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⇒ Blueprint Apartments
10:10pm

The cool slices of cucumber felt so soothing as they slid down his throat, and he couldn't help but close his eyes with every swallow as his back leaned against the cushion of the sofa, and as his legs, thicker than ever, stayed spread wide open as keeping them properly closed seemed too strenuous for his condition.

Humming, he chuckled at a funny scene that rolled up on the movie playing in front, eyes stealing a glance at the clock in anticipation as he waited ever so patiently for his lover to come home. But, to his disadvantage, within just minutes, the wide plate with his salad was finished, drawing out a groan of complaint from his throat and, forcing his tired legs up to carry him to the kitchen.

"I want more." He huffed in annoyance, one hand holding onto the fleshy home of his twins, whilst the other reached for the handle of the refrigerator to open and search for any possible lingering cucumbers. But then Felix felt it; a seemingly unrealistic, shock-like pain in his stomach, enticing a loud "Ah," sound from his mouth and, forcing his hand, holding onto the handle of the refrigerator, to close it and find its partner on his stomach.

His eyes, blank and glossed with concern, aimlessly scanned the furnished area as his brows stayed stiffly furrowed above them. Swallowing thickly, he waddled back to the living room couch, lips parted to provide a more spacious passage for his heavy breaths and, one tear dripping down his cheek at the obvious recognition of exactly what was happening.

With sweaty palms, Felix reached for his cellphone on the coffee table, shaky fingers tapping anxiously against the screen to look for Chan's contact, and lower teeth gnawing ever so fearfully at his lower lip as the unreasonably chilling rings echoed the deafening silence of that living room.

"Pick up, pick up." He mumbled restlessly, swearing when Chan really did not pick up, and letting more tears trickle down his cheeks when yet another wave of that horrendous pain scorched through his lower back. Dialing the number again, he muttered another line of complaint, right instep nervously tapping against the carpet and, free hand holding on to his tummy ever so securely. "Fucking pick up the damn phone- Chan."

"Baby? Baby, what's wrong?" Chan questioned worriedly, brows furrowing as he shifted in his chair at the studio, and hand already reaching for his cap that was seated so neatly on the table. "Are you okay? You sound stress-"

"Yes, I'm fucking stressed. The contractions are more frequent and more painful." Felix cried as he spoke, the new volume of his sobs fueling Chan's own legs up and out of that room so quickly, not even sparing him the chance to inform any member of staff of his destination. "Hurry, please... I'm scared..."

"Breathe for me, Lix," Chan spoke breathlessly, the close sound of the engine starting up somewhat easing the growth of panic in his boyfriend, while his own feelings of fright only grew larger in all different sections of his subconsciousness. "How far apart are they? Like- how much worse than this morning?"

"They're really close." Felix sniffled as he spoke, eyes gazing down intently at his stretched stomach, and face scrunched as more tears made their way down his freckled cheeks. "Like three to four minutes or so... and my back hurts, Channie... my back hurts a lot... I'm scared..."

"It's okay, Lix. I'm almost there. Remember, the studio is like walking distance from home, so just about five minutes and I'm there, okay?" Chan cleared his throat, the evident reassurance in his tone competently calming the nerves of his boyfriend, yet leaving his to irk his tear ducts so much that they just had to send their own few drops of the salty liquid sliding down his cheeks.

But he quickly wiped them away, thick gulp moving before his next line to rid any crack in his voice and, upper arm raising to dry whatever fraction of his cheek that it could reach. Because he could not let Felix see him weak. He had to be strong, for all three of them.

"Just breathe. Breathe and focus on your breathing. I'm almost there."

"Chan..."

"Yes baby. I'm-"

"Chan, I think my water just broke." Felix spoke with indisputable panic threaded in the volume of his tone. His head fell backwards to let his sobs grow even louder and, his throat seemed to have widened its own self in order to enable those loud wails to escape his parted lips.

His breaths quickened and, the tired weight that they carried did in no way aid in his body's rapid need for oxygen. So shifting uncomfortably in the new wetness of his seat, Felix glanced back at his closed door, mind too clouded with the excruciating pain that he was feeling to decipher any other empathic words that Chan was stuttering on the other side of that line. "Channie, hurry-"

With sweaty fingers struggling to unlock the door from the outside, and heavy breaths fueled by his anxiety as well as the short run from the elevator, Chan used his free hand to dry his face completely, inhaling deeply before masking his fearful expression into one of readable assurance, and sighing out of satisfaction when the rebellious barrier finally flew open to welcome the saddening view of his sniffling boyfriend on the sofa.

"Lix, I'm going to get the bag so we can go." He spoke quickly, voice trailing off as he entered their bedroom to grab the bag that they had pre-packed and, arms instinctively swinging the strap of the piece of luggage over his shoulder. "I'm here, baby. I'm here."

Hanging up the call that didn't even make sense anymore, Felix raised both arms up in the air childishly, face morphed into an expression of distress, and deep groan sounding from his throat when Chan visibly struggled to help his weak frame up and off of the comfortable seat. "Chan..."

"Baby." Chan strained as they both limped towards the open door, deep breath heaving his chest at the frightening realization that then was the really night where everything would be made known, unofficially, to the public, with the help of unprofessional staff, as well as busybody patients. "Just breathe-"

"Chan, I swear to god." Felix winced as another agonizing throb swept up a higher section of his back, almost causing him to wish that it were merely a knife piercing his skin, rather than the unreasonably painful warning of the readiness of his children. "I swear to god, Chan, don't you ever bring your dick anywhere near me again."

"W-what?"

"You fucking heard me. Keep that thing away from me. I do not want to go through this again." He sniffled when they made it to the elevator, both thanking the universe for proving its support to their endeavor by allowing it be empty.

Sighing at the low yet noticeable chuckle that escaped his lover's lips, Felix shot his head to the side, threatening glare forcing back a serious express onto Chan's face, and both, especially the latter, letting out a sigh of relief when they arrived at the rather empty lobby.

"If you laugh at me again, I promise I will not hold back when squeezing your hand during delivery."

"Gosh, Lix. Okay... I won't laugh." Chan drowned a chuckle as he spoke, the utmost seriousness of their situation completely contradicting the puffing of his cheeks as he fought to keep back his laughter. "I- just breathe, okay? You'll be fine... Everything will be just fine."

-

⇒ FAM Hospital
5:30am

Nothing but truth, was written into that old proverb, lined with just a few words, yet holding so much wisdom: A child is a gift from God. Because the beauty of those two children could make sense with no form of explanation except something so spiritual, as the mere seed and egg of a man themselves would never fathom the possibility of them producing such divinity.

Noah, wrapped up in a small, white blanket, with a baby-blue beanie covering the tiny specks of hair on his head, looked just like his birth giver. The freckles that Felix assumed had passed down from his genes weren't quite visible yet but, the plush carving of his lips, and those big, warm eyes; they resembled his daddy so greatly.

And Niah, blessed with the beauty of the daughter of a goddess, adopted one of her papa's dimples, carved decoratively at the edge of her mouth to highlight her right cheek with every movement of her facial muscles. Her lips, heart-shaped and plump like Chan's, rested so exquisitely just like his and, her eyes, they were planted so big and round just like her brother's.

As they laid silently in their parents' arms; Noah in Chan's, and Niah in Felix's, both the adults couldn't help but shed few tears of their own. And through the brief locking of their eyes that had just happened to avert from the sleeping babies at the same time, Chan's body leaned forward in the chair at which he was sitting to plant the softest kiss onto his lover's lips.

"You did it, baby. My hand hurt like a bit-" he glanced down at his son, then forward at his daughter, nodding and thinning his lips into a line at the mental correction for his near slip of tongue around the newborns. "I mean, my hand still hurts a lot, but it was worth it..." Glancing down at the red, slightly swollen fingers on both his hands, Chan chuckled, eyes once again looking up at Felix with so much adoration, and then down at Noah, the son who resembled his partner so fluently.

"I'm not apologizing for that, you know. You're not the one who had to deal with the pain of almost seven hours of labor." Felix scoffed with his words, lips parting widely to pave the way for a deep yawn and, eyes fluttering slowly in the place of regular blinks.

"You are the one who didn't want an epidural, baby. Talking about you wanted it natural-"

"That was so stinking stupid of me, I admit that." Felix chuckled, arm lifting to rub a fist over both his eyes, carefully, with the rather irritating drip needle in mind. "I want to sleep, Channie."

"That's expected, baby. I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep earlier." Chan smiled as he stood up, nervous arms struggling to hold on to the fragile being in his arms with so much caution, and legs strolling just a few steps forward to rest his second born on one of the bed-like strollers that the nurse had transported them in.

Sighing, he took the other baby from Felix's arms carefully, straining a hum when the little girl opened up those chocolate eyes for her papa to adore, as well as parted those pink lips to attempt the sound that each of the males had honestly only enjoyed when she had just been pushed out of the womb.

"Don't cry, Ni-Ni." He spread a small smile, heart thumping anxiously against his chest in fear that he was doing something wrong and, eyes glancing down at his partner, only to be greeted with closed eyes and slightly parted lips. "Papa is going to put you right back to sleep... don't cry."

Carefully, he made it to the other side of Felix's bed where the second stroller stood, gently laying the uneasy baby girl down and, sighing out of relief when the feeling of the soft mattress beneath her back had seemed to be enough to cease the threat of an early tantrum.

Then Chan went back to his seat on the chair, mind to overwhelmed with the occasion to focus on the slight grumble of his tummy, and eyes, sort of heavy with its own sleepiness, gazing forward at the open window, just observing the city lights from the higher floor of the hospital, and basking in the absolutely refreshing scene of the breaking of dawn.

But still, the dazzling beauty of the rising sun could in no way compare with that of the three humans before him. The orange overlay that the ball of fire momentarily edited onto the sky could in no way pass the magnificence of the natural, golden spots decorating his boyfriend's cheeks. And the brightness of the moon's sweetheart could never ever compare with that of the sparkle that lingered in his children's eyes.

Because to him, they were perfect; wearing each body part so gracefully, as if every god and goddess of beauty - from Aphrodite to Venus and every one in between - had a part to play in even the simplest details of their flesh.

Smiling, he stood up, the nagging of his stomach finally getting to his full head and urging him to go get something light from the vending machine.

Sighing, again, he pulled out a few coins from the back of his jean pocket, palms prepping on his knees, and eyes squinting to properly observe the items inside of that machine with the simple drinks. And so, with the slight yet undeniable headache that he felt, Chan settled on a bottle of water, deep breath flaring his nostrils as he inserted the right amount of money, and eyes closing for merely a few seconds as if such short period of time was enough to give him a random boost of energy.

But then Chan felt it, the unsettling buzzes of his cellphone in the pocket of his pants; it's constant and steady pace practically forcing him to break his mentally established rule and check out the notifications. "People will always talk." He groaned with his words, focus completely shifting from the water bottle waiting to be picked up, to solely settle on the seemingly endless mentions and tags of his name on almost all social media platforms.

Skipping through all of that, he dialed Changbin's number, legs carrying him back to the room where his family laid, but heartbeats quickening at the unexpected recognition of two relatively tall males lingering at the doorway. And he gulped thickly, hand drawing his phone down from his ears to end the call before Changbin could pick up and, feet so ready to march him back and away from that scene if it weren't for the taller, dark-haired one that noticed his flustered presence.

"H-hello." He spoke softly, voice low and steps hesitant as he strolled closer to the open door. "I assume you came- well obviously, you two came to see Lix?"

"Y-yes." The shorter of the two spoke up, thick gulp visibly moving in his throat and, eyes unintentionally going wide as if it was his first time seeing and conversing with the CB97 up close. "W-we- Hi. I- hello-"

"Yes, we came to see him. But it looks like he's asleep." The taller butted in, soft, polite smile stretching up his lips further as both he and the shorter shifted to give Chan a freer passage into the room. "We didn't come earlier because, Seungmin was asleep, and so was I- so we missed Lix's call." He spoke nervously, the slight sting trying to make its way into his heart, due to then being the first meeting with his ex's love, being completely erased when Seungmin's fingers found his hand for the most loving, reassuring squeeze that he could ask for. "I'm Hyunjin, by the way."

"Yes, I've heard about you... I've always wanted to say thank you." Chan spoke skeptically, tired body sitting itself on the empty chair, and eyes staring up at the two dark-haired males at the door.

"Thank you? Thank you for what...? We've- we've never met before-"

"Thank you for taking care of Felix when I wasn't there..." Chan looked down after that line, few tears already making their way down his cheeks, and subconsciousness scolding his muscles for allowing the showcase of such vulnerability around someone that he only met once, and another that he had never even met before. "Thank you for caring for him and the twins. And if there's any way that I can repay you-"

"No- no, Mr. Bang? I- I don't know what to call you, I'm sorry... But no. Everything that I did for Lix was from the heart, okay? There is no need for any pay back." Hyunjin smiled as he spoke, head nodding, and right cheek tinting red when a light peck could be felt against it; obviously from the darling at his side. "But- thank you for coming back and doing what I could never do- mending his heart. Thank you for making him happy..."

"I try."

"You're doing great..."

Clearing his throat and gulping, Seungmin gazed down at his feet, teeth occasionally trapping in between his teeth from sheer nervousness as he stood barely a meter away from his biased artiste. "I- did- have you- I mean, has he called his mother yet? Did you record for her?"

"She saw the whole thing." Chan chuckled, head lifting, again, to look at the two more comfortably, but low scoff leaving his throat at another sensation of cellular vibrations, that time against his thigh where the phone laid, rather than his pocket. "She called on Lix's iPad, and demanded that she see everything since she couldn't be here because of work."

"Oh, that's nice." Seungmin nodded, hesitant steps taking him further into that room to ask another question. "Can we- can we see the babies? And maybe wait outside until Felix wakes up? And also, we brought some balloons and gifts, since he didn't have a baby shower... but we didn't want to bring it all in one time... because- just to avoid too much attention... since you're here and all- We assumed that having to make a public statement after is tiring enough..."

Smiling, Chan nodded, small frown drawing down on his lips as he fought to keep more tears back, and low sniffle sounding before his next few lines. "Of course you can see them! And thank you so much, for being so considerate. I'd honestly prefer if you could bring everything at home. And you can wait for him to wake up if you'd like..."

"Alright, no problem, and- thank you."

Swallowing, Hyunjin neared Seungmin's side, both staring down at the bouncing baby boy as he slept and, occasionally glancing up at each parent's' face to assume which Noah looked like the most. And same for Niah- each unable to withhold a low coo at the soft, unblemished shade of cream coating her skin.

"They look just like you both." Seungmin giggled, hand resisting every urge to stroke their fragile outsides as he walked back and forth to each of their beds. But then he froze up, slightly, when the warm breath of the taller tickled his earlobe, accompanied by a whispered line that was just enough to complete the early start of his day.

"One day we'll have our own, Min Min."

"W-what?"

"If you say yes, then one day we'll have our own..." Hyunjin mumbled again, one arm snaking itself around younger's waist and, face leaning in to leave a light peck to his neck- all of which was going completely unnoticed by Chan who was just too absorbed into a conversation, over text, with his other group members to pay attention. "If you say yes to being my boyfriend, then we'll have our own little family one day..."

"Hyunjin... are you serious?"

"Dead."

"Well, yes." Seungmin almost squealed as he spoke, head shifting to place a light peck onto his new lover's lips before grabbing the soft palm of the latter and dragging them both out of that room, but of course, not before sparing the idol two glances. "I'll be your boyfriend, Jinnie."

"You- are you- are you serious?"

"Dead."

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