[C] The Camera

Darragh was strong for a little boy but Aeker was stronger and restrained him well enough until Aodh pulled himself together.

When his Mate gave the all clear he finally let the crying Darragh out of his arms.

He felt guilty for waking Aodh but there was really nothing he could do.

"I'd make you a coffee, but..."

He nodded toward the door with a soft smile, knowing he couldn't step foot outside of it until the sun went down.

"You know how to make a pain of yourself," he murmured when Darragh curled against his chest.

Aodh gave his Mate a smile, beckoning him closer. "You c'mere, too."

His lips captured Aeker's.

"You're a saint for dealing with him when he gets like this. I love you." Darragh wasn't even Aeker's child and he dealt with him so well. As patiently as he could manage, which was incredible.

Aodh wouldn't have been so patient with the boy.

"Now, what do you want to do, shit-bag?" he asked, bouncing Darragh.

The boy, worn out from fighting against Aeker gave a little yawn as he nuzzled closer to his father.

Aeker shuffled closer as he was beckoned, a soft smile gracing his lips as he swept the hair from his face.

He kissed his Mate back eagerly, happy to see him in such high spirits after being woken so abruptly.

"I love you too."

He murmured, leaning his head against Aodh's shoulder as he nuzzled his face in against the man's neck.

"He will grow out of waking up at such strange hours, I'm more than happy to run on a little less sleep than usual until then."

It could take years but he didn't mind.

The Vampire gave a soft chuckle as the boy yawned, reaching over he stroked the boy's hair softly.

"How about that movie and a cuddle, Darragh?"

"I'll repeat it, you're a saint."

How Aeker dealt with both him and Darragh on the best of days, AOdh would never know. But he'd always be eternally grateful that he did deal with the two of them.

The little boy nodded, writhing as he reached for Aeker.

"Mommy gives best nighty cuddles."

He wanted to curl up against Aeker as they watch the movie.

"Can we watch Quazi, Athair?"

Aodh's lips quirked upwards. Even after being woken up so brutally, he couldn't help but admire how adorable it was for Darragh to reach out for Aeker. It warmed his heart.

"Sure, kidder. Let me go put it in."

Aeker moved his two pillows and propped them up behind him before laying back against them.

He picked up the boy and scooped him up into his lap, grabbing the blanket and pulling it up so it covered up to the boy's chest.

His arms wrapped around Darragh as he held him close and waited for the movie.

"No you give the best nighty cuddles."

Aeker muttered softly as he looked down at the boy, his eyes warming as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"Nu-uh. Mommy gives best cuddles," Darragh denied.

He loved Aeker cuddling him as he drifted off to sleep. The Vampire was tall and his hold was gentle, but it wrapped completely around him and made him feel safe.

Darragh nuzzled against Aeker's chest, pulling the blankets up around his neck so he was nice and warm.

"Athair, Athair! Song one," he called out.

The Lycan nodded, flicking onto the sing along version of the movie and pressing play before crawling onto the bed next to his lover.

The love he had for Darragh was evident to anyone who looked in the man's eyes when he had them on the boy.

It was a mother's love and it had come to him so easily, as if the boy had been apart of his life for centuries.

His hands gently rubbed the boy's stomach as Darragh nuzzled in against him.

As Aodh climbed back into bed he rested his head on the Lycan's shoulder with a soft yawn, being woken up during the day wasn't easy.

"Best cuddler," Darragh insisted.

Aeker was the best cuddled around.

"Even better than me, kidder?" Aodh asked as his fingers weaved through Aeker's hair.

"Uh-huh. Mommys the best."

Both Irishmen stuck their tongues out at each other.

Aeker chuckled as the two of them had their little argument.

"Well I suppose if my cuddles are the best I'll just have to give them to you all the time."

He replied, cuddling the boy closer and nuzzling against him.

A gentle purr sounded from the Vampire as Aodh's fingers weaved through his hair, he had grown to love the feeling of the Lycan playing with his hair constantly.

"Not all the time." Darragh pouted a little. "Auntie Ayla says that too much of a good thing is bad. Just special times so they're still special."

Aodh's soft smile faded a little.

That phrase had been bugging him recently. Auntie Ayla says.

At first he was pleased to hear it, proud that his descendant had raised his son so well in his place. But now that he had the boy again, it just served to remind him of the time that he'd not been around.

Ayla had taught the boy everything.

The Lycan leant against his Vampire, eye's sliding shut as the music began playing.

Aeker nestled in against Aodh, unaware of the man's wavering emotions, he was too focused on what the boy was saying.

"I suppose you're right, we wouldn't wanted you to get sick of my cuddles would we?"

The Vampire's smile widened a little.

"Darragh, you silly pup, we almost forgot."

Reaching over he grabbed the boy's camera and turned it back on.

"Did you want a photo of all of us together?"

Aodh sighed softly, leaning over to press a kiss to Darragh's temple.

"Nu-uh! I dont want to ever get sick of them." He cuddled closer to Aeker as if to prove that he wouldn't ever get sick of cuddling the Vampire.

"Yup. Big smiles," he ordered as he smiled at the camera, tugging on both Aeker and Aodh's hair.

Aodh gave an amused little huff as he cuddled closer to the two, smiling brightly for the camera.

Once again Aeker held the camera out at an arms length and pressed the button as they all cuddled together and smiled.

He brought the camera back and lowered it so that Darragh could do quality control.

"What a handsome looking family we have."

The Vampire muttered with a amused little hum before leaning over and kissing both of his boys softly.

Aodh accepted the kiss happily, a soft purr sounding in his chest.

"I don't know. If we just-" Aodh lifted his hand, pressing it to the screen so it covered Aeker and Darragh's faces. "There we go, now its handsome. No more ugly mugs on it."

He laughed as he dropped his hand.

"We'll have to get it framed or printed on a canvas. It can go up on the wall with my sketches."

Aeker laugh and gave the man a soft jab in the ribs.

"A mounted canvas would be nice, it would last longer without fading as well."

He wanted to get a nice collection of photos as Darragh grew up, he would have to ask if he could get copies of the boy's baby pictures and make up an album.

"I like the idea of having photos around the room."

He would love to see some artistic shots done by Aodh, Aeker really was a sentimental fool.

"God knows we need it to last longer than your average canvas."

They were going to outlive a lot, Aodh and Aeker, they needed things that would last more than just a few short years.

"Photo's would be nice. I need to do some proper pieces of you two. Without the two of you moving and messing it up."

Darragh shushed the two, giving them an angry pout.

"Movie."

"We will have to back up all of our photos so that they can be reprinted when ever we need to replace them."

That was a real issue, living as long as they did they would outlast any images they created, after all, they were only made to last a human life time.

"I told you not to draw me in my sleep."

He replied with a chuckle before he was shushed by Darragh at which point he stifled a laugh and became quiet so that they could watch the movie.

Aodh stuck out his tongue and poked the Vampire in the ribs.

He would draw Aeker sleeping as much as he damn well pleased. The Vampire looked beautiful in his sleep and he wanted to capture that on paper.

Someday he'd be successful, too.

Aodh settled down when the two were scolded by their son.

"Who is the monster and who is the man?
Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells, bells, bells, bells
Bells of Notre Dame," Aodh sang in his son's ear.

As per usual Aeker was slightly out of touch, he hadn't watched this movie before and as such didn't know the words, he knew this would be remedied fairly quickly.

Some of Darragh's favourite films had been drilled into his mind and he had learned them off by heart simply by having to sit through them repeatedly.

Though he was fond of a few of them, the cartoon style was fun and some of the songs were fairly catchy.

Darragh would teach Aeker all there was to kids movies.

The boy watched enough of them.

The two Irishmen settled into watching the movie contentedly. Movie time was always great.

About half way through the movie, Aodh leaned over.

"Would you fuck Esmerelda or Phoebus give the chance?" he asked his lover curiously.

Even with the two boys singing loudly by the time they reached the half way mark of the movie Aeker was curled in against the Lycan, about ready to fall back asleep.

"Aodh they are cartoon characters."

He muttered, looking up at the man warily as he shook his head softly before nestling back down.

"Besides, I've never really been into females."

The man was quite handsome though, for a cartoon.

Aodh shrugged. "And?" So what if they were cartoons? it was an honest question and he was rather curious.

The Lycan smirked. "Phoebus, it is. Good choice. I'd fuck him, too."

Darragh shushed the two again, glaring at them for a moment before returning to the movie.

His parents were so loud! How did they ever get movies watched?

Aeker nuzzled in against his mate, resting his head against the man's shoulder as he gave a soft yawn, his eyes growing heavier as he watched the movie.

"I'm so tired."

He whispered softly so he wouldn't upset Darragh's viewing experience.

He could feel the sun outside of their bedroom windows and just beyond to door, it really did sap him of his energy and leave him weary.

"Then sleep. I'll stay awake with Darragh. He won't be up for much longer."

The boy, despite his constant shushing of the two of them, was dropping off himself. It wouldn't be long before he, too, was snoozing.

Then the three of them could sleep. Peacefully.

Without bloody cameras waking them up.

"I love you."

He muttered softly, leaning up and pressing a kiss to the man's lips.

Aeker knew that Aodh must be tired too but the man was letting him get a few extra minutes of sleep.

His scarlet eyes slid shut as he cuddled up against Aodh, with Darragh sitting happily in his lap.

It didn't take long given the time of day and the Vampire was breathing slightly heavier, a clear sign that he was asleep.