[Eskal]

"It's said big babies will have bountiful lives and will be blessed with good fortune," Marius said. "Well, that's what was said back home."

[FweepFwopFwoop]

Astien chuckled. "Then I think little Aiden's going to be the most blessed man in the whole damn realm." As they walked on, Astien's hand flitted back and forth between remaining at his side and reaching for Marius' hand. Eventually, he summoned the courage to wrap his pinky around Marius'.

[Eskal]

Marius chuckled. "Why so timid to hold my hand?" He entwined his fingers with Astien's. "We've already seen each other naked after all."

[FweepFwopFwoop]

Astien blushed. "Like I said, I'm rather shy. Oh, wait, there's the bistro. On the corner there."

[Eskal]

Marius nodded. "Table for two please," he said to the host.

[FweepFwopFwoop]

The imp behind the podium nodded. "Will you be eating from the buffet, or no?" Astien was tempted to go with the buffet, but shook his head. He'd eaten at a buffet while pregnant once, and he'd been asked to leave for eating too much.

They were showed to their booth, and Astien gently lowered himself into his seat. The imp left them with menus, and walked back to his podium. A waitress came over, with an obviously fake smile on her face. "Hi, welcome to Varlan's. can I start you with some drinks? We have wines, ales, meads of all kinds. Our house ale comes very highly recommended by many food critics."

[Eskal]

"We'll have some hot herbal tea," Marius said. "We'll also have the saganaki to start."

[FweepFwopFwoop]

"Tea and saganaki, got it." The waitress took the menus and walked away.

"And chocolate sauce! Ooh, and hot sauce too!" Astien called after her. "Aw, I don't think she heard me." He turned to Marius. "What's saganaki? I can't say I've ever had it before."

[Eskal]

"It's a fried cheese dish. You'll love it."

(Saganaki)

[FweepFwopFwoop]

"Oooh, that does sound good." Astien looked around the restaurant at the other diners. He looked at a table where sat two imps, both male, and one clearly pregnant, like Astien.

[Eskal]

Marius smiled. "I wonder what it's like, being pregnant and all. Not that my occupation really allows for it. It'd be a bit difficult to swing a sword with a belly out in front of me like that."

[FweepFwopFwoop]

Astien smiled and placed a hand on his belly. "It feels... How can I explain it? I don't think this is something one can easily put into words. When you have a small life inside you, moving, and growing, and you know that it'll talk and walk and do things and... And when it moves for the first time, the feeling is, it's just, I mean it's just incredible and I can't truly explain it. But the thing I think I like the most..." He rubbed his large bump. "... Is that I know I have someone inside me, so I'm never truly alone." He looked up as Marius. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling aren't I?"

[Eskal]

"It's cute," Marius said. "It sounds pleasant for the most part."

[FweepFwopFwoop]

"It is. Well, in my opinion anyway. But of course, there's the aching back, swollen ankles, increased urination, and a libido so high I can barely see a man without a shirt without getting turned on. And then, there are the appetite changes. The cravings, the increased appetite..." Astien shuddered. "I don't want to even THINK about how much weight I've gained."

[Eskal]

Marius chuckled. "As I said before, pregnancy is very becoming of you. Swollen ankles and all."

[FweepFwopFwoop]

Astien smiled and blushed. "Well I find your muscles very becoming of you." He paused. "I'm still terrible at this, aren't I?"

[Eskal]

"Nope, that one was actually pretty good." He chuckled. "I guess I'm rubbing off on you in more ways than one."

[FweepFwopFwoop]

Astien grinned. He moved to hold Marius' hands across the table, when the waitress returned with their food and tea. "Alright, here's your food! Enjoy!"

"Oh, this looks so good." Astien took a taste. "Mmmm, this is good. Needs some chocolate sauce, though."

[Eskal]

Marius chuckled as he cut the saganaki in half, putting some on Astien's small plate and some on his own. "You can put as much chocolate as you want on your bit there," he said with a chuckle.

[FweepFwopFwoop]

Astien held a fork in front of Marius' face. "Say aaaah..."