16Levi
Dealingwith the admiral was a load off my mind. I could finally let all my anxieties drift away. With no more past to bog me down—and no more guilt that my friends resented me—I was free to throw myself into my new life as a member of the village, as Zat’tor’s mate and our baby’s father.
Jaeyoung was right about the baby’s rapid growth. If a human baby ever grew this quickly on Earth, it’d be an international incident. But here on Eukaria, it felt strangely normal—which was something I never thought I’d say, because nothing about a cis man getting pregnant with an alien baby was normal. And yet, it was just part of my daily life.
The discomfort I expected finally happened. My lower back ached constantly, no doubt due to my size. In the two weeks since Zat’tor pollinated me, my stomach had grown to astronomical proportions. It looked like someone had strapped an overblown beach ball to my middle. Jaeyoung spent a lot of time examining me, asking questions, and taking notes. He insisted on near-daily check-ups, but eventually I stopped thinking they were for my sake and instead realized they were an outlet for his curiosity.
“And you say there’s no pain today?” he asked, scribbling notes down on some parchment Fhi’ran had given him.
“No,” I said, bored. “Not today, not yesterday, or the day before...”
“And hopefully never,” Zat’tor chimed in. He sat next to me with his arm looped around my shoulder. He accompanied me everywhere, so naturally, he came along to every doctor’s visit.
“That would be nice, but I doubt it,” I remarked.
“Why?”
“Because human births aren’t painless unless there’s drugs involved.”
“And epidurals are in short supply on Eukaria,” Jaeyoung said wryly. He brought over some kind of liquid concoction in a ceramic cup. “Drink this. Fhi’ran taught me it’s full of vitamins for child bearers.”
I wrinkled my nose at the sour scent. “Do I have to?”
Jaeyoung arched a brow. “Do you see a drug mart nearby where you can buy your prenatal vitamins? Drink it.”
I sighed and tipped the cup back. To my surprise, it tasted more pleasant than it smelled.
“You must keep your strength up,” Zat’tor murmured, nuzzling my head. “Whatever the healer says, you must do.”
“Yeah, I will. So, have you figured out the mystery of my pregnancy yet?” I asked Jaeyoung.
He crossed his arms. “No. It’s difficult to make progress without the tools I’d need at my disposal. And it’s not like I can open you up to take a look.”
Zat’tor growled and held me closer possessively.
“Relax,” I said, patting his shoulder. “He just said hewasn’tgoing to do that.”
“But he thought about it,” Zat’tor grumbled.
Jaeyoung shrugged, not offended by Zat’tor’s bristling. “I’m a scientist at heart. I like to know things. But I’m also Levi’s doctor. I wouldn’t put him at risk like that.”
“Perhaps you should gain first-hand experience by bearing your own baby,” Zat’tor suggested.
I snorted, thinking it was a joke, but when he didn’t laugh, I realized it wasn’t. “Oh. You’re serious.”
Jaeyoung let out a scoff-laugh hybrid. “No, thank you. Like I said before, I’m not the romantic type.”
Zat’tor made a face, like he knew something Jaeyoung didn’t. I raised a brow but didn’t pry. Whatever the future held, it would play out on its own.
“So, what exactly should I do?” I asked. “Like, what’s going to happen when the baby finally wants to come out? My body’s not exactly designed for this...”
Sensing my anxiety, Zat’tor frowned sympathetically at me. His hand found my knee and squeezed it gently. I linked my fingers with his. The monumental size difference between our hands was comforting, like Zat’tor’s body was big and strong enough to smother my concerns.
Jaeyoung gave me a calm, even glance. “I’ll be straight with you, Levi. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I have no experience or data to base my theory on. I’ve asked Fhi’ran and he doesn’t know of any other species breeding with a Maeleon.”
That wasn’t the most reassuring reply in the world. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“But that doesn’t mean it will go poorly,” Jaeyoung went on, offering me a small smile. “Your pregnancy has been going amazingly well. Far better than I expected, to be honest. I suspect it has less to do with your body’s limitations and more with Maeleon biology.”
