Russell lingered in Maxion's room for about an hour. His clothes were removed, as to be expected, with a formal merge; it was just more comfortable that way. He was in a state of meditation as he waited for the raccoon to enter the room. Maxion was surprised to see Russell. "What are you doing in my room?" Maxion charged, and his arms were defensively crossed as he glared at his lover with intolerance. "I changed my mind... Maxion, I love you, and I want to be with you... I know I haven't really been the most effective at displaying my emotions. But I do care about you. I care about all my friends. I thought I feared Kallum, but this random guy gave me a pep talk. And it opened my eyes." Russell stood up and approached Maxion, a large smile plastered on his face as he grabbed his lover by the shoulders. The tension between them was still palpable but quickly defusing.
As they gazed into each other's eyes, Maxion could see a flicker of vulnerability in Russell's expression, a hint of the love and affection that had drawn them together in the first place. He could tell that Russell was being genuine— it was never easy for the bunny to reveal his true feelings. He was so reserved, almost to the point of being cold, which made their match unorthodox. But he did care. Taking a deep breath, Maxion reached out to gently grasp Russell's hand but stopped. It was difficult to resist the urge to touch him.
"Russell," Maxion began softly, his voice tinged with emotion, "I know this news may be overwhelming, but I want you to know that I understand if you're not ready for this. I never wanted to pressure you into anything you're not comfortable with. I can do those treatments. It'll be painful... but I don't want this to be how I lose you."
Russell's gaze softened as he listened to Maxion's words, his fingers intertwining with Maxion's in a silent gesture of solidarity. "Maxion," Russell murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, "We've known each other for five years... you know I came into the main city to escape my brother... I never would've allowed myself to consider the possibility of starting a family. Because I thought it would require the approval of my village. But seeing you go through this... it's made me realize how much I want to be a part of your life in every way possible. I don't care about my tribe anymore! I want you to bond with me. Let's make it official. I want you to co-parent Kipp with me— I want all of it." Russell's tail moved happily in combination with Maxion's.
Maxion's heart swelled with hope at Russell's words, a warmth spreading as he leaned closer to Russell. "I love you." Maxion breathed, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Russell nodded, his own eyes shining with newfound determination. "I love you too... I may not have been ready before, but now I can't imagine facing this without you by my side. I want to be there for you through every step of this process, whatever it may bring."
With tears of joy streaming down his cheeks, Russell touched Maxion's hands, the effects of his mucusus gel already taking him by full force. Russell chortled. He grunted as he felt his first mucusus, "Well... when you go through this... your goop is... potent." Russell added coyly; Maxion snickered, "It sort of runs in my family... that's probably why I was so vicious in the early stages... I think it comes from my stupid mom."
"Well... I guess she's my mom too? She lives off-world, right?" Maxion nodded; his mother was still alive; she didn't quite enjoy being on their homeworld as much as the others did. The unique chemical compounds that facilitated the bonding process were indeed strong for Maxion, and Russell could feel it, too, once this viscous chemical touched a partner. The is an urge to reproduce projects onto them as well. Russell slipped into a hypnotic trance that essentially put him out of his mind immediately. He never would've thought it would be relaxing to abide by someone else's will.
Maxion silently pulled Russell into a hug, kissed him, and gently guided his tail into a state of combination with Russell; as their tails danced together, Maxion squeezed Russell. "What about Kipp?" Maxion asked as he nestled into Russell's chest. "He can stay with Cal... he likes Cal," Russell said. He sounded dazed; Russell squeezed one eye closed and exhaled a shaky breath of ecstasy as he felt Maxion's thoughts, feelings, and mind flow with his. Maxion kissed Russell again as their verbal communication evaporated in favor of a neural handshake. Maxion could see and feel everything in Russell's mind— it was extraordinary... they didn't even check for genetic compatibility because Maxion could tell that Russell was excited; he wanted it, and at that moment— Maxion could tell that Russell did love him. Their hug eventually became a melding hug, which eventually evolved into their bodies becoming a large lump of white, teal, and red goop. Maxion kneaded their form, hastening their connection.
"Am I being too rough?" Maxion asked nonverbally, "No. It feels terrific... I like it! I think we should be together more often." Truth, despite being linked for a few months now, Maxion had yet to merge with Russell again, but in their early days, they had a strong bond— and fortunately, Maxion was able to slip back into that bond without much effort.
Maxion and Russell embraced in the center of the room. Their goopy mixture intertwined in a mesmerizing dance of shared consciousness; their minds melded seamlessly, creating a shared space where each could perceive the other's thoughts and emotions as if they were their own. It was a dance of mutual understanding, where the boundaries between Maxion and Russell blurred, and a shared consciousness emerged. But this was no normal merge because, after four days, there would be a new life— the first Omeocoon born in this new world.