Chapter Text
Zen flattened his ears on the transit; he looked clearly annoyed.
*You ok?* Kallus signed in the public transit. He took the entire thing in perfect stride. The Lira San Lasat eyed Kallus with wonder, confusion, and sometimes fear. The rare Lasan survivor glowered and the threat was dark and heavy in the air. Yet there was Kallus, watching his husband as if there was nothing else in this world. Zeb looked almost…out of place.
Zeb gave a smirk, turned his ears off and signed *ok*
Kallus simply laughed lightly sitting back in the public transit partly envious as a pair of kits let their displeasure be known-loudly. He leaned against his husband and smiled softly. Kids, quite a handful and yet…. There was a longing. He knew Zeb’s past, and took comfort against his soft fur to try to stave off the feelings.
—-----
Their place was near the orphanage. Not the best part of town, but Kallus and Zeb were new to Lira San. Where it had it’s advantages over Lasan - like Gay marriage community programs, after care for elders-but there were some programs that lacked, care for the “lost” or the survivors of Lasan, or the children. Kallus sometimes hated that Zeb went right back to the military but having absolutely beaten down most of the ranking offers earned General in two months. Kallus….. Well he was human, unable to show his true potential and worth.He took Zeb’s family name as both precaution and protection. Seen as an oddity, it was difficult to find work. The one place that needed Volunteers, the orphanage.
At first the Kits huddled away from Kallus.Small fluffy feather Kits like round balls of fear with wide eyes and pinned ears, small hiss if he got too close. Wide variant of Green, gold, brown eyes stared and watched his every move as he calmly went about fixing what may in the home, computers, water, toilets, anything; including the broken Toys brought to him by the director. He simply went about his daily tasks and slowly but surely the kits started to come to him. They would ask questions and he would answer.
“Why do you look so weird?”
“Well I am a human, you are Lasat. We are different species.”
“What’s a species?”
And this allowed Kallus to open up education, teaching the kits about basic science, planets, species, language. He widened their minds to other possibilities, even teaching a few of the Kits interested in the basics of computers and electronics.
Kallus was curious, the Lasat on this world had traditions and motives that were, as Zeb said “traditional”. He watched from the shadows as the couple wandered through the orphanage watching as the Kits played. He watched their eyes drawn to the younger ones, the one whom were most playful, He felt his heart drop.
“What are you doing?”
The voice actually startled him, Kallus looked down to see those dual colored eyes staring up at him with both a hint of accusation and curiosity. Eyes no child her age should have. “I’m…. observing. I am…. new to your culture and would like to adhere to and respect it.” Kallus explained as ISB and PC as he could.
One of the kit’s ears flickered back and she raised a brow “right.” she took a deep breath and sighed “Do you want me to explain?”
Kallus was intrigued “Please, enlighten me.”
She stood beside Kallus’s legs, leaning against them as she pointed and explained “young parents come in, can’t or don’t want older Kits cause… some righteous reason.” she rolled her eyes and waved her claws in the air. “They want the young, playful ones. While older kits…. Or teenagers like me get lost in the system. No one cares about us, just…. Political fodder as they’ve said.” Kelana explained looking outwardly towards the two couple looking delight and thrilled, eyes on a particular young kit.
“I see… what about older ones like you?”
“Me?” she scoffed with more vinegar than one her age should have “My eyes are different, lots of superstition surrounding it. I’m almost 9 now, no one wants someone older.” Her voice held regret, desperation…. Hopelessness.
“Kelana, I think your eyes are absolutely stunning. You are one of a kind. Have hope, trust me it’s out there” Kallus put a hand on top of the gray hair and gave it a soft tussle.
And soon… the kits would come knocking at the door.
—
Large and imposing, the Lasat that answered looked at least annoyed. “C’n I help ya?” the outer rim accent threw the kids into fluffing, a few backing away with their ears pinned.
The four kits mumbled amongst each other the bravest turning and answering, bold as could be with two colored eyes “We are looking for Caretaking Kallus!”
“Ah… h’s sleepin. Y’wore h’m out.” he leaned in the doorway, large… Almost terrifying. “Whatcha need?”
“We wanted to play!” one of the kits in the back answered. The others turned and tried to hush them, stepping cautiously back from the door.
“Well…. I ain’t m’husband….. If y’let him sleep I can play with ya. Stronger than he is y’know.” Zeb smirked.
The kits looked at eachother, looked at Zeb and then nodded the bold one taking advantage of the situation “ok! But we request back rides!”
Zeb smirked, “Done!”
_
“Stop making a fuss” Zeb grimaced as Kallus pressed the gauze pad to his lip. “And here I thought you hated children…. But you fell… you… with countless battle successes and kills under your belt, I’ve seen you LEAP from the middle of a star destroyer and come out unscathed, LEAP from on top of plateaus kilometers tall without a scratch and YOU…. You FELL and busted your knee and your lip all while having a child on your back!” Kallus snorted his irritation, fingers in the familiar mane of Zeb to keep the head back as he plotted to the swollen lip and skidded face.
“Yeah well… what was I supposed ta do? Fall and let the kid get hurt?” Zeb had a growl in his throat that was only partly contained.
Kallus took a deep breath, it was true, the kit he was carrying came back unscathed AND she along with others came to get him to come to Zeb’s aid. For a man who claimed he disliked children….. Not only did they love him- but he gave his all to them. Zeb- like it or not- was good with children.Kallus let him go with a soft smile *you did the right thing* Kallus signed. He did not want to admit it to Zeb, but he was proud of him, right on character.
Zeb relaxed, smiled the best he could with the busted lip and leaned in as Kallus did to press their foreheads together. He was grateful for Kallus, the ice was cool, the hands rough but loving, he was happy.
—
Zeb stared down at the Kit, she had collected herself and shuffled her feet “Was hopin… that’d help.”
In his hand was a confetti like stash of money notes. Zeb just staired “How’d ja come b’this?”
“Made kolok berry juice and sold bonding bracelets. You and caretaker Kallus have been so kind to us I….. I wanted t’thank you ‘n help out with medical stuff, it’s expensive!.”
Zeb smiled at the kit and put a hand on top of her head watching her lean into it, desperate for the affection. “Kelana, y’d did good. I’m sure Kallus will appreciate yer contribution. You did amazingly well.” He offered back the notes but she shoved his hand away shaking her head. Alright then, he’d have to use it for something nice for her…. A jacket perhaps for winter. “See ya later Kid.”
Zeb stepped into Kallus’s room. It was only a cold. Hit humans like a space freighter however, but Kallus was surviving. He offered an orange to the man giving a smile
“So… y’mentioned….. “ Zeb hesitated and danced about the possibility “ ‘Bout ‘dopting a kid…. I think……… I…”
“Would Kelana be acceptable to you?” Kallus spoke with a raspy voice taking the orange with gratitude..
Zeb’s ears perked, then flattened as he leaned in for a deep kiss…. His answer was yes.