21. Epilogue

Epilogue

One Year Later

X "That's not how you do it!"

"Yes, it is! X showed me and I know, Clark. Like this."

Leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, I wipe sleep from my eyes as I watch my closest friend and my boyfriend argue in the kitchen. Clark looks as fresh as a daisy while Dave is…flustered.

"What exactly are you two arguing about so loudly?"

Clark beams a smile and walks over to me after sending a glare towards Dave.

"Hey, babe, you're supposed to be sleeping in today." He kisses my forehead and pulls me into his arms.

"I would have been if you two weren't out here making more noise than a pair of elephants."

"If Clark wouldn't have barged in, it would've been fine. I have it under control."

Dave most certainly doesn't. Whatever it is.

I push away from Clark and stand next to Dave. The mess across the counter and stove is quite fantastic on the scale of disasters.

"What are you trying to make?"

Running my finger through the puddle of red goo, I sniff first, then taste.

"Raspberry?"

"A crumble," Clark says from behind me. "Your favourite."

"So, what are you two arguing about?"

"I said you like whole berries on top and Dave said no, you like them all inside."

The two of them stare back at me with matching expressions. Hoping I choose them and prove them right. Not that they fight over me, but Dave is…well, Dave. He protects what he loves, and I fall into that group. If I agree with Clark, he'll be crushed. But my boyfriend will be equally hurt if I say he's wrong.

So what's a witch to do but lie?

"You're both right. Put all the berries inside, but I like whole ones at the top. One last layer before the final crumble."

Dave and Charles each lift an eyebrow at me, calling my bluff.

"May I remind you both that you woke me up for this? On my birthday, no less."

Clark sighs and relents.

"Go ahead, Dave. Sorry I interrupted. I just want his day to be perfect."

"I'm sorry we made so much noise, X. And I guess you know your birthday dessert now."

"I can't wait to try it."

Dave returns to the mess, and Clark takes my hand to lead me back to our suite. Once the door is closed behind us, he pulls me back to our bed and holds the duvet up for me.

"Get in. It's too early to be up on your birthday."

"Are you joining me? It's kind of cold out and I sleep better with you here."

He slides under the covers on his side, and I settle next to him. Clark makes the cuddliest of bed partners and I always sleep better when he's there. After too many years of fitful or no sleep, actually lying in bed sleeping with Clark is something I'll never tire of.

"Happy birthday, X. Are you excited?"

"I thought you wanted me to go back to sleep?"

He laughs softly and squeezes me closer. "Sorry," he whispers.

Several moments pass and Clark still hasn't relaxed, so I push up off his chest to look at him.

"Spill it."

"What?"

"You're so keyed up you're almost vibrating. What is it?"

A smile fills his handsome face, and he kisses me fast.

"Can I give you your birthday present now?" He doesn't wait for me to reply. Instead, he wiggles away from me and runs to the closet.

Sleep is no longer an option with Clark this excited, and I sit up against the headboard. He turns from the closet with a giant pink gift bag and a small, wrapped box.

"I love the wrapping."

Clark bounces on the bed and hands me the pink bag first.

"You love pink. Don't pretend you don't."

With a smile, I remove the layer of tissue paper and peek inside.

"Ohmygod. Thank you for giving me this privately."

Since meeting Clark and finally discovering sex, I learned I still like toys. Especially when Clark uses them on me. My collection was small when he first moved in, but it's grown exponentially since.

In the bag is one I've had my eye on. It's a locking leather plug harness. Similar to a cock cage but this locks, so I can't remove the plug unless there's a key. And what a plug it is. Bigger than anything I've tried yet.

"You wanted that one, right? No rush. If you're not ready—"

"Oh, no. I'm ready." Swallowing, I stretch over to kiss him. "I love that it has a key," I whisper.

"Me too."

Our kisses turn into a make-out session as he stretches over my body, and I lose myself to him like I do every single time. It's not just sex with Clark. He's everything. Since finding him, I know I can't fathom a day without him in my life.

"I have a more serious gift, though." He trails his lips down my neck before he sits up. Lips puffy from kissing, his throat bobs as he reaches over to hand me the smaller box. "I had this made for you."

Peeling away the shiny black paper, I find a matte black box. When I remove the lid, my breath rushes out in a giant whoosh.

"Clark…is this…are you?"

"It's not an engagement ring. Unless you want it to be?"

Taking the ring from the box, I examine the intricate etching of a familiar flower along the band and bite my lip.

"It's belladonna, and this is gorgeous, Clark."

"Look inside, babe."

My eyes fill with tears and Clark removes the ring from my shaking hand. He tilts it to show me the inner engraving that reads, My Bella. Forever yours, Clark .

"I thought when I had my shop that Beautiful Belladonna was all I would need to be happy." He wipes a tear off my cheek. "Then you appeared and turned it upside down, and I knew there was more I needed. From the moment you took over my magic meeting, you invaded every thought and imprinted on my soul. You're my match in every way. My beautiful, dirty witch. My bella. You mean so much to me, X."

He takes my hand and slides the ring onto my right ring finger.

"I know you don't exist in the world for us to be married legally. If I could, I'd marry you."

Sniffling, I wipe at my eyes. "I'd say yes."

"Thank god. That could have been awkward."

Laughing softly, I press a kiss to his lips. "I love you. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure to make you smile. And to love you, bella. Now let's go eat raspberry crumble for breakfast."

Clark

"You can't build a hotel without the houses first, Dave. That's not how the game works."

"But I have the money to buy it!"

He waves the coloured money in the air and X chuckles.

"Dave, it's a progressive development. You need to ease the area into buildings with houses first. Then expand to hotels after." X pats his arm and lowers it while Charles grins across the table.

"Buy more properties first, love. Keep the money for that."

"This game is stupid," Dave huffs.

If you asked me a year ago how I spent my Saturday nights, my answer wouldn't have included playing Monopoly with a demon, a witch, and an ex-priest.

"I'm already bankrupt, so I'm gonna turn on the hockey game." Pushing away from the table, I kiss X on the head as I walk over to the fridge for a beer.

"I'll get popcorn and join you in a bit, babe. I have a feeling I'm landing on one of Charles's hotels next turn and I can't afford it."

Charles rubs his hands together. "That's right. High roller over here."

Dave glares. "It's a board game, Chuck."

"And you're the worst at gloating when you win!"

"That's true," I offer helpfully as I walk into the living room.

There's more friendly fighting among the three of them and X shows up a few minutes later. He settles next to me on the oversized chair and places a kiss on my cheek.

"You didn't bring popcorn."

"Please, Clark." He snaps his fingers, and a bowl appears on the table next to me while he shakes his head. "It's like you don't even know me sometimes."

"I love it when you use your magic for food, baby." I smack a kiss on his cheek and settle back as we watch the game. Charles and Dave join us shortly after, and for the rest of the evening, we swap stories and I teach them about hockey.

X keeps magically refilling popcorn, which is seriously the best thing ever. We make plans to go to a hockey game together next week. Charles gets on his phone and purchases tickets with more excitement than I expected.

"I got good seats. We can ogle these guys up close."

"Is that what you think?" Dave plucks the phone from Charles's hand and shoves it into his shirt pocket.

"Are you going to be all caveman now because you're jealous? "

I've lived here long enough to know the game they play, and I turn to X.

"Let's just go to bed. We know where this is going."

He nods in agreement, and Charles tips his head as we walk by, acknowledging our departure, but egging Dave on. It's their thing and I'm not one to judge. My boyfriend likes to watch me jerk off for strangers over the internet. I'm hardly one to cast stones.

We go through our nightly routines and X slides under the covers and wraps himself around me. He rests the hand wearing my ring on top of my chest. I bring it to my lips and kiss his hand before lacing our fingers together.

"Goodnight, bella."

He kisses my chest in return with a whispered I love you and his breaths quickly even out as he falls asleep.

But I stay awake a little longer, because no dream is better than this reality.

Want to read Dave and Charles' story? You can find it in My Saintly Demon .

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