Chapter two

"What does Jack do?"

They were sitting around the table eating breakfast. Axel, once again scoffing at a rate of knots.

"He's a professional gambler and donates a lot to my projects"

"I bet he does."

"Axel, you've been living here for 2 days and think you can question Jack's suitability as a boyfriend and my lifestyle choices."

"No-one knows about him do they?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way. Also, please could you refrain from screaming certain things in the street. I'm trying to keep a low profile."

Riku watched Axel eat and looked him up and down

"You're so skinny, you obviously don't take care of yourself properly."

"Maybe I need someone to take care of me."

"And you think I'm going to do that?"

"You know he's not right for you. You could do so much better."

"I could? Who would that be?" Said Riku, already knowing the answer.

"Me."

"You have to be joking."

"Why not?"

"You'll have to do better than that."

"He's not around all the time is he and I am. You know where my room is if you get lonely."

Axel grinned, making Riku's stomach flop about uncontrollably. The problem was that he didn't know if the redhead was being serious or not. He was that sort of guy.

Can you be a sugar daddy at 24?

"What do you think you're doing Axel?" Riku didn't sound angry, just tired. He'd just got in from work and felt so drained.

Sephiroth had decided to retire early and had passed the company onto him. Not that Riku was annoyed about it, but it was extra work and late nights. Appeasing television executives seemed to be his job now, not restoring buildings and charity work. He'd been pulling all nighters for the past week.

Axel blowing on the back of his neck as soon as he had taken off his shoes and flopped on the sofa, still in his suit, was not the start of the evening he'd had in mind. A bit of TV, a bath and an early night suited him better.

There it was again, that warm air on the back of his neck. He shivered involuntarily. The instigator, taking it as a good sign started to massage his shoulders.

"What the fuck, Axel?"

This time Riku was angry

"I'm trying to seduce you and you're not making it easy"
"I've told you hundreds of times that I'm not interested"
"53 actually. I've seen the way you watch me Riku, when you think I'm not looking."

"Give up Axel."

There was no response, he'd gone and Riku didn't see him for the rest of the night he couldn't deny that he was a bit attracted. He was physically of course, but he barely knew the guy.

The next morning, Axel shuffled into the kitchen and made himself some toast like nothing had happened.

He sat opposite Riku who watched him from over the newspaper.

"What have you got on today?" he asked after a moments silence.

"Meetings and an interview with a design magazine. You?"

"I might do a bit of job hunting then visit my brother." His voice sounded bored, then he abruptly got up, crossed to Riku's side of the table and grabbed him by the lapels. "Actually, you're playing hooky this morning."

"I can't." Riku snapped

"Yes you can. We're going out for coffee, then to the park to play on the swings. I'll have you at the office by noon."

He grinned, it was infectious. Riku's heart skipped.

"You have til 12.00." He said grudgingly.

Axel pulled Riku up the stairs to his room and threw open his wardrobe.

"I've never seen such a boring wardrobe. What do you wear when you have fun?"

Riku pointed to a small and very sad looking section of casual clothes, hidden behind some coats.

"We are going shopping to get these clothes some company."

Axel pushed Riku out the door, hailed a cab to the neared mall and forced him to try on an insane amount of casual clothes, that Riku felt ridiculous in, but in which the redhead assured him looked hot. For some reason, Riku valued that opinion. He'd never allowed anyone to dress him before, but he was bowled along by Axel's sense of adventure and lack of responsibility.

He emerged from the mall in jeans, a t-shirt with a band name emblazoned on the front and a leather jacket. Everything was new, down to the underwear. His suit, stowed safely in a plastic bag, probably wrinkled to hell.

They took a cab to the nearest park and spent a few hours sitting on the swings and eating ice-creams. No-one was around. For that morning, Axel let him forget that he was famous and that he had an image to uphold. Guiltily, he didn't even think about Jack.

Paparazzi flocked to the house that evening, wanting to confirm the rumours that Riku was dating a tall redhead. They blocked the road and Riku had to close the curtains to block out the camera flashes

"Does this happen every time you do something out of the ordinary?" Axel sat on the arm of a sofa in the living room, watching the entertainment news. They were the main story and the newscaster was commenting on why Riku had not made a statement yet.

"Pretty much. Please turn the TV off."

"Just give them a statement. They will only speculate until you do."

"This is not how I wanted to come out to the public."

"How did you explain Jack?"

"A donator to the projects.

"Say that then."

"Can't I just stay in here till they go away?"

A loud bang on the back door got their attention. Only a few select people knew about that door.

"Shit, Jack."

"Don't answer it."

"Jack's my boyfriend, I have to let him in."

Riku crossed the kitchen and opened the door before it was pounded off it's hinges

"You left me for that? That skinny streak of of of nothing."

Riku had never seen Jack so angry. His eyed blazed. What Axel was, was obviously beyond words.

"It's not like that. He's not what you think he is" said Riku quietly

"A complete waste of space who does fuck all. I know you like projects Riku, I just thought you dealt with buildings not people."

Jack slammed the front door and left Riku speechless in the hallway

"Is that true?" Axel's voice was quiet.

"Of course it isn't"

"I'm not just another project?" The tone was suspicious

"No."

Axel smiled and beckoned Riku towards him with a crooked finger. He was ignored.

"Would you like to forget about him?" He said

The suggestion finally broke Riku from his disbelief. He shuffled over to Axel who pulled him forward to face him, arms wrapped around his body, forcing him close. Riku could see black intermingled with green eyes, he took a deep breath then kissed Axel hard. He tasted of tobacco, and mint toothpaste

"How would you do that?" He asked when they broke apart.

Axel grinned and let him go.

"Follow me upstairs and you'll think that he's figment of your imagination."

"Do you really think you're that good?

"'Ku, I know I'm that good" Axel said from half way up the stairs

Not wanting to turn down an invitation like that, Riku raced up the stairs behind him.

He'd make a statement later. They'd still be there hovering like vultures.

Mid afternoon, three months after Axel's arrival at the house and about a week after they had got it on, the doorbell chimed. Riku opened the door to a slightly older looking version of Axel in a suit with a long ponytail. Next to him stood a short brunette. They were holding hands.

"You must be Riku?"

"I am. Who are you?"

"Reno and this is my wife Yuffie. We're here to check on Ax, yo."

"Are you coming to take him away?" Said Riku loudly

"I heard that." Came a voice from deep inside the house."

"He won't eat properly, refuses to get a job and won't leave the sofa, but other than that he is his usual charming self."

Reno was through the door and down the corridor before Riku could invite him in. Yuffie mouthed sorry as the followed the redhead.

"Still a brat. Get your skanky ass up off that goddamn sofa and eat something." Reno bellowed as soon as he found Axel.

"Re? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Language Ax." Tutted Yuffie

"You too Yuff? You both here to gang up on me?"

"And please get dressed before I go blind."

"It's Riku's house and he doesn't mind."

"I could kick your ass in hundreds of different ways, never forget that."

"'Ku, did you call them?"

"Nothing to do with me."

"You're gonna be an uncle, so you'd better act like it."

"Holy shit." He said, getting up "The EMR of power must have been working over time."

Riku looked confused, but smiled when he noticed Reno and Yuffie look embarrassed

"Congratulations" He said to break the ensuing silence.