Chapter Text
Mochi. Chocolate ice cream. Cheesecake.
The kitchen counter looked less like a place to prepare a midnight snack and more like the dessert aisle of a convenience store.
Hands on his hips, Sky surveyed the desserts with the concentration of a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough.
“What are you doing?”
The sleepy voice made him turn around.
Nani stood in the doorway, one hand rubbing his eye while the other rested protectively on the gentle curve of his baby bump. It had grown enough that he found himself moving a little more carefully these days.
Sky lowered his spoon with complete seriousness.
“I’m conducting an experiment.”
“An experiment?”
“Mochi tastes better with chocolate ice cream,” Sky explained. “But cheesecake after the mochi might be even better. I’m still collecting data.”
Nani stared at him for a long moment before glancing at the crowded counter.
“So… you’re eating all of this?”
“I’m not eating it alone.”
Sky scooped up another bite of ice cream.
“I’m sharing.”
“With who?”
“Our baby.”
Nani looked down at his stomach, then back at Sky.
“The baby is in here.”
“I know,” Sky replied matter-of-factly. “I’m just handling quality control before reporting.”
Nani shook his head, barely holding back a laugh.
“Little one, your daddy really loves you.”
He stepped closer and kissed Sky’s cheek, lingering just long enough to make him smile.
“Well,” Sky said around another spoonful of ice cream, “I can't let you have all the fun of eating for two.”
“You know, most people get sympathy cravings.”
Sky raised an eyebrow.
“And?”
“You somehow turned yours into a full-time job.”
Sky grinned.
“Somebody has to make sacrifices for this family.”
Nani reached over, plucked a piece of mochi from the plate, and took a thoughtful bite.
He hummed in approval.
“…The research is surprisingly convincing.”
Sky’s smile turned triumphant.
“I knew you’d appreciate my methodology.”
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional clink of a spoon against a bowl. At three in the morning, they sat side by side, sharing ice cream and cheesecake as though midnight feasts had become the most ordinary thing in the world.
Nani stole a glance at Sky.
Ever since the cravings had started, his husband's cheeks had grown just a little rounder. Softer, too. Nani had discovered he was rather fond of them.
Without warning, he reached over and pinched one.
Sky blinked.
“…Fall for me all over again?”
Nani snorted.
“Watch your mouth, nong. You were the one who fell first.”
He gave Sky's cheek another gentle squeeze before adding with a fond smile,
“And somehow, I ended up falling even harder.”
Sky's laughter echoed through the quiet kitchen.
“You had me the moment I saw you,” Sky admitted. “The whole room disappeared.”
He nudged another piece of mochi toward Nani.
“And I'm still glad I accepted Phi Tay's offer that day.”
Nani's expression softened.
“So am I. It was my very first runway. My very first photoshoot.”
“You nailed both.”
A faint blush crept across Nani's face as he rested his head on Sky's shoulder.
For a while, the desserts, the late hour, and even Sky's strange cravings faded into the background.
“You know,” Sky murmured, reaching for another mochi, “I'm glad this little one has been taking it easy on us.”
Nani let out a soft laugh.
“Unlike Neona.”
“Oh, absolutely unlike Neona.”
“We were supposed to spend our honeymoon at Disneyland,” Nani recalled with a smile. “Instead, we found ourselves sitting beneath the cherry blossoms, sharing a meal with the locals while waiting for everything to calm down.”
Sky chuckled.
“Our honeymoon turned into an unexpected adventure.”
“And somehow,” Nani said, leaning a little closer, “it became one of my favorite memories.”
Sky wrapped an arm around Nani's waist and rested his other hand over the gentle curve of his baby bump.
“So, little one,” he murmured to the baby, “your jie jie already made our honeymoon unforgettable. Try not to outdo her just yet.”
Nani laughed and placed his hand over Sky’s.
“Hopefully, they’ll listen to you, Khun Sky.”
He had barely finished speaking when something nudged against Sky’s palm.
Both of them froze.
Another tiny kick.
Sky’s eyes widened.
“Whoa… they heard me.”
His face broke into the brightest grin.
“I swear, I feel like becoming a first-time parent all over again.”
Nani laughed at the childlike wonder in his husband’s voice.
“Let’s wait for Jie jie,” Sky whispered, unable to take his eyes off the bump. “She’s going to be over the moon when she finds out.”
Not long after, the sound of tiny feet pattering across the floor echoed from upstairs.
Sky chuckled.
“The little menace is awake.”
Both of them glanced at the clock. It was barely five in the morning—far too early for Neona to be awake, let alone bursting with energy.
“Daddy! Papa!”
A moment later, she came racing down the stairs in her pajamas, her hair still tousled from sleep.
“Daddy! Papa! Neona met Chamaii!”
She skidded to a stop in front of them, practically bouncing with excitement.
Sky scooped her onto his lap.
“You met who?” Nani asked, exchanging a puzzled look with Sky.
“Chamaii!” Neona repeated earnestly. “We played together in the clouds. He’s the sweetest!”
The two parents blinked.
“Who’s Chamaii?” Sky asked gently.
“My little brother,” Neona answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
She reached out and rested her tiny hand on Nani’s baby bump.
“He was laughing and running with me.”
The kitchen fell silent.
Then, beneath her palm, the baby gave a gentle kick.
Neona gasped.
Her face lit up with pure delight.
“Chamaii!” she squealed. “It’s me! I’m Jie jie!”
Sky and Nani exchanged a stunned look, neither able to find the right words.
In the quiet glow of the early morning, the three of them remained exactly where they were, smiling at the tiny life that had just greeted them.
Neona continued chatting happily to the bump as though carrying on a conversation only she could hear.
After a long moment, Sky finally broke the silence.
“Do you think we should find out the baby's gender?” he asked softly. “We should be able to now.”
Nani looked down at the gentle curve of his stomach, then at Neona, who was still introducing herself to her future sibling with complete seriousness.
Finally, his gaze found Sky's.
A tender smile spread across his face.
“I don't know,” he murmured. “Part of me wants to wait.”
He slipped his hand into Sky's.
“But after this morning… I have a feeling our little one is already finding ways to surprise us.”