Who: Elphaba and Lúthien What: Talking about the future Where: Their home When: Late August Rating: Low Status: Complete
Luthien may or may not have put the talk off a bit. She was still unsure if Elphaba really meant it, or what it would mean for them. She’d never thought about having more than one child. But the idea was an appealing one. She’d missed some of her own son’s growing up too, after all. Though if they did this, she’d want to know Dior’s opinion on the idea too.
She ordered in a meal so that they could focus more on talk than on cleaning up or cooking, and set everything out.
Elphaba was in the kitchen preparing the drinks for them. Small glasses of wine as a treat alongside the takeout Lúthien had ordered. They probably wouldn’t drink anymore than that what with Dior still being in the house, but that wasn’t a problem as they didn’t really drink much anyway. Making her way into the dining room where Lúthien was sorting out the food for them all, she smiled at her wife. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, she placed the glass down in front of Lúthien’s place setting and sat down in her place next to Lúthien. “Do you need a hand?” she asked, taking a little sip of wine.
It took a special kind of wine to get Luthien past tipsy anyway, but she didn’t like to drink outside of special occasions. “Mm, no thank you.” She served Elphaba a plate, and then made one for herself and sat across from her. “How was work?”
“Same old, same old,” Elphaba shrugged in response. “Business men and women with no clue as to how to sort their accounts out,” she smiled and reached for her fork to start eating. “Not that I’m complaining or else I’d be looking for a whole new career,” she joked, popping a mouthful of food in her mouth. “How was your day?”
“Makes me glad I am my own manager now,” Luthien admitted. She could set her own hours, and while she was a huge stickler for Getting Things Done (™) she still had plenty of time to take care of personal needs. And the only annoying people she had to deal with were the occasional exec. “Making sure I can secure the venues I need for concerts later this year.”
“I know what you mean, being able to manage my own client list is a god send!” Elphaba agreed, twirling her noodles around her fork. “That’s exciting! Did you get all the venues you wanted?” she grinned at Lúthien excitedly.
“I have. I’ve even been convinced to do a holiday show.” Luthien always got so animated when talking about anything that had to do with her music.
“A holiday show? When and where? We’ll have to make sure to tell all our friends, maybe even make a group trip out of if,” Elphaba enthused. She was so glad the Lúthien was making such strides with her career and mostly on her own too. She was a very proud wifey.
“Christmas, or near enough to it. I’ve never done a real Christmas concert.” She’d done New Years before, but the more she’d thought about Christmas, the more she’d decided she wanted to do something a little more multi-denominational.
Elphaba nodded in response, she’d organise a group of their friends to go and see the show once Lúthien told her where it would be. “So uh…” she cast a glance at Dior in his high chair chomping on some chicken. “Have you had any time to think about what I proposed?” she asked, referring to their Net post conversation. Would Lúthien be up for the challenge?
She chewed on her lip, setting her fork down and then leaning her chin on her hands. “I’ve given it a great deal of thought.” Children weren’t for everyone, obviously. But Luthien loved them. She’d only ever had the one, and one of her few regrets was not having another. Particularly a daughter. “Have you?”
Elphaba nodded, still winding noodles around her fork on her plate. “Yeah, I have. I’ve spoken to a couple of people about it and...I think I’d like to try,” she told her, quiet excitement in her voice. Although the smile that she tried to suppress spoke volumes about how much she liked the idea. “Would you be...ok with that?” she asked, worried that Lúthien hadn’t really said much of anything since they’d started talking about this. She worried that her wife’s silence was actually disapproval.
Luthien smiled broadly. “I was hoping you’d say that. But I wanted you to come to that decision on your own.” She reached or Elphaba’s hand. “There is going to be a lot of...logistics involved, but I’d love to try.”
“You would?” Elphaba asked with a bright smile, relief written all over her face. She squeezed Lúthien’s hand and let out a laugh. “I was so worried you would hate the idea and me for bringing it up!” she told her.
“No? Of course not!” She kissed Elphaba’s knuckles, and then nuzzled her hand. “I wanted to give you time to think about it, so that you were sure you still wanted to do it. It is not a decision to make rashly.” Fortunately, she knew there could be no ‘accidents’ between them. She wondered how the soul-sharing aspect would work. When two elves made a child, they each gave it a part of their soul.
Elphaba smiled and stroked her wife’s cheek as Lúthien nuzzled into her palm. “I do want to do it,” she grinned. “I want to do it with you,” she told her more confidently. “We’ve done so well with Dior, I love him pieces, but I...I guess I’d like to experience those first few years that I missed out on with him. That we missed out on with him,” she explained, gazing into Lúthien’s eyes lovingly.
“Then we shall,” Luthien promised. Her grey eyes remained locked on Elphaba’s. “There are...multiple options on how we shall proceed. Anonymous donors, non-anonymous doners…I’ve never known two elven women who had a child together except for taking in an orphan, though. Conception works a little differently with elves, but still requires the correct, ah, body parts.”
A part of Elphaba couldn’t believe they were actually having this conversation and she blushed in response. “How is it different with Elves?” she asked quietly with a little shy smile on her lips.
“Do you remember how, when we make love, our souls can bind together? To make a child, we must give a part of ourselves to bring it into being. And we can choose the time of conception.” She laughed. “It works a little differently with a mortal and an elf. We did not choose when to have Dior, but it still took a part of Beren.”
“That’s incredible,” Elphaba whispered in reply, she was always amazed when Lúthien told her about her world and Elves. “I’m sorry we can’t have that here,” she smiled sadly at her wife. If she could give it to her, she would. Unfortunately genetics were still probably an over-riding aspect of reproduction, even in Lúthien’s world.
“I doubt science has progressed far enough for us to have a child that shares both our genes,” Luthien replied. “But that does not bother me. I would love her - or him- no matter which of us is the mother.”
Elphaba grinned, before a thought crossed her mind and she bit her lip. “I suppose we need to be checked out, don’t we. I mean, this could all be for nothing if...if…” she trailed off, thinking of the worst case scenario. She knew Lúthien had conceived in the past, but what about herself?
“I’m sure it will be fine.” Luthien patted Elphie’s hand. “Did you want to carry it? Because I am sure I can if you cannot. Still, you’re right. We should get checked out. I think that is part of the process, anyway.”
“I...I would like to, is that ok?” Elphaba admitted with a shy smile. Why did she find it so hard to ask for things she wanted? Even to her wife.
“Yes, it is okay.” Luthien wanted her wife to ask for things, to know that she wouldn’t be outright rejected, but sometimes it was better to reassure her after the fact. “I just wanted to know if we were on the same page, because I want what you want, love.”
Elphaba couldn’t help the relieved smile that spread across her face. “It’s just such a huge thing, you know? I don’t want to let you down,” she explained. “So uh...should I start researching it tomorrow?” she offered, picking up her wine glass.
“Sweetheart, you can’t possibly let me down.” She smiled and picked up her own wine glass. “And enjoy wine while you can. We should definitely start tomorrow.”