Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day started with a rooster’s crow, as it always did. Nature’s own alarm clock. It stirred awake every being that lived on the farm, signaling that morning was here and that it was time to get up and at ‘em.

Mark snuggled deeper into his bed of soft hay, not wishing to wake up. He furrowed his eyebrows and fought to keep his eyes shut, wanting to get in just a few more minutes of sleep. But as the rooster kept crowing, it was practically impossible to stay asleep. Mark blinked his eyes open, adjusting to the morning light that was spilling into his stall. The familiar smell of earthiness tickled his nose hairs, and he stretched his bare, naked body as much as he was able, before rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling of the barn. His cow ears gave a few flicks to the gnats starting to buzz around him, and his tail remained curled underneath him as Mark lay there on his makeshift bed, contemplating on what he would be doing today.

Waking up in this barn every morning was Mark’s life. He was one of many cow hybrids who lived here on this farm. But it certainly wasn’t your average farm. Here, Mark and the other hybrids were kept and used for their unique bodily purposes. Milking and breeding. Cow hybrids were known for their incredibly rich and clean milk, and in society today, it was a huge seller on the market. The breeding aspect was simply an addition. Newborn cow hybrids often would be raised on the farms with their mothers until they were old enough to be sold to the highest bidder.

Mark gave a heavy sigh, pushing his messy black hair out of his face, before struggling to sit himself up, thanks to the extra weight he was carrying. He was currently eight months pregnant, and his belly was already past the size of a basketball. Mark looked down and smiled at his stomach, bringing a hand up and stroking the tight skin. He had to admit, he loved waking up to this every morning, seeing how much bigger he’d get with each passing day. His hand drifted upwards towards his chest, and his fingers gently prodded at his breasts. They were enormous at this stage; nipples dark and pert. Being so close to his due date, Mark was constantly being milked. At least more than three times a day. Once he gave birth to his child, no doubt the milkings would increase even more. Sometimes Mark wondered if he would end up not having enough milk for his own kin, but he never had to worry about that. Despite how much the farmer milked him, Mark always had enough milk left for his newborns.

“Rise and shine, Mark!” a familiar voice called out. Mark’s sensitive ears easily heard the farmer approaching. Felix was his name, and he had been running this farm for many years now, what with it being passed down to him by his father. Felix was carrying a bag full of fresh, sweetened oats, as he reached over the door of Mark’s stall and poured them into a bucket. “Breakfast time, boy! Better not see you skippin’ out!”

Mark grinned and managed to haul himself to his feet, walking over to the stall door. He dove his hands into the bucket and grasped a handful of oats, bringing them to his mouth and quickly munching on them. Felix smiled, watching his prized cow eat. What with Mark being eight months along, he needed all the sustenance he could get. The farmer opened the stall door and stepped inside. “Need to check on ya, bud. You’re gettin’ close to your due date. Wanna make sure everything’s doin’ okay.”

Mark simply nodded and continued to stuff his face, as Felix reached out with both hands and gently rubbed and prodded at the man’s belly, feeling around and looking for anything abnormal or out of place. Mark had already produced many healthy calves in the past, and Felix wanted to make sure that there were no complications with this baby. So far, Mark had been pretty lucky. There were some occasional cow hybrids who were very unfortunate enough to give birth to stillborns, but since upon living at the farm, Mark’s births had always been without trouble. Still though, Felix didn’t wanna jinx it. He took extra care of Mark, making certain that the hybrid was given the best food and attention. Felix felt strong movement underneath his palm and chuckled. “Seems the little youngin’ is riled up this morning.” He could see a limb pressing out from underneath the skin, watching it move around before it settled again. “Finish up your breakfast and then we’ll head out to the field, yeah?” he instructed to Mark. The hybrid took a few more mouthfuls of oats, before dipping his head into another bucket filled with water and lapping at the liquid to quench his thirst. Once he was finished, Felix took a long, thick and red leash and clipped it onto Mark’s matching red collar. The stall door was slid open and they both walked out, with Mark obediently following behind the farmer. They stepped out of the barn, with the morning sun shining down on both of them. It was practically the perfect temperature today. Mark was led to a large, grassy, open field, and his heart lifted when he saw other cow hybrids playing and talking amongst each other in the gated area. Felix opened up the large, long gate and let Mark scurry in. He unclipped the leash and shut the gate, locking it.

“You be good out there, ya hear?” Felix spoke. “Milkin’ time is at noon. I’ll be back for ya.”

Mark nodded again, before turning his attention to the others in the field. A few looked his way and smiled, waving at him. Others were either too busy talking or rough housing with one another.

“Daddy! Daddy!” a pair of young voices called out to Mark. The man gave a big grin and held his arms open as two little kids, one ten and the other five, came running towards him. “Yaaay! Daddy’s here! Daddy’s here!” they cheered as they ran up to Mark and welcomed the big hug he had waiting for them. Mark wished he could bend down to make it proper, but the baby in his belly prevented it.

“Hey you two!” Mark gushed, bringing the children in close and kissing the top of their heads. “I missed you both yesterday.”

“We missed you too,” the oldest child replied. The youngest nodded and jumped up and down.

“Yeah! Yeah! We did!”

These were only two of the many offspring Mark had given birth to while on the farm. His last litter had already grown up and moved away, either sold or transferred to another farm. For cow hybrids, their life cycles were much different than that of a normal human being. From birth, cow hybrids would age and mature faster until they hit their teenage years. Once the teenage year is reached, the cycle slows back down, and the hybrids age naturally as a human would. These two kids were part of Mark’s recent litter, named Billy and Tim, with Billy being the oldest and Tim the youngest. Billy was already ten years old, and Mark knew that he would be the first to leave the farm once he grew to be a fully fledged teenager. In all honesty, Mark felt that thirteen years didn’t seem like enough time to spend with his children. But he took every day in stride, and cherished every minute he got with his kids. Tim reached up with his small hands and patted at his dad’s belly. “Little sister in there!” he exclaimed. Mark chuckled.

“Yup. She’ll be here in a month, and then you’ll both get to see her.”

“Awwww, but that’s so long,” Tim whined.

“But it’s only one month,” Billy pointed out. “Maybe it’ll go by quicker!”

Mark simply rolled his eyes in a goofy manner. “Months don’t go by faster just because you want them to.”

“But I wanna see her!” Tim protested. He held onto Mark’s stomach and pressed his face against it. Mark simply sighed and petted the little boy’s head. The three of them chose to make flower crowns that morning in the field. There was a large patch of daisies on the far side of the field, combined with a few groups of clovers, which made for excellent flower crowns. Tim and Billy were competitive, jabbering back and forth on who had the biggest, prettiest crown. Mark would laugh and tell them that they were both talented and that it wasn’t a competition. This eventually led to Billy and Tim trying to make the best flower crown for their dad, determined to see which one he would like most. Mark just grinned and let his sons do what they wanted. He loved seeing their creative sides.

These activities went well into the afternoon, and Mark had hoped that he could spend a little more time with his kids, until he looked up once he heard Felix calling for him at the front gate.

“Awww, Daddy, why you gotta go now?” Tim whined. Billy also pouted in response, to which Mark softly laughed and pulled both of them into a close embrace.

“Don’t worry buds, I’ll see you both tomorrow, yeah?”

They nodded with sad looks on their faces, which practically broke Mark’s heart. He wanted to stay longer, but Felix called again. Giving one last kiss to each child’s head, Mark turned and headed towards the gate. The farmer was waiting there for him, leaning against the railing with a half-smile.

“What took you so long, boy? Get distracted?” he asked. Mark nodded in response, and patiently waited for Felix to clip the leash back on, before the gate was opened and he was led out. He quickly looked back over his shoulder, waving to his boys as he left. Mark was taken back to his stall, ready to be prepared for his milking as he was led inside. Felix closed the stall door shut and unhooked the leash, letting Mark pad over to his bed of hay and make himself comfortable. It was a typical routine they were both familiar with. Felix pulled up a stool with a bucket in hand to sit in front of Mark, who was sitting up straight as best as he could. The farmer couldn’t help but smile at the size of Mark’s tits. Cow hybrids were always plentiful with milk, but when they became pregnant, the amount of milk they produced practically tripled. Mark’s breasts were large and round, with his nipples already growing bright red from wanting to be milked already. Felix didn’t delay any longer. Angling his bucket just right, he took one of Mark’s heavy tits into his hand and squeezed. Immediately, a thick streamline of milk squirted out from the plump nipple and into the bucket. Felix kept up this motion, rhythmically squeezing the tender flesh in his palm and watching as fresh milk came out in heavy spurts from Mark’s swollen breast. Within no time, he’d already gotten one bucket full. Carefully standing from his stool and setting it off to the side, Felix couldn’t help but grin when he saw how Mark’s behavior had changed. The cow hybrid was practically squirming in his spot on the floor; cheeks tinted red and his very obvious erection hanging heavy between his legs. But he stayed obedient, and bit his lip to keep his mouth shut. Milking always did this to Mark, making him unbelievably hornier than a springtime rabbit. It greatly amused Felix, and also got him a little hot and bothered as well, as he switched to Mark’s other breast, with Mark watching how Felix’s hand easily gripped onto his tit. Rough, calloused fingers squeezing onto soft, supple, milk-filled breasts, with milk gushing out with each squeeze.

Felix managed to fill up two and a half buckets, and he sure as hell called that a successful milking. He was aware though that Mark was still a bit leaky, plus...it wouldn’t hurt to help himself to some of the hybrid’s sweet cream. And maybe even provide Mark with even more relief. Felix pushed his stool aside, leaning close to Mark and latching his lips onto the first breast he had milked. He took the swollen, red bud into his mouth and gave a gentle suck. Almost immediately, sweet, delicious milk hit his tastebuds in a hefty quantity. The farmer gave a soft hum and suckled eagerly, enjoying the wonderful, creamy taste of his cow’s milk. He could hear Mark softly whining, and noticed how the hybrid’s hips seemed to twitch every few seconds. Taking pity on the cow, Felix reached down and took hold of Mark’s hard and heavy cock. Simultaneously, while drinking from the hybrid’s breast, Felix worked the shaft, squeezing on the downstroke and twisting on the upstroke, making Mark give a loud moan that seemed to rile up Felix further. But the farmer held himself back. This was about Mark, and he wanted to take care of his prized cow, regardless of his own hard-on now throbbing in his overalls.

“Ah...F-Felix…” Mark stuttered on a moan, watching himself be milked and his cock being worked. He could see the farmer was already making a mess, with milk spilling out and dribbling down Felix’s chin, and dripping onto Mark’s round belly. The sight was incredibly arousing, and bringing the cow hybrid closer to the edge. He panted, mouth hanging out as he felt Felix pull and suck harder on his large nipple, while the farmer focused solely on the head of his cock; slick thumb rubbing and brushing against the leaking head in just the right way with just the right amount of pressure. Mark’s hips bucked and spasmed. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Oh fuck, Felix...I’m...I-I’m close, sir! Oh fuck, I’m so close.”

Felix briefly pulled off of the nipple. “Go ahead and cum, my big, sweet boy. Let me milk you as dry as I can.” He gently bit down on the perky nipple, before giving a tighter squeeze to Mark’s cock. It was all the hybrid needed to be sent over the edge.

“Oh FUCK! AH!” Mark threw his head back, mouth agape and ears flattened back as he came hard. Long, white ropes of hot cum shot out from his cock, spilling onto his own hefty stomach and making a mess on Felix’s hand. As he had reached his peak, his breasts couldn’t contain the extra milk that was forced to the surface. The sweet, white liquid quickly rushed out from his tender nipples and immediately spilled all over him. Felix gave a small laugh.

“You always get so messy when we do this.” He tilted his head downwards, extending his tongue and sensually lapping up the spilt milk that was running down Mark’s big belly. It made the hybrid whine, and Felix gave an apologetic kiss to the tight skin. “Sorry bud, I know that’s probably gonna get you riled up again.” He stood up and fetched a rag, soaking it in a large basin of water, and brought it over to clean up his cow, wiping away every smudge of cum and every wasted drop of milk. Mark was already worn out, having fallen back onto his bed of hay and curling against it; his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

“Looks like someone could use a nap,” Felix noted with a smile as he finished cleaning the hybrid. Mark simply replied with a groan, and snuggled further into his bed. A nap sounded pretty good right about now. Felix tossed the soiled rag over his shoulder, expertly grabbing the two and a half buckets of fresh milk and heading out of the stall. There were still two more milkings scheduled throughout the rest of the day, but in the meantime, at least Felix could take care of his own boner.

Chapter Text

The days came and went, and with that passed yet another month, coming closer to the season of summer. Felix did his usual rounds at the barn that afternoon, making sure each animal had extra fresh water. The warmer weather was already starting to move in, and though the stalls were in the shade, Felix knew that at some point he’d have to start setting up running fans to help keep his livestock cool. He walked by Mark’s stall, wanting to check on him since the cow’s due date had already came and went. Since this morning, Mark showed no signs of going into labor, and Felix was starting to get worried about delivering an overdue calf. The farmer poked his head in, looking into the stall to see Mark pacing about. Huh. Strange. Was the hybrid just restless? Felix opened the door, wide open for Mark to see. “Hey bud, gettin’ a little stir-crazy? Wanna go take a walk in the field?” the farmer suggested to him. Mark looked up and saw the open doorway, but shook his head and continued to pace. Felix felt butterflies beginning to stir in his stomach. This behavior was starting to look very familiar. Usually when cow hybrids were getting ready to give birth, they often showed no interest in leaving their stall. Mark continued to pace, until he finally sat down and wrapped his arms around his big belly, making a quiet groaning sound. That was all the indication Felix needed that it was time. “Alright boy, just stay there. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” the farmer instructed, closing the door and quickly running off to get supplies.

---

Mark knew he was going into labor. He was familiar with this feeling. This wasn’t his first litter and it certainly wasn’t going to be his last. He was glad though that he wouldn’t be alone in this. His farmer had always been there to help assist him in the birth, and so once the contractions started and Felix took notice, Mark made sure to calm and reassure himself that things were going to be okay. As Felix was busy grabbing the necessary supplies, Mark decided to distract himself from the incoming contractions by fixing up and adding on to his bed of hay. He grabbed as much as he could, stuffing it into the corner of his stall and fluffing it up so that it was large enough for two occupants. There was some freshly-pulled cotton sitting in a box, and Mark took that too, spreading it all over the hay bed to make it as soft as possible. He wanted it to be perfect and comfortable for his newborn child. When the next contraction hit, Mark practically doubled over, hissing through clenched teeth and squeezing his eyes shut as he gripped onto his tightening belly. This kind of pain was nothing new for him, but Mark was certain that he’d never get used to it, no matter how many births he went through. But with that pain came a reminder that he was bringing yet another new life into the world, and that thought alone made him smile. Finally putting the finishing touches on his bed, Mark curled up on it, and waited for the next contraction to roll in, keeping his breathing calm and steady, when he heard Felix’s footsteps approaching the stall. The door was pulled open, and the farmer stepped in, carrying an armful of blankets, a pair of scissors, a bowl of hot water, and a bulb syringe. He set his things down, walking over to Mark and run a hand across the hybrid’s forehead. Mark smiled, his breathing heavy but calm, watching as Felix gently rubbed his rounded stomach, and seeing how the shape of it changed with the next contraction; the muscles tightening as the baby inside squirmed.

“Alright, Mark, spread those legs for me. Gotta see how far the youngin’ is dilated,” Felix issued. Mark nodded and opened his legs, allowing Felix to access his rear. His tail flicked and twitched, to which the farmer chuckled and gently moved it out of the way, before snapping on a pair of elastic gloves and carefully inserting two fingers inside, feeling around. Mark gave a quiet moan, eyebrows furrowing.

“Still got a ways to go, bud, but you’re doing great so far,” Felix encouraged, removing his fingers and discarding the gloves. “Let’s try and get some energy back in ya, okay?” The farmer pulled out a candy bar from his pocket and gave it to Mark, who looked at the treat with little interest. “C’mon boy, gotta get that sugar in ya to keep you going,” Felix emphasized, unwrapping the candy and holding it up to Mark’s face. Reluctantly, the hybrid opened his mouth and bit down, taking a hefty bite from the bar.

---

Six hours had gone by, and Mark was already hating life. The contractions were brutal, and there was hardly anything he could do to distract himself from them at this point. Multiple times, Felix would suggest to Mark to walk around. The hybrid took him up on his suggestion, and with Felix’s help, they slowly paced around the stall, trying to kill time and hoping to speed up the process. At one point Mark ended up leaning against the barn wall, moaning deeply as his body ached. He just wanted this to be over. Felix took this opportunity to check on Mark’s progress, slipping on another pair of gloves and gently parting the hybrid’s cheeks. He slid his fingers inside with ease, pleased to see that Mark was becoming stretched further. He brushed the hybrid’s prostate, and felt a rush of excitement as soon as he felt the baby’s head.

“Good job, Mark,” Felix praised. “I can feel the baby’s head, which means they’re in the correct position. Hopefully we can get you to open up just a bit more.”

Mark just groaned, leaning further against the wall, to which Felix gently pulled him away from it and guided him back onto his bed of hay. They tried switching positions this time. Felix had Mark get on his hands and knees, hoping that the gravity would help bring the baby down. Mark whined in pain, the weight of the baby dragging his stomach down and hurting his back all the more. Felix grabbed a big blanket, folding it up enough to place it underneath Mark’s belly to take off some of the weight. With this new position, he had a better view of the hybrid’s progress. “I think you’re ready, Mark. It’s time to start pushin’, bud, okay?”

Mark just nodded, flipping back over onto his back and trying to get as comfortable as he could manage. The first push was agonizing, as he bore down hard while Felix held his legs open.

“Augh! Fuck!” Mark cursed; his ears folded back in pain and his hands digging into the hay.

“C’mon, Mark, you’ve done this before,” Felix encouraged. “Hell, you’ve done this with twins. This ain’t nothin’.”

“I-I know but--fuuuuuuck…” Mark groaned, finishing his push and taking a moment to breathe.

“Good job, bud. Just keep it up and you’ll have your baby girl in your arms in no time,” Felix praised.

---

A few more pushes later, the head was finally visible enough for Felix to see. The farmer grabbed a wet cloth, gently pressing it just below Mark’s hole in order to make sure the hybrid didn’t tear. “You’re doing awesome, Mark,” Felix smiled. “I can see the head comin’ out now.”

“Y-You can?” the hybrid fought to catch his breath.

“Yeah, probably need about two more pushes before she starts to crown. Think you got it in ya?”

Mark nodded, seeming a bit more confident now. He braced himself further against the bed, tilting his head back and putting his all in another push as the contraction raced to meet him. He could feel that the baby's head was definitely moving; the strange slide of it inside of him causing him to shiver, feeling a nose and forehead pressing against his inner walls. Felix was watching carefully, seeing how the baby was crowning. Reaching up, he took Mark’s hand and guided it down, letting the hybrid feel the head of his baby.

“Oh god...th-that’s her,” Mark whimpered.

“It sure is, bud,” Felix replied. “I need another big push from ya. With luck, her head will be out and she’ll be here soon.”

Mark understood, bracing himself again, and centered all of his energy downwards, while wailing in the process. Fuck, it hurt!

“C’mon bud, push!” Felix encouraged. “You’re almost there! Almost there!”

“I’m trying! FUCK!”

Mark pushed as hard as he was able, until he felt a sudden pop in his rear and his hole tightening.

“Holy shit, good job, Mark,” Felix almost laughed. “Her head just came out. Let me quickly check to make sure she’s not wrapped up in her umbilical cord.” The farmer gently examined the baby’s face, stretching Mark’s hole a bit more to double check that she wasn’t tangled up in her own lifeline. “M’kay, she looks good. Give me one last push and I’ll help get her shoulders out.”

Mark gasped for air; sweat running down his forehead as he tried to get some strength back. One more push. Just one more push. That’s all he needed. He held steady, eyes squinted shut and teeth clenched as he waited for the last contraction to hit. He pushed, and screamed aloud.

“AAAUUGGHH! FUUUCK!!!”

As he did, he felt it. The shoulders rotating and slipping free, before something very large was sliding out. Mark gasped and then cried, feeling the weight leave him. His hole closed back up around the cord, and he shook all over...when he heard the first cry of his baby girl.

“Jesus Christ, Mark, you did it,” Felix said in awe, holding the newborn in his hands. Working quickly, he grabbed the suction device, placing it into the baby’s nose and mouth, sucking out the excess liquid. The baby wailed unhappily, moving her little clenched fists and squirming about in the farmer’s hold. “Hey hey, easy there, it’s alright,” Felix cooed. As soon as he was finished, he immediately placed the newborn onto Mark’s chest, knowing that skin contact was very important at this time. Mark let out a sound of almost disbelief, bringing his arms up and holding his daughter close. God, she was so perfect. A perfect little bundle of joy. Mark closed his eyes and wept.

Chapter Text

It was a brand new morning, for both Mark and his newborn daughter. After such an intense delivery yesterday, the cow hybrid knew that he wouldn’t be walking any time soon, still incredibly exhausted from the ordeal. But despite that, nothing could take his attention away from the infant that rested in his arms. Adjusting his seat in his bed of hay, he smiled down at the baby. She was so small, with chubby cheeks and a widow’s peak that was practically identical to Mark’s. He couldn’t remember the last time he had given birth to a girl. It had been a few years, probably. His heart was so full, so happy to see how he had brought another beautiful, special life into this world. Mark loved it so. He would endure childbirth every time just to see this. Just to look down at yet another beautiful beginning sleeping in his embrace. Mark smiled softly and leaned down, giving a quiet kiss to his daughter’s head. He watched as she burbled and whined, starting to stir from her nap. Mark softly hushed her as she grew louder, carefully bouncing her in a gentle rhythm to ease her unhappiness about being awoken. Her whines turned into fussy cries, eyes closed tightly as she opened her mouth and voiced her displeasure. It made Mark chuckle.

“There there,” he cooed, giving her another sweet kiss, this time against her cheek. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to wake you so soon. You’re probably hungry, aren’t you?” He sat up just a little bit, adjusting the newborn in his arms to make sure she was at an acceptable angle, before helping her to find sustenance. He guided the infant to one of his nipples, feeling almost ticklish at how her tiny lips searched and mouthed for the food source. As soon as the nipple was in her mouth, she began to nurse straight away, while her upset cries quickly died down. Mark quietly sighed and relaxed in his seat, relishing in the pressure in his breasts being released by the baby’s nursing. He could certainly get used to this. No more uncomfortable pains in his chest. At least until he got pregnant again. The thought made him give a quiet laugh. And he still had yet to name his newborn daughter. Mark tossed names around in his brain, trying to settle on which one sounded better. Should he name her after a flower? Or maybe after a season? Or should he just go with something stereotypical? No, he wanted it to be special. The hybrid softly stroked his baby’s head, mulling over his choices and watching as the infant continued to suckle. The more he watched her, a name started to come to him.

She was...Bethany. That was her name. It sounded simply perfect for her, and Mark practically gushed as he kissed her forehead and cooed to her.

His ears pricked to attention though once he caught the sound of heavy boots walking towards his stall. It was no doubt Felix coming to check up on him and the baby. The farmer peered into the stall, smiling wide at the sight of Mark’s new baby having breakfast. Putting a finger to his lips, showing that he would be quiet, Felix stepped inside and crouched down beside the two of them.

“Hey bud, how’s she doing?” he asked.

“She’s doing great,” Mark replied. “A little cranky this morning.”

“Well, I don’t blame her,” Felix chortled. “She just left one world and came into another. That’s a whole lot for a baby to take in.”

Mark grinned. “True.”

“Think you both are up for some visitors? I know your boys would love to meet her.”

“Most definitely. She’ll probably nod off again after she’s done eating.”

Felix nodded and patted his cow’s leg, before standing back up and leaving to go fetch Billy and Tim.

---

“Woooow! She’s so tiny!”

“What’s her name? What is it?”

“Ssssshhhhh, calm down, you guys,” Mark gently hushed his sons as they practically ran into his stall, with Felix not too far behind them. “This is Bethany. I know you both are excited but we don’t wanna upset her, okay?” He let Billy and Tim sit down beside him, with both of the kids leaning in to get a closer look. The baby was still nursing and hadn’t really noticed them.

“What’s she doing, Daddy?” Tim curiously asked.

“She’s drinking milk from me, buddy,” Mark explained. “This is what she eats until she gets bigger, like you.”

“Wow, like me?”

“She’s got a really squishy face,” Billy pointed out, reaching forward and gently booping her nose.

“Hey, be nice,” Mark gave his older son a look. “You had a squishy face too when you were a baby.”

Tim giggled at that, making Billy give an annoyed pout. “No I didn’t!”

“Oh yes you did,” Mark replied, holding up his finger to his mouth to softly hush him. “All babies have squishy faces, because they’re still very young and new to the world. You gotta give them time to grow. You and Tim grew and look, you both don’t have squishy faces anymore.”

“But what she gonna look like when she grow up, Daddy?” Tim asked, bouncing in his seat.

“I don’t know, bud. That’s the exciting part. It’s gonna be a surprise for all of us.”

---

Before Mark knew it, about four weeks had passed now. Four weeks since he had given birth to Bethany...and only a day away from the annual county fair. Every year, Felix took Mark and a few other of his prized cows to the fair in order to sell some milk and maybe even sell a cow or two. But Felix could never bring himself to sell Mark, no matter how much money was promised to him. And Mark was personally grateful for it. He had lived most of his life on Felix’s farm, and had become quite accustomed to waking up every day in a clean, earthy barn and being taken care of by a humble farmer. On top of that, his relationship with Felix was very much solidified. For all the times Mark had been impregnated, Felix was more than fifty percent the supplier. Of course there would be instances where Felix would stud Mark with another one of his own cows, but Mark almost always ended up bearing the farmer’s offspring. The child he had recently given birth to, Bethany, was also Felix’s. And now with the day of the county fair drawing closer, Mark was certain that Felix would be bringing him and the baby along.

The cow hybrid stood up from his hay bed, cuddling Bethany close to him as he approached a window looked out to the driveway of the farm. He could see the familiar livestock trailer being set up by Felix and one of his assistants, preparing it for the journey to the fair. Mark gave a small smile and looked down at his child, stroking her soft, little head. He wondered what the fair would be like this year. Would he maybe get to meet some different cows or other animal hybrids? Perhaps Felix would buy some new tools and supplies for the farm. Or maybe a nice tasty snack for Mark. His tail slightly wagged at that thought. But seeing as how he had recently had a child, Mark was fairly certain that Felix wouldn’t let him do any sight seeing. The farmer was very protective of him, especially if Mark was pregnant or had just recently conceived.

The livestock trailer looked to be fully loaded up and ready for tomorrow, as Mark watched Felix give his assistant a firm handshake and hug, before the two of them headed off in separate ways. Felix caught sight of Mark watching from his stall, and grinned as he strode over.

“Hey bud, how we doin’ today?” the farmer asked, sights immediately honing in on Bethany, who burbled and reached her arms up towards Felix.

“Doing fine,” Mark replied. “She’s been very good today. No fussing at all.”

“Awww, you bein’ a well behaved ankle-biter?” Felix cooed as he gently took Bethany into his arms and kissed her nose. “She’s gettin’ bigger every day, I swear. I almost forget just how fast these little buggers grow up.” Felix gave the baby a small raspberry on the cheek, making Bethany give a small semblance of a giggle, before he handed her back to Mark. “This’ll be her first county fair, what do you think she’ll make of it?”

“Well, the sights and sounds will definitely be a lot for her to take in,” Mark thought aloud. “Hopefully she won’t get overwhelmed.”

“I’m hopin’ that too. Don’t want a fussy baby attractin’ too much unwanted attention, yeah?”

Mark nodded in agreement. There were some rare cases during visits to the county fair that a few shady people had shown interest in some of Felix’s newborns. They had offered a hefty price to buy one or two off of him, but Felix had refused every time. The farmer knew better than to separate a baby from its carrier, especially at that age.

“Welp, I’m gonna go finish up some last minute preparations,” Felix stated, pulling on his hat a bit and giving a smile. “Be sure to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow morning.”

“With this little one, that won’t be a problem,” Mark chuckled in reply.

Felix held his smile, leaning forward and sliding a hand behind Mark’s head, before pulling the hybrid in for a slow kiss. He pulled away, tenderly caressing the side of Mark’s cheek, and left.

Chapter Text

It was the day of the annual county fair.

Countless tents and vendors were set up in the expanse of the large field, followed by the usual noisy fair rides and make-shift concert stage where music would be played. An event such as this didn’t just attract the public, but also other farmers and business folk from around the globe. Livestock of all sorts were brought here to be sold or traded, as well as rare and popular products like cow hybrid milk, sheep hybrid wool, and even chicken hybrid legs. Which was why, every year, Felix chose to attend. He was famous for the cow hybrid milk he sold, and so attending this fair always helped him rake in a little extra cash to help keep his farm running.

Felix had just finished setting up his own tent, fixing the gate in place for the large open cage that housed the few cows he had brought with him, while his assistant was setting up a heavy cooler being set off to the side which held dozens of bottles of fresh cow milk. Once that was done, Felix leashed up Mark and brought him out of the cage, having the hybrid sit down on a bale of hay near the front of the tent. It was customary for Felix to have Mark on display like this, to show the public his prized cows. Being that Mark was his favorite, the farmer took great pride in showing him off. He kept him close by his side though, hand firm and tight around the leash hooked up to Mark’s collar. The hybrid didn’t mind it at all. He was used to this, and personally preferred to be by Felix’s side instead of sitting inside the cage with the other cows. He liked seeing all of the people that passed by or made small talk with the farmer. He would be a bit preoccupied this year though, now that he had a baby in his arms. Bethany burbled out gibberish, eyes wide open as she stared at her new surroundings and took in everything. She would occasionally fuss, not too thrilled with being out in the open like this with so many new things around her, but Mark was quick to gently bounce her in his arms, softly cooing to the baby and keeping her calm.

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One by one, people started to arrive as the fair kicked off. Just the usual lot of families with noisy children, and lonely folks who simply wanted to get out of the house. Mark slowly rocked Bethany in his hold, watching as kids of various ages ran through the vendors and tents with balloons and cotton candy in their hands, screaming louder than necessary and completely ignoring their parents. Some older folks walked on by Felix’s tent, occasionally stopping to look Mark over. Their gaze would always be caught by the infant he held, to which then they’d simply walk away after, uninterested. Faint country music filled the air, along with the sounds of sheep baaing and chickens clucking, followed by bratty children crying and constant chatter of adults, while cheap carnival tunes played from the run-down rides. The fair was most definitely in full swing by now.

“Hey Felix!” a voice suddenly called out, distracting Mark from the white noise. That tone belonged to a man he was familiar with. Felix smiled as he was approached by an old friend, pulling him in for a quick embrace.

“Ken, my man! How ya doin’? Felix asked as he pulled away. “Didn’t think I’d see you attendin’ the fair this year.”

“Yeah, well, Mary insisted that we go. We’ve been thinkin’ of maybe startin’ our own little farm with some sheep hybrids, so I guess we’re doin’ some shoppin’ here.”

Ken Morrison was a human that Mark had seen only a handful of times, but he knew that the man was close with Felix. He’d always been there to help him out in a pinch, especially during the winters when food and money got tight. He saw Ken set his sights onto him and his child, straightening up a little.

“Oh my gosh, is that Mark’s new baby?” the big bearded man questioned with excitement as he stepped over. “Look at that cute little nugget!”

Mark chuckled, holding Bethany up a bit higher for Ken to see.

“Yup, that’s little Bethany right there,” Felix replied with a grin. “Still just a few weeks old.”

“Awwww,” Ken cooed. “Good choice in the name, she definitely looks like a Bethany,” he agreed as he gently stroked the baby’s cheek. “Hey Felix, if you’re shoppin’, Mary and I saw a vendor off that way that’s sellin’ some good-lookin’ cows. They’re apparently starting a new farm.”

Felix crossed his arms in thought. “Well, guess it wouldn’t hurt to check it out, though I’m not really plannin’ on bringin’ home anymore cows this year.” He waved over his assistant and instructed them to watch the stand, giving a reassuring smile to Mark, before walking off with Ken. The various vendors that they passed Felix was all too familiar with. He saw a small group of sheep hybrids sleeping together in a corner of a cage; their wool as fluffy as a cottonfield and not having a care in the world as their owners carefully sheared them. There were even some goat hybrids already butting heads, fussing loudly at each other and skittering away if any passerby tried to reach out and pet them. When they arrived at the stall that Ken had been talking about, Felix could see about a handful of small cow hybrids pacing about in their pens. There was a man and a woman at the front of the tent, sitting at a fold-out table and looking rather bored. They sat to attention though once Felix and Ken walked on over.

“Afternoon, Ken. Decided to come on by again?” the man asked, politely nodding in his direction.

“Nah, just wanted to bring my friend,” Ken replied. “This is Felix.”

Handshakes and greetings were exchanged, as Felix was introduced to Robin and Signe, and learned about the type of farm that they had started. Apparently they were a rescue organization, and they had helped hybrids that had been abused or neglected by their previous owners. As they were conversing, however, one cow in particular seemed to have caught Felix’s eye. The hybrid was sitting on the ground, knees to his chest and back against the pen, and looked rather sullen. He had fluffy brown hair, wore a pair of black capris and a light brown tanktop, and looked much thinner in comparison to Felix’s own cows.

“Who’s that fella over there?” Felix pointed out, to which Robin and Signe looked over their shoulders, and a sad look crossed their faces.

“That’s Sean,” Robin answered. “We actually rescued him from a milking factory about a few weeks ago.”

“A milking factory?”

“Yeah,” Signe said with an unhappy sigh. “The conditions that he had been kept in were very extreme and incredibly harsh. He’s endured a lot…”

Robin nodded in agreement. “We’ve been hoping to sell him to a better, more peaceful farm, and give him a happier life than the one he suffered in at the milk factory. Our organization doesn’t necessarily keep livestock, we just simply find them new homes. We can’t really afford to permanently keep them.”

Felix stared at Sean for a good two minutes. His heart broke for the hybrid, hearing of his story and how horrible it must’ve been to live in a place like that. Felix told himself that he wasn’t going to be buying anymore cows, but this one definitely seemed different, and most certainly was in need of some proper rehabilitation. He fished out his wallet.

“I’ll take him.”