That day the day they had met Roland had realized that no matter how much he craved Vivani's caress his slightest of attention he could never be so fortunate as to earn even that. In Vivani's eyes no one shun as brightly as Fate and no one ever could.

Across from him watching tentatively from the bar with a glass as red as blood pressed against her lips Vivien watched Roland. He had that ominous look again dark and condemning yet passionate and heavy hearted. With all she had she wanted to comfort him but she couldn't allow for any misunderstandings. She loved fate and everyone else evenly and that aside she couldn't allow herself to feel more for him than she already had.

She took a last drink before leaving through the opposite entrance that Roland was ripping apart with his eyes. An ache pulsed in her chest to see him like that but there was nothing she could do to sooth him or was there?

In the Grandest room this side of the world could offer Riki gritted his teeth swallowing his screams of pain as one wave of agony passed after another giving him rough a few moments to breath before crawling through his stomach and back yet again. Behind him Iason glanced at his hands in Riki's grasp that he was not certain would be of any use to him when these terrible contractions passed through.

Hades dabbed as the beads of sweat that made themselves present in multitudes with each passing second. It had been over half an hour now but the pain had yet to subside. Apparently, Raoul was still caught in a crisis in the lab and could not as yet come to their immediate aid.

After an hour had crawled by Riki had finally fallen still, slumber being ever merciful took him swiftly. Iason let out a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding. With how things were now he wasn't certain if he was prepared to be a parent but he knew in full and well that at this point there was no backing out. Riki needed him and he wasn't about to let Riki go.

"Thank the stars," Hades exhaled sinking to the floor regardless of being in his master's presence.

Anything short of this and Iason would have been certain that the furniture wasn't human. The effects of sleepless night meeting Riki's needs were finally taking toll. Now that he thought about it he was actually quite grateful at this point to Raoul for Hades. He was stressed as it was with the few hours he had to spend with his pregnant lover, he could hardly imagine having to come to his beck and call twenty-four seven.

"I readied the bath and late dinner is set for another few minutes," Hades began getting to his feet and taking a used basin of water and towel with him, "please Master Mink leave Riki in my care. You have your own health to attend to and Orphe has asked me to remind you that you have a meeting with him at eight tomorrow," he bowed deeply as Iason laid his lover to bed before getting to his feet.

"What time exactly is it?" Iason questioned his fatigue like all else never reflecting affecting his stoic expression.

"I fear it is long past bedtime sir. It's after four in the morning," Hades stated checking the time on the multifaceted furniture bracelet he had on his wrist, "would you like me to push your schedule done by an hour sir?"

"No," his response was immediate as he sauntered passed the overly concerned furniture, "please bring something light to the study I'll have it there I might have to spend the rest of my leisure period there. I still have hundreds of documents to go through."

"But Master Iason its been over seven days without rest you have to at least have an hour-," worry filled eyes followed the immaculate figure across the room.

In so many ways he could see Riki reflected in those relentless eyes. The suggestive words, that gave a silent request or offered a subtle demand, paralleled well between the two. Though they were far from being alike certain characteristics had him thinking twice to be certain with whom he spoke.

"Everything must stay according to schedule. if I reveal any sense of faltering in my duties do you suppose Jupiter will respond well," Iason stated glancing back as Riki stirred ever so slightly causing them both to stiffen in worry only to continue on his way out the room when his deep sighs filled the room.

"And what of minor slips, lack of focus, the slight drifts in consciousness, when these accumulate then how shall Jupiter respond?" he surprised them both when he actually grabbed the Blondie's arm halting him with more strength than his small stature and fragile looks would convey no matter how hard you looked, "Riki is terribly worried look fuck worried he's scared shitless about you and the babies about what's happening in Ceres, what happened to Bison, What happened to guy. And it would take a fool not to be able to see why. He loves you enough never to want to lose you. Since you both died a year ago lest you forget your all he has." There was a fire in his eyes that threatened to do more than relay his thoughts in words, "I know you care for Riki in ways I probably won't understand but for now let your health be your first priority as a Furniture Riki's health is my life line."

For a moment Iason simply looked at the furniture not half as surprised if it would have been if he were someone else. His wide eyes actually filled with tears, the very sight pulling at emotions reserved for only one person. For once Hades pointed elven ears that anyone seldom made note of turned down in a genuine show of sorrow.

"Please if it's anything I could ever ask you to do it would be to consider yourself when considering Riki it's amazing how far you're willing to go but do you think he could stand to see you like this? If I am to be put to death by dawn for my insolence now, then at least remember that he's decided to have these children for you and for your love of Jupiter. If you happen to fall short to save him he will not hesitate once again to fall right alongside you."

"I know nothing of your past but the logs in the system data base have told me enough to fear for the both of your sakes," The tears ran free before he turned toward the kitchen, "I'll have something prepared by the time you've entered the bathe, I'll be there to help you prepare for bed and I will be pushing your schedule back by an hour. Master Riki whether he says it or not has grown tired of waking without you now. He knows you care but at this stage in the pregnancy he can't help worrying," he departed on that note.

Iason watched the subtle tyrant leave with an ache in his chest. The furniture was bolder than his subtle statements lead one to believe. What was he to do with him?

Keep him.

The answer was simple especially when it was rare to find furniture that didn't cower in his presence and spoke his mind regardless of the consequences. So Riki was worried and about others no less. Iason sighed as he headed to bathe. It was so rare that he ever did what he was told. But Hades had a point, he had already fallen asleep twice in his office and could hardly process anything he was told, having to go over the details of a meeting via the recordings taken that day. It was slow and almost nonexistent but he was getting sluggish.

Stripping down to his bares too tired to care less about where he threw what he sank into the warm bath that eased his tension immediately on contact. He wasn't sure when it started or how but soon enough he found himself lost in a world filled with mini minks appearing at every turn bombarding him with more affection than he couldn't begin to so much as process.