it hasn’t even been an hour since you dozed off, you think, as you’re slowly awakened by the small tugs against your belly — which just refuse to stop.
kick. kick.
it’s almost as if you’re not allowed to spend one second not thinking about the growing fetus inside of you. even now, in the midst of your third trimester and having just a few weeks left till you’ll get to hold your baby in your arms, you feel the shape of your bump stretching on many nights.
you whine softly, inching your hands under the sheets to rest on top of your belly. it’s been a mildly tiring, albeit fun day, for you and your husband!yukhei who spent hours setting up the cot in the nursery. yukhei, who sleeps soundly next to you, snores lightly. as gently as you can, you reach out for his large hand resting on his bare chest and place it above your belly, hoping it stops the kicking – a trick that has worked several times, and only encouraged him to be smug about the things his hands can do.
the kicking stops for a few seconds. you’re just about to let out a sigh of relief, but a strong blow quickly appears, leaving you slightly annoyed. your husband shifts in his sleep – he must’ve felt that too. he turns his head to face you with his eyes still shut.
“what’s wrong baby?” his voice is raspy and you watch the way his adam’s apple bobs as he clears his throat. “everything okay?”
“mmhmm. just... someone doesn’t wanna sleep yet.”
his lips slowly lift into a smile and he chuckles softly before blinking his eyes open.
“maybe they miss me. and my hands.”
you snort and squeeze his hand that remains rested on top of your belly.
“well, your hands aren’t working this time.”
yukhei’s smile grows as he sits up carefully with his free arm and move towards the end of the bed. you watch as he shrugs the covers off and positions himself between your legs, before pulling the end of your loose satin nightgown up till your chest – the action alone making you crave the intimacy you both shared before your large bump got in the way.
bending down, he cups the sides of your bump and presses kisses all over your skin.
“why are you keeping mummy awake at this hour, little bean?”
you can’t help but smile as he continues talking to your bump in a teasing manner, like he always does. his hair is a cute mess, small locks of hair sticking out in random directions.
“mummy needs to rest,” he says, tapping his index finger. “if not daddy doesn’t get any rest either... so let’s all go to sleep okay?” he adds playfully, and you’re sure your smile has grown big enough to take over your face by now.
after a few seconds, the movement inside of you miraculously comes to a still. yukhei looks at you with his eyes widened, in awe that his words have been listened to so quickly.
“goodnight little bean,” he coos. “we’ll see each other soon and you’ll get to play with daddy as much as you want then.”
giving your bump one last kiss, yukhei adjusts your nightgown comfortably and moves back to his spot beside you. he pulls the sheets over the both of you, making sure there are no gaps exposing you to the cool air.
“i think it’s your voice that little bean loves.” you tell your husband.
his eyes look to you in adoration and he slowly lowers himself to hover his face above yours.
“you think so?”
you nod a few times. yukhei hums in acknowledgement, then pretends to ponder for a second.
“what about mummy then, what does mummy love about daddy?”
your heart races at the sudden flirtatious remark. it’s been years since you both got together and you think it’s unfair how he still manages to make you feel like this now. with yukhei, you always feel young and innocently in love again.
“she loves everything about you,” you whisper after a few seconds of silence.
there’s a huge cheeky grin on yukhei’s face. the heat rushes to your cheeks, and you feel his fingers brush the stray hairs away from your face as his plush lips meet yours with a tender kiss.
naturally, your hand moves to his neck, then his jawline, then his chin. when you pull away and your forehead rests against his, you breathe out the three words that you’ll never get tired of saying to him.
and he says it back, with all the love in his eyes. smoothing a hand across the skin of your rounded belly, he tucks his face into the crook of your neck and dreamily wishes you goodnight.
