Growing Together

Chapter 28

"Do you really have to go today?" Kao had half whined as he turned the best that he could in the tub to face Pete, who was washing his face. He had woken up with a desperate need to have a bath, and for that he had needed Pete to help him shift into the tub. Although, now he was really hoping Pete could skip class and just stay with him.

"I wish I could, but Sandee would kill me if I don't go," Pete said dabbing the towel over his face so he could dry his face as he made his way over to Kao. He had sat down on the edge of the tub and placed the towel over his lap. "Are you ready to get out?"

"No," Kao had huffed as he scooted the bubbles closer to him as if he was trying to hide himself beneath them. "But why can't you stay?!" He had only whined again, letting a pout settle onto his face.

"Kao, you know I'd stay with you if I could," He said letting his hand come down to caress his cheek. "This final presentation is important, Sandee would never forgive me if I don't show up but I promise the moment we finish I'll run back home and we can spend the rest of the day together decorating In's room."

"You promise?" Kao had asked raising his arms up to let Pete help him stand back up.

"I promise," He said with a smile as he adjusted the towel over his shoulders to get it ready to wrap it around Kao's body once he lifted him up. "I can bring you back some more pudding on my way back, too." He said wrapping the towel around Kao's body before he was wrapping his arms around his waist for support as he stepped out of the tub.

"Mango flavor please," Kao had begged as he waddled back into the room with Pete's help.

"I got it, I'll make sure it's the right ones," he said with a smile knowing well that the last time he had accidentally gotten a different brand and it had Kao crying for an entire hour over it. He helped him sit back down on the bed and helped him get dressed. "I have to get going," He said with a soft voice as he leaned down to press a kiss on Kao's lips.

He probably shouldn't have done that because Kao had only wrapped his arms around his neck and begged Pete once again to stay home with him even if it was at least five more minutes.

---

Things were going extremely well, between him and Kao that it left him feeling so bashful thinking back on their very intimate morning. He was learning that pregnancy had left Kao craving many things, but above all there were three things that Kao craved every day without fail—pudding, mangos, and him. He had never thought pregnancy could make someone crave someone else so much. It was cute to see how Kao's eyes light up whenever he came home and even more so to see just how upset he was to see him go. So much that he was having a hard time finding motivation to keep going to school, especially with Kao's due date getting closer.

The look on his face didn't go unnoticed by his friends since they had sat back down after presenting their final project. Sandee had turned around in her seat the moment the teacher had stepped out after being called to the office. "So, I take it things are going well with Kao?" she asked tapping her pencil on the table by the corner of Pete's notebook.

"Yeah, things have been really good," Pete had practically beamed. "Especially today," he added as he thought back to that particularly long kiss they had shared that morning. If he let his mind wonder back to it, he could almost feel how hot Kao's breath had felt against lips and the feeling of his belly pressed against his. If it hadn't been for In reminding them that he was very much present between them, he was sure he would have stayed home and their kiss would have turned into something else.

"Oh?" Thada had said with a knowing grin. "I'm happy for you, man, but I just hope that you know that you will have to keep it in your pants since Kao is so close to his due date."

"Don't be nasty, Thada," June had scolded before he was turning towards Pete, "Are you excited about meeting In soon?"

"I am, but I'm also worried," Pete had said honestly as he rushed to collect his things and shove them into his backpack with a quick, "I got to go, I promised Kao I would leave as soon as we finished here," to the trio as he got up from his seat ready to jump over June and get out of there. He still had to stop by and pick up Kao's pudding. "I could get that from the convenience store near the school," He thought to himself.

"Hey! Don't forget we are coming over for dinner! I'm helping Kao pack his hospital bag!" Sandee had yelled out after him though she could only frown thinking that maybe her words hadn't been heard. Sandee had only let out a sigh, "I hope Kao knows how much he is loved by that idiot."

"He's changed a lot since Kao came back," Thada agreed letting his arm rest at the back of Sandee's chair. His fingers had gently combed through the ends of her hair, wondering if maybe he should ask San to teach him how to do girls hair.

"You've changed too, you know." Sandee said, turning towards her boyfriend, "I wish I had known this side of you sooner." She said letting a small smile slip onto her lips.

"Hm, if that happened, we might have been in this situation a lot sooner," Thada joked.

---

Pete had just made it out to his car when he felt his phone start vibrating in his pocket. "Kao must have gotten impatient," he mumbled to himself when he noticed Kao's name flashing on his screen. "I'm heading home soon, Kao," he said in a sweet tone when he had picked up the call.

"Pete, Kao's going into labor!" he heard Gift's worried voice say through the line.

"Shit..." was all he could let out, especially when he heard Kao's groan through the line. He felt like his entire heart had sunk to the pit of his stomach then. "I'm on my way," He had said after a moment. He had rushed to open his car door and toss his bag into the passenger seat before climbing in himself.

"I shouldn't have left him alone," Pete had bite down on his bottom lip as he buckled up in a rush with one hand and started the car with the other.