From the way Artie is wringing his hands next to him on the couch, Sam can tell that there's something on Artie's mind. He pulls Artie closer and covers Artie's hands with his own.
"Artie, is there something you want to talk about?" Sam asks gently.
His husband looks up at him wide-eyed.
"Please, Artie, we've been together for about fifteen years now. I can tell when you're anxious. You either want to talk with me about something important or else you're actually a robot-alien. I mean, that's pretty important, but I think you would be a little less anxious," Sam says.
Artie laughs, tension eased.
"You caught me," Artie says. "Are you watching this?"
He gestures at the TV. Sam shakes his head and turns it off.
"What's up?" Sam asks.
"I was wondering what you thought about expanding our family," Artie says, biting his lip.
"Like… Children?" Sam asks.
"That's what I was thinking. I mean we're both secure in our careers, we have space in our apartment, and I mean I don't know if I'm ready, but I don't think anyone ever does," Artie says.
"How are you thinking about doing this?" Sam says. "I mean obviously you and I can't make our own babies. I'm perfectly willing to try though. As many times as you want."
Artie snorts.
"Thank you. I will definitely take you up on that offer later," Artie clears his throat. "I was thinking we could adopt. I've been looking at different ways to adopt. It's expensive and it can take time, but I think we can do it, if you want to."
Sam smiles and strokes Artie's cheek. Artie is looking up at him with a mixture of trepidation and excitement, and Sam feels explosions go off in his chest. He imagines them with kids. He imagines going on a walk like they normally do, but with excited and tiny feet coming along, too. He imagines going to plays, performances, sporting events, whatever their kids want to do. He imagines all of the drama he and all his friends went through in high school and he imagines having to deal with it all again but having their kids look to him for answers and having to supply those answers. He imagines all the awful things that can happen and there's really only one thing he can say.
"You're going to be an amazing father," Sam says, suddenly realizing that his eyes are getting a little watery.
Artie launches himself on top of Sam and their foreheads are pressed together. They're both smiling like idiots.
"Are we really going to do this? Become fathers?" Sam asks.
In response, Artie bends down to kiss him hard. When they break apart, Artie curls himself against Sam's side, wrapping Sam's arm around him and holding his hand tight over his own chest.
"You're going to be a great dad too, you know. You really are," Artie says so softly that Sam isn't sure that he's heard him right at first.
Sam kisses the top of Artie's head and releases a breath he didn't even realize he was holding.
They sit together in comfortable silence, both thinking about what exactly fatherhood will entail. Eventually Artie stretches and looks back up at Sam.
"So do you want to try to make a baby the old fashioned way?"
Sam doesn't even reply. He just picks Artie up and heads straight to the bedroom.