Author's Note: This chapter was adopted from whatisthisnonsense-abandoned.

This is the last adopted chapter! After this I have free reign over the story. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I own none of the Star Trek characters.

Chapter 10

By now, Pavel accepted that life was not fair and it was pretty illogical to say the least. He wasn't exactly at peace with that, but he accepted it nonetheless. However, this didn't mean that he wasn't surprised when David casually proposed to him barely a year after meeting each other.

"Vhat?" he practically squeaked, staring at his boyfriend after the man had insisted he wasn't playing some kind of joke.

"Let's get married," said David, amused and completely unmoved by Pavel's incredulousness. "We're happy. We make each other laugh, we're into the same things, and we look great together."

"I cannot beliewe zis," said Pavel. "Ve are not ewen in lowe! Ve are happy, sure, but zis is the most casual, serious relationship ewer!"

"But it's still a successful relationship. And we love each other, even if we're not in love. And I love the kids, and they love me."

"Vhy marriage? Vhy can we not just try living togezer or somezing first?" Pavel had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from adding that the kids didn't love him, they hated him.

"We can do that if you want, and I'm not saying this is going to end out relationship or anything if you don't accept, Babe." David smiled apologetically, "I'll be honest, I'm proposing for selfish reasons. My father has been trying to make me marry you since he figured out he wasn't going to get grandchildren any other way, but marriage. Second, you know how much the people at headquarters on Earth love monogamy. Even though we've been dating for over ten months, it would look better if we were married. It would make us look good in general."

If anyone else had said what David was right now they would have probably gotten punched in the face by know. He knew David though. He knew how they were together. They had both uncomfortably admitted to not being passionately in love months previously, but they both desperately wanted to stay together since they were so fond of each other. David had made a joke at the time, at how they were already an old married couple. Clearly that had put ideas into his head.

"But marriage, Dawid? Just zink about vhat you are saying! Ve vould be liwing togezer. Ve vould, right?" he asked, eyeing the now nodding man. "Zere vould be tvo babies making noise and messes all ze time, ve vould hawe to tolerate each ozer."

"You have no faith," sighed David dramatically. Then he smiled kindly at the younger man, "I don't know if you've noticed, but I live in a huge house. Sure, I'd rather be sharing a bed with you, but you're entitled to your own wing in that old place. And the kids aren't that bad, not for one-year-olds, or so I'm told."

Pavel just laughed in disbelief, "And vhat if one day, one or boz of us vant to be viz ozer people?"

"Not a problem. If either of us wants to date outside the marriage, that's fine; as long as the other doesn't mind. We should probably maintain a front of monogamy unless any other attachments get more serious, and if that happens we can get a divorce."

They talked for a long time; Pavel still not quite certain whether to believe that this was happening.

"Dawid," he said with a sigh, "I vant to trust you and beliewe zat zis vould vork, but I am not certain zat I can. Ze last relationship I vas in, I seriously misjudged the situations and ewen zough I knov I vas not in ze vrong, I still made a lot of mistakes. I trusted too easily and vas out of my depz from ze beginning."

David took Pavel's hands in his, stroking his thumbs along pale skin. "Your last relationship was with a self-absorbed asshole," he said softly. "I'm sorry, Pavel. I didn't do this very well. But the offer still stands. I do want to marry you. I think, no, I know we'd be amazing together, and if anything we'd have a lot of fun. But it's not a necessity, and you don't even have to think about it if it's too ridiculous for you. Just... please don't break up with me over it," he finished quickly.

"I vill not," laughed Pavel. "And you hawe not offended me or anyzing, it is just that I do not quite see vhat ve vould do afterwards. Ve vould be married, Dawid. I hawe children. Do you actually vant to be a parent to zem? Because you can be casual with me, but not vith zem, not ewer."

"I'll become a willing parent to Lyusya and Vitaliy. They wouldn't have to address me as 'father' or anything like that if that's going to be an issue, but if they want to, they can. If you marry me, I'll dote on them, teach them and give them advice as soon as they're old enough to need it; the whole damn thing. Of course I'll do that whether we're married or not, if we're still together or talking at least."

It took four weeks for Pavel to give David an answer, and he wasn't sure who was more surprised by his decision. He came to a conclusion after a particularly restless night of getting up to deal with Lyusya, who kept fussing, and from being unable to switch off his thoughts. It was odd, but his contemplation of marrying had become very, very selfish, even as he tried to remain thoughtful of David and the twins. He thought over David's words, "It would make us look good." Yes, he supposed they did look good together. With Lyusya and Vitaliy, they looked like a proper family. They looked mature, like nothing could touch them. So the next day Pavel called David and said bluntly, "I zink ve should get married."

The wedding was highly publicized on Victoria Six, even though they hadn't allowed photography of any kind during the ceremony. It wasn't extraordinarily grand, for neither had many friends and even less family. Just about the entire office was invited though. Pavel didn't tell his mother, she had never responded to the news of the twins anyway. There just didn't seem any point in trying to tell her. He also kept his surname. For some reason he hadn't liked the idea of changing his last name, nor his children's. It would change them all too much, and what if things didn't work out? David had been fine with it even as his father had kicked up a fuss which Pavel quickly ignored, taking the twins with him when he left. Besides that, the twins were aware of what was going on, though everyone else thought he was lying. They didn't like the idea of the marriage, but accepted it since it made their mother happy, according to the bond. He also got a lot of hostility aimed more at David and his father when the conversation about last names came up. Marriage or not, Pavel wasn't going to force his prince and princess to do anything they absolutely refused to do.

Of all the stupid things he had ever done in his life, this one took the cake. It was the single most stupid decision he had ever made, but as he said his vows he was filled with warm delight. This felt right, even though it felt so terribly wrong.