Page 63 of Steel & Thunder
“I truly never thought about it.” He looks a little sheepish at least. “It has always been normal for me.”
“Doesn’t calling three different people “father” get confusing?” Maybe someone goes by dad or pops or something.
He shakes his head no. “In our language the word for mother or father changes based on the person. Orlun is Orda, Rurig is Ruda. Jarek is—”
“Jarda?” Yay, pattern games. I have more pressing questions. “Okay, so, how did it happen? Do you have a mother? Wait, can male orcs get pregnant?” My eyes go wide and my hands shoot to my stomach in shock. “Can they get other men pregnant?!”
“You are not pregnant, David.” Khazak laughs deep from his belly. “My fathers, Orlun and Rurig, met when they were serving on our militia. After their service ended, they wanted to start a family. I have... You might call them aunts? Not blood related, but they were friends of my fathers, women who also desired a family. So arrangements were made to help each other. Ayla and I were the first born, then my cousin Korra, then Yogik... You get the idea. When Ayla and I were eight and Yogik was three, my fathers met Jarek, and he became part of the family as well. Ursza and Ignatz were each born a few years after that.”
“And you hated him.” I remember his sister teasing him about it.
“I did not hate him. I was eight years old, and it was a difficult period in my life,” he grumbles before standing and walking over to me. “I am sorry for not explain things to you earlier.”
“It’s okay.” I close the distance between us, tugging on his shirt a little. “I’m sorry for freaking out like that in front of your family.”
He smiles. “Are you ready to go back out there?”
“Oh no. We’re not going back out there.” I shake my head and step back.
“What do you mean?” He tilts his head.
“See that window?” I point to the wall behind him. “We’re climbing out that, going home, and pretending like none of this ever happened.”
“David.” I know that tone.
“What? You cannot expect me to go back there after all that.” I wave my hand at the room we just left.
“It will be fine, David. Maybe a little embarrassing, but I have seen you survive worse.” That might be up for debate. “You just needed a moment in private to collect yourself.”
“And for you to explain yourself.” I grumble and recross my arms. “Besides it’s not like this is that private.”
“What, you think my family is eavesdropping on us?” He sarcastically waves around the room at all the nothing.
I look at him like he’s dumb. “Of course they’re eavesdropping on us.”
“Why would you think that?” Oh you sweet simple man.
“Because that’s what you do when your brother brings home a complete stranger who freaks out in your living room about how many dads you have!” I’m panting a little when I finish my short rant. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He’s wearing a really goofy smile.
“You are cute when you are frustrated.” He brushes a thumb along my beard.
“...I’m going out the window.” I start walking towards it.
“David.” He grabs my wrist, laughing as he pulls me into him. “I am sorry.”
I sigh. “I still think we should at least consider the window.”
He doesn’t answer, but he does give me a soft kiss. “Are you ready for dinner?”
“I guess.” We separate and turn to the door, but I pause. “Hold on.”
I motion for Khazak to stay where he is and remain quiet as I tiptoe to the door. Once I’m in position, I carefully reach for the knob, quickly grabbing it and flinging it open. Immediately the sounds of two adolescent bodies tripping over themselves echo in from the hallway as they scramble to get away from the door.
I give Khazak my best “told-ya-so” look. Time to get the rest of this shitshow on the road.
Chapter Sixteen
Less rattled after our talk, I exit the bedroom with Khazak. He leads the way to the dining room where everyone else is already seated around a large table. The room goes silent when we enter, all eyes watching as we take our seats. The only two open and next to each other are to the left of Ayla. Khazak pulls out my chair for me, placing me in the center, probably to act as a buffer. Yogik is seated to our left, the younger set of siblings to our right, and his fathers are on the other side of the table facing us.
