LAMIA
"Yes!" I crowed. "We can have babies together!"
Porcha grimaced at me. "Even if I do go through with signing up for the mating service doesn't mean they are going to match me with anyone, nor does it mean I am going to instantly get knocked up. Beside you know I hate the idea of some advanced alien software being able to find me someone who is perfect for me. I’m perfectly capable of identifying what I like and don’t like."
"But you promised," I said. "You told me that if I got pregnant, you would go to a sperm donation center asap. We have our whole coparenting plan."
"You have a co-parent," Porcha said, glancing over at where Vlacul stood at the counter, ordering our food. There had been a line when we got there, so we grabbed a table while he waited. The worker was staring at him with wide eyes. He wasn't one of the species required to wear a disguise for the sake of not causing a panic. Vlacul had one on before simply so he could stalk me.
"I can have more than one co-parent," I said. "You're my village."
The skin around her eyes softened as she looked down at her hands.
"I love you too, Lamia," she said, her voice quiet. "I'm happy that you're happy, but I'm really glad you aren't moving off planet with this guy."
"You know that is an option when you sign up to be matched, right?" I said. "I put down that I wasn't willing to leave Earth, so they had to limit my potential matches to males who were willing and able to integrate here."
"Of course you did," Porcha smiled at me.
I grinned back at her.
“Guess what,” I said.
“What?” she replied.
“Vlacul’s brother is coming to visit,” I said. “His favorite brother, who also happens to be single.”
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“If I sign up for the mate matching service, that doesn’t mean I’ll be matched with him,” she said.
“He isn’t signed up with it yet,” I said. “He wants to know more about Earth women first.”
“Hmmm,” Porcha hmmd, pressing her lips together as she tilted her face to the side just slightly.
“Promise me you’ll come over for dinner while he is here,” I said. “You are the perfect person to help educate him on what Earth women like.”
“Hmmm,” she hmmd again.
“Plus you can mine him for data for your next video,” I said.
She hmmd one more time, but this time I could hear it in her tone, she was giving in. She always gave in to me eventually. It was my favorite thing about her.
“You know, mate-locked pairs tend to co-habitate in communal housing with other pairs forming larger family units for raising children,” I said.
“Do they?” Porcha asked, betraying her interest in the lightness in her voice. “That is common?”
“Oh yes,” I said. “Vlacul mentioned that fact right when we discussed his brother coming to visit.”
“Did I mention that the mate-lock involves their equipment changing to perfectly fit the maximum that their mate can-” I started to say.
“Give me a copy of your contract,” Porcha interrupted. “For research purposes.”
“You know the last time you wanted to do something for research purposes…” I trailed off, knowing she would follow my thoughts back to that shared memory.
“I was drunk,” Porcha said, tilting her chin up to give me her haughtiest glare. She always did that when she was embarrassed.
I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
