panoply;; a stray kids one-shot & short story collection

"baby blues" 🧁 {minsung}

{TW: mpreg, weight concerns, self-deprecation, mild sexual content}

Hiding his face between a pair of sweater paws and his hood pulled over his head, a fluffy-haired brunette worried his bottom lip from where he sat across from his husband on the sofa. They were in the middle of one of their weekly movie nights when the male's insecurities bubbled out from where they'd been steadily building beneath the surface. Coming up on the last few weeks before his due date, his worries about his puffy, worn appearance swelled as rapidly as his bulging stomach did. They were expecting their first child soon, and the young couple were definitely ecstatic to be parents, but the carrying father hadn't been prepared for just how awful he'd feel and look.

Over the span of the bumpy pregnancy, Jisung's hair grew faster than he could keep it trimmed, leading to the waves falling into his face constantly. He didn't mind it at first - he actually found the new look to be quite pretty - but now that his face was swollen and riddled with spots, it was only proving to be a nuisance. Still, he left it down in an attempt to shield away all of his hormonal blemishes from his husband. Jisung couldn't spare a damn what others thought of him, but when it came to his beloved Minho, he couldn't stop worrying about turning him off.

It wasn't that the other man was shallow, of course, he'd just always strived to look his best in front of his lover.

One of Minho's hands startled Jisung from his thoughts as it suddenly plopped atop his knee where he had his legs folded between them, his thumb rubbing firm little circles into the joint. He offered a reassuring smile and mindlessly let the hand drift up to rest against his lover's plump abdomen, hoping to soothe the little one currently practicing their windmill inside. They were sure to be a strong dancer, just like their daddies.

After a prolonged moment, the movie was paused and his sweet voice broke the rising tension. "What's on your mind, darling?"

Jisung pouted slightly behind the cover of his hands, debating on if he should tell the truth. I feel and look disgusting, and I'm afraid that you're going to think I'm hideous, too. Yeah... Maybe not.

"Just don't feel good. Baby keeps moving a lot," he supplied instead, which was still true. Minho held eye contact until the other male's gaze roamed back to the TV, a skeptical eyebrow slightly raised. He knew something was off with his husband and had been for weeks, but he didn't want to push Jisung to tell him if he wasn't ready to... Even if his heart did clench uncomfortably every time he shied away from his touch, hid his beautiful face and body behind baggy clothing, and refused to make love unless it was so dark that he could hardly see.

Following a shallow sigh, Minho forced a silly grin onto his face and gently stroked over the baby bump. "You'd better let your daddy get some rest, sweetheart. That way you can continue to grow big and strong, and daddy won't be too tired. It must be pretty exhausting for him as it is, y'know, with being so perfect all the time," he spoke to the fetus as they rolled beneath his hand, gaze briefly flickering up at the other man. Jisung scoffed and rolled his eyes, but couldn't fight the bashful smile and subtle flush to his chubby cheeks.

The warmth and assurance Jisung felt lasted approximately 12 hours.

By the next morning, he was sat upon the toilet seat, dumbfounded by what the scale had told him. It was lying, right? He couldn't have really gained nearly 19 kilos in the last 8.5 months, right...?

Glancing up into the full-length mirror across from him, he locked eyes with himself and could hardly be recognized. He'd always had soft features, sure, but now... Now he looked positively doughy. Puffy. Squishy. Bloated. His skin was splotchy and covered in angry spots from his compulsive picking at the acne that continued to erupt around his face, despite following his skincare regimen faithfully. Jisung had been compared to multiple animals in the past - quokka, squirrel, chipmunk... Now he could pass for a panda or raccoon, as well. Dark, hollowed circles around his eyes effortlessly displayed just how exhausted his body had become from the momentous effort of creating another human.