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Phainon was blessed by Kephale. Tended to be the most common response when he announced his pregnancy to people. That's because he was having four children, not one. Four. Whole. Children.
Now do not get him wrong, he loved his four little monsters- all girls- it was just a lot for his first time as a parent. Supposedly, larger litters were very common with lion hybrids which they didn’t think would affect them. Heck he and Mydei both almost fainted as a fed up Hyacine relayed the news to them.
When the girls finally did decide to arrive early, Hyacine's clinic was in a shambles. Everyone was terrified that such a large pregnancy would be far too much for Phainon to handle. Well, he lived to tell the tale, albeit rarely having any memory of the labour, Hyacine tells him his brain probably blocked it out as a trauma response. Apparently he had almost died, which he must never bring up again in front of Mydei, lest he stresses out his mate.
His daughters were the perfect Ratio of goat and lion. Regrettably, the majority of his children looked like carbon copies of Mydei, all that time in his womb and they really take after their father?! There was one child who looked like him at least, a lion cub, smaller than the rest of her siblings. Phainon wanted to call her Snowy in memory of his old pup which was met with protests by almost everyone. So, they decided it could be her nickname instead.
Gorgo was bestowed upon their lion daughter who looked like Mydei. Meanwhile the lion who looked like him was named Zephyra. The goat twins were given the name Apollo and Artemis. The names may have had professor Anaxa raising a brow, but Phainon was so exhausted by that point they stayed.
Raising children was never going to be easy. Every day had flown by because Phainon and Mydei had been so busy, they hardly had any time for each other or themselves. Thankfully everyone has been supportive. People weren’t kidding when they told him it took a village to raise a child. Aglaea dropped by with a sack filled with baby clothes, claiming that whatever he had picked out was likely the opposite of what any young baby would like to wear.
First off, Mydei, with a similar opinion, was the one to buy most of the clothes. Secondly, babies that age surely had no concept of what clothes they would like and dislike?! Finally, what goat child wouldn’t love the shirt ‘you’ve goat to be kidding me’?
Only when his goat children had grown into the habit of eating clothes did Aglaea finally give up.
Castorice had also been a great help when it came to crafting his daughters' beautiful dolls and teddies. Making sure each had their own look alike doll- even presenting Phainon a Mydei one of his own.
And he couldn’t forget to give credit to the one who had been there for him throughout everything, Mydei. Phainon would never forget how fearful he looked when he held one of their children for the first time, as if he was terrified he would harm them. He doesn’t blame him, he knows how poor Mydei was treated by his own father after birth.
All Phainon could do was reassure him that he was nothing like that man and never would be. Even if Eurypon has ‘changed’ by now, no longer driven mad by a prophecy, some scars still last.
“She’s beautiful.” Mydei was breathless like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“And that’s all thanks to you ‘Mydadmos.”
“Never say that again, Deliverer.” Despite his words, Mydei was smiling. “It’s thanks to us… our own herd.” Mydei held her close.
“I think I prefer the word pride. After all, they’re all my pride and joy.” Phainon wanted to spring to his feet to hug Mydei but his lower half was in dire need of healing, even going to do his business hurt like hell.
“Enough with the father jokes. This is just the beginning and I can only take so many.”
“Don’t be like that, soon you’ll be the same Mydearmos.”
Phainon took great pleasure in Mydei’s pained expression. He’d definitely made the right choice, there was nobody else in the universe he’d rather share this moment with.