“It's nothing bad. And my guys are wonderful.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to beat them in a fight.” Star chuckled as he went to the kitchen to grab two bottles of water and handed one to Tanner, who quickly took a few sips.
Why does he look nervous?
“So what do you want to ask me, if everything is perfect?”
“Since we've reconnected, it made me realize how much I missed our friendship, and now that you're staying in Valleywood for good, we all agree that you should be one of the godfathers.”
“Godfathers to what?” Star asked, chugging his water down.
“To our twins, silly,” Tanner said, beaming. “We don't know what we're having. Rheinhold wanted to wait, and Shepard and I couldn't change his mind.”
“Holy shit, you guys are adopting twins! Wait, did you use a surrogate since you don't know the sex? That's so awesome. You're going to make a great dad.” Star was so happy he couldn't contain his excitement and hugged him, but pulled back when Tanner didn't share his same kind of joy. “Tanner, what's wrong? I thought you were happy about what you and your lovers were doing. Why do you look so upset? Of course, I accept if it's about the godfather thing.”
“What the fuck is wrong withme?!” Tanner snapped. “What the fuck is wrong with you!”
“Tanner, I don't understand why you’re shouting at me.” He was so confused by the change in Tanner, he wasn't sure what to do.
“Look at me, Star. Fucking look at me.”
Star's brows furrowed, and his eyes roved up and down Tanner's body. Besides a little weight gain, he saw nothing different about his friend.
“Am I missing something?” Star said. “Are you sick? You look fine to me.”
“Are you really fucking pretending that you don't know I'm pregnant?”
Pre...preg...pregnant! What the fuck?
Star stared at Tanner's face, wondering if his friend was pranking the hell out of him, but the serious expression told him otherwise. Tanner pulled up his shirt, and slowly, Star's eyes trailed down Tanner's body, stopping at his stomach and taking note of the shape. It wasn't big, but it was noticeably extended. He really looked pregnant.
That can't be real? It's gotta be fake.
Even as he thought the words, a part of him told him it was real—very real.
“Pregnant. As in, there is a baby inside of you right now?” Star pointed to Tanner's stomach. “Since when?”
“Since about five months now.” Tanner shook his head. “Dude, you are really acting weird.”
“This can't be real,” he mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. In the months he'd started his new life and been told about magic, shapeshifters, and all the other things, he had never dreamed that a man getting pregnant would be one of them.Chase told him he should do more research, but Star had been working quite a lot. The only thing he'd been able to look up was how to play a certain character, and none of them had to do with a man getting pregnant.
Wait! If Tanner can get pregnant, does that mean the same thing could happen to me?
His eyes grew blurry, and a blinding headache accompanied a ringing in his ear. “How?” He looked at Tanner. “How could it happen?” He might have asked the question, but he knew the answer.
“Don't tell me I gotta teach you about how babies are made.” This time Tanner smiled, putting his shirt down, but Star couldn't see it.
“No. I think I can figure it out.” He tried to smile back but was holding back his nausea. He needed time to absorb. He had to get Tanner out of his house so he could freak out without the other man knowing that a man getting pregnant was really big news to him. “Hey, uh...look at the time. I have a dinner engagement tonight, and I can't be late or Fiona will nag.”
“Oh, okay.” Tanner didn't seem to notice his anxiety. “I have to go as well. It's my turn to make dinner.” Star walked Tanner to the door. “Hey, we're having a housewarming party in a couple of weeks; promise me you'll come?”
“Of course. And yes, I will make my Momma's fried chicken and potato salad.”
“How'd you know I was going to ask you to make that?”
“It's all you used to make me cook for you in high school after I found my mother's recipe box.”
“So true. Okay, I'll call you later.”
