Anubis said nothing but watched them leave. Taking a deep breath, he rushed over to Star’s side and laid down, pulling his lover into his arms. “I’m so proud of you, baby. Now wake up so I can see your beautiful smile.”
* * *
When Star opened his eyes,he was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, but he wasn't afraid. He could feel a calming presence beside him. Turning his head, Star saw Anubis sleeping next to him. Star wasn't sure how long he’d been asleep, but from the amount of scruff on his lover's face, he gathered it was a couple of days. Reaching up, Star caressed Anubis's cheek. He was careful not to wake him, but it seemed Anubis was on high alert and snapped his eyes open.
They stared at each other, and Star saw tears welling up in Anubis's eyes. Star moved closer to his lover, burying his face in his chest. Anubis wrapped Star into his embrace, and they stayed like that for gods knew how long. Neither needed to speak but knew words had to be said, but neither were they in a rush. Anubis held him tight and kissed him on the top of his head, giving him the comfort he needed.
“I love you, Star,” Anubis said. “I love you so much.”
Star raised his head and looked at Anubis. “They don't get to call you Daddy,” he said. “I'm the only one that can.”
Anubis smiled. “They're not even born yet, and you're already jealous.” He cupped Star's upturned cheek. “I will always be your daddy.”
“And I will be your baby boy.” Star pecked him on his lips, then pressed their foreheads together. “Are you happy?”
“Extremely,” Anubis said.
“I love you, too, Anubis. The last time I said that to someone, they took it for granted. But I know you won't. I'm so sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“The spirit made me realize I was holding myself back and hadn't fully accepted our mating. I must have hurt you all this time. I didn't know.”
“It's okay, Star. I knew. Eventually, you would have figured things out. We have a lifetime together, not seconds.” He kissed Star on his forehead. “I'm proud of you, baby. I know it must have been hard to fight with a version of yourself, but you conquered it.”
“It's truly gone, isn't it?”
“Yeah, and it will never hurt you again. No one will ever touch you as long as I am around.”
“Good.”
Star burrowed deep into Anubis's chest, closing his eyes and falling asleep, trusting in his words of love and protection.
* * *
In the depthsof the underworld, where most gods were afraid to enter, the sound of screaming, moaning, and groaning could be heard. However, the sounds were not of pleasure but of torture given to society's worst offenders. No one knew what happened there except for the jailers and the warden. It had been said that once a soul entered the depths of Hell, there was no escape or trying to return to the world of the living. Its souls would forever be tortured. As it so happened, a new soul had just been judged and given the harshest punishment known to man. While it resided in Hell, the soul must watch one of its victims live their life to the fullest.
Epilogue
Star stared at the pregnancy test, about to lose all of his minds or, better yet, kill a certain god who had a charming tongue and a killer cock that Star couldn’t resist. He was pregnant. Again. Star's career had taken off in the three years since his possession and his name was cleared of murder. Star was unsure of the details himself, but according to Anubis, Uriel DeVine convinced the police commissioner to drop the case against him. Star was certain he would have gone to prison again since it was hard to prove demonic possession. There’s no plea bargain for that, even in a magical society.
Star wouldn’t say that everything in his life went smoothly after that, but he adjusted pretty well with little to complain about. He was living out his dream, starring in movies and television shows, recording a couple of albums, and even had a mini tour. His career hadn’t suffered even during his pregnancy. Because at the time Star still was not ready to announce their relationship, Anubis had his mother Isis commission a charm that Star had to wear constantly that would hide his pregnancy from the eyes of the public. The only thing that was hard to hide was his freckles which made themselves known after his second trimester. He only wished they had stayed after the twins were born. On top of all that, his drama school was flourishing, with applicants applying daily. Things were going so well that they had a waiting list.
Star’s career wasn’t the only thing that got a big bump six months ago. Anubis won his third Pegasus Award, and the new movie he just finished directing was sure to win another one next award season. After the kids were born, Star grew less concerned about hiding their relationship. They had planned on announcing it to the public, however, they held back since their collective fans seemed to guess they were mated due to their sizzling on-screen chemistry. It started with theOne-Night Standseries, which was a hit, with more seasons in the works, and anytime Star or Anubis acted in romantic comedies, they were always paired together, dubbing them the couple names AnuStar or StarBis, which tickled Star every time he saw or heard it.
Star hadn’t won any awards yet, and it didn’t bother him. His life was filled with more rewards than he could have ever wanted. He had friends and extended family who counted on him for support, rather than his body, and a man who valued his opinion and loved him and the children he adored, even though they were mischievous.
Although he had found out he was pregnant the first time during the exorcism, it was actually still a shock to see the proof with a pregnancy test and then months later with a sonogram. Star wasn’t sure how to explain his first pregnancy experience. It wasn’t good, nor was it bad. He had a pregnancy buddy in Vivienne who helped him a lot during his difficult days and took some of the spotlight off him. It was simply mind-blowing. There were some good moments, like feeling the babies kick and having Anubis cater to his every need. But there were other things he could have done without, like how his body went from being one shape to another in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the sleepless nights that carried over to after the babies were born, and the pain that felt worse than death during his delivery. He had made Anubis promise to wear condoms from then on because he didn’t want to experience that pain again.
“Promise, Anubis Ahket,” he yelled, grabbing his lover’s shirt collar. Sweat soaked Star’s hair and body, and he was in so much pain, it was as if the meds he was given weren’t working.
“Uh…”
“Don’t fucking stutter. Say it, from now on,” Star growled.
Anubis smiled and cupped his head, pressing their foreheads together as he rubbed a hand over his stomach, instantly calming him. “I love you, Star.”
Star moaned and seemed to have forgotten why he was angry and felt as if he had somehow been manipulated, but at the moment, he didn’t care. He had other things to deal with.
