A few days later, Tyra was at his family's house for one of his regular visits. After moving into the dorms at the beginning of the term it had been difficult for Tyra since he had missed his family but it had been even harder for his father who, even more emotional because of his pregnancy, almost didn't let him go at all. So Lissem was overjoyed each time that Tyra came home again, and made Tyra's favorite food and muffins and fussed over him, and Tyra, although protesting a bit, was silently grateful for it.

This time was no different, although Detrallin tried to no avail to stop his mate from running around so much.

Finally, it was Feadri who won the battle to get Lissem to sit down and put his feet up.

"Hey Tyra, want to play a board game together in the living room as a family?" the young lifebearer asked.

Tyra saw what Feadri was up to. "Good idea. You pick the game."

After a few moments, Feadri came back with Tyra's favorite, a detective game where everyone could possibly be the 'murderer'. Although Lissem protested every time that they could pick a game that wasn't so sinister, he was often enough the one to find the 'culprit' first.

As Feadri set up the board, he asked out of the blue, "Tyra, when do I get the chance to finally meet your boyfriend?"

Tyra felt as if he'd just been whacked on the head. He really needed to teach Feadri something about subtlety some day. He glanced uneasily at his parents. Lissem's usual smile was pressed thin as if he'd tasted something sour. "Um, I don't really know. Eventually. Some day."

"Really?" Feadri looked a bit sceptical, ignoring his father's dark look. "Maybe I could come with you one afternoon? You told me he's got a jacuzzi in his bathroom, and I still don't believe a word."

Oh, how Tyra wished he could crawl in a hole and hide. He hadn't mentioned the jacuzzi to his parents, and he'd never intended to. His cheeks felt hot.

"You can come if it's okay with sire and dad," Tyra mumbled his quick response keeping his eyes glued to the board.

"No, it's not okay," Lissem said, crossing his arms over his prominent belly. "You're far too young to go into a club, young lifebearer, even if it's during the day. There are all sorts of unpleasant people." His face left no doubt which person in particular he meant.

"But Tyra would be there," Feadri pointed out. "Or, you know, we could invite Elain here."

Tyra resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. Somehow, he even kept himself from taking a pillow and smothering his little brother with it.

Before Lissem could reply, Detrallin said, "Let's talk about this when your little brother is here, Feadri."

"So, you think I'm just overreacting and cranky because I'm pregnant?" Lissem accused his mate.

Detrallin held up a hand and shook his head. "No, no one has said that."

"How I feel about that lifebearer has nothing to do with the state I'm in," Lissem said firmly. "Tyra's made his decision, but I don't want my Feadri wandering around in that club, and I don't particularly feel like opening my home to that lifebearer."

Feadri turned to Tyra. "Is this what it's like to be in on the 'grown up' talks?"

Tyra nodded his head slowly. "See, what did I tell you? They aren't all that much fun, are they?"

Feadri gravely shook his head. "Nope."

"Please reconsider it, love," Detrallin said calmly. "As I said, it's not about now, but maybe in a few weeks. We're talking about Tyra's boyfriend here."

"Why are you defending him, Detrallin? Am I the only one who remembers the trouble he caused last spring?" Lissem demanded.

"Dad, Elain apologized. And he helped get the scholarship straightened back out," Tyra said. When Lissem turned annoyed eyes his way, he resorted to an underhanded method: He pleaded. "Please, Dad? It would really mean a lot to me. We can put it off a while longer if that's what you want, but I'd really like you to meet him. So, please?"

Lissem sighed, helpless as any parent in sight of his child's big eyes. "I'm sorry, Tyra darling, but I really don't want to think about it right now. Can we please talk about this later? You guys always tell me I shouldn't get so riled up in my condition, so do keep sensitive topics from me for the time being, okay?"

Tyra glared pointedly at Feadri, who had the decency to duck his head and mumble an apology.

"How about we talk about that later then and focus on the game?" Tyra asked.

They all agreed on that, and started to concentrate on the game. As usual, Lissem won the first round, but Tyra managed to be the winner in the second. After a third they decided to call it a day. Lissem, whose back ached after sitting too long, decided to talk a short walk, and Detrallin accompanied him.

Feadri and Tyra migrated to Tyra's old room. It was still mostly the same save for some books and the computer which Tyra had taken with him to the dorms. They flopped down on the bed.

"Sorry," Feadri said. "But I thought it high time that we speak about your boyfriend. Dad has never been this cold to anybody for such a long time."

"You're right, he hasn't," Tyra replied. "But next time, check with me first before you bring it up, all right? I talked it over with sire, and we've been planning for a while now to bring it up after the baby's born. Sire agrees that dad's just being a mule because he's got a bun in the oven, and he'll chill out when his hormones get back to normal."

Feadri giggled. "Yes, I guess you're right. Hopefully our new little brother with be so cute that he'll mellow a bit despite having short nights. But I promised that I'll be doing the early morning shift when it comes to feeding him. Dad told me that we both loved to wake him up at five o'clock in the morning."

"Dad's going to have to mellow toward Elain eventually. This cold spell can't last forever," Tyra said.

"I really hope so. Buuuut... can't I meet Elain earlier? Maybe someplace else? Even Sally and your other friends have met him already. And I'm so curious." Feadri made big eyes at his brother.

"Nice try, but remember who taught you that move?" Tyra asked. "Sorry, but I'm not sticking my neck out again. I got in enough trouble for the entire year already, and Elain and dad would both nail me to the wall if they found out I was sneaking you out to meet Elain."

"Alright, alright," Feadri gave in and heaved a big sigh. "But at this rate I'll never meet my future brother-in-law."

Tyra rolled his eyes. "So dramatic. You will eventually. Just be patient. Dad's going to have to give in at some point."

"Let's hope so." Feadri crawled over to Tyra and poked him in the ribs. "By the way, I wanted to ask if I can have the now empty part of your cupboard? I have no idea where to put my new solar system and molecular models any more."

"Sure, no problem. I'm barely living here anyway," Tyra said. "Just don't go crazy and pile junk up all over, okay? I want my bed, floor, and desk kept clear, got it?"

"Got it!" Feadri saluted, grinning, then he hugged his brother. "You're the coolest! And, by the way, do cross your fingers for me, will you? There's a big science contest at my school next month, and I want to participate."

Tyra smiled. His little brother was such a nerd. "Good luck. Work your ass off and get it right. And if you don't, give me a call," he said. Then he tilted his head to the side and considered Feadri thoughtfully for a moment. "You know that even though I'm not living here any more, you can call me whenever you need me, right?"

"Of course I know, silly." Feadri squeezed him a bit tighter, and he cheerful tone grew more serious. "But I'm okay here. There's tons of school work to do, and I'm so looking forward to our little bro. But you have to come to the awards ceremony after the science contest to cheer me on, will you?"

"I will," Tyra said with a smile. "And I'll see if I can arrange it so I can bring a guest. How about that?"

"A guest? One I know or one I don't know yet?" Feadri asked, nudging his brother in the ribs again.

Tyra laughed softly. "One you don't know yet. But I'm not making any promises. But you'd better win a prize so I can brag about you to said guest."

"Of course! Hey, you know me, I'm the intelligent one in the family." Feadri grinned. "So, could you help me move my stuff in here?"

Tyra quirked a brow. "I'm kindly letting you move some of your science junk into my room, and you also want me to help you move in? And you claim to be the smart one in the family. Ha."

"Yeah, because I know you're the nice one and the greatest big bro on Wyndrah," Feadri replied.

Tyra groaned and covered his face with his pillow. Then he socked Feadri in the chest with the pillow. "Aarg, alright, you little runt. Come on, let's get your science crap moved in."

"Yay! As I said: You're the best!" Feadri stated, standing up and leaving the room.

Tyra followed him, remembering too late that Feadri's models were not only bulky, but heavy, too.

~*~

It was just a few weeks later that Lissem woke Detrallin in the middle of the night and calmly informed him that it was time to go to the hospital. They got their necessities together and then told a sleepy Feadri what was going on. Feadri protested against being left behind, so they let him get dressed and gather a book, pillow, and blanket and come with them to the hospital.

The next morning, Tyra received a phone call as he was gathering his things at Elain's apartment in order to head back to the dorm. He picked up his cell phone and saw that it was his sire calling. "Hey, sire, what's going on?" he answered.

"If you have time, you can come visit us at the hospital," Detrallin told him, and his normally calm voice sounded cheerful. "Our new family member arrived an hour ago."

Tyra felt as if his entire day had suddenly gotten brighter, and he felt light with joy. "That's great! Oh, wow, I wish I could come right now, but I have a class in two hours. But I'll come right after that. Is everything okay? How's dad?"

"He's sleeping now, but he's alright, as well as the little guy," his sire said. "They're in room 109."

Tyra looked around. Elain's apartment was always meticulously neat, so he didn't see any paper handy. He got a pen out of his backpack and wrote the number on his hand. "One-oh-nine, got it. And you're at Goodrich Hospital as planned, right? Oh! Is it a sire or a lifebearer?"

Tyra almost saw his sire smiling. "Yes, we're in Goodrich. And it's a little sire. He looks just like Lissem's father. "

At that moment, Elain came out of the bedroom. He was straightening his tie, and he gave Tyra a curious look. "That's great, that's really great," Tyra replied. "Hey, congrats, sire. Can you give dad my love and tell him I'll be there as soon as possible?"

"I don't think he'll wake up soon since he's fallen into healing trance, but I will if he wakes up before you're here. See you later, son."

When Tyra disconnected his phone, Elain asked, "Good news?"

Tyra went over to Elain and put his arms around him and lifted him up in the air, despite Elain's protest. Then he gave his lover a thorough kiss. "Great news. I'm a big brother again, and it's a little sire, and everybody's fine. Can't ask for a better way to start the day than that, can I?" Tyra gave Elain a huge grin.

Elain smiled back at him. "Then I have to congratulate you, too. It's good to hear that everything went smoothly. I guess you'll be visiting them right after classes?"

"Between classes, too. I have three hours between the first class and second, so I'll go to the hospital and get lunch on the way back. Then I'll finish up classes for the day and go back to the hospital again. Oh, damn, wait, we had plans for me to come back here for lunch, didn't we? Is it okay if I make that up to you later, Elain?" Tyra gave Elain an apologetic grimace.

Elain gave him a quick kiss. "Of course, Tyra. You go visit your family and spend time with them. And please say hello from me - as long as it won't upset your father. I really wish him all the best."

Tyra gently tucked the soft, fine strands of Elain's hair behind one ear. "Thank you, love. I'll see how the wind's blowing when dad wakes up from his healing trance. Likely he'll be so over the moon that it'll be the perfect time to say that you wish him will." Tyra gave Elain's nose a quick kiss. "Okay, I have to get to class now. I'll see you, well, probably tomorrow evening, I think. I'll give you a call, okay?"

Elain smiled. "Okay. Have a nice time, Tyra."

"Later," Tyra replied.

He left the apartment and headed back to the campus. He passed his morning in a bit of a daze, but thankfully no one noticed how distracted he was. As soon as he was free and clear of the class, he rushed to the hospital.

He was surprised to meet up with Feadri wandering in the hallway. He was wrapped in a blanket and eating a candy bar.

"Hey Feadri, shouldn't you be at school today?" Tyra asked.

"School? Oh, I totally forgot. But with my grades I'll survive a day ditching school," Feadri replied, munching his candy bar. He looked tired, but happy. "Now come on, I'll show you our little darling. He's cute beyond words!"

Feadri tugged his blanket a little tighter around his shoulders and lead Tyra down a hallway, past a nurses' station, and then down another hall. They came to a stop in front of a large picture window where several babies were lying in cradles, wrapped in blankets and little knitted caps. Feadri pointed to a cradle in a near corner with a baby that had a blue blanket.

"That's him," he whispered. "He has dad's chin and nose, but his eyes are a very light green. And those three strands of hair on his head are looking silvery blonde, just like granddad."

"Wow," Tyra breathed. The sire looked so small and delicate. The cradle dwarfed his tiny frame. "You know, I can barely remember when you came home from the hospital. It was nothing like this. I think they left me with granddad and grandsire when they had you. This is, well, really awesome."

"It is," Feadri agreed with bright, happy eyes. "Sire allowed me to hold him already. He's so incredibly small, I could hardly believe it when I saw his tiny toes and fingers. But then sire told me that I was even smaller. Little Selvyn here is actually normal size for a baby sire."

"Selvyn? Is that his name?" Tyra asked. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Selvyn," he said through the glass window. "I expect you to give Feadri a hard time for me since I won't be at home often, little guy."

"Hey, don't give him ideas! I plan to raise him to be a perfect little brother - like I was. Aaand I was the one to suggest the name, by the way," Feadri announced proudly.

Tyra ruffled Feadri's hair. "Good job. It's a nice name."

Their little sibling moment soon came to an end as they heard heavy footfalls approaching them. It was their sire, and he came to stand behind them and put a hand on their shoulders.

Detrallin looked a bit tired, too, but he was practically glowing. "So, what do you think, Tyra?" he asked. "Isn't he cute?"

"He's definitely cute," Tyra said. "When can I hold him?"

"In about half an hour when he's getting his next meal," Detrallin said. "We already found out that he doesn't like carrots."

Feadri grinned. "Yes, the red spots on my shirt are proof of that."

Tyra felt an unexpected sort of bubbling excitement well up in his chest. "During feeding? Does that mean I can try feeding him myself?"

"Why not? I think your shirt could use some pea-green dots as well," Feadri told him, grinning.

Detrallin smiled at his oldest son. "No, really, you can try it. The nurses said that it's best for a baby if he's taken care of by his family as soon as possible."

"Great!" Tyra could hardly wait to try it out. "Hey, but before that, is dad awake yet?"

Feadri shook his head. "No, not yet. But the doctors said that he should wake up in about two or three hours."

"So, I guess I wait around until it's time to feed the little guy, then," Tyra said. "By the way, has the doctor said when dad'll be released to go home?"

"Tomorrow, most likely; it depends on how he'll be feeling. But don't worry, your father had enough practice already with you two," Detrallin remarked. "Come on, let's drink a cup of coffee together first."

Tyra agreed — as a university student, he knew better than to turn down free food. So he followed along behind his sire and brother to the cafeteria after one more quick glance at his cute new baby brother.

After the coffee break, Tyra successfully fed his new little brother some peas and rice and managed not to get too sprinkled with food. Little Selvyn already tried to smile, and when he didn't like something, he scrunched his face adorably.

Sadly, Tyra had to return to his classes in the afternoon, but as soon as they had ended, he was back in the hospital. To his delight, Lissem had already woken up and was entertaining guests: Sally and her mother.

As soon as Tyra opened the door, Sally hugged him fiercely, barely giving him room to breathe.

"Oof!" Tyra grunted. "Hey there, long time no see, Sally. I guess you've met my new little brother already then and I don't get to make the introductions." Tyra put on a mock frown.

"Of course! And he's such a darling!" Sally let go of him and smiled.

It was strange, Tyra noted. He had been used to seeing Sally every day, and now that they didn't meet frequently any more, he noticed some changes: different hair style, high heels instead of sneakers, and her figure had filled out a bit more. All in all, Sally looked more grown-up, more feminine.

"Tyra darling!" Lissem called. "You have to see what Sally brought for Selvyn. It's a mobile she made herself! She's such an artist."

Sally's cheeks colored. "Nah, it's nothing."

"Hey, let me be the judge of that," Tyra insisted. So Sally bashfully picked up the mobile from the side table and showed it to him. It was wonderfully detailed, with soft, hand-sewn baby chicks and baby bunnies dangling from the arms of the metal rods. Stiffened, curled ribbons dangled down from the center.

"See, now that's adorable," Tyra declared.

"Thanks, but really, if I had more time, it would have gotten even better," Sally said. "And then..."

"Sally, just take the praise for once," Mrs. Kendrick interrupted her, laughing.

Meanwhile, Tyra had gotten to the bed and carefully hugged his father.

"How're you feeling, dad?" Tyra asked gently. "Are they going to let you out of this joint tomorrow?"

"I'm still a bit tired, but fine, thanks," Lissem replied. He was practically glowing, Tyra noticed. "And I can go home tomorrow. The doctors forbade me any strenuous activities, but I guess I can live with sitting on the couch and relaxing for a change."

Tyra went over and poked Feadri in the ribs. "You hear that, rat? No loud music, no chemistry explosions upstairs, and definitely no video games for the next couple of days."

Feadri squeaked and rubbed his side. "Hey, I wasn't going to do any of that."

Lissem reached out and affectionately ruffled Feadri's hair. "He's going to help me a lot since he's not the baby of the family anymore."

"See?" The young lifebearer shot Tyra a proud look.

Tyra shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, fine. Just don't get a big head since you're the only big brother at home now."

Detrallin approached Tyra then and put a heavy arm around his shoulders. "Stop worrying so much, Tyrallin. I swear, you've become even more protective since you moved into the dorm."

"No wonder since I can't look after Feadri the way I used to," Tyra replied.

Feadri pouted. "Hey, I'm old enough to get by fine! And it's not as if I'd go to any discos or clubs and meet all sort of slimeballs. I have better things to do with my time."

Tyra opened his mouth to make a retort to Feadri's comment, but Mrs. Kendrick cut him off first.

"So, Lissem dear, are you going to be having any sort of celebration? Lashran typically have a welcoming party for the baby, don't you? I vaguely recall you having one for Feadri years and years ago."

Lissem beamed at her. "Of course I'll have one! You and Sally are invited as well, and I guess it's a good opportunity to invite some older friends and family members we haven't seen for a long time. I'll tell you the date as soon as I'm back on my feet again."

Feadri gently nudged Tyra in the ribs and shot him a meaningful look.

Tyra snorted and swatted Feadri's arm. "Dad, it's okay if you say no — it really is okay — but could I maybe bring, um..." Tyra hesitated.

"Bring whom?" Lissem asked, looking at his eldest son. "Jerrik and your other friends are welcome, too. And you could also bring some of your new buddies from university. I'd like to meet them."

"Could I bring Elain?" Tyra finally managed to spit out the question.

Silence descended very quickly. Some of the people present looked at Tyra. The others looked at Lissem, waiting for his answer.

Lissem's radiant face fell a bit, but the usual frown associated with the mention of Elain didn't show up. He sighed deeply. "Well, I guess I kind of promised to consider inviting him. And if you can promise me that he won't scare my other guests or anything... then bring him along, for Forests' sake."

"He won't, dad. It'll be fine; I promise," Tyra replied.

"Good," Sally said with somewhat forced cheer. "Won't it be fun? I can't remember the last time I went to a party at your house. Can we bring any treats?"

"Bring your famous apple pie, Sally, if you have time to make it," Feadri suggested. "Everyone will love it."

"Elain? Isn't that your boyfriend, Tyra?" Mrs. Kendrick asked. "Now I'm curious, too."

Tyra felt his ear tips begin to heat up. "Yeah, that's my boyfriend. I'll make sure to introduce you at the party, Mrs. Kendrick."

Mrs. Kendrick smiled as radiantly as her daughter. "I'll look forward to it. But I warn you; if he's too good-looking, I might steal him away."

"Mom!" Sally chided. "I thought you were seeing that fitness trainer of yours? Or was it your new colleague? Those guys all look the same."

The situation was so absurd that everyone burst out laughing, even Lissem. Detrallin had mercy on Tyra and steered the conversation away from the sensitive matter of his significant other. "It should be just about time for another feeding. I'll go see whether a nurse is bringing Selvyn yet."

"I'll come with you," Tyra readily volunteered.

He couldn't suppress a sigh of relief as he left the room.

His sire smiled at him. "See? He gave in."

"Yeah, geez, what a load off," Tyra said with a huge sigh. "Sire, I really appreciate all your help along the way. I know you've been trying to get him to relax about it. So, you know, thanks."

"No problem, son." Detrallin put his arm around Tyra's shoulders. "I want to see you happy, and I'm sure that Lissem didn't feel well holding that grudge. He's just concerned about you, but neither he nor I can decide what's best for you or with whom you want to share your life."

Tyra couldn't think of any other response to that other than to nod in agreement. "I'm glad it worked out this way. We can get them in the same room, make 'em take a look at each other, but with the party going on, they won't have to interact much right away."

"They don't have to be best friends, but I guess it's a huge success if they behave civil around each other." Detrallin snorted. "Forests, this reminds me so much of me meeting Lissem's parents. His father downright hated me for 'stealing his precious son'. It took years for him to warm up to me."

Tyra gave his sire a sardonic look. "Thanks. That makes me feel so much better. Ugh, what a mess. And it's pretty much my fault. Well, at least dad's normally pretty bad at holding grudges. I'll just have to see how it goes."

Detrallin squeezed Tyra's shoulder. "Don't worry. And no, it's not your fault. Nobody can help falling in love, and everything else was just bad luck. Let's just see what will happen. And tell your Elain that he should compliment little Selvyn a lot."

Tyra tried to picture Elain cooing and fawning over a baby, and the mental image was so incongruous that it made him laugh. "I'll let him know to be generous with his praise."

"Well, it's a good thing that Elain is used to big parties," Detrallin said. "This is going to be a significant event. Both sets of grandparents have already said that they'll come for the party and to visit. We might get even more relatives coming out from under their rocks, too."

Tyra snorted. "So it's going to be an excuse for an overdue family reunion, is that it?"

"Of course! Better than a funeral, right? And the only other happy occasion would be a bonding, but since two of your cousins are already bonded and the others are still too young, we'll have to wait for you and Feadri. And I guess that'll take a bit of time." Detrallin looked at his son. "Or do you have any serious plans yet? I hope not."

Tyra gave his dad a half smile. "Of course I have serious plans. They're just long-term plans is all," he confessed.

Detrallin raised his eyebrows. "You do know that a relationship, especially the first real one, doesn't necessarily last forever?"

Tyra shrugged and looked away. "Hey, don't worry about it. I haven't even talked to him about it, and I'm not going to even bring it up until after college. That's why I said long-term."

"Good," Detrallin answered with an approving look. "An lot of things can happen in a few years, so you shouldn't rush it, that's all I ask."

"No problem," Tyra said with a small shrug.

He followed his sire quietly as they went to collect little Selvyn. He couldn't blame his sire for his concerns, but at the same time, well, Tyra already had his heart set on Elain in every way.

To be continued...