172Rising from the Ashes
Warnings: Hurt, Comfort, Slash, Adult scenes, hints at BDSM, mild hints of incest, sexual situations
Chapter warning: Highly soppy and fluffy! For those that hate cute and cuddly, turn away now!
Notes: Well here it is. The final instalment. I have had many asking for a sequel or possibly doing another spin off but in all honesty, I think everything has been covered and I honestly cannot write anymore. (I think Phoenix wants to enjoy his life finally without me poking about). So, this is it and I hope you have had fun reading this as I have enjoyed writing this spurred on by my reviewers (even though I should be concentrated on my University placements and novel…oops).
I hope to give you another fiction soon, and any suggestions I am open to!
Lastly a huge thank you to reviewers, favourites and alerts. Don't forget to leave a review at the end of this, even if years have gone by…I will still be replying to my reviews ;)
NOT EDITED. (Short but sweet)
Epilogue
Four years later…
Bouncing his baby son on his hip, amber eyes took in the gorgeous silver eyes that he had inherited from his other father. Phoenix patted his back, smiling at the burp that came out. "There, that's much better," he cooed, putting the nipple of the bottle back in Myles' mouth. His son kept the traditional Latin names through Demetri's side, Myles meaning soldier.
His husband walked into the nursery, holding their three year old daughter's hand. Valora – who they usually shorted to Lora – was sniffing, eyes red and brimming with tears. Demetri gave him a quick smile before crouching down before their daughter seriously.
"You must not interrupt your Uncle Amaraclys' meetings. They are very important," he told her sternly.
Her skinny arms crossed over her chest defiantly. "W-well Byron told me that he wanted chocolate ice cream with mayonnaise on it. He said that it was all Uncle Amaraclys' fault so he should get the damned thing for him."
Phoenix bit his lip to stop his laughter, checking on Myles whose eyes were starting to close with tiredness. Their daughter was a handful already, with her father's silky black hair and his own golden eyes that always seemed to gleam with mischievous intent.
Demetri sighed. "I will have a word with your brother about his language. I do not want to hear you saying that again. Am I clear?"
"Yes father," Lora replied sullenly. "Can I go play now?"
"Of course," Phoenix said quietly, rocking Myles in his arms after taking the bottle from him. Three months old and he was drinking so much, more than Lora had.
Demetri shot him an annoyed look as she squealed her thanks to her daddy, running out of the nursery. However, his expression softened as he stood up, watching his blonde mate cradle their baby. Myles had his Daddy's golden blonde hair and he was glad.
"Is he asleep?" he asked quietly, striding up to them.
His mate nodded, placing the bottle on the cream chest of drawers, moving over to the cot. A small hand was shoved in the boy's mouth, chest gently rising and falling. Phoenix placed him in the cot, sighing as he rested against Demetri. Arms wrapped around him, holding him close as they gazed silently upon their beautiful baby boy.
"Father? Phoenix?"
Demetrius flicked the switch on the musical light system, leaving his husband's side to draw the curtains. Phoenix swiftly moved into the living area, seeing Byron standing there eating his disgusting chocolate and mayonnaise ice cream. He grinned. "Hungry?"
His friend grumbled, gently moving himself into a single chair. Byron rested the bowl on his distended stomach, putting another mouthful of his special concoction in his mouth. His eyes rose when his father walked in, closing the nursery door behind him. "Myles asleep?"
Demetri nodded, eyes moving to the bowl on his son's pregnant stomach. "I see you eventually got your disgusting dessert. Our daughter decided to interrupt an important meeting just so you could get that." He led Phoenix to the sofa, pulling him onto his lap as he sat down. "I do not take well to you swearing around her."
Byron rolled his eyes. "Amaraclys is always working. He cut down on sex because he doesn't want to hurt the twins." He stabbed at his ice cream, angrily putting it in his mouth.
His father grimaced.
The pregnant twenty year old gave him a glare. "Daddy, this baby didn't appear out of nowhere. We had sex…a lot. Now I'm fat, irritated and my husband won't have sex with me."
Phoenix giggled, burying his face in Demetrius' neck, breathing in his delicious scent. Byron had a month to go and already had trouble walking long distances because of his large bump. It had been a shock to everyone when he had found out he was expecting twins. Vampire males were lucky to even conceive one child, let alone two.
"I don't see why you are laughing. You two are probably getting some."
The Seer bit his lip, amber eyes shining as he faced his friend. "We 'got some' during the pregnancy Byron," Phoenix laughed. "But you're expecting twins so it could be pretty risky."
"Could we stop talking about this?" Demetri asked in a pained voice.
"Is my husband complaining once more?" Amaraclys drawled from the doorway. He swept inside, holding Lora's hand.
Phoenix went to slide off Demetrius' lap so she could sit there but hands held him firmly in place. Valora let go of her Uncle's hand, walking up to her parents. "Myles asleep?"
Her daddy smiled warmly at her. Their daughter hadn't really taken to her brother to begin with, seemingly jealous of the attention the baby was getting. "Yes and I think it's time for your bed too." His eyes quickly glanced at the clock on the mantle, seeing it was nearing dawn.
Lora pouted, crossing her arms.
"I'll take her," Demetri quickly put in, seeing his son's pent up anger at Amaraclys, only holding it back because of his sister.
"'Night daddy," she said, pressing a sloppy kiss to Phoenix.
He ruffled her hair before watching her leave with her father.
"Is my husband complaining once more?" Byron hissed, glaring at Amaraclys who stood by his side. "You try being pregnant, horny and in constant need of utterly disgusting food!"
Dark eyes glittered with amusement but the leader's face remained passive. "The Doctor said it was too risky at this stage in the pregnancy."
"You don't love me do you?" his mate whimpered, tears brimming in emerald depths.
Amaraclys sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No my love, I love you very much. I don't think you are fat and I would very much want to have sex with you right now because you look so damned sexy pregnant with my children." His eyes were burning with hunger now, lust radiated off him. "However, I am not going to risk our children because we want to have a quickie."
Byron's shoulders slumped. "I suppose."
Phoenix quickly got to his feet. He was already at the nursery door when Myles started to cry.
Amaraclys and Byron looked at each other. It was always strange how the blonde knew when his children were in trouble or in distress, but it was put down to his Seer ability. The older man crouched down, capturing his mate's lips in a soft kiss. "Soon a house full of children, how will we cope?" he murmured.
Byron smiled against his lips. "We will," he answered simply, taking his mate's hands and rested them on his stomach. The twins seemed to realise their father was there and began to move about. It never ceased to astound them.
Meanwhile, Phoenix scooped his son up into his arms tiredly. Looking after two children was a lot of hard work and soon the two lovebirds in his living room area would realise that. Bright silver eyes looked up at him, cries quietening down.
Phoenix gave him a smile, sitting down in the chair beside the cot. A tiny hand came up and tried to grab for him. He shifted his son so the baby's legs were balanced on his legs, giving Myles a standing position. The boy gurgled happily, hands gripping his arms tightly.
"You are a gorgeous little boy," Phoenix told him, bouncing him slightly.
Myles stared at him with a toothless grin on his face, eyes alert and surprisingly knowing. He gurgled some more baby talk, trying to move his legs to bounce again.
"You're supposed to be asleep," he scolded gently, though he was amused by his son's antics.
He had the perfect family. One day Valora and Myles would inherit his Seer ability and he honestly had no clue how that would go. He had learnt over the years that his visions were connected with his family and any danger there was to them. Sometimes he would get snippets of the future and see what his children looked like in the future.
They were beautiful.
One day they would ask about their pasts. Demetri would be fine but he wouldn't. What could he say? Phoenix dreaded that day with all his heart. His mate's parents were killed in World War One but his own father had abused him mentally, keeping him as a personal slave. But Luciano had also loved him. It was a different kind of love to what he had to Myles.
"Phoenix?"
Amber eyes lifted. Amaraclys. They had grown even closer over the years living together back at his mansion. Alone, Phoenix even called him his father. Luciano hadn't been his father, perhaps in blood but in nothing else.
"Hey."
The handsome man walked in, giving him a slight smile. "You looked lost in thought."
The Seer shrugged his shoulders, bouncing his child so Myles let out squeals of delight, clapping his chubby hands together gleefully. "The usual thoughts."
"We will pass over the barrier when the time comes. For now, just enjoy your children," Amaraclys said softly, walking over and carding his hands through Phoenix's blonde hair. He watched as those unusual eyes closed. The nightmares had stopped for Phoenix as soon as Luciano had died and the blonde looked so much better for it.
"We have many years to do so," Demetri said from the doorway.
His mate's eyes opened. "Centuries don't you mean?"
The Vampire chuckled, looking at Amaraclys. "Yes. Shall I take over? Byron is fast asleep in there."
The Clan leader sighed, wearily rubbing his eyes. Little Myles was already falling back to sleep. "I suppose. Goodnight to you both." He leant down and pressed a small kiss to Phoenix's head, sweeping out of the room.
Demetrius watched as Phoenix once more put their sleeping son to rest in his cot. Everything really was perfect. There had been no backlash to Luciano. Clio and Cassie were rotting in their rightful places back in the castle dungeons. Viola – a woman Phoenix warned him about – had been captured entering the Seer community, along with her co-workers. Luciano had been put to rest at an unknown location. Phoenix had needed to end it all, to start a fresh new leaf.
The Vampire grinned as Phoenix walked up to him, bathed in the glow of the soft yellow baby lights around the room. Arms wrapped around his waist. "Did Valora go peacefully?"
Demetri held him close, breathing in the apple scent of his mate's hair. "For once, yes. We are all tired."
"But happy."
"Yes…we are all very happy."
The end
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