46. Pregnant Or Not

Stan was humming while nodding his head, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel while he drove happily towards his uncle's hospital. He was in such a good mood, as if he'd won a lottery.

It was late in the afternoon and despite knowing he had been late, he felt free spirited to care about time. As he was closing in at the entrance of the hospital, lab section, he glanced at a sleeping Yeon and gave out a broad smile when he saw his neck full of hickies he'd been responsible for. Yesternight had been epic and to think all it had to take him to coax Yeon was a passion filled night, he almost regretted not pushing him this far earlier on.

He should have done this sooner.

"We are here Yeon." He said while lightly tapping his fated's shoulder who groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and frowned at the sight of a smiling Stan.

"It's all your fault that I'm this tired..." Sitting upright looking all absentminded, he noticed the entrance into the lab and asked, "What will I tell Dr. Jiwon now that I'm this late today?"

"Just call him uncle, it feels weird when you address him that way. Besides, we are officially dating now so it's fine."

"Agh!...Just when I'd forgotten about that. This day is going to be such a bust." Yeon frowned, looking back at the man responsible for it all.

Leaning closer to plant a kiss on his lover's forehead, Stan added excitedly. "Don't frown like that or I'll start thinking you need me to take care of you..."

"Shut up..." Yeon said as he pulled himself away from Stan and opened the door, almost falling down, unable to stand his own weight. He groaned and reached for his back while the other hand held onto the car.

Stan had been quick to rush to his side and asked him if he really wanted to report in today. "You could just come tomorrow...I had promised I wasn't going to do anything today and allow you plenty of rest."

"As if I'd believe that! Besides, who's going to follow up on my new project? I can't possibly expect your uncle to do everything for me." Standing up straight gradually, he added. "I have a colony of bacteria that might die out if not properly supervised and your uncle is busy!" Pulling away, Yeon reminded Stan today was not his day and encouraged him to leave before his uncle saw him.

"What does it matter if it's my day or not, we are dating now. You promised you won't take it back."

"You don't have to keep reminding me of last night!" Yeon said, feeling the rush of blood to his ears and cheeks as he quickly paced towards the entrance of the lab. "You sleep on the floor next time and no touching!"

"Yes I will but I'll be in your bed by morning!" Stan shouted back and laughed when Yeon slammed the door behind him.

"He is so cute."

"Who is?"

"What the!" Stan immediately turned around, startled to see his uncle behind him. "You scared me to death uncle!"

"For a basketball player, you have such poor situational awareness." Placing his hand on Stan's shoulder, he asked, a look of mischief on his face. "He is cute indeed. I saw his reaction, flustered everywhere. I'm happy you finally did it."

"Don't call him cute. He is mine so take care of him until I get back."

"So feisty just like a jealous lover." Stan's uncle said as he tapped on Stan's shoulder once more. "Can't say I blame you so next time, bring him on time...though you should have at least encouraged him to rest for a day or two after marking him."

Stan had expected this misunderstanding from his uncle just like from everyone else who'd been pushing him to mark Yeon. He knew they couldn't help rushing him but he didn't want to mark his fated in his current broken state...it just didn't sit right with him. He'd hoped to build some level of trust, a connection with his fated before crossing that chapter and now that he was getting somewhere good with him, things had began falling into place, especially last night was a huge achievement for him when he'd pushed Yeon to the limit, coaxing him through lovemaking until he'd agreed to let him go if he accepted to date him. Yeon had been too sturbbon, enduring...persevering until he surrendered.

"I haven't marked him yet."

"What?"

Stan flinched when he saw the sinister look on his uncle's face. He rarely wore this look so Stan was taken by surprise.

"Did you not understand the first conversation we had when you two came to visit for the first time? If I'd known you were not going to complete the marking, I wouldn't have let him leave with you three days ago."

"I don't want to mark him without establishing a mutual connection between us..."

"Connection? What kind of connection are you hoping for? You two are already fated for life. Which connection could possibly be stronger than that?"

When Stan didn't answer, his uncle's face shifted to a moving smile. "Are you perhaps impotent?"

"What? No!"

"Then we have nothing further to discuss. I'll be going inside. It appears you were not gentle to him. Yeon is too cute I just want to eat him up..."

"Hey! He is mine!"

"For crying out loud, I'm married! My wife is way prettier!"

"Yeon is the prettiest!" Stan shouted louder and his uncle turned around to look at him and giggled. The angry look on Stan's face reminded him of himself.

"Go away, you're wasting parking space! Shoo! Shoo away!" Stan's uncle said, gesturing his hand as if he was chasing a bird off his premises. Closing the door behind him, he giggled again as he prepared himself to enter the lab. After putting on his coat, he walked inside only to find Yeon sitted on the corner on one side.

"I know the lab is clean and all but sit on the chair at least...or perhaps a cold surface to sit on is what you need. Is that it?"

"Yes. My body hurts everywhere."

"I can see that." Stan's uncle said after noticing the hickies on Yeon's neck. "I have a cushion my wife uses sometimes when she visits the hospital...well...not that we do it here too...frequently...maybe one in a while..."

Yeon giggled as he struggled on his feet. "Are all men in your family this vicious to their partners?"

"Well, I can only speak for myself...and looking at you now, for Stan too."

Stan's uncle left the lab and came back with a bag of ice and a comfy looking cushion then placed it on one of the two chairs in the lab. Yeon sat on it after he uncle gestured for him to take a seat, his tensed body finally relaxing, enjoying the balance of heat and coolness he felt after sitting down.

"I hate to pry on people's personal affairs but I have to know as your current doctor. I was hoping you'll return as a marked individual. From the look on your face, your neck and your surprisingly faint scent, I'm guessing that didn't happen."

Yeon looked down, unable to respond back. What could he say anyway? Stan had been taking daily inhibitors for a couple days to the point that Yeon began to miss his scent. It was only yesterday that he didn't take them since he'd requested him to let out his scent and because of that, he'd been able to endure Stan's prolonged lovemaking until he couldn't take it anymore. With Stan's monstrous stamina and their exchange of scents, it was a big surprise he hadn't gone into heat. Maybe Stan was just a quick learner at mastering the art of handling his fated when it came to scents.

"Seeing that you're not saying anything, I'm assuming you're disappointed too that it didn't happen..."

"We are...dating now...so it should happen soon enough Dr. Jiwon."

"Dating?"

"Yes. I...had no choice to agree...or else he was going to break my back."

The burst of laughter from Dr. Jiwon kinda eased the tension in the lab, making Yeon forget about feeling embarrassed. It was no surprise Stan's uncle's laugh was just as contagious as his nephew's.

"You two are similar in many ways..."

"...And yet he hates hearing people say that my poor Yeon..."

After calming down, his hands still on his stomach as if to hold his ribs from giving up, Stan's uncle glanced up and down at Yeon, scrutinizing him in detail. It didn't take much long before his eyes returned to look at a confused Yeon.

"Your results came in concerning your womb. Apparently, even I couldn't have predicted this but it's grown quite fast. It's maturity date is set to be a month from now. Maybe that's why I'd hoped you two had been done with the marking. I hope Stan used a condom while you two got down and dirty. Carring a child in your current condition will make it extremely hard for you. I wouldn't wish your womb to rapture because of an accidental pregnancy."

"What? Did you say one month?" How is that even possible? Yeon thought. Wasn't he left with at least three more months?

"Remember you were bitten three times. It may have heightened your womb progression somehow...even I can't begin to understand your body. Still, after seeing your detailed results much closer, I got to understand why you are letting out a lot of scent, not to mention your inability to smell it. I believe while in your semiconscious state on that fateful day, while you scent manifested, mixing your scent with Stan's, your body may have partially accepted and rejected those criminal's marking. You are one lucky person Yeon. If Stan hadn't been around that day...or rather, if he'd been unfated to you and just an ordinary person, you'd have probably lost your mind by now."

"Still, that doesn't explain why..."

"Like I told you, I don't understand it either. You still had two more months left for your womb to completely mature, therefore, until you're marked, you two must practice caution. Prioritize safe sex. Protection over pleasure."

"What happens if...if we don't use a condom?"

"I can't say for sure since your body is extremely volatile. However, assuming you two didn't use it judging from the look on your face, you'll have to take a strong emergency pill and afterwards, I'll monitor how your body reacts to it. I can't quite decide if your unpredictable body will accept it."

"I can't get pregnant now..."

"Dont worry, relax. Besides, even if that happens, it's with your fated. Aren't you two dating finally?"

"Even so...I don't feel like I'm mentally prepared...I have a lot of recovery to do as an individual."

"You worry too much Yeon. At times like this, you need your fated the most. That's why fated mates are the envy of everyone so throw some of your worries on Stan. You starve him of a lot of responsibility that he's become complaisant and lazy. Unless...you really don't feel anything for him, at all."

"I...don't know anymore."

"Don't know if you can trust him or don't know if you might like him?"

"Both."