Weight of Everything

by Anna Wineheart

  Gage cracked a smile. “Let’s just say I’ve been thinking about you knocking me up.”

  Ulric turned to gape at him. Gage? Having a kink like that? “So... so we’re really serious about this,” Ulric said. “Me and you.”

  Gage laughed. Then he rubbed his thumb over the scent gland on Ulric’s wrist, where his marking was. “I made a promise, didn’t I?

  Ulric’s heart skipped. “Yeah. You did.”

  Over the past few months, Ulric had thought maybe Gage might get tired of him. He’d thought maybe Gage might want him to lose weight. But Gage hadn’t mentioned his extra chub at all—he’d only encouraged Ulric to eat his vegetables, and exercise more. Remember, I just want you to be healthy, Gage had murmured in bed one night. So I can have you for a long time to come.

  “You’re okay with having kids?” Ulric blurted.

  “I want a family with you, babe.” Gage kissed his neck. “I want us with little ones running around. Is it okay if we have more than one?”

  Ulric’s heart tumbled. “Yeah. Of course.”

  Gage smiled, drawing circles on Ulric’s belly. “What if we do this together? Both of us.”

  “You mean us... getting pregnant? At the same time?” Ulric’s thoughts went sideways. He hadn’t considered that. “Is it possible?”

  “I don’t know.” Gage grabbed his cousin as he walked past. “Hey, Jes. We have questions.”

  Jesse stopped next to them, eyebrows raised. Over the past months, his scent had changed from cinnamon to birch.

  “That doctor friend of yours,” Gage said. “Is he accepting new patients?”

  Jesse glanced at Gage’s hand on Ulric’s belly, his eyebrows crawling up. “It’ll be a long process. You know that, right? Might take a few years. He’d have to get your stem cells, modify them, and then cultivate new organs from those so your body won’t reject them. And then he’d have to put those in you, stitch you up, and you’d have to heal before you can even begin the pregnancy.”

  It sounded a little daunting. Maybe it’d be more expensive than Ulric could afford.

  When he glanced at Gage, though, he found his alpha looking thoughtful. “We’ll think about it,” Gage told Jesse. “Thanks.”

  Later that day, as they were driving home, Ulric asked, “Still want to go through that process?”

  “I think it’ll be pretty pricey,” Gage said, biting his lip. “I’d have to—”

  “Not another job.” Ulric frowned.

  Gage smiled. “I was just gonna say that I could stop ogling all those fancy gym upgrades. And... maybe we might have to move into a cheaper place.”

  Ulric had grown fond of their neighbors. If they didn’t have a better choice, though... “We could.”

  King jogged by with his dog just as they’d parked in the driveway. “Hey.” King waved. “We’re having another get-together in a couple weeks. You guys in?”

  Gage and Ulric exchanged a look. “We might be moving out,” Ulric said.

  “That’s a bummer.” King seemed disappointed. “What happened?”

  “We’re saving up for a family,” Ulric answered. “Although it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

  “Tell me,” King said.

  So Ulric told him about the experimental process, the organ implants, and the eventual pregnancy, feeling like maybe he was overloading King with too much information. Just because he and Gage wanted to knock each other up.

  “You know, I think there might be other folks in your situation,” King mused. “You said Nate might know this doctor?”

  They were getting more and more people involved in this, which wasn’t what Ulric wanted. He winced. “It’s fine, really. We’ll manage.”

  “I’ll have a chat with Nate,” King said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  He disappeared down the street, leaving Ulric and Gage staring after him in bewilderment.

  “What did I do?” Ulric mumbled.

  “Possibly a very good thing.” Gage tugged him closer, kissing his ear. “Do you think we’ll have two boys, or two girls?”

  “At the same time?” Ulric gulped, thinking about both of them with swollen bellies. “You know we’re going to attract stares. Maybe not so much me, because I’m already fat—”

  “You’re perfect.”

  “—but you have a job at the gym, Gage.” Ulric grimaced. “Are they going to be okay with you getting pregnant?”

  Gage shrugged, kissing Ulric again. “It’ll be a while yet. We’ll deal with it when that happens, babe.”

  Ulric still wasn’t convinced.

  “Here, let me show you how I’ll knock you up,” Gage whispered. He pulled their bodies flush, a sweet friction that distracted Ulric from his thoughts. “Lots of time to practice.”

  Ulric gave in. Maybe it was because of his job, but Gage demonstrated things very well. Especially in the bedroom.

  He followed Gage into the house, setting his worries aside.

  31

  Making Babies

  “Are you able to do a few sit-ups for me?” Dr. Rutherford asked, waving them over to an exam bed

  Gage nodded for Ulric to go first; Ulric frowned. “You first,” Ulric said. “You’ve been doing way more than you should.”

  Rutherford fixed Gage with a chiding stare. “You should have let your body heal.”

  “I felt fine. Was starting to hurt when I stopped working out after the surgery.” Gage got on the bed, doing a set of ten easily—just to prove he could. He liked working out; it loosened his muscles and helped him sleep better. And, now that he’d had an open-body surgery, it felt good to know he was back in shape.

  Rutherford listened to Gage’s heart, before checking his abdomen. “You do seem to have healed well. How are you coping with the hormones?”

  “Not bad.”

  Some time before the implantation surgery, Rutherford had given them increasing doses of omega hormones, to let them adjust to the hormonal cocktail that came with having omega parts.

  It felt... strange. Gage had been noticing different things—he’d been thinking maybe they needed some prettier curtains in the house, and he’d been wanting to put on some flowing lacy clothes. Jesse had let Gage borrow his bottles of nail polish. Coloring his nails felt really weird, but also good.

  Now that they each had an ovary and uterus implanted, Rutherford had given them a hormone suppressant to prevent unexpected heats from happening.

  “Your turn, Ulric,” Rutherford said. “A few sit-ups, please.”

  Ulric took his spot on the bed; Gage caught his ankles, leaning close. Just like they did at home. Ulric’s mouth twitched. With some effort, he heaved himself up, enough that he could now meet Gage’s lips over his knees. Gage kissed him lightly, his mouth tingling.

  This was the best part about exercising with Ulric—all the rewards Gage dangled in front of his alpha, he enjoyed, too. And Ulric was motivated by the rewards a lot more than he was by the exercise.

  With the doctor watching, Ulric did a total of five sit-ups, before sagging back against the bench. “Haven’t done that many in a while,” he puffed.

  “You did great,” Gage told him.

  “Does any part of your abdomen hurt?” Rutherford asked, carefully prodding at Ulric’s belly.

  Ulric shook his head. “Just tired from the strain. That’s all.”

  The doctor went over their progress from the last few weeks, and they discussed the details of an alpha pregnancy.

  Then, armed with some alcohol swabs and a scalpel, Rutherford removed the hormone suppressant implants from their arms, stitching them back up with some surgical thread.

  “All done,” Rutherford said. “You should experience your heat in a couple hours. You’d best start looking for a room.”

  He smiled crookedly as they stood to leave. It had to be weird, an omega like him helping alphas get pregnant. Gage glanced at the wall of pictures to Rutherford’s side, with happy families and smiling parents. No pictures of Ruthe
rford himself.

  Did he not have a family? Rutherford was in his forties, Gage figured. Surely he had to have found someone.

  “You’ve done this surgery several times, huh?” Gage asked, gesturing at his abdomen.

  The doctor froze, as though surprised. Then he recovered. “Ah, just a couple times in the last few years.” He smiled, tight-lipped. “Most of my patients request mammary implants for breastfeeding—that’s what this clinic specializes in, after all.”

  “Did something go wrong?” Ulric asked, worried.

  Rutherford shook his head. “Just the circumstances surrounding some surgeries, that’s all.”

  He looked honest, but beneath his smile was a dark, bottomless regret that Gage wasn’t going to touch. He hoped someone would help the doctor with it, though. It seemed that even doctors couldn’t heal everyone. Or maybe they just couldn’t heal themselves.

  “Come visit Meadowfall sometime,” Gage said. “The sunshine might be good for you.”

  “That’s where Nate is, isn’t it?” Rutherford smiled wanly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Gage tugged Ulric along as they left the clinic. “He seemed sad, don’t you think?”

  Ulric winced. “Yeah, he did. I wish I could help.”

  “Like being his alpha?” Gage wriggled his eyebrows.

  “Pfft.” The next moment, Ulric looked sorry. “You know I can’t get hard for an omega, Gage. Like, I’ve tried. It just doesn’t work.”

  Gage patted between Ulric’s legs. “Works for me, though.”

  Ulric flushed a bright red, looking around. “We’re not alone,” he hissed.

  Gage just laughed. “You’re fucking adorable when you’re flustered.”

  Ulric flipped him off.

  They found a hotel—a decent one, not the best. Even with the discounts Nate and King had worked out with Rutherford, this was still a costly endeavor. It was kind of crazy, every time Gage thought about it. And yet they were here, they both had uteruses grown from their own DNA implanted in their bodies.

  As they waited for the hotel’s computer system to check them in, warmth began to pool in Gage’s veins, a hungry, incessant whisper that raked down his spine. He wanted his alpha closer, he wanted to breathe the scent off Ulric’s skin. And he wanted to hear Ulric groan in his ear.

  He squeezed Ulric’s hand. “Is it just me, or are you feeling it, too?”

  Ulric’s pupils had dilated. “Not just you.”

  His voice had deepened into a delicious rasp, musk coiling off his skin. The implants weren’t the only thing that was different about them, though. Instead of Gage’s pine, his scent had sweetened into clove. Ulric’s honey oak had turned into an enticing anise scent.

  Gage all but grabbed the key card when the receptionist handed it over. The moment the elevator door shut, he shoved Ulric roughly against the wall, dragging him into a scorching kiss.

  Ulric growled, his pupils blowing wide. “Fuck, Gage.”

  “I hope you’re as wet as the doctor said you’ll be,” Gage whispered, reaching behind to stroke Ulric’s ass. Something about the omega hormones.

  Neither of them identified as omegas, but Gage sure wouldn’t say no to some extra lube. Especially when it’d make Ulric feel good. “Ready to take my cock, babe?”

  Ulric groaned and hauled Gage closer, pushing his tongue into Gage’s mouth. “I’m gonna fuck you first,” Ulric hissed. He shoved his hand down the front of Gage’s pants. “Cream inside you.”

  “Mm.” Gage’s blood surged south. “I thought you were blazing hot before, babe. But if this is you in heat, maybe I want you in heat all the fucking time.”

  Ulric’s smile turned hungry; his eyes lit up. He bit hard on Gage’s lip, sucking it into his hot, wet mouth. Gage fucked Ulric’s mouth with his tongue, he rocked their bulges together until Ulric groaned.

  Then Ulric wheezed, his breath punching out of him. He panted, looking down as though he was... surprised?

  And a wall of musk slammed into Gage like a sledgehammer.

  “Think I’m in a rut,” Ulric whispered, the aching need on his face going straight between Gage’s legs.

  “Yeah?” Gage had never been with an alpha in a rut before. He grasped Ulric’s bulge, squeezing it. It had grown thicker, harder. The touch yanked a snarl from his alpha.

  Ulric slammed him into the elevator wall, dragging him into a savage kiss. Fuck, he was hot. Gage panted, pulling him closer, trying to get enough of his alpha. Trying to just breathe.

  Someone cleared their throat loudly. Gage glanced over to find people outside the elevator, waiting to get in. Crap. He shoved Ulric off and dragged him out, fumbling with his bearings.

  Then he realized they were on the first floor.

  Ulric followed his stare. “Did we even... go upstairs? Did you hit the button for our floor?”

  “I thought I did.” Gage tried not to adjust his too-tight pants. “Did we make out for so long that the elevator went back down?”

  “We must’ve.” Ulric huffed, his cheeks faintly pink. “Oops?”

  Except the desire in his eyes far outweighed his amusement. He stared at Gage, as though he might pounce on Gage the next moment, and tear his pants right off. Here. In the lobby.

  “Keep this clean,” Gage murmured, hitting the elevator call button. “At least, until we get to our room.”

  “What part of this is clean?” Ulric’s stare dropped to Gage’s hips. “You’re a second from ripping your pants.”

  Gage shoved down his bulge. They were both indecent right now, their cocks straining, musk wafting off them like they were in some sort of soft porn movie.

  It was forever until the elevator door opened again. This time, Gage kept his hands off Ulric. “I’m not touching you until we get to our room, babe. Or we’ll be riding the elevator all day.”

  Ulric laughed and followed Gage in. “Yeah, we’ll be riding each other while riding the elevator.”

  “As much as I’d love to ride your ass here, I’m giving it a pass,” Gage muttered. “I want to fill you up properly. Get a full load of come inside you. Give you a baby.”

  Ulric swore. Despite his resolve, Gage skimmed his fingertips against the curve of Ulric’s ass, just next to his hole. “Felt it there, didn’t you? Your hole got all tight imagining me.”

  Ulric’s eyes flashed; he whirled around on Gage, his entire body tense with need.

  The elevator doors opened. Gage grabbed him and shoved him out, barreling him into the wall. “Three seconds, babe. Wait until we get to our room.”

  “Don’t know where it is,” Ulric muttered. He grabbed Gage’s bulge and squeezed it.

  Gage dropped the key card. He bent over to pick it up. Ulric grabbed his hips and ground his cock between Gage’s cheeks, a good, hard thrust. Just like how he’d push inside. Gage throbbed, his instincts roaring for him to pin Ulric down and claim his hole.

  He growled, shoving Ulric off. “Get to the room first.”

  “Want to strip you here,” Ulric whispered, his gaze dark. “Let you take my cock.”

  Fuck. Gage’s throat went dry. Now that Ulric was comfortable around him, Gage had begun to see much more of Ulric’s other side, the side of him that was feral. The side of him that was alpha.

  He shoved Ulric off and found their room somehow, pushing the key into its slot. Ulric slammed him against the door, grinding hard against Gage’s ass. “Mine,” Ulric growled. “Gonna give you a baby, Gage.”

  Gage’s hole squeezed. The door unlocked; he pushed it open, and Ulric shoved him into the room, tearing at Gage’s pants, cramming his fingers between Gage’s bare cheeks.

  Then he worked his finger up against Gage’s hole, pushing inside.

  Gage clenched around him, hissing. There was a little less burn now, a little more wetness. “Still need some lube.” He shoved some packets of lube into Ulric’s hand. “Get this in there.”

  Ulric’s only answer was a hungry growl. He tore open a packet; Gage yan
ked at Ulric’s belt, undoing it. Then he yanked down Ulric’s pants and grabbed his cock, and Ulric snarled, thrusting thick and heavy against Gage’s palm. It was beyond ready to impale Gage.

  So Gage grabbed Ulric’s shirt. He tugged it off his alpha’s head, leaving him mostly bare—all broad shoulders and pink nipples, some muscle beneath the curves on his chest. And a silvery scar down his middle.

  Instead of shying away, Ulric let him look. Gage leaned in and bit his nipple; Ulric hissed. But these days, he didn’t mind Gage admiring him. “Beautiful,” Gage murmured, sucking on that pink disc.

  And he brushed his palm down along Ulric’s cock, under his tight balls, all the way to the lush cheeks hiding his hole. Gage eased his fingers between them, stroking Ulric’s entrance. It was very slightly damp. Far less than an omega’s slick, but still appreciated nonetheless.

  Ulric knocked his hand away, his gaze flashing. “Me first.”

  Gage’s mouth tugged into a savage smile. “That’s how we’re playing it?”

  He grabbed Ulric by the hips and shoved him hard against the wall, stepping down on his pants to get it completely off his legs. And now Ulric was bare, not a stitch on his body—just the way Gage loved him.

  Ulric snarled and barreled Gage backward; Gage’s shoulders hit the opposite wall. And Ulric yanked open Gage’s pants, he hauled Gage around to face the wall, shoving his waistband down just enough to expose his ass.

  Before Gage could push him off, Ulric shoved his blunt tip between Gage’s cheeks, grinding it hard against his hole. No lube. Precome smeared over his entrance. Gage’s cock throbbed.

  “Fuck, babe,” Gage hissed, shouldering his alpha off. “Not so easy.”

  Ulric grabbed Gage’s shirt and ripped it open, buttons popping, bouncing off the dresser. Then he smoothed his palm up Gage’s abs, groaning in appreciation. “Always so beautiful, Gage.”

  “So are you.”

  Just like Ulric, there was a silver scar on Gage’s front now, going right down his abs. The addition of the uterus wasn’t really obvious; Rutherford had said it would only become apparent when they developed a baby bump.