“So, how was it?” was Aura’s greeting when Adan returned to their bedroom that night, his hair slightly damp, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“It?” Adan asked innocently as he closed the door behind him, though no longer felt any need to lock it.

“Yes, you are quite good at playing coy, Adan. But considering I already know what you were doing, since I’m the one who told you that it was OK to? Just tell me” she giggled slightly.

Adan shook his head with his own grin as he made his way toward the bed. “You really wanna hear how it was? Really?”

“See previous comment” she smiled back up at him as he reached the bed.

“Yeah, but you always seemed a little... weird” he settled on, “when it came to me having other lovers. Even before you and I were each other’s lovers” he reminded cautiously.

“Well, this is pretty different. And not just because this lover happens to be an alien” she couldn’t help adding. “So, just tell me. Did he? Did you?” she prodded, continuing to wear the small grin.

Adan shook his head, but sat down and attempted to find the words to even begin to describe his evening’s activities. “Well, I kinda rushed through things at first. Figured if I just uh, got to it, it would be easier to push past the dead brother of it all” he stated a little awkwardly.

“OK, so you managed to though?” she replied.

“Yes, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He definitely understands the appeal of certain activities now. And definitely has proper human physical responses” Adan slowly managed the words to supply that much information, looking down as though to blush. Though with his complexion, and his confidence, blushing was never really a thing he did.

“And?” she smiled as she moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“And, he is really, really good at um... deciphering...” he chose, “what someone else’s body language tells him that they want, and enjoy” he smirked as he looked down again, still amazed that she seemed to want to hear any of the details at all.

“So, it went well then?” she smirked again.

“Yes, orgasms had by all” Adan admitted with another grin, “DNA thoroughly shared” he added.

She let out a small laugh at that. “Good. Maybe now he really can do what he hoped he could” she said softly, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Well, I sure as hell hope so too” Adan replied, as he hugged her close. “And I’m glad you actually seem really OK with all of this” he added.

“And?” she asked, looking up at him, sensing that he was not finishing his current thought out loud just then.

“So, what now?” Adan asked.

“What now?” she repeated, narrowing her eyes at him.

Adan took a breath as he pondered his next words. “Assuming he can withstand the dark strain now. And he can spread it into the Eco-system, like the plan. I imagine it won’t kill them or be completely safe for us out there overnight. We may still have a lot of time to spend in this place together. The three of us” he added more quietly. “So, what now?” he repeated in a near whisper.

“Are you asking what our relationship will be with Ilian now?”

“It has crossed my mind” Adan admitted.

“I think” she began with a deep breath, “that there’s a bond between the three of us now, that isn’t likely to just go away.”

“And you’re OK with that too?”

“If you are” she whispered back. Adan simply smiled back at her. And the two kissed each other’s lips once again.

The next morning, Adan and Aura exited their bedroom together. They then stopped in the hall just outside the closed bathroom door, sharing a tender kiss.

“You’re sure you’re OK with this? I mean, technically, he already has mine, so if you’re uncomfortable with this at all...” Adan began.

“I am OK with this” she promised, “as long as you are” she stressed.

“Considering what I did with him last night?” Adan smirked, “wouldn’t I be the biggest hypocrite like ever, if I wasn’t OK with it?”

“I suppose there’s that” Aura admitted.

“I just really wanna make sure you are though. I never would want you to feel like you wouldn’t have a choice about something like this. Or like you were being pressured to.”

“I’m OK with it. He is hot as hell after all” she teased.

Adan just shook his head down at her. “True enough” he allowed as he gave her another little kiss. “But remember, if you want me to come join you, all you gotta do is holler” he grinned.

“Maybe next time” she returned with a blush, and kissed him once more. They then squeezed each other’s hand before he moved off toward the kitchen, giving her one more look as he went.

She then took a deep breath, and moved to push open the bathroom door. Inside, Ilian had already undressed and stepped into the shower stall, and was just about to turn the faucet. He looked up at her arrival with a smile, surprised though it was.

“Can we just pretend like this is our first time doing this?” she asked as her eyes moved over him with more desire than nervousness this time.

“This?” Ilian repeated. In answer, she simply dropped her robe to the floor once more. “Oh, that” he stated as he took a deep breath of his own, his eyes moving over her. “If that’s what you want” he gave her the answer to her question as she moved toward him.

“It’ll just be easier that way” she whispered as she moved to gather him into her arms, the two moving to take each other’s lips once more.

When Ilian and Aura left the scene of their passionate encounter in the shower, they both made their way to the dining area, with locks still dripping, and breath still somewhat short.

“Morning” Adan gave them each a knowing smile as he slid them their plates. He then gave her a furtive look. “You OK, still?” he asked.

“I think so” she smiled back, her tone still a bit breathless.

But before moving to start on her breakfast, she instead turned to the cupboard and took out the bottle of Ibuprofen. The two men both gave her wary, if somewhat guilty looks as she proceeded to remove two from the bottle. She then glanced at Ilian out of the corner of her eye, and removed another four as well, before pouring herself a large glass of water.

“Six?” Adan couldn’t help asking worriedly.

“Just in case” she stated a bit shakily before gulping them all down, and managing a nervous smile before taking a seat at the table with them.

“Is that safe?” Adan had to ask.

“It’s Ibuprofen” she said pointedly. Though he still looked a bit worried. “Prescription strength is usually 800 milligrams a pill, and those are only 200 milligrams each. It’ll be fine” she assured.

“Are you sure you’re OK, with all of this?” he asked her in the same furtive manner, as Ilian just continued to watch them with his own concern.

“The thing I’m so nervous about is the same thing I’ve been nervous about since... you and I” she settled on. “It’s just... magnified now. But that doesn’t mean I regret... things. I’ve just got a slightly more potent version of the same worries I’ve been having this whole time. That’s all” she insisted.

“Aura if you’re not OK with---”

“I am!” she insisted, “I enjoy the hell out of making love to both of you” she blurted out, causing them both to look down slightly. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not still terrified and worried about that one thing happening eventually. That’s all this is. That same worry I’ve always had. Don’t make it into a different one, alright?”

And that seemed to silence both of her lovers, at least for the time being. After all, they had a whole new worry to be thinking about; the second Ilian would do that first test to see if they had now made him truly immune. And if it didn’t work, none of the rest of their fears and phobias would matter anymore anyway. Nothing would.

After breakfast was finished, Aura made her way to the living room. Ilian headed for the gardens to further research his current theory, hoping to make it as sound as possible before he would have to test it. Adan decided to join him there.

He watched Ilian at work for several minutes, though not having any firm grasp of what Ilian was doing or trying to determine. But watching him work was still rather pleasant. Finally though, Adan’s worries got the better of him.

“Do you think she’s OK?” he had to ask.

“OK?” Ilian asked as he glanced back at him.

“You know, with us both now being her lovers, mates” he clarified.

“I know what lover means now, Adan” Ilian offered a slight smile.

“OK good” Adan shook his head, “but do you think she’s OK with it? Or just trying to be strong about it or something?”

Ilian only thought on the question a moment before giving his honest opinion on it. “She seemed very much to be enjoying it when I was inside her” he offered with a slight shrug.

Adan looked down to bite back a crooked smile. “I’m sure she did.”

“Then why do you think she’s not ‘OK with it?’” Ilian continued the conversation while also managing to keep a good deal of his concentration on his work as well.

“I mean, all those pills? She’s scared out of her mind it seems, and...” Adan just shook his head.

“It seems” Ilian repeated part of Adan’s own statement, “that she’s terrified of creating a child. Not of making love to us. Just like she said” Ilian added.

“They’re kind of both fears that are intrinsically linked though, aren’t they?” Adan pointed out.

Ilian looked back at him again. “Would it make either of you feel better if I just told you whether or not she’s got a child inside her yet?”

“You can tell that? Just by looking at her?” Adan stammered.

“I can” Ilian stated plainly. Adan just looked down at that admission, not honestly sure whether knowing or not knowing would actually be worse just then.