A/N:

Long chappy and big smut ;)

~

"How is he?" A voice asked.

Cepheus glanced over his shoulder to see that Raphael was walking towards him.

He smiled a bit and nodded his head towards the boy who was a level below them.

"See for yourself."

The two vampires looked over the balcony to see that the boy was running around in an enclosed garden, giggling while being chased by 2 small children.

"Much better then." Raphael observed in an amused tone. Although his brows furrowed and his lips quirked up in curiosity.

"Since when do we have a garden in the middle of the castle, my King."

Cepheus shrugged and braced his forearms on the railing.

"Since my beloved asked if we had one."

Cepheus gave a slight wave to his nymph below who had looked up and found himself captured by the Vampire's gaze. Bay blushed timidly but in his distracted state he was tackled to the ground by the small children.

The King's heart dropped in instinctual worry but the sound of his mate's laughter eased his mind. But only by a bit.

"Be careful!" He yelled down, but his words of concern weren't heard over their contentment.

"Of course you managed to create an entire garden for the Prince." Raphael chuckled. "How did you do it?"

"We already had the greenhouse in the centre of the castle, it was just a matter of planting those crops in the ground to bring the space to life. Bay grew them all himself."

The King saw Raphael nod from the corner of his eye but he could tell that the vampire was holding himself back from saying something more.

"Im guessing you didn't come all the way here to talk about the new garden. What is it."

Raphael sighed, a slight frown playing on his lips. He knew that this news would not please His Majesty.

"The council asked me to speak with you. You've been ignoring them...again"

Cepheus hummed, another smile brightening his face when his mate gave him a shy wave from down below.

"I told them we would reconvene next week."

A confused laugh escaped the blonde, his head tilting as he appeared slightly befuddled.

"Well yes, but that was over a week ago—"

"The fae are coming tomorrow to officiate our alliance. That's the only reason why they desire my attention. My mind will not change."

Raphael's jaw ticked in slight annoyance.

"It's not just about the fae. There are other matters that you must attend to."

At receiving a glare Raphael paused. He stepped closer to his friend so that he could place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's been over a week Cepheus. You can't avoid your responsibilities forever. I understand that—"

"Don't tell me you understand!" The King snapped. "Don't you dare stand there and tell me you understand."

Raphael frowned and dropped his hand to his side.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate..."

Cepheus released a breath to level his breathing; he didn't mean to blow up, that was inappropriate and he knew better. He was a King, not a child.

"No... don't apologize, I know you mean well." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Call for a meeting this evening."

Raphael nodded, his shoulders sinking in subtle relief. If he had told his friend the main reason the council had been summoning him, he would've never agreed.

"Okay, I'll let them know." The blonde confirmed before his lips tugged up in a small smile. "Enjoy your garden."

With a mock salute, Raphael left the King to himself and his thoughts.

~

"Bye Bay!" One of the children yelled as he was being dragged down the hall by his mother.

Similarly, Cepheus was dragging his own mate in the opposite direction as the boy waved back to the child.

"Oh, they're so cute! Don't you think Cepheus?"

The taller vampire merely hummed as the nymph babbled on.

"It's so nice of you to let the workers live in the castle. I've already offered to babysit if any of the maids need my help!"

That got Cepheus raising a brow, a cool hand wrapping around his mate's waist to bring him closer to his chest.

"Babysit? I don't know about that."

Bay frowned and clutched the material of Cepheus' dress shirt.

"But why not?"

"I'd prefer to keep you all to myself."

The nymph whined and nuzzled his head into his mate's side.

"But I like kids."

The King leaned down and nibbled the tip of the nymph's pointed ear, smiling as it twitched from his torment.

"Then I'll provide you with many of our own." He murmured lowly, the heat of his breath fanning onto the boy's already flushed skin.

Bay gasped as if the vampire said something unfathomable and tried to push away from his embrace.

"W-what? H-how do you know about t-that?"

Cepheus squeezed the boy closer to his frame despite his protest and arched a questioning brow.

"Know about what?"

Bay blushed and dropped his gaze, focusing on fiddling with his fingers.

He hesitated before whispering. "T-that I can have children."

Cepheus stopped walking, a look of disbelief crossing his face. His dark eyes swirled with an array of emotions and he lifted the boy's chin with a slender finger.

"What?"

Pink was starting to overwhelm the blue in the boy's face as he struggled to elaborate.

"I-I just assumed since y-you said...male nymphs...we c-can um, we can—"

"You can get pregnant." Cepheus finished, his tone laced in nothing but astonishment.

"You're saying that you can carry a child, my child."

Bay bit his lip and nodded his face still heated under the vampire's intense scrutiny.

"So you didn't know...?"

"No Bay, I didn't know. I thought we would come to care for a child one day, but not one that was our flesh and blood." Cepheus cupped the boy's cheek in his hand, his thumb gently caressing the bluish skin. "How is this even possible?"

The nymph blinked, trying to focus his attention on the vampire's words rather than his soothing touch. It was easy to close his eyes and get lost in the sparks that tickled his skin most delectably.

"Mama told me...I'm not sure really."

The King's lips quirked up in a smile; a genuine, toothy grin that seemed foreign on his usually stern face.

"I never knew it was possible to be this happy."

Bay smiled shyly and stood on his tipi toes to brace himself against the stronger man.

"I make you happy?" His question merely served his need for validation.

Cepheus chuckled and grasped the nymph's jaw so that he could press their lips together in a kiss.

"Does that answer your question?" He murmured over the boy's pout.

Bay nodded and almost squealed in delight when the vampire kissed him once more. It was slow and gentle but the small boy was desperate for anything but that. His movements were rushed and lust-filled, a result of being deprived of his mate's affection for so long.

"No..." He protested when the vampire pulled back.

That kiss was too short, especially when he'd only been receiving chaste pecks and gentle touches since his accident.

"I don't want to hurt you Bay. You're not fully healed and even if you were, I don't trust myself around you in your current state. Now that you've told me that you're able to carry our children, your behaviour makes even more sense."

Bay blushed but continued to pout, knowing very well what the vampire was referring to. A few days after the accident, it was evident that the nymph had started to display heat-like tendencies.

Cepheus had assumed that their inability to complete the bond during his blood-lust period had transferred to his mate—that had made the most sense at the time. But now, it was obvious that he was entering into his own heat, and he wouldn't let himself succumb to the boy's wanton pleas.

"Cepheus please, I'm fine, I promise. See?" The boy lifted his arm and shifted his shoulder to demonstrate his mobility. "No pain"

The vampire merely hummed and ushered the boy up the stairs to his quarters.

"I-I miss you" Bay tried again. His ear twitched as he was let into their bedroom, and no response was heard. "I miss your touch."

What the nymph mistook as ignorance was actually the vampire's attempt at restraint. He should be able to withstand a few words and whines, he was old enough to have some semblance of self-control.

"I touch you all the time, Blue. I'm touching you right now."

Clear, rational words. That should be enough to satisfy the nymph.

But Bay pressed on, placing his tiny hands on his mate's chest, frustration piercing through his glassy eyes when he tried and failed at making contact with his skin.

"B-but not the way I want you to. I-I...I want you to touch me like before. Please Cepheus, it's been so long."

Fuck.

The one word that was stamped clear within the vampire's mind. A curse, a crude remark that was most indicative of how he felt in that moment.

But with a deep profound restraint, the taller man lightly grasped the boy's wrists and pulled them from his frame.

"Come, I'll run you a bath."

Bay's face dropped at the vampire's words and he wrapped his arms around his middle, self-consciously.

Sullenly, he padded after his mate and followed him into the bathroom.

With his head down, the nymph pulled at his fingers, waiting to receive some sort of direction.

But when a metal-sounding object hit the marble floor, Bay looked up to see that his King was getting undressed.

"You don't mind if I join you, right Blue?"

The nymph simply gaped up at him with wide eyes, eagerly taking in the finely-crafted creature that stood before him.

The boy swallowed as the vampire's arms flexed with each movement; every shift and shuffle revealed more of his pale skin, and every inch of him was toned and packed with muscle.

The nymph thought that he was simply magnificent.

Cepheus rose a brow at his mate, just as he was about to pull down his briefs.

"Take off your clothes."

Bay's breath hitched but then his hands were immediately fumbling at his shirt, his nimble fingers struggling to pull the garment over his head.

The sound of running water made his movements even more rushed and his shirt flew off his head in a flurry.

"Cepheus?" Bay called out in confusion when he saw that the vampire was no longer in front of him.

"I'm waiting."  His deep voice replied.

The nymph flashed his head towards the shower, where the runaway appeared to be.

After a quick shimmy out of his shorts and undergarments, Bay walked over to the shower's glass door and opened it hesitantly.

"I thought we were running a bath," Bay murmured as he stepped inside.

Cepheus turned and ran a hand through his wet hair, the black strands beautifully strewn across his forehead.

"I changed my mind. Is that okay?"

The nymph bit his lip and nodded, although his fingers pressed into his palms as he struggled to stop his eyes from drifting downwards.

Even after the many intimate moments they've shared, he still couldn't bring himself to divulge in something so lewd. 

Cepheus wiped the excess water from his face, a smirk tugging at his lips as he noticed the internal battle the boy was facing and ultimately losing.

"What's wrong? The vampire taunted.

He walked until Bay was pressed against the glass wall of the shower, his muscular body swallowing the nymph's much smaller form.

"You can look at it," Cepheus rasped; water dripped from his jaw and fell to the boy's clavicle as he leaned over him.

Bay's knees shook at his mate's tone alone. It mimicked the path of the water droplets, finding its way through every crevice of his body and tickling his nerves as it did. It was erotic, rivalling the heat of the steam that encompassed the room and thickening the air all the same.

But Bay didn't forget the words that were exchanged not too long ago.

"B-but I thought you didn't want to do anything..." The boy turned his head to the side as he recalled his earlier rejection.

Although a small squeak passed his lips as his throat was suddenly gripped by a strong hand. Bay was forced to face the vampire once again, eyes wide and lips parted.

"I didn't say that nymph. I said I don't trust myself around you. You're so small and delicate, and I'm still not convinced that you're fully healed—"

"I am!"

Bay sucked in his lips after his outburst, noting the slight tick to the vampire's jaw.

"Regardless...you're right. There is no reason why we can't indulge in a little play. After all, it's my responsibility to please my beloved." Cepheus tilted his head, his pupils dilating as he felt the boy's pulse race under his fingers. "Look at it."

Bay shuddered and blinked the water from his lashes, only to realize they were desire-filled tears.

His eyes slowly made their descent, and for the first time he saw all of his mate.

Long and thick, he stood semi-erect and even then it managed to press against his stomach.

Bay swallowed, feeling his own length twitch at the sight of his mate's impressive form; he was a King indeed.

"Does it please you?" Cepheus murmured; his thumb swiped at one of the tears coating the boy's cheeks.

"Yes" Bay gasped. He closed his eyes in bliss when the vampire replaced his hand with his mouth; teasing kisses now claimed the skin of his neck.

"You can touch me, Blue. I know you want to."

A strained whimper escaped the nymph as Cepheus seemed to know his every want and need. Perhaps it was his twitching fingers that gave him away, or maybe he could simply read his mind.

Without further encouragement, Bay slowly reached out and his eyes widened as he finally touched the smooth skin.

It was undoubtably hard, but also soft in another sense. He could feel it pulse in his hand, and he found the heat of it alien when the vampire usually ran cold.

A teasing brush at his own length made Bay mewl, and his hand shifted to tug at his mate in an uncontrolled response.

Cepheus groaned at feeling his mate's touch for the first time. His hand was so tiny, barely fitting around his girth, but his jerky and hesitant movements nearly drove him mad.

He took the smaller boy in his hand and smirked when he saw his knees shake. The vampire knew he wouldn't last long.

"So tiny in my hand, Blue." Cepheus mumbled under his breath.

The nymph whimpered and panted, his mate's words making him impossibly more aroused. The vampire's sharp tugs and fondling quickly drove him to the edge and soon he was spilling into his hand.

"C-Cepheus—"

His was silenced by a deep, fulfilling kiss that sated him even more.

"I know" Cepheus murmured over his lips, "I'll take care of you."

Bay shook his head and moved his fingers to stroke his mate's length.

"No, I want to pleasure you now." He whispered shyly.

Cepheus rose a brow. "Are you sure?"

Bay nodded but his breath caught in his throat as the vampire slowly swiped his thumb across his bottom lip.

"You wouldn't mind taking me in your mouth then?" He hummed.

Of course, Bay nodded along. He would agree to anything his mate wanted at this point.

The boy sunk to his knees and welcomed the water that lightly sprayed his face. He looked up at the vampire from his position, slightly unsure of how to proceed.

Cepheus smiled and rested his hand on the nymph's head, letting his fingers gently comb through the wet strands before he gripped them tightly.

Bay gasped, and in his incredibly aroused state, felt a foreign heat fill his bottom. He didn't have much time to think about it though as his head was suddenly lowering towards his mate's length.

"Go on," Cepheus urged. The vampire licked his lips and his eyes darkened as he watched the small boy cautiously take ahold of him and place a soft kiss on his tip.

Hesitant kitten licks ran up his shaft and the vampire hissed at Bay's teasing.

The sound caught the nymph off guard and he pulled back with red cheeks.

"Did I do something wrong—"

"No," Cepheus groaned. He pushed the boy's head down again and clenched his jaw as soft lips met his tip. "Suck"

With a bit more confidence, Bay took the thick shaft in his mouth and did what he was instructed to do.

Gentle sucking and occasional licking had Cepheus twitching in the boy's mouth. Coupled with his heavy breathing and sounds of pleasure, Bay was thoroughly enjoying this experience.

"Fuck, I'm close." The vampire moaned; his grip on the boy's hair tightened and he pushed himself even further, allowing his length to hit the back of Bay's throat.

Bay hummed at the rough handling, even while his eyes watered and throat burned.

That seemed to set Cepheus off, as he was suddenly shooting his load in the boy's mouth and the nymph was forced to take it all.

Bay gasped when Cepheus pulled out, and coughed a few times. He was pulled to stand on wobbly legs but the vampire offered more than enough support.

"You took me so well, Blue. Fuck, you were so good."

Cepheus uttered praise upon praise to the nymph and Bay found himself about to come undone once again at just those words alone.

He closed his eyes briefly, and basked in his mate's embrace as he came down from his heated state. Who knew getting his mate off would be just as arousing as receiving pleasure himself.

A soft sigh passed Bay's lips as his body was gently washed and caressed by the vampire. His head rested on his toned chest, the sound of his thumping heartbeat a comforting tune to the nymph's ears.

"Have I pleased my beloved?" Cepheus murmured; although it sounded more like a deep rumble that caused the boy the shiver.

Bay blushed at his question. It made him sound high maintenance and needy, while he was really quite the opposite. But perhaps his little...tantrum read otherwise.

"Yes...I'm sorry about before. I was being a brat."

Cepheus chuckled and shook his head.

"You don't need to apologize. Yes, you were a bit whiney but for good reason. Your needs weren't being met and that's my fault. I just feel...protective over you, especially after what happened."

Bay bit his tongue at the mention of the incident but nodded in understanding anyway.

"I know" He whispered.

He shuddered as Cepheus lightly brushed his fingers over the pink scars on his shoulder; they were 3 horizontal lines, each left from the claws that were sunk into his shoulder.

The vampire hated them. They marred the boy's otherwise unblemished skin and it was a constant reminder that he had allowed his mate to be hurt under his watch.

He would never voice that though. He wouldn't burden the boy with his darkened thoughts.

"Done?" Cepheus asked just before he turned the water off.

Bay hummed in agreement and wrapped his arms around Cepheus's waist.

"Thank you."