The men were all in their forties now, Steven being the oldest at 46 and Jacob being the last one to turn 42.

They spent time with their families and each other as often as possible, they'd socialized their babies and raised them together as a massive but loving household. So many of their children claimed their best friend was within the children there and it warmed every parent's heart to hear about it.

Sure they were parentally stressed, starting to be totally out of touch, and feeling old even though logically none of them aged since Steven had officially stopped at 27 and each of the boys plus Connie had already died.

Regardless of all of that, once the Jack crisis had been resolved and finally everyone had relaxed for things to go back to what they guessed to be their new normal, they still found ways to have fun.

Adam was watching Asher, Juniper and little Jack play together. Asher was directing Juniper to be careful, Jack II was breakable.

He smiled, thinking about how such a regal addition was added to his son's name.

*

Adam and Jacob melted into each other and just watched Jack crawl around and play. He'd bite a teething ring, then he'd waddle on unsteady feet to come and coo at them excitedly, but he didn't want to be held because he had endless energy that his little body couldn't contain. Still he was affectionate and plenty happy to be kissed and spoiled in apology for how the first year of his life turned out.

After a long, pleasant silence, Jacob cleared his throat. "Adam?"

Adam sat up immediately and turned to stare at him. Lately he found himself staring harder than he normally did at Jacob, but he couldn't quite figure out why. They'd talked it all out and therapy helped them take great strides into forgiving each other, and now Adam was pretty sure he had a horrifyingly obvious and strong crush on Jacob. "Yeah?"

And Jacob totally knew, he had to have when he leaned forward to kiss him and hum against his lips to fluster him. "We were talking about suffixes because he has my name, but I promise there is no amount of money, sexual favors or love one can give me to convince me to be Jack Senior."

Adam started to giggle and tried to hide his heavy blush. They were talking about their child, he and Jacob had a baby together! "Okay, and?" He chuckled as Jacob turned him back to kiss him again.

"Well, I'm named after my grandfather, Jacob Henry Olfax," He revealed with an excited edge Adam didn't understand. "Our son would be Jack II."

The goth started to cry for no reason he could grasp and Jacob rocked him while he showered his head in longing kisses.

*

Adam smiled at the memory. There was an incredible situation he'd found himself in for a long time now, which was that Jacob was starting to spend more time with Hazel as they reconnected. Jacob had terrible guilt over essentially killing Hazel, even if it was all just another big show of the polycules biggest weakness: cowardice on all parts.

He was really, really working up the courage to ask Jacob to spend the night. Connie had quietly complained she missed Hazel, their time together was becoming briefer as well. Their fight over him hitting Jacob in the first place was nasty, but ended quickly when Steven of all people got between them and told Connie she needed to get off her high horse, and that Hazel needed to be very careful how he spoke to his wife. They both sighed and started to cry because neither were accustomed to Steven's venomous tone being directed at them, he fought louder sometimes with other polycule members, and Connie hated being wrong and Hazel felt like a total asshole.

But Connie was ready to finally make up for it, or at least apologize on a more serious level. He was her second husband and she did love him, she wanted to show him that but he had started coming over for her less frequently. And yet Hazel and Jasmin and Alex and Abel had all rekindled their flame. She felt left out and frustrated, but knew he'd come around. She just had to be patient.

Of course as intuitive people Adam and Connie knew that Hazel and Jacob needed this time one on one to rekindle this flame and they were doing exceptional. They knew they had been going to therapy together. But neither had enough courage to bring it up that they missed their partner, at least not when things still felt so delicate.

Jack started to cry and Adam snapped out of his thoughts to stroll over and scoop up his youngest son that he loved so much. "Hey, buddy. What's the matter?"

He sniffled and sobbed something about a blanket. Adam realized he hadn't brought out his comfort blanket with the little plush dinosaur on the end after his nap. They went to retrieve it and he rocked him while he cuddled up with it, humming a song he'd written for Jacob but hadn't had the chance to do anything about yet.

After a moment Jack squirmed. "Down? I wanna get down, Daddy." Sometimes he was still surprised at how quickly Jack picked up speech. He'd been speaking in full sentences by one and a half, even if they were hard to understand sometimes.

Reluctantly he set him on his feet and ruffled his hair before he took off.

He followed him out to see Anna in the living room in a new outfit he'd never seen before. It was a short, white dress with quarter length sleeves. Normally he wouldn't bat an eye but this fabric was high quality just from looking at it.

Later in the commons he watched her bottom as she walked by and cleared his throat, causing her to turn curiously. Hazel had been eyeing her outfit with interest too, his hand tightly clasped in Adam's. "Baby, come here." She obeyed and he motioned for a 360, then paused her at the back. A small tug of her tag and both men exchanged a look. They hadn't taken her shopping in a while, and this wasn't just an average mall kind of dress.

Anna was wearing Balenciaga, a name brand they knew was a large household name.

Anna smirked at Adam and then Hazel, a rare sight, and Adam brought Hazels attention to the expressions of Steven and Jacob, sitting on the couch together watching a doomsday movie with an air of arrogance.

He patted her bottom. "Go on, you look beautiful."

Hazel kissed her cheek and nodded in agreement, but stayed quiet with a minutely rueful smile.

She nodded and stalked away toward Jasmin's house, but tossed back, "No need to say it. I've heard that enough today."

Adam damn near combusted as the rivalry was re-sparked. If they wanted to play with fire, two could play at that game.

Hazel looked down at him and Adam nodded firmly.

*

Jasmin had to know Jacob's eyes had barely moved from her as they sent the kids off to school. He always found her sexy and pleasing to every sense he had, but today he was distracted by what she was wearing.

It seemed the showboating was indeed back on, because whoever had bought Jasmin this fashionable and stylish dress had to have pulled a power move on purpose. Her outfit's designer was printed in a pattern over the whole thing, and Christian Dior anything was practically three grand right of the bat.

His face twitched were when she bent over, those stupid thick thighs enticed him like a siren song. He found himself behind her instantly grinding on her and pulling her hair to push her against the wall. Kissing down her neck he murmured, "You look edible, Divine. Who got you this? I sure don't remember buying it for you."

Her lips parted when he sunk his teeth into her neck territorially. He loved the red pops of color on the collar, short sleeves and belt to define that curvy figure he would actually die to just caress. "I— Does it matter?"

He sighed deeply, mild annoyance making his smile a little bigger as he released her. "Of course not. By the way I require you in bed this evening."

Jasmin hummed and reached up to pat his cheek condescendingly and then stroke over his jawline as he set it. "God, you're so sexy, baby. We'll see about tonight, someone else might already have dibs."

He wanted to strangle her and laughed his lamentation. "Fine, but then you're in bed with me for a week, minimum."

She sashayed to the commons door with a playful wiggle of her bottom. The more they played like this, the more he started to wonder if his lynx of a wife was also a cute little rabbit hellbent on coaxing every child possible out of him because he wanted to fuck another one into her. "My Jealous Jacob."

He was. He was so jealous he could hardly stand it. But in a fun way?

He followed after her to see her melting into Adam's arms with a soft coo of adoration as he stroked her back with all the innocence in the world, his eyes closed.

When they opened, the look Adam sent Jacob was so smug it was hard to believe for the moment that he was generally a kind man. It both aroused Jacob and drove him nuts.

*

It took around .2 seconds after they all waved the kids goodbye a week later that Steven turned to Connie and erected a wall to stop the rest from going inside.

He rumbled under his breath and ran his fingers over the sleeves of her dress, then the different colored and textured fabric. "I love this." His eyes snapped up to the men suspiciously. "Who bought it for you?"

Then he moved her aside to stare down at his top, who stared him down like he wasn't half a foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter. Hazel broadened his shoulders and put on a charming, manipulatively innocent smile. "What's up, Puppy?"

Normally when he said it, it was sweet and adoring. Usually Steven melted for that nickname that Hazel used so lovingly, but now there was a slight teasing edge to it. He didn't even need to elaborate or say much more, it was evident in the stand off enough that Jacob blew out a low breath of tenseness.

Hazel called him Puppy, but he may as well have told him to heel.

Steven's eyes flickered pink over and over before he backed away with a slow nod as if he were comprehending the information. "You look beautiful, Connie."

Red faced but clearly liking the two boys peacocking over her, she stepped between them. "Stop it, you two. Act your age."

Steven's eyes slid to hers. "Realistically you need to specify who you're talking to. I could be 46, or 5046."

He split and Star pulled Connie into him possessively while Diamond picked up Hazel like he weighed nothing and put him on the roof, then jumped back down so the two could refuse.

"I can't get down from here! Dammit, Diamond!" Hazel cried, poking his lip out at Adam. "Daddy, he's being mean to me just cause I treat his wife better."

Steven rolled his eyes and whistled for Lion, who nudged Hazel for headpats. "Good luck, Hazel. He's also notorious for being an asshole, you should have no problem speaking his language." Hazels jaw dropped as Steven presented an arm to Connie. "I'm more than sure I can please your increasingly refined taste."

She giggled, last time they did this it was Jacob spoiling her rotten, the time before was Adam, then Steven showboating his royal wife under his breath. "Where did you learn to trash talk so eloquently?"

He huffed his laughter and checked his watch, three and a half hours until kids returned since it was a half day. Another idea came over him and he sent the others a challenging look. "I learned it from you." He ignored her offended scoff and dissolved the wall. "Let's wait until the kids get home first, I may as well just take all six of our beautiful children that I happened to father shopping too."

Jacob smiled graciously but it was laced with playful maliciousness. "Why don't we make it a family trip? Daisy would be sad to be without the other girls."

Anna rolled her eyes. "How about we just take a vacation later this week during spring break and put a pin in your very cute dick measuring contest?"

Steven raised his hands to the heavens. "I mean, we can measure again but it's not going to change the stats."

Jasmin groaned, "Men are stupid."

Jacob's eyes brightened and he took off into the commons with a quick demand for them to stay, then came out carrying a sleeping Abel and tugging along a shy Alex clearly happy to be holding his hand. "Right, speaking of stats I believe there are more of us that would be accompanying Jasmin and I anyways, my faction alone would take up half the mall."

Glancing at the boys glowering at each other, Alex giggled. "Alright, I'm here for a public appearance from TIBNAALD."

Adam uncrossed his arms and ran a hand through his hair. "Right, just make sure security is a little tighter on my side. You know the ladies can't keep their hands off of me."

"I'm still on the roof!" Hazel reminded them. "Don't let anyone touch my husband, you hear?" Adam turned to grin up at him and he growled. "Adam! Do not! You're mine!"

*

Shopping ended up being (albeit a little stressful with so many excited children) really, really fun.

Azalea practically blew up a dressing room when they found something they liked, an absolutely dapper suit like their father's, but instead of his signature pink, it was lavender complimented. Milo had been happily fitted in a peach colored little tux because it accentuated his freckles so, so much and brought out his hazel eyes.

One by one they dressed their children and spouses like absolute royalty, and with them mostly having a keen eye for fashion save for Connie who helped budget, when they were finally ready to show the kids their very first performance venue at Empire City Square, they all looked knockout incredible.

Each step exuded pride, even as babies cooed and children squealed and teens were reminded to hold hands with the littles and stay close by them in a constant cycle. Wives and boyfriends and husbands and girlfriends flirted and bantered with each other over the bustle of city life and cars honking their horns.

Alex squinted ahead of them in a striking cyan jumpsuit and hummed distastefully. "I think this might end up on the news seeing as we haven't made a full public appearance in a long time."

Adam shifted his eyes from Juniper bouncing alongside him being the cutest firecracker in the world. He couldn't believe she was already nearly nine. "Why's that?"

Cameras had found the polycule and their children, and though they were worried, they seemed to be polite enough to realize that they shouldn't get too close. Steven sent them a warning look anyways.

A new feeling was born suddenly and they felt it rising with each click of a camera. Though they were nearing their middle age, they had a yearning to start making more serious music again no matter how long it may last. With the addition of Abel, currently in an orange bodysuit with a matching skirt sitting low enough to show off his stellar hips, they felt like they could definitely deliver even better, more meaningful and exciting music for their fans sad that they'd given up.

Celeste started to fuss in the stroller Steven was pushing, so he picked her up out of it and bubbled it, focusing on sending it back to inside their limo. Nowadays he could reverse summon bigger items and send items through his bubble wherever he wanted, so long as he could picture it. He'd lost at least twenty things altogether when starting out, but he was pretty good at it now.

Toward the end of all the paparazzi, reporters were standing lined against the sidewalk live reporting.

One of them pointed out Jack right away, who was walking between Adam and Jacob and though it caused an internal wince, when he looked up at Jacob he beamed at him and offered a hand he took immediately. The one and a half year old smiled at him and babbled happily. Adam snorted, he was such a silly little boy just like his Daddy. Jack reached for his hand next and who was Adam to deny his baby of anything, last of all his love?

Abel seemed not used to such rapid fire attention and intense coverage, he stuttered in his step and Jacob easily leaned over to kiss his cheek and smile at him like he'd won a million dollars.

The poor newest and last addition blushed, Jacob was bragging about him, he knew that look and had seen him do it with Jasmin and Alex and Adam, too.

Connie was unsurprised that everyone was unsurprised Steven had knocked Connie up as many times as possible. She'd have to see the articles when they went up after they'd settled back into a solid routine at home. She was so proud to be walking in sync with him as he carried their last baby and she held Seraphine and Celine's hands.

Showing their kids where they'd first performed made many of the parents choke up, the owner was a good friend of theirs and the place had been renovated since they'd last been there but it still felt like a full circle moment.

The kids asked a million questions and soaked it all up with wide, starry eyes as they painted a picture of pop, rock, R&B, EDM, remixes and every other genre they heard ever leaked into. They bragged each other up until they were all laughing and shoving at each other, then switching to embarrassment as a tactic to win.

*

When the kids went back to school, the polycule gathered with wine and weed to listen to Alex read the articles.

He brushed a hand through his hair. "Ooo... gonna save that one for later."

Adam sighed and downed his entire glass of wine. "Fuck it, I just wanna get it over with so this doesn't haunt me every time I look at my kid."

Alex blushed and sighed. "Breaking News: TiBNAALD Has An Addition To Family That Doesn't Quite Match The Main Couples."

Adam scowled and got up to grab a bottle of Everclear, then paused and shut the cabinet. "Go on..."

Alex skimmed it then smiled rather proudly. "It's actually saying a lot of really nice stuff, they think he's adorable."

Jacob grunted, "Yep," and said nothing else.

Jasmin took the article herself and started to giggle. "Oh Alex, you didn't read far down enough." He poked his head over her shoulder and they burst out laughing. "Oh, this is perfect!"

Connie giggled nervously. "What about it?"

Alex caught his breath. "It seems they don't know some of our bandmates are trans." When Adam turned with his arms crossed, he blurted, "They think Adam got Connie pregnant with Cosmo."

Steven choked on his hit. "That would explain a lot actually," He laughed weakly. "You know what? I condone this." He pointed to a scarlet Adam. "Go on, knock her up cause she won't let me anymore."

They laughed as Alex scrolled through the next ones. "A lot think we're coming out with a new album... This one says we're aging great—," He tossed his hair. "I look 23, personally." Jacob snorted at him and Alex made a face of delight. "Uh oh, Abel..."

He perked up and rubbed his cheek. "Just rip off the bandaid, mate."

He turned the tablet around to show the picture a photographer had taken. "It's a good picture, you just look a teeny tiny bit flustered."

They'd caught the perfect angle of Jacob kissing Abel's cheek but the main focus was the look of nearly painful adoration on Abel's face.

They awed and cooed at Abel until he had his head buried in his hands. "How do you guys live with this much attention?"

Jasmin snatched it next and gave Alex a death stare. "My turn. I see this one talking about our babies!" She squealed.

Jacob had zoned out as soon as he got uncomfortable about the possibility of Jack being out to the world as an out of wedlock child but her excitement brought life back into him. "Oh really? What of them?"

"Ugh, that they all look just like their Daddy," She grumped as she read on. "Except Phoebe. She looks like her Mommy."

Jacob motioned for the tablet and found the next article with a teasing smirk directed at Steven. "They want you to leave Connie alone."

The hybrid turned pink and pouted as he whined, "But why? It's not my fault she's so fertile and gorgeous and makes perfect children! What am I supposed to do?" He cried over the cackling. "Not breed her? Tell them to mind their fucking business."

Jacob brightened and handed the next one to Anna. "I think you'll be mighty pleased."

She read it and jumped up to give Adam the middle finger. "Ha!"

His jaw dropped in hurt. "Ow. You hurt Daddys feelings."

She giggled and bounced on her toes. "They recognized I mothered Asher! They don't think you just did it yourself, ugh what a great day!"

Adam smiled at her and rested his head against the couch. "He has your eyes."

Hazel snatched it next and scrolled down to read about Juniper. "Aw, Anna, look!" She peeked over and stuck out her lip. "Save that picture!"

Adam frowned and scooted closer to stare at it until he choked up. "God I love being a Dad. Send that one to me."

They reminisced and squealed as more articles went up about the long lost band and how they'd practically taken over the entire music industry, and that being the reason why they stopped out of what felt like nowhere.

Steven cleared his throat and pushed Connie off his lap with a kiss to her neck, then booked it into his house. "Don't be mad at me," He begged when he came back out. "I'm so sorry, but I totally forgot to let you guys know about our album and song rankings?"

They boo'ed him and he threw his head back in playful angst before he set the folder down and scrolled through it. "Okay so I'm gonna start with group songs first." The polycule nodded in anticipation with wide eyes as Steven read off the list. "City Of Angels hit gold, Industry Baby hit gold, MORE hit gold, Cater 2 U and Honeybee hit gold, Level Up hit platinum," He paused to let the girls scream at the top of their lungs and giggled, then choked up really hard. For a second they watched him cry as he finally got out, "I didn't know this one, but I'm moving on to this one cause I can't wait. Legends Never Die (Reclaimed) went Diamond six times and is our most popular song ever and we will never have another that even gets close!"

They cheered as Steven melted into Connie's arms and sobbed his joy. He loved his wife for singing it so much, he'd tried but he couldn't get through it without feeling like he was going to die. He couldn't even play an instrument, he could barely conduct. But the band had made it so much better than Alison's Version, and his heart was overflowing with love and gratefulness.

Hazel poked out his lip. "Puppy, don't cry! That's a good thing!"

He reached for him and sat him where he was sitting so he could lay on his lap and have Connie wipe away his tears while she rubbed his head at the same time. "Okay, I just needed a good cry."

Jasmin smiled with all her heart. "I'm so happy we could do that for you."

Steven nodded wordlessly and immediately started to cry at the next one. "Dammit, I can't do it! I'm j-just gonna cry!"

Adam took it and kissed Steven's cheek rapidly to calm him. "Cradles, huh? I know that one's special, Baby." He nodded through a miserable laugh and Adam pinched his cheek. "Alright, next one is..." He gasped deeply and stared, eyes glowing so bright it clearly was hurting him. His lips curled in and he handed the paper to Jacob. "You did that on purpose with your crocodile tears!"

Steven laughed weakly. "Uh huh. I peeked a little before I got caught on Cradles."

Jacob grinned. "Ocean Eyes going platinum is hardly a surprise, Adam."

Anna gasped under her breath and squeaked, "I still love that one so much."

"I still listen to it like at least once a week," Alex confessed happily. "Ocean Eyes is beautiful."

Anna and Adam shared a long kiss while Jacob read off, "Sucker For Pain..." They waited for him to cry and he snorted. "Guys I've been crying constantly for two years, I'm so fucking dehydrated I probably couldn't cry if I tried."

Before the moment could get sad, Steven handed him the next paper. "Singles. Read it."

He huffed and his eyes began to glow as the vines growing up the house began to thicken and grow flowers. "Really?" Steven nodded proudly. "Slow Dancing In The Dark..." He cleared his throat and his cheeks pinkened. "Went multi-platinum."

Jasmin got up to hug him into her titties and murmur, "Look at my pop star husband." His eyes faded back to normal and he nuzzled in happily. "Okay, that's enough— hey, no!"

He crossed his arms and whined, "You used to let me get some before we had kids. This is bullshit."

"Get some what?" Abel asked innocently.

Jacob's face dropped and Steven snickered at him. "I'm sure you'll find out one day, he's not very discreet."

Grumbling Jacob listed in faster succession. "Multi-platinum goes to Beg, Issues, You Right, The Way— AW!" He beamed and patted a hand over his heart. "I totally knew that would make it, I love that one."

"Pause!" Connie cried, reaching over to grab Anna. "Can we talk about how that was Anna's first time achieving whistle tones?!"

They screamed and cheered so loud Lucky texted to ask if they were okay through the teen and parents chat.

"Okay uh, Need To Know, Promiscuous..." Jacob's eyes filled with tears as he sent Jasmin an imploring look. "Bad Things."

She started laughing and crying at the same time. "Wow, really?"

He nodded. "I love you." When she got so flustered she couldn't answer he pumped a cocky fist. "Onto Diamond, sorry Steven I'm mixing everything. You don't have a system here to tell me which is group or singles. Hey Adam?"

He sat up like he was possessed and narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"

"Neon Tide went Diamond two and a half times," He shouted joyously.

Adam fainted on the spot. Hazel yelped, scrambling down to rub at his chest. "You don't even have blood flow I think, wake up, Daddy."

He stirred and whimpered, "Holy shit. I could've missed this if I had succeeded at 17."

That made all of them choke up, it was such a powerful statement. 

Jacob hummed lowly, "Anxiety, Guy.exe and My Shit all hit multi-platinum."

Their celebration stretched all the way until Hazel raised his hands for silence among the tipsy and high adults. "Where is Steven's music?"

They turned on him and he blushed shyly. "Why does that matter?"

Connie whipped out her phone and searched up her incredibly famous husbands music stats. Her jaw dropped so hard she winced in pain. "Steven... only three of your songs are below Platinum."

He chuffed at their proud smiles and tears. "They aren't my songs if you guys play the instruments."

Anna wiggled into his arms with a purr. "Then next album, you have to play your own songs."

He lifted her to snuggle and nip at until she was yelping for help that wasn't granted. "Fine."