The House of Chanterelle

The House of Chanterelle

Episode Three

"Ordinary People"

Waking up is considered to be a point in time when you open your eyes and return to reality. Therefore, when a person wakes they can still be somewhere else at that particular time. Sometimes we don't really wake up until we're out the door and heading off into our lives. Sometimes we don't wake up until the euphoria of a wonderful night decides to finally leave. This was the case with Axel. Axel, who had spent many a morning fighting off the throes of a hangover, found himself waking in an almost serene way. He wasn't startled out of sleep like most busy people are, but rather he went through a transitional process of waking that left him lingering between the REM state and actual reality. The process didn't end until he was opening his eyes and was looking at the ceiling of his own home. The sun was warm on his face, which was strange because he never slept with the blinds open. He could only lay there seeing how his body was more than heavy today. His limbs felt so limp like there was nothing more than water beneath his skin. He blinked slowly a few times before his bearings came back to him. Memories of flower filled water and vanilla scented candles flowed gently along the currents of his mind. Intense blue eyes looking down on him with a strange adoration and a soft smile made him smirk and laugh at his stupidity. He put a hand over his face.

"I want to keep you, red."

"Fuck, Roxas, what'd you do to me?"

Amazingly, he was able to sit up with a fluid ease that he hadn't had since he was in high school with Riku. Even though his body was heavy like a brick, it responded well to his need to move without so much as an ache in his spine. This was definitely different! His head felt clearer than it had ever been and when he looked around his modest penthouse…something was different. Fun fact, he couldn't smell that over priced toilet water Larxene called perfume. He looked down at his now clean white sheets that smelled of fresh fabric softener. He touched them for a minute trying to think of when they had been changed. Oh right, he did that yesterday. That's right, today was Sunday and yesterday he had taken the time to get rid of the sheets. He peeked beneath the fitted sheets. Apparently he got rid of the mattress too. He couldn't quite recall the details of it but did remember doing it. He got out of bed and stretched thought it was unneeded with how loose his body was. A quick shower and a cup of coffee cleared the haze. He sat on his couch and flipped on the TV while his mind tried to piece together the time lapse between now and his visit to Chanterelle as well as when he had decided to do the changes to his bed.

Axel remembered falling asleep with Roxas's thin form laying over him. He could still feel the weight of the blonde's body and had to hold back a shudder at the thought. So the blonde was true to his word; they didn't have sex. But waking up the next morning was where everything got fuzzy. He had awakened with the blonde fast asleep at his side…it had been cold. That's right, the kid was cold. He was ice cold for a matter of fact. It was how Roxas was curled against him with that abnormal temperature that woke him. He had tried to wake him several times but all he got were soft groans and the kid had turned away from him. From there, what did he do? There were no memories of getting dressed or anything that specific but he did remember walking out the House with a very groggy Riku. He had been dropped home then. What else, though? Oh yeah, he called to check in with his father and changed the sheets. So…that was yesterday meaning to day was what? It was Sunday, right? That meant the whole weekend had been nothing but a pleasant daze that he was just now waking up from. What the hell? Sighing, he continued to flip through channels trying to find something suitable to watch. He didn't even feel like leaving his place. He, of all people had no control over his body for the past few days. That…just wasn't him at all! It was unnerving.

His phone vibrated the coffee table catching his attention. Flipping it open, he pressed it to his ear. "Yo!"

"You're late."

"Well, if it isn't my favorite workaholic, how's it goin' Zexion?"

"I'm putting up with your father's tantrums about where you were yesterday and where you are now. Why aren't you here? You had a meeting to get to this morning!"

"Oh Zexy, please forgive my havin' a life! I just hate that it interferes with me catering to your sweet ass all the time, especially when all I want to do is just throw you over my desk and-"

"You're on speaker phone, Axel."

"Oh, you bastard," Axel cursed. "Hi, dad! What's up, old man?"

He could hear his father, Lae, ranting through the receiver. "Axel Flammel where the hell have you been? Do you realize you were supposed to be here an hour ago! Instead you're lazing around at home and harassing my assistant! I should fire you, you ungrateful little-"

"Nothing would make me happier than to be terminated from my own company but I like my comfy cozy life, so how about you give me about," he looked at his watch. "Thirty minutes tops to get my shit together and I'll show up to play happy vice president in a jiffy?"

"-and Riku isn't here either! Riku's father is going to shoot me if he realizes I lost track of his son-"

"He stopped listening a while ago, Axel. Just get here so I can go about my life in some form of peace."

"Only an uptown bus could stop me from getting you to you, Zexy!"

"I'll pray for the bus's victory. Goodbye."

"Hey, hold on! Do I have to get Riku too? I mean, he should be home with what's her name."

"I'm sure he would be with Freya. She's his wife after all."

"She's so bitchy though!"

"Just do what you need to do and get over here before your father falls prey to premeditated murder."

"I'll be sure to take my time then. Bye Zexy."

"Goodbye."

Axel flipped his phone shut and sighed. "Who the hell had meetings on Sunday anyway? Ah well, there goes that day. Stupid job!"

Arranged marriages are the bane of Love. It forcibly pushes two people from entirely two different worlds and causes them to collide with each other. It's all up to fate to decide whether or not it's good for them or not. It's mostly a business agreement decided by a third party rather than the man and the woman who are involved. Then suddenly they are thrust into a situation that lacks emotion and stability but are forced to continue their roles in order to keep up with demand. Bittersweet kisses that have no more feeling behind them than two blocks of wood being pushed together become the daily routine of affection. Every now and then, the pure carnal lust of a man and woman will come into play and provide, just for a moment, the illusion of love. It is easy to deal with in the beginning because you realize you have a no real connection or obligation to said spouse, but then suddenly, things get complicated. A father demands an heir, a mother wants grandchildren, and said spouse wants something concrete to hold the marriage together. Thus, the child comes into play. The child is what causes unspeakable emotions, especially under the circumstances in which Riku Crescent found out that he would have a child. He hadn't been prepared in the least when Freya Asgard, his trophy wife of three years and bane of his existence for nearly ten, claimed to be pregnant. He remembered exactly how it happened and was reminded of it every day that he wasn't away from the one who really wanted him as he was.

Riku pulled his button-up dress shirt o quickly when he heard Freya come in to the bedroom. He adjusted it on his shoulder so as to hide the Chanterelle brand. The blond woman came into the room tossing her keys on the table and sitting on the bed. She stared at Riku with cold eyes.

"Going out again, dear?" she said with a mocking tone.

"As always, why? Did you want to come, Freya?" he spat. He didn't really care what she wanted at the moment. His mind was only on seeing Sora gain and feeling those small arms around him again.

"Oh, I just wanted to share the good news with you before you went gallivanting with whatever whore you've been seeing for the past year."

Riku rolled his eyes and decided to give her some attention. The quicker he got this stupidity over with, the quicker he could leave. "And what's the news? They opened another jewelry store? You found another summerhouse you want me to pay for? Tell me, I'm trembling with anticipation?"

She smirked, her English accent thick today. "Oh it's much more expensive than that, love. I think you'll be just as happy as I am."

An alarm rang loud in Riku's head when he saw her hand slip to her stomach. "And that is?"

She looked up at him with cold blue eyes and smiled maliciously. "I'm pregnant, love."

Riku felt his heart drop all the way into his stomach as all hope of making it happily through and out of this marriage shattered like glass. "You're….you're what?"

"I'm going to have a child, Riku. Your child and I decided to keep it."

He felt his fingers curl into fists and his nails bite into his skin. He wanted badly hit here but he didn't need to add to this. "You can't be pregnant. You were on the shot; I know, I was there every time you took them!"

She crossed her legs smugly. "There's an advantage to having a father who owns the hospital you go to. He wanted to have grandchildren and I know your father has been pushing you to have a child as well. So, all those shots were nothing but harmless nutrient solutions. I haven't been on birth control since we got married." She leaned back a little watching her husband squirm. "I have to admit, it was hard getting pregnant since half the time you refused to touch me anyway but even you slip up sometimes. You're just a man after all."

Riku felt nauseous and shook his head. "You can't do this, Freya! Get rid of it! We agreed to have no children, get rid of it!"

She put her hands to her stomach and gave a fake appalled look. "I'm shocked that you would want to kill something that we both created. How dare you want to end your child's life before it's even born?"

"Freya, I'm begging you, get an abortion and get rid of it. I don't want this and the only reason that you want it is because it just means more money for you! It's a life not a paycheck. There is no way a child would be happy with us!"

"No," she said firmly. "This is the only way I know how to live and you were planning on ending it. I've gotten to comfortable to go back to having second-rate clout! I'm going to have this baby and you're going to help me take care of it! Now get out. You'll be late for Cora, Dora, or whatever the hell that name is you call out in your sleep! Tell her I said hi."

That was the last time he had seen Sora during Freya's pregnancy. She had threatened to expose Chanterelle to the media if he didn't stop going. Of course, she didn't really know the details of the House, but Madame Valkyrie would not be pleased about having her place all over TV and Sora would suffer for it. So would he if it got out that he was Freya's husband and then a visit from the Burmese Jezebels would come. God forbid that the world knew what really went on under the red lights there. He went to the House that night and told Sora that they would not be able to see each other for a while. It had broken his heart to see that, even though Sora loved him, the brunette understood and didn't make any fuss about it. He had to wonder how many times people had abandoned Sora for him to have taken it so well. The months flew by and he was forced to spend every waking moment with Freya. His depression and longing for Sora's embrace swelled everyday that Freya's womb did.

Then, almost a month ago now, he was blessed with Alicia's birth. Blonde haired and blue eyed like her mother, but pale and beautiful like her father. When Riku held her for the first time, he realized that she wasn't the reason he was angry and he swore that he would never raise a hand to her. She was small, frail and it made Riku nervous to ever let her go to Freya. The woman had forgotten the poor girl in the tub more times than he dare admitted. Now that she had proven to be a strong healthy girl, Riku felt safe with letting her stay with his mother and return to his beloved Sora that Friday night. He had never been happier.

Now he lay dozing in the morning light with little Alicia lying on his chest sound asleep. Freya had left early that morning to go shopping leaving him with the responsibility of taking care of her. He didn't mind it at all. Alicia only cried when Freya held her anyway. He smiled as he rubbed the infant's back, happy that at least one person in that house loved and appreciated him. He was content to doze off once again when the doorbell rung and set off a screaming Alicia. Riku cursed under his breath and picked her up. He tried to soothe her as he went to the door, but each time the bell rung her screams got louder. He shifted her to one arm and swung open the door with an agitated expression. It turned into a scowl when he saw who was blowing up his doorbell.

"Yo What's up, you silver haired psycho!" Axel asked entirely too cheerfully on a Sunday morning.

"I hate you so much right now," Riku grumbled rocking Alicia.

Axel blinked at the crying Alicia and took her from RIku's arms. "Hey firefly!" he cooed. "Is that how you're going to act with Uncle Axel?"

To Riku's amazement and annoyance Alicia quieted and remained still in Axel's arms. "You have got to be kidding me."

"It's true; no woman, no matter how tiny, can resist the pyro! Can you firefly?" Axel said smugly. Alicia only giggled.

"Stop hitting on my daughter. What do you want you, a-hole?" Riku let Axel come in and locked the door behind him.

"Oh look firefly, the man is a douche even in its natural habitat," Axel said playing with Alicia. "I came cause the old man is losing hi mind. He said we missed some kinda meeting or something."

"Who schedules a meeting on a Sunday?"

"Dumbasses of the Fourth Kind! Anyway, Zex has his hands full trying to appease the bastard and we have to go up there cause of something or other."

Riku stared at Axel as he blew on Alicia's stomach making her squeal. "Your information gathering skills are amazing, Axel."

"Alicia, say daddy is a douche, say it with me now!"

"Idiot, I can't go. Freya's not here to look after Alicia."

"Pft! Thank god!" Axel scoffed. "The kid would be dead by now if we trusted Freya with everything. As firefly's godfather, I forbid you to leave her alone with the Bitch of Eastwick."

Riku was already preparing a baby bag. "When did you become her godfather?"

"Just now," Axel grinned.

"We'll take her with us to the office but I swear if your dad looks at her funny one more time, I'll make sure Crescent Industries rips up that contract."

"Oh come on Riku, you know the old man loves Alicia! He just hates that she looks like Freya."

"And that would be a good reason for him to leave her alone," Riku grumbled putting a stuffed animal in the bag.

Axel stopped listening. "When you start talking, I'm gonna teach you all kinds of fun words for your mom. Like bitch, whore, skank-"

"Axel, stop that!"

"She can't understand me yet, Riku. Stop being paranoid!"

Riku rubbed his temples. "I'm gonna shower and then we'll leave."

Alice bega to cry again and Axel held her at a distance with his nose scrunched up. "Whoa, nice shot kid!"

Riku smirked and tossed the diaper bag on the couch. "And you get to clean Alicia up."

"I take it back! You're not a douche, you're just an evil fucker!" Axel called after him. "Jeez, kid, da hell you've been eatin?"

The ride to the office wasn't all that eventful. They had taken Axel's car since it was already baby proofed. Riku actually did appreciate Axel's love for little Alicia and was glad that someone was there for her. When he heard that Alicia had been born, he had made it his sole responsibility to give Alicia anything she would want and need. Those days when Freya started to disappear and Riku would be too busy, Axel always had space in his office for the kid to sleep. Now, Alicia lay quietly sleeping like an angel while Axel fought to get through traffic. Riku rested his head against the glass with a grim smile on his face. He felt himself spacing with the slow passing buildings.

"Yo, Riku?"

"Mm, what man?" Riku asked tiredly.

"About Friday," he said hesitantly.

Riku laughed. "Go ahead, ask away."

"Um…what the hell was that?"

"Ha, that would be the afterglow. It lingers for a few days."

"You know more about that crazy shit than I do. What was up with Roxas! He is a whore right?"

"Not exactly, why?"

"I mean, all we did that night was take a bath, talk and go to sleep with a goodnight kiss like a…like a…"

"A stable couple?"

"Yes!"

"All I know is that any butterfly you get with at Chanterelle won't give you a single thing that you want, but I always know what you need emotionally and they manage to give it to you. Then finally when you wake up from it you feel the best you've ever felt."

"That's exactly what I felt. But I keep thinking about him. That kid Roxas, he said I was going to take a while."

"Then obviously he wanted you to come back and see him again. I know Sora wanted me to come back the first night."

"Did you do him on the first night?" Axel asked curiously.

"That is none of your business."

"No, I'm serious! I want to know; it's not like I'll tell anybody!"

Riku leaned back against his seat and smiled a little. The feelings those memories brought back would always make him overflow with a contentment the real world couldn't give him. He'd often recall his first time very often. "Alright, I'll tell you but its only because you're my best friend and I know that no matter what you'll still call me gay regardless."

"You are gay, douche! Now get to it!"

"Well, the first time I ever went to the House of Chanterelle, it was two years into my marriage to Freya. My father took me there to 'unwind' just like you…"

Sora was thrown to the ground by Roxas and was immediately pinned by him. The blonde bit into Sora's shoulder making him moan out loud nearly overpowering the pounding of the drums in the air. He clawed the floor arching and throwing his head back. The music was exotic and fast pace with a sensual melody. It sent a message to the customers in the Butterfly room that Sora was being punished…no wanted to be punished. Roxas whispered words into his ear that no one could hear. Sora's eyes fell on him at that moment, his lips slightly parted and his eyes glazed over in a pleasurable haze. His azure eyes were shining with tears of pleasure as his brother nibbled his ear. Riku was entranced by that gaze and he had to stop himself from moaning with Sora when he saw Roxas's fangs sink into his brother's neck. At the time, he didn't know those fangs held any meaning. He'd seen them on freaks before but with Roxas, they just looked so damn sexy. Riku even thought about what the blood running down Sora's neck would taste like. What would it be like to have both of them in bed? He didn't know where these fantasies were coming from since they weren't his normal train of thought but he didn't dwell on it. He was to captured by the twin sets of blue eyes watching him from the stage.

Roxas held his gaze long enough for Sora to sneak up on him and place himself in his lap. He'd grabbed a fist full of Riku's silvery hair and jerked his head back hard making the man cry out. Right there in front of everyone, Sora grinded himself in his lap and nipped his neck with sharpened teeth. He pulled away long enough to stare into Riku's eyes. In that moment, when they stared at each other, Sora's smile faded and his lids lowered. Riku couldn't place his finger on it but there was something enchanted about the way Sora's eyes bore into his. The brunette's face softened and he leaned forward and kissed him, chaste at first but it grew into a sensual full meeting of tongues and taste. Riku's eyes rolled beneath his lids and he melted into the kiss. Sora pulled away first making him whimper and rested his head against his shoulder. The boy inhaled and moaned enjoying Riku's scent. Sora nipped at Riku's earlobe, worrying it between his teeth.

"Riku?"

Riku gasped at the sound of his name whispered on those plump lips. "Yes…"

"You hurt…I can feel it," he whispered. "Who hurt you, darling?"

Riku shuddered at the way he said darling and nuzzled the butterfly's shoulder. "Freya…" he said first as if Sora knew who that was. "My father…me…"

"You hurt yourself because others hurt you," Sora's embrace did not shift or change but the feeling of it was different suddenly. He felt warm, comforted, safe. "I won't hurt you…he won't hurt you…she won't hurt you…" he pulled back slow, his azure eyes now blinding light blue. "I'll protect you, Riku, my heart, my love, my darling." He kissed him again ever so slowly and tenderly. Riku had not been kissed that way in years. In fact the last time he'd felt a kiss that way was when Axel…

"So, he practically turned to mother hen on you in front of a crowd of people?"

"No…it was nothing like that. In that one moment I would've told him I loved him even though I just watched him saunter of a stage from committing public incest with his brother. I wanted badly to tell I loved him because it seemed like I should with the way he treated me."

"And then what?" Axel asked, not wanting to admit that Riku's story was hitting home to how he felt when Roxas had kissed him that last time.

"He took me to his room and made me get comfortable. I had a drink and he just started asking random questions about my life. He…he was the first person aside from you who really listened and didn't care how weak I sounded. When I said that I was married, he got that soft look again. It was like that one word had made him pity me and love me at the same times. He just kinda came to me and hugged me close to him. That night he smelled like some kind of strong cinnamon. It made me love him even more."

"He…hugged you?"

"Yeah…he hugged me and he said, 'you're only human…don't try so hard.' I know it meant something heavy to me but for the life of me I couldn't say what. We ended up falling asleep in each others' arms and that was it. After that, I kept coming back and on the night I came back, he always chose me."

Axel shuddered at the heavy silence and chuckled. "I told you that you had issues! Even the kid knew you were fucking nuts."

Riku flipped him off. "Right here, Axel!"

"So are you gonna go again"

"Duh, better than staying at home. You gonna go back?"

"I dunno yet. It felt good but, it was just too weird for me, y'know."

"Yeah, it feels like that the first few times. Might as well go back and get it out of your system."

At the office, when Riku and Axel arrived, Zexion found himself in quite a predicament. He had to choose between listening to Lae Flammel and taking care of a baby in his own office. Leave it to Axel and Riku to make his job harder than it already was. Oh well, a baby wasn't much different than dealing with his boss. He sat in his office working on Lae and Axel's schedule and handling all their accounts and basically running the company while the two argued about Axel's habits. Riku had to go deal with Sephiroth on why the hell he was here on a Sunday. This left him to deal with Riku's end as well. This was just too much.

Zexion had always fancied himself intelligent. He had come from the best college and schools and was one of the most progressive people in the corporate world. He was also the youngest in the business. Zexion had bragging rights of being the youngest graduate to ever be chosen by a corporate CEO. He was only twenty one when he graduated from a high class college and got his first break as a personal assistant to Lae. He had always skipped grade after grade because he was far more intelligent than his peers. Now he was twenty-three and was making more than any man his age dreamed to be making. Hell, his gross worth as an employee (should he ever be traded) was worth the amount of a small business. So what was Zeion's problem with his current life?

He looked down at Alicia who watched him with wide curious eyes. He didn't know much in the way of parenting aside from what he had seen of his own father and mother. He didn't understand children at all. Still, Alicia drew a smile from him the way she cooed in her carrier and looked at her surroundings. He sighed and leaned back his chair.

"You're lucky, Alicia. You don't have to work so hard to get recognition in life. I bet there's never a moment someone isn't coddling you." He said blandly. "Your Uncle Axel is a twit, your father is a pack mule of high expectations and a brutal father, and I'm just someone who's there to clean up the aftermath. I hope your first words are 'under appreciation,' and you'll say it with feeling."

He was starting to question his sanity considering he was talking to a new born. Zexion continued to plot out the month's events on the computer and prepared an agenda for their next meeting. He did entirely too much as an assistant. He paused only once when the door clicked open and Yuna walked in Alicia began to cry when she closed the door behind her and Zexion rubbed his temples. Yuna gave him an apologetic look and picked up Alicia.

"Hello, buttercup," she cooed while rocking the baby. "it's kinda sad that this entire office is doing better job of caring for Alicia than her own mother."

Zexion was thankful when Alicia stopped crying in the girl's arms. "Yes, we'', not all debutantes are meant to be homemakers."

"Or any kind of maker if you ask me," Yuna said watching Alicia with a loving sort of sadness.

Zexion didn't question it; it was none of his business. "Forgive me for being rude, but I do have a lot of work left to do. Could you please tell me what you needed?"

"Oh don't worry, I'm here for a reason. Since you and I are the only ones handy capable at the moment, we're on coffee detail for the bigwigs.

Zexion let his head fall on the desk. "They couldn't fetch their own coffee, then?"

Yuna held up a list in one hand while she held Alicia against her. "They said they didn't have time and that you would help me. I'm really sorry, Zexion."

He stared at the unfinished work on his computer before rising and getting his blazer. "No, this is what I live for; long days in the office and coffee runs."

Thunder stuck past the window behind him and a sudden downpour pelted the glass. Yuna grimaced at the bad timing and tried to calm Alecia who began crying again. Zexion looked over his shoulder at the gray scenery and shut his eyes, trying to ease the tension in his head.

"At least my expectations are never high," he muttered.

Yuna placed Alicia in her carrier and picked it up. "You can never be disappointed that way right?"

"Correct."