I feel like you should know it's coming? But if not, warnings for brief-ish boy sexing.

-YD-

Parking on the shaded side of the building helped, but Vlad still had to rush in with baby Ana. She had been relatively calm for the trip, drinking her bottles but somehow waiting until they got to the new home to need a nappy change.

"Welcome to your new home little one."

"This place is huge!"

Lukas and Wolfie came in holding a couple of bags and boxes, and Vlad heard Renfield slamming around as he brought the bulk in at the rear. Wolfie stared, awestruck, then jumped before running back out. Lukas eyed his path, but smiled and gave Vlad a thumbs up to say all was good. Wolfie came back quickly, wheeling Zoltan in.

"Look Zoltan, we have lots of space here!"

Ana grizzled, getting hungry again already - Vlad felt like half his life was now spent bottle in hand. Still, he delighted in watching her grow, and she was definitely bigger and felt a little sturdier already since she first arrived.

"Ok little one, lets find you the kitchen. Wolfie, can you bring her baby bag?"

"On it!"

He would have asked Lukas, but he was already on his way out to help get the rest of their things in. Holding Ana tight, Vlad knew they had a long few days settling in to do, but it felt like a lead weight had lifted now they were starting over. This place was all about raising Ana, and Wolfie growing up alongside. There were no ghosts here.

"Can I help decorate my new room Vlad?"

"Sure. It might take a couple of weeks until we can get started, so you'll have to settle for it being a little bare at first."

"That's ok. Is this the kitchen? It has a sink!"

Peering into the room Wolfie pointed out, it was a utility room - he recognised the black washing machine and dryer set into the corners, and the boiler on the wall. Then he saw the secondary door, which luckily transpired to lead into the kitchen.

The previous owner had said it was ready to live in - they had had a good few weeks back and forth contact, and Vlad had said he was moving in with small children. Which meant the man had ensured things like plumbing and gas were ready to go. He undoubtedly thought Vlad was odd of course - baby faced, buying a castle, 'making' coffins and having young children with him - but the eccentricities hadn't kept him from honouring the sale.

"Can I help feed Ana?"

"Not right now, she's tired from the long trip. You can help by watching her in her bassinet while I make this though?"

That appeased his little brother, who held one of Ana's toys from the bag over her little face to distract her while Vlad made up her bottle. A nappy change and slow walk back to the main room later, Ana was out like a light for her nap. Vlad spent a minute just admiring her perfect little features, then realised he should get a move on so they could have places to sleep that night.

Wolfie's space was obviously a priority - Ana had her travel cot, and Vlad could stay awake longer than his halfling brother. Lukas helped him put the Blood Mirror away, and agreed to mail the letter with change of address to his uncle Harvey - Olga would need the mirror in a couple of years.

Then it was putting together a metal bed frame, in which Vlad discovered Lukas' concentrating face was far too cute. Wolfie thrilled in his new room, piling all his dog toys next to his new dog bed - he was getting too big for the old one - and declaring the rug Vlad got to make up for cold stone floors 'brilliant'. Wolfie liked to run around barefoot, regardless of the temperature but Vlad knew his little brother was still warm and would feel it.

"Why is there two new big beds?"

Wolfie pointed at the two as yet un-built beds, chewing on what Vlad thought may be a pigs ear and swaying side to side in his seat. Ana was still dozing in her bassinet, occasional huffs and sucking-noises emanating from her direction.

"So Lukas has somewhere to sleep. He's here so much I thought he deserved his own room."

He hadn't actually told Lukas that, but he seemed agreeable all the same and smiled in thanks. Wolfie thought it exciting for reasons that probably only made sense to a child. Exhausted by the long day, Wolfie went agreeably to bed after a meal composed almost entirely of junk food. Renfield was left in a large, mostly empty room to set up his alchemy supplies and make a nearby spot his sleep area - he had slept on the floor previously, so Vlad had opted simply to give him a sleeping bag as it was much easier to clean the mans stench off of.

"Cubs down for the night. Come on, let's get your room set up."

The rooms below ground level were all relatively similar, and Vlad picked the one with a serviceable looking bathroom next to it - it would make bathing Ana before bed infinitely easier. Levitating made transporting all his things down much easier, clothes dumped in their folded piles to be dealt with later - he just wanted somewhere to sleep right now.

"You, pretty lady, stay asleep for just ten minutes and everything will be fine."

It took Vlad a minute to realise Lukas was talking to Ana, who had been carefully transferred to her cot in the furthest corner to where they were putting Vlad's bed together in the hopes she wouldn't be woken by them. It was beautiful when completed, mostly because Vlad was exhausted and it was a thing designed to be slept in.

"I'm not trying to impose, but-"

"You can share if you like. And you don't mind that she's pretty much guaranteed to wake us up."

He was too tired to feel awkward, and too desperately lonely to turn down being held while he slept again. They moved Ana's cot closer to his bed, and Vlad took his fangbrush and pyjamas to the bathroom to quickly clean himself up a little and change into something more comfortable. He was glad not to see a reflection mostly, even if he undoubtedly looked shattered and messy to Lukas and his perfect self, as he shivered whenever he brushed the faint scars on his throat.

Ingrid's first bite.

Vlad tried to smooth his hair down before giving up, finding Lukas stood waiting for him to come back before leaving for the bathroom himself. Vlad stood looking into the cot for the entire time, utterly entranced by his beautiful baby daughter sleeping. He could see the mild hesitation in Lukas' movements when he laid on Vlad's bed stiffly, but Vlad was tired enough that he stretched out on the other side, facing the cot and waiting for Lukas to shift behind him.

"Candles?"

"Vampire."

He didn't even have to lift his hand, just snap his fingers and the room became pitch black. A warm, firm body behind him and a secure arm over his waist was still unusual, but soothed his aching loneliness and let him feel warm and comforted, even as he slept.

Ana couldn't resist waking two hours later for a change, but blissfully went back down after only twenty minutes without demanding a feed. Lukas didn't hesitate that time, pulling Vlad back into his hold as soon as he was in reach and still a reassuring presence behind him when he woke, even if Lukas was always awake before him, watching Vlad sleep in what was probably an unattractive manner.

"Pffffffff."

Ana had discovered she could blow raspberries, and it was her favourite way to drool all over herself in the morning. Vlad stumbled upright, checking to find a clean nappy and knowing she would be hungry again by now.

"You need to pick a room, so if Wolfie asks you can tell him that was where you slept. I don't want him getting the wrong idea."

"Sure. Coffee. Mmm."

He was even more attractive sleep-ruffled, hair only in slight disarray but his usually sharp facial features were softer first thing. Vlad felt a little cold when not being held, but Ana was more important.

"Morning beautiful. Man, she really is the sweetest little thing."

"I know. Go on ahead, I'm gonna change her out of this soggy pile of drool."

Lukas bounded off, undoubtedly excited at the prospect of his morning caffeine fix. Changing Ana into a fresh babygro, Vlad kissed her tiny face and held her close, whispering apologies to his daughter.

"You look so like your momma. I wish she could be here to see how perfect you are, and I'm sorry it's my fault she's not."

Ana reached a damp, drool-covered fist up to Vlad's face and tapped him gently with it. Obviously, she had no understanding of what he was saying, or what he meant yet. All she understood was he was the cold one who fed and changed her, and talked to her constantly.

Wolfie was awake too when Vlad got up to the new dining room, still sleepy and in his pyjamas but talking rapidly to Zoltan in between sips of water.

"What do we do today Vlad?"

"Vlad is going to stay here and finish unpacking. Me and you are going to go shopping for food cub, since Vlad can't go out in the daylight."

"You don't even know where we are."

Lukas winked, holding out a mug of coffee with one hand and clutching Ana's bottle in the other, turning it to test the temperature against his tanned elbow while Vlad took a grateful swallow of the bitter but smooth brew.

"Bit too warm, give it five minutes. And I know that, but I googled it on my phone."

"You did what?"

Lukas snorted, ruffling Wolfie's hair affectionately and letting his nephew climb up into his lap with a grin. He was easily three times the size he had been the first time he had done it, but Lukas didn't seem to mind.

"Google. It's... you've used the internet before, surely?"

"Yeah?"

"It's a search engine. You type in a question, and it basically searches the whole internet for matches. It also has maps, with little notes for things like shops, churches, gyms. So I happen to know there is a place a mile and a half away we can go get useful things. And there is also a twenty-four hour place three miles away that you'll be able to go yourself. Eat your toast then go get ready cub."

Finishing his drink and checking Ana's bottle was ready, Vlad could only raise a questioning eyebrow at Lukas as he held it to her mouth.

"I've gotta leave tomorrow, I thought combining practicality and the cub getting a day out to stretch his legs was a good mix."

"No, it's not that. I'm just... I don't know, amazed at how easy all this forethought comes to you."

He got a shrug, then a smile after Wolfie had dashed off to wash his face and dress for the day.

"I'll be back in a couple of weeks to help you with Stokely Castle, think you'll manage without me?"

"Hilarious. Seriously though, thank you."

"I'm getting a day out with my nephew. You're stuck inside, unpacking and changing dirty diapers. I think I got the good deal."

He even refused when Vlad tried to give him money for whatever he was buying, saying it wasn't necessary and that he wanted to 'contribute financially' to Wolfie's upbringing - and now Ana's too, as he was sort of her uncle too.

Vlad managed to juggle the final unpacking between Ana's naps, setting up the TV equipment in a smaller room off the main one, so the VHC meetings wouldn't require he hide it. Renfield brought up a few crates of blood for such occasions, set up in the dirtiest, dusty corner with one painful memory. When arranging bulky transport in advance, he even had his father's throne sent over to the new castle, because he couldn't bear to leave it behind.

Collapsing in a chair when done, the enormity of being practically all-moved-in draining him, Vlad jumped in surprise at the sound of a car door outside. He recognised the voices outside though, and understood when they had multiple bags in hand as they came through the door.

"Don't worry, we didn't go mad. A lot of this is clothes for the cub, because he grows so fast and I won't always be here to take him shopping for new stuff so we sort of... did it in advance. Take these to your room cub."

"Ok uncle Luke!"

Shaking his head, Vlad was just amazed at the sheer volume of it all. Wolfie was barely visible behind the armfuls of bags as he ambled off to his bedroom.

"What is it you actually do? I'm guessing you don't have a conventional job, since you can be here whenever you feel like it."

"Well, familywise, like you I come from money. I also do uh, modelling work for breather stuff. I'm naturally 'buff' and it's pretty easy to stand in silly poses for ridiculous money. And I get to keep the clothes. I mostly eat wild animals, and my home is pretty much just functional so I have low living costs really. Buying stuff for the cub doesn't make a dent, don't worry."

Vlad got the impression he wasn't winning the paying back argument anytime soon, so he went to help Lukas make the kitchen look more usable. He even bought baby stuff, which Vlad appreciated hugely. He spied a glass jar and a weird machine, holding it up to the wolf.

"I thought you hated British coffee?"

"Best of a bad bunch? Plus, they are coffee grounds, not granules. And that's what the coffeemaker is for. Instant is fine, but ground coffee made properly is much better. Consider this me making my own life easier so I don't have to remember to bring coffee. I'll teach you how to make it properly, don't worry."

He hadn't pegged Lukas for a gadget junkie, but apparently he was wrong - he had a mobile phone (or cell phone as he called it) and now he was putting electronics in Vlad's kitchen, when he didn't even live there. It didn't look too strange, especially next to all the baby equipment scattered around, but Vlad didn't dare touch the buttons in case it exploded.

"Hold still pretty lady, cub picked this out just for you."

Ana's little face scrunched up in confusion as her hat (Vlad worried she would get cold being held by her corpse-temperature father) was removed, her hair sticking up with the static before a new hat was placed over it. He could see why Wolfie had picked it - it was brightly coloured and had a cartoon-ish wolf emblem on the front.

"I did warn him she's likely to grow out of it in a month or two, but he loved it too much to care."

"Not sure what she thinks about it. I think right now she just wants to drool on my shirt."

"I also got you this. It's not a hi tech thing, but if you ever urgently need me here then you can call me."

Vlad, while wanting to own such a normal thing, hadn't seen the practical purpose of actually getting a mobile phone. However, now Lukas had not only given him a reason, but a phone too.

"Oh. Thanks. Doesn't it take you a while to get here though?"

"On two legs. If it was an emergency I would happily work out how to get here with paws."

Chuckling as he imagined a wolf trying to sneak through an airport, Vlad placed the box aside as he couldn't open it while holding Ana. Renfield looked a little lost with the new kitchen, but eventually a vaguely edible meal made it's way to the dining table, which Wolfie set into eagerly and Vlad found himself rather ravenous for.

"Which room is uncle Luke's?"

"One of the basement level ones, but I haven't finished tidying it so you can't see it yet cub. I'll show you before I go tomorrow."

Wolfie pouted, but accepted it. He was exhausted from the excitement of the day, and went to bed without a fuss. When Vlad tried to offer help to Lukas setting up his own space, the wolf shooed him off.

"I got this, you can go bath Ana."

"Suit yourself. Come on baby girl."

Even Ana was apparently tired enough to go down without argument - at least for a few hours, after thoroughly soaking her dad through when splashing her bath water about the place. Vlad replaced the hat Wolfie picked when she was dry, after indulging in tickling her tiny belly and watching her wriggle in protest. Almost the second her head hit the baby pillow, her mercury eyes slid closed and she (mostly) stilled.

"All done" Vlad shushed him, and Lukas dropped his voice accordingly "sorry. Set up my stuff in that room round the corner."

"Are you still planning on sleeping in here?"

"You don't mind?"

Vlad dropped his eyes, shy and almost ashamed to say it but just about desperate enough to admit it anyway.

"I like not sleeping alone. After... you know."

He couldn't bring himself to say her name again, even though he knew Lukas knew. Even with the very physical evidence of it all sleeping a few feet away. It was a silent agreement really - they got ready for bed in the bathroom seperately, then Lukas lay on the side of the bed against the wall, so Vlad could lay on the side closest to Ana. It was different, sleeping with Lukas, as he was the "big spoon" whereas Ingrid had been the little one, or burrowed into his arms when she felt particularly affectionate.

It was still miles better than sleeping alone though, and he never complained when Ana woke them up, just smiled sleepily and made coffee while Vlad bottlefed his daughter. He left with little fanfare, and returned as promised a few weeks later to aid Vlad in selling off Stokely Castle.

He had no clue how Lukas did it, because the place was no masterpiece of building, but he had sold it almost instantly. Vlad expected it was down to the fact he couldn't imagine many people saying no to the handsome face. He did get the ultimate reward for his help really - Lukas was there to witness Ana's first proper smile. Vlad didn't realise he could love the girl more, but he was proved wrong yet again as he finally saw himself in her - that was his smile all over.

Even when Lukas was clearly going to be a part of their lives, and how Ana always had a smile for him when he turned up, Vlad didn't anticipate the future changes to their relationship.

Ana slowly slept for longer stretches at a time - though never past six in the morning, even if she hadn't gone down until three. Ironic really, his vampire daughter was always awake with the sunrise. Still, Vlad adored every minute with her. The Vampire High Council groused and grumbled about Vlad refusing to go to Transylvania, but Ana was worth every complaint.

By the time she was six months old, Vlad was turning seventeen and trying to convince himself Ana could have her own room now she mostly slept through the night. Wolfie adored the girl, talking to her constantly and spending endless hours on her play mat, never getting the slightest bit bored of making her laugh.

He even enlisted the ten-ish-year-old (looking) Wolfie to help decorate Ana's room. It was likely temporary - there were rooms upstairs and she already showed signs of being a day person as long as she possibly could - but Vlad didn't want her surrounded by little but bare brickwork. Eventually satisfied with the room, now came the test of leaving Ana in it. Even with the baby monitor clutched in his hand, it took Vlad half an hour of watching her sleep before he could bring himself to leave the room. He slept little that night himself, on edge constantly that she would need him.

However, she was totally fine, awake at six am as normal and giving him her usual gummy smile. Vlad lifted her up, reassuring himself she had survived the night alone and finding she was hungry but happy to see him - perfectly standard for the morning. It warmed his cold, dead heart to have a visible reminder that he was at least doing well in his efforts to be a good father.

"Come on then princess, let's get you ready for the day."

It didn't really get easier, but Vlad at least managed to sleep while Ana was in her own room. He took to setting an alarm for 5:45am on his watch, which would give him time to shower, dress, swallow a glass of soy blood and still be in Ana's room for 6am. Vampire speed was a blessing at times, of course.

"Happy birthday Vlad!"

"Thanks Wolfie. Could you hand me that squeezy coffin for Ana?"

Wolfie handed it over, gave his niece a kiss on the forehead and sat himself down to pour his own bowl of cereal - he was immensely proud of being able to do that on his own now. Ana gripped the toy, little face scrunching up with the effort to squeeze it and make the noise she loved. The knock at the door wasn't too scary, as it was daylight out by then - it transpired to be Lukas, who managed to catch Wolfie's bear-hug one armed as he had a bag in the other.

"Birthday bat! Happy birthday Vlad. Hello little beauty."

"Thanks Lukas. Say hello Ana."

Ana made a gurgling noise and flashed her smile, melting both Vlad and Lukas with the sheer joy on her little face. Lukas dropped two wrapped packages in front of Vlad, waving off his protests. One was nearly paper thin, the other a large sturdy rectangle, both carefully wrapped in black with deep purple ribbon criss-crossing elegantly over the surface.

"I know you hate gifts, just trust me and open them before you complain."

He let Lukas lift Ana to greet her properly, and the werewolf paid her drool no mind - Vlad suspected she would begin teething soon, her gums occasionally looked a little red and she had taken to gnawing on her little clenched fist. The paper was so perfectly wrapped, exact capsules around the gifts that Vlad didn't really want to disturb them, but he eventually pulled the ribbon loose, letting the paper fall open on the more intriguing flat package.

It was a photo album - an empty one, 'Ana Belle Dracula' written in an elegant silver script over the front cover. The other wrapper fell to show him a digital camera - complete with a weird device that plugged in to print the pictures Vlad chose.

"The paper is a bit annoying to get hold of, but I brought a pack from my place. With my line of work, I know where to get the best photo stuff. I figured you would want to you know, have a record of when she was this cute and sweet when she grows into a teenager. However, I didn't think photography would occur naturally to a vampire thought process."

"I... I don't know what to say."

"Silly Vlad, you're supposed to say thank you to presents."

"Good point Wolfie. Thank you Lukas. This is... amazing."

Lukas taught him how to use the new things, filled the first page of the album with Ana gummily beaming from Vlad's arms. It was an amazing gift, beautifully thought out and practical - Vlad really did hate gifts, hated being bought things he didn't need or would never use, pointless objects. The camera, the photo album to display pictures of the light of his unlife... Vlad could not have chosen better himself.

"Daaaa."

Ana had begun making almost-sounds a month before, but nothing quite solid yet. As she blinked from where she sat - quite competent in sitting upright these days - Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"What was that Ana?"

"Daaaa. Dada!"

She clapped chocolate-cake-covered hands together, pleased with herself when she saw the smile undoubtedly lighting up Vlad's face.

"That's right little angel, I'm your dad."

Ana repeated the sound constantly, and Vlad was fairly certain he would never tire of being reminded this little girl was his daughter. Lukas congratulated him, kept Wolfie entertained when Vlad took Ana for her bath (she was wearing more cake than she had ingested, he surmised) and convinced a sugar-hyped halfling into bed himself that evening. Having skipped all her naps to eat cake, repeat "dada" and just generally make Vlad's life much better, Ana was grizzly and exhausted by the time she was in her cot for the night.

"So, you liked my gift?"

"It was perfect. Honestly, thank you."

Something shifted in the air, and Vlad wasn't sure what it was until he was trapped between cold stone wall and hot muscled skin, dead lungs full of earthy scent and mouth warm and eager on his own. It had been building every time Lukas slept with an arm around him, in stolen glances and deep conversation at night, and suddenly snapped an instant before. Lukas pulled off, stammering an apology.

"Sorry, I uh-"

"Only apologise if you're stopping."

He tugged Lukas back by his slim-fitting, soft cotton shirt, and felt the smirk against his mouth as they kissed again. He had forgotten how it felt to have body heat surround him, the rush of desire in contact after he had stopped his 'indiscriminate activities' when Ana came along.

"Your room. One minute."

Tanned cheeks flushed with arousal, Lukas stumbled to his room, and Vlad went to his own just long enough to pick up the baby monitor. He could have saved himself the trip, by inviting Lukas to his room. Somehow... somehow it felt wrong, but he refused to stand there and dwell on why, knowing he would only succeed un upsetting himself and hormones were suppressing most of his negative emotions right now.

Lukas let Vlad re-initiate, but didn't show the slightest hesitancy as Vlad placed the baby monitor on his bedside table, then clambered onto the as-yet unused sleep surface - Lukas had slept in Vlad's room. Now though, Lukas' room would be better for Vlad's headspace. Warm hands pressed hesitantly at the strip of skin between t-shirt and waistband, not exploring without permission.

"I haven't been able to do this for a while."

"Because of Ana? I know."

"No. I mean... I mean trust someone like this."

Vlad couldn't hide the vulnerability, and he was really hoping he wouldn't have to try. Lukas slowed for a minute, considering what he was being entrusted with. Vlad didn't really remember when they started to lose their clothes, though he felt the insecurity rise when he saw his pale, slender frame against Lukas and his perfectly lean muscles. He felt rather juvenile in his loose black boxers, compared with the slim white briefs straining rather erotically over the elder mans groin.

He did wonder how long the werewolf had been planning/hoping this could occur, as he fumbled in the bedside drawer for condoms and lubricant, offering them to Vlad only to be rebuked.

"I trust you."

His body wasn't used to it, took it's sweet time relaxing under hesitant touches. Lukas was endlessly patient, persevered at Vlad's insistence until he was working him open easily, still kissing and touching lightly without detracting from the unique sensations he was experiencing at the mercy of nimble fingers. It was probably unappealing as Vlad grew more desperate, but his partner gave no sign he was deterred, waiting for Vlad to signal his readiness.

"Come on, I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

Erection practically leaking, whole body tightly would like bow string, Vlad nodded and wriggled impatiently. It wasn't just about the sex though - Lukas knew things about Vlad nobody else did, and it meant an almost unparalleled level of trust for Vlad to be this vulnerable. And the look in his eyes told Vlad the trust wasn't misplaced.

"Positive."

It was uncomfortable after so long - and Lukas wasn't small either - but he let it quiet his mind, gave himself over in a way he hadn't been able to since Ingrid left. He was so hot, burning around him, inside him and Vlad felt like he might just be consumed by the flames. He went slow, let Vlad adjust to the heady feelings and kept close contact, brushing their mouths together gently and providing an anchor to Vlad's swirling mind.

As the sensation started to build, pushing Vlad up towards the peak, he let his eyes fall closed and clutched at the muscled body over him, Lukas' rhythm never faltering as he took Vlad apart piece by piece, carrying the responsibility to put him back together again after and not disappointing him. This couldn't, wouldn't ever be about love the way it had been with Ingrid, but Vlad could leave himself open here and not be scared, which was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

"It's okay, you can let go here."

The whisper was almost silent, and Vlad barely heard it against the racing climb of Lukas' heart beat, but it was the push he needed to break beneath it all and come, shuddering and making a host of likely unattractive sounds, feeling as much as knowing Lukas was there to chase along the waves of pleasure himself.

Being covered in a mix of sweat and come was something of a novelty all of a sudden - vampires didn't sweat much and he hadn't bottomed properly, voluntarily since Jared. Lukas pulled out a little too fast, leaving Vlad feeling suddenly empty and it was the push his emotions needed to crumple. Tears fell, unbidden from his eyes but the werewolf didn't miss a beat, disposing of the condom Vlad didn't remember seeing him put on and wrapping his arm around the vampires shoulders, pulling Vlad into an embrace.

"It's ok."

Was Vlad such an emotional wreck that Lukas had expected him to break down immediately after mind-blowing sex? Probably. Right now he didn't have the dignity to care, letting the emotions slowly leech out of him. He didn't even know what he was upset about specifically, just that it seemed to bite him all at once.

When he managed to reign it in, he tried to apologise, but Lukas didn't let him.

"You've been bottling so much up for so long, it had to come out eventually. Better here with me than alone, or with Ana."

"Thanks, I guess then."

He fell asleep like that, little more than a hasty wipedown before everything caught up to him and Vlad could barely keep his eyes open. Waking up with Lukas, naked and sore but not in an unpleasant way, Vlad was embarrassed he had lost control of the lid on his emotions.

"Don't worry little bat, I told you it's ok. Come on, get cleaned up before the little angel wakes up."

Just like that, their whole friendship was changed, but somehow exactly the same.

-YD-

Merry Christmas ya filthy breathers!