Terra Altera |ksj + knj| (eng)

Chapter 4: End

[2 years later]

"Okay, okay, push," Namjoon stood right in the middle of one of his neighbour's spread legs. She obeyed, yelling incoherent words as she felt another contraction. A few drops of sweat appeared on her skin as she closed her eyes. One of her girl friends was standing beside her, holding her hand.

She sobbed as she breathed out.

"You're doing a great job, the baby is almost out," Namjoon smiled at her positively. The woman nodded, feeling tired. Her friend wiped her forehead with a cloth.

And as another contraction hit her, the baby was out but so was she...

Jin turned around to see his boyfriend coming inside the tent. He smiled at him but a surprise settled in as he saw a newborn in his arms.

"Who is that?" he got up and walked over to them. He took him with a smile and shook him lightly.

"Qevise has decided that it was his mother's time," Namjoon said quietly and Jin nodded in understanding.

"Hasn't she had a family? You said that if it happens, her family will take care of the baby."

Namjoon shook his head. "She had a mother but she died a few years ago. The woman didn't even have a husband, so no one wants to take care of a child born out of wedlock..."

Jin looked at the taller. He blinked a few times, understanding the message. "So... we will take care of him from now on?"

"If you want to. I know we've never talked about it since I thought that having a child would never be a hot issue in our relationship but... I don't think anyone will take care of him if not us."

Jin got quiet. He watched the baby in his arms sleeping peacefully as his mind was filling up with thoughts.

"Really? No one would do that for that poor child?"

Namjoon shook his head.

"Aren't there any couples struggling with infertility?"

"Not in our village."

Jin breathed out. "Okay, let's give it a few days trial period."

But a couple of hours later they both knew that the decision had been made as soon as Namjoon had walked in with the boy in his hands...

"We have to get married."

Jin looked up from the little boy in his arms and blinked a few times in question.

"Firstly, you come home with a child and three days later we have to get married?" Jin furrowed his eyebrows. "I mean, I am not opposed to. I just feel like it could wait."

"Well," Namjoon breathed out. "That's the problem. Most people get married, then have kids. If it is the other way around - first a wedding, then a wedding night and then a baby. People who do not fit it, are looked down on."

"But we have adopted him...?" Jin questioned, letting the boy in his arm suck on his index finger. "We didn't... conceive him, duh."

Namjoon sighed.

"And is it even allowed? I mean.... we are both guys, not to mention I am not from this planet."

"Why would our gender be a problem?" Namjoon turned to Jin, who placed the baby on their bed.

"Well, it used to be a problem on my planet for centuries..." the human caressed the boy's head.

Namjoon furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Humans are... well... full of hate. They used religion to justify their stupid actions."

Namjoon walked over to his partner and hugged him from behind. Jin's face lit up with a smile as he continued to watch the sleeping baby.