Disclaimer: Just getting back into the groove. You know the drill. By the by: I'm guessing you've noticed the name change?
Now that he thought about it, the rhythmic chopping sound of the printer stationed to his left wasn't as annoying as he thought it originally was. Sure, he'd have to keep a watchful eye on all of the data he was printing, and he had to stop whatever he was doing on the side for a moment to switch out the papers. Then, there were also the many momentary freezes the computer liked to pull on him when he was especially irritated with it… but all in all, landing a job working for your own dad isn't too bad of a deal.
At least, that was what Riku only began to think just recently.
Not even a month ago, he was sporting two to three jobs at a time, along with school and relationships. There was barely enough time for him to sleep and eat, let alone focus on Sora explaining his argument with Kairi, or Axel complaining to him about how there weren't any Frosted Flakes in the pantry.
Working at a trendy clothing store, a commercial bookstore, and a pet shop that reeked of rodents and fish food had really dealt some damage on his lifestyle. And, though he brought it up many times, Riku refused to take the offer to return home to his three menacing brothers and overbearing father for a job. Even if the pay was two-fifty a page, and he could work his own hours, returning to the place he loathed the most was the ultimate deal-breaker.
So, for three more unceasingly bland, hardworking months, the poor twenty-one year-old worked his mind and body to mush. And, as a fairly blatant result, his exhaustion not only affected himself, but the many others he found his way into surrounding himself with.
After turning the knob to the door of his penthouse apartment after a long night of studying or work, Axel, his roommate and in-between lover, would bombard him with questions, answers to the questions, and more adventures about his day.
While throwing his book bag to the floor and lazily slipping out of his favorite black and red pair of sneakers Vans, the very dense redhead would never cease to amaze Riku on how much he could really talk. Quite frankly, the silverette would think as he grazed through the fridge for something to eat for dinner, he really couldn't give a damn about most of what Axel was saying. Who knew Yuffie could swallow seven dumplings whole without throwing up? It never occurred to Riku that Leon just might be able to sing, and have a good vibrato at that.
Though all of that which he never thought about and couldn't care any less of.
Even though his irritated body language and stiff responses were present, this revelation blew right over Axel's fiery red head as he cheerily expressed himself through language. About thirty minutes after returning home, and after being able to heat up some spaghetti he had made last night, Riku's responses now only had to be grunts or mumbles for the other man to continue.
The "uh huhs" and "no ways" were discarded about fifteen minutes earlier. Sometimes, at the slow intervals of his tremendous speech, Axel noticed the dull reaction his roommate and lover would give him. Oh, yes, he knew from the moment the other man turned the key through the knob everyday that Riku didn't give one damn about what he said.
In fact, behind his classic wolfish grin, and wicked green eyes, it was his duty to annoy.
A couple of years back, when the crush between the two was only blossoming, Axel, after close analysis, had understood that he was a master at making Riku laugh. Even if it was after his antics, or performing something so foolish not another human would have guts to do it, Riku, in the end, was laughing.
The redhead deserved a gold metal with all of the achievements he perused with the man. It was legendary when he made soda spew out of the boy's nostrils. Though he had profusely complained of the stinging, Riku was hiccupping from laughter the entire time. From that point onward, Axel made it his service to humanity to put a force a smile from the commonly-skulking silverette. No matter how bothersome, menacing, or ignorantly annoying, the end result would be in laughter.
So, when Axel slowed his pace, and eventually stopped talking, Riku was admittedly becoming unsettled.
Yes, he played it off as if he didn't notice, slurping the noodles and sauce quietly. The pictures and sounds flashing on their high definition flat screen and the seldom creaking of the furniture were the only noises made in the room at that point. Riku had had a long day, of course, as was any other day of his, but the moment Axel actually stops talking normally meant something was brewing in his endearingly simplistic mind. Keeping a steady pace of eating, the silverette cast a surreptitious glance in the other man's direction.
Only to see a quite terrifying wolfish grin plastered on the redhead's face.
At that, Riku accidentally lost grip of his fork, leaving it to fall, shamelessly clattering onto the plate. He narrowed his eyes; what the hell was there to grin at? Though there was nothing but silence between the two, Riku's mind raced along with his pulse. What was Axel planning? Was he going to take advantage of him? It wasn't like he hadn't done it before… had Axel already done something?! What if Riku was already in the tr-?
That's when his face distorted so bitterly that tears ran out from the corner of his eyes.
What in the seven hells was that smell?!
Riku turned his head slowly, eyes wide and watering with a hand over his nose to stare baffled at the man before him. Axel, followed suit still disturbingly grinning as his own green eyes were wide. Did the think this was funny?
And all was still dangerously silent.
"What the hell Axel?!" Riku's voice couldn't help but break in is screeching. Axel only began to chuckle madly, clutching at his apparently-aching ribs.
"God, please tell me that was your gas, 'cause if that's in the ventilation I swear on your mother I will-"
The hum of the air conditioning cut off his rant. And the smell only intensified. Shutting his mouth hastily, Riku let out a noise of frustration and clamped his eyes shut. Axel only began to laugh whole heartedly at the other's distress. It wasn't just the momentary laugh either, it was a full blown out roar of laughter, induced with stomach clutching and tears streaming.
"I don't know what's so fucking funny to you, but, whatever the hell that is, you better make it go away by the time I get back, you asshole!" Choked, Riku did his best to breathe in the air with a potent mixed odor of foot fungus, armpit sweat, and feces. Moving his plate to the side of the couch, the silveret stood, stomped to the door while slipping his favorite shoes on, opened the door, and slammed it behind him furiously, not even sparing a second glance to the idiot he left in the room.
When Axel realized Riku didn't leave laughing, he knew he'd screwed up.
All he had wanted was to rest.
Just some peace and quiet long enough to recuperate from his god-forsakenly long day. But, so it would seem, that wasn't what his night would consist of. Riku only shook his head and sighed, keeping a steady walking pace to a destination unknown. The air was slightly chilled, as a breeze tumbled its way through Riku's moonlit hair, and he looked up. Judging from the time, 11:45 PM, not one of his immediate friends would be available, or rather, care to house him for the night. Leon and Cloud were probably at Tifa's bar downtown, and Sora and Kairi were more than likely together, as they always were. Yuffie was out of the question, and Cid would probably go into a fit of cursing for waking him.
The man sighed.
He'd forgotten his jacket, car keys, and other amenities, and it was only now the man had thought of them, regretfully. His only companion, his phone, already showed signs of slow death.
No charger.
Scrolling down the contacts list on the consistently-dimming screen, his pale thumb paused. Kadaj. Riku's face stayed placid for a few moments, contemplated whether or not the call his oldest brother. The two hadn't spoken for some time now, since the Christmas season passed, and Riku wasn't sure if the other even wanted to stay on speaking terms with him. Returning back to the apartment was unacceptable, so this was his last resort. He pressed the dial button.
Placing the small phone to his ear, reddening from the cold, Riku continued to pace himself, not having any destination in particular. The dial tone stopped itself, and he tensed.
"Hello..?" a deep voice sounded. Forgetting how to speak the English language for a moment, Riku's mind was overloading with thoughts.
"Hello? Riku?" Kadaj's voice was alert, and curious for a response.
"Um, hey...Kadaj. It's Riku." The silverette stammered.
"Ha-ha, I'm aware of that. Why are you calling so late? You're actually calling me..?" There were some shifting sounds in the background and Riku wondered how the hell his oldest enemy and brother wasn't antagonizing him at that moment.
"Yeah… look, I need a place to post up for the night, and I was hoping you wouldn't be busy… or something…" He trailed off.
"We're all at Dad's tonight actually… Mother's memorial is coming up soon…"
Silence.
A car sped down the street, the tree leaves rustled in the wind.
"You still there Riku?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry, a lot has been going on lately and… her memorial... completely blew over my head." Second by second, his chest began to weigh heavier in guilt.
"That's fine, brother. I can keep the front door open if you'd like to come home tonight."
Home. Kindness.
Coming from Kadaj, Riku should've been worried. But he was twenty-one now, and the other rounding thirty. It was about time they should grow up.
"I'd… like that. I'll be over in a bit."
"Hey, Riku… be careful okay?"
Pause.
"I'll do my best, Kadaj."
Click.
The silver headed man rounded the final corner to his now-certain destination's street. Not many houses lay in the area, and most of the properties were privately owned by some of the richest and most powerful people in the world for vacation. Though he had grown up here, the air around the area seemed unnaturally eerie. Riku picked up his pace.
By the time he'd reached the slight inclination of the land leading towards the manor, he began to jog, impatient to get formalities over with and get out of the biting cold. Upon reaching the mahogany double doors, Riku had rested his hands on his knees, panting. It was a bit too late to regret not driving here. Straightening himself up, the man choking in some breath, he opened one of the unlocked doors. Before he passed the threshold, Riku had expected the spacious manor to be dark and vacant of any immediate life. That was clearly not the case as he tumbled into the golden lights illuminating the rooms and the maids hustling around, cooing at this and that. When the youngest son of the owner finally closed the door behind him, most of the movement ceased.
"Oh young master Riku! You've returned!" A young maid cheerily announced his presence loudly. He smiled sheepishly as his nose continued to redden, partly from the cold, partly from unnecessary embarrassment.
"Young man!" Sonya, his old nursemaid and nanny bounded up to him. She had gracefully aged by her appearance, but her short stature still held her iron will and smart mouth for which she was known.
"Where the hell have you been all this time? Not even a call, email, postcard, or what do you kids call it… text message?!"
"I-I'm sorry Miss Sonya…a lot of things have taken up a lot of time..." Riku stammered and felt like he was twelve again and had stayed out past dark.
"Like hell they have! If you weren't so grown I'd turn you around now and tan your hide!" All the women in the immediate room laughed lightheartedly.
"That's enough Ms. Sonya." Another male voice sounded from the stairs. The maids curtsied politely and excused themselves from the room. Kadaj sauntered down the steps, chuckling at the pair of them. He wore black pajama pants and a robe, from that, looking like a teenager again.
If Riku had been a moment beside himself, he would've believed his older brother was going to hurl one of his homemade dynamite sticks at his head, like in their teenage years.
The Mordecai family was known, infamously, for its ever-present quirks.
But Kadaj was now a grown man, as were all of them, being a well-known psychologist and researcher.
Riku's face flushed crimson, partially from the exhaustion of running, and the embarrassment of his old nursemaid, but smiled up to Kadaj.
"You're… out of breath?" The elder proposed, more as a question, and raised a slender silver eyebrow. Riku held his ground.
"Long story. Is everyone else asleep?" His eyes made a sweeping motion of the foyer, now empty, save for the brothers. Candles flickered with the sudden movements and he could vaguely smell remnants of pastries the cook had undoubtedly prepared earlier.
"You know how the family is. Everyone is in their respective place." Kadaj shrugged, flippantly tossing his hair from his slate eyes. Beckoning Riku to follow, he turned to guide the other up the stairs. One of the younger maids, a short, wide-eyed brunette, had rushed forward to take Riku's heavy coat and shoes, which he had respectfully slipped off at the door. It'd been quite the while since he'd had anyone wait on him, let alone an entire staff who was paid to do so.
The pair ascended the grandiosely winding staircase in comfortable silence; Riku took in the seemingly foreign sights of the manor as nostalgia took over his emotions. Approaching the top of the flight of stairs, Kadaj turned and stopped.
"You should probably let Father know that you're here. It has been a while since you've spoken right?" Kadaj's grey eyes filled with empathy for his younger brother; talking to their father was something Riku never did with much grace.
"Yeah… something like that. I'm only staying for the night though. I have class tomorrow." The younger of the two avoided eye contact but kept his voice firm. Riku didn't know what it was, but no matter what age he'd ever turn, it was an unspoken recognition that he was just so much younger than everyone else.
"It's whatever you decide." Kadaj shrugged nonchalantly and turned to leave to his rooms. Riku followed suit in the opposite direction and trekked to the grand double doors at the end of the hall.
Passing family portraits, the unmistakable tint of pale silver hair ran through the entire family, tracing back to old paintings of distant grandfathers and grandmothers. Riku's sea green eyes glanced over the pictures and paintings and their respective embellished frames. His footsteps were the only sound reverberating along the tall walls, quite annoyingly, letting the dread in him increase.
It had been three entire years since he'd spoken to his father.
Sephiroth Mordecai was a prominent Medical Doctor with countless numbers of abbreviated titles to follow his God-given family name. Owning and funding a number of hospitals, hospices, research facilities, and a patron to many prominent universities, the tall silver-headed man held a very serious, if not an intimidating, stoic air. Growing up in the Mordecai Estate had imposed fear onto the four sons in regards to their father. Kadaj, the eldest of the four, would never fail to boast his age into the other's faces when it came to their father's nepotism. Loz and Yazoo were hardly ever better. Their late mother, Jenova, was the one who brought life into the manor and its inhabitance before her death five years previously. She was a small, pale-faced woman with silver hair of her own, oddly enough. She was soft-spoken, but ever so daring, and always found a way to escape fate.
Sephiroth always seemed more human when she was alive. Since then, not so much.
Riku's attention reverted back to the large oak darkened doors that were now in front of him. Closing his eyes to take a deep breath, he rapped on the door in three rhythmic hits. He waited for a couple moments, contemplating whether or not the man was awake or heard him knock. Just as he had the mind to try to knock again, it opened with a small groan coming from the hinges.
"Oh Riku, what a pleasant surprise," A small smile found its way onto the man's normally stony face. Riku was taken aback. Before tonight, the man hardly kept a pleasant tone, let alone ever smiled. Sephiroth seemed to still be in his work attire, black slacks and a light blue button up shirt.
"Um, hello… Father," Riku awkwardly began, afraid to make eye contact with his father. "It um… Is it ok if I say here… for tonight?" The younger of the two rushed the words out of his mouth.
The older man chuckled slightly, "This is your home, Riku. It's only you who never considered it so." Finally daring to look up into his father's eyes, Riku registered the tired smile he wore and the small appearance of lines on the side of his eyes. The man he'd come so close to hating, killing, fearing, and loving, was in fact the most human of all of them.
"Riku? Would you like to come in and talk?" Sephiroth widened to opening in the door and beckoned him inside. Reverting his attention forward, Riku obliged and stalked in.
The master bedroom had hardly changed as far as he could remember. The large king-sized bed held firm in the center of the room on the far wall; bookshelves lined with countless varieties of tomes continued to give the room a warm feeling, and the plush beige carpet maintained the room's inviting feel. Closing the door behind him, which clicked with a sense of finality, the twenty-one year old remained standing for further instructions.
It seemed as if he would never get out of the habit of treating his father's word as law.
Sephiroth glanced over at Riku with a raised eyebrow as he went to retrieve two glass cups and an elegant bottle of the finest liquor. Setting the amenities on the refined mahogany and glass table, he sat on one of the comfortable burgundy sofas with a skeptical expression.
After a couple moments of silence, Riku realized he didn't in fact have to take orders anymore. It'd been well over the time when he had turned eighteen. Chuckling sheepishly as a flush rushed onto his face, he followed his father's suit and sat down opposite him in an identical chair.
"Ha… I sometimes forget how old I am when I'm around you, embarrassingly enough." The younger man finally allowed a small smile onto his face.
Sephiroth kept a convivial expression, "I can imagine so. You never failed to make the air feel that much more awkward when you were around me when you were little." With a pop, he opened the bottle of liquor and poured the amber liquid into the ice-filled cups.
"You're twenty-one now, right? I'm to hope you don't have an opposition to liquor?" Sephiroth leaned over and offered his son his own glass. Riku took it quite thankfully.
"Not a single one. I was actually in need of some. Especially after tonight…" Riku rubbed the back of his neck and tiredly brought the cool crystalline glass to his dry lips.
"I understand completely. Having your older brothers in the same house again really takes a toll on your old man." Sephiroth smirked and shook his head. Now that Riku had something to do with his hands, the silence in the pair seemed more relaxed.
"So, um… how've you been? How's the work?" the son began in an attempt to make conversation.
"I've…well, been. Sonya is always pestering me to retire, but I can't always bring myself to do it, as tired as I am."
Riku smiled, "You've always been an overachiever. Mom got so annoyed at you for that." The two of them both let out quiet laughter in reminiscence.
"Your mother was annoyed at me for a number of things; one being how hard I, regrettably, was on you all. Never took my side on anything, that woman." Sephiroth brought his glass to his smiling lips.
"Well… It's partially 'cause… well, you were. The little time you were home from the hospital, you weren't very homely." The son chose his words carefully.
Sephiroth let out a low 'hm' in contemplation; the clink of the cubes of ice sounded as he swished the cup in his hand.
"I'm… Sorry Riku. I was a bit difficult on you; you especially it seems." The man's low baritone voice wasn't holding as firm as it had initially.
"I… kind of thought you… hated me, you know, after I told you all I was gay." Riku expressed truthfully. A visible wince was seen from the other man. Sephiroth smiled almost sheepishly after realizing his body language.
"Honestly, I always figured you'd be a little fruit, along with your brother Yazoo," Sephiroth said, expressionless. "Then again, you're one of the toughest fairies I know." His father smirked at him.
"Then again, how many do you know?" The pair laughed; the momentarily heavy air was lightened entirely. A comfortable silence resounded, save for the clinking of ice or the glass cups on the table top.
"His name is Axel." The young man let the statement slip from his lips before he'd thought it through.
"Oh?" Sephiroth raised a slender silver brow. "Strong name; is he the reason you left home?"
"Don't put me leaving home on him; you know it was you, Father." Riku deadpanned, and then continued, "He's… a big kid… to say the least. I met him at the private academy you sent us all too when I was fifteen. I… live with him now." The accumulative weight that had collected on Riku's chest over the progression of events of the night was, miraculously, beginning to lift.
"You should bring him by for the memorial. About time I met this illusive character." Sephiroth suggested, almost too nonchalantly. Riku continued to stare, as if waiting for a "Just kidding!"
It didn't come.
"You don't mean that." Riku closed his eyes and shook his head in sheer disbelief. He reached over to the large, angular bottle and poured himself another drink; his stomach was already becoming warm and a ghost of a flush was creeping onto his pallid cheeks.
"Don't I? You know I try to mean what I say, Riku. You're my son no matter what decision you make; I can't exactly change that fact, now can I?" The yellow-green eyes of the older man bore into his son.
"I… no, I don't suppose any of us can." Riku took a sip.
"And what about you? How is your writing and school? Are you living okay?" The nearly-commanding tone was back into his father's voice, attempting to cover the genuine worry he held for his youngest son.
"School's great, and I'm interning at a local newspaper now," Riku smiled. "Finding work's been… well…" the trailed off, the smile sudden barren from his expression. Wringing his hands around the glass, he averted eye contact yet again. Sephiroth's eyes trailed to his hands, noticing the roughness of his once soft elegant ones.
"And where are you working now?" the father continued to stare.
"I'm looking for a job…" Riku let out an exasperated sigh in defeat. A couple moments of silence passed between the pair.
"I'm not one of the most impressive of your sons… huh," Riku remained shamefaced.
"Is that what matters to you now? Who has the most titles to their name and accomplishments under their belt?"
Riku didn't reply.
"Riku, you're a college student; a hard working, if not obsessively so, college kid. I don't expect over even want you to already be able to brag you've gone to the moon and back. I'd be quite jealous if you did." Sephiroth, quite contrasting from his usual personality, winked. Riku laughed.
"I know you have quite a lot going on, but do you suppose I could ask one favor from you?" Sephiroth inquired.
The younger man wasn't so sure if he should say yes.
"You see, I just have so much paperwork piling up from the clinicals; and my secretary just quit." The younger of the two sighed; ever since he was young, his family never missed an opportunity to exploit him.
"When your brothers and father give you a hard day, give them the finger and walk away!" his mother had told him on more than one occasion.
"Um… ok. What do I do?" Riku regrettably agreed.
"If you would follow me?" his father rose to stand and beckoned to him. Riku followed suit. Walking further into the massive bedroom was a smaller personal office behind French double doors. After shutting the doors behind him with a small 'click' Riku stared at his father, dreading the chore he'd agreed to do.
"You see, I have vital signs of the patients I visit and there is a layout on file that you just plug them into." Sephiroth demonstrated on one of his computer screens, typing in numbers into their respective slots.
"Then, after all of them are put in, you print." Clicking around for a couple moments, the sudden shifting and chopping noises of one the printers sounded. Riku nodded in acknowledgment and sat into the office chair to mimic his father's movements. After a few minutes of comprehension, he had already printed ten papers.
"So now we decide on a wage. How does two dollars a page sound?" Sephiroth smiled. Riku turned so quickly, his neck popped in protest of the sudden movement.
While he rubbed his neck, he stared, awe stricken, at his father. "I thought this was a favor?" He inquired.
"Something like that. But as I was saying, two dollars a page, roughly ninety pages every two days, and they can be worked around your own schedule if you'd like." His father smiled warmly.
"Why… why are you doing this? You invite me for a drink, ask how I'm doing," Riku put emphasis on how preposterous the entire thing sounded, "and then offer me a job. Should I be scared?" His eyes widen with genuine fright.
Sephiroth laughed. "The only people who ask why should be doctors." He playfully slapped Riku on the back of the head.
"Now, since you've the hang of the work, I think it's about time to go home to resolve whatever it is you and this Axel character fought over. Wars aren't won by running away; at least, no wars I'm aware of." Sephiroth leaned over to shut the computer systems down.
"How'd you know..?" Riku stood.
"I did the same thing with your mother when we fought. Doesn't solve anything with a woman that zealous." Sephiroth explained jokingly.
"You're good at this life thing." Riku smiled and tossed his hair out of his eyes.
"I've lived a bit too much of it." His father replied. The two of them departed the large bedroom, and from the winding stairs, entered the foyer.
"Thanks… for being there, Father." Riku turned to face his father after slipping on his shoes.
Sephiroth slightly shrugged. "It was about time I started."
The two nodded in acknowledgement and Riku turned to leave. As the door softly clunked after him, he swiveled around in the cool air to gaze at his childhood home. Smiling softly to himself, he continued his descent down the long pathway.
"After all of that mushy stuff, the bastard didn't have the decency to drive me home." Riku chuckled to himself and ducked his head from the chilly breeze.
A soft patting sound was tiptoeing around his clouded mind. Warmth was spread suddenly onto his back. Riku's sea green eyes fluttered open slowly, his deep breathing still in tact.
"Shit, did I wake you?" A low tenor voice sounded to his left, and Riku began to incline his head towards it.
"Damn, I did. Well, I think it's about time you go to bed, Riku." Axel's warm voice trickled into Riku's hearing as his body continued to slowly reboot. Turning his head to the clock on the computer, he saw that it was well past three o'clock A.M. The, now, twenty-five year old stifled a yawn.
He had fallen asleep while multitasking his father's medical paperwork and his article for the newspaper due the next day. Turning to face his boyfriend, he smiled lazily, and stood to retreat to their bedroom for the night.
After switching off the lights and saving his files, Riku leaned his head onto Axel's shoulder. They walked across the cool penthouse floor.
"I don't understand why you still do your old man's paperwork. I mean, you are a journalist now." The fiery redhead wrapped an affectionate arm around the younger.
"I've owed him a lot. It's a favor I plan to uphold until otherwise." Riku's long eyelashes fluttered close to rest on his cheeks.
"If you're still doing all this for him, I suppose he's not the prick you built him up to be. Maybe that's 'cause you were such a teenager." Axel joked, opening the bedroom door.
"No, I suppose he's not all that bad, considering he's a Mordecai." Riku's voice was a near whisper, he was so exhausted.
"Then again, so are you."
Fin.
Soooo, believe it or not, this document was actually written two years ago! Well, I suppose you all can believe it, considering how awful I am with planning. But anyway, I found this on my old computer and thought,"Why the hell not?" And henceforth continued with it. Thanks to the help of my (unofficial) beta KitKatPyrophobia, this was all too possible between my time crunches and the production of my other story. (My first EVER Harry Potter story!)
Anyway, if you could be so kind to press that little button toward the bottom of this screen to review. Arigato Gozaimasu!