The Meaning of Life Part 11
A week had passed since the initial call from the Supreme Justices for a trial to deliberate whether or not a neko was allowed to marry. With the arguments over gay marriage back in the mix of politics, there was a massive public response and the media frenzy following the announcement was unlike any other that Heero and Duo had ever experienced.
During the course of that time, they had had enough of concealing themselves in public and simply ignored any photographers or reporters that approached them. After a while of not getting anything from the couple, the press pretty much backed off to give them some space lest they receive a call from a very upset Danielle and Trent Yuy-Clark.
From the very beginning, the pair were surrounded by support from their friends and family. Between visits and regular phone calls from everyone they knew, there was never a lack of having someone to talk to when they needed it.
Yet another ally came in the form of Relena's stepfather, Foreign Minister Peacecraft. From the start of his political career, the politician had been in support of same-sex marriages.
But more than that, he had always looked out for Duo's well-being ever since the neko had protected his daughter when she had been attacked by a gang of brutes during her high school days. The moment news of the pending trial was released, the Minister was contacting his young friends to announce that he would assist them in any way he could.
Overwhelmed by everything that was happening around them, Heero decided that they needed to have something to celebrate for a change and suggested that they tell their friends of the pregnancy. More than happy with the idea, Duo agreed. He was at the start of his second month since conceiving and it had been killing him that he had to keep the secret from the rest of their 'family.'
Sally examined her patient when she was aware that her friends would be making their announcement. By the time she was finished, she was convinced that all was well with the baby. At that green light, a gathering was called at the estate as a chance for everyone to get together without being bothered by the press.
Humans and nekos alike, everyone arrived with some type of food for the dinner and crammed together for what one would think was a Thanksgiving meal as opposed to a simple get together. No one brought up the trial for the whole of the evening, only focusing on the good things in their lives as they spoke and laughed.
Moving into the grand living room once the meal was finished and the dishes cleaned, the light-hearted conversations continued.
Once everyone was settled, Heero winked to his lover and took his hand. Together, they stood in the doorway as the artist cleared his throat over the discussions taking place. "Everyone," he called. "We have an announcement to make."
Slowly, the voices in the room died down as everyone turned to face the couple. Those that knew what was coming offered bright smiles and concealed winks.
Nervously rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, Duo began, "Well, just getting right to the point... I'm pregnant."
Stunned gasps and short cries from their unsuspecting friends filled the air. In the quiet that followed, Danny jumped to his feet and cheered, "Yea! I'm gonna be an uncle!"
Their tension breaking instantly at that interlude, the expecting parents laughed loudly. Eyes around the room widened further and mouths fell lower as the reality of what was just learned sunk in.
"P-pregnant?" Wufei was the first to stammer.
Quatre and Relena shook their heads in awe beside him. Lady Une gave her husband a stunned look, the realization of why he had been so busy the last few weeks taking hold. Solo, Jena, Andrew and Carson cast each other surprised glances, wondering what their fellow neko's condition meant for them.
Still the only one who could find his voice, the Chinese student asked what was on everyone else's mind, "How is that possible?"
Just as Heero opened his mouth to speak, Howard stood from his chair with a raised hand. "I'll spare them the explanation this time," he smirked to his friends. Relieved, the couple returned to their own places as the old man went on to inform the reason behind the miracle that had happened.
At the end of the telling, Jena's striped ears twitched.
"So... how will this affect us?" she asked, gesturing to the other cat-eared youths around her. Every face of the nekos focused on the scientist in great interest.
Howard smiled reassuringly to them, "I will meet with all of you separately to go over that. But rest assured that there is nothing for any of you to worry about. Over the last couple of weeks, Sally, Treize and I have been going over the results of all of your blood work. Now that we know what we are dealing with, we will be able and happy to answer whatever questions you all may have."
Relief flooded over the cat-tailed lot, most specifically on the faces of Solo, Andrew and Carson. Cassie and Jena couldn't help but giggle at the boys' reactions. For the girls' parts, they were more than anxious to know if Duo's pregnancy meant that they would certainly be able to conceive when they were ready to start a family.
Lady Une carefully handed James over to Treize. Grinning lovingly to her husband, she leaned in to kiss his cheek and rose from the loveseat they were sharing. Carefully making her way around her friends, she approached Heero and Duo.
Opening her arms, she embraced them tightly while whispering, "Congratulations to you both. I'm very happy for you." The couple blinked in surprise then smiled as they returned the hug.
That exchange was enough for the remainder of the stunned group present to come out of their stupor. Wide smiles broke out as a line was formed so everyone could individually congratulate the expecting pair. From there, the conversation turned to the unexpected baby that was on the way for the remainder of the night.
As promised, Howard disappeared with the nekos for a short while to go over the details of what he knew regarding this new development. Considering how personal some of what they needed to discuss was, the old man felt better talking with them all privately. By the end of the meeting, his furry friends were all smiling from ear-to-ear, now knowing everything they needed to know.
It was late in the evening before the guests began to make their various ways home. Before she and Treize left, Lady Une offered her assistance to Duo should he need an understanding war through the pregnancy. Now with Dorothy and the young professor to assist, the neko was feeling all the better about the next eight months.
This night was a much needed break in the whirlwind of events that had led up to that point. Finally, there was something for Heero and Duo to really be happy about. There was an air of euphoria around them once again. And it was going to help them get through the last days of preparation before the trial.
Yawning widely, the braided neko stretched his arms and tail when the house was cleared of everyone besides its usual occupants. Lightly rubbing his back, the artist chuckled softly, "I take it that you're ready for bed, love? It has been a pretty exciting day."
His violet eyes heavy-lidded, Duo nodded tiredly. Suddenly jolted awake when he felt himself scooped up in a pair of strong arms, he blinked up in surprise at his grinning lover. Returning the smile and resting his head on a shoulder, the cat-eared youth purred quietly while his eyes drifted closed.
After saying 'good night' to their families and thanking them for their help in arranging the get together, Heero carried his lover upstairs to their room. Closing the door behind them, the young artist gently lowered Duo onto their bed and easily stripped him down to his boxers before removing his own clothes.
Quietly muttering, the half-alert neko shifted until he was under the covers with his partner and wrapped up by him. A small smile on his lips, Heero reached back for the lamp behind him and turned it out. Lightly kissing Duo's head, he said softly, "I love you."
"Luv ya, too," came the muttered reply just as his lover drifted off with a soft sigh. Gone to the world of the living, the braided teenager's tail remained wrapped tightly around their waists.
Slowly reaching down, Heero's fingers brushed over his Duo's exposed abdomen. "Good night little one," he whispered as his own eyes drifted closed. When he fell asleep, his hand remained over his growing child through the night.
* * * * * *
The following morning, Solo stepped into the Yuy-Clark third of the estate in his pajamas with a wide yawn. "'Mornin'," he mumbled as he made his way to the dining room table, his hair and fur in disorder from apparently just waking.
Giggling at the state of the neko, Danielle asked, "And to what do we owe the honor of your visit this morning?"
"It's Carson's turn to cook breakfast," the blonde replied, wincing. "No offense to the guy, but I would like my digestive tract to stay in tact as much as possible."
Raising an eyebrow, Trent finished blowing on the cup of coffee he had raised to his mouth. Snorting, he commented, "I'm sure that his cooking can't be that bad."
His blue eyes locking on the tall lawyer, Solo deadpanned, "The guy has burnt spaghetti. You know how hard it is to mess up spaghetti? You boil water. You're put the noodles in. You drain them off when they're soft. Simple."
Seated across from the white-furred neko, Heero and Duo snickered, shaking their heads in amusement as they continued to enjoy their own meals. Snickering, Trent raised his cup as if in a toast with a nodded, "Point taken."
Danielle rose and rubbed the top of Solo's already disheveled head of hair. "I'll fix up a plate for you, then," she smirked. "There is still plenty from what I made up earlier."
Blinking his eyes innocently at her as he leaned into the touch, the computer major purred, "Thanks, Ma." As the young woman walked into the kitchen, he called after her, "Nobody takes care of me like you do!" From the other room, Danielle's laugh echoed.
Nervously chewing on the inside of his cheek, Duo sat up and asked his 'brother,' "So... how did your talk with Howie go last night?"
"Oh great," Solo grinned back. "Turns out that mutation happened to all of us besides the girls, since they, well, already have the parts. But there is a simple procedure that Andrew, Carson and I will be going through to take care of it."
Intrigued, Heero questioned, "By 'take care of it,' you mean surgery?"
Shaking his head, the neko answered, "Actually, no. Howard is finishing a serum that will reverse the mutation slowly and painlessly. After a few weeks, the uterus and other female organs in us will basically be dissolved and we'll be perfectly normal." Smirking, he shrugged, "Well, as normal as we can be, all things considered."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Solo's eyes widened over how that must have sounded. Quickly turning to the braided teenager, he said sincerely, "No offense over that, bro. I didn't mean that you're not normal given what was dealt us."
Duo smiled, "No offense taken." His blonde friend sighed in relief and flashed him a warm grin for his understanding. Biting his lip, the pregnant neko asked, "And what about Danny? He'll have to go through the same procedure?"
Eyes wide as he stared at the plate Danielle lowered before him along with a fork and knife, Solo hummed at the pleasant smell. Quickly digging in, he mumbled while chewing, "Hif muftation hasn progressed af qwickly.
Folding her arms, the red-haired woman half-heartedly glared. "Solo," she gently scolded, "you know better that to talk with your mouth full." Trent folded his arms behind his head as he chuckled to himself.
"Yef, Wa," the blonde replied before obediently swallowing. "Anyway, Danny's mutation hasn't progressed nearly as quickly, given how young he is."
Raising his hands, Solo moved them vaguely as he explained, "The change works almost like puberty. Because the rest of us were fully grown, the appearance and functionality of the extra organs came on more rapidly to catch up to the structure of an adult female. So, he'll be given a different serum to prevent the change in his system before it happens."
Heero leaned back in his seat with a quiet, "Fascinating." Rubbing his chin, he thought aloud, "Howard had told us recently that his friend, Liz who helped bring you all back, was worried about the use of a female fetus' DNA. She was apparently right in her concern."
A wide grin on his face, Duo rubbed a hand over his abdomen. "At least it turned out as an advantage in our case," he commented quietly. Suddenly taken by a thought, he questioned his best man, "Then it was confirmed that Cassie and Jena can definitely have babies of their own as well?"
Solo smiled back, "Yea. Soon as we're ready, well be able to have families of our own, too."
With a quiet sigh of relief, Heero smirked, "That's great news. I can imagine that you were all happy to hear that." Nodding enthusiastically, the blonde neko's long tail swished carelessly behind him.
One-by-one, the other nekos filed into the living room. His ears drooping as he entered at the lead, Carson frowned to Danielle, "Ma, I burnt the breakfast that I was making. Do you have anything left that we can eat?" Just behind him, his 'brothers' and 'sisters' all looked on with pleading eyes.
Finishing his plate of food, Solo winked to Trent with a look that said, 'I told you so.' Unable to help a small snort as he tried to contain his laughter, the lawyer bit his tongue.
Gently cupping the gray-furred neko's cheek, Danielle chuckled in amusement, "Of course. If I can just have a couple of hands help me in heating a few things up, I'll make sure that you're all fed."
Andrew huffed, "Well, Carson is forever banned from the kitchen, so the rest of us will be happy to help you, Ma." Jenna and Cassie nodded firmly in agreement. Grinning widely, Danielle led the trio into the next room.
Sitting beside Solo, it took every ounce of concentration on Carson's part to not smile. It had taken a little longer and a few more upset stomachs than expected; but his scheme to get out of cooking duty had finally paid off.
* * * * * *
That evening in their closed off bedroom, Heero moaned as Duo kissed him deeply. Stretching himself on top of his lover, the neko unbuttoned the artist's top with nimble fingers. When they pulled away for air, they all but tore their shirts away as they panted heavily. Their pants and boxers soon joined the rest of their clothing pooled on the floor beside the bed.
Another round of kissing joined by heavy groping and light tussling resumed until the cat-eared boy was straddled at the waist with his hair free. Smirking, Heero leaned down to kiss his partner's swollen lips.
Catching his breath when he was released, Duo groaned huskily, "God, I want you inside me so badly."
Ever since learning of the pregnancy, when it came to relieving their desires, they had played it safe. Hand jobs and oral sex had become their standard practice. After almost two weeks of that, it was not quite enough anymore.
His own wanting to feel himself inside that wanton body bringing him to the edge of rupturing, Heero would have taken him right then and there. It took every ounce of strength to not reach for the lube bottle in the desk beside the bed when fears over the baby set in.
Biting his lip, the artist reached for the cordless telephone on the desk instead. Duo quickly recognized the number tones of the line his lover's trembling fingers were dialing and sat up at the waist.
Two rings in and the call was picked up. "Heero? Duo?" Sally's worried voice greeted after apparently recognizing their number on the caller ID. "What's the emergency?" Considering how late it was growing, it was the only reason she could imagine them calling.
Unable to take his eyes off of his beautiful fiancé in all of his naked glory beneath him, Heero had a hard time keeping his voice steady as he asked in a rush, "Will it hurt the baby if we... well... I mean I know it's fine for a woman, but in our case..."
Much as he tried, he just could not get the words out while his cheeks flushed. Duo bit down on his lip hard to refrain from laughing, but kept his tall ears peaked and leaning close to the phone to hear what the doctor had to say.
Sally's voice giggled, "Heero, I can hear you blushing over the line. It would be perfectly fine for you and Duo to commence. You won't harm the baby in any way."
With a deep sigh, the Japanese art major said a quick 'thanks' before disconnecting the call. All but throwing the telephone aside to claim his lover's lips one more, Heero stretched him back down on the bed.
Chuckling as Heero resumed kissing his body, the neko smirked, "I'll bet she hasn't had an emergency call like that before." His quiet laughter became a moan when a certain part of his anatomy was surrounded by a warm mouth.
Lost once more in the throngs of their passion, there was little more discussion between the two for the remainder of the night.
TBC...
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