Posted by Civilian Allison Fleet (Civilian) in Side Sim: Fleet-Moor Quarters - Childcare
Allison opened her eyes blearily, hearing the stirs of an infant in the moments before it began to cry. It was incredible how attuned to their various moods she had become. Incredible and also very annoying. She barely got any sleep. Ah well. Duty calls, as they say. She pulled the covers off her side of the bed, throwing them onto Rovan and wandering across the room to the twin’s crib.

It was Sophie. Of course it was Sophie. Allison lifted her little girl from the crib and held her close, bouncing the infant slightly against her body while she walked over to the small fridge that they’d requested for the room. Allison opened it up, illuminating the room for a moment as she tugged a small bottle of milk from inside the fridge, then closed it. She’d been warned of Ktarian baby teeth and didn’t feel like worrying about that late at night.

She didn’t want to disturb Rovan’s sleep, but she needed light, so she turned on a little yellow nightlight they kept near the desk, bouncing Sophie slightly to keep her calm and content while she pulled out the tiny camping stove and pot that had also been allowed special for them. She poured water into the pot, put the bottle down into the water, and began to heat it to body temperature, pacing the room a little as she waited. She tested it every now and then by squeezing some of the milk out onto her wrist. When the milk was warm, she turned off the camp stove and put away the pot of water.

Allison adjusted her grip on Sophie, who had predictably stopped fussing as soon as Mama lifted her up, and approached her with the bottle. Big yellow eyes stared up at the bottle as it approached, and the infant quickly grasped onto it with chubby fingers while her lips latched around the nipple of the milk bottle. Allison still found it amazing how quickly Sophie and Kasper were developing in comparison to human children. It partially made up for the 18 month pregnancy that Rovan had forgotten to mention until after they found out that she was pregnant.

Allison, Sleepy Mother

Rovan had heard, no felt Allison stirring and getting up to Sophie although full awakening eluded him for a time. At least until the gentle hum of the bottle being warmed and Sophies gentle gurgles of contentment in Allison’s arms had hushed as she took the bottle. It was then that the quiet made him open his eyes. The balance of the bed was different, the covers over him heavier and he knew immediately that Allie was awake and up. The gentle glow of yellow light from somewhere behind him also gave it away as his eyes lifted from the pillow to the wall beside the bed, and he rolled over so he could see better.

From this angle, he could see them both and smiled. The image of the small girl in his Wife’s arms was something that only a few short years before he would never have imagined waking up to. It was something that had seemed so far away, almost impossible but here they were, Allison and Rovan and their family. Pushing himself softly into a sitting position his own yellow eyes found his daughters, attracted by the movement from the bed but far too absorbed in the bottle to do more than gurgle at him around the milk in her mouth. Standing up, he didn’t bother putting on a shirt before moving to ‘his girls’, the thicker skin of his torso clear in the soft light, as were the ridges above his eyes marking his Ktarian heritage. Sliding onto the sofa beside them he slid his arm around Allison and with his free hand brushed Sophie’s hair softly, giving Allison a soft kiss on the cheek. “Hungry again is she.” It was more of a statement than a question. “I’m surprised Kasper hasn’t demanded to be in on the action yet, maybe he was more worn out after his day of adventure.”

Picking up a soft toy from the sofa, a small stuffed pony with bright colours on it given to them by Allison’s family when the twins were born, Rovan playfully pretended to walk it up to Sophie and peck her on the nose with it, grinning as he watched her large yellow eyes almost cross as she watched it get closer and closer to her nose. Softly he gave Allison another kiss on the cheek, moment like these with his wife were rare enough that he wanted to make sure she knew he appreciated her and everything she did for their babies, and for him.

Rovan Moor, Daddy