Chapter Text
𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆
The baby is five days old and still doesn’t cry properly.
He squeaks, coos, grunts like a tiny, confused animal, scrunching his whole face like the world is too loud and too bright and too new. He sleeps in little bursts, never deep enough, never long enough for Jaehyuk to fully sit down before he stirs again.
And Asahi—
Asahi is somehow softer than the baby.
He’s curled up on the far side of the bed in that barely-there Victoria’s Secret nightdress, the one with the thin silky straps that slip off his shoulder every few minutes. His hair is messy. His skin is pale, flushed only at the tips of his ears. The milk from his chest keeps soaking into their sheets, even when he tries to stay dry.
Jaehyuk thinks he’s never seen someone look more like a baby themselves.
Two babies. He has two babies.
And only one heart to give.
It’s nearly 4 a.m. and the room smells like lavender lotion, warm milk, and the faint sharpness of hospital wipes. Jaehyuk’s sitting at the edge of the bed, shirtless, holding Jeongwoo to his chest while gently rocking side to side.
The baby’s making soft hiccupping sounds in his sleep, cheek smushed into Jaehyuk’s shoulder. He’s so small. Like, terrifyingly small. Jaehyuk’s entire palm can cover the whole back of his head. His little fingers are curled in a tight fist like he’s ready to punch life in the face already.
“I know, kid,” Jaehyuk murmurs. “It’s loud out here.”
Behind him, Asahi shifts under the blanket. A sleepy sound escapes his throat — half sigh, half whimper — and the silky strap of his nightgown slides off again.
Jaehyuk gently lowers the baby back into the bassinet. It’s next to the bed, lined with soft cloth and a single muslin blanket printed with strawberries. Woo Bear fusses for a second, then settles.
Jaehyuk gets up and walks around to the other side of the bed, where Asahi’s curled toward the wall like a little comma.
“Hey,” he whispers, kneeling on the floor beside him. “Sahi.”
Asahi opens one eye. “Mmh?”
“You’re leaking.”
Asahi blinks. Looks down at the damp front of the dress, sees the dark circle forming. “Oh.”
Jaehyuk doesn’t say anything. He just reaches for the nearby towel, folds it softly, and tucks it under Asahi’s chest like it’s routine. Like he’s been doing it for years.
“You okay?” he asks.
Asahi nods, then pauses. “I think… I’m hungry. But I’m too tired to move.”
“Then don’t move.”
He gets up and comes back with a banana and half a protein bar, both unwrapped, both cut into bite-sized pieces. He sets them on a napkin on the bed.
“You always eat protein bars,” Asahi mumbles, lips twitching.
“They’re good for you.”
“I just gave birth. I want chocolate.”
Jaehyuk leans down, brushes a kiss to his temple. “Tomorrow. You get everything tomorrow.”
He says it like a promise. Asahi believes him.
An hour passes like that. Jeongwoo stirs, feeds, falls asleep again. The room stays hushed. Nothing feels heavy. Just soft.
When Asahi finally drifts off again, his breathing steady and his hands tucked gently under his cheek, Jaehyuk moves slow, careful.
He crawls back onto the bed.
And lays his head down right on Asahi’s thighs.
It’s instinct. They’re warm, and soft, and real. His neck fits there perfectly.
His whole body relaxes. He exhales.
The world quiets.
He looks up at Asahi’s face in the low light. His husband. The one who carried their child. The one still healing, still swollen, still aching, still glowing.
“I don’t know how you did this,” Jaehyuk whispers.
Asahi doesn’t respond. He’s deeply asleep.
“I don’t even know how to say it,” Jaehyuk continues, voice lower now. “But I love you.”
He says it like breathing.
Like a confession meant for the dark.
Like something he doesn’t even realize he’s said.
But Asahi stirs — just barely — and a tiny smile tugs at the corner of his lips.
In the morning, Asahi wakes up with Jaehyuk’s hand on his thigh and Jeongwoo asleep between them. His hair smells like baby powder. The towel is still tucked under his side.
“You said it last night,” Asahi whispers.
Jaehyuk blinks awake. “Hm?”
“You said you love me.”
“I did?”
“Mhm.”
“…You sure you weren’t dreaming?”
“I’m sure,” Asahi hums.
Jaehyuk leans over and presses his lips to Asahi’s hipbone, just above the strap of the nightgown.
“Well,” he says, “I do.”
🍼 END OF BONUS