Sean glanced from Darkiplier to Khaos, praying that Dark wasn't considering this. To his relief, Dark growled out with suspicion. "Why do you want it? To drain its life for your youth? You already do that with Verine's children." Khaos admired her sharp long red nails, answering flatly. "That's not your concern. You want me to stop. I'm giving you an option to comply. Which I think is more than generous of me... Since I can simply take them both and you won't be able to stop me." Dark snorted steam, bellowing out. "You'll have to go through me first!" Khaos chuckled lightly, meeting his eyes with a trace of fear when she retorted. "Hardly." Folding her hands over her lap, her fingers turned something, and Sean unleashed a sharp scream. Dropping to his knees, Sean clutched his hand as the serpent ring bit into his finger hard enough to draw blood. Whirling around to face him, Dark's anger drained away. Blood dripped down off Sean's finger, and he tried to block out the pain as the ring tightened its grip. Glaring back at her, Dark yelled out. "Stop it! You've made your point!" Turning the ring on her finger back, Sean's hand shook with relief but the ache from the pain inflicted lingered on.

Shrugging, Khaos stated aloud in a carefree tone of voice. "Have I? Then why is this decision so difficult for you? I raised you better than this. The solution is so obvious that a mortal child could figure it out." Easing herself up off the windowsill, she purred out to Dark menacingly. "Say the babe is mine, Dark. Or I'll take it by taking HIM and waiting. But you should be aware. If you force me to take him... when that babe comes out. I will slaughter Sean and send him to you in pieces." Grabbing Dark's leg with his good arm, Sean pleaded out shakingly. "Don't do it! She's-" Khaos' wings sprang up to block the sun coming in from the windows as she roared over Sean angrily. "HE DOESN'T HAVE A CHOICE! If he loves you... he'll make the trade." Dark avoided Sean's eyes, causing Sean's heart to sink into the depths of his gut. Dark wouldn't... would he? Taking a long intake of breath, Dark suddenly chuckled out. "I see. You almost had me." Both Khaos and Sean blinked with confused expressions. Taking a confident step around the bed, Dark boldly shot back at her. "Took me a minute to realize what game you're playing. But I got it. It's clever. I applaud your tenacity."

Cradling his hand, Sean asked confounded. "Dark? What are you doing? What's going on?" Crossing his arms, Dark informed him in a dry sneer as he locked eyes with Khaos. "Her plan hasn't changed. She still plans to wipe us all out and start her creations over. She just realized that she doesn't need ME at her side anymore. My love for you keeps me far from her design... but a child created by me and infused with the possibility of Anti's powers. That's hard to pass up. She could train it to be what she wants from birth, and it will be stronger than both Anti and Myself... in theory." Sean's jaw dropped as that sank in. Khaos flashed Dark a tiny smirk across her bright red lips, cooing out. "Doesn't change what I can do to Sean until then." Dark stepped closer to her, almost daring her to lash out at him as he practically purred back. "Sean is your leverage against me. Kill him... and nothing in the nine realms will stop me from killing you." Her lips parted into a smile that revealed her sharp fangs when she replied icily. "I can torture him for decades, Darkiplier. Keeping him on the brink of death. Do you want to test my resolve on that? Could you sleep at night as I fill every sound in the nine realms with his screams?"

Sean gulped, but Dark remained motionless as he kept his fiery eyes locked on hers. Staring her down with a smile of his own when he retorted calmly. "I don't doubt you would... but you won't do that. Humans are fragile. Any pain you cause him could make him lose that babe. Keeping him too weak to function could make him lose it. You can't hurt him without putting the babe you want so badly at risk. Demon child or not. It's in a fragile state. You kill it and where's your bargain then?" Khaos let out a long hiss of irritation, her tail flicking wildly behind her. Straightening up to his full height, Dark boldly sneered at her. "You can't take him from me without stressing him out. Even if you sedate him and try to bring the babe to full term... that babe will be stressed out from its lack of understanding Sean's condition. Or mine. Can you risk that?" Khaos flicked her forked tongue over her lips, before calmly whispering closer to Dark's lips. "What a clever boy you are. Trying to beat me at my own game." Huffing through her nose, she turned away from Dark, taking a few casual steps away before turning on her heels to face him as she stated aloud. "Fine. I can't risk the babe anymore, than you are willing to do. Which puts us at a stalemate until it is born. However... that doesn't change that I want it and I will get it."

Sighing heavily, Dark told her sternly. "You know I won't let you have it." Shrugging, Khaos huffed out serenely. "By then, you'll have to chose between Sean and the babe. Cause once that babe is out of him... HE'S MINE TO TORMENT." Dark's fingers dug into his own biceps as he shrugged back emotionlessly. "Then you shouldn't have a problem with me binding myself to Sean. After all... the stronger my bound is with him... The stronger that babe will become, right?" Khaos strolled up to Darkiplier, placing a sharp nailed finger under his chin when she sneered over his lips. "You sure do drive a hard bargain, Darkiplier. Very well. A battle of wills it shall be. Marry him, Dark. It will be that much more satisfying when I rip him apart in front of you and take your babe by force." Her long heels tapped the wooden floor as she made her way over to the long mirror, telling Sean in passing with a wicked grin. "Take care, Sean. If anything happens to the babe... I'll be sure to take you away... and try again. MY WAY!" Giving Darkiplier a wink, she stepped through the mirror and vanished as the mirror changed to reflect the room. Turning his brokenhearted expression on Dark, he asked him anxiously. "What did you just do?"

Unfolding his arms, Dark grinned warmly back at him as he shrugged out so beautifully innocent. "I got her to agree to let us marry." A tiny spark in his heart tried to make Sean happy, but he couldn't help getting to his feet and whimpering out. "At the cost of our child?" Rolling his eyes, Dark shook his head before smiling as he said in a low voice. "She can't do anything until it is born. She can't hurt you until it's born... Sean, it's over." Stepping closer, Sean shook his head as he retorted uneasily. "No. It's not. When the baby is born, she will come for it! She will-" Dark stepped closer to him, causing him to stop talking as tears welled up in his eyes. Taking ahold of Sean's wrists, Dark put his forehead to Sean's, telling him in a deep purring voice. "I stalled for time. Don't worry. I'll figure this out. I'll keep you both safe. I promise." Sean closed his eyes, letting the stress roll off his back like water. He didn't doubt that Dark would. Dark's hands moved off his wrists and tugged up the front of his shirt a bit. Tucking his warm palms down into the front of his pants to touch his pelvis. Inhaling sharply, Sean stepped closer to Dark's chest and rested his head on his shoulder. Kissing his temple, Dark whispered to him. "Should we take that nap now before telling your family?" Sean nodded a bit eagerly. He was mentally and physically drained.

Crawling into bed with Dark was heaven. Dark's warmth embarrassed him. Relaxing every part of him. Wrapping his arms around his neck, Sean buried his face against his throat. Hooking his legs around Dark's to keep his body against his own, he felt tingles in his pelvis that made him realize the baby must be happy that Dark was so close too. Dark's hand stroked down his back and side, keeping him close in his own way. Yet, every time that Dark's hand stroked over his skin, Sean had to hold his breath. His skin felt so sensitive that every touch from Dark was giving him goosebumps. Falling asleep in his arms, Sean didn't dream. He just slept deeply. It was only when Dark let out a deep throaty chuckle that Sean awoke sometime later. Opening his eyes, he merely observed Dark. Dark was sitting laying against him with his hand propping up his head. His eyes were closed, but Sean could tell me was awake. Dark was smiling and he could feel his hand rubbing his pelvis affectionately from hipbone to hipbone. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Sean whispered quietly to him. "What's so funny?" Dark didn't open his eyes but answered in a serene deep voice. "It's talking about you. I'm listening."

Narrowing his eyes, Sean mumbled out against Dark's chest. "Me? Why?" Grinning, Dark whispered back. "You're all it knows. It worries about you." Staring up at Dark, Sean smiled to himself. He'd never seen Dark like this. He looked... so calm and amused. Content even. Smirking, Dark whispered without opening his eyes. "Are you happy because of what it said or because of what I'm doing?" Sean bit his lower lip, feeling guilty as Dark's eyes finally opened to meet his. It caught Sean off-guard to see Dark's irises in such soft shades of blue and red. Blushing, Sean whispered back. "You can talk to it?" Dark nodded subtly, answering in a soft whisper. "When I put my hand here, I can. It's faint. So, I really have to concentrate but... ya." Blushing into a darker shade of pink, Sean asked curiously. "Can you tell if it's a boy or girl?" Dark smirked at him, shaking his head as he said. "No. Its voice is... too small. Too distant. It doesn't want to tell me either. Says I can't know everything..." Dark's eyes narrowed on Sean playfully, causing Sean to clear his throat as he mumbled out. "No idea why it would say that..." Dark hummed knowingly, leaning in to kiss him passionately. Sean enjoyed the taste of him, then inhaled sharply as he felt Dark's fingers tease through his pubic hair.

Grabbing his hand, Sean whined out embarrassed. "Dark, don't... The baby..." Dark nipped at Sean's throat, purring to him in a deep affectionate tone of voice. "Relax. We won't hurt it." Sitting up, Sean gasped out. "No. I know that... but if we... won't it...?" Sean didn't know if he should say it out loud in case the baby was listening. Dark chuckled, placing kisses along his neck, when he told him confidently. "All it cares about. Is how I make you feel. And it told me... everything." Sean blinked, mumbling shyly. "Everything?" Dark flicked his tongue up Sean's ear, before whispering between kisses to his neck. "Everything. Every time your pulse quickened. Every time you held your breath. Every time you imagined my hands sliding over your skin or my lips against yours." Dark lifted his hand, his hand moving up from Sean's pelvis to tilt Sean's chin up. Bringing his lips over Sean's, Dark's voice turned into the smooth thick honey-tone one that made his core melt when he added. "Every time you said how much you loved me... without saying a word to me." Placing a tender kiss over his lips, Sean hummed for more, but Dark eased back to add breathlessly now. "I laughed... because even at my worst... you didn't fear me. You only wanted to love me more."

A single tear appeared from Dark's soft blue eye and Sean reached up to brush it away with his thumb. Dark closed his eyes, trying to take deep breaths and Sean rose up to kiss his warm cheek. He could see the lonely demon locked away in his castle breaking through Dark's decades of strong defenses. Wrapping his arms around his neck, Sean kissed his temple and whispered lovingly to him. "I don't deserve you at your best... If I can't handle you at your worst. And I can handle you because... you didn't hurt me." Dark wrapped his arms tightly around him and for a long time they stayed entangled in each other's arms. Sharing sweet kisses and soft words in voices only loud enough for them to hear. At least until Sean started to get hungry. His stomach growling loud enough to make Dark grin devilishly. Rolling his eyes, Sean reluctantly sat up, telling Dark nervously. "I'm getting that weird craving again..." Stretching across the bed, Dark inhaled as he asked. "Craving for what?" Peeking over his shoulder, Sean answered uneasily. "For raw meat. I'm talking... bloody. Is that... normal?" Sitting up, Dark answered a little guiltily. "Ya. I've seen Verine's pregnant boys eating that way too. It's a... a demon thing."

Pouting, Sean mumbled anxiously. "Dark, I can't eat like that. I'll... I'll get sick." Reaching over to rub his belly, Dark kissed his shoulder and whispered to him confidently. "You'll be ok. You just have to chew it. The baby is the one digesting it. From what I've seen Verine's boys do... Eat everything for the baby first. Not a lot. Just a few bites. Then chase it with stuff you enjoy. By then the baby will be full and it won't toss up what you eat." Sean groaned, but got up, telling him grimly. "Time to go talk to the family. Are you ready?" Getting to his feet, Dark chuckled aloud. "Ready as I'll ever be. Lead the way."  To Be Continued...