Counting Stars at Dawn

35: Three Times The Joy [END]

"And then daddy went rawr! Rawr! Kapow! And killed the bad guys!" a small, black haired boy recounted to his sisters.

"And then what?" A little girl with black and silver pigtails asked, her red eyes shining with curiosity as she held her stuffed plush snake closer.

"He ate them!" the boy formed claws with his hands and scared his sisters.

Another albino girl whimpered and started crying at the startling motion.

The door to their room was opened and then the blanket over their heads lifted.

"Samuel, how many times have I told you not to scare your sister like that?" Artemis bent down and picked up his daughter. "You know Amaris doesn't like those stories."

"Aw! But dad! They are the cool stories uncle Ares tells us about daddy!" Samuel pouted.

"Of course, he told you . . ."

Hades walked into the room and asked:

"Aren't you all supposed to be in bed already?"

"Tag you're it!" the girl with the bicolored hair named Fae giggled and ran away from her father.

"Oh it's on!" Hades chased her and Samuel around the room.

"Hades don't join them! They'll never go to bed if you play with them!" Artemis motioned slight annoyance with his arm.

"I wanna pway too!" Amaris wiggled in Artemis's arms and he had no choice but to set her down.

The three children ran around the room with Hades chasing after them, giggling and squealing in joy.

"Okay that's enough, get to bed, all of you." Artemis pointed to the three beds.

The kids settled around Hades who was sitting on the ground, and they all made a collective disappointed: "awww"

"Not you Hades!" Artemis whined.

"Sorry kiddos, your dad's boring. We'll have to play tomorrow." Hades shrugged.

"Boo! Boring!" Samuel blew a raspberry.

"Pway with us daddy!" Amaris jumped up and down.

"Daddy is more fun than dad." Fae puckered her lips and pecked Hades in the cheek. "Can we go get candy tomorrow daddy? Pleease?"

"Don't turn them against me!" Artemis exclaimed and sat down with them. "I am a lot more fun that your father is, you know. Tomorrow I'll take you three to Sapphire to the biggest candy shop in the world."

"Really?!" Samuel, Fae, and Amaris smiled.

"Yes, if you go to bed now."

"Okay!"

The three of them hopped off Hades and attempted to levitate to reach their beds, although it would be another year before they could do it. They settled under the covers and waited for their parents to wish them sweet dreams.

"Sweet dreams Sam, my brave boy." Artemis kissed his cheek. Hades kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair after Artemis.

"Sweet dreams Fae, my beautiful star." Artemis repeated the process along with Hades.

"Sweet dreams Ama--"

Artemis was caught off guard when Amaris stretched to hug Artemis by the neck.

"I wuv you daddy." Amaris smiled and Artemis tucked her back into bed.

"I love you more sweetheart." Artemis kissed her nose.

Hades bid her good night as well and they looked at their younglings one last time before quietly shutting the door. They made their way back to their own room through the hallway that connected them, and closed the door.

"Well you're actually right." Hades leaned against the doorframe with arms crossed, a smirk on his face.

"About what?" Artemis looked at him over his shoulder as he removed his clothes to change into a nightgown.

Hades stepped towards Artemis and hugged him from behind while he was still nude. He kissed his cheek and whispered:

"You are quite fun, just in a way that doesn't pertain to them."

"You're not so bad yourself, your majesty." Artemis flirted back.

"It's time to get to bed, isn't it?"

Hades led Artemis to the bed and gently kissed his lips. Artemis wrapped his arms behind his head and shuddered into the kiss as he felt his husband's excitement through the bond.

Hades removed his clothes and kissed Artemis's chest. He went back up to his face and Artemis held Hades' face in his palms.

"I love you Artemis." Hades groaned as he pushed inside of Artemis.

"I love you too Hades." Artemis moaned quietly.

"Now and forever?"

"Now and forever."

What started as an event of chance, turned into a love story which the protagonists chose to write. Who knows what would have happened if neither of them ventured out into the dark forest that one night.

Indeed, it was mere chance that they came together, but becoming one soul and swearing to love one another for the rest of eternity, was in fact their choice.

All the nights they spent alone, staring at the night sky, counting all the stars until dawn arrived could've never foretold this future. But how lucky of them that this became a prelude of a lifetime of joys and full of affection that would never disappear.

Bond or no bond, the love between Hades and Artemis would become as certain as the rising of the moon every night.