Adjustments
Ondry slipped his tailinside the leg of Liam’s sleeping pants. Takil rolled over, and Ondry gently moved their eggling back onto the largest pillow. Liam lived in fear of rolling onto him during sleep, so Ondry claimed the center of the nest with Takil on one side and Liam on the other. He would not trade in his life, even if some miracle had occurred to allow him to become a Grandmother.
He wiggled his tail, and Liam shifted in his sleep. The gentle scents of desire drifted off his sleep-warm body. This made Ondry happy. He waited until Liam made sighs and grunts before he pressed the tip inside. It had been too long since they had enjoyed each other’s bodies. Takil’s appearance had changed much. He brought joy and love into their life, but Ondry wished they had more time for the pleasures he and Liam shared.
The moment Liam woke, Ondry knew it. The sudden gasp. The way Liam’s fingers clenched. The arch of his back. It was all perfect. But then that perfection vanished. Liam flailed, his arms sending pillows tumbling around the nest as the smell of distress bloomed.
“No!” Liam said, and he pulled at Ondry’s tail. Normally, Ondry enjoyed having his tail pulled—especially by Liam—but this panicked distress made Ondry pale and Takil woke, his eyes wide as he searched the nest for the danger.
“Liam?” Ondry curled his tail around his own leg and knelt in the nest, unsure of how to calm Liam. Now that he was awake, he sat clutching the edge of the nest. “What is wrong?” Ondry asked. Usually he felt as if he lived in Liam’s mind as much as his own. Da nuts simultaneously inspired thoughts of how they would make excellent bread and how they were too bitter to be palatable for a human. But now he felt excluded from Liam’s thoughts.
“We can’t do that,” Liam said.
“We can’t do what?” Ondry reached for Takil, but Liam threw himself forward, scooping the eggling up and wrapping his arms around him. Takil relaxed in his father’s arms, his long fingers locking around the fabric of Liam’s sleeping clothes.
“We can’t have sex.”
Ondry was startled enough that he had no answer. He waited to see if Liam would clarify his statement. When he didn’t, Ondry asked the logical question. “Why?”
For a time, Liam stared at him. “There is a child here.”
Ondry widened his eyes. Most Rownt did raise at least one child, and that did not prevent reproductive sex, so Ondry saw no reason for it to stop non-procreative sex. No doubt other palteia and chilta enjoyed the ilsil within their nests.
Liam sighed. “You don’t get it, do you?”
“No.” Ondry did not state the obvious—Liam was being irrational.
Liam held out a hand to Ondry, but he was slow to take it. His touch had hurt Liam in some way he did not understand, and now Ondry was fearful of causing more harm. Liam scooted closer to Ondry, and Ondry tossed a pillow aside to make room for him. “I can’t have sex with Takil in the nest. Children should not be around sex.”
That made no sense. Sex happened on the street and children often observed. Ondry studied Liam, trying to understand what insanity had gripped Liam. Perhaps Liam could read the confusion on Ondry’s face because he sighed.
“I know that Takil doesn’t understand what’s happening, but I can’t have sex in front of a child.”
Ondry relaxed his eyes. “You speak of human children,” Ondry said.
Liam often compared the dangers in Takil’s life to those a human child might face. Even if Liam were to roll onto Takil in his sleep, Takil was sturdy enough to handle the weight. However, given how Liam had described human egglings, Ondry had the feeling they were far more fragile. Perhaps that is why they were predisposed to crying.
“Yes, I speak of human children.” Liam held Takil close and leaned into Ondry. Ondry took that as an invitation to pull his family closer. “Human children should not be exposed to sex.”
“Why?”
