Edited by: ASaltedFish
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When Ellery's first kid turned two years old, Ellery and Akimitsu decided to have another baby. The two of them decided that they wanted at least three children who were close in age. They could have gotten twins, but they felt taking care of twins and a toddler was a lot of work. They wanted to be able to spend time with the kids equally and make sure no one was neglected.
Once they decided, they sent out messages to their close family and friends, hoping that they would come together and support them once more, and they were not disappointed. Everyone they contacted said they would come at the scheduled times, even if they had to free up their schedules!
Juniper responded to Ellery's message that addressed him and Edros. They were a unit, and he knew Edros would not be upset that he responded for him. As long as Juniper told him afterwards, Edros would not mind.
They were both lying in bed, but Edros was on his terminal finishing up last-minute paperwork that needed to be done. Usually, Juniper didn't interrupt him and laid by his side, reading interesting fiction novels or learning about different planets and environments. He wanted to gather all sorts of rocks and crystals to expand his collection!
Anyway, he tapped Edros lightly on the arm to get his attention. "Edros, Ellery and Akimitsu want us to see their second child this weekend. Do you have time?"
Edros pulled up his schedule and cleared out the weekend because he didn't see anything important. Most of the meetings could be postponed or brought forward, so it was like he was free this whole time.
"Yes, I have time. Oh, let's get gifts for Cullen, too. Hopefully, he is excited to be a big brother!"
Cullen Aster was Ellery and Akimitsu's first child. Ellery wanted to name their first child after his own surname, similar to his child in his previous life, Aspen Vales. Akimitsu didn't mind this because their second child would have his surname.
Cullen looked a bit more similar to Akimitsu, but he had Ellery's eyes and nose shape. He truly was the apple of their eye.
Juniper couldn't help but remember the time he saw the artificial womb in Ellery's house. Cullen was so tiny when they first met; it was amazing to see how a clump of cells gradually turned into a baby in front of their eyes.
"I remember when Cullen was still in the artificial womb, and now he is walking and talking. Time sure flies by."
Edros nodded. "You are right. Time does fly by quickly, but at least he is still a toddler. Could you imagine if he were already a teenager?"
"I think I would have an existential crisis." Just the thought made Juniper uncomfortable. He recently just got this body, so he was still young!
He couldn't imagine having a kid at his young age. He didn't know how his friends were already ready for kids when they were in the prime of their lives. Plus, babies and toddlers cry because they don't know how to communicate and articulate what they are feeling or what's bothering them. Kids and teenagers were still exploring their environment and themselves. But that also meant that they are a bit more self-centered, rather than seeing what's around them. They also had troubles with regulating their emotions, which made it difficult to understand what they were going through.
For Juniper, who cherished his personal space and his peace and quiet, having to commit to taking care of a child seemed like a heavy responsibility he wasn't sure if he was willing to take on. He didn't want to neglect any hypothetical biological children, like what happened with his father when his mother passed away. He didn't want to abuse any children like his previous relatives.
Not only that, but having a child was having a child for life. Just because they became adults didn't mean he would not be a parent anymore.
He only wanted Edros and Ellery around him most of the time. He also tolerated his other friends in small doses. So to have to take care of another living being, making sure it was loved and understood…
"Juniper?" Edros saw that Juniper was thinking about something, but his facial expressions were not pleasant. It got worse the more he sat there and thought about things.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about kids and realized, I don't want kids, and I feel a bit selfish saying that. I also don't think I would be a good parent. I know there are people who are saying that in the future, I could want kids or that I would change my mind when the kids come, but I have a feeling I won't be changing my mind because I cherish the time we have together and my alone time more than anything else. Kids would ruin our dynamic, but I would have to make sacrifices I don't want to make."
Juniper was always straightforward with Edros, so he talked about what was on his mind. Edros appreciated this about Juniper because he never needed to guess what he was thinking. Juniper meant what he said and never had any hidden meanings behind his words, which was rare.
"Did you think about this because of our friends?"
"Yes… Ellery and Akimitsu are so young, but they are already having their second child. Liáng Huā had her first kid even earlier than Ellery and Orin! I also heard from Silve that they were considering having a kid once Saem gets a promotion in the First Fleet. Only we don't have kids and are not considering it at the moment."
He thought about it for a while now, especially because he was married to Edros and everyone would ask when he was having kids, but he always answered that he was thinking about it and wanted to enjoy more years with Edros alone. He only wanted Edros, Ellery, and their family and friends in his life. He didn't need anyone else, especially not kids that would take up most of their time and energy.
As for Edros, he didn't think he would survive past the age of 60, let alone have a child. He liked being an uncle, but he also wasn't keen on having kids.
Hypothetically, if he and Juniper had kids together, and one of their children was a sentinel like him, someone who could only have one guide in his lifetime, he would feel guilty for bringing the child into existence. Just like him, that child would be resigned to the fact that they may never find a guide that could help them. They would have to come to terms with the fact that they could die young on the battlefield, leaving all of their friends and family behind. What would happen if their child were not as lucky as him and they had to watch the child die slowly from the corruption? He wouldn't know what he would do. It would also worry and ultimately break Juniper's heart, too.
So for now, he didn't want a child. He couldn't say for sure that he didn't want one in the future, but as of now, he just wanted to have Juniper to himself.
"Juniper, it's okay if you don't want kids right now or in the future. I don't want kids right now, and though I'm not sure about the future, I definitely don't want them now. And even if I did want children in the future, I love you and the time we have together more, so I would rather regret not having kids than regretting having kids. I'm happy with just the two of us and hope to enjoy my time with you for many years to come."
Juniper was surprised that he and Edros were on the same boat when it came to this, but also really happy that he wasn't the only one who wanted to continue their two-person world on most days. Yes, he enjoyed his time with Ellery, his family, and friends, but the person he wanted to be with most was Edros.
"Thank you, Edros, for being honest with me. If there ever comes a time you decide that you want to have kids, you must talk to me first, and then we can talk about it together. I don't want you to resent me because I don't want kids."
"I would never resent you, but I understand where you are coming from. If I do have that feeling, you will be the first one that I talk to."
Now that Juniper and Edros had this conversation, a huge weight was lifted off their shoulders. Now, they could spend more of their time and energy supporting Ellery, Akimitsu, and Cullen's next chapter in their life.
Nine months later, Ito Hinoki was welcomed to the galaxy. She was Ellery and Akimitsu's beloved daughter and little sister to Cullen.
As for Edros and Juniper, they continued to be the best uncles in the universe.
[The End]