Chapter Text
Dunk was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, when he finally said it.
“Joong… do you think we should… try for a baby?”
Joong looked up from his phone, eyebrows raised. “You mean… now?”
Dunk shrugged, fidgeting with the blanket. “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I want us to have a family someday. Maybe… now?”
Joong smiled softly and sat next to him. He took Dunk’s hand. “I want that too,” he said. “If you’re ready, I’m ready.”
Dunk felt a little lighter just saying it out loud.
The first few meetings with surrogates were… interesting.
Some were very serious, talking about schedules and contracts.
Some were funny, joking about baby names and weird cravings.
Dunk fidgeted through most of them, while Joong tried to stay polite and calm.
“Do they have to ask that many questions?” Dunk whispered rolling his eyes once in the car.
Joong chuckled. “Yeah… I think they’re just making sure everything is safe. It’s okay.”
After the third disappointment — the surrogate couldn’t do it because of health reasons — Dunk sat quietly in the car, staring at the dashboard. Joong reached over and gently put a hand on his knee.
“I know it’s hard,” Joong said softly.
Dunk’s shoulders shook just a little. “I… I thought it would be easier.” “It hurts more than I thought.”
Joong squeezed his hand. “I feel it too, babe. But we’ll keep looking and we’ll find the perfect one. Together.”
Dunk nodded, but the sadness didn’t leave. It hit him harder because he had been the one to bring it up. Every “no” felt like a stab in his heart.
Some days Dunk barely spoke, just sitting next to Joong, scrolling on his phone.
Joong noticed and didn’t push him. He made tea, wrapped a blanket around Dunk, and rested his head on his shoulder.
Those little things helped more than words.
Finally, after a few more attempts, they met a surrogate who felt… right. She was kind, calm, and seemed genuinely happy to help them. Dunk felt a spark of hope he hadn’t felt in weeks.
The day ended with Dunk leaning his head on Joong’s shoulder in bed. “Do you really think this one will work?” he asked softly.
Joong brushed his hair back. “I think we’re going to be okay. Together,” he said.
Dunk smiled a little. “Okay… together,” he repeated, feeling a tiny weight lift off his chest.
——————
The process with their chosen surrogate was going smoothly. Dunk and Joong celebrated every little update quietly at home: good check-ups, emails from the clinic, and even tiny shopping trips for baby clothes.
One afternoon, Dunk held up a ridiculously tiny onesie with ducks on it. “Do you think she’ll like this?”
Joong laughed. “I think she might outgrow it before she even wears it.”
Dunk pouted, then grinned. “Fine, we’ll buy ten more.”
On another day, Dunk tried to fold a baby blanket and failed miserably. It came out looking like a crumpled mess. Joong laughed so hard he almost dropped the stroller. “You’re hopeless,” he teased, helping him fix it.
Weeks passed. Dunk still got nervous sometimes, especially on check-up days. Joong stayed close, holding his hand and brushing his hair back.
“I’m just… worried,” Dunk admitted one evening.
Joong hugged him tightly. “I know. But nothing’s going wrong. We’re doing everything we can. And I’m here. Always.”
Dunk rested his head on Joong’s chest, breathing in calm and warmth. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he whispered.