Family planning

When Dustin awoke, it was to a moment of panic. What was happening for the lighting in his cabin to be so out of order? Why were his legs bound at the ankles? As consciousness returned fully, he realized that he’d drifted into sleep after making love to Meli - the light was from the morning sun streaming in through the windows of the cargo bay, while the binding was from his trousers, still being worn from the night before. A weight on his chest when he looked down turned out to be the head of his beloved; she’d curled into him, he remembered that from the previous day, and it seemed she’d opted to use him as a pillow in her sleep.

Shifting, he freed an arm and gently brushed the woman’s hair back from her face. Meli gave a contented sigh and snuggled into him, followed by a wrinkling of her nose as he tucked the hair behind those long ears. Blinking, she sleepily opened one eye and peered up at him. “Mmm… morning, husband.” Dustin smiled down at her, holding her tight to him and kissing her forehead. “Morning, wife. Do you just want to spend the day in bed, or would you like to go for a walk and see some more of Earth?” Meli responded by nuzzling into his shoulder and yawning. “It’s too early to make those kinds of decisions. Need some food and a drink… and to get changed out of these clothes, then I can think.”

Given that his spouse was making no effort whatsoever to rise in search of any of those requirements, Dustin decided he would need to be the one to take the initiative. Gently rolling his lover off of him, he sat up and groaned. “Drink first. Velcasta, yea?” At a sleepy nod from the figure still in the bed, he staggered through to the main cabin. The shuttle’s storage was simpler than the automats on the ship; opening a cupboard he pulled out two tins, pressed the activators on each of them down and then rummaged until he found where they’d packed the mugs. By the time he straightened up again, the tins had popped open ready to dispense steaming hot liquid.

After coffee and velcasta, to which he’d also added a plate of assorted meats and cheese from the cold storage, the pair managed to feel a little more alive. Meli tapped her chin thoughtfully while nibbling on a rolled up slice of ham. “Would it be so terrible to just spend the first day in bed together? Logically, we can do that anywhere so we should maximize our time in the park…” Dustin shrugged. “I’m happy with either. We could always go for a walk before lunch, then spend the rest of the day cuddled up?”

Meli nodded in reply. “That would allow for the best of both worlds.” Then, stretching, she added “You can look at the terrain map and plan us a route, while I go and have a shower. Please don’t let me sleep in clothes I’ve worn while having sex again while we’re here, this shuttle doesn’t have much in the way of cleaning facilities and I’d rather not arrive back at the ship with nothing to wear.” Dustin debated asking to join her for the shower, but a glance that was admittedly mostly at her naked backside as she stepped into the booth put that idea to rest; the shuttle’s shower was tiny - never mind having fun, if both of them were in there at the same time breathing would be a challenge.

With that out of the way, he focused on planning a route - it was that or think about the naked, wet, sud covered body that was only a thin sheet of metal away from him. The area they’d landed in had several nature trails - rarely used ones naturally, given how far into the park they were - and it was just a matter of plotting a route from their current location to one of the trails as well as deciding where to stop and turn back. By the time his wife emerged, Dustin was more or less ready to go with a scanner in hand to help keep them on track. Meli raised an eyebrow at his eagerness even as she fastened on a pair of tall hiking boots. “Do you not want to get clean too my love? I didn’t think I’d taken that long in the shower.” Dustin shook his head. “We’re hiking; I’m going to get dusty and sweaty regardless - if I’m going to need to shower anyway when we get back, might as well skip one now.” Meli sighed but nodded. “Alright. I can’t argue with the utilitarian logic you are operating under, slightly gross as it might be. Shall we go?”

The morning sun was warm as they ascended the hill, before pausing at the top and turning to look back down at the shuttle. “It really is a lovely place” Meli mused, staring out over the valley, then glancing down at the second scanner Dustin had prepared for her. “About another five minutes to the trail, I think.” The trail, when they found it was partially overgrown - while someone (possibly a drone given the level of ground cover) had cleared the larger brambles and branches, the path was still clearly one that was rarely used. The end result being that their hike actually involved a lot of carefully picking their way through sections where trees had fallen or the path had been partially washed out by heavy rain, in between areas of steady progress through soft grasses.

They reached the point Dustin had been aiming for far later than planned; a secluded overlook sheltered by some truly ancient trees. Setting his pack down, Dustin popped the clips holding it closed and rummaged inside the bag. After a moment, he pulled out and spread a soft blanket, following up by sitting a container of sandwiches and a thermos of juice down on the makeshift picnic area; he’d packed them on the off-chance they didn’t make it back to the shuttle before lunch, much to his current relief. As he settled down on the blanket and began opening the food Meli sat beside him, amber eyes staring out over the rolling Welsh countryside. “This reminds me of part of my homeworld.” She mused a moment later, in between mouthfuls of egg and cress. “It’s not quite the same - the grass is green rather than blue, and there’s no Va’zen birds trying to steal our lunch; remind me to show you a picture of one when we get back to Sola. They act like your seagulls, but look rather like giant robins. Utter pests, but adorable and so smart.”

Dustin glanced over to her; the Velca’s ears were in a contemplating posture and her voice had lost almost all it’s tone. “I always wanted one when I was young. Some Velca keep them as pets; it’s a bit like humans and rodents. Domesticated vermin.” She sighed then, and gestured with her sandwich a little to vigorously, causing some of the egg mix to drop into her lap. Frowning and wiping it up with a finger before sucking the digit clean in a manner that made Dustin seriously consider just scooping her up and risking breaking a leg by running back to their shuttle, she glared out at the scenery. “Father wouldn’t have it though; he dislikes them intently.”

She shifted then, moving closer to him and resting her hand on his thigh. “We won’t be like that, will we? When we have offspring, we’ll let them have whatever pets they want, right?” Dustin nodded; the sudden encroachment of her hand not doing anything to stave off the growing erection that her cleaning of her finger had started. “Dustin?” He turned to find Meli gazing up at him with her ears in a very unsure looking state. “What’s the matter, love?” he said, all thoughts of arousal forgotten as he moved to wrap her in his arms. “Do you… I mean, we never properly talked about it before and I’m just realizing that now. Do you want to…”

Given the context of the conversation, for once Dustin’s brain wasn’t stunlocked by an attractive woman. “Do I want to have kids with you?” She nodded, then winced as he flicked her in the middle of her forehead. “You are the smartest woman I’ve ever met, love, but you can be incredibly dense sometimes. Do you not recall what I said when you ritually agreed to be mine, li’orpha’a? The number we have is up to you, I meant that. Although, given how Rye reacted to that little medspray of yours, I’d suggest you consider just how many half-brothers and sisters any children of ours will have, and maybe talk to some of the other women as well.” Meli raised an eyebrow at that comment before nodding. “The fact that Trea’k has not yet tried to convince you to provide her with offspring is a testament to her respect for all of us and her self control. And Emely wouldn’t be happy to be left out. That’s four of us, at the very least, and just counting your current lovers, Ambassador.”

Dustin winced at that use of his formal title, and the dark haired woman stifled a giggle. “Your advice is noted, husband. Although, given your status, I don’t think providing for them will be an issue - so it becomes just a question of timing.” She frowned at that point and looked up at the sky, seemingly staring at the stars beyond the clear blue. “When we first met, I thought I wouldn’t be interested in the idea for years.” She said, seemingly choosing her words carefully. “When you were nearly killed saving those crystal infants, I revised that timescale significantly. Then there was the comms outpost, and the universe suddenly seemed so dangerous.” Dustin let her speak, holding her close as she processed her thoughts and emotions. “I thought then that we should wait, that we should keep from anything so life changing as reproducing until we had a safe place for our children to grow up.” Meli pulled free of the hug, then moved around so that she could look him directly in the eyes.

“The attack on Naera’s home changed that. If the council does not act when a colony is annihilated, if there are unknown things out there that can annihilate inhabited worlds, then nowhere - not Sola, not Velca Prime, not Earth - is truly safe for our children.” She hesitated a moment, then ploughed on, ears twitching between determination and anxiety. “Dustin, I… I don’t want those things to make us wait. I want it to be our choice, not something outside our relationship. Do you…” Dustin silenced her with a kiss, pulling the woman into his lap as he did so. When they broke the kiss a moment later, he gripped his wife’s shoulders and stared into her worried looking eyes. “Meli, you’re right - the universe is scary. But the more we’ve seen, the more I’ve realized the only place that feels safe is when we are all together.” Then he grinned before adding “we should probably wait to have that conversation with Rye though - before we turn your contraceptive off I mean. I’d really rather not have to deal with soothing an irate bunny and caring for a newly pregnant wife at the same time if you don’t mind.”