The Meaning of Life Part 21
Blinking in shock, Heero rose to his feet and rounded the table to sit beside his husband. "Do you even know what you're suggesting?" he asked in little more than a whisper. "By appealing the verdict that the Justices gave, we would have to expose that you're pregnant."
Duo nodded and replied calmly, "I know. And there will be a lot of press on our heels if the word does get out, but..." Looking down at his abdomen, he ran a hand over it and said softly, "But I want to give it a chance."
Gently taking both of the neko's hands in his own, Heero waited until sad violet eyes met his gaze. Biting his lip, he frowned, "Duo... we already discussed this. We don't need to have a ceremony to say that we're each other's life partner. I am perfectly happy with the way that things are now."
"It's not just for me," his partner responded, his tall ears drooped heavily. The artist tilted his head in confusion and a silent urge for him to go on.
Taking a deep breath, the braided teenager gripped his tail and sighed, "It's for our children. They're all going to have enough of a time growing up different as it is because of how they look. If they have two parents that are not accepted as bound, it's just another thing that will make them different."
Just as Heero opened his mouth to speak, Duo quickly added as he pressed their foreheads together, "You and I both know how cruel people can be. I just want our children to have as much of a normal family as they possibly can... since it's probably the only bit of 'normalcy' they'll ever have.'
And that was enough to silence the art major for a moment, a small lump forming to block his throat. Clearing it away, he pulled his head back a bit and responded quietly, "But the attention something like this would draw... you could be hunted after by scientists that want to research this."
Shrugging, Duo commented, "If they want, I would be willing to donate blood for them to test. I would even be comfortable with Howard sharing what he knows if it will make them happy. The bottom line is that they won't be able to take me away thanks to the first ruling by the Supreme Justices. It made sure that no one is entitled to my life."
Quickly seeing the logic of that, Heero nodded shallowly. "I want our kids to be able to go to school and make friends like the ones we have," the neko continued with a few tears in his vibrant eyes.
Unable to hold back everything he had been feeling any longer, he went on, "I want them to be able to experience everything in the world that we have. And for them to do that, we would both have some explaining to do when they're out in the world. Why not just make their existence known now to spare them that much?"
Of course they would eventually have to come forward with this news, the artist agreed. What his husband was suggesting made all of the sense in the world. If they were going to make the news known, why not in such a way that it may open a door that had been closed to them?
"I... I need to know that you're in this with me," Duo pleaded as a few tears rolled down his heart-shaped face. "Because I think this is the best thing that we can give our babies right now... a fair start in life."
Slowly reaching up to wipe away a stray tear from his partner's face, Heero breathed, "Okay." Nodding firmly, he vowed in a clearer and louder voice, "I'm in this with you... every step of the way and through whatever comes of it." His own eyes watering, he freed one of his own hands to place it over his lover's abdomen and whispered, "For all of us."
Despite the tears on his face, the neko smiled brilliantly and quickly closed the distance between them for a heated kiss. Pouring all of his appreciation and affection into that exchange, he pulled away only when the need for air broke them. "Thank you," he said softly through his soft pants for breath.
Laughing, Heero shook his head and asked, "Do you have any idea how crazy this is? There are almost never appeals made against a decision from the Supreme Court because they tend to stick to their initial rulings."
"Yea," Duo answered. "But, I really don't care. We have a chance to fight for something that we really were not given a fair chance at, so we should go for it." Smirking, he chuckled, "And it will soften the shock of three little one with cat ears and tails running around."
His face wincing, the artist agreed, "Yea. The last thing that we need is for the secret to get out that way. If we thought that the media was a problem before, it would be a nightmare if they don't know about them in advance."
More and more, the whole prospect of the appeal was sounding better to the both of them. Even the headaches that would come from time to time would be worth the problems that they would be attacking before they came up.
That left a serious question...
"When should we look at filing the appeal, then?" Heero asked, more than happy to leave the reins to his husband in this case. After all, it was the neko that would be affected the most by the hearing and what came from it.
Only thinking for a moment, Duo replied, "The sooner the better. Before our semesters really get underway, we should look at getting this out of the way. And if there is any way that the appeal does go through, it would be nice to have that wedding before the babies are ready to come into the world."
If there was any question to what Heero thought of that idea, it was answered in his wide smile. Leaning in, he kissed his lover soundly.
A plan already in mind, the Japanese youth suggested, "We better talk to Dorothy and Lady Une as soon as we can about all of this so they can work with us. As the directors of our majors, they may be able to pull some strings to help keep us from falling behind whilst getting ready for this."
Duo gripped his tail once more, fidgeting with it as he blushed. "Um..." he began timidly, "Any chance we can have them stop over here for that talk? I could use some time to talk with them about this whole pregnancy stuff."
Smiling warmly, Heero reassured, "Of course. First thing's first, though. We'll have to talk to our parents before anyone else." As he stood up, he kissed his husband's forehead and headed for the vidphone at the table.
While his partner was busy placing those said calls, Duo was lightly rubbing his belly as another wave of movement began. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, he fought a wave of anxiety over their decision.
Nervous or not, there was certainly no turning back in his decision now.
* * * * * *
Danielle, Trent, Noin and Zechs filed into their sons' apartment complex when their first semester's weekend rolled in. Taking a deep breath as she sat beside her husband at one of the living room couches, the red-headed lawyer asked the boys across from her, "I take it that I should be sitting down for this meeting you called?"
The expectant parents shared a look as Heero lowered a tray of beverages onto the table before their guardians. "That may not be a bad idea," he muttered nervously. As he straightened, Duo stood at his side to drape his tail around the artist's waist as well as an arm.
Zechs smirked, "Then that means you're planning to appeal the ruling." Jaws falling slack, the young men sputtered in shock. Suddenly, the tables had been turned on them enough that they felt like the ones that needed to be seated.
Shrugging, Noin giggled, "We had a pretty good idea that you might try that, considering you have a case that you can argue now. Just judging by how you sounded over the phone and by your demeanors now, it was pretty clear that's what this meeting is about."
"I cannot say that it is going to be an easy fight," Trent began, folding his hands together in his lap. "Even with the pregnancy, you would still be two men looking to be married. Just as before, a civil service is not an option for the High Courts to rule since it is a form of segregation."
Gently rubbing a temple against an oncoming headache, Danielle frowned, "You also know that we would be up against Septum again. That man has mastered a way to win over the Justices in this matter because there is such a political side to allowing you to wed. So, we would have to completely change our tactics from the last case." Stretching her arms out, she added, "And that is all if the appeal is accepted in the first place."
Raising an eyebrow questioned, "So you are both sure that this is what you want?"
Heero and Duo looked to one another again. Linking their arms around each other's waists, they smiled before turning back to face their parents. "We're sure," they both nodded firmly as one.
Worried as she was, Danielle could not help the grin on her face as she rose from the couch. Taking each young man in a one-armed embrace, she reassured, "Then we'll fight this with everything we have." Relieved, the couple returned the embrace, Duo purring deeply in his mother-in-law's ear.
Pulling back, the red-head winked, "All right. Let's get started on filing that appeal."
* * * * * *
The following evening...
Dorothy chewed on her bottom lip in deep thought after hearing everything that her friends had to say. Seated across from her and Lady Une, Heero and Duo waited for something from either young woman. Cradled carefully in the neko's arms, little James was suckling on the bottle being offered to him.
Folding her hands together on the table, Lady Une spoke first. "I can understand where you are both coming from with this choice," she stated. Her brown eyes focusing on her pupil, she informed, "And I can promise that I will see you do not suffer in your scholastics should you need time with whatever it is you need to do to prepare for this appeal."
At that, Dorothy turned to Duo and added, "You know that I will see that the same goes for your own studies. What I am concerned about is how this will affect you and the pregnancy should the stress become too much. We've already had one close call at the first hearing." Beside her, the other young woman nodded her head in agreement as a concerned frown marred her own face.
Gently shifting James in his arms to burp him over his towel-draped shoulder without even thinking about it as he replied, "We're worried about that as well, but I will be taking better care of myself than I was that first time." Raising a hand that he was able to free, he smirked to the ladies when they still looked worried, "I'll have Hilde, Sally, Treize and Howard examine me every hour if I have to."
Reassured by that, the law and art directors eased considerably. "Very well, then," Lady Une smiled. "You have our total support in this. Wherever we can help, we'll be happy to do just that." Dorothy grinned and gave a firm nod in an echo of the sentiment.
"Thank you, both," Heero sighed in relief. Looking over to his cat-eared partner, he said quietly, "I'll head into the studio to work on a few projects so the rest of you can talk alone, then." While he got to his feet, he kissed the neko's temple and headed from the living room.
Blinking in confusion, Dorothy tilted her head and asked, "Is something wrong, Duo?" Lady Une leaned forward a bit, the worry returning on her features.
Satisfied that James was relieved of his little gas burbles, the pregnant teenager shifted the infant once more to resume feeding him his bottle. Cheeks reddening, Duo frowned, "I just could use some support in dealing with this whole pregnancy."
He sighed, "Lately, it's really been getting under my skin. I'm fat, moody, I can't sleep well at night..." Sighing, his ears drooped as he shook his head while concluding softly, "And I feel like a bad parent for letting it all bother me."
Instantly calming at that, the young women smiled and snickered quietly. Quickly moving to take up Heero's place on the neko's right, Lady Une reassured softly, "It's perfectly normal to grow irritated with being pregnant. You're well into the last trimester and so the more challenging of the symptoms are taking hold."
Dorothy seated herself at her braided friend's other side and smirked, "When I was pregnant with Leslie, I was just as anxious to have her in the world as I was to have her out of me. Being pregnant with her was not always a walk in the park by a long shot."
The art director threw in, "Same with me when I was carrying James. But, wanting the pregnancy over with does not make you a bad parent by any means."
Slightly brightening in hearing that, Duo looked from one friendly face to the other, whispering, "Really? I'm not?"
Chuckling, Lady Une smirked, "Duo... look at what you're doing right now." The neko blinked his violet eyes and looked down to the infant that he was feeding in his arms. "You've been feeding, burping and changing James, here, without any effort. If he started fussing, you knew how to take care of him. Why do you think I was so eager to pass him off to you when we got here?"
"You mean... you've been testing me this whole time?" the braided teenager realized in surprise, his eyes widening. The young mother nodded with a proud grin on her face.
As another thought crossed his mind, Duo shrugged, "But that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to be a good parent. That just means that I know the drill thanks to the 'training' that Heero's mother has been putting us through."
Dorothy smiled, "Well, you do have a point that there is a lot more to being a good parent than the basics. It takes a selfless, caring person to become a good parent."
Leaning in, she told the expectant 'mother' firmly, "And I cannot think of anyone with those qualities and so much more than someone like you who willingly accepted whatever came with this pregnancy so that your little ones could have a chance. That is what is going to make you a wonderful parent."
Small tears stung the neko's eyes as those words sank in. Carefully shifting to place James in his padded seat on the table, he moved to hug the law director tightly. "Thank you," he managed in a broken breath.
Returning the embrace, Dorothy whispered back, "You're welcome." Lady Une then accepted an embrace from her braided friend as the same sentiments were exchanged between them. All the while, little James just cooed and played with his toy of colorful, linked rings in perfect contentment.
Quietly sniffling as he returned to his seat, the teenager wiped at his damp eyes. A wave of activity stirred in his abdomen. For just a moment, Duo imagined that the little ones were trying to give him some kind of comfort as well. Lightly rubbing a hand over their kicking feet and poking hands, he purred quietly.
"I still miss being able to see my feet," Duo stated in a slight grumble. Rubbing his back, Lady Une and Dorothy laughed in complete understanding.
* * * * * *
Moments later, Dorothy and Lady Une stepped out of the apartment and headed out to the parking lot.
Once they were outside and out of earshot from anyone around, the law director asked under her breath, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Lady Une shifted the handle of James' chair and smirked, "I have a feeling that I am."
Their eyes meeting, the young women said at the same time, "Baby shower."
Chuckling, Dorothy nodded, "Nothing better than a little party with family and friends to make Duo feel better right now. And with the appeal that they're going to be putting through, he and Heero could use something to help them look forward to the babies coming."
"Agreed," Lady Une smiled. "I'll make some calls around to see what time would work best for everyone to get together so some invitations can be made up. No doubt their parents will be more worried about the hearing to come to be distracted by having to come up with this as well."
The two co-conspirators continued to give off ideas and make their plans all the way back to their car, looking forward to seeing their friends' faces when they were able to pull off the festivities.
* * * * * *
Later that evening, once the apartment was theirs again, the expectant couple called it an evening and prepared to head to their bedroom. Just as they stepped inside, Heero moved to turn Duo to face him to steal a heated kiss. Whimpering at the assault, the neko's violet eyes drifted closed as he kissed back for all that he was worth.
When they finally separated, Duo panted, "H-Heero? Not that... I'm complaining... but.. what... brought that on?"
Smirking, the artist answered, "I have to confess that I listened in on your conversation with Dorothy and Lady Une earlier." He raised a hand as his lover was about to protest and said sincerely, "I am sorry, but I was worried over what was upsetting you."
Any objection that the neko may have had was soon forgotten in his knowing that he would have done the same if he knew Heero was not happy over something. He gasped when the father-to-be rested a hand over his swollen abdomen and whispered huskily, "You're still the sexiest thing that I ever laid eyes on. Nothing will ever change that."
Duo bit back a moan as his lips were attacked once again. Melting against his partner, he raised his arms and allowed his shirt to be removed before returning the favor in nearly tearing Heero's top off. And so they began a ravenous round of lovemaking late into the night.
Sated and worn at the end of it all, Duo never fretted over what Heero may have thought of his appearance again.
TBC...
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