Work Text:
As soon as he found out about the pregnancy Mo Ran's first reaction was, of course, to be overjoyed. It was only when he saw Chu Wanning's sullen expression that his own enthusiasm lessened somewhat. It's not like shizun wasn't happy; after all, a baby was always a blessing, and they talked quite a few times about it as well so it didn't turn out to be that much of a surprise… However, after vomiting about half of his daily meals for two weeks in a row, Chu Wanning's general irritation was certainly understandable.
It wasn't Mo Ran who had to carry a human being in his body for nine months. It wasn't Mo Ran who became nauseous from the most ordinary smells, unable to continue with his usual routine. And, obviously, it wasn't Mo Ran who was about to experience even more unpleasant symptoms in the foreseeable future.
For Chu Wanning, who hated the very idea of not being able to control the processes inside his own body, pregnancy was a living nightmare.
Mo Ran tried his best to keep shizun happy, although, as the time went by and his mood swings became increasingly more difficult to deal with, it took an unprecedented amount of patience to remain calm on certain occasions.
It was the man he loved, and in his belly, which seemed to grow just a tiny bit rounder each day, was his child. Their child. And since the baby wasn't born yet he could only pamper his shizun, satisfying all of his whims, no matter how unreasonable.
That day Chu Wanning woke up in a particularly foul mood. Even though his morning sickness had passed about a month ago, now it was the size of his body bringing him discomfort. Dealing with menial tasks that he usually performed with ease now required a lot more effort. It was hard to bend down and pick things up, all of his clothing was suddenly too tight, and he got tired much faster, forced to take multiple breaks during the day. The quality of Chu Wanning's life had suffered immensely, but instead of explaining it properly to Mo Ran he just snapped and hissed, and even burst into tears a few times, locking himself in the kitchen and refusing to get out.
And now he was determined to leave the relative safety of their home and go into town, whether it was out of boredom or stubbornness. Afraid of letting shizun leave on his own, after about half an hour worth of negotiations, Mo Ran finally convinced him that it would be best if they went together.
Chu Wanning didn't appear to have any particular destination in mind, strolling down the streets with his lips pursed, throwing brief and shallow glances at the stalls. Mo Ran couldn't bear the weight of this silence any longer and asked softly: " Baobei, why don't you tell me what bothers you?"
With a scoff and a waft of his sleeves Chu Wanning said: "What makes you think that something bothers me? I don't remember complaining about anything lately."
With utmost caution Mo Ran reached out for shizun's waist, wrapping his arm around it, speaking in the most gentle tone: "That's exactly what worries me, Wanning. You don't have to keep secrets from me." He expected for his hand to be slapped away but instead the man sighed deeply, as if giving a permission to continue. "Whatever it is that concerns you, baobei, you can tell me."
"Mm-hm." Although he looked as composed as ever, his ears were red and his lips were no longer pursed, but quivering slightly. "I don't- I don't really know how to say it."
Unable to contain his emotions, Chu Wanning's eyelashes trembled as he lowered his gaze, looking at the bulge in his abdomen, not too big yet to be visible from afar but prominent enough to be noticed by everyone passing by. Mo Ran stopped, with one arm still wrapped around his waist, placing the other hand on shizun's belly, stroking it gently.
"Are you worried about the pregnancy? It's not like it was ever a secret to begin with, we even sent a letter to Xue Meng so that it wouldn't be a shock later on. And if you're afraid of some stall vendors seeing you, then…"
"No, it's not- It's not that, I'm not ashamed of being pregnant with your child, I really am quite happy, it's just…"
"Just what, baobei?"
"It's just- It's already this big and it's only going to grow bigger, and my mood is so terrible all the time, I can barely tolerate myself, and I'm afraid… I'm afraid that by the time this child is born you won't love me anymore."
Naturally, Mo Ran wanted to laugh out loud upon hearing such nonsense, but when he saw tears in Chu Wanning's eyes his expression softened, he leaned down and whispered in the man's ear: "Wanning, no matter what you do I will never get angry and I will never stop loving you. There's no one else in my heart but you. Baobei, please believe me."
He gently kissed Chu Wanning's nape and smiled, hoping that the everlasting adoration in his gaze would be enough to speak for itself, adding meaning to his words.
Chu Wanning didn't say anything, and they stood in the middle of the street for a while as people walked past, some glancing in their direction, but Mo Ran was too busy comforting his beloved, and the man in his arms was too lost in thought to care.
Eventually Chu Wanning took a deep breath and said: "Alright, I understand." However, his voice was quiet, coated in an icy layer of uncertainty that not even Mo Ran's fiery devotion could melt. "Now, since we're already here, should we buy something? It would be pointless to come all this way for a stroll."
Now that's my Wanning, Mo Ran thought, looking around and seeing a familiar stall a little further ahead. His eyes lit up and he took Chu Wanning's hand, walking him towards the vendor who recognized them immediately.
"Mo-zongshi, Chu-zongshi, long time no see! Have you been doing well?" Cheerful and welcoming, the vendor was fully aware of Chu Wanning's sweet tooth, as well as the fact that Mo Ran spared no money to indulge his baobei . "What would you like to buy today? Candy? Cakes? Or maybe…" He looked at Mo Ran, winking conspicuously, while the man by his side was too distracted by the variety of choice. "...A little bit of everything?"
"Ah," Mo Ran chuckled and took a few coins from his pouch. "You know my baobei's taste so well, just give us what you think is best."
Accompanied by the sounds of the vendor's many thanks and may you have a great day they crossed the street, passing by a few more stalls, when Chu Wanning's gaze was suddenly drawn to a clothing shop on the corner. Mo Ran, of course, noticed his momentary hesitation and followed the line of sight, somewhat surprised at the discovery.
" Baobei, do you want to buy some new clothes? Didn't you say that it was a waste of money just the other day or…?" Before he could finish the sentence, Chu Wanning broke out of his gentle embrace, approaching the store with a look of absolute determination on his face. " Baobei, wait for me!"
Now that they were both standing in front of the entrance Chu Wanning's expression somewhat faltered and his hands subconsciously touched his stomach, moving in circle-like motions.
"Wanning, aren't you going to enter? I don't quite understand why we're here, but if you want to buy some new clothes, you know I'm always…"
"Not for me, Mo Ran." There was plenty of frustration in his voice, alongside with the first signs of boiling anger, which could turn into a temper tantrum in an instant. Before Mo Ran could fully realize what he meant, Chu Wanning continued: "For the baby."
Oh, how stupid he was, Mo Ran thought, of course the clothing wouldn't be for either of them. Chu Wanning was simply thinking a few steps ahead, that's all.
"Baobei," It was rather amusing to know that Wanning was concerned about the child's clothes while still being barely five months pregnant, but he was more than willing to play along. "Although it's a little early, we can certainly take a look if you want."
"I do." The reply was curt and unapologetic, as if Chu Wanning had already made up his mind. How could Mo Ran argue with such an impossibly headstrong man?
No matter what he wanted, Mo Ran was going to give it. No matter how silly his demands were, Mo Ran would always obey. Not only because he was carrying their child, but because it was Chu Wanning.
His heart, his lover, his baobei.
The only person Mo Ran was ever going to love.