It's that moment when you actually feel alive

Butcher held out another towel so Mikey could dry himself since his partner loaked soaked.

As soon as Mikey put him down, the baby avian flipped himself onto his front. He scrambled onto his hands and knees. Mikey accepted the towel gratefully, shivering.

Butcher watched Nils curiously. "How early do hatchlings learn to fly?"

"A year." Mikey's voice was muffled as he rubbed his hair dry. "They walk at six months."
Cackling, Nils began to crawl out the bathroom, scampering along the corridor fully naked.

"Great," Butcher blinked in shock for a moment then picked up the towel Nils was wrapped in and hurried after the naked boy.

Mikey's brow furrowed. He put the towel down, blinking in confusion.

"When did you get so fast?" Butcher moved to scoop Nils up in his towel.

"Papa!" Nils squirmed, giggling.

"Always up to no good," Butcher couldn't help but smile as he brought Nils back to Mikey. "Could he crawl like that before?"

Mikey blinked. "No." He stated calmly. Suddenly, he looked down at his stomach. "Is it just me, or has it got bigger again?"

Butcher carried Nils closer and walked around to look at Mikey's stomach from different angles, "It's definitely bigger."

Mikey frowned. "Would you say it was bigger than William's?"

"I don't know how big William is now but he was pretty big," Butcher moved a little closer and put his hand gently on Mikey's stomach. "Um I think you might actually be about the same size as he was."

"That's not right..." Mikey paled slightly. "It hasn't even been a day yet."

Butcher shrugged, "William's having..." He held Nils a little closer and looked down at Mikey's stomach sadly.

Mikey placed a hand protectively on his stomach. His wings lifted himself up and carried him to the library.

Butcher followed with Nils in his arms, making a detour so that he could put some clothes on the boy.

Mikey collapsed in a chair, head in his hands. He reached for the thick book of prints.

"Stop wiggling. We're going to go back to your Daddy," Butcher wrestled a giggling Nils into some clothes.

Mikey ran his fingers over his own print, eyes closed. He tried this every so often and it never worked.

Butcher chuckled and picked the newly clothed Nils back up to carry to the library.

Mikey huddled up, worse case scenarios running through his mind.

"Mikey?" Butcher entered the room slowly, watching his lover with concern.

"I don't know what's wrong..." Mikey sobbed out. "I don't know what's happening to me..."

Butcher moved closer to sit beside Mikey. "Are you in pain? Do you want me to see what I can do?"

» Feel like I don't belong...
» I've been waiting for this moment all my life