Damn the Delivery Boy

month four

Jeongguk gets a second job. He needs it, or more so, the baby needs it. It is in retail, which you decide you like, since he comes home looking lethally handsome and smelling of a musk cologne instead of pizza toppings. But you do not appeal to how tired he has become, overworked, scraping up any spare shift that is offered and trying to keep up with his studies in the meantime. Money and support may be important, but not at the cost of health and wellbeing.

Turning the page of your novel, you hear the distant click of the front door opening, followed by keys dropping on the foyer table. Jeongguk moans as he moves about, most likely hanging up his coat and shucking off his shoes before he enters the bedroom where you lay. He lights up at the sight of you, as you do with him, placing aside your book while he climbs onto the mattress.

"Hey Pizza," He murmurs, kissing your rounding belly with a smile before coming up to kiss you on the lips. "Hey baby, how was your day?"

"We were a little sick, but that's okay," You hum, adjusting yourself so he can comfortably slide into position behind you on the bed, partially leaning on his chest with his arm looped around your shoulders. You love the way he smiles at you constantly referring to the baby and yourself aswe, nowadays. "How about you? How was work?"

"Tiring." And it shows in lilac half moons beneath his eyes, the way that his lashes droop with lethargy. A broken groan cracks from his throat as he stretches, sighs. "But that's okay, too. My arms and eyes and legs still work, so I better use them while I can."

You breathe in, your senses becoming flooded with a new, oaky cologne while your brows pinch. "And your studies?"

"I got an extension on my final assignment, then exams will be coming up. I can handle it, though. Remember that one of us in this relationship is still allowed bucketloads of caffeine and energy drinks."

Catching his hand that idly plays with the strands of your hair, you stare at the calloused fingertips, the chipped nails. Your frown deepens.

"That's not very healthy."

"Student life at its finest."

"No many students are expecting fathers though, Jeongguk."

"I said I can handle it."

"At least take tomorrow off, you need to rest."

Jeongguk rolls his head back, closing his eyes and you release his hand, dropping it onto your chest out of exasperation. It searches beneath the neckline of your, well his shirt that you wear as pyjamas, fingers curling around your left breast. He makes a satisfied little sound, though his voice still hangs with sleep deprivation.

"Maybe."

Mildly angry at his lack of self-preservation, you do not make any further remarks. The pair of you lay in silence for a while, just gentle exhalations, and you hope that the future will not be like this once Pizza is finally brought into the world. You want Jeongguk to be around as much as possible, experiencing every single moment with you and your child, not caught up in trying to keep the funds of living tied together. You want him to graduate, to be healthy, to live how he was supposed to before all of this happened. Tomorrow, you decide, you will start writing the sequel that you guaranteed with your first novel; that may at least alleviate some expenses for a while.

"Did you eat?" You crack the silence first, and he remains quiet. "Jeongguk?"

But when you twist to look at him, you discover that he is already entirely asleep.

You shift until you are kneeling, unbuckling his belt and zipping down his trousers, rolling them off his legs with little movement by him before setting onto his shirt. You unbutton the cufflinks, and then the front buttons, travelling kisses down, down as the smooth skin of his torso becomes exposed until the shirt is completely open. This time, he makes a little huff as you shrug the cotton off his shoulders. Only once the fabric is discarded to the floor and the bedside lamp is switched off does he grab you, pulling you backward into his chest and tucking his thighs beneath your own, haphazardly grabbing at the duvet in the shadows and dragging it above your heads.

Jeongguk kisses your ear, his voice sounding like gravel and the words, at least, settling your heart.

"Fine, I'll take tomorrow off. But only tomorrow."