Zoom Zoom My Heart Like A Rocket (2/2)
He grows tired. Each day, Byunghun returns home and Chanyeol greets him, smiling hopefully. The man merely walks past him wearily, offering a small shake of his head. Chanyeol has long since stopped getting up when Byunghun returns.
Thanks to one of the rare conversations with Byunghun, Chanyeol now knows where the food is. Carefully acquired, meticulously stacked human food. Chanyeol doesn't think about the all the work and effort Byunghun must have put in and the hopes the man had that his human guest would appreciate it. In fact, Chanyeol barely leaves the bed, only ever stands to grab something to eat before returning to his mattress.
He doesn't want to admit it, but he's moping. Chanyeol is being a huge baby and he's extremely displeased with his condition. Byunghun isn't helping; they barely speak. On the chance they do, it's on trivial matters. Byunghun asks Chanyeol what he likes most about Earth and Chanyeol asks why his planet was chosen.
The officials searched the universe, Byunghun explains. They looked for planets and life forms that were similar to their own. In faraway lands, they looked for similar environments and atmospheric properties. In living beings, they looked for intelligence and reproductive cycles. They found a great amount of destinations, and were fortunate enough to have the capabilities to send each of their able-bodied citizens to a different location. It is by pure chance that Byunghun even ran into Chanyeol at all.
He words it to make it sound like Chanyeol is the luckiest person alive, but here, smothered beneath piles of pillows and blankets, Chanyeol feels like the unluckiest being in the universe.
"Chanyeol."
He groans, shifting further into his nest.
"Chanyeol, please."
Sighing, he throws back the blankets and pillows to stare wearily at Byunghun. The man-Chanyeol hasn't seen him with more than four appendages since that first time-is standing in the opening, watching Chanyeol with a mix of nervousness and determination, and Chanyeol relents. "What is it?"
Slowly, as if trying to win the trust of an angered animal, Byunghun approaches the bed. He sits at the edge and gently threads his fingers through Chanyeol's hair. He waits until Chanyeol is halfway asleep before speaking. "I miss you."
Chanyeol hums. "I'm here literally all the time. You see me every day."
The bed shifts as Byunghun lies down on top of the blankets, facing Chanyeol. "I miss going to eat with you. You are sad and not the you that I meant to bring here." He scrunches his face up at the wording and rolls onto his back, stretching his arms up as if he's going to grab the phrase he wants right out of thin air. "I miss Space Commander Chanyeol."
Chanyeol finds himself laughing. "Who called me that?"
Byunghun looks sheepish. "Baekhyun said it was your formal title."
Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol figures he's been moping for long enough. Besides, it's not Byunghun that he should be taking his anger out on. The guy is so obviously innocent that Chanyeol feels a little guilty for snubbing him. He pushes himself up and out of bed, heading for the opening in the wall. "I think I saw spaghetti in the compartment," he muses, "We can pretend we're in a really weird Italian restaurant or something."
Byunghun jumps out of bed and follows Chanyeol into the cooking area, sitting on a counter and waiting eagerly as Chanyeol prepares food.
"You're really cute, you know that?" Chanyeol laughs when Byunghun grimaces in response, leaning forward and pressing a quick peck to the man's cheek.
"I am not."
Chanyeol empties a box of noodles into boiling water. "The way you speak is, quite frankly, adorable and you're short. Byunghun, you are the definition of cute."
The man fumes. "I am not short. I am the average height of a male human being between sixteen and thirty years of existence and you, Chanyeol, have mutated genetics that give you a very unnecessary and impractical height."
Chanyeol coughs into his shoulder, "Short."
Byunghun continues to protest until Chanyeol presents their food, at which time he grudgingly stops and begins to eat.
Chanyeol is still thinking about what the man said from earlier. "Hey," He starts, "why did you miss talking to me so much. I'm sure you have friends you can complain about me with." At Byunghun's somber expression, Chanyeol frowns. "No?"
"All of my... closest comrades," Byunghun picks his words carefully, speaking slowly so that Chanyeol can understand what he's trying to say, "are not available for me to converse with. Many of them have not returned yet. And others... are busy."
"Oh." Chanyeol meticulously swirls the noodles around his fork. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be more understanding from here on out." He lowers his head and feels a light pressure on his cheek. When he looks up, Byunghun is back away, grinning.
"Thank you."
Chanyeol smiles in response.
The very next day, Byunghun rushes inside and swings Chanyeol-who had been trying to decipher what was going on on the TV-in a circle. Upon setting him on the ground, he offers the confused man a wide grin.
"We are about to have someone visit."
Chanyeol is right about to ask whom it is when the door opens and a man walks in.
"Minsoo!" Byunghun greets with a smile, motioning the man over, "I only just heard about your return."
The man nods, walking further inside and Chanyeol notes that he has odd hair, too. Bright blonde, like Byunghun's when he had streaks for those few days.
"We only returned this morning," Minsoo agrees, "she wished to have the little ones on her planet before we returned. Lovely little things, they have her blue exoskeleton, can't be harmed when they fall. It's delightful."
Chanyeol blinks.
"Oh, this must be yours."
Byunghun nods from behind Chanyeol and it's silent for a minute as he mimes sticking his hand forward, shaking it up and down. Chanyeol is oblivious to the exchange, his mind filled with tiny blue creatures falling off of things.
Minsoo sticks his hand forward. "I am... Minsoo. It is great to meet you."
Chanyeol opens his mouth and apparently the door has a grudge against him, because it opens again and another man walks through.
Byunghun looks surprised. "Ch-"
"Do not," the man interrupts, "I didn't come here to make your carrier feel comfortable. I came to see if you were right. If the thing still wasn't filled with your offspring. There's no way I would force myself into this form otherwise. Now where is it?"
"I-" Chanyeol stops, forced into silence by the droll stare he is given.
"L.Joe," the man starts, tone unimpressed, "mine was filled as soon as we touched down. Yours is not and it has been here how long? Remind me."
"This is no time to brag," Minsoo snaps. "L.Joe invited us here to meet his carrier and convince him to fulfill the duty. Your presence is not needed if you are planning to do neither of those things."
The man rolls his eyes. "I need to head back anyways. L.Joe, good luck, okay?" And just like that, he walks through the front door and is gone.
Minsoo sighs. "I should get going too. The little ones are a bit less work when the both of us are there." He turns to face Chanyeol. "Earthling, do what you think is right, but please consider L.Joe." He gives both men a wave and then leaves.
Chanyeol feels like he's just been through a tornado. He sinks into the plush and turns to Byunghun, who is seated of the counter. "Is that how you thought this visit would play out?"
Byunghun sighs and stares at the ground. "No, not quite."
Chanyeol nods, playing with the edge of his borrowed bed shirt, something he hadn't had time to change out of before the mess. "Question." Byunghun hums, and Chanyeol takes that as a green light. "Were they calling you L.Joe?"
Byunghun stiffens and finally meets Chanyeol's eyes. He scratches his knee self-consciously before speaking. "Byunghun is... not my real name. It was given to me to aid me in blending in, but I have taken a liking to it. L.Joe is a name I have had for far longer."
"Minsoo probably isn't Minsoo either, huh?"
The man nods. "C.A.P was willing to play along. His slip up was definitely not intentional. Chunji, on the other hand, was never willing to don another name to make my carrier feel more comfortable." He frowns. "Chanhee isn't an awful pseudonym, is it?"
Chanyeol laughs. "You didn't have to do that. But, if your real name is L.Joe," he pauses to look for confirmation that he's said it correctly, "wouldn't you prefer it if I called you that?"
The man vehemently shakes his head. "I like Byunghun. I like the way you say it."
"Then Byunghun it is," Chanyeol laughs, grinning when the other man cracks a smile. His eyes follow the movement of Byunghun's hand as he reaches down to scratch his knee yet again. "Your... comrade said something about being forced into a form. They didn't look human by chance, did they?"
Byunghun looks away, guilty. "I found a way to allow them to look humanoid temporarily." And Chanyeol's look, he continues, "I have been modified to withstand your kind's form for long periods of time. It's different."
"Which do you like better?"
Byunghun takes a while to reply. "My natural form," he practically whispers.
"Then go ahead," Chanyeol invites. "I was just shocked that first time. If it makes you feel better, you shouldn't hurt yourself to try and cheer me up."
Byunghun eyes him dubiously before sinking to the floor, or at least, that's what it looks like. The man melts into a puddle slowly, and if Chanyeol looks closely, he can see individual long, rounded limbs in the blob. Then, all of a sudden, the body surges upwards and Chanyeol is looking up into Byunghun's face, the man's upper half presumably humanoid beneath his shirt, and bottom half a gathering of long, bright red tentacles, pressed down on the floor to keep him upright. He scuttles forward, pauses in front of Chanyeol as if he's seeking approval-Chanyeol gives him an encouraging smile anyway-and continues onwards, limbs working to propel him across the floor until he's behind Chanyeol. He hears a low grunt and then Byunghun walks back, flopping down on the floor, two human legs sprawled on the cool surface. "That was refreshing, but not necessary. I'm more used to being with you like this. I'll only change if completely necessary. Now," he claps his hands together, "do you have any other questions?"
Chanyeol has to think about it for a moment. "Um. Actually." He pauses, not sure if he wants to breach the subject. He gives in. "Do you really want children that bad?"
"Yes," the man answers immediately. "Ever since I was little I have wanted my own. They are my kind's assurance of survival. And, I've always wanted to look down at a tiny little creature in my arms and know that it's mine." Byunghun trains his unwavering gaze on Chanyeol. "Don't you want children?"
Sure, he's thought of it. Once he had a better job, Chanyeol planned on settling down in a modest apartment and maybe having one child he could dote on, teach constellations to, raise with someone dear. But it's only ever been a passing thought, nothing more.
Chanyeol merely shrugs.
What Byunghun said about only changing forms when necessary has proved to be little more than a suggestion to himself. Chanyeol catches him at least three times a day, his two legs becoming almost rubber-like before flattening out and reddening until there are eight tentacles splayed out on the floor.
He's never like that for long, only scuttles into the kitchen or moves to pick something off the floor and then looking around to make sure Chanyeol hadn't seen-he had, he just doesn't tell the man.
And, since they're back on speaking terms, there's a lot more interactions, which Chanyeol is endlessly happy about. They usually end up snuggled up together on the plush chairs by the end of the night and sometimes, when Chanyeol is making food, Byunghun will come up behind him and snake his arms around his waist and rests his chin on Chanyeol's shoulder-he has to stand up of the tips of his toes but he makes it-and usually sneaks in a quick peck on Chanyeol's cheek that the latter tries to return by the end of the night.
But their growing relationship also means that Byunghun is also a lot more vocal about his want for children. He'd mention it at least once a day until Chanyeol had caved and explained why he couldn't have the man's children. Byunghun had only smiled as he listened before stating that sexual reproductive organs were unneeded. Chanyeol would be little more than a vessel for the fetuses before they were born (hence the term 'carrier'), but due to their environment, they would end up with some of Chanyeol's genes, not to worry.
Tone deadpan, Chanyeol had then compared himself to a tree with Byunghun as his parasitic mistletoe. The man had gleefully agreed with the analogy, glad that Chanyeol had caught on, and there was no snuggling that night.
Byunghun refuses to give up, despite Chanyeol's wordless rejections.
Upon the taller man's lamentation about his nostalgia for movies when Byunghun had offered to watch a romantic movie he knew of. They sat on the couch and Chanyeol watched in excitement as the screen on the wall flickered on. Of course, he didn't understand anything, but the movie seemed to be a charming tale of a yellow-skinned man with no nose and naturally green hair, and someone of Byunghun's race meeting and slowly falling in love. It was all very enjoyable until, suddenly, the Byunghun-ish creature seemed to start devouring the man as loud groans filled the room.
"What," Chanyeol had muttered.
"He agreed to be a carrier so now he is fulfilling his duty," Byunghun explained simply, critically eyeing Chanyeol.
Not long after that, Chanyeol accidentally turned the screen off and headed to bed.
Since then, Byunghun's calmed down. He merely mentions the new births he hears about at work, and continues to slowly charm his way deeper into Chanyeol's heart with chaste kisses and warm cuddles after both suns have set.
Chanyeol can't believe he's considering this. He can't believe he's grown to like life on a faraway planet alone with only Byunghun for company, and he can't believe he's considering this.
But, as he watches the TV, he can't help but wonder what it would be like.
He'd sat on the remote by accident earlier after he'd cleaned what he supposed was the bedroom and an interesting picture had popped up on screen.
Chanyeol figures that these people are important, and that's why they have had twenty minutes so far dedicated just to themselves.
They talk in hushed voices in a language Chanyeol doesn't understand. The center of attention, a pale purple person rocking what looks to be a newborn as she speaks softly, seems to have just given birth. She's practically glowing with joy, subconsciously shielding her child from the cameras as she speaks.
But what really gets to Chanyeol is the figure half-hidden behind her.
Obviously one of Byunghun's kind, the pale pink creature is holding a bundle identical to the purple person, but he's different. He only has eyes for the child. Reverent, beady eyes are locked on the child cradled in several tentacles; the few that are free are being used to coddle and give the oddly rambunctious child something to grab onto as it fists the air with three tiny hands.
His eyes only leave the child when the purple creature speaks directly to him, but otherwise it's obvious that nothing could tear him away from the child in his arms.
It's with only a sliver of dread that Chanyeol realizes he's come to a decision.
He tells Byunghun as soon as the man gets home.
"I think I'm ready."
"For dinner?" Byunghun assumes, not looking up from where he's unloading bags in the kitchen. "Okay, what would you-"
Chanyeol startles him by sneaking up behind him, half a smirk on his face as he leans forward to whisper in Byunghun's ear, "I'm ready to be your carrier."
Byunghun drops what he's holding and Chanyeol doesn't even have time to laugh because there are hands on either side of his face and Byunghun is kissing the daylights out of him. It's a sloppy kiss, but Chanyeol can feel the desperation and eagerness so he kisses back, hands coming to rest on Byunghun's hips.
The smaller man quickly guides them towards the bed, and they stumble through the opening before Chanyeol falls back on the bed with a surprised gasp.
Byunghun makes quick work of shedding their clothes, and Chanyeol helps, lifting his arms as Byunghun tugs his shirt over his head and peeling off the shorter man's pants when he grumbles in anger as they stick on his thighs.
Both devoid of clothes, Byunghun returns to his task of stealing all the air from Chanyeol's lungs, tongue adding to the mix and leaving Chanyeol just that more overwhelmed as Byunghun licks into Chanyeol's open mouth. He's no virgin by any means, but he can't seem to remember anyone kissing him quite as urgently. In fact, he thinks he might not remember his own name if Byunghun keeps things heading the way they're going.
When Byunghun pulls back, he's panting. Chanyeol tries to follow, but can't quite reach.
"I have to at least be somewhat myself for this to work," he forces out, voice raspy already, "is that okay?"
"Yes," Chanyeol breathes, fingers digging into smooth skin on Byunghun's back.
It only takes a second, but Chanyeol can definitely feel the difference. Where their legs had begun to intertwine, Chanyeol feels limp appendages and then there's more. He barely has time to think about the new situation before a tentacle is trailing up his side and another follows. He meets Byunghun's steady, searching gaze and realizes that he's unsure. A tentacle delicately frames Chanyeol's face and, without breaking eye contact, Chanyeol leans down and sucks the appendage into his mouth. Byunghun shudders deliciously above him, and then he can't breathe.
The tentacle snakes down Chanyeol's throat and it's thin enough that Chanyeol can breathe around it but, by the time Chanyeol has finally figured out how to breathe out of his nose, two tentacles have snaked around his calves and are pulling his legs apart. Chanyeol tries to cry out at the stretch but instead gags around the appendage in his mouth, which has begun slowly thrusting in and out as another snakes into his hair, gently petting his head as he tries to swallow around the tentacle and scrunch his eyes closed at the stretch in his thighs.
His eyes fly open not long after when the rounded tip of one of the eight begins circling his entrance. He attempts to voice his discomfort, but it all comes out as an unintelligible garble that turns into a muffled scream when another tentacle pushes past his entrance as the first continues to circle around.
Chanyeol shuts his eyes, trying to slow down his breathing and attempting to focus on the appendage in his mouth. He gently licks the underside and relishes the moan he hears from above. He is about to repeat the motion when another tentacle pushes into his ass and he squirms, panting around the tentacle and trying to get comfortable, which is near impossible with two tentacles in his ass, one down his throat, and two holding his legs unbearably far apart. Breathing heavy, he tries to remove himself from the situation. He takes count of all the appendages assaulting them and comes up with seven. Seven? Wait, he was pretty sure that-
Oh.
Chanyeol gives up and surrenders himself to the sensations as the last free tentacle wraps around his forgotten half-hard cock and pumps it to full hardness, twisting as it pulls and leaving Chanyeol breathless.
His attempts to thrust into the hold prompt Byunghun to resume fucking his mouth, and then the tentacles filling his ass begin to move, the one fucking in and out slowly as the other searches, feather-light touches inside him until he shudders and lets out a low moan. There the tentacle stays, massaging that spot as the other continues thrusting in and out.
Chanyeol's going to fall apart. He's sure of it. He can't breathe and he can't even see straight when he opens his eyes, but his skin feels uncomfortably hot and he just wants more, more, more.
It's too much.
Chanyeol can feel his orgasm approaching, like a white-hot snake coiling in his gut, and then the tentacle at his opening slithers up and fondles his balls.
Byunghun leans in close, hands at some point had come up on either side of Chanyeol's head to keep him hovering above the now-shaking man. Shifting his weight onto one arm, he tenderly cups Chanyeol's cheek and thumbs away the tears Chanyeol hadn't realized were beading at the corner of his eyes. The other tentacle continues to pet his head and Byunghun whispers, "come for me."
Chanyeol feels the tentacles tearing him apart and he does. He comes hard, vision failing him and body going limp and he shoots white over his tummy and the appendage.
Sinking into the mattress, he thinks it's over. The tentacles leave his flaccid cock and balls, but instead push into his ass and Chanyeol screams.
The thrusting picks up and Chanyeol can't-he can't he can't he can't.
The tentacle leaves his mouth and trails spit all over his chin, but then Byunghun surges forward to swallow all of Chanyeol's protests as his spent body is spread impossibly wide and he can't. He can't handle it. He searches for Byunghun's eyes, only to see they're shut.
The tentacles in his ass pause, then surge forward all at once and Chanyeol's scream is ripped from his throat as he is filled, tentacles leaving his body completely.
He heaves, body limp as a rag doll and ass already starting to burn. He groans as several appendages push him onto his side and then he's staring into Byunghun's glazed eyes.
"Thank you," he whispers, tenderly hosting his fingers along Chanyeol's jaw as his extra appendages tangle in his legs and wrap around his middle, pulling him close.
Chanyeol only has the energy to offer a raspy response before he practically passes out.
He looks down at his stomach. He can't believe it.
He's lying on the plush chair, feet kicked up on the one opposite him, and he can't believe he's showing this much already. It's only been a couple months since and his stomach is definitely bigger, and it's not fat. The skin is tough when he presses down and he can't believe it.
Byunghun had gotten off work indefinitely as soon as the conception was announced and confirmed, and they do a lot of sitting around, sometimes mapping out the sky, but mainly lying in bed with their limbs entangled-sometimes more than four if Byunghun is relaxed enough.
Chanyeol feels a phantom movement and he knows it's not a real feeling, knows that he won't really be able to feel anything for a couple more months, but just knowing that there are little ones inside him is enough. He lightly skims his fingers over the cloth of the large shirt covering his stomach and murmurs, "I can't believe we did it."
He hears screeching and then Byunghun is skidding to a stop right in front of him. "We can do it again whenever you want."
Chanyeol throws the remote at his head and scowls when he misses.
It's a blur.
He remembers a flash of pain and then Byunghun was at his side, months of training exactly for this moment kicking in.
Chanyeol remembers blood, lots of blood, and then Byunghun's sigh of relief, which calmed him enough to lose himself for a few minutes.
When he finally opens his eyes, he's on the bed and there is no blood. The sheets are clean, white, and smell like home. Byunghun is at his side, looking a touch worried but there's a smile on his lips so Chanyeol isn't worried. He hears cries and his mouth drops open, arms lifting on instinct.
Byunghun reaches behind him and reveals a blanket-swaddled thing. He gently hands it to Chanyeol and they both stare into the face of a sleeping child.
Then Byunghun reaches behind himself again and again and again until he stops, hand in his lap and a pile of swaddled blankets in Chanyeol's arms.
He's exhausted, so it takes him several minutes to count the newborn faces. "Six," he whispers, "I had six."
"That is above average," Byunghun states, proud smile on his face and Chanyeol chuckles.
He looks at his babies. "They look human."
Byunghun nods, moving closer. "They've tried to match you, since you were their-" carrier is in the tip of his tongue but he scrunches his face and instead says, "caregiver. They will look normal soon, do not worry."
And, as Chanyeol sinks into the bed, healthy, sleeping little ones, he isn't worried. He stares at each and every one and thinks that nothing could possibly tear him away from the little bodies in his arms.
(Epilogue)
Chanyeol has two tentacles in his mouth and one around his cock when he hears a knock on the door.
Byunghun groans and rolls off of Chanyeol as the man pulls up his pajama pants and wipes the spit off his chin. He sits up and calls, "come in!" as Byunghun stares dejectedly at the wall.
A tiny head pokes inside the room.
"I had a nightmare," the boy whispers, "can I come sleep with you?"
"Yes," Chanyeol whispers back with a smile, kicking Byunghun in the stomach when he hears the almost silent groan. He hopes to god he sounds like he just woke up and not like he was just getting a handjob. "Come on over."
The child hops onto the bed and crawls in between Chanyeol and Byunghun, promptly falling back asleep. Byunghun wraps a few tentacles around the child and gets settled.
Chanyeol is just going back to sleep when he hears another knock. He grunts in question, blinking away the darkness.
"Daddy, I heard something," his girl whispers, "Can I sleep with you?"
"There's plenty of room," Byunghun mumbles, though their daughter totters over-she's having trouble changing over, so as usual she has one arm, one leg, and four tentacles-to Chanyeol's side and tucks herself underneath his arm.
"Are we really leaving?" She asks, worried.
"Your father received the okay so it looks like it." He lightly pets her hair when she nervously fists his shirt. "It's ok. We'll have your change down by the time we go, and it's only a couple days. Earth people are stupid, they won't notice a tentacle here or there," he jokes, playfully jostling the few appendages curled against his stomach. She gives a shaky nod and her brother verbally agrees, falling back asleep after. Byunghun gives her a few drowsy assurances before he realizes she's fallen asleep.
Chanyeol is worried, too. After years of trying, they're finally going back, to convince Chanyeol's parents and friends that he isn't dead and had instead eloped and adopted sextuplets-very believable. But, the more he worries about it, more his kids will, so Chanyeol is just hoping for the best. He gives his daughter a few more head pats before making himself comfortable.
Chanyeol closes his eyes and hears a series of knocks. "Yup?" Four heads poke inside. He chuckles. "Get in here."
After a minute of chaos, Chanyeol opens his eyes to see two squid-like creatures suctioned to Byunghun's side, another child lays at the foot of the bed, tentacles splayed around her, then there's the boy tangled in Byunghun's grip and a boy and a girl tucked into Chanyeol. All his little space cadets.
Byunghun sighs as the child in his grip kicks out and catches his arm. He pulls the child closer, legs out of the danger zone, and meets Chanyeol's eyes. "Are you tired of it yet?"
"No," Chanyeol pauses to yawn, pulling the two children closer to himself, smiling as he hears another, high-pitched yawn. "This is nice."
He's just nodding off when he hears Byunghun's soft whisper of, "Thank you."