Chapter Text
Park Yujin enters the world on December 28th at 10:47 PM, screaming his tiny lungs out, impossibly small and wrinkled and perfect.
The nurse places him on Taerae's chest, and Taerae stares down at this tiny person, this actual human being that he and Gunwook made, and feels his entire world shift on its axis.
"Hi," Taerae whispers, his voice cracking. "Hi, baby. We've been waiting for you."
Yujin squirms against his chest, making small snuffling noises, already searching for comfort and warmth. Taerae holds him carefully, terrified he'll break this precious thing, and looks up to find Gunwook.
Gunwook is standing beside the bed, staring at their son with an expression of such pure, overwhelming emotion that Taerae's breath catches. Tears are streaming down Gunwook's face-not delicate, pretty tears, but full-on sobbing, his shoulders shaking, his breath coming in gasps.
"Wookie," Taerae says softly. "Come here. Come meet him."
Gunwook moves closer on shaky legs, his eyes never leaving Yujin. When he's close enough, he reaches out one finger to touch Yujin's tiny hand. Immediately, impossibly, Yujin's fingers curl around Gunwook's finger, gripping tight.
Gunwook makes a sound like something breaking and being rebuilt at the same time. The tears come harder now, his whole body shuddering with the force of his crying.
"I'm sorry," Gunwook chokes out between sobs. "I can't-I can't stop-he's so small—"
"It's okay," Taerae says, his own tears falling freely now. "Sit down before you fall down."
Gunwook collapses into the chair beside the bed, still holding onto Yujin's tiny hand, still crying like his heart is too full to contain everything he's feeling. "He's perfect," Gunwook sobs. "Tae, he's so perfect. Look at him. Look at his tiny nose. And his ears. And his fingers. He has your mouth. He has your exact mouth."
"He has your eyes," Taerae counters, studying their son's face. "And I think your chin."
"He's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Gunwook's voice breaks completely. "I can't believe we made him. I can't believe he's real. I can't believe he's ours."
The nurse, clearly used to emotional new parents, smiles indulgently and gives them some privacy. It's just the three of them now—Taerae exhausted but elated, Gunwook crying like the world's biggest mess, and Yujin, tiny and perfect between them.
"Do you want to hold him?" Taerae offers.
Gunwook's eyes go wide with panic. "What if I drop him?"
"You won't drop him."
"What if I break him?"
"He's sturdier than he looks. Come on, Wookie. Hold your son."
With the nurse's help, they transfer Yujin into Gunwook's arms. Gunwook holds him like he's made of spun glass, cradling him against his chest with such infinite care that Taerae falls in love with his husband all over again.
"Hi, Yujin," Gunwook whispers through his tears. "I'm your dad. Your other dad just did all the hard work. I mostly just cried and ate snacks and experienced sympathetic pregnancy symptoms, which, not gonna lie, was pretty rough, but nothing compared to what he went through." He pauses to wipe his eyes on his shoulder, unwilling to let go of Yujin even for a second. "We're going to love you so much. We already do. So, so much."
Yujin yawns, a tiny little thing that's impossibly adorable, and Gunwook dissolves into fresh sobs.
"He yawned," Gunwook cried. "Tae, did you see? He yawned. That's the cutest thing that's ever happened in the history of the universe."
"I see," Taerae says, laughing and crying at the same time. "You're such a mess, Wookie."
"I'm the happiest mess in the world." Gunwook looks up at Taerae, his face blotchy and wet and glowing with joy. "Thank you. Thank you for him. Thank you. Thank you for everything."
"Thank you," Taerae reaches out to cup Gunwook's tear-stained face with one hand. "For going through this with me. For experiencing every symptom right alongside me. For being the best partner I could ever ask for."
"We're parents now," Gunwook says, like he still can't quite believe it. "We have a son. We're somebody's dads."
"We're Yujin's dads," Taerae corrects softly. "And we're going to be amazing at it."
Gunwook looks down at Yujin, then back at Taerae, then back at Yujin, like he can't decide where to focus his attention because he loves them both so much it's overwhelming. More tears spill down his cheeks, but he's smiling now, that brilliant smile that Taerae fell in love with seven years ago and will love for the rest of his life.
"Yeah," Gunwook agrees, his voice thick with emotion. "We are."
Yujin makes another small sound, nestling closer to Gunwook's chest, and both of them watch their son with expressions of absolute adoration.
In this moment, exhausted and emotional and completely overwhelmed, Taerae thinks about the dilemma that started all of this-those weeks of confusion and worry about Gunwook's strange symptoms. It seems almost funny now, how worried he'd been, when it had just been Gunwook's body preparing them both for this moment.
It was never a dilemma at all. It was just love, in its strangest and most wonderful form.
"Welcome to the world, Park Yujin," Taerae whispers, reaching out to touch his son's impossibly soft cheek. "We're so glad you're here."
And Gunwook, still crying, still smiling, still holding their son like he's the most precious thing in existence, just nods in agreement, too full of emotion for words.