You're like lightning in a bottle, I can't let you go now that I've got it

All I need is to be struck by your electric love

electric love

3 months later

"Seoyeon, you have to believe me! It wasn't me!"

"Shut up! I hate you!"

The cringe growing on Soon-ok's lips was one that could be physically heard, felt miles away. She averted her gaze away from the TV and clicked her tongue annoyedly at the happenings on the screen. Somehow they felt extremely familiar. The colors flashed on her skin in the dark living room as she silently waited for something better. Eventually, she lost all interest in the program and let it run in the background as she lowered her gaze down to her chest.

Woah, she would never stop being amazed by the new size of her breasts. Her chest had always been a normal size, but damn, she thought. Usually, she wouldn't even realize that she had boobs, but now? It was like she could physically feel them there all the time, they were being slightly numb and extremely sensitive to the touch, the slightest bump would send her hissing. The feeling swirling within them was hard to describe. All Soon-Ok knew was that her body was once more preparing itself to take care of her baby.

It would have been a lie if she said that she wasn't scared. On one hand, she couldn't wait to give birth and finally meet her child, and in all honesty, God was she tired of all these symptoms holding her from each arm, pulling her from one side to the other. On the other side, there would always be a little butterfly tickling her gut nervously, her fearful self. Something she often found herself doing was imagining all the possible worst scenarios, the immense pain, the amount of time she would be in labor- what if anything didn't go like it was supposed to? What if something happened to her? To her baby? it was all a scary reality that somehow felt still so distant from her but truly was just around the corner.

The doorbell's ring echoed in the lonely apartment, breaking the woman's train of thought. Not even a second had passed by before she was already by the door, grinning excitedly. Well, speaking of waiting for something better, there he was.

Behind the door was no one other than a dramatically unamused Oh Sehun, holding a bag of take-out in his left hand while the other one was coolly nestled in his pocket. The scent of fried food immediately swirled its way into Soon-ok's nose and her eyes lit up like fireworks on new year's eve, prompting the man to raise his eyebrows.

"Really now, Soon-ok?" Sehun deadpanned, "fries and Mcflurry at midnight?!"

The excited hum and vigorous nod of her head were all she replied to before snatching the food from his hand and dancing her way back to the couch, a silent invitation for him to join her. Sehun shook his head fondly as a little sigh left his lips. The man tried his best to keep his usual mysterious and cool best friend persona, but the sight had spread such warmth in his chest, to hide the teased smile threatening to paint on his face was simply an impossible task. He was happy to see her, she was looking a lot better than she had done the past few weeks when she called him while crying desperately on the phone. Sehun at that time felt a surge of worry and anxiety so strong for his friend that he hadn't been able to work properly for consecutive days, wondering whether she'd be okay. But now there she was, right there for him to protect and help with anything she needed.

If there was something the male had learned from hanging out with Soon-ok during this period of her life, it was the way that pregnancy cravings weren't just like any. They were truly craved, cravings. Hence they were most of all, odd- just straight off strange and made absolutely no sense. Sehun knew that It wasn't uncommon for a woman to crave something during sensitive moments like that, after all, he had experiences from his past relationships. Despite that, while being with Soon-ok he would always find himself wondering; Really? Pickles with mustard and fries with ice cream? Sometimes he wondered if the woman in front of him truly was the real Soon-ok or if she had been possessed by some hungry alien curious about weird human food.

And that was not even half of it, but it wasn't like Sehun felt burdened by it. In fact, he found it pretty amusing to see his friend so full of life whenever she would talk about her baby- which was very often. The longing in her eyes, the wish to hold her baby was almost palpable to Sehun, and it made him feel just as excited for her. Not to mention the mood swings she would get in those situations- from having spurging urges to decorate her house and buy cute clothes for babies, to shrouding anxiety about the health of her child or the possibility to lose it and other incidents. The contrast was like the sweetness of her flurry and the stingy salt on her fries. Sehun had found it hard to handle her when she was in her most unstable moments, he could only imagine how exhausting it was for Soon-ok to switch emotions uncontrollably.

Soon-ok looked like she had just entered the gates of heaven once she had opened the take-out bag and begun placing her food on the coffee table. Sehun was sure that she had already forgotten about him sitting right next to her. Because dipping the French fries, topped with sea salt and black pepper into the cool desert was a way more interesting task than socializing with her friend who had gotten up from under the covers, changed from his pajama just to get her food at midnight.

He wasn't angry or bothered despite how he would act, though. It was always in playful sprite to his friend. Sehun was content with watching her eat happily, sighing in delight once the food combo hit her palate. Watching her carefree expression, he couldn't help but wonder whether she still dwelled on that Byun guy from her job? If she was still hurting because of him and what he had done to her. That day, Soon-ok had called him once again, barely being able to speak as she hiccupped on her words. He wasn't sure whether he had understood the situation correctly since she had been sobbing so profoundly, but he had never gotten the courage to ask her about it ever again. Afraid that it would trigger such despair again, and he really couldn't take seeing her cry like that again, much less because of a man that had treated her wrongly.

To her luck, nothing bad had happened to her work spot. Hence, Soon-ok had expressed how stupid she had been to be so secretive about it, perhaps she could have gotten the sustain she had needed. Her boss had been angry when she had visited his office, not because she was pregnant but because she hadn't said anything at all which for an instance is a must in terms and policy of her workplace. Chief Kim had wanted her to leave for maternity right away, and that had been exactly what she had done. Sehun sometimes wondered if the reaction towards her rival could have been avoided, then perhaps their blooming relationship would have by now, been something more, perhaps she wouldn't have been so miserable for weeks?

In the end, Soon-ok's boss hadn't fired her and nothing bad happened in her regards, so that could have been enough, no? Or maybe he was a simple-minded guy, forgetting that his friend had been extremely upset that he had told someone what she had begged him not to.

Sehun's lips twisted in deep thought, by now his gaze on her had zoned out on nothing specific, not realizing that the girl was eyeing him weirdly from her seat on the couch. A French fry hung hesitantly from her lips and a confused brow was cocked up.

"Why are you staring?" Soon-ok asked with mock defensiveness, looking him up and down. "You best believe I ain't sharing this food with you." She let him know, watching how his clouded eyes suddenly lit up again as he woke up from the trance. Sehun shook his head and flicked her forehead lightly.

"I wonder whose money it is," he scoffed and imitated her judging expression. The statement had made the woman waver the slightest, he could tell by the shifting emotions in her eyes and how her brows couldn't settle for an expression, that she was giving in to him.

Soon-ok let out a dramatic groan and fished out three fries to offer him. "FINE," she whined, only to glower at him angrily when he opened his mouth wide for her to feed him. Cursing under her breath, she pushed food grumpily in his mouth, almost making him choke. "Happy?" She snickered, "Now come on, my back has been killing me for days." Soon-ok turned to face him with her back, clapping herself on the shoulder and signalizing him to start massaging her.

"I didn't know that best friend equals to slave," Sehun grumbled and pushed up the sleeves of his shirt to get to work. His slender Fingers found the knots that had formed under her skin Immediately, so he gently started pressing on them. A hiss left her lips at the pain but she bit her lip and endured it. Sehun clicked his tongue and started nagging right away. "You are in maternity to rest and take it easy and yet you are still overworking your body." He reprimanded like an exasperated mom.

'and yet you are still overworking your body.' The words echoed in her head, shrouded in familiarity.

"I-" Soon-ok had barely had the chance to gasp before her best friend had interrupted her once again, unconsciously pressing harder on her knots as he spoke animatedly, making her contort her body in pain. "Don't even think about saying any excuses because these knots speak for themselves." He cut her off sternly. The woman simply closed her mouth, falling into deep thought because his words were something she had heard before. A deja-vu kind of feeling washed over her as the position she and Sehun were in, his words and the tone in his voice sounded ever so familiar. As if she was reliving a memory but with a different person.

Then it hit her.

The woman had no idea what to do or say when all of a sudden she felt dazed, but this time she was afraid that it wasn't because of her pregnancy. A trembling sigh left her lips when the man seated behind her let his thumbs wander towards the center of her back, pressing down onto the big knot that had formed there during her working hours. Soon-ok hissed in pain and pleasure, to which Baekhyun hummed knowingly.

"This is what happens when you overwork yourself," He scolded sternly while massaging her shoulders, finally using his beautiful hands to their full potential. "You can't be so stubborn because you don't only have yourself to take care of! You can't forget about that." His nagging continued, but there was never even a crumb of hostility and the motions of his hands never became harsh. "Most importantly, you should have woken me up for God's sake, you can't do all the work by yourself-"

The memory replayed in her head like a movie, a nostalgic film, coated in sheer yet warm colors, frames that she had seen a long time ago. Baekhyun's voice in her head sounded so vacant...Almost as if it was slipping through the cracks of her finger. As if she was slowly forgetting the way it truly sounded like, and the fact tugged the strings of her heart. Tucking her chin over her knees, the woman hugged herself as her best friend massaged her back, without realizing it she had gone extremely quiet, basking in the warmth of that memory.

She shook her head frantically, she shouldn't, Soon-ok warned herself. She forbid herself to relive these moments, to think about Baekhyun because he was another man that had hurt her. A man that had gently swayed her off her feet, and then pushed her back to the ground, only to act like he hadn't done anything wrong. Seojun had at least admitted his actions while he- he just kept playing dumb and there was nothing that irked the woman more than such behavior.

"Hey," only when Sehun's voice had resounded from next to her ear had she been brought back to reality. Realization dawned on her and she noticed how the man had circled his arms around her shoulders from behind, hugging her back close to his chest, Soon-ok inhaled his calming scent and let herself lean completely into her friend that was offering his rhythmic heartbeat to soothe her. Sehun's sheer cologne smelled like home, indeed there would never be an instance where she wouldn't feel safe when with him.

"Are you alright?" He murmured, a hint of worry detectable in his voice, but Soon-ok was quick to assure him with a bob of her head.

"I'm alright," She said, deep within, not especially sure whether she believed herself or not. But she had to be. For her baby. Sehun nodded into the crook of her neck, happy with the answer he had gotten. His hair kept tickling her skin and she couldn't help but arch her arm, accidentally squeezing his head between her neck and shoulder. The man let out a groan, detaching himself immediately while still keeping her tucked in his chest. "Woman, what the hell," Sehun whined through his grumpily pouting lips. Soon-ok giggled, turning around slightly to show him her teasing smile as it was her turn to flick his forehead. "Your hair was tickling me!" She defended herself, "It's not my fault." The friend simply shook his head, knowing that any kind of retort would not help him win the argument. Silently, he took her back into his arms but this time tucked her head underneath his chin to avoid any accident.

The friends were after a few minutes completely absorbed by the cooking competition going on the screen before them. It was only when the commercials loudly cut off the program that Sehun remembered something.

"Oy," He asked for the woman's attention, poking her lightly. "The hospital called yesterday and said that they need me, I'm so sorry I can't go grocery shopping with you as I promised." Sehun sounded extremely apologetic, it wasn't the first time that his job had made him give up on their plans together. But Soon-ok understood him, being a nurse was a busy job and she would never blame him for his duty. Hence, she was proud of him as a newly mastered nurse. They needed so much help in the health department.

Soon-ok simply shook her head dismissively, "It's fine, Sehun." She let him know, turning around to face him so that he could see the sincere smile on her lips. "Don't worry." her voice was gentle, but the pout on the male's lips only deepened. She knew how much he hated canceling plans.

"But-"

"It's really okay!" Soon-ok insisted hurriedly and eventually explained, "Hence, it's better that way, the doctor said that exercise will help a lot with all the pains and especially for the labor." Sehun finally gave up, resting his back against the couch as he gave a silent nod, Soon-ok had succeeded to set her friend at ease.

***

Song Jinah,

why had it been that once his gaze had locked with hers from across the room, her expression had seemed like the one of a deer caught in headlights? The look of one who had felt every single hair on their body stand up straight. The look of someone guilty.

Jinah had felt extremely intimidated when Baekhyun's relatively neutral gaze had within instants darkened greatly when settled upon her, emanating an icy glare that made her freeze into her spot as he pinned her down with his scrutiny. He swallowed, his adam's apple cutting sharply against the skin of his neck, and with a clenched jaw, he had approached the woman. All she found herself capable of doing was to stare widely at the male as he stopped right in front of her, fearing his every move.

"We need to talk." Baekhyun had spoken lowly, his words held a hint of threatening to the young woman although he hadn't said much at all. Still, the sharpness in his tone left no space for interjections, not even a hum of agreement. Jinah soundlessly nodded, almost as if letting out any noise could be what would snap apart the little control that Baekhyun was holding of his emotions. She couldn't explain why, but at that moment, as she followed Baekhyun into a more private space, she couldn't help but pinpoint that in all that anger reflecting in his eyes, was hidden a weakness. His fingers were constantly closed into a fist, his eyebrows scrunched into an uncomfortable frown. Baekhyun's emotions, his whole being was currently like an overloaded cord, consumed and close to ripping apart. Jinah was afraid that this conversation was indeed to become what would take his last sane bits away from him. Her heart ached as she wondered why she had gotten herself into that situation.

The door clicked into its lock softly as the two finally settled for an unoccupied room. Baekhyun hadn't bothered to turn any lights on. Although the sun was close to fully set behind the horizon, there was still a fair bit of light to gently illuminate them.

"You did it," Baekhyun affirmed, "didn't you?" his eyes raked her up and down, making Jinah feel nothing less than a mouse in a trap. Her lips trembled nervously and she oh so wanted to play dumb and avoid that conversation, but her tied tongue said much more than she could have ever confessed with words. Jinah tried to speak but all that left her throat were just incoherent noises that only seemed to increase the man's anger. Teeth drilled deep into her lip when Baekhyun closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. He wanted to snap at her with every cell in his body but he fought against the anger-driven urge. Jinah flinched when he suddenly opened his eyes again, not any less fiery was his gaze.

"Well? Don't you know how to speak?" he demanded, finally managing to get something out of the young woman. He didn't miss the way that tears had gathered in her eyes, her voice constricted by the lump in her throat.

"I'm-" She started shakily, "I'm so sorry-" once the first tear had escaped, there had been no way out for the girl as she felt herself succumb completely to crying, her body and mind were slowly being consumed by deep regret. Baekhyun only exhaled, "It's not me you should apologize to," he murmured lowly, however, this time he resolved to speak less harshly. Jinah only nodded at his statement, not even attempting to defend herself. Baekhyun couldn't tell if it was because of her heavy crying or because she truly wished she had never done what she had. The woman kept weeping before him until he asked one last question he deep down already knew the answer to but felt the need to confirm.

"And you were sent by my parents, right?" the unexpected statement had Jinah gasping as she directed her shocked orbs to his.

"H- how..." She stuttered but Baekhyun could only scoff to himself.

"Did you- did you really think that I wouldn't notice anything when you appear in the office out of nowhere and on top of that, I find you at one of Jinhee's parties?" Baekhyun remarked incredulously with another question which only left Jinah to suck in her sobs and quiet down, pressing her lips into a thin line.

"I think I know my father enough to tell that he is behind this." venom drenched his tongue as soon as his parent had entered the conversation, his expression darkening into pure anger.

Baekhyun internally scoffed at himself after letting the memory from three months prior play in his head. Did he really know his father well enough?

The truth was that he didn't believe his own words one bit. Baekhyun didn't know his father anymore. The person he was now was a complete stranger to him. Thus, he didn't even know when the last time he had a normal conversation with his father had been. After finding out that he had sent Jinah to keep track of him, and that because of him, everything was ruined, Baekhyun hadn't wasted a second to storm into his house. The memories of that day would often replay in his head, sticking by him like a rainy cloud above his head. He could still recall the pain of his sore throat after having yelled at his father, pouring out every single drop of anger stored within while his father had done nothing but silently stare at him while veins bulged his red neck.

That day, he had sworn to cut all ties with his father and stepmother. There was no point in being hung up on a stranger anyways.

All Baekhyun had known since then was the project that he and Soon-ok had been supposed to do together. But she was gone, and before he had known it, in that rented office had been only him. Drown, Baekhyun wished that his work could've been the ocean that he could drown within and never go back to the surface ever again. But even then, it didn't matter how many hours he worked without a single minute of rest because at one point or another he had to leave. And Baekhyun hated leaving his office. For the simple reason of driving, especially late at night. It was something that he had developed not long ago.

He just couldn't stand the fact that whenever he started his car, his eyes would pull to the seat next to his while the organ in his chest wished and not any less longed tremendously for it to be occupied by someone.

By her.

But you see, it was a constant war in his head. He hated her. He wanted to forget her, to delete every print that her fingertips had left on his skin. The prints that in his sleepless nights would spark alive, as the memory of their lips touching danced on his mouth, as the vision of his arms around her waist tickled his chest, making him feel that for just a second, the surface of her body underneath his digits was still lingering.

She had refused to believe him, to even listen to a single word he had to say. To this day, Baekhyun wouldn't stop finding new ways of how he could have expressed himself back then.

Park Soon-ok had left him with a void uncurable, and he hated her for that.

***

Soon-ok's brows furrowed in slight pain as she extended her arm upwards, getting reminded of her backache that came with her now fully grown belly. One hand always rested underneath her stomach to lessen the weight, but despite her attempts, it would never help against her quickly shortening breath. She huffed, annoyed at the unnecessary placement of certain products in the grocery store. It wasn't only one particular store, but every single one that she had ever visited. Soon-ok didn't understand how they had thought things out, hence, if they had thought at all before placing a woman's products up on the highest shelf. Did they expect every lady to be tall, or to be accompanied by someone taller than them? Well, they were so wrong about that!

Puffs of air left her lips at the minimal effort feeling a lot more straining than it should have been. It wasn't helping that her child had decided it was a good moment to start kicking her from the inside. Soon-ok bit her lip, despite herself, feeling relief. "I know, I know," She murmured although a hint of exasperation had found her voice as she stroked her belly. "You-you're tired of being inside there, you're probably screaming let me out! Aren't you?" Soon-ok murmured, not caring about the fact that talking out loud to no one might make her look crazy to the public because she knew that her baby could hear her. Already at the sixth month, her doctor had told her to be very attentive to her baby's moves, that every two hours she was supposed to feel a minimum of ten movements. It was an important detail to be able to tell whether the child was okay or not, and as of so far, Soon-ok's baby hadn't had any problems in moving inside there, which could only give her reassurance.

Being at the ninth month of her pregnancy was somehow a relief as much as a hardship. She could feel the changes that her body was once again going through, but this time she was more than happy to say that there were at least a few things that made her feel physically lightened. At one of her frequent checkups, she had been told how her baby had shifted in position, its head settling deep down her pelvis. Meaning that her baby as well, was getting ready for birth, and the fact tickled her stomach with nervous butterflies. It would always cast a smile on her lips, because she could truly physically feel it, the way a good amount of pressure had lifted from her abdomen, only to settle on her bladder. It was such a magical thing to Soon-ok, even though pregnancy had been a thing since forever, the fact that she could carry life within her like that, and experience it, was to her a blessing in itself. So far, the most outstanding thing of the ninth month was without a doubt the Braxton Hicks contractions. Soon-ok never thought it was possible, but what her mother had told her had always been true. They truly felt like electric bolts streaming down her lower body.

A gentle gush of wind caressed the back of Soon-ok's neck ever so suddenly, the kind of breeze that would follow after a movement, hence the very subtle scent dancing within it. A scent to Soon-ok not at all new.

"Is this what you wanted...?" There it was again, the electric pulse thundering in her body, but this time the woman hadn't been able to tell whether it was a contraction from her belly or if the shock was caused by the voice that had just spoken to her. Slowly turning around, her averted eyes had only viewed the extended hand with the product she had tried to reach for God knows for how long. The hand holding the package was all too familiar, but Soon-ok refused to even think that she would recognize him for such a trivial feature. Her stubborn thoughts however had done nothing to stop the mortal jump her heart had done up her throat once she had hesitantly reached her hand to the extended product, only to notice the small mole on his thumb when their hands had subtly brushed against one another.

It was unbelievable how much of a coward she had become during these months of maternity, had she been too comfortable within the walls of her home? Soon-ok had to mentally force herself to look up at the man who had helped her. Deep down, she knew exactly who it was, and yet a part of her was still surprised to see no one else than a slightly disheveled Byun Baekhyun dressed in gray loungewear and a pair of thin round glasses resting crookedly on the bridge of his nose. The bags underneath his eyes screamed that he hadn't been getting enough sleep, scratch that, none of it even. But still, he looked beautiful, and it was so damn unfair.

"Byun Baekhyun," She stated, not meaning the disbelief manifesting in her voice that had prompted his expression to shift from neutral to sour within seconds. Soon-ok inwardly cringed. Before she could grab the product, Baekhyun had snatched it away from her reach, placing it back on the high shelf, scoffing incredulously. The woman could only blink in shock while her jaw slowly fell to the ground.

"H-hey!" Soon-ok wanted to dig her own grave for stuttering in front of her rival, not to mention how he had already turned around to leave, making her feel utterly foolish.

"Where are you going!?" She didn't know what had gotten into her as she kept calling after his walking figure. Wouldn't it have made more sense if she let him leave her alone? But again, nothing in her life had truly made sense, ever. So it wasn't a big deal if she hurried after him, right?

"Very, very, very far away," Baekhyun grumbled without sparing her a single glance, "from you." Before he could leave the isle, the pregnant woman had caught the sleeve of his shirt, making him halt in his steps. As he slowly faced her with his body, Soon-ok had a glimpse of his expression. It hadn't been an exaggeration when she said that his glare was chilling, transporting her into a dimension of where wind and snow would cut harshly against her skin.

"Give..." Soon-ok found herself gulping her intimidation down as she struggled to keep Baekhyun's icy gaze for much longer. "Give me the product, please." She gritted out with much difficulty, to which her rival only lifted a questioning brow. He tilted his chin slightly upward, letting his glasses slip up the bridge of his nose.

"No?" he prompted with a slight shake of his head, a mocking smirk quirked his lips.

"Don't be a bitch and give me it..." Soon-ok tightened her hold around his sleeve, her head gradually becoming dizzier "Please." The smirk quickly faded away from the man's lips as he ripped his clothing away from her grip, erasing any sign of playfulness from his features.

"You're really fucking bold, Park Soon-ok," Baekhyun spat. His gaze darkened, clouded by anger that soon traveled across his features. But behind those cloudy sentiments of his also swam an ocean of disbelief. One so overwhelming and so extremely profound that he feared he'd get lost within it himself. The words leaving his lips pierced the woman right through the chest. He hadn't specified anything, and yet, Soon-ok still felt like those things he said were related to that one day, where everything had ended.

"Do me a favor and don't ever show your face again." Baekhyun retailed spitefully, narrowing his orbs, pinning her down with his gaze for a few moments, until he spun on the balls of his feet and started leaving again. He should have known though, that he wouldn't have come far. For the sudden, sharp gasp that had left Park Soon-ok's lips was the first thing that made his ears sharpen, his steps slower. As wetness spread against her thighs, the woman seemed to have forgotten how to breathe as the sensation intensified. A trickling feeling of wet left her south, almost as if she was peeing.

"Byun Baekhyun stop right fucking now." Soon-ok almost yelled on top of her lungs, gaining unwanted attention from the public. And that's what Baekhyun did, somehow not able to stop himself from obeying her authoritative tone.

"What do you want?" He repulsed, turning around to show her his uninterested expression. His lazy, droopy gaze though, instantly shifted to one of utter shock at the view of a suddenly sweaty and nervous yet determined Soon-ok.

"My waters broke," She breathed out and Baekhyun felt his eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

"Your WHAT?!"

"I am about to give fucking birth so drive me to the hospital, now."

"You are one hell of an annoying woman." Baekhyun cursed out loud the moment he found himself behind the wheel of his car, driving at a high speed with a panting Soon-ok next to him. "Tell me something I don't know," the woman rolled her eyes relentlessly, teeth drilling into her lips whenever a contraction would bolt through her body.

"Drive faster!" She screamed when she felt her womb contract and Baekhyun almost snapped the wheel off his car. "I fucking can't!"

Baekhyun's breath shortened ever so slightly as he stepped on the gas. He couldn't believe it, that the moment he had wished for her to disappear, she had appeared right into his car, just like when she had forgotten her stupid purse. It didn't feel real that after three months of never seeing her face, Soon-ok would be occupying the passenger seat of his car again.

As if her presence wasn't enough, her scent that gently danced its way to his senses had done so in an almost nostalgic manner, tugging at his heartstrings more than he wanted to admit. Their old bickering that naturally filled the walls of the vehicle as if nothing had ever happened made him feel so torn. It filled a void he had ignored for so long, and yet he didn't want it to. He didn't want to give in. Not after what she had said to him. But then, as he drove the familiar way to the hospital, memories of their moments together would fill his head as if a broken record. The late-night ice cream, him sharing his lunch box with her- when she had let him feel her baby kick.

What did all of that mean?

Teeth drilled into his lip and he stole a glance at the quiet woman. Her eyebrows were scrunched up in worry and pain while a thin layer of sweat had formed on her forehead.

Baekhyun had murmured a soft "Hey," while effortlessly rotating the wheel, gaining a strained hum from the woman. The man hesitated for a while, but eventually pushed back the never-ending flood of thoughts and parted his lips again.

"Does it hurt?" he asked hesitantly, not missing the way she could only provide with a nod of her head, her lips tightly caged behind the grip of her teeth.

"It'll be okay," He found himself reassuring her, "We are almost there." Soon-ok let his soft-spoken voice be what lessened her ongoing worries as her lids fell over her eyes. She could feel the car ride eventually coming to an end as Baekhyun's driving ever so subtly slowed down, making that familiar turn into the hospital's parking lot.

The next moments were like a blur for Soon-ok. From Baekhyun hurriedly unbuckling his seatbelt and rushing to open her car door, giving her his sturdy arm to lean on, to the conversation with the receptionist. All she could truly remark was how calm the attendant had been when Baekhyun had explained in a complete panic that her waters had broken. The nurse had eyed the slightly pained woman with a gentle smile, sending them to the waiting room as another nurse would attend them right away. As Soon-ok glanced at her rival, she was immediately overwhelmed by the frustration radiating off his body mixed with a swirling worry so strong that not even the world's greatest liar could have hidden it. He couldn't understand their calmness around the situation. Her waters had broken, wasn't it supposed to be a very delicate situation? Then why were they even for a second waiting for someone to attend them? Couldn't they see that Soon-ok was in pain?

"Baekhyun," Soon-ok murmured once she decided that his gaze had become way too menacing. Her voice snapped the male back to reality almost right away as he met her gaze. Her eyes were gentle, hence perhaps exhausted as they gazed into his.

"You're clenching my arm, it hurts." Baekhyun's supporting hold almost flinched loose as she said so, a worried and apologetic look crossed his features.

"I-" The startled male all but gasped, never getting to express the apology laying on the tip of his tongue as he was cut off by a distant voice.

"Miss Park Soon-ok," A familiar face peeked from behind the door before stepping out completely. The warm, slightly wrinkly smile on the midwife's face immediately made Soon-ok feel like her nerves were losing up on the spot. Baekhyun's mind had gone completely blank, hence why he hadn't even questioned himself when he helped the woman forward, following the lady showing them the way. All he could think about was Soon-ok being in the hold of his hands and how complete he felt despite the burning fire in his chest. It was true, just a while ago he had been telling her to disappear from his life, but there were many things he said that he didn't mean. And that had been one of them. Such a fool he was, he truly hadn't meant it at all.

While his lips had spoken, he had secretly hoped she would have seen right through him. There was nothing Baekhyun had ever detested more than being transparent, but at that moment where his anger had taken over his chest, where even a little part of him had meant what he had said, he had hoped for her to see. To see him.

He looked at himself and realized how the thorn squeezing around his heart was there solely because he wished to never let go of her ever again. It didn't matter that they were supposed to be angry at each other, that whenever they spoke; their words would always end up being hateful and more. But there was Soon-ok, letting him accompany her into the room where her life's biggest day was about to happen. Right there, right now, as she was being helped by the nurse into the bed, as he met the lady's mischievous gaze from across the room.

"So you are her husband after all?" She had mused teasingly, seemingly pleased with Baekhyun's furiously red cheeks and trembling lips.

As those words were directed at him, Baekhyun felt as if his life was an old videotape rewinding to the very first time he and Soon-ok had been in this hospital, because of her purse that he no longer felt like cursing out. He felt like they were the old Baekhyun and Soon-ok from three months ago.

Like the two rivals that would always profess their hate towards each other, but truly, show each other otherwise.

For hours had Baekhyun sat down on the chair in the corner of the labor room, not speaking a single word. He had been there waiting as she had been changing into her hospital gown, also watching over her as the nurse had checked her pulse and blood pressure. At some point, the lady had asked Soon-ok if she could do an internal examination to see how much her cervix had opened and approximately how far her labor had progressed, and that had been when Baekhyun had excused himself to the bathroom. For a good fifteen minutes.

He didn't know what was the cause of his sealed lips, but Soon-ok's nervous expression had made him afraid to say something that would unnerve her even more. It would have been a lie if he said he wasn't the slightest nervous as well, labor was something so very distant from his perspective as a man. There was no way he could ever begin to understand what all mothers went through to bring those babies to the light, but one thing he was sure about, and that it was surely beyond him. Beyond any strength he could ever store in that body of his. He had never seen a woman in labor in real life, and he had never imagined that the one he would accompany was Soon-ok. Hence, his silence mainly mattered because as he gazed at her, the more insecure he grew. Was it even okay for him to be there? Why wasn't she saying anything? Why hadn't she sent him away yet?

What was he, a high school boy? He couldn't believe the way that his breath had hitched inside of his throat as soon as the said girl had turned her head ever so subtly in his direction, locking her tired gaze with his. His narrowed eyes followed her every movement as she gently lifted her hand, wiggling two fingers, and it had taken him a few seconds before he understood that she was signalizing for him to get closer. Clumsily enough, Baekhyun had almost tripped on the leg of his chair as his body for some reason had felt the urge to hurry over to the woman, as if he unconsciously didn't want to keep her waiting, not for a single second.

Or perhaps, he didn't want to miss a single second of being close to her.

The clearing of his throat resounded in the quiet room, and Baekhyun had simply decided to ignore the way Soon-ok was hiding her laugh behind her fingers because he knew that anything he did would result in him embarrassing himself even more. The rose hue coloring his cheeks felt was almost scalding, but taking over his swelling heart was the stupid feeling of proudness and shy bliss because had smiled for the first time in a long time.

Because of him.

Ever so awkwardly he had sent her a forced "Hey," while settling down next to her bed. Baekhyun found himself flinching subtly, not having expected their faces and bodies to be as aligned as they were once he had sat down. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he so damn aware of everything he did around her? It had never been like that before, and yet there he was, feeling stupid for absolutely everything he did. Soon-ok hadn't been able to help the little snort escaping her throat at his terrible attempt to put his embarrassment behind him. After all, cutting Baekhyun some slack had never been in her capacities.

Gentle flower petals tickled the inside of her chest as the male sent her a disapproving pout that made her earnestly wonder if her heart was made out of jelly, for it wouldn't stop shaking as hers and Baekhyun's gazes felt tied by a magnetic thread.

"I wanted to ask you something." Soon-ok wasted no time, feeling boosted by the encouraging nod she received from the serious rival. "The midwife said that it will take about twenty hours for my body to naturally settle into the last stages of labor." Baekhyun only hummed in concentration, completely invested in every single letter she pronounced, and Soon-ok's body reacted to his actions despite having something bigger going on. Her throat closed up with nervousness and she had to avoid his intense stare for what she was about to say next. Teeth dug into her lips, a futile attempt to stop their trembling.

"Firstly," She swallowed, "Thank you for taking me here." she ran a hand through her slightly greasy hair, making a mental note to take a warm shower later as her nurse had suggested.

Soon-ok exhaled, "How should I say this," It was hard, she couldn't deny what had happened between them, especially what she had said to him. Something she was aware that he hadn't deserved. "You've been here, looking after me all day, you really didn't have to. But you did. Despite everything, you helped me once again, it's all you ever do." The words were thick like syrup in her throat as emotions welled by her glinting orbs and Baekhyun just couldn't stop raking his eyes over her face, as if he was drinking her all up.

"And I really don't want to keep you here with me, I know you probably have more important things to do."

You are important. He urged on the inside.

"But the truth is that I am so scared," She choked back a sob as the pain gradually contorted her features, "and I am probably such a bad and selfish person for asking you this... I don't deserve it," Soon-ok's voice was mellow, slightly shaky, and Baekhyun's hands just itched to cradle her face who was having tears paint transparent streaks upon them.

"But will you stay with me?" She pleaded, finally averting her gaze on him again, but to no avail for her teary eyes were blurring him out. Blinking the tears away, Soon-ok took in his expression. Anxiety immediately swelled her chest at the confusion shaking his orbs, his lips parted in disbelief and before she knew it, her mouth had started moving again.

"I-it's okay if you don't want to it's okay, you can pretend that just for today," Her tears were like a river caressing his ears, the kind of waters that would tempt him to swim within them, his fingertips the sailor waiting for nothing else but to be lured in by the siren that was her whole being."Just for today," She cried underneath her breath, "That I am not Soon-ok...And you're not Baekhyun."

At that point, Baekhyun didn't care about anything anymore, every little lament he had held within had been burned by the flames that had never stopped longing for the woman before him.

His world that had been nothing but plain black and white had all at once regained its colors the moment he hadn't resisted the urge to run his fingers across her delicate cheek. Her beautiful face molded just perfectly into his cool palm. Like the splash of vivid watercolors hitting the thick and arid paper that greedily absorbed every single hue there was to capture.

Soon-ok couldn't even describe the look on Baekhyun's face as he caught her salty tears with his gentle fingers, letting them melt into his skin. All she could remark was the way he drank her in, how he didn't miss a single blink of hers with a emotion so overwhelming in his eyes, making her feel as if she had grown a second heart in her chest.

"I will stay." He breathed, "Soon-ok."

---

The labor had begun.

Soon-ok was all over the place. Ever since her waters had broken, the contractions had gradually grown more painful, resembling the ruthless agony that period cramps would cause but Soon-ok dared to say they were worse. Despite her miserable state, she had found the quick moment to be amused by her rival that she rarely had seen out of his composed and serious state. However as she went through hell and back, the man had looked utterly terrified whenever she would let out a grunt in discomfort. She could tell that he was so afraid although it was her giving birth and not him. The worry weighing down on his shoulders only grew heavier when Soon-ok had shakily grabbed his arm, looking up at him with her face contorted in pain, the color of her skin turning a certain color. Without her having to say anything, he had sprung to his feet to reach out for a sick bag that the nurse had left in the room just in case something of the sort would have happened.

Her movements were sloppy, rashed as she ripped the bag open before vomiting her soul out. Tears sprung in her eyes when her throat constricted and she felt herself suffocating slightly while the cramps in her abdomen took over. In all sincerity, she didn't even know why she was throwing up, whether it was for the immense pain or simply because of her baby possibly touching any sensitive nerves. Baekhyun had only tried to be of help when he had gently started patting her back, to which she had flinched away from him, begging him to not touch her for the slightest of touches would make her muscles feel aflame.

The next thing she knew was that her gown had been taken off, leaving her in a sports bra and a pair of elastic shorts whilst standing underneath the warm flood of water in the labor room's bathroom. Her arms were stretched out, holding onto the plastic support railings while Baekhyun quietly directed the shower in a constant motion, down to her stomach and up to her spine. Her whimpers echoed in the white-tiled room, gradually growing louder whenever the contractions would hit harder. Maybe she should have been embarassed of all the noises she was making, of the state Baekhyun was witnessing her in, the most unflattering moment of a woman. But Baekhyun had never shown a single spec of disgust, hence, the worried frown that kept deepening on his face could've formed a permanent crease on his forehead.

"Don't you want to try to sit down?" Baekhyun proposed while eyeing the little stool in the corner of the shower but Soon-ok just frantically shook her head, her eyes squeezed shut in agony. "N-no!" She bawled," It hurts so much I can't-"

"Okay! It's okay!" He urged, trying in any way to calm her down although he had long ago accepted the fact that it wasn't anywhere in his power to keep her safe from any pain that was to afflict her today. And so, her agony lasted for two more hours as she did the most to fasten the opening of her cervix, balancing between resting on the bed and doing exercises that she had been recommended, sometimes even calling her mother which had done significantly much in easing Soon-ok up. By now, the act of constantly taking deep exhales was the only thing she was leaning on to survive the pain that she before had never been able to even imagine but was now experiencing. Soon-ok had been told to snack from time to time and to rest, but it was nearly impossible to do so, there was no position that could soothe her.

Soon-ok sighed out loud before carefully rolling on to her side," God," she groaned loudly, "I don't think I'm going to get through this." Her lips trembled as her eyelashes fluttered against her glowing cheeks when she closed her eyes briefly, a little tear rolled down her skin.

"No, don't say that," Baekhyun interjected quickly, his figure leaned over hers on the bed as he allowed himself to rest an elbow on her mattress. "You are doing great," he breathed, his voice dripping with raw awe, "you can do this." more encouragement tumbled down his lips as he leaned his cheek into his palm. Gazing down on her face, he took her in with a pair of eyes fonder than dark chocolate, completely entranced by her. His words were like a pair of playful children chasing each other on the shell of her heart, and for a little moment, she was able to forget about her pain. Soon-ok was thankful that he was there. For some reason, it had felt so right.

Slowly opening her eyes, his face was the first thing that she saw, she found it incredible how her body was still able to sort out the tickling fluttering of her heart amidst the strong contractions. Baekhyun's eyes did not waver the slightest when they locked with hers. He looked so tired. The skin around his eyes had sunken, his eyelids were droopily hanging over his eyes, longing for a moment of sleep, but despite the evident signs of fatigue, there was still a determined glint reflecting in his orbs. Baekhyun's cheeks glowed red in the dimly lit room, his soft locks had during the events of the day become a tangled mess, sticking up into every direction. Soon-ok didn't find it fair that he still was so breathtaking. Her hand had acted on its own when it carefully reached the side of his face that wasn't leaning on his palm. Shaky fingertips were softly ghosting over his skin that radiated a warmth so tempting. It was as if life seeped into her the moment she let her hand collide ever so gently on his face. Baekhyun was motionless in his seat, breath lost somewhere in his lungs as he registered what was going on.

"You should sleep for a while," Soon-ok didn't know why her voice had come out as a mere whisper, but the air between them had become heavy and fragile all at the same time. Baekhyun only hummed lowly before shaking his head with disagreement. He went on, "Not a chance." the words lingered as he leaned away from his palm and extended it just like she had done. Delicate fingers grazed her forehead and he took his time to brush away the stray strands of her hair, slowly tucking it behind her ear. Every movement became increasingly more affectionate before he had been able to realize what he was doing. He was in a trance, barely noticing how he had started rubbing the pad of his thumb back and forth on the apple of her cheek once he had been done with his previous task.

Their little bubble, however, burst along with the door abruptly opening up. Baekhyun flinched away from the pregnant woman as if a terrified cat jumping out of its skin, his eyes suddenly seeming ever so awake as shock and embarrassment washed over him. Teeth drilled deeply into his lip and he couldn't have been more evident when he avoided looking at Soon-ok's midwife at all costs.

"Shall we see how much your cervix has opened up?" The lady was never one to beat around the bush, and the two rivals never failed to be shaken up by her enthusiastic antics. Soon-ok's drumming heart was echoing in her ears. It was all a wonderful mix of fear, excitement, and thrill. She wondered if she was ready, at that point, she didn't know if her pain could get much worse, all she could truly think about was for this moment to be over. She just wanted to hold her baby in her arms. She was tired of this storm of painful sensations crashing upon her as if she was nothing but a mere boat being hauled left and right. One moment she would be shaking furiously while a few minutes later there would be the world's strongest pressure pushing on her lower abdomen.

The sun had long ago disappeared behind the horizon, and for hours had the nurse gone back and forth to check her up, but to her frustration, it had never been due just yet.

"Oh my!" The experienced midwife exclaimed while doing her examination. The positive tone in her voice had managed to perk both Soon-ok's and Baekhyun's ears, eyes lightened up with hope. Thankfully, she was going to hear exactly what she had wanted. A proud smile teased at the corner of the lady's lips as she looked up at Soon-ok.

"You're now 10 centimeters wide, Based on your symptoms of pressure I can say that we can slowly get to start pushing." These were the words that Soon-ok had anticipated so much, and yet her body was hit by a wave of nervousness when the midwife had left once again, leaving Soon-ok to keep pushing on her own until it would be time.

But when was it going to be time? Maybe it was the adrenaline mixed with fear that rushed to her head that made every proceeding moment extremely blurry. Surely, the heat of the moment had her caged in a dally for Soon-ok had barely registered that the midwife had at some point entered the room again but this time she had a small team with her, nor how much time had gone in between. She was shocked to find out that it had been more than an hour.

"Come sit down here," Before she knew it, she was sitting down on a toilet seat-like stool, her eyes meeting with the elder lady's reassuring ones, but the eye contact hadn't lasted long when she searched for Baekhyun's gaze. "You too," the midwife nodded her head at the rival sitting in a corner of the room and Baekhyun had cluelessly pointed at himself in question. Seemingly a bit took aback by the sudden attention, prompting the nurse to nudge him over. As he walked over, he was instructed to sit on the chair right behind Soon-ok. The nurses guided his arms to rest underneath Soon-ok's, giving her support and also a soft chest to lean against. Baekhyun was extremely hesitant and uncomfortable to hold his rival in such an intimate position, she was in pain and he couldn't figure out where to place his damned hands. In the end, they settled just a few millimeters underneath her chest and eventually came to terms with it.

The pain that Soon-ok endured during the next few hours was insufferable, horrible, so strong that it made her lightheaded. Although she pushed and did her best, the baby just wouldn't come out. There were no words to describe the overwhelming emotions engulfing her all at once. All she could think about was the way she was sitting there with her legs parted widely and Baekhyun's warm chest against her back, the way her screams of pain were resounding against the walls. All she could hear was herself and her drumming heart she thought would explode at any time.

She felt angry, just so abandoned. As she sat there with her aching legs, Soon-ok sincerely feared that she was about to die from that immense pain, and yet nobody was doing anything. Why wasn't the midwife helping her? Why wasn't Baekhyun doing something? Couldn't they see that she was in pain? For a good moment, she had forgotten that she was giving birth, her mind was in shambles.

All she could do was scream through her tears as she reminded herself to push. To push what truly felt like the most painful piece of shit she had ever had, she couldn't even find the capacity to be embarassed by herself as she cried out about how much she needed to take a dump but couldn't- only to realize why. She didn't need to dump, it was her babies' head pressing so far in against her back. For a little while, the contractions seemed to have eased slightly, allowing her to finally lean back. Her head fell against Baekhyun's collarbone while heavy pants left her lips as her eyes fell close.

"Hey," the man seemed to have found his voice again only then, as he leaned further down to gently whisper into her ear. "how are you feeling?" He murmured softly, but Soon-ok could only sob as a reply when she had to start pushing again. His hands were almost a little shy when they found hers. A slow movement of his fingertips danced along with her palms before settling between her fingers, to which Soon-ok didn't hesitate a second to squeeze tightly.

She pushed and heaved breathes continuously, a cycle that she felt would never end. The only thing keeping her sane was the gentle sound of Baekhyun's voice that never stopped encouraging her even once. "Come on you're doing great," he said, "Keep pushing,"

The midwife couldn't do anything but sit there patiently as she waited for the baby's head to peek out.

"Mhhhm-" Her eyes were squeezed shut and her voice pushed to the back of her throat, but the pain only became stronger. "Help...Please," cried Soon-ok and it was at that moment that the midwife finally leaned down towards her core. Her voice was mellow as she spoke, "keep going, you're doing amazing." and so she heaved in and pushed harder. "One more time," said Baekhyun, not being able to help himself when he eyed her side profile next to him. Her face that was contorted in pain, her hair that was messily tied into a bun that wouldn't stop falling apart, the sweat that had gathered on her forehead slowly dripped. He was at a loss of breath because he couldn't believe that he was there, seeing this beautiful woman in her most golden glory, the glory of a mother. This woman that he for so long denied, denied that she meant something to him. While in truth, she meant almost everything. At the sight of her teary eyes and clenched teeth, a firm lump formed in his throat.

As Soon-ok started pushing once more, the midwife reached her hands down, signalizing that soon, everything will be done. Her actions motivated the woman to keep going. The labor had been going on for uncountable hours, none of them had been able to keep track of time. The more she pressed, the more it hurt and despite her attempts to swallow her screams down, Soon-ok found herself crying out once again in agony. "No," she sobbed underneath her breath, almost drawing blood from her lip when she bit into it.

"It hurts so much-" she felt her breath hitch, "I can't do this," but Baekhyun was quick to place his lips against her temple, pressing a soft kiss there before muttering, "Everything's alright." His thumbs were giving comforting caresses on the front of her hands, tightening his hold whenever she would push.

"It's almost out!" Exclaimed the lady while shifting in her seat, the baby's head now rested safely within her palms. "Keep pushing, you're almost there!" The woman only did was she was told, no longer thinking about anything but pushing, pressing with her all. Behind her closed eyelids was an explosion of colors as she clenched with her whole body. Her groans filled once again the room, the noise of her using up every last bit of her strength.

You're strong, Soon-ok. She told herself with gritted teeth.

Before she knew it, her screams had morphed into whimpers of relief while the high-pitched cries of a newborn baby took over. "Open up your arms!" Urged the midwife and Soon-ok acted so incredibly quickly, desperately reaching out to pull her baby into her chest. Her eyes were wide with worry as she wished that the nurses could open up her gown faster so that she could let the baby rest in the comfort of her breasts.

There was no pain.

No more pain. The feeling of receiving her baby was of something beyond the word happiness and relief, a swelling of her heart so overwhelming that it made her dizzy and the only thing her body could do to cope with such was to produce more tears to cloud her view.

"My baby," She cried as she gently brought her daughter closer to her warmth. "You're here, you're finally here." The nurses rushed around her while countless congratulations were sent her way but Soon-ok could barely focus on anything but her crying daughter and the immense instinct to comfort it.

"She's beautiful," Breathed Soon-ok out, seeking for her midwife's gaze, wanting to show her. The elder woman beamed proudly, her kind eyes wrinkling into crescent moons as she nodded fervently. "Congratulations on your baby girl, you did so great today." Her gaze held a sincere glint of affection that made warmth pool in her chest as she as best as she could, smiled back through her tears. "Thank you," She said gratefully.

All in the while, Baekhyun had been quietly watching the magical moment of her accepting her baby and getting liberated from exactly every single agony. He hadn't been able to help the little smile that twisted his lips along with his solemn gaze as he wondered why it felt as if he had grown a second heart in his chest. Butterflies fluttered their wings in his belly as he carefully nudged the woman to gain her attention.

For the first time in hours, the two were finally able to look each other in the eyes again, and Baekhyun thought he was out of his mind when he felt like every moving being in their vicinity had slowed down, as if time had stopped just for the two of them. Her beautiful eyes searched for his with an equal amount of pure desire and he saw the way that his shaky reflection was completely engulfed in that longing. Baekhyun had to physically fight the urge to crush his lips on her swollen, slightly parted ones. An awkward "Ahem!" followed by a few coughs that really, shouldn't have been as violent as his for a perfectly healthy man, resounded in the room as he mentally pushed the imagination of what he wanted to do with her to the back of his head.

Once he was sure he wasn't going to make any rushed moves, Baekhyun opened his mouth to speak, but the nurse had beat him to it, extending a pair of medical scissors in his direction. "Do you want to cut the baby's umbilical cord?" She asked bluntly, sending the male into a state of shock because the request was a meaningful task usually reserved for the boyfriends or husbands, but he- he wasn't nearly anyone to Soon-ok.

Who was he to do that?

Completely lost, the man had desperately looked back at the mother of the baby with uncertainty twisting his eyebrows, almost as if he was asking for permission. The shock caused by the question was surely incomparable to the emotions he had felt surge when the tired Soon-ok had nodded with a weak smile on her lips, no sign of hesitation showed on her face. Baekhyun's lips hung open as he waited for the girl to show any sign of regret, but as she continued to hold his gaze, he eventually made up his mind. Swallowing sharply, he nervously accepted the scissors, wearing them carefully on his fingers before directing them towards Soon-ok that had by now moved back onto her hospital bed.

"W-where do I cut?" Baekhyun hadn't been able to hide the panic that manifested in his voice as his eyes continuously shifted from the crying baby to the busy nurse, trying to catch her gaze. The baby girl's eyes were scrunched up and her fingers naturally curled up into angry fists, all he could think about was that he didn't want to accidentally hurt her. After the nurse's instructions, Baekhyun nodded with determination although in his ears was his heartbeat drumming deafeningly loud and his fingers were a trembling mess, he just hoped his rival wouldn't notice. Soon-ok watched Baekhyun's brows pucker into a soft frown of concentration as he leaned over her and placed the scissors where he had been instructed. His teeth were caging in his lips as if it would help him contain the overflowing amount of emotions surging from every direction within him.

Snip.

Baekhyun released the gasp that he barely realized he had been holding in, letting out a sudden chuckle coated in sweet awe and disbelief that dripped like honey from his lips. The umbilical cord had been cut off and he found himself searching for anyone's gaze, he needed a confirmation that he had done well, and Soon-ok didn't have him waiting, instead placed her hand on his that unbeknownst to him was still shaking, and squeezed it gently. The affectionate action brought him to life, it was hard to miss the way that his eyes had suddenly become starry like the night, undeniably glossy as he gulped down the lump in his throat.

Soon-ok had no idea what had gotten into her when she got an idea that she absolutely wanted to propose. It made no sense that she would have, but for some reason, every single nerve in her body had started longing for her to do it as she had never wanted anything else before. Ever so carefully, she held out her baby to Baekhyun whose eyes gradually grew larger.

"Do you want to hold her?" Soon-ok murmured almost a little shyly, looking up at him from underneath her lashes and Baekhyun feared to get heart problems once he'd get out of that hospital because Soon-ok didn't seem satisfied with stealing his breath away. Like an idiot, Baekhyun stood there like he couldn't believe his ears, but eventually woke up from his disbelieved shock the moment his rival moved her baby further towards him. His arms acted automatically as they gently took hold of the baby and safely brought her to his chest.

"Hey there little princess," Baekhyun cooed sweetly, caressing the little frown on the newborn's forehead with his index finger. Little by little, the salty sting behind his eyes became more hurtful, and as he lost himself in the baby in his arms, for a moment he also forgot about the people who were still around and observing him.

Specifically Soon-ok and her curious deer-like eyes.

Fuck, he thought when his throat started closing up without his consent. The baby was just so tiny and frail in his big arms, with her soft, soft, fragile and red skin that he found himself caressing constantly. His lips pursed into soothing hushes when she would start crying even louder. And the more she cried, the blurrier his view got.

He didn't know why his tongue was trembling, struggling so extremely hard to push the threatening sob back down. Hence, he didn't know why he was about to cry at this happy moment at all.

Baekhyun never cried.

But how was it that he slowly felt himself fall apart?

"Oh," He pondered out loudly after realizing something, and despite his delicate emotional state, Baekhyun willed himself to lock gazes with the mother and continued, "I never asked what her name was going to be?" Soon-ok's expression was one of surprise and agreement when she realized that he was right. To his dismay, not even the soft chuckle leaving her lips had been enough to prevent what was about to happen next.

"Her name is Sohee. Park Sohee."

Sohee.

Tears.

Tears, tears, and more tears.

As soon as the first drop had escaped his eye, there had been no way to stop the sorrowful rainfall cascading onto his warm cheeks as he glanced down at the little Sohee, finding it harder to breathe. "You have such a beautiful name, Sohee." He murmured incomprehensibly to the baby that had thankfully been lulled into calmness by Baekhyun's rhythmic heartbeat right next to her small ears.

"I really like your name."

♡♡♡

hello friends! To make up for last week I have this massive update for you guys. I hope it was worth your time!

This chapter is the whole base idea that made me write this story. The man driving his rival to labor hahaha, don't ask me how I came up with it...

BUT I am really curious about what you think of this chapter! It was one long ride and I am super curious, did you see something like this coming? Where do you think Baek and Soon are standing in their relationship now? Ooze me with your thoughts! 

We are very close to the end of this story I have to say. And I want to apologize because the next chapter is nowhere near ready and probably won't be for next week because I and my whole family have fallen a bit ill and writing is already hard for me...But I'll try.

Sorry for rambling. I wanna thank you all for reading! Much love and warm hugs <3