Progeny
by Kathy P

"Marrett," a soft voice said, pulling the Hebitian away from the novel he was reading.

Looking up, Marrett watched as Larin sat with their daughter, Megwyn, in his lap, brushing her soft black hair back with a small brush. The little girl clapped in excitement as she tried to lean over her father's firm grasp, reaching for her toes that were just out of arms length.

"Yes?" Marrett said, wondering at the far away look in his younger husband's eyes.

"I've been thinking."

"Uh oh. That's never a good sign," he teased as he rose up from the chair he had been sitting on. Placing the computer novel he had been reading on a table, he moved over to Larin's side.

Sticking his tongue out Larin said, "Have I ever told you that you're a smart ass?"

Sitting down, Marrett pretended to think it over. "I seem to recall you saying something like that before."

With a sniff, Larin continued to brush Megwyn's hair. "If you're finished, I want to talk to you about something that I've been think about for a while."

Marrett was about to reply when Megwyn got tired of reaching her toes and started to yell. "Ba!" she squealed, still laughing as she pointed at her bottle sitting on the table in front of them. Leaning forward, Marrett snagged the bottle and his daughter from Larin's arms, settling the happily suckling baby in his arms.

Putting an arm on the back of the couch behind Marrett, Larin leaned toward his husband, watching as Megwyn put her hands over Marrett's hand on the bottle, occasionally patting the larger hands.

With a soft smile, he reached forward and stroked her cheek, chuckling as Megwyn stared back, smiling around the bottle's teat.

Marrett laughed as he watched the two of them, loving the domestic scene. "What was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked after a moment.

"Even since Marin left to visit my parent's on Golana, I can't help but notice how quiet it has been around here lately."

"Hmm," Marrett replied noncommittally, now knowing the direction of his husband's rambling. With an internal grin of amusement he decided to tease the younger man. "I've noticed that too, Larin. It's been a nice change, don't you think? I can get use to this."

Marrett found it hard to suppress a laugh at the shocked expression on Larin's face. He watched with interest as many different emotions played across the beloved features. Something must have shown in his own expression as Larin's eyes narrowed. Reaching out, Larin lightly smacked him in the arm, pulling back sharply when he noticed that Megwyn had fallen asleep in Marrett's arms, still occasionally sucking on her bottle. Taking hold of the bottle, Larin gently pulled it away from the little girl, causing a slight frown to form on her face.

Setting the bottle down, Larin glanced back at Marrett. "Sometimes I don't know why I married you," he said softly, pouting as his husband looked on in amusement.

Reaching out, Marrett touched his lips. "You know I love you, yan'ie," Marrett replied serenely.

Larin's face softened at his husband's words. "I know," he replied. "Still it doesn't mean you're not the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met."

"I like to think that I'm a pain in *your* ass," Marrett said with a leer, raking a look over the other man's slender form.

Larin placed a hand over his mouth, trying to stop the laughter that threatened to burst forth. Glancing down again, Larin reassured himself that Megwyn was still deep asleep. Silently motioning with his free hand, he ordered Marrett to put their daughter to bed.

Standing up slowly, Marrett brought the sleeping baby to her room. Laying her down in her crib he watched as she twitched in her sleep for a moment, before she settled down.

Gently closing the door, he made his way back over to Larin, pulling the younger man against him as he sat down.

Stroking Larin's long black hair, which the younger man had left unbound, Marrett placed a kiss on the top of his husband's head. "So tell me, what exactly are you plotting?"

Larin turned in his husband's embrace, locking his eyes with his. "I want to have another child. The timing is perfect," he explained. "Megwyn is a year old now and Marin is getting close to six."

"We waited more than five years between the kids, what's the rush to have one now?"

Larin frowned slightly, "I want to have a big family, Marrett. We've never really talked about how many children we were going to have."

Marrett nodded at the truth of that statement. "I had always assumed that we would take it one at a time, Larin. How many children do you want to have?"

The younger man shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Five or six?"

Marrett looked down at the smaller man, amazed. "That many? I never realized that you wanted so many children."

"Well, how many do you want?"

"I've never really thought about it, Larin," Marrett admitted.

Larin started to chuckle softly. "Great pair we are. I can't believe we never really sat down and talked about this."

Squeezing Larin's shoulder, Marrett returned the laugh. "We're talking about it now though."

"True."

Silence descended on the two men as they turned their thoughts inward. Absently stroking a hand up and down Larin's arm, Marrett finally replied. "I don't see any reason for us not to have more children, Larin. My only real concern is your health. We should talk to Mirell and ask her what the long term effects of you having a lot of children will be."

Smirking, Larin replied. "What makes you think that I'm going to be the one to carry them all? Don't you want to give it a shot?"

Marrett raised one eye ridge, "Can you image me carrying a baby?"

"No, not really," Larin laughed as he imagined a gravid Marrett. "Actually, it's an amusing picture but I really can't see you doing it."

"Oh? Is that a dare?"

"No, it's not a dare, silly. You know that I love carrying our children."

Marrett tilted Larin's head up and placed a lingering kiss on his lips. "And I thank you for that, love."

Larin smiled, pulling Marrett's head down for another kiss. "So, it's decided then?" the younger man said after they broke apart, tracing one finger down his husband's cheek.

"Let's talk to Mirell first. If she doesn't think that it is a health risk for you than why not?"

With a beaming smile, Larin latched onto Marrett's lips, showing his gratitude with a passionate kiss. "Thank you," he said simply. Reaching under his older husband's shirt, he started to caress the delicate scales that ran down his spine.

Pushing the younger man down on the couch, Marrett moved over the slender form, staring down at the beloved face. Opening the buttons of Larin's shirt, he pushed the obstacle out of the way, licking his lips as he looked at his husband's shoulder ridges. "Now, what was this about Elim and Julian considering children?"

Larin had to force his mind to work again as Marrett started to work his magic on his body. "Umm," he said, arching as Marrett placed a tender bite on his shoulder. "Julian has been consulting with Mirell about the technology that makes it possible to carry a baby to term."

"Hmm,"Marrett said as he exposed Larin's other shoulder and lavished the same attention on the other set of ridges.

Gasping, Larin reached up and held Marrett's head in place. "It seems that the procedure might be possible for human males as well," he said breathlessly.

"So, Julian is thinking of carrying their child?" Marrett murmured against his husband's skin.

Larin paused for a moment while he pulled the shirt off of his husband, allowing Marrett to remove his shirt the rest of the way as well.

"They haven't totally decided yet. Julian says that they have a lot to discuss yet, but yes, it is a possibility."

"Hmm," Marrett said as he lowered himself onto his husband's chest, reaching up to entangle his hands in Larin's long black hair. Using his hold to keep Larin's head stilll, he captured the younger man's lips again, ending the conversation for the moment.

Larin responded eagerly, content with the way their discussion had gone. With single minded devotion, he wrapped his arms around Marrett, tightening their embrace.

In the next room, the baby slept on as her parents moved as one again.

The End

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