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Everyone had heard the platitudes before. Desperate times call for desperate measures. You can’t make omelettes without breaking a few eggs. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Things that were often said when one was facing a challenge that would not be easy to overcome, that would require some sacrifice to get past but would be worth it in the end. Not always what one wanted to hear during those times, especially the hundredth time over, but true nonetheless.

Dan was fairly sure that the same people who said things like that would think he was crazy to do what he was doing. Well, sacrifice was in the eye of the beholder, he guessed.

“I’m just leaving the office now. It’s probably going to be 15-20 minutes before I’m back.”

“I don’t think she’s going to hold out that long,” came the voice over the phone. “She’s really in that state now, that’s asking a lot to wait.”

“And I’m sure you’re terribly broken up about that,” Dan replied dryly.

“Hey, man, facts are facts. All I’m saying is, don’t be surprised if you get back and something’s going down.”

“You say that like I’m not completely aware of the arrangement already. I’m not gonna bite your head off. Just take care of things if it comes to that.”

“Roger. Catch you later, Dan.” The characteristic ‘hang-up’ tone sounded in his ear, and Dan stuck the phone back into his pocket and started up his car. He was under no illusions - that wasn’t ‘information,’ it was a tacit way of asking permission. Which probably wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been slightly delayed getting out of work that day, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t anticipating this happening at some point.

He had been married to his wife, Gayle, for four years now, and around a year ago both of them had agreed: it was time for a child. They had been waiting until they felt that they were in a stable spot and were reasonably certain that the marriage would survive - not that either of them had significant doubts going in, but the record for marriages was fairly poor overall, so it was worth testing the waters. Neither one wanted to have to put a kid through a split family if they could avoid it. But things had been so solid so far, and they were at a place where they were financially stable and mentally ready for parenthood, as much as one could be before they experienced it.

There was just one problem: actually getting the child.

Gayle had been up front about it since early in their relationship. She had had a medical condition that had first been symptomatic when she got her first, very painful period, but which had, due to a series of incredibly incompetent and negligent doctors, gone undiagnosed for eight years. By the time she finally got a gynecologist worth their salt, the condition had had a serious impact on her fertility; it wasn’t impossible for her to conceive, but the odds were far longer than reasonable without some kind of intervention. Dan had had some choice words about those alleged ‘medical professionals,’ but there wasn’t really anything that could be done about it now, so he didn’t belabor it.

The idea of adopting was the natural first direction to go, and they had gone in to apply at the local agencies. It couldn’t have gone worse. The first agency had been a church-based organization, and had placed being a ‘member’ as a requirement for adoption - which included a $2,000 price tag per person per year. Neither Dan nor Gayle were religious, and that sort of felt like blackmail, so they ditched the idea and tried for the other...which happened to be headed by a high-school classmate of Dan’s that had always absolutely loathed him for no good reason. After many snide remarks and haughty accusations, he had put them on the ‘forever rejected’ list for no reason other than spite, which was also going to make things difficult for them when they tried to go other places. The stress and cost of a legal battle to undo that was more than either of them felt like they could handle, so they turned to plan B: fertility treatments.

They had been warned that this wasn’t exactly a simple fix. Fertility treatments weren’t guaranteed to work, they increased the likelihood but they were far from perfect. Each treatment that was proposed had different levels of improvement, but also increasing intensities of side effects, so they had agreed to start low and move up. Four different medications had been unsuccessful so far, and the next one that had been slated was making Gayle nervous with the reported impacts it could have on her. She had been prepared for it, but she’d asked the doctor if there were any less standard options they could try before then. She hadn’t really expected to get a positive response, but it had happened: the doctor had heard about a fairly new treatment compound that hadn’t received widespread attention. Apparently it had been based off of a popular street drug, with a number of modifications to cleanly differentiate it from its original counterpart. Fewer side effects and quite a significant fertility boost...but it came with a catch.

The original drug was commonly known as Orgy Dust. Its primary use, for those taking the illicit version, was making females insatiably horny. The enhanced fertility was not the prime purpose, but it did get a lot of users in trouble. There were also other, less savory effects, not to mention the addictive properties. Much of that had been cut out of the new pharmaceutical version, leaving the fertility boost...but also the fierce sex drive. It had been slightly tempered, with the most intense need having a couple hours of down time, but given that the drug had to be taken consistently, that still meant needing sexual satisfaction several times a day - and in this case, that meant more than orgasm, it also meant insemination. Great for additionally boosting fertility, but trouble for Dan. He didn’t think of himself as entirely past his prime, in his early thirties he could still bang out reasonably well, but several times a day was past his ability. But this was also their best chance of conceiving…after some discussion with Gayle, the agreement was made. She was to go on this treatment for a full six weeks, the enhanced fertility would last another six weeks after the end, and they would do their best to get their child.

As he pulled into his driveway, Dan knew it wasn’t going to be terribly long before he was called back into action. Thankfully, the hours at work had given him a decent recharge from that morning, and he was pretty sure he’d be ready to go. But as he got inside, he heard the telltale sounds that suggested that his participation would be delayed - the sounds so grunting, moaning, and crying out in lust and bliss that were only barely muffled from upstairs. Guess she wasn’t gonna wait for me...I guess I can’t be too surprised, I’ve seen the way she gets on this stuff.

He hesitated momentarily, wavering at the bottom of the stairs, the sounds from above leaving him uncertain. After a minute or so, though, he started to climb up the stairs, towards where he knew the sounds were coming from. I might as well...it’s not like not watching is gonna make it any less awkward. Even though he was approaching with trepidation, it still felt like he was getting there all too quickly...before he knew it, he was at the door, pushing it open, revealing the scene before him: his wife, on their bed, on her back, being mounted and thrust into by a behemoth of a cock attached to a seven-foot tall, muscular, ruddy-orange dragon.

The same one he had just given permission to.

It would maybe have been a touch presumptuous to say that there were no secrets between them, but at least on this subject Dan was pretty well-versed on things. Gayle had been forthright about it: she had a thing for dragons. Her first relationship and first sexual experience had been with a dragon...as had every subsequent one until Dan. She had confessed to him that she wasn’t even sure she COULD be attracted to her own species until him, and even then it was clear that he was an exception rather than the norm. Of course, early on that had put a bit of pressure on him, as he was far from a dragon in any way, shape, or form, particularly down below, but she always gave him rave reviews and he’d stopped worrying about measuring up long ago. But he knew if something were to draw her eye, he wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about what it could be.

So of course, when they’d moved into their home about three years ago, a dragon had to be right next door to them. Neryn, an ochre-colored dragon (though he had no problem just being called orange), friendly and free-spirited, a bit of a layabout who lived off of a well of money whose source Dan had yet to suss out. He was a bit on the smaller side as dragons went, maybe an inch or two above seven feet, when most were seven and a half or more, though he still bore the classic muscle that their kind were naturally gifted with. His smaller size never seemed to bother him, he had endless confidence in himself, and he was a flirt as well. Towards both of them, actually - he’d dropped more than a few hints that he’d go for Dan just as quickly as Gayle, something that was awkward to him but seemed to amuse his wife endlessly. He’d never considered males before, not seriously, nor had he even been hit on by one, apart from a drunk fox in college and that barely counted because a drunk fox would hit on a lamppost (and probably still somehow get humped by it). Fortunately, Neryn kept it to flirtation, he was playful but not seriously pressuring; he minded the boundaries.

Dan had no illusions, though. He knew that Gayle wouldn’t have said no if the opportunity had been given. And Neryn wouldn’t have hesitated if he had the leeway. And those two facts combined with other important ones: with Gayle under this treatment, there was no way he could keep up with her, not with a resurgence roughly every two hours. He could take something to keep his boner up, but that couldn’t refill his tank, and he wasn’t going to be very productive if he tried - and that would waste opportunities. She needed another source of satisfaction, one that wouldn’t have as much risk of taking his place where it counted. And it was well-established that, outside of a few rare instances or active intervention, anthros and humans did not cross-breed easily. Taken all together, he knew what he needed to do before the decision had even been made.

And really, it wasn’t like he expected to hear many objections.

Since the onset of the treatment two weeks ago, they had an arrangement with Neryn. During the weekdays, in the morning before work, Dan would have a romp with Gayle; when he returned, he’d have two more, maybe three, before they went to bed. During the day, while he was at work, Neryn would take over. Dan had laid only one rule - just him, not anyone else, more because he was leery about a total stranger than anything else. Not that Neryn needed the help - dragons had significant sexual stamina and the four or five rounds while Dan was out were not a problem for him. The weekends were the same idea done slightly different, Dan would arrange to be out for a while, come back midday for his time, leave again, and come back later, giving Neryn both the in-between periods. He’d never been around to see the interaction between Neryn and Gayle before, wasn’t really sure if he wanted to be...circumstances had arranged for it to happen this time, though, and he knew he had no reason to be scared of it.

Not that it wasn’t weird, looking at the scene in front of him at this very moment. Neryn might not have been the biggest dragon, but he looked pretty huge on the bed, looming over Gayle as he rocked in and out of her. And his wife was blissed out of her mind, bucking up into Neryn and crying out throatily in utter ecstasy...familiar sounds to Dan, he had always been able to bring her up high, his deliberate and experienced efforts always satisfying her unquestionably, but the dragon was doing it so effortlessly with a tool that was probably at least twice his in every dimension. If not for his confidence in his own ability, he might have been envious...well, maybe he was still a little envious, but it wasn’t as much as it could have been.

Gayle might have been completely out of it - the drug had that effect, she said she was much more sensitive and felt the pleasure more richly, it was often too much to keep from zoning out - but Neryn wasn’t, and he had noticed Dan’s entry. Looking back over his shoulder, he was sporting a cheeky, lust-laden grin. “Heh, you were about ten minutes too slow. Don’t worry, though, I’m sure that extra stocking up will help when it’s your turn.”

Dan didn’t respond, merely flushed a bit. Neryn stopped thrusting briefly, pulling all the way out, letting the male see his full endowment...as big as he’d suspected, and the shape was so different as well, that pointed spearhead at the end that was drooling pungent precum, the ridges down the surface, and the knot swollen at the base, it seemed about as distant from human as anything Dan had seen, though admittedly his experience in that regard was quite limited. He only had a few seconds to take it in before it pushed back into Gayle, stretching her nether lips drastically and making a loud squelch. She was so wet, and he must have been spurting pre into her quite copiously with the way he had been leaking…

Dan slowly worked his way out of his business clothes, especially not wanting his pants to get all stained with wetness from his suddenly swelling shaft. Even as he did, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the scene...it was a bizarre double feeling, slightly uncomfortable but also oddly arousing. Maybe it was the sound of Gayle in such rapture that was helping, reminding him of all the pleasurable times with her...and maybe there was something to that idea of the primal urge to compete that he’d heard about. He got himself down to his boxers and sat down, giving himself a front-row seat to the sight of that cock plunging in. He had to make a concerted effort not to masturbate - he didn’t want to run himself dry for his next attempt at letting his seed take hold.

Neryn had gone back to focusing on Gayle, driving in deep and making her cry out joyously as she was filled. At least it looked like he was focusing on her, though Dan started to get the feeling he was playing up a bit for the new audience. His movements seemed very overt and vivacious, he was starting to let out growls here and there that Dan hadn’t heard when he first was about to enter, and his wings seemed to be spreading wider with his thrusts in, like he wanted to be more visible. Perhaps this was normal for him, it wasn’t like Dan had been around to see it before, but there was something deliberate about it that struck the male human as trying to show off for him. It was definitely leaving an impression, Dan was riveted at the sight, there was such a grace and power to it that he really hadn’t expected.

Of course, his eyes were most tightly locked on where the two were meeting. He could see the thick ridges popping in, spraying a bit of wetness when they did. The loud, wet slaps of that knot against Gayle’s loins were unlike anything Dan had ever really heard or made himself, not having that particular part. It was impossible not to compare...how different did Neryn have to feel compared to him? Certainly, he couldn’t replicate any of that with what he had, not the texture nor the simple size of it, it had to be a much less prominent presence in her. She didn’t seem like she was overly ‘stretched out’ in general, even during these times when he was actively swapping with Neryn, so maybe to her that size difference wasn’t as impactful, but Dan had a hard time believing that in the moment of observation. It was difficult to imagine measuring up...then again, he had to have SOMETHING if he was the one guy who could carve out an exception to her draconic inclinations. That was a thought that kept him from being too intimidated, things wouldn’t be the way they were if she wasn’t happy with him, secure with him, and he knew there was no point in being jealous when he was already in first place.

Suddenly Neryn started bucking faster, and Gayle’s cries got louder and higher. She still wasn’t really talking, though it sounded like she was trying to say something her words were slurred and incoherent, the drug still having its effect on her. Was she begging for that knot? Whether she was or not, Neryn was about to give it to her...he shuddered a bit when he heard that pop, the dragon hilting in all the way and growled deeply, no doubt having hit his release and now filling up Gayle with his load. Gayle began to thrash under her, her voice quavering and husky as she reached a powerful climax - that, at least, was close enough to something Dan recognized to be unmistakable even in her incoherence. That too gave him chills...it was surreal watching his wife be brought to such heights by another male. Sure, he knew that it was happening but it was one thing just having the knowledge, completely different to be monitoring the experience. His cock was painfully hard, straining against his boxers and leaking against them...squirming a bit, Dan got it to slip out of the front flap, popping up to full display.

Neryn’s humping wasn’t completely done even with his knot, though it was more just subtler motions back and forth, moaning and humming in relaxed pleasure. “Heh...when you told me she had a thing for dragons, I never really thought it was THAT intense…” he murred out, Dan needing a moment to realize it was him being addressed. “Feels like she was made for me...never heard one scream out as much for me either. Makes me wonder what she’d be like without being so keyed up...hm, you might be the only one to find that out, eh?”

Dan swallowed, feeling a tightness in his throat. He couldn’t really answer, not sure what he would say anyway...but he doubted Neryn was actually looking for an answer. There was definitely a bit of egging on going on, but he wasn’t sure to what end...Neryn didn’t sound jealous, exactly, nor did he seem like he was trying to intimidate Dan. Was he just chatty after sex? He slowly worked his boxers down, fumbling a bit to put his dick back through them to get them off. If Gayle wasn’t completely out, maybe he’d get to go sooner...though, after a round like that, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she needed time to collect herself.

But Neryn threw another curveball at him. The dragon suddenly pulled out of Gayle, a loud saturated pop as his knot hadn’t even gone down properly. The change was so sudden Dan barely kept up with it - suddenly Neryn rose, lifting Gayle with him, turning her around so her back was against his chest as he stood up and got off the bed. One of his arms held around her body, effortlessly maintaining her weight, while the other had a hold of one leg and pulling her into him, keeping her spread. He lifted her slightly, so his cock could get inside her once more, then plunged in as he pulled her slightly down, just a few feet in front of Dan. The male’s eyes widened as he got a much more up-close-and-personal encounter with that beastly dragon cock claiming his wife, her renewed cries of absolute zonked bliss ringing in his ears.

“Looks good, doesn’t it?” Neryn panted, humping deep into Gayle with less speed but still plenty of energy. “Nice and thick, long enough to touch the deepest part of her...hard to believe it fits all the way in, huh? Dildo this size and shape would probably he a lot less accommodating...heh, we dragons are just special, eh?” That was one way of putting it...Dan could see right in front of his face what he was talking about, that sheer girth was enough that he could see the outline of it inside her, he could see almost exactly how far in he was getting. He swallowed again, finding his throat very dry...what was this about? Was he trying to suggest he was better? But again, he didn’t sound like he was trying to put Dan down...he wasn’t suggesting anything about him that was insufficient, just playing up himself. Was that enough? Dan wasn’t experienced with how someone might try to intimidate a sexual competitor, maybe this was all that was needed...

“You wanna feel it?” Dan started a bit, looking up at the dragon’s face. “Through her. Go on, you can rub a bit...it won’t hurt anything.”

Dan wasn’t sure if he even could get up, he almost felt frozen. Touch him through her? That was an odd thing to request...and yet, part of him was a bit curious. That wasn’t an opportunity he’d just get anywhere or anytime, right? And Neryn wouldn’t tell him to do something that would be painful or anything, surely...the dragon stopped thrusting briefly and brought her closer, and almost like someone else was doing it Dan raised his hand to rub over the slight but distinct bulge in her midsection. He could feel something in there, hard and firm, yet pliable enough that it gave a bit under his light presses. He could even feel the definition of the ridges along the surface. Neryn wasn’t lying, it was definitely deep in her, felt like it might be too big for her, but clearly she didn’t think so…

Neryn pulled away again after a minute, resuming plowing into Gayle while sporting a huge grin. “Not bad, eh? And that’s just a touch...imagine that touch somewhere so sensitive and deep inside…” His knot was starting to smack against Gayle’s pussy again, splattering some wetness around, a bit of it getting in Dan. He didn’t really react to it, still pretty much entranced by the sight in front of him, the huge reptile going at his wife and making her sing out in bliss over and over. Some of the tension had evaporated...touching Gayle while he was in her had soothed him a bit, somehow, though he still wasn’t completely relaxed. It was getting slightly less awkward over time, but it was still a hard thing to completely process. He wondered if Neryn would stop if he asked him to...but he didn’t want to do that, he had given permission after all, and Gayle was enjoying herself so much, it wouldn’t be nice to her to deprive her of that, right?

Finally the orange dragon pulled Gayle down a bit more, his knot re-entering her with a squelching slurp, and both dragon and human let out ecstatic cries of release. Once again Dan couldn’t tear his eyes away from his writhing wife or the thick tool piercing her, the outline in her body all he could see of it now, and he swore he could see a little pulse every time Neryn’s seed gushed out and into her. That might’ve been his imagination, but if so it was doing a good job fooling him...he had to be so virile, with a cock that size, he couldn’t see the dragon’s balls that well but there was a slight swell at the base of his slit, suggesting that whatever was in there was nice and big. If he at least had balls that large they might have an easier time getting what they were seeking once these treatments had done their job...the way he was feeling now, though, his own might be swelling up to whatever size the dragon was packing. How he had managed to keep from touching himself or even spontaneously unloading through all this, he had no clue, but he was glad he did...his turn, when it came, would certainly make up for the blue balls he was no doubt going to get soon.

The dragon stayed like that for a bit, keeping Dan’s view filled with dragon and satisfied woman, Gayle slowly slumping into weary panting after a while. Once she was drained, Neryn popped out, done unloading but still not really having softened, his knot still nice and thick as it was extracted from Gayle. He didn’t pay much mind to his cum leaking out of her as he gently laid her back down on the bed, letting the exhausted female rest and catch her breath. He turned around, giving Dan another grin and full view of his cum-covered cock. “Nothing like making sure they’re totally satisfied...best part of it is when they’re completely spent and you know you’ve given them all they want.” He stretched a bit, putting himself even more on display for Dan, who was really struggling to take his eyes off of him, especially that impressive tool.

That was when it hit him...that was the point. The displays, the up-front acts, the suggestive talk...he wasn’t trying to goad Dan, suggest his superiority, or anything like that; he was coming on to him. Using his wife’s rapture to suggest to Dan that he could provide exactly that to him. Proving his case as a suitable partner, virile and sexually desirable...and it might have been working, Dan certainly couldn’t deny that he’d shown a VERY hot performance, and there was no way it was all just desires for Gayle driving that.

“Heh...you want to ride the ride yourself, all you need to do is ask.” Neryn gave his shoulder a squeeze as he passed by, before strolling out towards the bathroom to shower off, leaving Dan extra flushed. For once, he was actually thinking about it, if only in passing. Maybe that was just the dragon musk in the air having an effect on him, but something about that powerful, virile creature putting himself on such display had left its impression. Maybe he was starting to understand, a little bit, why Gayle was so fond of them.

Speaking off, she was heaving on the bed, still looking pretty wiped out. Ample seed was drooling from her snatch, making a good mess on the protective cover. It seemed to be doing its job well, he would have to remember to get it in the wash. For now, though, he merely sat next to Gayle, running a hand over her sweaty face and head. He definitely felt the desire to prove himself a match for the dragon and make her cry out in such bliss as Neryn did...it wouldn’t be long before he had his chance, and by the end of the night he had to admit, he’d probably never been quite as amped up in his own lovemaking.

And from the sound of it, Gayle highly approved.

———

Things shifted a bit after that. Another late evening the next night, and this time Dan felt no urgency to beat the clock...sure enough, he was treated to another enthralling display, and this time without a hint of the awkwardness that had held him at the start the night before. The next night he made an excuse to wait until later...and that weekend, he didn’t head out, instead hanging around while Neryn did his part, sometimes watching and sometimes merely listening. Honestly, the hardest part was keeping from working out the arousal that popped up, but he could swear that that priming was making him more productive, even if he couldn’t really measure it.

It wasn’t all Gayle, though; Neryn was drawing his eye more and more as well. He didn’t fully understand it, but he couldn’t deny that something about the orange dragon stirred something in him that he hadn’t felt for a male before. In the middle of the fourth week, he finally caved in and responded to an invitation, which led to him sucking off Neryn after he’d just finished inside his wife. The mixture of dragon seed and Gayle’s femcum was a flavor he never knew he wanted before...it hadn’t taken much to get him to indulge again. By that weekend, Neryn had introduced him to anal sex, taking him while he was inside Gayle, making sure to help him release as much as he could into her, prepping him for when it really counted. In her more lucid moments, Gayle teased him a bit, but in a good-natured way - she clearly had no problem with Dan getting a bit of a taste of her delights.

It happened on Thursday of the fifth week: Dan came home to no activity, with Neryn reporting that she’d not been as hot as often, and him confirming that as she only felt that state coming on once. Friday it didn’t happen at all. A bit concerned, Dan suggested she go to the clinic and get checked out, and spent a fair bit of Saturday pacing around the house nervously. Was something wrong? Had there been a problem with the treatment? He hoped not, the next option wasn’t going to be nearly as pleasant for her…

A knock at the door made him jump. It couldn’t have been Gayle, she wouldn’t have knocked...he went over and opened it, and breathed out. Of course, it was Neryn, a bouquet in his hand. “Is she back yet?”

“No...haven’t heard anything, either. I think she’d have called if it was extremely serious...but I don’t know what might be taking so long to check out.”

“Ah, well...I might. I was hoping to give this to her, but I guess it would fit for you, too.”

Dan blinked. “Huh?”

“I, uh, did some checking around, just to try to see if I could settle my own mind. And, well, I read that there’s one thing that stops that early more than anything.” Neryn grinned. “So I’m HOPING I’m not being too quick on the trigger to say ‘congratulations, Dad.’”

Dan’s eyes widened. “What? Wait, I thought it had to go for six weeks!”

“Yeah, that’s what I remember you saying, but apparently, after six weeks is maximum fertility. But it actually builds up over time, so she was already a lot more fertile. And you’ve been giving her plenty to try to take hold, so...”

“So...wow...it might be…” Now Dan was even more anxious. Was it true? Had they met success? But why would it be taking so long to confirm, then? And why hadn’t Gayle called…

“Neryn?” Dan almost thought he’d imagined her voice at first, but the way the dragon jumped said otherwise. He turned and grinned at Gayle, a bit nervously; her expression was far from unhappy, but not precisely what Dan would have imagined at the news.

“Gayle! Hey! Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude-”

“It’s fine. I think you should know, too…”

“What’s the verdict?” Dan asked, with dripping apprehension.

“They ran the tests...it worked. I’m pregnant.” It was more muted than Dan would have thought, but maybe it was just still sinking in. Dan wasn’t exactly leaping thirty feet in the air like he thought as well, but his heart certainly felt like it was.

“Oh, my god! That’s amazing! Finally...we’re going to finally have a child!”

“Well...about that…”

Both Dan and Neryn paused. What did THAT mean?

“...We’ve talked about a child before...I...uh...don’t think we ever properly talked childREN…”

The dragon’s jaw dropped. “Twins?”

Gayle nodded. “That’s part of what was taking so long...I was shocked to hear it, I thought it would be hard enough to just have one, didn’t even really think about the possibility of two. But the other part...they tested a lot to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. Neryn...one of them is yours.”

Never had Dan seen the color drain from a dragon’s face like that. He swayed a bit, and Dan was worried that he might crash to the ground, but he managed to remain upright by grabbing the door frame. “You...what? WHAT? H-how?! That...I mean...I know I was...but…”

“They said something about it at the clinic, that it increases cross-breeding as well. I think someone said that they actually got the idea for it being a fertility treatment because the raw form was being used to make mixed pairings more likely to have a kid. I can’t actually remember if they mentioned that when they first talked about it...but I guess it’s kind of a moot point now.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Dan was almost in a fog, too many emotions at the same time. They finally had their child...but also another, from another father. He himself wasn’t going to be discounting any blessings - two would be a bit dicier on their finances than one, but they’d make it work. The wild card was Neryn, who clearly had NOT been anticipating parenthood...what was the dragon going to do?

It took a bit for him to recover, at least enough to hold himself upright again. “I never, ever thought I’d be fathering a kid...hoo, man. This is...I’m gonna need to sort this all out in my head. Though...I guess I’m gonna have some time to get adjusted to the idea…”

“About nine months, I’d wager,” Dan remarked, not trying to make a joke but almost coming off that way.

“Maybe sooner, twins need to come out early more often,” added Gayle, definitely not as a joke.

Neryn nodded. “Hopefully I won’t need that long. No way I’m gonna ditch my duty...I helped make it, I have to be there. I promise I’ll be with you guys all the way, even if I’m gonna be anxious as all hell for a bit.”

“I guess that means we’re all going to be a family, then. Not the standard family, but...well, a family doesn’t have to fit the mold of ‘normal,’ right?”

No question, this wasn’t going to be normal...that was starting to sink in to Dan. One thing was more than clear - Neryn was going to be a MUCH more constant presence in their lives now. But...if the past few weeks had been indicative of anything, somehow he had the feeling that there was room for him. And not just in their hearts.