. It's not Sehun, but it's Sehun. Minseok doesn't think much of it, preferring to cover it up by nuzzling against his mate, backing him toward a wall or the bed or into the shower and running his hands all over Sehun until he just smells like Minseok.

It pleases him.

Things finally taper off after another few weeks and Minseok gets to rest easy. It's a new and wonderful thing to leave the office on time for once, turning down Lu Han's offer to buy him a drink because he just wants to go home to Sehun. The idea of having Sehun for the entire night plus the weekend ahead puts a little extra pep in Minseok's step.

A permanent smile rests on his lips, and he's humming a jingle from a commercial he heard on the radio when he steps inside his home. His shoes come off at the door, tie slipped loose and his body already relaxing as he awaits his upcoming, hopefully uneventful, next few days.

Sehun comes into view and Minseok gives him a grin before it fades away. There's something wrong. Sehun is fidgeting, one hand tugging on the hem of his shirt and his eyes settled on Minseok's chest instead of his face. Minseok's heart picks up speed and he steps toward his mate.

"Sehun?" he questions, trying to get him to look at him. Every instinct is screaming at Minseok to take Sehun in his arms and comfort him, to protect him and assure him that everything is alright, but Sehun doesn't look like he wants Minseok to touch him. He keeps his distance, waiting for a sign that Sehun wants him near.

Sehun is worrying his lower lip in his teeth, his blond hair fallen in his eyes as he shifts his weight from foot to foot, never stilling. It has Minseok preparing for the worst; Sehun has never looked this nervous before - not even when he was staring up at an alpha he barely knew, demanding a date.

Minseok doesn't press. He waits.

Sehun slowly shifts back to the beanbags in the living room, the stiffness in his shoulders relaxing some when he pushes his foot underneath the nearest one. Minseok doesn't follow.

"There's something on the bathroom counter," Sehun finally says. His voice is strained, cracking around his words.

A thousand things run through Minseok's mind when he turns down the hall to the bathroom. He pushes the door all the way open and peers at the counter, but there's nothing there. It must be in the bathroom in their bedroom.

His heart is racing, his palms are sweaty and Minseok has to take in a deep breath before walking into their bathroom. It's just as he left it this morning, everything in its place - including the pile of his and Sehun's clothes from the night before that didn't quite make it into the hamper. The only thing out of place is a white plastic stick sitting by the sink.

Minseok knows exactly what it is. He doesn't even need to look at it closer to know what it means, but he has to see it for himself before he can believe it. It's surreal, like he's not in control of himself when he stares down at a pink plus sign that's vivid and bright against the backdrop of white.

Sehun's pregnant.

He's pregnant.

Minseok's ears are ringing and he blinks when his vision blurs from staring so long. Ideally, he'd like to freak out. His hands are shaking and he leans back against the wall, pulling in shuddering breaths. He wasn't - isn't - prepared for this.

But he can't afford to think about this right now. Right now, there's a scared omega in the living room who needs him.

Minseok hurries his way to Sehun, his heart plummeting when he sees the nervous worry on Sehun's face. He doesn't slow until he has Sehun tucked in his arms. Sehun is trembling and he clutches to the back of Minseok's shirt, trying to wedge himself closer. Minseok scrapes his nails through the back of Sehun's hair, trying to calm him.

"It's ok," Minseok whispers, soothing his mate as best he can. "I'm not mad."

Minseok is many things, but angry isn't one of them - especially not at Sehun. They didn't plan this; Sehun's been on birth control since before they met, but everyone is taught that no method of birth control is one hundred percent effective. Everyone knows the statistics; it's just that Minseok never expected them to be one of the statistics.

Minseok can feel where Sehun is crying silent tears as they soak through his shirt and he gently rocks him, nosing against his neck affectionately. "Come on," he coaxes, an arm around Sehun's waist. He wants to get Sehun in bed where he'll be more comfortable. He also knows that being surrounded by Minseok's scent will help and that's the one place in their house that's the most saturated.

Sehun curls against Minseok, refusing to let him go as he sobs. They wrack through his chest and shoulders, and Minseok aches to make it better. He hates that there's nothing he can do. He feels like he's disappointed Sehun by not having an immediate answer for this.

He waits for Sehun to tire himself out, falling asleep and going slack in Minseok's arms. Minseok slowly peels himself away, sitting on the edge of their bed with his heart in his stomach and a lump in his throat.

He needs to get out of here. Minseok dials Lu Han with unsteady fingers, running a hand through his hair. "That offer for a drink still open?"

Three beers in and Lu Han is still laughing.

Minseok is contemplating throwing his best friend out the front window of the bar and leaving him there for someone else to clean up. The only thing that stops him is their two decades of shared history. Minseok doesn’t have the time or energy to break in a new best friend, so he’s stuck with Lu Han. He sneers at his friend and takes another swig of his beer.

Minseok does not know how to handle this unforeseen event. Sure, he and Sehun were going to have kids one day, but it was so far in the future they’d never even talked about it before. It feels like there’s this knot in his chest that keeps squeezing tighter and he can’t breathe. He feels like he’s failed Sehun somehow.

Sehun’s too young for kids! He’s just barely graduated college and now he’s going to have a baby. Their baby.

“Fuck,” Minseok breathes and takes several long gulps of his drink. “Fuck.”

“That’s what got you into this mess in the first place,” Lu Han adds jovially, ignoring the death glare he gets in return. “That’s why I don’t commit.”

“You don’t commit because no one wants a slob like you,” Minseok tosses back.

Lu Han shrugs. “Their loss.”

Minseok swallows down the taste of beer and helplessness. “He’s just a kid,” Minseok announces, forehead furrowed and worry clinging to his words.

“Don’t let Sehun hear you say that,” Lu Han responds. “He’d kick your ass up and down your homeowners association approved trimmed lawn.”

“Before or after he kicked me out,” Minseok sighs, spreading his arms out on their table and laying his head down on it. The part of him screaming about how unsanitary the surface is is silenced by the alcohol in his bloodstream. Minseok can only focus on one thing right now and that’s the fact that they are not prepared to have a kid.

“Minseok,” Lu Han begins, running the bottom of his beer along the back of Minseok’s neck, leaving a trail of condensation on his skin, “you’re the most responsible person I know. Out of everyone, if anyone can handle a surprise kid, it’s you and Sehun. You two are like this flawless machine, always working together to get through everything together.” Lu Han pauses and Minseok rolls his head so he’s propped on his chin to stare awkwardly up at his best friend. “If you ever tell anyone else I said this, I’ll let everyone know it was you who streaked across the courtyard the day before graduation, but you and Sehun have the kind of relationship I want.”

“You can’t have Sehun,” Minseok mumbles. “Sehun’s mine and your beta dick could never satisfy him.”

Lu Han knocks his beer on the side of Minseok’s head. “Gross, I don’t want Sehun. I would never put my dick where yours has been.”

Minseok wrinkles his nose and lets his head loll until his cheek is pressed to the table again. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s always planned things out, leaving little room for surprises. And this is quite the surprise.

“Come on,” Lu Han urges, standing and tugging on Minseok’s arm to slide him out of their booth. “Let me get you home before Sehun hunts us down and blames me for your drunken state.”

“Three beers is hardly drunk.”

Lu Han rolls his eyes. “It is when you’re not in a stable mental state. If I let Sehun’s baby daddy wander off, he’d probably chop me into little pieces to use as compost for your stupidly domestic garden in the back yard.”

“Don’t insult my tomatoes,” Minseok grumbles.

“Yeah, I’m taking you home.”

Sehun is skittish in the morning, only making him all the more adorable. His hair is sticking up in every direction and his eyes keep darting to where Minseok is still laying, watching as Sehun keeps preparing to say something and then backpedaling.

“I’m still not mad,” Minseok assures him. He rests his hand on the bed, tapping his fingers in invitation.

Sehun cautiously slides his hand over to link their fingers together. Minseok squeezes, using his hold to pull Sehun down on top of him. “You’re really not mad?” Sehun mumbles, voice muffled in Minseok’s chest.

“You’d be able to smell it if I was mad,” Minseok laughs.

“I know.” Sehun sits up, hands on Minseok’s chest as he peers down at him. “And you do smell different. A new kind of different.”

Minseok makes a soft noise, nodding briefly. “That would be panic,” he admits with a wince.

Sehun’s eyes widen. “You don’t panic.”

“I do now.”

“You can’t panic!” Sehun exclaims, hitting Minseok with both his hands. “I’m the one who gets to panic here!”

“Why can’t we both panic?” Minseok suggests, grabbing Sehun by his wrists so he stops hitting him. It’s starting to hurt.

“Someone has to stay rational! Clearly it’s not going to be me! Don’t you know anything? My hormones are going to be off the charts and there’s a baby growing inside of me!”

Minseok can’t help the whine that escapes his mouth. Sehun huffs, climbing off him and toward the bathroom. Minseok gets tangled in the blankets on his way after him and ends up eating the carpet. He groans, rolling to kick the twisted fabric away. He makes it to the bathroom door just in time to hear Sehun throwing up.

For now, Minseok swallows down his fear and takes his place as a support for his mate, keeping the hair out of Sehun’s face and rubbing up and down his back as he leans over the toilet. It’s going to be a long weekend.

In true Lu Han style, the entire building knows about Sehun being pregnant before Minseok even gets to the office Monday morning and Minseok has to plaster on a smile that feels strained around the edges when everyone congratulates him. He gets it. He does. Having kids is a monumental, amazing step for a mated pair and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t had people asking when he and Sehun were going to start a family, but the answer was always later.

Maybe that had been his downfall. There’s only so many laters that can come before it catches up to him and he wakes up in the morning with Sehun yelling at the coffeemaker for smelling horrible as he grabs the nearest box of crackers and scurries to the beanbag chair pile.

Sehun’s still mad at him. It’s been over a week and Sehun keeps scowling at Minseok like he’d proclaimed his pregnancy the worst thing in all of creation. Minseok knows it’s because Sehun’s feeling insecure, but he doesn’t know how to set it right. Minseok is barely keeping himself together, fraying at the seams when he thinks about a little person that he and Sehun are going to be responsible for for the rest of their lives.

Maybe it’s because Minseok always classifies Sehun as a kid himself. Even if Sehun’s an adult, perfectly capable of making his own decisions and taking care of himself, he’s always going to be someone Minseok wants to protect and it isn’t helping. Minseok feels guilty for doing this to him. Sehun is the one whose body is going to go through all these crazy changes and all Minseok can do is be at his side, trying to help as best he can.

Minseok’s never felt so useless.

Sehun closes doors in his face, disappears from a room if Minseok walks into it, makes passive aggressive comments when Minseok gets out of bed in the morning about how it must be nice that everything’s still so normal for him, and Minseok is losing his mind. He doesn’t want to snap back because he knows Sehun is going through an emotionally charged time, but Minseok also can’t help but wonder if his hands off approach isn’t the way to go about it. He thought letting Sehun vent out his frustrations - Minseok taking it all because he deserves it - would alleviate Sehun’s temper. But it just seems to be getting worse.

Minseok finally pushes back one night when they’re already tucked in bed. Minseok has his back to Sehun and it’s not uncommon for Sehun to warm his cold feet between Minseok’s thighs, so he doesn’t flinch when it happens. What he doesn’t foresee is Sehun’s moving his feet up until they’re flat on Minseok’s back, and then pushing. Minseok doesn’t have the chance to catch himself before he’s rolling right off the bed.

“The fuck?!” he snaps at Sehun, glaring at his mate from his position on the floor. “This has to stop. Right now!” Minseok demands.

“Oh, now you pay attention to me?” Sehun responds, sitting up in bed with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Is that what you’re after? Attention?”

“All you’ve done since you found out I’m pregnant is tip-toe around me! I just want to get a genuine reaction out of you and all I get is silence. Do you know how that feels? It feels like you’ve given up on us!”

Minseok feels like Sehun has him in a chokehold and he can’t escape. “No,” he whispers. “No, no, baby, that’s never what it was.” He scrambles off the floor and onto the mattress, this time crawling right to Sehun and cupping his face. There are tears swimming in Sehun’s eyes and Minseok desperately doesn’t want them to fall. “I thought you just needed to vent. I didn’t think you wanted me near you.”

“You absolute idiot,” Sehun sniffles, his hands reaching out to wrap around Minseok’s waist. “I always want you near me. I need to know that you still love me.”

Minseok kisses Sehun. He kisses him hard, sucking Sehun’s pouty lower lip into his mouth before pulling away. “Nothing will ever make me stop loving you.”

“Not even when I get huge and cry all the time and yell at you?” Sehun asks, lip caught in his teeth.

Minseok shakes his head with a soft smile. “Not even then.” Minseok pulls Sehun closer until Sehun is perched over his lap. “Please don’t kick me off the bed again,” Minseok pleads. “Let me help.”

Sehun nods, sniffling lightly and Minseok pets through his hair, laying them back down to sleep. It’s been awhile since Sehun’s tucked himself against Minseok so thoroughly and Minseok falls asleep easily, a bit more at peace.

Minseok has an arm around Sehun from behind, fingers tapping on his growing tummy as Sehun lists against him. Sehun’s voice drawls in Minseok’s ears as background noise while he watches Chanyeol flipping the burgers on the grill. It’s been awhile since they’ve all gotten together at Jongin and Chanyeol’s place and Minseok thinks they really needed this.

The initial panic that threatened to consume Minseok is now more manageable since they’ve gone to a doctor and gotten Sehun scheduled for regular appointments. Now that they’re in the system, and actively doing something about it that doesn’t involve tears and Sehun ignoring him, Minseok thinks they can get through this with minimal stress. It’s just going take some rearranging of Minseok’s five year plan. He can handle that.

Lu Han shows up late, like everyone knew he would, immediately apologizing as he pulls Minseok away from Sehun and over to Chanyeol by the grill. Minseok watches as Sehun gravitates to Jongin, leaning his chin on his best friend’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around him to lean on. Minseok is mildly annoyed that Sehun isn’t on him and he frowns at Lu Han.

“So how are things?” Lu Han asks, eyes boring holes in Minseok’s face.

“You saw me yesterday,” Minseok deadpans. “What could have possibly changed since then?”

“I don’t know,” Lu Han responds with a shrug. “But you keep wavering on the emotional scale, so I never know what to expect. This whole pregnancy thing has taken you for a ride.”

“I think it was Sehun who was on the ride,” Chanyeol chortles.

Minseok lets out a sigh. “We’re still good,” he assures them both, ignoring Chanyeol’s comment. “It’s better. We’ll be alright.”

“There was never any doubt of that,” Lu Han says. “I was just making sure you weren’t in need of my best friend services.”

Minseok narrows his eyes at his friend, suspicious. “Why would I need you? You’re essentially useless in this situation.”

“Oh, great!” Lu Han chirps. “I’ll stop worrying so much then and focus on myself.”

“When aren’t you focused on yourself?” Chanyeol tosses out. Minseok snorts in amusement.

“In bed,” Lu Han retorts without hesitation.

This is nice. This is normal. Minseok definitely needed a shot of normalcy in his life after the rollercoaster he’s been strapped into for the last few weeks. With their friends around them, Minseok and Sehun relax, taking in the fresh air and light atmosphere. When they’re finished eating, Sehun sits in Minseok’s lap, Minseok’s arms possessively around him as they all unwind.

It’s well after dark when they get home. Sehun is quiet, but not a bad quiet, a content quiet, and Minseok drops a kiss on Sehun’s back when he passes on the way to bed. Sehun follows soon after, climbing into bed and laying on his side to face Minseok.

“Tonight was fun,” he whispers in the dark.

Minseok watches the way the moonlight caresses lovingly over Sehun’s face and he follows the trail with his fingers. Sehun nuzzles into his palm and Minseok wouldn’t trade this for anything. Sehun rolls onto his back, pulling at Minseok until he’s settled over him.

It would be impossible to deny Sehun anything. Minseok kisses his mate, worships him with his hands and mouth before stretching him open. Sehun is a beautiful shuddering mess when Minseok sinks into him. Their fingers lace together, hands pushed to the mattress as Minseok makes love to his precious, perfect mate. Everything is soft, unhurried and Minseok greedily takes in the sight of Sehun arching into him, mouth open and eyes screwed shut as he shakes apart.

Minseok buries his face in Sehun’s neck, breathing him in deep as he comes, Sehun clenching around him and holding him tight. There’s nothing more in this world that Minseok wants more than Sehun. And starting a family with Sehun can only make it better. They can do this. They’re going to be just fine.

They’re not going to be fine.

Minseok isn’t going to be fine.

At Sehun’s last doctor’s appointment, the doctor had been a little concerned with the baby’s rate of growth and scheduled Sehun for an ultrasound. Minseok had stood strong at his side, picking up on Sehun’s stress and doing everything he could to soothe him even if he was just as worried. There were so many possibilities that ran in circles through Minseok’s mind that the actual reason for it took him by surprise.

“Twins!” the doctor had announced, pointing at the two shapes on the screen.

“Twins,” Sehun had whispered, eyes wide.

“Twins?” Minseok had asked, voice too high and cracking. There’s a resurgence of panic that wells in Minseok’s lungs and he could scream if not for the fact that Sehun is laying beside him. Smiling. Crying and smiling and staring at the screen as Minseok fights not to hyperventilate.

Twins.

Naturally, Lu Han finds it all to be even more hilarious than when Minseok broke the news that Sehun was pregnant. It’s fortunate that Sehun doesn’t notice the man with an unhinged jaw as he flutters past, heading back into the living room where Chanyeol and Jongin are with a topped off bowl of popcorn, heavy on the butter.

Unlike an out-of-his-depth Minseok, Sehun had wanted to announce the news as soon as possible, calling up their closest friends while Minseok drove them home. Minseok hadn’t said anything to deter him in fear of Sehun misconstruing his apprehension for something worse. Now Minseok is left with a useless lump of a best friend who is doubled over, fist banging on the table, and Minseok surprisingly feels a lot better about things.

If this was something he couldn’t handle, Lu Han wouldn’t be reveling in his own delight and making a bigger jackass of himself than usual. Lu Han is there when it counts, when Minseok needs that extra bolstering in his confidence, but Lu Han’s reaction to all this is more comforting than he probably realizes. If Lu Han thinks he can do it, and Sehun thinks he can do it, well, then Minseok can do it.

Minseok has made it his mission in life to give Sehun the life he deserves, and that includes being there for him and their children. It’s intimidating and Minseok has no idea what to do, but Sehun is counting on him. It’s that confidence that has him relaxing and cuffing Lu Han on the back of the head, knocking his face into the table. Minseok laughs as Lu Han lets out a wail of pain, clutching his nose and glaring at Minseok through his teary eyes.

“Asshole,” Lu Han sniffs.

Chanyeol wanders in a minute later, sitting at the table with the two of them. He reaches over to poke at the red spot on Lu Han’s nose and Lu Han’s glare turns from Minseok to Chanyeol.

“I was talking with an old friend from high school the other day,” Chanyeol begins happily.

Minseok sits back in his chair, listening to Sehun and Jongin’s laughter filtering into the kitchen and it brings a smile to his face. It soothes over his nerves and Minseok finds the serenity in himself to completely relax.

Chanyeol’s sole interest is Lu Han, which Minseok knew from the beginning. Lu Han’s just too gullible to notice that Chanyeol is trying to set him up again. He tells Lu Han that his friend is coming into town and Chanyeol will be too busy to show him around, so he was hoping Lu Han could help. Poor Lu Han doesn’t realize he’s walking into a blind date trap and Minseok’s not going to warn him. Settling down would be good for Lu Han.

Minseok starts taking actual lunch breaks away from the office. He spends them in the small book shop nestled in a corner, keeping Sehun company while he works. Sehun’s boss, a pleasant beta by the name of Jongdae, has put a stool behind the register and given Sehun orders to stay put unless absolutely necessary. Minseok appreciates it even if Sehun pouts and complains that it gets boring.

There’s a stack of pregnancy books that Minseok can see from where he’s sitting on the floor behind the register, Sehun resting against his side with his head on Minseok’s shoulder.

“I’ve been thinking,” Sehun starts, his long fingers sliding along Minseok’s before their hands are locking together, “that we should turn your office into the baby room and you can take the smaller room.”

When they’d bought the house, Minseok had commandeered the second largest bedroom to use as his office. He didn’t necessarily need the space to store things, but he preferred the room to breathe. The smallest of the three bedrooms was plenty big enough for the child they’d eventually have and neither of them had thought much of it at the time. It was always a future thing, never really mentioned.

But now . . . twins. The bedroom would fit one child nicely, but two would be a stretch. And he knows that when they’re older, he might lose his office completely. It only makes sense to switch the rooms. He agrees with Sehun, listening with a fond smile as Sehun starts listing off all the ideas he has for redecorating the room.

“Neutral colors, I think,” Sehun says. “That way we can have it all done before I’m too big to be of any use.”

“That’s what Chanyeol and Lu Han are for,” Minseok jests, poking Sehun’s tummy gently. There’s more give there than before and Minseok likes it.

“But I want to do it,” Sehun says, turning to look at Minseok with such an earnest expression that Minseok’s heart skips a beat.

“And you will,” Minseok promises. dropping a kiss on Sehun’s lips. “As long as you let me take care of the painting, the rest is all you.”

Sehun’s face lights up and he immediately begins rattling off a list of all the things he wants to do and Minseok listens, happy and indulgent and willing to agree to most of what Sehun wants. There’s a crumpled piece of paper that Sehun pulls from his pocket, smoothing it flat on his thigh. It’s a rough floor plan of how he wants to lay out the room and Minseok has to stop Sehun mid-sentence, kissing his mate quiet for a moment.

“I love you,” Minseok murmurs against Sehun’s lips. “So much.”

“I love you, too,” Sehun sighs, smiling. He lets Minseok steal his attention for only a moment longer before he’s distracted again. “Do you think we should keep their bassinets together or on opposite sides of the room?”

Minseok enlists Lu Han and Chanyeol to come over and help him move his office down the hall to the other room while Sehun and Jongin are out paint shopping. They’d both decided it was better to get it done early so they wouldn’t have to worry later, especially with how quickly Sehun is filling out.

It’s an amusing afternoon. Lu Han is giving Chanyeol the silent treatment because of the attempted set-up and Chanyeol is insistent on filling Lu Han’s silence by pointing out all the ways Lu Han and his friend, Yixing, would be perfect for each other.

Chanyeol also goes off on a cursing rant when Lu Han purposely drops his side of the desk so the weight lands on Chanyeol’s foot. Minseok gives Lu Han a stern look that Lu Han pointedly ignores.

“The pool of people who find you attractive shrinks every year you get older and your face does that . . . thing,” Chanyeol says, gesturing to Lu Han. “I wouldn’t turn my nose up at someone willing to give you a shot.”

“It’s a miracle anyone can stand your face,” Lu Han grumbles under his breath.

“Yixing is a sweet omega, but he’s strong where it counts,” Chanyeol continues, unaware that Lu Han keeps mocking him under his breath.

By the time Sehun and Jongin get back, Minseok is thankful for the break. They’ve gotten the furniture moved out and Lu Han is vacuuming as Chanyeol pulls the last of the nails from the walls so they can fill the holes with putty before repainting. Jongin is carrying the bags of supplies, going back for the paint as Sehun drapes himself on Minseok, whining about his feet hurting.

Minseok thinks it’s a fine distraction when he kisses his mate, cupping Sehun’s face and letting their noses bump before pressing his lips to Sehun’s smile. “You should never leave me alone with those two again,” Minseok breathes, enjoying the laugh that vibrates through Sehun’s chest.

“I’ll make it better,” Sehun soothes, kissing Minseok over and over.

Sehun’s scent is still changing, and yet it’s just as addicting. Minseok loves how Sehun smells, tastes, feels under his fingers. He smooths his hands down Sehun’s sides, resting them on the growing bump and his chest swells with pride. Minseok feels like the luckiest person alive.

Jongin interrupts the moment by dropping the cans of paint on the floor a little harder than necessary.

They’d agreed on a light shade of yellow for the walls, leaving the trim white. What Sehun has brought home is not light. “It’s canary yellow,” Sehun beams. The color is vivid and bright and Minseok grits his teeth behind his smile. He only hopes it’s not so blinding when it’s on the walls.

They take things a step at a time.

Minseok gets the baby room painted on a Saturday, and he has to admire the way the color brightens the room without being an eyesore like he’d feared. Sehun wears a face mask every time he comes in to check on the progress, leaving after nuzzling his face in the crook of Minseok’s neck for a few stolen moments

After that, the room slowly begins to fill with furniture. They don’t buy everything at once, trying to keep it simple. Minseok appreciates being able to put one thing together before he’s faced with another. And while Minseok is busy with that, Sehun decorates, livening up the room with decorations that hang from the ceiling and toys bought in pairs.

He’s not the only one who does it either. Lu Han has taken to trying Minseok’s patience at the office by bringing Minseok everything in twos. Minseok gets two cups of coffee in the morning, finds Lu Han holding out two staplers when he asks to borrow one, and receives duplicate copies of all emails Lu Han sends him. It’s not cute.

“I’m going to ram this down your throat,” Minseok threatens when Lu Han brings him two donuts from the break room instead of the one he’d ask for. Then he thinks better of it and shoves them both in his mouth before Lu Han can have the satisfaction. It’s quite the sight; Joy walks in to find Lu Han pouting and Minseok with both cheeks stuffed full of powdered donut, his lips coated white from the sugar. She slowly backs out and Minseok can’t blame her.

As irritated as Minseok gets, it all melts away when he gets home. Sehun has become this peaceful, serene entity who floats around simply glowing and Minseok is so in love. He basks in it and curls against Sehun’s warmth, letting their bubble of happiness envelope him and block out everything else.

Their house is slowly filling with baby stuff and Sehun is rounding out quite nicely. Minseok likes to run his hands over it, settle himself between Sehun’s legs to talk to their children as Sehun dozes. Sehun’s job tires him out more, but he won’t admit it. Minseok knows that Jongdae doesn’t let Sehun push himself and his hours have already been shortened.

Their doctor visits are more frequent and Minseok makes time to be there for every single one. They do another ultrasound around six months and Sehun bawls on the table as they find out they’re going to be having a girl and a boy. Minseok tears up too, sniffling lightly as Sehun keeps the printed out picture of their babies clutched to his chest.

To commemorate the occasion, Minseok brings home two beanbag chairs later that night. One is yellow with purple stars and the other purple with yellow stars. They match the room and Sehun is crying again when Minseok puts them in the baby room. Sehun’s mobility isn’t what it used to be, but he still manages to fold himself down enough to tuck into Minseok’s embrace, thanking him for being so wonderful as Minseok rocks them back and forth.

Sehun waddles; he waddles and he cradles his belly and he is a stunning vision of beauty and perfection. Minseok was prepared to talk to Sehun about his new nesting habits, but his voice is stolen, brain a pleasant blank as he stares at his mate. Sehun has stopped at the kitchen counter, wearing only briefs and a threadbare sweater that hangs loose off his frame, a hand bracing his back as he picks at the food on his plate.

Minseok is too endeared to be upset, too in love. He walks over, a palm running over Sehun’s belly where the babies are moving around, and a smile on his face as he rubs his cheek along Sehun’s shoulder blade. Sehun makes this soft humming noise, resting his weight back and letting Minseok help keep him up.

Sehun smells like home. Minseok breathes him in, indulges in his mate as their children tap against his fingers. They’re going to be born soon. The doctors explained that it’s rare for pregnancies with multiple babies to make it to full term and Sehun already looks like he’s defying the laws of gravity just by standing. It seems surreal. Sometimes it feels like yesterday when a somber Sehun had been afraid to tell him he was pregnant. And other days, Minseok feels like time is standing still and he gets jittery, wanting nothing more than to hold his babies for the first time.

Sehun is just as antsy.

Minseok thinks Jongin is too, which has Chanyeol looking a little lost when Jongin starts talking babies. Lu Han pretends he’s indifferent, but Minseok catches him when Lu Han thinks no one is looking. And more than once, Lu Han has gotten this awed expression on his face when Sehun presses his hand to his belly to feel the babies moving. Minseok would call him on it, except he'd rather silently encourage instead of say something that would discourage Lu Han from discovering new things about himself.

Sehun seems happier at home, too. It's not that he wasn't before, but he's less restless and more content to settle in one spot - usually the pile of beanbag chairs - and read a book or watch a movie from across the room without moving. His stir crazy tendencies have lessened and Minseok puts it off to the pregnancy. Sehun always seems tired even when he sleeps half the day away.

Minseok dotes on him a little extra, using his pregnancy as an excuse because Sehun absolutely doesn't want to be obviously spoiled. He prefers when Minseok spoils him in more subtle ways. Minseok still does that too; he lays Sehun on his side and slips easily into him from behind, helping hold Sehun so he doesn't move too much as Sehun gasps in pleasure. Sehun whines and pleads and shudders, clenching around Minseok when he makes a mess on the sheets and Minseok follows, face buried in Sehun's neck. Content. Happy. Perfect.

Their friends throw Sehun a baby shower. Their home is filled with their closest friends and coworkers, filling the house with laughter and good conversation. Even Jongdae shows up, skirting around the table stacked with food to get to Sehun and rub his belly for luck.

Lu Han, who is sitting beside Sehun, immediately gets this starstruck look on his face and Minseok practically barks out a laugh. Chanyeol turns to see what Minseok is watching and lets out a huff of frustration.

"Oh, now he finds someone interesting."

"I've told you," Minseok says, patting Chanyeol on the arm, "Lu Han has to do things his way or not at all."

Chanyeol still looks put out and Minseok leaves him pouting by the punch bowl so he can go check on his mate. There are so many scents mingling together, and all of them are familiar to them both, but they're stronger mixed and Sehun has always taken comfort in Minseok's smell. He rests his hand on Sehun's shoulder and Sehun tilts his head to lean against Minseok's arm, blinking up at Minseok happily from his seat on the edge of the couch.

Sehun doesn't move until he insists on showing off the baby room himself, which means Minseok has to subtly help Sehun stand without people noticing he can't do it on his own. Sehun has his pride and Minseok would prefer to keep that intact.

Minseok stays behind to catch his breath, letting Sehun tug Jongin beside him for support. It's been a long day and he can use a moment to himself. It's really starting to sink in now. Their house bears all the signs of an incoming child - two in this case - and Sehun doesn't have long. He's already threatened to cut them out himself if they don't stop playing his ribs like a piano.

Neither of them get a full night's sleep anymore. Sehun has to shift around to get comfortable, and by the time he does, he has to get up to use the bathroom. And Minseok's always been tuned in to Sehun's discomfort; it keeps him half-awake, massaging away some of the tension in Sehun's back to help him, or letting Sehun drape over him.

They're both anticipating the arrival of their children, even if Minseok hasn't quite mentally prepared enough. He wants to have a plan for every eventuality, but Sehun keeps telling him that it's only going to give him wrinkles. He's probably not wrong. If there's only thing Minseok has learned over the years, it's that Sehun is right more often than not.

"Hey, you hiding out?" Lu Han asks, slinking over to where Minseok is sitting in Sehun's vacated spot on the couch. It's the only place in their living room that still holds Sehun's scent and Minseok's been breathing it in.

"Shouldn't you be hitting up Sehun's boss or something?" Minseok teases.

There's an immediate pink that fills Lu Han's cheeks and he seems almost bashful when he sits next to Minseok on the couch. "I don't think a baby shower is the right place to confess that I've fallen for his scent and can't stop staring at his ass."

Minseok has to agree. "Yeah, maybe stop by the shop during the week," he laughs. "That way Sehun doesn't throw something at you."

"How are you doing?" Lu Han inquires, poking Minseok on the thigh.

"Better than I was," Minseok answers.

"Sehun's helped you a lot," Lu Han says. "I've been watching the way he slides in when you're starting to worry. I only hope to find someone to do that for me."

Minseok just stares at Lu Han. He'd never really thought about how Sehun would always be there when Minseok was starting to feel like he was drowning. Sehun has been the reason he's kept his head above water and it sits heavy in his chest.

"You can be so dense," Lu Han sighs.

Long after everyone's left, their gifts unwrapped and put away and the decorations taken down, Minseok thinks about it. It's true that he's lost his sensibilities a few times along the way and maybe he wouldn't be able to do this by himself, but he's not by himself. Sehun is going to be with him the entire way. And with the two of them together, they're going to get through it.

Sehun’s water breaks on a Sunday evening. It’s more of a steady trickle than a splash and Minseok smells it before Sehun notices that he’s wet through Lu Han’s favorite chair. Minseok momentarily freezes before springing into action. Sehun’s been having random pains and tightening for a week, but nothing steady, nothing to indicate he’s ready to go into labor, so it’s a surprise. Lu Han helps pull Sehun off the chair, cringing when Sehun lets out a gasp of pain and squeezes Lu Han’s fingers.

Minseok pulls the car around as Sehun leans on Lu Han for support.

Together is the mantra Minseok chants in his head, although it’s hard to convince himself when it’s Sehun - his mate - who is groaning in pain, body tensing and arching off the seat through the contractions while Minseok can’t do anything but try and calm him with words. Minseok stands helpless when the nurses descend to get Sehun into a room and prepped.

Minseok has never felt so useless and he wipes the sweat from Sehun’s forehead, feeds him ice chips to keep him hydrated and makes sure he doesn’t move far because Sehun only stays calm when he can smell him.

Sehun dozes for part of the night, only waking through the pain, but Minseok stays awake, vigilant. Time stretches forever and every worry he’s ever had about their future bubbles to the surface to taunt him, remind him that maybe they aren’t really prepared for this. He stares at Sehun, face scrunched in his sleep and breathing heavy as the monitors around them pick up speed because another contraction is starting.

Minseok cups Sehun’s cheek, coaching Sehun through it with even breathing until it all calms and Sehun’s eyes slip closed again. Minseok’s phone is blowing up with texts and it’s already been switched to silent, set aside until he has news to report. This is the hardest part; that’s what the doctor told them, and Minseok agrees. He doesn’t like dealing in uncertainties.

It’s early morning, before the sun has risen, when things begin to progress. It’s far quieter than Minseok had been expecting. Sehun is quiet and everyone in the room speaks in hushed whispers. Minseok takes Sehun’s hand, resting his head on Sehun’s through every push, every rest between, every second because he’s never letting go.

The sun is just cresting over the horizon, spilling through the curtains, when the first shrill cry rings out in the room. Sehun blinks and tears trail down his temples and Minseok wipes them away even as his own vision blurs. It would be unfair for Minseok to leave Sehun’s side before it’s finished, and he only catches a glimpse of one of their babies before he’s focused on Sehun again, helping him push.

Sehun’s body goes slack, his head tipped back into the pillow. Minseok thinks something’s wrong until the second cry fills the room. “You did it,” Minseok croons softly in Sehun’s ear.

“We did it,” Sehun whispers, smiling at Minseok. There’s exhaustion etched on his features and Minseok wants to smooth it away, but there will be time for that later.

Right now, there is a nurse holding one of their babies for Sehun to take, while the other nurse hands one to Minseok. He stares down in wonder at his child, peeling back the blanket enough to see that he has their son. Sehun is crying and laughing, running his finger along their daughter’s face in wonder.

Minseok’s emotions threaten to overwhelm him, tears flowing down his cheeks. He always thought of Sehun as his family and there was never any need to add to it. He was happy just enjoying his mate. The two new additions, however, bring to light all he was missing. Their family has expanded, and so has Minseok’s capacity to love. There’s nothing better than this. There’s nothing more important than this.

One Month Later

The house is quiet. Minseok steps inside, careful not to make any noise as the grocery bags hang on his fingers. The quiet isn’t unusual anymore; the twins sleep a lot and Sehun naps with them most of the time while Minseok takes care of the house.

He’s on paternity leave so he can take care of Sehun and the babies, hardly leaving their home unless necessary. It’s not uncommon for Jongin to come over and stay when Minseok goes out, but he’d only darted to the nearest store for the essentials and it hasn’t even been half an hour.

After putting everything away, he pokes his head in their bedroom. Sehun is curled up on the bed, sound asleep. The babies are beside him, tucked together with their eyes closed. When they first brought them home, they’d put them in separate bassinets to sleep, but soon learned that they didn’t want to be apart. They only sleep when they’re together.

One of their tiny legs kicks out and Minseok tip-toes in to see their daughter, Junhee, beginning to wake up. She makes a soft noise, eyes cracking open. Sehun wakes too, but relaxes and goes back to his nap once he sees Minseok. Their son, Junmyeon, stays asleep even as Minseok scoops Junhee into his arms before she can start crying.

She’s so tiny still, dark curls framing her face and bright brown eyes taking in everything around her. Her sweet omega aroma is subdued by her alpha brother’s scent and she instinctively turns her face to Minseok’s chest to snuggle. It’s so easy to rock her back to sleep, curled in his arm and content. It leaves Minseok feeling at peace, comfortable with his new life.

As soon as Minseok is sure Junhee isn’t going to wake, he lays her carefully by Junmyeon, dropping a kiss on both their foreheads before leaving the room. He’s going to get dinner started for when Sehun wakes up, and then watch the twins so Sehun can pop in the shower after.

Lu Han promised to swing by later to help with a little rearranging in the baby room. Sehun now wants the cribs together which Minseok could do on his own if Sehun hadn’t drawn up a new floor plan that redid everything in the room to match. Some of the furniture is too bulky for Minseok alone. With Minseok’s luck, Lu Han is going to take the babies while Sehun steps in to help move the dressers. He’s surprisingly attached to them, already telling them that Uncle Han is going to be the fun one.

Minseok stops off in his office long enough to see a string of emails from Lu Han, in duplicate. He purposely ignores them. He has more important things to do, like take care of Sehun and their babies. And Minseok’s never been happier.