The front door opened as Serah grabbed an apple from the bowl in the middle of the dining room table. Everyone in the room, including Serah, Jaeger, and Anya looked up to see Sky and Vanille at the front door, but before anyone could even call out a friendly welcome greeting, Vanille charged straight up the stairs, keeping an unhappy face mostly hidden from them. "Whoa!" Hawke flattened to the wall as the little bull charged past. Hawke looked from the unhappy fleeing girl to the miserable one standing at the foot of the stairs. She judged Sky would be the safer bet. "You two okay, Sky?"
"No," Sky answered, oddly frank in supreme depression as the door upstairs closed. She glanced to the living room to see Jaeger and Anya near Serah and frankly told. "Vanille and I are taking a break," Sky revealed miserably, "I don't want to talk about it. Vanille might want to later, though, Anya."
At the table, Anya nodded quietly. "Okay."
Sky glanced back at Hawke once, then took off through the den on the opposite side of the living room. "I'll be on the couch," Sky claimed, taking the one opposite in the family room where the children sometimes played indoors. She left without saying anything else. Hawke watched her out, then looked across the living room where those three had quieted.
"Serah," Hawke summoned over, as much to break the awkward moment that'd appeared as to talk to her. "You wanna go for a walk?"
"Yeah," Serah took the apple to go, "I'll be back in a couple of hours, Anya." Serah reported before she left. "And maybe you can finally show me how to season and spear the boar roast if dinner starts late enough."
"Of course, Serah." Anya nodded to her departing form. "I'd like that very much."
Hawke waited for her at the door and opened it. Serah slipped out ahead of her and waited until Hawke came out. "Where are we walking?" Serah asked. Hawke shrugged, but preferred something a little quieter this time.
"The outskirts of the village, maybe?" Serah agreed and they started out. It was weird not to hold her hand as they went, but Hawke didn't think Serah would take hers this time. Too presuming, given what their last serious conversation entailed—some would call it a fight, but Hawke didn't really like thinking of it that way, even if it led to their breakup. It was a discussion they had to have for their relationship's direction. "So," Hawke offered as a point of smalltalk in case Serah hadn't had enough time or didn't want to talk about them. "Pretty crazy about Sky and Vanille, huh?"
"I think they needed it," Serah answered respectfully, "I mean, I hope they get back together over it, but they seem so stressed out of late. Couples need to have a fight every now and again to sort things out."
It sounded like it, but Hawke couldn't be sure if she was referencing that back to them or not. "You think so?" she asked, seeking her confirmation or insight. Serah gave her a sideways glance.
"Yeah. It puts things into perspective a little better, I think anyway." Hawke shuffled a little, her question of them still up in the air. As they walked, Serah's hand unexpectedly pressed to hers with fingers folding in-between Hawke's like she'd done so many times before. The warmth today was like fire. "Hawke," Serah said more softly, "I'm ready to talk if you are."
Hawke swallowed a gulp. "Are you sure?" She almost croaked, "It's only been three days. If you need more time— "
"I'm okay," Serah offered in that small, cute little voice she had, but sounded confident about it. "But if you need more time, I can wait."
"I don't," Hawke claimed, but glanced around them once. They were almost on the outskirts of the village side nearest their house. "But let's get out there first and find a spot to sit down."
"Okay," Serah agreed in that equally soft, soothing tone. Hawke's nerves weren't eased.
"You seem pretty calm about this," Hawke commented as they went.
"I'm a little nervous," Serah admitted. "I don't wanna say the wrong thing or forget something, but I've had it in mind what I wanna say now for a little bit. What about you?"
"A little more nervous than you, I think." Hawke finally pulled free from the last row of houses and the boarded wall, leveraged to keep fiends out. She tugged Serah's hand to take her around the bend of the wooden wall where they found a spot in the grasses and sat beside each other, facing the fields that grew up the farther they went out. The rocky ledges led to the cove of hotsprings just beside, accessible from within the wooden wall and out. Sometimes fiends wandered in, small ones like wolves and the oversized ducks, but no one barred off the other side. It wasn't a serious enough problem for that. "Do you want to go first?" Hawke asked, their hands now separated with hers resting on raised knees as she watched Serah intently with a turned head her way.
"I can do that," Serah agreed, eyes flicking outward over the fields for comfort away from the awkwardness of bringing this up. "We left off at our break because I've been torturing you, right?" Hawke winced. She felt like such an ass just hearing it. "Oh, don't cringe," Serah objected, noticing that. "I have been torturing you. Sex is like sleep to Yuns, and you haven't had any for months."
Hawke kept wincing. "Don't make it sound like it's your fault, Serah. It's not. It's mine. It's… me."
"Hawke," Serah spoke in that gentle, but chastising tone. She didn't raise her voice, but her empathy was firm. "I know how much sex means to you and the Yuns. I know it's a cultural pride for your people. You don't have to feel bad about getting nervous because I haven't been giving you any. The truth is, I have been holding something back from you. It came out all wrong the other day because I waited too long, and that's my fault, but I've been ready to move forward with you, Hawke. I've wanted to try other things with you. Maybe not sex yet, but things like groping and handjobs and oral… the step right before it so that I could get to the comfort level to have sex with you."
It all sounded glorious, and that would satisfy Hawke too—she wanted to intimately touch her girlfriend. Even if they couldn't have sex, those were the stages just before it, and it'd keep Hawke sated just to be able to do something with Serah. But every time Hawke had tried in the past to do those things… "You pull away," Hawke said in a sad, wishing-it-were-different tone. "Every time I've tried that, you pull away, Serah."
"That's why this is my fault," Serah claimed, turning her head to meet Hawke's eye in earnest. "I've wanted to do those things with you too, but every time we almost get to it, I start thinking about the consequences. I think, 'Serah, you'll get riled up in this and what happens if you go all the way right off the bat.'"
"I wouldn't push for sex if you weren't ready for it yet," Hawke interjectingly said. She had to know that.
"I know," Serah assured, looking at her with sad gray eyes. "It's not you I'm worried about, it's me. I keep thinking if we push that far that you were, you know, pleasuring me, I'd have no sense to stop it. I'd tell you to keep going, and after… what if I wasn't good enough?" Serah turned her head away, looking shamed and embarrassed. "I'm a virgin, you know. And you're the hottest, studliest girl I've ever dated. The only girl I've ever dated. I can't stop thinking… I won't be good enough for a Yun. For you."
"Serahh," it was Hawke's turn to chastise now. "Virgins get better at sex, you know? Even if you were grossly bad at it, which I highly doubt would be the case, that's why you have a partner to learn with. I would never break up with you because you weren't a professional lovemaker your first time. Or your second or third or any of those early months. Sex is like riding a wyvern, Serah. You just get good at it."
"Is that like a saying here?" Hawke tilted to head, but Serah shook hers, still looking on straight ahead. "I guess I always knew you'd never be that mean to me… it's just hard, you know? Guys in my world aren't like Yuns. They do that kinda thing— break up with you after sex, never call back or talk to you again, even tell their guy friends what kind of lay you were and if you sucked."
Hawke balked. "What? Who did that?"
Serah gave her a sideways glance with the smallest of smiles. "Not to me, dummy. I'm still a virgin. It's just something some of them do." Who the fuck would do that? Hawke's brow furrowed.
"That's normal of your men?"
"Not all of them," Serah defended. "Some of them are nice guys… they're just a little rarer. And usually fat."
Hawke's brow cinched again. "Eww."
Serah let off a soft chuckle. When she next looked at Hawke, her eyes were full of emotion and gentleness. "I know you wouldn't do that. It's just been hard for me to take the next step with you with all the 'what if's out there. I mean, you're Yun, you know? The way Claire talks and writes about Fang, I doubt there's any going back once I've been with you, you know? Everything else would feel like settling. But since I can't be sure I'll always have you… I just get scared to take that first step forward into the unknown…"
I don't want to break up with you over it. I wanna keep being your girlfriend, Hawke. And do things with you. I'm sorry I got too scared this whole last month to tell you. I just… didn't want our spot to change for the worst. I'm sorry."
"Serah," Hawke moved from her back against the wood to kneel in front of her girl who had curled up her legs in front of her all cutely. Hawke kneeled before her and reached out a hand to Serah's cheek with her thumb. She stroked the skin back there, glad to not feel any wetness, though Serah seemed on the verge of it in some senses. "I don't want to break up with you either. You're an amazing girlfriend. The best I've ever had."
Serah smiled a little with watery eyes at Hawke. "I'm the only girlfriend you've ever had."
"Yes, well." Hawke adapted. "You're the best girl of all those I've done—even without sex, you treat me better than them."
"Would probably treat you better with it," Serah mumbled, making Hawke smile a little too before sobering for her girlfriend. "Listen, Serah," Hawke told her in good faith and complete honesty. "I can't promise you that I'm going to be with you forever either. I can't make that promise." Hawke held her arm. "But I want to, and that's more than I've wanted to tell any girl before. I want us to work. But I'm not perfect either, Serah. I'm going to make mistakes. I admit, I had some fears about your comfort level with me too-"
"You shouldn't, Hawke." Serah interjected a small part of her words. "I might be a little slower than you like me to be picking it all up, but I want to be a girl you're proud of to have too. I know you had the reputation of your fetish for Cocoon girls in Paddra," Hawke coughed in the back of her throat. Serah smiled. "But I know how much you love being a Yun too. I wanna participate in that. In… all your Yun traditions. Eventually. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to get there."
Hawke leaned in instinctually to kiss the unnecessary apology off her lips. She pulled back after only a few seconds to say. "You're the best, Serah."
Serah's gray eyes seemed to gleam. "Hawke," she reached out a hand and touched Hawke's chin, guiding her closer so that their lips almost brushed. "Maybe we should try this… one more time."
Hawke's stomach fluttered. If Serah meant what she thought—and then her girlfriend's lips were on her. Serah's legs folded down as she tugged her kneeling Yun closer to kiss, once again forming a hard bundle that stiffened and slowly pressured hard against her pants, so tight in jeans so used to the feel. Hawke barely held back the groan from the mere touch of those lips. Serah's mouth melted her like chocolate inside.
Serah pulled her down from the kneel a little further and Hawke's heart skipped a beat as her arousal touched her belly. Serah gave a quick inhale, but didn't pull away as Hawke's hard flush of heat grazed her stomach through clothes. "Mmm," Serah moaned after a long moment, their kiss long, deep, terribly arousing and slow. "That what I think it is?"
She was being so sexy, and had been such an amazing girlfriend. Hawke wanted her now more than ever.
Bing! A small noise sounded. The pressure loosened a tiny bit. Hawke separated and glanced down where Serah's eyes followed. There, they found a button on Serah's shirt that'd gone missing from Hawke's pants above the zipper. Serah's pink, fluffy brows furrowed. "Did you pop your button?"
"I didn't reach for it!"
"You didn't finger it?"
"I swear!"
A small smile started to form on Serah's delicious lips as her eyes rose with an amused tint to Hawke. "Your arousal popped the button?" Hawke actually blushed.
"It's pretty hard in there…"
Serah giggled and it was lyrical to hear her mirth so happy again. "I really have been torturing you, haven't I?" Serah glanced down at her again and quirked her head. "How big are you anyway? I thought boob size was the indicator of length…"
Hawke balked. "What? That makes no sense at all, Serah! You think Fang's shrunk down there because she's a skinny little twiglet? That's the only big thing about her right now."
"Oh…" Serah registered, "Yeah… so, how big are you?"
"Maybe we should play before I tell or show you." Hawke suggested, then glanced up and around. "Besides, I have a walk of fame to have with you. No way am I letting some random Sylk show up and make you stop in the middle."
Serah blushed. Before she could say anything, Hawke wound arms around her stomach and easily pulled her up half over her shoulder like a log. "OhmyGod!" Serah squeaked, turning redder. "What are you doing?"
"Your walk of fame," Hawke said calmly, starting off with her. "You're my Flame and I'm taking you home with me for all the village to see."
"Is this some kind of Yun tradition of claiming?"
"Not really," Hawke shrugged. "I'm just bragging that you're going home with an erect stud to all these reserved villagers."
"Hawke, you're terrible!" Serah blushed so bad.
"I don't feel you kicking."
"I'm hiding my face, just so you know."
"That's okay," Hawke rubbed her leg in comforting. "Everybody recognizes your hair anyway."
"You know I'm only letting you do this because I feel bad about making you suffer the past month."
Hawke grinned, quite happy with that anyway. "That's why you're the best girlfriend." To a passing Teff with wide eyes, she greeted. "Evening, Teff! Just taking my Flame home for some tender loving." She must've glanced over at Serah too because Serah hid her face in Hawke's back a moment after.
"You better be really nice to me tonight."
"I plan on it."
Smilodon, 9
XXX
Serah woke up pleasantly warm. With a beautiful Yun pressed up to her back, thick blanket covering their clothed bodies, the familiar press of her Yun was something Serah relished and loved. In addition to the familiar, encompassing warmth she received from the bear hug around her belly, Serah felt that familiar and missed hard center beneath silky cloth and her own, thin pajama pants. Hawke felt so hard there to the curve of her butt, she practically pulsed.
Serah savored the feel of it beneath the blankets they were under. Just yesterday, she'd touched it. Purposefully. And with Hawke's guidance, she'd spread her Yun's sticky lust over her fingers and slowly went through her first session of rubbing Hawke off. Serah liked the slow, purposeful strokes better, as opposed to the rapid drags up and down when Hawke had been close. When she'd reached the point of no return, Hawke whimpered and stilled her hand. Serah had watched in amazement as Hawke's contractions took her into pleasure. She'd 'yipped' at the first squirt, but had been too taken in watching the tip of her penis and orgasmic flexes that had Hawke coming. Serah looked up to her girlfriend after. She'd never seen anyone come before, and Hawke seemed so pleasured by it, her eyes were still closed. "Hawke?" Serah had asked, and Hawke had kissed her for it, looking like one of the happiest Yuns Serah had ever seen with that smile.
They'd touched a little. Hawke had squeezed her in places, but hadn't gone on beyond that with her and instead played a little exploratory game of Hawke's body. Serah had seen her naked before, of course, she'd been like that the first time they met! But she hadn't played the touchy game with Hawke before, and she had to admit, she'd liked it.
And now she was warm, made up with her perfect woman and enjoying the feel of her pressing in these early morning hours. Sometimes, the universe just worked out for a little bit. For Serah, it was anyway. And behind her, Hawke squeezed gently in the early morning hours, barely waking and comfortable where she lay as well. "Mmm."
Serah smiled, so happy to be past their squabble. Maybe Hawke would let her touch and experiment on her again this morning. Serah wanted to be good for Hawke when it came to intimacy. Hawke had been very happy yesterday; Serah intended to make her so again. "Hawke, are you waking?"
"Mhmm," Hawke murmured, nuzzling her face into Serah's hair with affection. She kissed there. "G'morning."
"Morning," Serah bit back a happy smile, reserved all to herself. "Are you comfortable, Hawke?"
"Very," Hawke squeezed her with those strong arms around the belly, making Serah lay a hand over one to touch her and be warm. "Are you?"
"I couldn't be comfier," Serah told her back truthfully, so happy and warm when Hawke held her like this. She didn't mind the bulge at all; it was actually making her all curious again. Serah bit back her guilty smile turning up the edges of her mouth. "I bet you could be, though."
"Oh yeah?"
"Oh, yeah," Serah licked the top of her bottom lip, all giddy with butterflies. "Maybe we could try what I did yesterday again…"
"You want to give me another hand job?"
"If you want one, maybe…"
Hawke loosened her grip around Serah enough to turn her in her arms, which Serah helped to do to look into Hawke's face. Hawke's lips smoothed over hers before another word could be said. Her hand soothed over her arm, keeping her cozy as talented lips made Serah's quiver for more. Serah just melted in her bodily love.
XXX
"Daddy, that tickles!" Ember giggled, lifting small hands to her head where Sky rubbed in the bubbly shampoo to her hair. Ember clutched at Sky's fingers, fighting the giggles.
"You have a sensitive head, little button." Sky smiled at her youngest in the big, bubbly tub, leaned over, and kissed her girl's soapy head, getting bubbles around her lips, which made Ember giggle and reach for them with an equally-soapy hand. She got it all over her daddy by accident while trying to rub off the mini-suds that'd attached to Sky's lip and laughed.
"Daddy!" Ember cried out, horribly giggling to herself over the suds on Sky's face.
"Is it something on my face?" Sky asked the giggling one, playing along with her.
"They look like kitty whiskers," Ember smiled, little eyes all full of mirth and childish humor.
"You know, Em," Sky told her, wiping off the suds as she reached down again to help washing her little one. "People in Cocoon grow whiskers on their faces like suds."
"Whattt?" Ember made a face.
"It's true," Sky shared, "They get tiny little whiskers all over their faces. And they have to shave them to get them off every day, otherwise they get all prickly about the face."
"Nuh-uh," Ember denied, "Prickles on the face?"
"Like a cactus." Sky told her. Ember gave a doubtful look, and Sky shared. "You wanna know the worst part?"
"What?" Ember asked, anxious to hear it. Sky had even grabbed Rivera's attention behind her in the tub and Kierra behind Rivera gave her a skeptical brow. "What is it, Dad? What's worse?"
Sky leaned in as if to share a secret with her little girl. "The worst part," Sky shared, making Ember lean in to make sure she heard it all and understood. "Worse than waking up with prickles on your face every morning," she touched Embers cheeks to mar it with bath suds as the littlest one listened, the most attentive. "Is that some of them… don't even shave them off in the morning!"
"Eww!" Ember cried, reaching up to touch her cheek where the suds were. "They walk around all prickly, Dad?"
"Out in public, even!"
"Eweweww!" Ember cried, "Daad!"
Sky smiled gently. "And that's why Gran Pulse doesn't mix with Cocoon, Sweetie. People are unsanitary there."
"That's gross, Daddy."
"It is indeed," Sky agreed. "Dunk time, Ember. Scoot a little over for your sister, Rivera." Rivera scooted near Kierra to give her some space. Kierra waited until Sky dunked Ember's little head half under enough to cover her ears under water. Rivera started helping of her own volition to wash out Ember's hair with Sky.
"Is that true, Uncle?" Kierra asked, light brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Or are you just scaring Ember?"
"Scare my child heedlessly? I would never. It's entirely true, Kierra. Ask your mother if you don't believe me." Sky nodded back to Summer, who'd stilled in fetching towels to watch the father with her little girls. She had her quirks, but Sky was a good father. Summer really felt for her in her dilemma with Vanille. Sky had a big choice ahead of her. Caught behind forced realism from Vanille and the prospect of never fathering another baby to be with her… it wasn't a spot Summer would relish finding herself in either.
"Mom?" Kierra looked to for confirmation.
"Sky's right about that," Summer confirmed with a tender smile that had Kierra shocked.
"Wow… gross."
"It's called facial hair," Summer explained with a soft chuckle. She came over to the lip of the tub and set down the clean towels over the edge. Dipping the washcloth she'd fetched into the bathwater, Summer lifted it to clean her eldest. "It's something of a style of theirs, I'm told."
"They're weird," Shuddering, Kierra reached over the washcloth Summer used to rub her back with, "Thanks, Mom." Taking the cloth from her mother, Kierra pushed blonde locks aside to her shoulder to get all her spots. Sky had just lifted Ember out of the water.
"Thatt'a girl. Now, let's condition up your head so we can comb through it."
"I've got it, Dad," Rivera volunteered, taking the bottle from the tub edge to do her little sister's hair.
"Make sure you get all of it," Sky reached out to catch a large gallop that'd been sliding down the side of her head and put it back on top. She let her fingers dangle in the water to clean them, watching her children help each other with bathing. Kierra and Rivera were old enough to shower by themselves, of course, but with only two upstairs bathrooms to share with eight people, it made more sense to wash them all together. The one bathroom was only a half and partially attached out of Sky's former bedroom with Vanille too, so Summer understood her desire to steer clear of it for now. Besides, with three little ones, it just made sense to keep them together.
Sky's eyes moved from her children to the floor for a moment before they finally lifted at Summer. She could see the sadness in those eyes and understood it well. As much as Sky loved interaction with their children and wouldn't give that up for anything, it was a harsh reminder of the choice she faced with Vanille. A lifetime without more children at Sky's barely-mature age? It must've seemed so bleak to her.
"Summer," Sky finally asked, glancing from the kids in the tub back to her. "What would you do… in my place?"
"About Vanille?" Summer asked just to make sure, though she had fair confidence this is what Sky meant. Sky nodded quietly and glanced at the kids. Rivera watched her curiously back every now and again, but Ember was too preoccupied with bathtime toys and games to give note to Mommy and Daddy's discussion.
"Be honest," Sky added. "Please."
Summer sighed; Sky needed to talk to someone, this much she'd figured, but she probably didn't have the same love-driven blindness Sky did about it all. "You're very young, Sky," Summer finally said, "I know you love Vanille and want to be with her, but 21 with four children, both sets who live with their mothers… " Summer shook her head. It was a sensitive topic with her, but one Summer hoped Sky had brought under consideration, considering her circumstance. "Sky," Summer gently pushed, "Have you considered taking Vanille along with another mate?"
"No," Sky laid out flatly, but when Summer looked at her, her eyes were pleading and panicked in addition to determined, "Summer, I can't. I won't be like her."
"Sky," Summer chided softly. "Your circumstance is much different. You're nothing like her."
"Right now," Sky pointed out, "She was fine at one point too."
"Are you guys talking about grandna?" Rivera asked, not missing a beat though they'd never mentioned specifically who in the relationship.
"It's okay, Sport," Sky reached out a hand to her shoulder and rubbed it once. "We're just talking. We're not gonna go see her."
"I want to meet Grandna!" Ember chirped innocently. Having never had the experience of meeting her like Rivera had, she didn't fully know what she asked or how much Sky was determined not to let that happen.
"Nah, Em. She's a bit weird, isn't she, Riv? You wouldn't wanna meet her." Sky played it off for the child, but felt it like a solid rock in her chest.
"Yeah, she's a weirdo." Rivera faithfully seconded her father.
"I still wanna meet her! What kinda girl doesn't know her Grandna?"
"The extra cute ones don't." Sky encouraged.
"Come here, squirt," Rivera took her sister by the arms, gently, not rough and claimed. "We've gotta get that cream rinse out. You ready?" Rivera ducked her ears and head under after a moment when she said she was. "Sorry, Dad," Rivera apologized only after she'd been safely tucked under the water. Sky ruffled her short, little spikey head.
"It's okay, Riv."
"What do you think you'll do, Sky?" Summer asked gently, drawing her attention back. Sky looked back from her children to Summer with such misery in those pretty blues.
"I don't know," Sky seemed at an utter loss, searching for her answers. "Would you break off the courtship for it?"
Summer gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm not you, Sky."
"Is that a yes?" Sky asked, depressed by the answer.
"I don't think I could do it," Summer finally offered, "If I'd been courting a stud made impotent and children from another stud wasn't an option…" Summer looked over at her three in tub with fond eyes. She wanted more; had, in fact, for long months now. Even at her age, older than Sky, to give up all her future children with her or any Yun… "I couldn't do it." She reached out a hand to touch Kierra's blonde head. She had most of her father's coloring, but there were a few light, naturally inlaid browns in there. Summer loved her babies too much.
Sky lowered her head, and it was truly an awful thing to see. Put to the test, she had to decide between her to-be mate and her babies. Summer didn't envy that at all. "What if it was Fang?" Sky unexpectedly asked, drawing Summer's surprised eyes back over to her. Sky wasn't quite meeting her eyes. "If Fang didn't want you to have someone else's… you would leave her?"
Despite being a little blindsided by the abruptness of the question, Summer took the moment to adapt to it. She didn't bother making a fuss over the mention of Fang; Sky knew as much as anybody that she had deep feelings for the woman and had wanted child from her more than once before. Instead, Summer answered truthfully without compromise. "I couldn't, Sky. If Fang were impotent and wouldn't let another Yun impregnate me, I'd leave her. Like I would any stud. I have sixty-some years of future pregnancies ahead of me; I couldn't. Not even for Fang."
Sky cringed so bad, Summer almost felt like she'd struck her. It obviously wasn't the answer Sky had been considering so strongly. Summer knew she wanted to stay with Vanille. As emotionally attached as Sky became, being forced to make a choice between her love or her children was torture. It might've seemed self-inflicted out of her stubbornness, but Summer knew how much becoming like her own mother scared her. She knew that more than anyone after Rivera especially…
Sky's greatest fear ran in line with her mother. She wanted nothing to do with the woman, but they had more similarities than Sky cared to admit. It was why Sky made an active effort to be everything she wasn't. But the fear never left Sky; not entirely, for Luna had been normal before her mind started to go too —that's what Summer had been told anyway; no one knew the whole story but Sky herself, perhaps Ivy, and Luna's mates, but what worried Sky more than she showed was her ability to remember everything so perfect. Sky wasn't the only one with that trait. Luna had it too.
Sky had come to her the first time she'd seen the trait in Rivera. The only other one Sky had ever actively confided to about her mother, Summer knew Sky's ingrained fears of becoming Luna like no one else. It was why Summer couldn't fault her for absolutely refusing a second mate; Luna had had four. Sky couldn't be like her in her head, even taking two was too much. Her heartbreaking, seemingly self-inflicted dilemma only proved what a lasting hold Luna's madness had on Sky. Even now, Sky wouldn't look at her for the deep, familial shame and fear she held.
Sky gazed at her little girls in the tub, Rivera who's eyes flicked between Mom and Dad curiously, taking in more than a girl her age would know without that ability that made her so special and smart, and Ember, who lay too young to understand, but smiled up at Sky from her spot in the water cheerfully. Sky lifted out a hand to Rivera and soothed fingers down through the deep blue that matched her own. "Maybe I'm not meant to reproduce anymore," Sky said quietly.
"Dad!" Even Rivera startled at the sound of it.
"Sky— "
"Maybe it's a sign," Sky continued, seemingly oblivious to their protests, "That my line shouldn't be carried… you know?"
"Dad, don't talk like that," Rivera chastised, taking Sky's hand from her hair to hold. The little one didn't know the full situation, even being as smart as she was, Sky hid her fears of her mother well. It was why her next words stung Summer as much as she was sure they affected Sky. "That's crazy."
Sky squeezed Rivera's small hand, "It kind of is, isn't it?" Even Ember and Kierra were looking now, though Kierra at least tried to be polite about it and be discreet. Sky's eyes drifted her way and met Summer's with such a feel of knowing, like she thought this inevitable, it was painful.
"Daddy?" Ember asked innocently, sitting up now, all washed.
"Come on, Pup," Sky reached into the tub, look disappearing in an instant as she grabbed up her child on out of the water. "Let's get you dry and ready for the day."
