Chalice

Bill stood in front of a mirror, sideways, examining his flat stomach under his red t-shirt. He ran his hands gently over the cloth-covered skin and tried to picture something underneath it. Gently, he placed his hands on the waistband of his jeans and imagined slight movements under his skin.

He wanted it more than anything, wanted the sweet form of life in him. He grabbed a towel from his nearby dresser, wadded it up, and stuffed it hastily under his shirt. A happy lump formed in his throat.

He sighed. He longed for the moment to be real.

~+~

The year is 2127. It's a different world than what's expected. The world's population was drastically reduced; fifty percent of all humans died out in a mixture of famine when the world's food population became not enough and an epidemic of a virus that was a mixture of anthrax and the bubonic plague. That, however, was ninety years ago, in 2037, and the world has since been purged of the disease. The reduction in human population also meant that food was more abundant, so the famine ended.

Medical advancements, as well as scientific advancements, have been made. Discoveries have been found, like the missing link between mammal and reptile. Jesus Christ was proved as a mere prophet when his remains were found south of Bethlehem, thus causing the book of the twenty-first century, The Da Vinci Code, to be changed from fiction to fact. Jesus' descendant was also found through a series of tests. Turned out his descendant was Muslim.

These discoveries also led to a very large revolt against the church, mainly the Catholic church. Bibles were burned in front of Notre Dame and the Pope and his Cardinals had to be taken away to a secret location to escape death threats. This uproar didn't last long, maybe four months.

Medicine has become much more advanced since the time of the Great Scourge, as the plague of 2037 was called. Cures were found for AIDS and HIV in its beginning stages, cancer, the common cold, autism, and many others. Organs could be replicated. They weren't mechanical, but natural, grown out-of-body organs.

As medical advancements continued, the social belief system began to change. A social uproar happened. Many went after the racist groups of the world and abolished them. Those who were once considered liberals were the leaders. Their ideals were readily embraced, and the world became peaceful. Though in every country there are clusters of old-thinkers, many who still believe that certain people are subhuman, like homosexuals, Jews, blacks, etc, but their ranks are far and few between.

It was this great revelation of acceptance and the population drop from about seven billion to three point five billion that compelled doctors to create a medical advancement that allowed men to have children.

An organ specialist from Russia first developed what he called the Man's Chalice, playing on The Da Vinci Code. It is not a true uterus, but more an imitation of the organ suited for the male body. By an easy procedure, the fake uterus is placed into the man in front of and just below the intestines with a small tube connecting to the anal canal, keeping the mechanics in minds. And though currently unavailable due to lack of funding and few test subjects, a way for lesbian women to have children together is being researched.

The fake uterus has a menstrual cycle, but it's more advanced than that of a woman's uterus. It happens every two months and expels its lining all in one go. It's messy, but efficient.

Scarring from the procedure is very minimal. A small, two-inch scar is left behind under the man's navel. Along with the medical procedure, the man must take estrogen every twelve hours by injection to encourage the uterus' reproductive cycle.

Many homosexual couples have made the choice to have children and have gotten the surgery, and many more want the procedure done.

And that is where this story begins.

~+~

Bill Kaulitz was lying on the chaise lounge in the house he shared with his husband, Tom, gently twisting his wedding band and staring at the liquid screen TV on the wall. He always thought it was odd that they called them liquid screens. They were actually made of a gel coolant that kept the wiring inside from overheating. It had amazing picture, though, so he tended not to dwell on it.

He'd wanted to be a father since he was eight. He saw a picture of a happy family in school with a mother and father that had the slogan "No Longer the Only Way" on it and was hooked. He simply had one person to convince.

A door slammed. Bill smiled. It was rare that he got home before Tom. He reveled in this fact for a moment.

"Oh, hey, you're home early," Tom said with a smile. He walked over to the lounge and bent over to Bill, giving him a quick kiss. Bill smiled and pulled Tom down a little further. Tom chuckled.

"Can I at least get into some sweats before you pull me down to watch TV with you?"

Bill nodded and gave Tom a quick peck before letting him go. Bill let his hand fall to his stomach and sighed, directing his attention back to Motion, a soap opera he had a guilty pleasure for. Tom hated it to no end, but Bill couldn't get enough.

Tom soon came back to Bill in a pair of baggy blue sweatpants and no shirt. Bill squished himself back against the back of the lounge and scooted up a little against the arm. Tom plopped down next to Bill, closing his eyes when Bill began playing with his dreadlocks.

"How was work?" Bill asked, snuggling up to his husband.

"Not too bad. Didn't get much done, it was kind of a lazy day."

Tom was a commercial designer. He oversaw advertisement layouts and planned what would look best. Though they made layouts from everything from concert announcements to show advertisements, Bill was pretty sure that Tom's main job was to oversee sports products, like Adidas and Shockwave.

"Mm, lazy little shit," Bill teased, muzzling his nose into Tom's neck. Tom flicked Bill's shoulder and chuckled.

"What about you? Why were you home so early?"

"Half day, it was amazing. I didn't need a lesson plan."

"You know you play by ear anyway. Those poor kids probably wonder what kinds of drugs you're abusing sometimes."

"I have had someone ask me if I was on an LSD trip."

"I didn't think LSD still existed."

"It doesn't, but it's still a joke among the students."

Bill was a high school history teacher. He was easily one of the most liked teachers in the school he taught at, mainly because of his age. He was youngest teacher at the school, at twenty-two, and many of his students related to him because he was the same generation.

"Those bad kids," Tom joked.

"Don't make fun of my kids!"

They both smiled and just lay there for a while, cuddled up to one another. Out of habit, Bill snaked his leg around Tom's, tying Tom up into a Bill knot. This was how they looked when Tom next spoke.

"You remember Camry, my secretary?"

Bill nodded. "She had a cool haircut."

"She's pregnant."

Bill lit up like a chandelier. "Oh, that is so wonderful! How far along is she?"

"Um... Two months, I think she said."

"The gift of life, how wonderful! What did her husband say?"

"She said he was more excited than she was."

Bill laughed, then sighed. "So, what do you think about it?"

"Eh, if she's happy, it's good."

"Would you ever want kids?"

Tom made a face. Bill's heart sank.

"I kind of don't want kids."

Bill tapped his finders against Tom's ribs. "But don't you want to raise a life? Have a family? It would be wonderful!"

Tom looked suspiciously at Bill. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

Bill bit his lip. Tom could see through him like plastic wrap. "I want the Chalice procedure. I want us to be a proper family."

"Absolutely not."

That stung. "But, Tom, I just... A family would be so perfect!"

"I said no, Bill."

Bill sat up. "Why is it such a disgusting idea to you? We've been married for two years, I want children!"

"And I don't! I'm putting my foot down on this, Bill. We are not having kids!"

Tom's forceful decision made Bill see red. Usually, they discussed options, weighed pros and cons, and Tom always treated Bill as an equal. Now he was asserting a force he did not have.

Bill glared at Tom. "Of course, Your Majesty. Forgive my stupid self for overshadowing your regal authority."

"Bill, that's not -"

Bill jumped off the lounge. "Join the twenty-second century, Tom, this is supposed to be an equal marriage!"

Tom had no reply as Bill stomped off. He realized his idiocy in his hasty decision without telling Bill why he felt that way. For Bill to tell him that he was being practically archaic told him that he was being genuinely stupid.

Bill was what was termed a modernist: he firmly agreed with almost every reform that had come about in the world since the abolition of racism, sexism, and prejudice (this time period that was called the Revolution). Tom believed that it was his schooling on history that led him to be the way he was. He knew the world the way it was before, and the terrible place it had been, and the terrible things people had done.

Tom sighed and mentally slapped himself. He was such an idiot.

~+~

Tom walked into his and Bill's bedroom and saw Bill curled up like a cat on the bed, running his finger around a touch screen computer the size of a pad of paper, the faint blue glow reflecting oddly on his brown eyes. He glanced up at Tom.

Tom closed the door behind him. "Hey."

Bill tapped the screen. "Hey."

"So, what are you doing?"

Bill scrolled a finger down the screen. "Shopping for costumes."

Tom walked over to Bill and looked at the screen. A large, Victorian era dress was displayed.

"Honey, I know we're gay and all, but you don't honestly plan on wearing a dress, do you?"

"Not unless His Majesty wishes it."

Tom sat down next to Bill and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I seriously overstepped my boundaries."

Bill put the computer to the side and rolled over, his head resting on Tom's lap like it was a pillow. Tom gently stroked his cheek.

"It just made me mad. People died for the equality we have today and your reaction just struck a nerve."

Tom smiled and pulled Bill up so he was sitting on Tom's lap. "I never meant any disrespect to the Revolutionaries, you silly, oversensitive, history geek."

Bill chuckled. "So, can we at least discuss children?"

"I just... I just don't want any, Bill. Maybe later in life, in our thirties, but not now. Let our careers get settled first. Give me time to become the father type."

"Is that your way of saying no way in space or earth?"

Tom gripped Bill's hip. "Sort of. At least for the time being."

Bill grimaced. "But my biological clock is ticking!"

"Oh, shut up, Bill. Biological clock, my ass."

Bill smiled and pressed a few short, kisses to Tom's lips. He nuzzled against Tom's neck, his favorite way to nuzzle, as Tom picked up the computer.

"Seriously, Bill, why were you looking for dresses?"

Bill took the computer from Tom's hands. "They're not for me. They're for my sophomore class. I'm trying to teach them about the most well-known couples throughout history, really trying to get them into their mindset, and they can't grasp it. I figure if a dress them up, they'll get it."

Tom smiled. "You're such a genius."

"Thank you, baby."

"Are you almost done?"

Bill pressed a few buttons, signed his name on the order from, and pressed send. "Done. Why?"

Tom took the computer from Bill's hands, set it on the nightstand, then licked Bill's face from jaw to hairline. Bill squeaked.

"Ew! Tom, if I'd wanted something that licked my face, I would have gotten a dog instead of a husband."

"Can I lick other places?"

Bill smirked. "Oh, I don't see why not."

As Tom smiled and bit at Bill's neck, Bill's heart ached. He knew that as time went on, Tom would continue to make excuses against children.

And that killed him.