"What do you think?" The head chef looked at the bubbling sauce and asked the pint sized sous-chef who was busy licking some molten chocolate off a spoon.

"Umm..mowe sudar dada?" That's Niki's solution to almost all problems of the universe. The gorgeous chef shook his head. His son was yet to face an issue that sugary treats won't solve. He stole a surreptitious glance at his chocolate covered toddler and shook his head in fond exasperation. Perhaps giving your kid chocolate first thing in the morning wasn't a very good idea. His boy was already hyper with the sugar rush and there was no blue eyed beauty to help him.

Niki and sweets….it was a bond made in heaven..or in dada's tummy to be exact. His husband often lamented that his sugary cravings during first pregnancy was responsible for Niki's love for sweets. Heck, if it hadn't been for Tion and his perpetual worry of his son ending up toothless by the age of five…Niki would have married their sugar pot and emptied her on his wedding night.

"Finish your cereal Niks…gettin soggy.." Alex warned , still too immersed in the reddish gravy bubbling away. Didn't the spaghetti sauce looked a little off ? He sighed sadly. His husband's appetite was off and he was craving some spaghetti sauce. How difficult could it be…Alex had thought.

As it turned out ? Pretty difficult. Alex being himself had managed to make it look like witch's cauldron. Yuck.

"Quit it Nicholas!" errant little hands stilled before the cereals could meet their destiny in the waste basket.

"Yucky pa. No wanna have it!" whined the little boy making his father sigh . He wasn't really good at this stuff. His husband was the one who was the master in keeping order. But the morning sickness has been brutal this second time around and Alex didn't have the heart of waking up the tired man who had spent the entire last night clutching the toilet bowl.

"Just finish it Niks. You have playschool today…..don't you ?" Alex started arranging a little tray with his cauldron ..erm..spaghetti sauce, some water, a cup of steaming green tea with honey and prenatal vitamins. After pondering a bit, the golden haired man picked out a yellow rose from the flower vase and placed it on the tray as well…and gave a satisfied grin.

Not bad.

"Come on Niks..dada is waiting!" he called out before smiling wistfully. Millions of little memories came rushing in as he recalled all those times when Tion had taken care of him. If it hadn't been for this beautiful man, Alex would have gotten lost in a maze of revenge, hatred and anger..without any chance of getting out.

FLASHBACK

"I think we should call it a day Ale!" Hephaistion exclaimed at his partner who was typing away maddeningly on his laptop. He looked out of the window at the inky black sky and sighed. They had been at it since the noon and Alex was showing signs of stress.

He knew. The more tired Alex got, the more stubborn he became , as if he was willing to wage a war against his own body to achieve the impossible.

"Just a minute Tion!" answered the golden haired man without looking at his friend for the thousandth time.

"Alex..I swear…." but Hephaistion was promptly cutoff mid-speech.

"We have to win it Tion! I can't let Kas take it away from us!" Alex picked up the bottle of Gatorade from the bedside table took a few sips. The sight made the cyan eyed man cringe. Ever since Mr. Sanders of the Macroeconomics paper had made a fleeting comment about "Mr. Petros and his high flying ideas" in his last class a week ago, Alexander had been pushing himself to a break down.

Mr. Sanders had smirked knowingly at a red faced Alex before announcing the theme of their annual debate in the Economics department. "Is business ethics economical ?"

Sure enough he had divided eight of his brightest students into groups of two to fight it out . Hephaistion's heart started pounding rapidly when the theme was announced. It couldn't have been worse.

Over the years he had witnessed Mr. Phillip Petros taking the most unethical decisions in the name of profit. For him everything was made to yield profit. If it didn't..it simply had no right to exist. The fact that his only son refused to be a part of his 'plan' irked the man to no end.

For others it was just a debate. But Hephaistion knew too well. For his Alex , it was knew why their teacher did it. He wanted Alexander to excel. But all these 'well wishers' didn't always realize the toll it took on the young man already ravaged by his uncaring and ambitious family.

"Come on ..we are on the last stretch!" Alexander started to smile at his frowning mate when he felt the ground move…and he blacked out.

Hephaistion had guessed that something was awry even before it actually happened. He was by Alexander's side before his body touched the held the fainted man in his arms and guided him to the bed.

"Hey..hey..Alex!" cyan eyes went wide with repressed tension as nervous hands patted the clammy golden cheek. Then he reached for his mobile in his back pocket.

Alexander woke up to some hushed murmurs and to a God awful smell. He turned his face to other side to escape it and felt a familiar touch on his forehead.

"You gave us a scare boy!" Alexander's eyes jerked to his left to find Mr. Sanders and a young nurse from the student's health section holding some smelling salt. He felt a pull on his wrist and winced. Yes…there was an iv bag for sure . Someone sniffed near his head and Alexander was too scared to look.

"Tion ? I..I am really sorr…." The golden man sneaked a glance at his livid partner and winced. Tion presented an alarming picture indeed. Long tresses lying disheveled all over the shoulders, beautiful face marred with splotches of red from crying….and eyes barely concealing their untamed fury.

"I swear..one more sorry and you will be really sorry Alexander!"

Yikes! The blond man gulped nervously. Tion rarely 'full-named' him…and when he did , nothing good followed. It was usually accompanied with periods of icy silence, piercing glances and banishment from bedroom.

"I didn't really realize …." he tried imploringly

"You never do !" The cyan eyed man started pacing the room while everyone just stared on.

"You never do! What would I have done if something happened huh?" He glared at the lain man and glared..voice breaking with exertion.

"He is right Mr. Petros. Just as always you went overboard with your preparations ." The teacher finally broke the silence and offered his six pence.

The nurse shook her head.

"I want you to have a complete rest . You were dehydrated and the sugar levels were low…not to mention you are malnourished. Just rest and give those books a break."

The guests exited their room and Alex extended his both hands invitingly at the sulking man.

"Come on…you don't want to deny an invalid. Do you?"

Cyan eyes lightened with relief as their owner approached the bed.

"I will show you invalid.."

All of a sudden Alexander found himself with an armful of Tion. He inhaled the enticing curve of his neck and smiled.

"I am sorry to scare you Tion!" he murmured into his mates was silence for several minutes as frantic kissing ensued. The brunette placed his palm on Alexander's chest and lowered him on the bed. They laid together side by side .Limbs entwined and breaths touching in submission.

"When they couldn't wake you..I thought you were….."

"Hey? I am here " Alexander soothed. But all of sudden thoughts came rushing in and he started to panic.

"The debate Tion! We have to win!" Alexander started to panic and reach for the books. But he found his hands captive in Tion's.

"We will do it together Alex. We can conquer the world …what's in a measly little debate ?" The cyan eyed man murmured into his mate's nodded contentedly and closed his eyes.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Pa? Paaaaaa? I wer de pokemon teeshirt to kool?"

Alexander jerked as his senses returned to the present. He entered the bedroom armed with the tray with his little son in tow.

"It's school Niki and no..you look like a hooligan in that one!" someone answered on Alexander's behalf.

"Dat what I sayed dada!" Niki proceeded to jump on the bed and hug the stuffing out of his father who was studying some folders.

"Tion? Didn't I tell you to rest ?" The golden haired man looked royally pissed. His husband should be resting. But ever tried reasoning with this man?It was an impossible venture indeed.

"What does it look I'm doing? Carrying stones?" Tion smiled indulgently at his husband . His eyes widened as he took in the tray. Placing the files on the bedside table he extended his hands invitingly at his husband who blushed in return.

"It's spaghetti dada..!" Niki added from somewhere under his dada's arms.

"I can see that Niks..wow !" he picked up the yellow rose just as his husband expected.

"Don't worry. I am feeling better already. Now gimme..The little one is hungry." he looked excitedly at the tray garnering an eye roll from Alex who passed the tea to his brunette.

"When's the meeting ?" Tion asked as he sipped the tea. It was just the way he liked and soothed his weak stomach. This was the part he hated most about pregnancies. His normally healthy digestion took a nosedive.

"You are not going Tion!" Alexander spoke out by the way of answer. It was a crucial meeting of stake holders to decide the fate of one of their shipping division in Rio. It had been functioning since his grandfather's time and dealt mainly with old vessels. The excellent location of the unit has buzzed the stakeholders into action who want to 'get rid of the junkyard' as they eloquently put it and set up a new manufacturing unit.

The problem? While Alexander wanted to train the existing staff, the others wanted to get rid of them and hire new ones. Even Alexander as the head of the Petros shipping was finding it hard to silence the opposing voices. His major hope lay in one person. One who was the largest stakeholder of the firm and always made everyone see reason in these hostile meetings. His husband. Coming from a middle class background, Tion knew the agony of unemployment and always stood steadfast by Alexander's side when others refused to see reason .He was thankful for the day he begged his husband to take over his father's share after his death. Phillip Petros would never have approved it…but as it turned out his entry was godsend .

"You know we both have to be there Alex!" Tion whispered. He looked at his husband with eye full of hope and longing.

"Please?"

Alex huffed in exasperation. His husband had wrapped him around his little fingers without so much as trying.

"Ok. But promise me you will not stress!"

"I promise baby. Now get Niks dressed while I get ready.!" Tion passed the finished tray to his husband who smiled in return. As it turned out…the sauce was a success and Tion had managed to keep it down for once.

Alexander was waiting outside beside his silver Sedan. Niks was dressed and placed in his car seat. All he needed was his husband to appear. He frowned for a second before pulling out his iphone. Whatever his husband said..he was gonna make sure that he was comfortable. He speed dialed a number and waited.

"Hi Helga? "

…

"Is everything ready?"

…

"Yes..he is fine and coming with me."

….

"Yup..put up the digital no smoking sign where others can see." His husband was four months didn't care if others marked him as over protective, but he was not gonna let Tion sit in a room full of second hand smoke.

….

"Thanks sweety. No..not the lavender room spray. It makes him nauseous."

….

"Ummm..yeah. The sandalwood is fine. Put some extra cushions in his chair..you hear me?"

….

"Green tea will do. Nothing else."

"Thanks a lot dear. Bye!"

The call ended just in time to enable him to see a vision in white.

Pristine white suite with a blue tie. Lovely shining tresses adding to the charm of the beautiful face. Tion's belly was hardly visible beneath the finely tailored suit. The brunette walked up to the car and smiled at his husband. Talk about stealing someone's breath.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Nope…you did."Alexander buried his nose in that enticing curve of the graceful neck and was the scent of home. This was his world. His best friend…his philosopher..and his lover rolled in sun, moon and stars …and his sky.

"Come on! I am sure Helga has arranged my cushions already"

Blue eyes were shining with barely concealed mischief prompting a blush. Alexander looked like a kid caught with his hands in the cookie husband could read him like a book.

Lips met in a heated kiss but broke off at a childish huff.

"Dada? Pa? What you doin?" Leave it to Niks to ask silly questions..but the effect was instant. Tion blushed beet red and shook his head at his husband conspiratorially.

"Later!"

Alexander laughed.

They got into the car soon after. There was a lot to do. A kid to drop off in play school. A war to win. A world to conquer.

With Tion by his side…Alexander could accomplish all the three.

The car zoomed off in horizon.