7 years later...

Mila fisted the silky sheets beneath her and threw her head back with a loud moan. Marcus tightened his hold on her thighs, diving his tongue in and out of her over and over, her increasingly desperate cries driving him on. Her sounds activated a craving in him. He craved the part of her that was desperate for him, that drew him closer even when they were at their closest, the part of her that depended on him, the part of her that she gave over to him fully with no barrier, no holding back, nothing but pure trust and love.

Neither of them cared for flowery words or overly affectionate vocal declarations of love, which was why Mila dubbed their moments of passion 'lust'. Trust and love, together in one.

"Marcus," Mila whimpered, her toes curling as the orgasm teetered on the edge, withdrawing when Marcus's movements slowed.

"You're not cumming unless I'm inside you, mea deliciae," Marcus said, biting her inner thigh and making Mila yelp. The pet name still got to her, even as a person that wasn't a fan of pet names. He finally told her shortly after they were reunited that it meant 'my darling'. She'd loved it since.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Mila sighed, bracing on her elbows and glaring down at the demon between her legs. "A written invitation?"

"I'm waiting for a please."

"Oh go to hell," Mila sighed.

"Can't," Marcus shrugged, dropping his head between her legs once more. "I'm in heaven right," he said, dragging his tongue along her pussy, "here."

Mila bit back the smile and slid her hands down, tangling them in his hair as he started sucking on her clit. Mila whimpered, tugging lightly on his hair. "We have to go soon. I'm not missing Stella's first day of high school."

"You know what I want," Marcus said, glancing up at her, his eyes flashing red and making her heart race. "If we're late, it's because of you."

"Please," Mila scoffed.

"Hmm," Marcus hummed, moving up and pinning Mila's wrists above her head as he stared down at her. "Not quite the way I was hoping for, but I'll take it." He shoved inside of her and Mila cried out, digging her fingers into her palms. "You can give me a lot more please's later."

"In your dream-ah," Mila gasped as Marcus slammed into her harder.

"How'd you know I dreamt about this?" Marcus asked, holding her wrists with one hand, the other moving down and hooking under her knee, spreading her more open for him to sink in deeper.

"Oh shut up," Mila panted, rolling her hips up to meet his.

They moved together, Marcus sinking into her as she raised up to meet him. Every movement drew them closer to the edge and Marcus's grip loosened on her wrists, instead sliding up and lacing his fingers with hers as he moved. He brushed his lips against her jaw, her neck, her collarbone, then back up to her lips. The feel and taste of her skin never got old and it never would. There was some part of her that called to him, like he'd been through all the bad parts so he could arrive in this time and place with her.

She gave him humanity, he gave her a place to be seen, and both considered maybe the reason their lives before were so difficult was because they would get to spend the rest of eternity in bliss, wrapped up in each other, understanding each other, and filling in the spaces they thought were voids. It turned out they weren't voids, they were just missing the right pieces. Right pieces which they each held for the other, completing and uniting them so it didn't matter what their past was. If they were crazy or evil, if they were broken or irredeemable, if they were unwanted or unloved, it was all in a past version of themselves that wouldn't exist again. Where Mila felt crazy, Marcus gave her sanity, where Marcus felt evil, Mila gave him empathy; where Mila felt broken, Marcus sealed up the pieces, and where Marcus felt irredeemable, Mila made him feel like something good; where they both felt unwanted and unloved... Those parts were forever gone, because as long as they were together, they would always be both wanted and loved.

Marcus brought his lips down on Mila's just as they reached their peak. Mila panted and moaned against his mouth but still moved with desperation to kiss him back. Somehow, all the kisses she got from him weren't enough. She always wanted more and Marcus was always willing to give it to her, because he couldn't get enough either.

Mila cried out as she came, arching her body towards his. Marcus groaned and sunk deep inside of her. With several quick and short thrusts, he emptied inside her. Panting, Marcus pressed his forehead to hers and she looked up at him with the dark eyes he adored so much.

"I love you," Marcus murmured against her lips, his skin slick against hers with sweat from their heated movement.

"I love you," Mila answered, slipping her hands out of his hold and wrapping them around his neck.

She hugged and he returned it, sinking more against her as he slipped his hand under her back to pull her closer.

"As much as I would love to lay her naked with you..." Mila began and Marcus nodded.

He lifted off her and left her with one last long, deep kiss. She sighed against his lips as he pulled away and was awarded with one of Marcus's rare smiles.

Unfortunately, it didn't last. A frown quickly took its place as they hurriedly got dressed.

"I'm going to have to stalk all the kids at this school," Marcus informed her.

"No you're not," Mila said, rolling her eyes. "Let her have her independence."

"There better not be any fucking bullies," Marcus muttered, grabbing Mila's hand once she was dressed.

The air didn't escape her as harshly as it used to as they traveled to the mortal realm. It used to leave her breathless, sometimes a bit queasy, but now she was more used to it. They arrived in front of Terry's house and kept their hands together as they ascended the steps.

At some point, she would have to tell them the truth of what she and Marcus were because neither were aging. It was already drawing questions from Terry who asked how Mila couldn't look like she was thirty but still in her early twenties. Mila brushed it off with a comment about vitamins and a good skincare routine, but she couldn't do that forever. She'd have to tell them someday, but that day was not on Stella's first day of high school.

Mila and Marcus walked into the house to find Stella had changed clothes about eighteen times and was fussing over what to wear. Mila spent five minutes with her and they came up with an outfit satisfying enough for Stella. By the time she came bouncing down the steps, backpack on and curls falling around her shoulders, Marcus was convinced he would indeed have to evaluate the boys at her school. She was much too interested in finding a boyfriend and Marcus could already tell none of them would be good enough.

Mila told him he needed to get over it. He wasn't sure that was possible as he stared at the new teenager standing across from him with a wide smile and excited eyes. She was too good for every human on the planet.

Stella ran up to Marcus and hugged him. It always got a smile out of him Mila adored as she watched Marcus return the hug.

"Are we ready?" Terry asked, patting his pockets until he found his keys.

"As we'll ever be," Stella pouted, leaning against Marcus. "I still think you should've let me dye my hair pink."

"It's not me, Stell, it's the school," Terry sighed, shaking his head as he made his way to the door. "Let's go. Don't wanna be late the first day."

All four of them piled in the car and Terry drove them to Stella's school. It was a private school, one that would've cost a lot if Stella hadn't received a scholarship. Once she recovered, she was eager to jump back into being a kid but also eager for school. She wanted to learn, earn good grades, and eventually go into children's cancer research. She'd done a lot of leaning online on her own already and often surprised Mila and Terry with her vast knowledge. Her teachers could hardly keep up with her and the grades spoke for themselves. Her application to the school was met well with a scholarship that would carry her through graduation.

They arrived at the school and it didn't take long after the car was parked for all of them to be outside, hugging Stella.

"Okay, this is a little embarrassing," Stella admitted. She couldn't say for sure, but she was almost positive no one else had three adults hugging them all at once. Then again, she also was probably the only one who showed up to parent night with three adults, none of whom were actually her parents but all of which said yes when asked if they were.

"Get over it," Marcus said, poking her in the side and making her giggle.

"All right, I have to go now," Stella said, gently pushing everyone and slowly backing away, holding her hands up to make sure they all stayed where they were. "Alone."

Terry and Mila smiled sheepishly. They didn't mean to be overbearing, but her incredibly close brush with death and then miraculous recovery still haunted them. Marcus, however, needed Mila's reminding before he backed off.

"I could go in with you," he offered. "Help you find your locker."

"We already found my locker," Stella said, setting her hands on her hips.

"Help you open your locker," Marcus corrected.

"By that you mean, take your time walking down the hall to glare at every boy so no one talks to me," Stella accused.

"Which he won't do because I'll kick his ass," Mila said, wrapping her arms around Marcus's waist and pulling him back. "Let her go," she added quietly. "She's can handle herself. She needs to live her life without interfering."

Marcus let out a long breath. His tendency to be overprotective hadn't gone away but had become more reasonable with Mila reminding him to breathe. "Have a good day."

"I will," Stella grinned, blowing them each a kiss before running up to the high school building.

"God, she's going drive her teachers crazy," Terry sighed. She drove her middle school teachers crazy because she knew everything before they taught it thanks to her constant studying.

"She's going to drive the students crazy too," Mila said, watching as her little sister reached the tops of the fancy school and glanced back. She smiled and gave one last final wave to her guardians before walking inside, out of sight. Mila sucked in a breath, fighting back the tears. Seven years ago, she was worried she would never see Stella graduate high school, but now she was healthy as ever, going after her dreams with a passion Mila was thankful she got to witness.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Marcus said, wrapping his arms around Mila from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her ear as he whispered. "What's wrong with a little crazy?"

Mila sunk back against him and turned her head towards his, her lips brushing against his. "Nothing, as long as you find someone to match your crazy."