Work Text:
“Choi Soobin!”
The man in question slowly whipped his head around, a hint of frustration present on his face. He stared at his co-worker whose hand was on his shoulder and forced a smile.
“Yes?”
“We’ve been calling you since earlier! Have you gone deaf?”
Soobin’s smile got tighter, gritting his teeth behind his lips.
“Anyway, let’s have a drink! You just got promoted, man.”
“Oh, I—“ His co-worker looked at him expectantly. “I can’t.”
Their expressions dropped as the caught up with the one in front of Soobin. “Why?”
“My wife—he hates the smell. I have to go—“
“Nah, we’ll make sure to clean you up!”
“I can’t possibly impose—“
“No, no. We insist, let’s celebrate!”
“He’s alone—“
“He’ll be fine!”
“He’s pregnant!”
The Astronomy hall fell dead silent. Soobin was the kind of researcher—senior researcher— who upheld a good reputation and did his work diligently. It was a rare sight to see him so uncomposed. Perhaps even the first time they’d ever witness this side of him.
“Oh… we’re sorry, man. Congratulations.”
“Yeah, congratulations.”
“Congrats, man. Sorry.”
“I-It’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
20 minutes later, Soobin arrived at an empty house. The air was still, almost eerie, and he would have been a bit scared if the kitchen light didn’t partly illuminate the living room. He kicked off his shoes, using the tip of his toes to organize them so Beomgyu would have one less thing to worry about. A soft thud echoed in the room, cutting through the silence as Soobin dropped his work bag.
With gentle steps, nearly tiptoeing, Soobin approached the sofa. It was instinctive, to say the least, as there were nights like this before.
Soobin didn’t want the past to repeat itself.
On the sofa that had its back against the front door laid the pregnant man he had snapped at his colleagues for.
His eyes twitched beneath his lids, moving around as though he was awake and scanning the world. His lips were parted and oh, was Soobin severely tempted.
But, he couldn’t possibly risk waking up his wife.
He crouched down beside the sleeping figure, admiring his features as if seeing them a foot away wasn’t enough. And perhaps, for the greedy Choi Soobin, it wasn’t.
Only the moonlight illuminated Beomgyu’s countenance and his husband couldn’t be more thankful for the sheer curtains the pregnant man chose himself. He had been unconsciously ignoring the gnawing feeling, the mixture of relief and worry that he could’ve left Beomgyu sleeping on the couch all night—waiting for him.
Just a little bit more.
He told himself as he selfishly sat for a few more minutes just staring at his wife. Memories of their past—how they came to be—flashed into his mind as he resisted the urge to caress the younger’s cheek with his knuckles.
Then, it was as if a devil sat on his left shoulder and spoke.
Why even resist when you already knocked him up anyway?
Soobin let out a chuckle, planting his face into his hand. There are thoughts about his wife that he will never stop being giggly about. Maybe he likes being a little pervert. Maybe he’s just a husband who loves his wife—and their kid.
Imagine if there were two of them inside his puppy…
Oh God…
“You’re home.”
The sweet groggy voice felt like a twist to the knife in Soobin’s chest.
“B-baby, did I wake you?”
Beomgyu only smiled, the mischievous but endearing kind as he stretched like a cat, laying on his side to get a better view of his husband. Soobin scrambled to assist him, making Beomgyu giggle.
“You look terrible today, honey.” He reached out for Soobin’s face, in which, like a loser, Soobin desperately leaned his cheek and placed his hand on top of his wife’s.
“Sorry, baby.”
The younger shook his head. “I chose to wait for you.”
“That’s exactly it.”
Beomgyu giggled once more. Soobin swears he could hear it all day. How could one stay so in love even after a decade of dating and an additional half a decade of marriage?
They were the kind of couple who elders thought would have a family early. Beomgyu was clingy, mischievous, and playful while Soobin’s lanky demeanor didn’t help refute the claim. Yet, here they were, at 29 and 30 building their small family.
Soobin stole a chaste kiss from Beomgyu’s lips, leaving the younger in shock as he tried to process what just happened. His round eyes looked like big stars in the night sky they’ve always loved and Soobin couldn’t help but fall harder—
Like a comet rushing to meet the land.
“I love you.”
He blurted out.
Beomgyu raised a brow and landed a playful slap onto Soobin’s cheek, making him equally shocked as he did to the younger.
“Back at you,”
Soobin couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle. Truth be told, he didn’t know what Back at youwas for. Was it his I love you? The shock he gave to Beomgyu? Maybe both?
But, in that moment, he chose to believe the former and placed another kiss onto his wife’s lips. This time, a longer one, like a moon savoring its little time of eclipsing with the sun.
When he pulled away, Soobin couldn’t help but be in awe. Couldn’t help but feel frozen in time.
Perhaps, in another universe, where reality knows no bounds and imagination is a spacecraft that can take you anywhere; we would be the moon and sun. Every star and galaxy would stand in between us, bestowing the curse of only meeting in seldom eclipses. I will cherish you in every one of them and all the time in between—
“Soobin-ah!!”
“?!”
“I’ve been calling you for the past minute.” Beomgyu pouted, pushing him away.
Soobin’s eyebrows instantly furrowed and reached for the younger’s arm, rubbing it with his thumb. “I’m sorry, baby,” He glanced down. “and little puppy.”
They eventually called it a night inside their bedroom, nestled in each other’s arms as they exchanged sweet nothings. The ceiling became a resting place for the married couple’s eyes for it has been their sanctuary in times of their conversations they felt like looking elsewhere.
Beomgyu hopes that one day, when their little puppy is out, they will be able to enjoy the glow-in-the-dark stars Soobin had put up in the nursery.
“Baby,”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you,”
“For what?” Beomgyu looked up, eyes meeting Soobin’s.
“You know, carrying our baby and taking care of the house. And of course, me. Your first ba—“
“Oh, shut up.” He snuggled against Soobin’s chest, hiding his face.
The older one let out a chuckle, Beomgyu’s head moving with the tremble of his chest. Then, Soobin’s hand made its way to his wife’s hair, threading through it and massaging his scalp; a touch the younger leaned into.
With each passing second, Beomgyu weighed heavier and heavier on his chest. His now thinner arms draped around Soobin as his cheek got squished by the muscle. He hopes Beomgyu’s taking his vitamins, he can’t keep losing weight as the baby will eat him inside out.
Take and take and take.
Soobin’s hold becomes tighter instinctively before quickly letting go when he felt his baby mama’s tummy being too close to his body.
“Good night.”
The following morning was a Saturday, Soobin’s favorite. It was when Beomgyu would wake up early, stretch in front of the balcony doors, then make his way to the bathroom. Unbeknownst to him, his husband has seen it all.
Whenever Beomgyu would glance his way, Soobin would quickly close his eyes and act asleep. He liked to think he was never caught and it appeared so anyway. Soon after his wife had finished his routine, their bedroom door would open and softly latch close with Beomgyu’s gentle movements; trying not to wake his very awake husband up.
Soobin would hear him rustling in the kitchen, making breakfast with what they had. During that sliver of time, he would do his morning routine quickly and help out his wife as soon as he could.
Even though Beomgyu had the house to himself for most of the day, Soobin knew the younger enjoyed having me time with the assurance and comfort that Soobin was home with him. And so, he gave those 10 minutes in the morning for Beomgyu.
He snaked his arms around the younger’s stomach, supporting his bump with his big palms as he lied on the crook of Beomgyu’s neck. His wife smiled, reaching for Soobin’s cheek to caress before chopping the vegetables once more.
“Congratulations again, Senior Researcher. I’m not forbidden to call you just honey now, am I?”
Soobin buried his face in the younger’s neck, groaning with a smile.
Like planets held in their orbits, the pair moved around each other with an intimacy only time could cultivate, as though gravity itself bound them together. To drift even a little too far apart would be to invite chaos into their universe.
Soobin liked his equilibrium.
With Beomgyu, he was balanced.