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 Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:28 pm
Even though they knew Callum's grandmother lived there, Nimueh and Callum breezed past Sol on their way west. Call it nerves, but they'd thought it would be better to have a reunion with children in tow, babies to play with, and family to get advice from. If they'd visited before hand, Nimueh reasoned, then they'd both be too jittery, too excited to focus, and it wouldn't be fair to meet on the way to such an important event, and not come back by and share it with family that Callum cared about.
Aisha would accept them. Of that, Nimueh had no doubt. And, perhaps, she would have if they'd gotten close to her. In Jauhar, surrounded by sisters, Nimueh had felt strange in his skin, other and excluded, and with Callum on his arm it was difficult to feel welcome. If only they could get close, he thought, he could see his mother, and everything would go as they had hoped. But, perhaps in light of recent events, the matrons shook their heads and turned them away.
There had always been the risk that they wouldn't succeed, and that the trip would be for nothing, and yet... Nimueh could see them. Could see their children, just beyond, if only they could reach them - and to be denied felt like having them swept away and stolen before they'd even existed. Even now, days after heading back east, Nimueh couldn't process it. Instead, he felt it best to act as if it was a minor disappointment - that they would be able to adopt, or find a surrogate, no problem. Perhaps if they had gone to pray, and been turned away by Aisha, this reaction would be more honest, but to not even be allowed the chance...
No, he shouldn't think about it.
The pair had opted to find a group of shifters heading back east, and from there they agreed to head for Sol. Even now, Nimueh allowed himself to be distracted by Jauhar's sights and sounds. He hadn't been this way since he was a child, after all - he'd long forgotten what it was like to bare so much skin. Callum did it in Sauti, sure, but Nim ? He still felt horribly naked, to be bared at the chest, and hadn't been able to give up his pants for a loin cloth, despite how much more comfortable he would be with the humidity.
From here, they just needed to find Callum's grandmother's house, so Nim let Callum lead the way and followed, trying not to think of how this trip was originally planned.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:56 pm
There had always been doubts for Callum as to whether Aisha would accept them or not. He had hoped, of course, prayed even, that it would all work out in the end. It had been hard not to feel excited when talking to Nimueh. His initial nervousness at being in the heart of alkidike territory had even been placed on hold when presented with concepts of the future. Children, their children, had been so close at hand that Callum had even imagined what they might have looked like. He should have known not to get his hopes up; it would have been easier to bear the rejection that way.
Days later and it still felt raw. He didn’t comment on it, not in depth anyway, and when he did it was always for the benefit of his lover. This wasn’t his culture, nor his people keeping them away, so Callum tried his best to remain a steady rock for Nimueh and try to be as sympathetic as he could. He had always known there would have been a possibility of Aisha rejecting them, but of the alks themselves? That he had more trouble trying to understand.
Callum had stripped himself down to the barest of layers once the weather turned warm. Unlike his lover he had no problem at all showing off as much bare skin as possible, though he did give pause now because of his scars. Certainly he hadn’t had this many the last time he had seen his grandmother, and he worried briefly that it would distress her. It wasn’t as if he could lie to her, though; he wouldn’t dare.
The swordsman tugged his lover along, giving his hand a comforting squeeze as he navigated his way through Sol to a very specific tree. It was a mixture of crimson and indigo, with a thick base and gnarled, exposed roots. He released Nimueh’s hand in favor of taking hold of the climbing vines, and hoisted himself up. Scouring the tree wasn’t nearly as difficult now as it had been in his youth (when he had fallen down more times than he could count), but the burden on his mind kept his pace slow. That and he would occasionally peer down to Nimueh, just to give his lover an encouraging smile; anything to keep him going. He’d tried to be extra attentive these past few days, and hoped that it hadn’t completely smothered the poor man.
As they neared the canopy a dwelling could be seen. It was smaller than most shifter homes, and older, with patches here and there. Callum unconsciously moved a little quicker just after seeing it. Once he was within earshot he called out, “Gran?” And repeated it once more when he was on the closest branch near her entry way. He stayed there, waiting for Nimueh to join him, but Callum kept craning his head towards her closed door. At first he worried she wouldn’t be home, or worse, until Corine opened the door.
She blinked her wide, aged eyes before rushing out to wrap Callum up in a hug. The gesture was immediate, and might have been bone crushing had she been twenty years younger. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her wizened frame.
“I got your letter, expected you’d be comin’ a might bit earlier than this, but you’re here, so that’s good enough.” Corine pulled back, but noticed that he looked down. When she followed his gaze her own widened. “Goddess, boy, ya got a type, don’thcha?”
“Gran…”
“Well, bring him in, I’ll get the snacks out.” Corine moved away from her grandson and walked into her little home.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:22 pm
Was it strange to feel like they were in mourning, when no one had actually died? It was like they were doing this awkward, worried dance around one another, overly smothering and careful with one another. Nimueh, so far, had almost refused to talk about it after the initial, disappointed conversation, and when pried he merely smiled, and dismissed it. 'It's fine, we knew it could happen!'
It wasn't fine. Not at all, but he remembered that terrified expression, and he felt almost like he had lied. He'd always been okay with adoption - nothing had changed!
Once they arrived at the right tree, Nim stepped back and looked upwards, sizing up the distance from the ground. Sure, he could heft himself up a vine - but the question was, could the vine support him? And could he truly heave himself all the way up without slipping? ... Nope. As Callum began climbing, Nim watched his lover appreciatively, until he'd made it up quite a ways. Then, after he was confident Callum wouldn't slip, he turned to seek out the rope ladder he'd been shown, scrambling up it carefully. Even as a child, he'd not stayed in shifter territory very long, and the swaying of the vine rope made his belly clench painfully, certain he'd slip and fall!
But, somehow, he made it to the top. From there, it was one treacherous rope bridge across to Gran's, where Callum was speaking with a tiny old lady. Just seeing her, Nim felt a flutter of nerves. This was Callum's family - what if she didn't like him?!
Well. It was time to take the plunge. Once he reached Callum's side, Nim gave him a look and a twitch of his lips (that was meant as a smile), gesturing for him to enter, and following, stooping to get through the the doorway. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard-" Some. "- a lot about you."
Did she dislike Alkidike? Shifters usually didn't like them - but she didn't seem to mind him, so far. Or maybe she was just polite?
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:38 pm
Little had changed in Corine's home since Callum had last visited. The space was still impeccably clean, as if she spent most of her time dusting and primping (which was exactly what she did), with the smell of fresh fruit lingering in the air. He still wasn't entirely sure how she managed that one, and suspected that Corine had been a magic user in her younger years, though she wouldn't tell him either way.
When she turned around the petite shifter's arms were laden with a bowl of sweet, Jauhar fruits. There was already fresh water on her little table, and she set her burden down next to it. Since she was his step-grandmother neither shifter shared much in the way of physical resemblances; she was small where as Callum was tall, and stouter where as he was on the lanky side. Her crystals were spattered against her cheeks like freckles and trailed down her arms like vinework.
Callum made his way into the great room, trailing his fingers against the familiar table while sizing up the space. He could see the doorway to his old room from here, and wasn't surprised to see that nothing had been touched.
Corine, meanwhile, was quite openly sizing Nimueh up. "My grandson wrote 'bout'cha in a letter. Of course he was purposefully vague about it."
Callum just leaned against the table, balancing the edge of his rump against the lip of the table. "I thought you could use something to gossip about. You did, didn't you?"
"Yes, but details would have been nice." She pointed out. "So, what's your name, son? Were you Zena born, or are you local? How did you meet my Callum? And for Goddess sake, sit down, it's hurting my neck looking at you." She grinned.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:47 pm
And just like that, Nim released a shuddering laugh, tension dropping from his shoulders almost instantly. Not all of it, of course, but any anxiety he had about meeting this woman shifted into quiet surprise at how welcoming she was. Seemed. Callum was at ease, so Nimueh told himself not to puzzle over whether her affection was sincere - his love was a good judge of character, after all, and he had made a point to visit his grandmother.
At the barrage of questions, Nimueh blinked blearily as if dizzy from them, then nodded and hurried to sit, wincing at the subtle creak of it under his weight. "Oh-- sorry. Nimueh. I'm a... local? I suppose... and uhh..." He shot a look at Callum, his lip quirking up almost shyly. "That's a long story. How did we meet the first time, or the second... or third time?" At this, his smile shifted into a smirk. They had made a habit of bumping into eachother by pure chance (excepting that third time, of course), and each time had been momentous occasions for him.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:06 pm
It felt good to hear Nimueh laugh. Callum knew it was only a gut reaction, but it helped to let some of the tension go. Smiling now, he scootched himself up onto the table, crossed his legs at the knee and propped his foot into the closest chair. He shared a look with Corine, as if to confirm that he was still allowed to sit like this in her home, and she made a waving gesture as if to say 'this is your house too, do what you want'.
As the last to sit the older shifter made herself comfortable in the vacant chair closest to Nimueh. Although she sat straight backed and proper, Corine stayed loose enough that Callum didn't view her as a possible threat.
"Three times? Is it safe to assume the Sauti adventures was one of them? He told me he traveled with a 'friend'," Corine made air quotes before reaching for the water pitcher to pour first Nim, then Callum and finally herself a drink. "But I knew better. No friend is going to make you say their name in your sleep."
Callum, whom had been sipping contentedly on his water, nearly choked on it. He sputtered, holding the glass away from himself while coughing, and turned on the old woman as if she'd thoroughly betrayed him. "Gran! That's a lie."
"Nope, not one bit. You talk in your sleep boy, it's best you learn to filter what you say." She smirked, looking very much like the perzi who had got into the cream.
Callum's cheeks flushed a healthy shade of pink, and he found himself unable to meet Nimueh's gaze.
"Sooo," Corine continued, "What about those other two times, hmm?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:22 pm
It was as if the two shifters had a language all their own, and Nim was only barely able to catch the gist of it. Even here, Callum let himself flop about with the boneless abandon he often displayed, but the fact he continued to check her reactions spoke of respect. With others, Nim was sure Callum couldn't care less if his posture was seemly or not.
Nim was used to this, in a way. Guests back home weren't strange, but since his mothers both operated a trading business, often times their guests were people of some importance. The serving order was respectful and humble, treating him as a guest. Hopefully, the next time he visited, he would be bossed about as family, but for now he was grateful for the reprieve. Taking the offered drink, Nimueh rose it briefly in quiet thanks, then sipped at it, listening and, somehow, not choking at the revelation. Instead, his eyes narrowed and he broke into a mischievous grin. He wouldn't comment on it... for now, but the brief tilt of his head towards Callum as if to say 'oh really' spoke volumes. Inwardly, Nimueh felt that familiar flutter of happiness, realizing that even back then, after returning home from Sauti, Callum had truly thought of him.
"Yes, that's right; Sauti. The first time was a little ways from Andile, when I was very young - before the extremists' march. And the third, we met back up in Zena. We've traveled together since then." And he hoped there would never be a fourth. If he had his way, he and Callum would never have a reason to stop traveling together -with how much the two enjoyed travel, it was a miracle they'd met up again not once, but twice!
As far as the details of each meeting, Nimueh had never spoken at length without being pried, and he didn't want to risk chatting the woman's ear off about things she asked out of politeness. Instead, he sipped at his drink again, looking around the cozy home, imagining a younger Callum here. Even if his past wasn't the happiest, Callum must have made some good memories here, right? He just didn't know how to ask without possibly dredging up some painful memories.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:20 am
Ever the observant one (when sober), Callum carefully watched the interactions between his lover and grandmother as if waiting for something to drop. Over the past few days, weeks really, his emotions had taken such a tumultuous ride that Callum half expected Corine to throw Nimueh out the door. The more logical side of his mind assured him that this wouldn't happen, but the man was paranoid.
To Nim's head tilt Callum merely shrugged his shoulders, and suddenly found rearranging the fruit bowl to be a very challenging task. Obviously it required his full attention. It was embarrassing to think about; Callum had known he was a sleep talker, so many had told him over the years, but how much had his grandmother heard? Hopefully none of it was as risque as his dreams had been.
"A traveling pair, then. Destined for each other; it's really very romantic." Callum looked up to see his grandmother smiling as she took a drink of her water. She seemed genuinely pleased with the whole situation, which took a lot off his mind. "What brings you two to Jauhar, then? I doubt it's just to visit with me. That letter I received was from Zena and that's too far for a chat."
Callum stilled, and slid his hand across the table to reach for Nim's. A part of him had always known she would ask, but in that same breath he had also hoped she might wait a while before doing so. "We don't have to tell her if you don't want to, love." Corine may have been a gossiper, but she wouldn't pry, not if Callum expressly asked her not to.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:07 pm
It was a rare sight, indeed, to find Callum truly embarrassed about something. With anyone else, seeing him withdraw would have been alarming, but here? Corine meant no harm by it, it seemed, and she wasn't shaming him with the knowledge of his sleep talking. It did, of course, make Nim wonder just what it was Callum had dreamed that had him so concerned!
Be that as it may, the topic drifted on to romance, and hearing it out loud... Nim bit the edge of his lip, fighting a smile. Were they really destined for one another? It was such a fanciful thought that, as a grown man, he should dismiss out of turn, but instead? Those very romantic notions had, perhaps, been the fan to the flame of his crush, even as they traveled together in Sauti.
If only the topic could stay so sunny and golden. As Corine continued, Nimueh tensed, then dropped his head to his glass, fingers briefly twitching away from his love's soothing touch, before relaxing and accepting the support for what it was. It was tempting, honestly, to accept the offer, to shake his head and allow the topic to be passed on. And for a long moment, as he gnawed at his lip, Nim almost took it... before instead releasing a tense breath, and lifting his face once more. "We had hoped to pray to Aisha. To pray for a family. But we... were turned away."
Clearing his throat, Nim blinked rapidly, fighting the growing tension in his throat. He felt selfish, and like a liar, to be torn up about this - to be upset, and Callum could see through it, he knew he could. "It is what it is." He forced out, but it came out in a rasp of a whisper, because if he spoke any louder he knew his voice would crack with emotion.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:10 pm
Scarlett Arbuckle Song I was listening to and thought appropriate
Callum could see his grandmother from here. Corine's expression was full of unguarded sympathy. He couldn't look at it for long, and instead closed his eyes, giving his lover a squeeze to keep them both from breaking.
"...Well, you're not giving up are you?" Corine, it seemed, could wait no longer to ask her question. She waited until her grandson opened his eyes once more, and they were notably more moist than they had been a moment ago. "Boys, you came to Jauhar from Zena for one purpose; to start your family. That's not a trip you take lightly." She tapped the table with her index finger. "My husband used to always say that when one door closes two more will open. You still have options."
"Gran." Callum was tired. He had never felt his years until after the rejection, and thinking about it made his soul heavy. "It's not...it's not that we haven't thought of the alternatives, but..." How did he explain to her that there was more significance to this than being denied a family? That it was as if the entire community had called Nim out for abandoning a Goddess that he had never spoken ill of? At least, not to Callum.
"It's just a lot to take in right now. Adoption isn't out of the question, but I don't see how there could be another door...?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:06 pm
It was a situation that had many, many facets to it, for the both of them. For Callum, the long trip and Nimueh's assurances had likely gotten his hopes up, and Nim feared the confirmation of his fears would make him retreat into his shell again. What if, after all this, Callum once again looped back into those doubtful thoughts? Others may see the run of bad luck as a divine sign that children just weren't in the cards for them - and while Nimueh didn't believe it, what if Callum did?
And yes. For Nimueh, it was about their possible children, and about his own faith. For so long, his connection to his blood - to his alkidike sisters - had been instilled in him by his adopted mother. When he came to her, after the advance of the extremists, he was bitter, rejecting his sisters as they had rejected him, waiting for Aisha to give him some sign, any sign, that she had any care in her heart for him. Elsheba, the woman who found him as a babe, had once told him that he his parents had stolen him from Aisha. That they had snuck to her in the dead of night, had defied the matrons for him, and Aisha had punished them for it. Perhaps, even now, she was punishing him?
His years in Zena, with his adopted family, had made him think otherwise. Izuzue instilled a healthy respect in him, had sheltered the dying embers of his faith, had tried to strengthen his ties to his sisters by filling him with her own sincere beliefs. For a time, it had worked.
Nimueh couldn't deny Aisha. She was as real to him as the sun, not just a tree but his goddess, his mother. But if she cared for him so little, if his sisters couldn't see his true feelings beyond the shield he wore on his back, then how could he care for her in turn?
Perhaps it was the logic of a child who wouldn't get his way, stamping his foot and yelling 'I hate you' to the skies, but Nimueh couldn't make himself feel any other way.
As soon as Callum moved to embrace him, Nimueh sagged backwards in the chair, raising his hands to rest them against Callum's arms, rubbing the soft, pale skin with his fingertips, tilting his head so his cheek bumped against Callum's, nuzzling in quiet apology. He didn't shift his head or posture when Corine spoke, but he did crack open his eyes, looking at her subtly. If there was one advantage to his eyes, it was that he could watch without being as obvious as an earthling would be.
They'd spoken of alternatives, of course. Adoption. After the war, orphans had been widespread, Nimueh included, but it had been nearly a decade since then. There would be orphans from other causes, of course, but they would be far and few between, staying with those kind enough to house them, or cared for by the settlements in shelters. But even there, they faced the same risks - of rejection. Not just from the caretakers, who may not trust hybrids (plenty of old fashioned pure-blood earthlings believed all sorts of stereotypes about more outrageous behaviors from hybrids), but also the children themselves, who may not understand or enjoy strange men trying to take them far away from a place they'd grown up.
Then there was earthling biology, but Nim... honestly hadn't given it much thought. He had been horrified enough of the concept when he was younger, and now? He couldn't imagine a female earthling, a stranger, willingly going through such a thing when the child wasn't hers to keep. ...Then again.
"We can't be the only couple who was turned away." Nimueh mused, furrowing his eyebrows. "We just have to find them. Or... someone willing to hear us out."
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:30 pm
Callum angled his neck so that he could place a light, chaste kiss to Nim's jaw. He could have stayed like that forever, and just forgotten everything.
At first the sound of a moving chair confused him, until Callum realized Corine had moved to stand up. She murmured something under her breath, eyes searching about for something until she settled on a little satchel with an 'ah!'. The older shifter slip it over her head, settling the cross body bad against her hip before looking at the two men. Callum hadn't seen that kind of fire in her eyes in so long that he was surprised at first, which was enough to prod him into questioning it, but she cut him off, "I'm going out for a little while, but I'll be back before dark. Stay dressed." She pointed a meaningful finger at them.
As Corine passed the two she reached out a hand, ruffling first Callum's curls before passing that same affectionate gesture to Nim's dreads. She didn't speak another word before walking out the doorway.
"That...was odd. Even for her." Callum straightened his spine just so that when he canted his head he could look over his shoulder towards the door. Perhaps she thought they might need some space? It was considerate of her, but Callum didn't want to chase his aging grandmother out of her own home.
Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Nimueh. "...Surrogacy? Do you think there would really be a woman out there that would help us?" Callum had his doubts. In all actuality, it terrified him. What if by no small miracle they were to find such a woman, and at the last moment, right when the babe came into the world, she decided to keep it? He didn't think he would be able to come back from that.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:49 pm
Oh boy. Grandma Corine was moving. Nim straightened in his chair, turning to fix Callum was a startled look. She took her time preparing herself, shuffling about the house getting ready - for what, Nimueh didn't know. But her order? At her insistance they stay clothed, the tension in Nimueh's chest broke and he let out a startled laugh, shaking his head, but raising his hands in a 'of course, I wouldn't dare!' gesture.
He wouldn't have expected the sweet gesture directed towards him, not so soon after meeting - it was heartwarming enough for her to ruffle Callum's hair, messing up the beautiful curls fondly, but to have it turned towards him? He had only just met her. And yes, she had seemed to take their loss close to heart, but it was strangely reassuring to know that she was there for the both of them.
If only they knew what she was up to! She breezed out of her home and left them alone there - and Nimueh honestly didn't know how she intended on getting down to the forest floor. He couldn't imagine someone her age slipping up and down a vine like Callum had, and yet these shifters were definitely something.
"Maybe if we're helping eachother..?" Nim responded, gripping Callum's hand and guiding him around the back of his chair, and to his side instead. Then, scooting back away from the table, he pulled him close and hugged him around the middle, peering up at him from where he sat ,and Callum stood.
Call him bitter, but Nimueh couldn't imagine anyone would willingly give up their body as a vessel, risking their own life to give them children. Instead, he muddled over the possibility of seeking out other couples rejected by Aisha. Earthlings were so likely to have multiple children, and it was an option if one couple had one child, and the other kept the other. But that relied on actually having twins; besides, Nim didn't like the idea of picking between their children, and he liked the idea of a child of theirs existing, somewhere, away from them even less.
And feeling that way himself, he also sympathized with Callum's concerns about the birth mother changing her mind. His thoughts turned to the two ice women back in Zena, who had flirted with them at an inn, but he doubted they would be willing to go through that much for them. They had flirted, but that didn't necessarily mean they were up for such a sacrifice. "... If we did find someone, would we really be able to... let one another--" He trailed off, but looked up at Callum meaningfully. They were both jealous people, as they'd learned the hard way. Would they be able to do something like this, without that jealousy interfering?
Nimueh didn't know if he could go through with it. He had felt dishonest enough during his brief relationship with his neighbor, in Zena - and that had been while he thought he didn't have a shot with Callum. But then, what weren't they willing to do for their future family?
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 9:59 am
Scarlett Arbuckle Brief little time skip after before Gran comes back?
The idea had merit. If they were to find a willing surrogate who couldn't have children the natural earthling way, in much the same fashion that they themselves could not, then an agreement could have been brokered. A few days, even a few hours ago, he might have been desperate enough to try, but not now. It would have been one thing entirely if both he and Nimueh were polyamorous; they could have made a rather large family, one that saw to the needs of everyone without having to split up any possible future children. However, Callum had no intention of sharing his man with anyone else, and he knew that Nimueh felt the same way.
"Things are never easy with us, are they?" Callum mused. The old saying went that if life were easy it wouldn't be worth living. He freed his hand from Nimueh's dreads and instead cupped his cheek, using his thumb to stroke the skin above the younger man's cheekbone. "If this doesn't sit right with you, then we won't try. I won't pretend that I like the idea of you being with someone else, but if this can help..." The implications were clear; while Nimueh might not be able to go through with it, Callum was committed. He wouldn't be entirely pleased with it, and the act would be followed by waves of guilt, but the decision had to be unanimous between the pair.
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 8:58 am
Painted Moose Yep, sounds good to me razz
There would always be that part of him that dreamed of a child that had Callum's beautiful eyes, or smile, or crystals, mixed with Nimueh's less desirable features, but that desire was for living proof of the bond they shared. And, indeed, if that was the main trait he wanted in a child, then was he any better than the parents who had rejected Callum? No; he wanted a family with Callum.
And while he was angry and hurt by the most intimate of rejections from his 'sisters', he needed to separate that feeling from their search for that family.
Nimueh sagged in relief against Callum, tilting his face into his gentle touch, releasing a soft, blissful breath. "Then we'll do it. The both of us. We'll make this happen, sweet." Emboldened, Nim fought the urge to flash a toothy grin, and instead settled his ands against Callum's hips and ducked down to steal a quick kiss.
Now they only had to find a surrogate who would agree to it. Moments ago, the thought had seemed hopeless, but with Callum willing to try, he knew they'd accomplish it. ... Only, now he was raring to jump to his feet and stride outside, ready to search -- and they were still waiting for Grandma Corine to return from... wherever she had gone.
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