the time comes that I’m not your official bodyguard anymore, your security is my number-one priority.”
“Okay,” Luca croaked. Marcus forced him to keep eye contact for some time, but eventually he let go of Luca’s chin and cuddled him close. Luca cleared his throat. “My dad explained that many pregnant men need their partners close during week ten to twenty of the pregnancy. I’m hereby declaring that you need to be at my side 24/7.”
Marcus’s laughter rocked Luca’s whole body. “I’ll do my best.”
“Good.”
Chapter Seventeen
TRUE TO his word, Marcus stayed close to Luca most of the time. If he had to go to meetings, or discuss houses, or any another small detail they’d left out in one of the zillion contracts, he asked Luca to join him. Sometimes Luca jumped at the offer, sometimes he opted out and stayed home.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come along?” Marcus asked as he shrugged into a light jacket. After checking his shoulder holster, he glanced over at Luca.
Luca was tuning his harp—the smallest he possessed and one of his favorites, composed of a rich brown wood—and smiling. “No, it’s okay. I don’t think I can survive listening to you and the lawyers adjusting our marriage contract again. It’s taking all the fun out of it.”
“Aw, my poor baby,” Marcus replied. He walked up to Luca, pulled his hands from the strings, and clasped them in his own. He crouched in front of Luca before he pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I’m sorry it’s not as romantic as you’d like it to be.”
“I’ll live. I shouldn’t complain so much. After all, I’m getting my happily ever after.”
Marcus crawled between Luca’s thighs and trailed his fingers over the light swelling of Luca’s belly. Luca shivered, and heat rose in his cheeks. At week thirteen, he still couldn’t feel the baby’s movements, but his stomach had gone from flat to a small swell. Marcus pulled the shirt out of Luca’s pants, exposing his skin to the air. Goose bumps spread along Luca’s flesh as he slid his hands into Marcus’s dark brown hair. Marcus caressed his belly for a while.
“I still can’t believe you’re pregnant with our baby. I always wanted to be a father, but given my upbringing, I never thought I would.”
“It’s a stupid regulation that only certain people are allowed to reproduce,” Luca said in between gasps when Marcus pressed a series of soft kisses on his abdomen.
“No, it’s not.” Marcus shook his head. “You know about the gen defects many people passed on after the Third World War. Think of all the babies that were born dead or badly deformed.”
“They still had a right to live,” Luca snarled.
“I’m not saying they didn’t, and you know the Northern Confederacy took care of the disabled children. The government decided to check genes so the chance of healthy children was higher. Maybe there’ll be a time when people are allowed to fall in love with whomever they want and have children if they want. Maybe breeders will one day be allowed not to carry children if they have different plans for their future. The population growth is steady, and from what I’ve read lately, some scientists claim there’s no threat of humankind becoming extinct anymore. At least not in the Northern Hemisphere.” Marcus placed another firm kiss on Luca’s belly. When he glanced up, Luca lost himself in those light gray eyes.
They met for a deep kiss, which Luca broke reluctantly. “I hope it’s true. Wouldn’t it be awesome if our child could grow up with the knowledge they can decide for themselves whom they want to marry, or if they want to marry at all? In case they’re a breeder, I mean.”
“It would, but these things take time, a lot of time. We’ll do our best to take care of our children.”
“Children?” Luca’s lips quirked upward. “Have we spoken about having more children?”
“I… I thought….”
Laughing, Luca pecked
“Okay,” Luca croaked. Marcus forced him to keep eye contact for some time, but eventually he let go of Luca’s chin and cuddled him close. Luca cleared his throat. “My dad explained that many pregnant men need their partners close during week ten to twenty of the pregnancy. I’m hereby declaring that you need to be at my side 24/7.”
Marcus’s laughter rocked Luca’s whole body. “I’ll do my best.”
“Good.”
Chapter Seventeen
TRUE TO his word, Marcus stayed close to Luca most of the time. If he had to go to meetings, or discuss houses, or any another small detail they’d left out in one of the zillion contracts, he asked Luca to join him. Sometimes Luca jumped at the offer, sometimes he opted out and stayed home.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come along?” Marcus asked as he shrugged into a light jacket. After checking his shoulder holster, he glanced over at Luca.
Luca was tuning his harp—the smallest he possessed and one of his favorites, composed of a rich brown wood—and smiling. “No, it’s okay. I don’t think I can survive listening to you and the lawyers adjusting our marriage contract again. It’s taking all the fun out of it.”
“Aw, my poor baby,” Marcus replied. He walked up to Luca, pulled his hands from the strings, and clasped them in his own. He crouched in front of Luca before he pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I’m sorry it’s not as romantic as you’d like it to be.”
“I’ll live. I shouldn’t complain so much. After all, I’m getting my happily ever after.”
Marcus crawled between Luca’s thighs and trailed his fingers over the light swelling of Luca’s belly. Luca shivered, and heat rose in his cheeks. At week thirteen, he still couldn’t feel the baby’s movements, but his stomach had gone from flat to a small swell. Marcus pulled the shirt out of Luca’s pants, exposing his skin to the air. Goose bumps spread along Luca’s flesh as he slid his hands into Marcus’s dark brown hair. Marcus caressed his belly for a while.
“I still can’t believe you’re pregnant with our baby. I always wanted to be a father, but given my upbringing, I never thought I would.”
“It’s a stupid regulation that only certain people are allowed to reproduce,” Luca said in between gasps when Marcus pressed a series of soft kisses on his abdomen.
“No, it’s not.” Marcus shook his head. “You know about the gen defects many people passed on after the Third World War. Think of all the babies that were born dead or badly deformed.”
“They still had a right to live,” Luca snarled.
“I’m not saying they didn’t, and you know the Northern Confederacy took care of the disabled children. The government decided to check genes so the chance of healthy children was higher. Maybe there’ll be a time when people are allowed to fall in love with whomever they want and have children if they want. Maybe breeders will one day be allowed not to carry children if they have different plans for their future. The population growth is steady, and from what I’ve read lately, some scientists claim there’s no threat of humankind becoming extinct anymore. At least not in the Northern Hemisphere.” Marcus placed another firm kiss on Luca’s belly. When he glanced up, Luca lost himself in those light gray eyes.
They met for a deep kiss, which Luca broke reluctantly. “I hope it’s true. Wouldn’t it be awesome if our child could grow up with the knowledge they can decide for themselves whom they want to marry, or if they want to marry at all? In case they’re a breeder, I mean.”
“It would, but these things take time, a lot of time. We’ll do our best to take care of our children.”
“Children?” Luca’s lips quirked upward. “Have we spoken about having more children?”
“I… I thought….”
Laughing, Luca pecked
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