The Dream Come True
#2 of The Light in My Darkness
Chiaro watched the city go by as he held onto the railing in the crowded city bus. It was a beautiful, warm summer day, and the sun beat on his face through the window. It was the day that he would learn how the rest of his life would go.
"Next stop... Hyde Park at Royal York..."
Chiaro leaned forward and tugged on the stop request rope and pushed his way to the back door. The bus rolled to a halt, and he leapt out and power walked home. He walked with his head turned to the sky, paying more attention to the patterns in the clouds than the sidewalk in front of him. He simply could not keep his mind on the present moment. All he could think of was getting home. Luckily for him, he had managed to rent a place in a townhouse very close to the bus stop, and before he knew it, he was hopping up his front steps.
He shoved open his front door harder than he meant to and kicked his shoes off. On the way to his room, he passed Walnut's office, which had a little red hanger on the knob. He put that there every time he was in a meeting and didn't want to be disturbed. Chiaro winced, realizing that the bang the door made was probably loud enough to be picked up over the microphone. Walnut worked from home, as was becoming increasingly common for programmers, but it was pretty hard to work from home as a physiotherapist, so Chiaro found himself making the trip downtown every day. It wasn't a big deal. He didn't usually mind the commute, but today was not a usual day. Today was the publication of the latest Reproductive Frontiers, a scientific journal dedicated to new research in fertility.
One of the greatest triumphs of modern society was the normalization of interspecies relationships, and Chiaro felt very lucky to live in a time where he could marry a squirrel and no one would raise a fuss. But there was one severe side effect of this change-birth rates plummeted to unsustainable levels. Sociologists predicted that within a hundred years, the population would shrink to a fifth of what it currently was. The government, in a stroke of uncharacteristic wisdom, recognized that they couldn't put the cat back into the bag, and poured an enormous amount of money into scientific research on other ways to resolve the issue. One such study had its results published today.
Chiaro didn't really care about the article itself. He just wanted to know the outcome. He scrolled down to the conclusions section and began scanning. Very high rate of success... compatibility greatly increased... most mammals eligible... side effects rare and manageable... recommend immediate deployment of procedure wherever possible...
Chiaro put his head on his desk. It worked. It worked. It actually worked. Those were the words he wanted to read. The words that he did not dare that he would one day see. For the first time in his life, he could see his future. He could start a family with his husband. Tears fell, tapping gently on the wood of his desk. He wiped them up, hopped out of the chair, and jumped around the room a little bit. It really, actually worked. He had to tell Walnut. He turned to head for the door, which opened before he could get there.
"Hey hey," Walnut said, poking his head through the door. "Uhh... so, uh,"
Chiaro ran over to him and pulled him into a big hug. Tears continued to run down his cheeks as he put his head on his husband's shoulder. "It worked."
The pill bottle was empty now. The reality of his situation had been sinking in slowly, but as he took his last dose of the heat suppressant, it all came into sharp perspective. Chiaro had been on this medicine for as long as he had been capable of going into heat, and was pretty nervous about how it would feel. The medicine didn't completely remove the heat cycle, but it really took the edge off. He had heard some pretty wild stories of out of control heats, and he could only hope he didn't become one of them.
He looked at the bottle for a few more moments before peeling the label off and tossing it into the recycling. Now all that was left was for Walnut to receive the treatment, and see what happened...
Chiaro sat in the living room, twisted over the back of the couch, watching for Walnut to come home. His breathing was quick and he was having trouble sitting still. He knew the procedure was safe and effective, but he couldn't rest until he knew for sure. He glanced at the sky. Cloudy, but the sun occasionally peeked through the cracks. The forecast called for rain, but the clouds had been merciful thus far. Nothing. Still nothing. He craned his neck around to look at the clock. A minute passed. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. He got up and paced up and down the living room, the ornamental rug bunching up as he dragged his feet along it. He kept his eye on the window the whole time, and every time he saw a figure in the distance, he perked up, only to quickly realize it was someone else.
"Damn it, where are you?" he said, shoving his face up to the glass. He had been off the heat suppressants for only a few days, but the hormones were already affecting him. He was snippier and moodier and more impatient and just didn't feel like himself. He yanked out his phone and checked the fertility tracking app he was using. Peak fertility in six to eight days. With any luck, though, he wouldn't have to wait that long. He growled and spun around, dropping back-first onto the couch. He flipped through his apps, but just could not concentrate on anything. With a frustrated sigh, he dropped his phone on his chest and pressed his thumbs into the tops of his eyelids. Where was he, damn it?
The door suddenly opened and Chiaro sat up like a hinge. Walnut skipped through the entrance and could barely get two steps into the house before Chiaro hurled himself at him. He barely noticed his phone clattering to the ground as he wrapped his arms around the squirrel. Walnut stumbled, not expecting to have about a hundred and fifty pounds of weight thrown into him, but caught himself on the door.
"What took you so long? How did it go? Did it work?" Chiaro asked, his tail wagging so hard that his hips shook.
"Jesus, Chi! You trying to kill me?" Walnut said, pushing himself off the door. He kissed Chiaro on the cheek and returned the hug. "Hey, let's go sit down and talk about this."
Chiaro's shoulders slumped. Sit down? Weren't people asked to sit down when they were about to get bad news? "Everything went well... right?" he asked, unable to keep his voice from shaking.
"Yep! We're all good! Well, with one little catch," Walnut said as he fell backwards onto the couch.
"A catch?"
"Well, I can't nut in ya for a week."
Chiaro threw his arms out to his sides. "What? A whole week?! Why the hell not?" He couldn't take a whole week! The heat was getting worse every day, and he had put up with this shit for a whole fucking week? He was hoping it'd be done in the next damn hour!
Walnut gazed out the window. "Well, they gave me some spiel about 'a substantially increased risk of fetal defects in the first week of treatment' but I wasn't really listening. I was just thinking-"
"-of all the sex we couldn't have?"
"Exactly! When was the last time we went more than a week without me filling you up?"
"You mean since we moved in together?" Chiaro stared at the ceiling. "Has that ever happened?" he said, after thinking for a moment.
"No! It hasn't! They even said no birth control, just in case it failed."
Chiaro frowned. "Damn, it's that serious?"
"They want me to come in next week for another check, but until then..." Walnut shook his head. "Damn, this sucks."
Chiaro groaned and began pacing around. There's no way he could go into work like this. He had some canine patients and there'd be no way they wouldn't smell him. He knew this from experience. It would just be too weird. And besides... he was a guy, after all. Society come a long way in awareness and understanding of intersex conditions, but despite being more comfortable with himself, there were some things that were just too much. He sighed.
"Guess I'll have to take some sick days. I can't go to work while I'm in heat."
Walnut buried his head in his hands. "Fuck, I didn't even think about that. So you're gonna tell me that not only can we not have sex, but you're gonna be in here teasing me this whole time?"
Chiaro scoffed. "I'll be teasing you? Do you know how hard it's gonna be to be able to smell you 24/7 and not be able to fuck you?"
Walnut put his nose to his armpit. "I don't smell that bad, do I?"
"No! You smell fucking hot and that is exactly the problem!"
Walnut grinned. "Well, you're the hottest dude on the planet so it's not like it's easy for me either."
"I can hide from your eyes, but you can't hide from my nose."
"There's still that bucket of clothespins my mom gave us."
Chiaro smirked and shook his head. "Or maybe you could just sleep outside."
Walnut pouted. "Oh, you wouldn't make me do that, would you?" he said with the voice he always used when he was teasing.
Chiaro sat down next to Walnut and leaned up against him. "Nah, you know I wouldn't. But you might have to sleep out here, just in case."
Walnut chuckled and rested his head on Chiaro's shoulder, and they sat together for a while. Chiaro breathed in deeply. The scent of his husband always put him at ease. He could do this. It was just a week. It would all be worth it.
"It'll all be worth it..." he said, this time out loud, his mind still wandering. He thought of what they'd do a week from now. He thought of Walnut being deep inside of him, filling him with his semen. He thought of standing in front of his mirror with a big, round belly. He thought about being in a hospital bed, holding his new child-or children-to his chest for the first time.
And he really _probably shouldn't have. His daydreaming had really worked him up, and his heart was pounding. He squirmed in place as his crotch burned. Another week of this? Could he even last another day? Another hour? _Another minute?
"Uhh, you okay?" Walnut said, leaning back and looking at Chiaro.
"Sorry, I was just thinking... and now I'm horny as fuck," Chiaro said, rubbing his brow.
"Do you, uh, need some help with that?"
Fuck, he wished. He wanted nothing more than to climb on Walnut and get hollowed out. Maybe it wasn't such a big deal. Maybe the risks were overblown. He closed his eyes and shook his head. No. No, he couldn't be thinking like that. "I... we can't. I don't trust myself enough right now. I'm just... gonna... I'll be right back." He shot up and bolted into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him before he fell chest first onto the edge of the bed. He drove his hands under the band of his pants and underwear, and furiously rubbed his vulva. He rubbed, and he rubbed, and he inserted multiple fingers, and he rubbed some more, but nothing seemed to dispel the burning. He punched the bed and yelled into a pillow.
"Chi..." Walnut said, poking his head through the door. Chiaro hadn't even heard it open.
"How the fuck do people deal with this shit?" Chiaro said, barely raising his face from the pillow.
Walnut sat on the bed next to him and rubbed his husband's back. "I... man, I'm sorry. I have no idea what to do."
Chiaro rolled over and growled before punching the bed again. "Fuck!"
Walnut lay down next to him and took his hand. "Am I making this worse? Should I... maybe leave? " he said, absent his usual cheerfulness.
"No! I mean, I don't think so," Chiaro said. He breathed heavily, and as Walnut's scent filled his nose once more, he immediately felt even more flushed. "Well, I don't know. I'm so... so..."
Walnut stood up and walked to the door. "I think maybe I should go get groceries now. I was gonna go tomorrow, but..."
"Wally..."
"I think I'm just hurting you."
Chiaro whined and looked up at his husband. The squirrel's ears and face drooped, and he slouched heavily. He shrugged half-heartedly as he turned to close the door behind him. The sight pierced through Chiaro's arousal like an assassin's blade, and he kipped up off the bed and grabbed the squirrel's hand. Walnut looked back at Chiaro, and Chiaro met his sagging eyelids with a fierce stare.
"Don't you dare feel bad about this."
Walnut's eyes popped open. "Huh?"
"I'll be fine! I've been through worse!"
"Well..."
Chiaro put his hands on Walnut's shoulders. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably still think I were some fucked up dickless freak that-"
"Chiaro!" Walnut said, pressing a finger up to Chiaro's nose.
Chiaro suddenly felt a little stupid. He shrunk back and looked at the floor, embarrassed at his overdramatic outburst.
"It's fine, man... it's fine. There's no need to go diggin' all that back up," Walnut said, his ears and face perking back up. "Besides, like ya said, it'll all be worth it. We can make it through a single freakin' week, man."
Chiaro perked up a little. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Wally."
Walnut winked and began walking out of the room. "Besides, it can't be any worse than pushin' a baby out. Glad that ain't my problem!" he said, his voice growing distant as he walked to the front of the house. Chiaro sighed and rolled his eyes. He was right, of course. That blunt, crass honesty, never failed to lift his spirits, even when it was something like that.
"And you better be there holding my hand when I do!" Chiaro yelled with a laugh to the front of the house. He heard an indistinct noise from Walnut as the front door closed, and he sat back down on the bed. He wasn't really any less horny than he was minutes ago, but his emotions had settled down, and he felt like he could handle it.
He had to.
Chiaro sat on the couch with his eyes closed, focusing on his breath. Despite his heat being stronger than ever, he was slowly learning how to handle it without going insane. But today was certainly a trial. Today, there was no ambiguity. They were testing Walnut one last time, and if everything checked out, well...
He tried to clear his mind of the thought as he pulled up the group chat and read the backlog, looking for any distraction he could get. As he was scrolling through various memes, strange discussions, and yelling about politics, a message appeared at the top of his screen.
Wally?now
everything's good. on my way home now <3
Chiaro's heart rose into his throat. His mental wall shattered, and suddenly, he could think about only one thing. He took several deep breaths, but they didn't help. How long would it take Walnut to get back? He did the math in his head. Coming from the university hospital... needed two bus transfers... probably like an hour? He fired off some replies.
i'm gonna get ready.
holy shit i'm so excited.
fuck, just come straight into the bedroom when you get back.
i'll be waiting for you. :)
He wanted to make this just right. As he marched to the washroom to get cleaned up, his phone beeped, and he checked his messages.
Wally?now
O_O
im on the bus chi you can't do this to me
Chiaro snorted and tossed his phone on the bed and walked into the washroom. He took off his clothes, and turned to look at himself in the mirror. He couldn't help himself from once again imagining how he'd look six or seven months pregnant, and felt another hot rush. Soon, he told himself. Soon. After a quick but thorough shower, he spent a few minutes drying himself. As he set the towel down, he realized just how jittery his hands were. It was an anxiety that he hadn't experienced in a long time. Starting a family was something he had fantasized about since he was a teenager, and now he stood at the precipice.
And there was no going back.
He walked out of the washroom and glanced at the dresser. Maybe he could put on some nice clothes... but what was the point? Walnut always told him that he had the hottest body on the planet, and while certainly begged to differ, this was not the time to be arguing. Whatever got Walnut the most turned on was what he wanted-needed-to do right now. He crawled into bed and looked down at his body. His vulva looked so swollen from this angle. He knew that was something that happened during heat, but his suppressants always kept that at bay. Would Walnut like it? Did it look grotesque? He might have dwelled on it longer if he weren't so fucking horny. He was at the point where the bedposts were starting to look mighty appealing.
"What's taking you so long" he said, rolling onto his side and groaning. He picked up his phone and checked the time to do some more mental math, but it didn't really matter. Every second longer was too many. His heart was beating so loud that he could hear it. He rolled over again and began rubbing his labia. A shock went through his spine as the sensation overpowered him, but it did absolutely nothing to _satisfy _him.
Click.
His ears shot up. A moment later, the familiar sound of the front door opening. He was home. Chiaro wanted to call out his husband's name, but he kept quiet. What should he do? What position should he be in? How should he-
"I'm baaaack," Walnut said, his head poking out from around the door.
Chiaro sprung from the bed, reaching the door in one stride.
"Whoa, hey-" Walnut said as Chiaro yanked on his jacket collar, pulling him into a kiss.
Chiaro rubbed his hands up and down the squirrel's face as he drove his tongue into his mouth. The scent of the squirrel was intoxicating. After holding back for an entire week, he could finally have him. He pulled out of the kiss and took his husband's arm, pulling him toward the bed.
"Oh... you're already naked," Walnut said, looking down at Chiaro's well defined back. His hourglass waist. His perfectly round glutes. His powerful legs. He shuddered.
Chiaro laughed and groped Walnut. "And you're already hard."
"Can you blame me? Fuck, man, let me get all this stuff off..." Walnut said, as he pulled off his pants and, after Chiaro let him go, his jacket, and shirt. He tossed them all on the floor, and he was left standing in just his underwear, his husband's hand squeezing on his erect length through the fabric.
"Wally... I can't wait any longer," Chiaro said, a pout creeping into the corners of his mouth.
Walnut leaned in close and put his mouth next to Chiaro's ear. "Well, get on the bed, and let's have a little fun."
Chiaro hopped back onto the bed and sat on his heels, his tail whipping back and forth. The anticipation was so intense that he felt like he was getting a full body workout.
"Let me just..." Walnut said, sitting next to his husband and digging through a side table drawer. "Hah, get a load of this-"
"That's the plan."
Walnut side-eyed Chiaro with a smirk for a few seconds before continuing. "So I was buying this last week," he said as he pulled out a bottle of lubricant, "and the lady at the counter was all like, 'we have a deal on condoms if you're interested.' It _was _a good deal."
Chiaro snarled and leaned forward, getting close to Walnut's face. "Don't you even think about it."
Walnut laughed and rubbed Chiaro's chest. "I'd rather fuck the sun." He pulled his underwear down to his ankles, and his erect penis sprung out.
Chiaro started bouncing up and down on his heels as Walnut squeezed a healthy dollop out and spread it up and down his length. So close. So fucking close.
"Well... 's all yours," the squirrel said, lying on his back.
Chiaro didn't waste another second. He couldn't. In one quick motion, he mounted Walnut, lined his vagina up with his husband's penis, and slammed down. Walnut exhaled sharply, but that was nothing compared to what Chiaro felt.
"Ahh! Fuck!" he said, his spine arching and his neck bending back. His mouth hung open and he winced, the sensation beyond overwhelming. He was sensitive before, but he was not counting on the increased feeling provided by his heat. Every fold and ridge inside of him screamed out as they were suddenly stretched by the intruding cock.
"You alright?" Walnut said, sitting up. He couldn't even see Chiaro's head from this angle.
"Uhhh..." Chiaro said with a shaky groan. "Just... gimme a sec." His vision was white around the edges and his whole body tingled. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling-it wasn't exactly pain, and it wasn't exactly pleasure. But it was an overwhelming amount of something. He leaned forward, letting his chest fall onto Walnut's. "I... shouldn't have done that," he said, laughing weakly.
Walnut rubbed Chiaro's shoulders and chuckled with him. "We can stop if you need to."
Chiaro bristled at the suggestion. Absolutely not. Not now. Not after all he had been through. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and began grinding his hips against Walnut's pelvis. He groaned as his swollen vulva squished and flattened as he slid back and forth. Even the slightest disturbance of his vaginal walls felt incredible.
"Yeah... yeah, that's good..." Walnut said, throwing his head back as well. His husband's pussy was so warm and so slick. He had always thought that Chiaro was an absolutely perfect fit for him, but he had no idea just how much better it could get. "Holy shit... I can't take this... I... are you ready?"
Chiaro sat back up and steeled himself. "Let me do it... please," he said, and began slowly raising his hips off of Walnut. They both moaned as the dog's walls slowly peeled off of the squirrel's cock, until only the tip remained inside.
"It's never felt like this before... holy shit..." Walnut said, his neck still tilted all the way back.
"I'm almost scared to go back down."
"Go at your own pace. Don't hurt yourself."
Chiaro nodded. "Yeah. Okay..." he said, as he took a slow, long breath and began lowering himself onto his lover's penis. This time, he let himself feel all the sensations. The feeling of his inner walls slowly sticking to their male counterpart as it stretched them out. The feeling of a physical and spiritual emptiness being filled in the only way that could satisfy him. Down and down he went, enjoying every inch, until he bottomed out again. Walnut exhaled loudly and looked up at Chiaro.
"Better that time?"
Chiaro smiled, his ears sticking up. "It's like our first time, all over again..."
"Honestly? I think it's even better. Holy shit, man."
Chiaro leaned forward again and put his nose against Walnut's. He rose and fell again, getting a little faster each time. The overwhelming sensation was gone, and only ecstasy remained. They made love without words, letting their moans and breaths do the talking. Each second that passed brought them both closer to their peak, and soon, Walnut began thrusting along with Chiaro. This didn't last long, as their motions desynchronized, and Walnut slipped out.
"Sorry," he said, as he swiveled up to his knees. "I just can't help it... my hips are moving on their own."
Chiaro extended all the way forward, letting his chest hit the bed as he arched his back and raised his ass. Walnut positioned himself behind and thrust in hard, his hips slamming against Chiaro's powerful glutes. The dalmatian shouted out and grabbed the edge of the mattress as he pushed back against his husband's thrusts. His tail swung back and forth, and Walnut grabbed it and held it under his arm to stop it from smacking his chest.
"Fuck... fuck!" Chiaro said, starting to feel overwhelmed again. This time, it was for the right reasons. Every thrust was like a firecracker going off in his head, and his groans became more and more guttural. Moments later, he began to feel that familiar, blessed tingling in his groin and chest.
"Wally... I'm gonna cum..."
Then he heard it. That telltale rattling in Walnut's breath when he approached his orgasm. The squirrel's thrusts became rough and uneven, and he leaned forward and moaned into Chiaro's ear..
"Yeah... yeah... me too..."
"Oh my god..." Chiaro said. This was really happening. He always loved the feeling of Walnut's cum inside of him, but this time, it meant so much more. It wasn't just pleasure. It wasn't even just love. It was their whole future.
"Gonna give you a baby..." Walnut said, just before pushing in as far as he could and moaning loudly. Those words flipped a switch inside Chiaro, and everything flooded out all at once.
"Wally!" he screamed as Walnut grunted into his ear, pressing as deep as he could. The squirrel's cock jumped and pulsed as he dumped his seed into Chiaro, who buried his face into the pillow, his back arching subconsciously. Semen coated his extremely sensitive vagina, and he felt it all. He felt the wetness. He felt the warmth. He felt the way it spread out inside of him, all with the singular goal of fertilizing his eggs. Every twitch of the squirrel's shaft was ecstasy for the dog as his own orgasm struck him like an earthquake. He imagined his lover's semen meeting his eggs, and for the first time, being able to penetrate them and create new life inside of him. The thought completely enveloped him as he had the most wonderful orgasm of his life. His whole body shook uncontrollably as he screamed Walnut's name. He pushed his hips into Walnut as hard as he could-completely subconsciously-trying to get as much as he could as deep as he could.
"Ah... ah, god," Walnut said, his voice almost entirely breathy. His cock stopped twitching, and he panted heavily, still pressing his hips into his husband's. "Damn, I feel like I'm gonna black out..."
Chiaro, for all he knew, already had. His mind was in another dimension. He would later realize that what he felt in this moment was pure love. Love for his husband, love for his future children, and maybe even a little love for himself. Maybe he didn't get pregnant this time. It was never guaranteed. But he would be willing to do this again and again and again until the end of time if that's what it took. All his life, almost everything he did felt at least a little bit off. A little bit wrong. Not this. Nothing had ever felt so right. As the adrenaline slowly left his body, he twisted around and beamed at Walnut, seeing him in a new light. He wasn't just his lover, he was going to be the father of his children. What else could he say?
"I love you," he said, his voice soft and quiet.
Walnut smiled at him, his puffy cheeks seeming just a little bigger than usual. "I love you too," he said, as he flopped down on the bed and put his nose on his husband's.
Chiaro usually felt empty after Walnut pulled out, but not today. He pushed himself up against his husband's fluffy chest and they held each other close. Only the sounds of their breathing broke the silence as the world seemed to pause around them. After a period of time-perhaps it was two minutes, perhaps it was two hours-Walnut stirred and pulled himself away.
"Hey... we should get cleaned up."
Chiaro whimpered and extended his arms, trying to pull Walnut back.
"Yeah, I know... I know..." Walnut said, stepping onto the floor. He knelt down next to the bed and rested his chin on the mattress, gazing at the pouting dog. "So... you really ready for... you know...?"
Chiaro smiled and closed his eyes. "I'm as ready as I probably ever will be."
Walnut simpered and took Chiaro's hand. "So, that's a no, then." He could see Chiaro's eyes rolling through his eyelids and added, "I getcha. Is it even possible to be ready for your first kid?"
"Or kids."
"Oh god..." Walnut said, standing up and scratching the top of his head. "Yeah, I'm definitely not ready for that... I'm, uh... gonna go take a shower now... wanna come?"
"Already d-"
"Chi."
--
Chiaro stood sideways to his mirror and rubbed his round, slightly distended belly. Pride... that's what it was. So much pride as he felt his child-or was it children-growing inside of him. He took out his phone and snapped a few pictures, cradling his belly with his wrist. As he reviewed them, he couldn't help but notice the twinkle in his eye. He never could smile well for pictures, yet what he saw was pure, genuine joy. He had to show his friends. After waiting until most of them were chatting, he sprung it on them.
[17:44:15] chiaroscuro: hey guys uh.
[17:44:22] chiaroscuro: got a little something to show ya.
[17:44:27] chiaroscuro: [uploaded IMG_20261205_425241859.jpg]
[17:45:32] Teak: what should I have for dinner
[17:45:44] Teak: wait waht
[17:45:45] Teak: WHAT
[17:45:49] fell asleep in bathtub again: oh fuck
[17:45:50] chiaroscuro: heheh.
[17:45:51] Teak: OMFG ARE YOU SERIOUS??
[17:45:54] Teak: HOLY SJHIT????
[17:45:59] Patch: :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O
[17:46:03] NUT: sorry it was my fault
[17:46:10] chiaroscuro: the ultrasound is on friday.
[17:46:26] chiaroscuro: we'll see how many we got rattling around in there.
[17:46:28] Teak: I'm literally crying I'm so happy for you
[17:46:30] Wiggly!: woooow!! grats!!!
[17:46:34] Patch: congratulations you two :D
[17:46:45] fell asleep in bathtub again: wait uhhhhh hows that even possible
[17:46:54] Teak: lol pebble didn't you hear
[17:46:57] chiaroscuro: thank you, guys. :)
[17:46:59] Patch: also sweetie i'm bringing home food please don't spoil your appetite
[17:47:01] fell asleep in bathtub again: no wtf i didnt hear shit
[17:47:05] NUT: scared shitless tbh but hey thats life babeyyyy
Chiaro smiled and rolled his eyes. Yeah, he was scared shitless too. But he was also happy and excited. He thought back to just half a decade ago when he thought, knew, even, that his life was a dead end. That he was unloveable and irredeemable. Even in his most daring fantasies, he couldn't imagine himself so at peace with himself and the world.
He looked at himself in the mirror again. He lamented the loss of his fit figure-he had worked hard for it, damn it-and he lamented the leave he'd have to take from work, the extra expenses, and the loss of his free time. But then he thought of playing with his children, watching them grow up, falling in love, living their lives, and doing it all with his favourite person in the world. It made that other stuff seem inconsequential. It was the calm before the storm, he knew, but he closed his eyes and let the moment wash over him. He had found his peace. At long last, he had found his peace.