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The Abyss was brimming with life. Still, compared to how it was previously, it was more peaceful than it had been before the near apocalypse. Now, only four out of five creatures that Hubbard and Tang Lan came across tried to eat them immediately. Life was still bizarre, even with the new controllable mutations.
Hubbard hummed as he walked inside his and Tang Lan’s home and went to check the nest and the eggs first. Hubbard never thought that there would be a day he'd have a bunch of eggs as his offspring. Or that he'd see his love again after losing him for all those years. So, sometimes bizarre was good.
The three eggs in the nest were perfectly smooth and dotted with moss green with a cream-coloured base. They were small and warm to the touch. Other than that, they just were. Nothing else had happened since they were born a month ago, and Hubbard was very stressed about it. He knew that Tang Lan was stressed as well.
As though his thoughts had summoned him, Tang Lan came in from the door and walked to his side. He had completely retracted his wings to fit inside their small home more comfortably. Outside, he still kept them out in the open; he was used to them and the threat factor for the smaller creatures was usually enough to deter any possible attacks.
“How are they?” He asked and nestled to Hubbard's side, leaning his head on the crook of the ex-mercenary's neck. Despite being completely human in form at the moment, the movement still resembled that of a bird.
Hubbard turned his head to nuzzle the other gently. “Looks good as far as I know. Shouldn't you know better?” Considering you're the one who laid them, was left unsaid.
The whole egg-laying business had certainly come as a total surprise to both of them. Just as they'd completely settled into their own private life in the Abyss, there came the eggs.
Tang Lan bonked Hubbard with his head and then leaned closer to the eggs. “I'm not completely a bird, you know.” He touched the eggs gently. “I still think they're okay, I just don't know when they'll hatch.”
Hubbard and he had talked about this before many times. Neither had any idea what they would look like or even what their form would be. After Tang Lan’s suspected stomach bug had turned into birthing three eggs completely out of the blue, Hubbard had asked Tang Lan, cradling the newly laid eggs with a slightly traumatised look on his face, “Is there a baby inside the egg? Or is it a chick? What kind of bird are you?”
The following conversation had been memorable and they both had tacitly agreed to never mention it again.
“I still think that we should go and ask someone at the Institute. Just in case.” Hubbard didn't like uncertainty; he had made his career and kept his life because of his attention to detail and making sure he was always ready and informed.
Tang Lan turned his attention from the eggs to look at Hubbard. “You know I don't want our children to be studied.” His tone was mild but his eyes held a warning look.
Hubbard stepped in and hugged Tang Lan from behind. The other man was tense against him, not turning his gaze away from the eggs. They both looked at the three eggs in the round, padded makeshift nest before them.
Hubbard didn't speak and finally Tang Lan sighed and leaned against him in defeat. “Fine. I agree. Let's contact the Research Institute. I also want to know if they can help us.”
He turned to look at Hubbard from the corner of his eye. “The people there are good people, and they are the only ones I trust with my children. I don't want the people from the base, especially those from the Lighthouse, near them.” His tone was definite.
“Yes, I agree.” Hubbard sighed with relief. Maybe they’d finally get some answers. It had been a month already and the eggs hadn’t changed at all, which made him nervous.
The Research Institute was busy. Ever since the Event the life there had been completely overturned. Now the xenogenics were no longer shot on sight. Instead, they were more or less accepted. After all, what was “pure humanity” after the Event? Was there even such a thing left? Some people still had some concerns though, especially with the more extreme mutations.
Dr Polly had received a message from a very surprising person. He hadn't seen either Tang Lan or Hubbard since the final battle at the Institute. They'd all known that Tang Lan had flown away with Hubbard but since neither of them came back afterwards, people either thought they had perished together or that they wanted some time alone.
The few times they’d had some homemade booze to drink at the Institute, Tang Lan had vaxed poetic about his “friend” enough times that they all knew he’d been talking about Hubbard and that they were indeed very close. No one wanted to think that they were dead, so instead, the fact that they’d both just disappeared after the battle was the established as the truth.
Now, out of the blue, Polly had gotten a message from Tang Lan. It was a simple request to see him as soon as possible, with no other information included. Extremely short and cryptic. Polly wondered just what could be so important that it drove the pair out of their seclusion after all this time.
He answered immediately with an invitation to drop by whenever they wanted. Tang Lan answered almost immediately with simple estimation of their arrival.
Since the core crew of the Institute was still small and tightly-knit, Tang Lan and Hubbard’s oncoming visit didn’t stay secret for long. There was an unofficial betting table on whether they were finally together or not, and on the reason of their sudden visit.
“Maybe they’re here to ask for a blessing from Dr Polly? You know, getting married real old-world style?” The suggestion was shot down with laughter and the poor man who’d said it was covered with a shower of flowers from the laughing flower vine. In the end no one could come up with better reason and they accepted the bet.
In the end, Tang Lan and Hubbard had decided that Tang Lan would carry Hubbard and the eggs. Flying was much faster than walking and since the Abyss was almost inaccessible with any kind of ground vehicle, the car they’d scavenged and repaired earlier was parked quite a way from their home.
Tang Lan’s wings were even stronger than before and his speed was faster, but Hubbard still felt the journey took forever. The eggs were bundled up in soft pieces of blanket and secured against his chest inside his jacket but he still feared they’d drop or break so he didn’t relax for even a second during the entire journey. Same went for Tang Lan. Any flying predators were kept away by the sheer aura of threat he radiated as he breezed through the air. The constant vigilance took its toll and they had to stop for a break on a deserted mountain top near the Institute.
They sat down on a big rock and looked at the distance. If you knew where to look, you could see that the Institute was a small dot in the distance.Hubbard offered a water bottle to Tang Lan and checked that the eggs were fine for the millionth time.
“Final chance to turn around,” he said and looked at the bird man beside him.
Tang Lan turned to look at him, determined look on his face. “Not a chance. This is for the children.”
Hubbard smiled and leaned over to give Tang Lan a light kiss, first on his cheek and then another slightly lingering one to his lips. He cupped Tang Lan’s face and looked him in his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m here with you.”
Tang Lan huffed. “What worry?” He still leaned against the hand and closed his eyes for a moment before humming. “Let’s continue. We’re so close and it’ll soon be night.”
They arrived with the last rays of the evening sun. Tang Lan felt nostalgic at the sight of the place that had been his final safe haven for so long.
He smiled slightly as he set Hubbard down from his claws and said in a low voice. “It’s good to be back.”
Then he turned to look at Hubbard, correcting himself, “Not that there’s anything wrong with our home.”
Hubbard chuckled and turned to give his husband a hug, the wings that were still out not bothering him at all. “I know.”
They turned to look at Dr Polly who walked towards them with some of Tang Lan’s old friends. The reunion was heartfelt and even Hubbard who’d spent the least time with any of them felt himself welcome. Finally, after greeting what felt like the whole Institute, they walked with Dr Polly to his laboratory and sat down.
“Now, I have a feeling that you came here for some other reason than merely making a courtesy call.” Dr Polly mused as he offered them tea.
Tang Lan and Hubbard exchanged a quick glance before nodding.
“We’d like to ask your help,” Tang Lan started to speak as Hubbard opened his jacket and started to unbundle the eggs. He laid them very gently and carefully down on the low table between them.
Polly’s eyes widened despite the things he’s already seen before. “Are those...?”
Hubbard swallowed and nodded. “Our children. Born… laid a month ago.”
He and Tang Lan looked at each other and Tang Lan continued. “We don’t know what to do. We’ve done all we can but they aren’t doing anything.”
Polly leaned closer to look at the eggs. “Oh my. This is…” He gathered himself and looked at the two men in front of him. “First of all, congratulations, you two.” He smiled at them warmly. “I’m sure we can come up with something that’ll help.”
Tang Lan relaxed his tensed shoulders and sighed. Hubbard took his hand and gave the old doctor a small smile. “Thank you.”
It took a couple of days of very gentle and non-invasive tests to confirm that yes, the eggs were completely fine, and yes, the children were currently in the form of little chicks. Anything beyond that was still, however, pure speculation. Polly hypothesized that the time the eggs would need to hatch wouldn’t take much longer but even he couldn’t tell the exact time. After speaking with Polly at length, they both decided that it would be for the best to wait for the eggs to hatch at the Institute. It was both safer and they’d have more help at hand.
The people of the Institute took to the news with unbridled joy; there was once again a betting pool, this time for when the eggs would hatch. In addition, both Hubbard and Tang Lan had to shoo away overly excited visitors.
On the fifth day of their visit, Hubbard woke up to a slight sound. He felt that Tang Lan was still sleeping beside him before turning to check on the eggs. The last vestiges of sleep were obliterated as soon as he saw the crack on one of the eggs. It was also swaying gently, knocking against the other two.
“Tang… Tang Lan, wake up!”
A sleepy hum greeted him as the other man opened his eyes. “What?”
“Look! They’re hatching!” Hubbard exclaimed and jumped out of the bed.
Tang Lan followed suit, now completely awake. Neither of them knew what to do, but Tang Lan fetched his communicator and sent a frantic message to Polly. The movement of the egg stopped for a moment and they both stared at it, shaken. Then the egg all but busted apart, and a small chick the colour of dark moss fell out looking puffed up and chirping indignantly.
When it saw Tang Lan and Hubbard it let out a smaller chirp and tried to move but got tangled up in the pieces of the shell. Hubbard stepped forward with Tang Lan and they both helped the chick free, Tang Lan taking the chick into his arms.
Polly arrived just as they had checked that the chick looked to be fine. Then they turned to look at the two other eggs.
“Polly, one of them hatched but the other two...” Tang Lan hadn’t yet finished what he was saying before the two remaining eggs, as though they’d heard what he’d said, started to move as well.
Polly smiled and reassured the two. “Hush now. You see, they’re hatching as well. Let me fetch my instruments so I can check them as soon as they’re all hatched.”
The two men merely nodded at Polly as he left to fetch what he needed; their full attention glued to the eggs. The two chicks hatched at the same time; their eggs knocked against each other and broke, and two little chicks, the other golden with greenish dots and the other mostly black with some cream-coloured dots came out. As soon as they saw their parents they started to chirp loudly. Both Tang Lan and Hubbard blinked away tears, overwhelmed with both happiness and confusion.
What now?
Polly arrived to see three very energetic chicks chirping loudly, two carried by Hubbard and one by Tang Lan. Both men looked uncertain but glowed with happiness all the same.
Three months later.
Adjusting to the daily life with three very fast and curious children who were sometimes little chicks and sometimes human babies had been interesting. Both Tang Lan and Hubbard were glad that they’d decided to stay at the Institute rather than go back to their house. It truly took a village to raise a child, not to mention three of them.
Tang Lan cradled the oldest, Little Moss, who was currently in the form of a baby.
Thankfully they’re much cleverer and more developed than a normal human baby would be, he thought and sighed before adjusting his grip and fishing his hair away from the baby’s mouth. However, their curiosity and resourcefulness kept him and Hubbard and all the other people in the Institute very busy.
A normal baby couldn’t run around; theirs could and certainly also did. As soon as the babies had figured out how to change their form at will, they’d also figured out that they could move around in their chick form much easier. This had led to people literally running behind the trio and trying to catch them. Finally, Hubbard and Polly had designed a kind of harness for the babies to keep them from running into anything dangerous.
All three little ones preferred the chick form with almost everything but eating. They’d figured out really fast that the food they could eat as human babies was much tastier than everything that Tang Lan and Hubbard tried to feed them as little chicks.
Neither Polly nor anyone else had been able to explain how the babies were so intelligent and how they’d developed so fast. Nor how exactly they managed to transform completely. There was no trace of their bird form while human and vice versa. Even for Tang Lan, while he looked completely human, there were some tiny remnants of his bird form if one studied close enough. For the kids, there were none.
For Tang Lan it was enough to know that they were healthy and happy in both forms. He didn’t care for solving the mystery as much, nor did Hubbard. Polly and his researcher friends had also agreed to keep the tests at minimum.
Little Moss let a mgh, sounding impatient and reached for the piece of fruit that Tang Lan had been feeding him before zoning out.
Tang Lan shushed the baby and caressed the little chubby cheek gently, wiping away the remains of the previously devoured bun. “Little glutton.”
“Bugh.”
Feed me, the baby seemed to implore him with his big round eyes.
Tang Lan smiled at him and fed him a piece of fruit. He wondered when Hubbard would come back with Little Gold and Little Dot.
Nearby, Hubbard wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Please, leave Grandpa Vine alone. He doesn’t like that his leaves are picked.” Little Dot stopped what she was doing and let go of the vine looking like she hadn’t been caught doing anything naughty.
“Mmm bgh ghh!” She intoned seriously and patted the freed vine before returning to Hubbard half crawling and half rolling.
Hubbard bent down and lifted her to his arms. “Let’s go and fetch Little Gold and then get back to papa. It’s time to eat.”
As soon as Little Dot heard the word “eat” her eyes started to shine.
“Gu hhh!” She tapped his father’s hand imperiously.
Hubbard smiled and bent to give her forehead a small kiss. “Yes, dear. Let’s get your sister. I’m sure uncle Polly is ready for some peace and quiet.” Hubbard knew the old man got tired much easier than the hyper active baby. Even though Little Gold usually behaved herself.
“You know. I don’t know whom Little Gold got the obsession with science from.”
Hubbard and Tang Lan stood before the crib that was filled with three chirping baby birds. Hubbard turned to look at Tang Lan and said helplessly, “We already fed them and played with them. Why don’t they want to sleep?”
Tang Lan stood and looked at the little chicks in the crib. Just has Hubbard was going to speak again, Tang Lan opened his mouth and let out a chirp.
Hubbard stared at him, and the little chicks fell silent, looking at Tang Lan with unblinking eyes. Then they all exploded into a cacophony of chirps.
Tang Lan listened for a while and chirped back a couple times. After that he turned to face the flabbergasted Hubbard looking a bit embarrassed. “It turns out they want you to tell them a story...”
Hubbard looked at his husband and cleared his throat before speaking. “So you can... understand what they’re saying?”
Tang Lan scratched his neck and looked away before turning to look at Hubbard again. “Yes, somewhat. Not so much before, but it seems they’ve learned to speak better.”
He looked a bit ashamed. “I meant to tell you but before it was just one word at a time...”
He was cut off as Hubbard tackled him into a hug. “You are amazing, I love you. This is going to help so much in the future.”