Author's Note: Finals week is over and I wanted to post this for you guys. I know all of you have been waiting patiently for it, after all Lucius has appeared. I hope you enjoy and I want to thank all of you for your well wishes. It means a lot to hear them. I'm alright and so is my brother who was in the passenger seat. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 38: Boxes and Their Surprises

The kitchen was hopping as Claude began crafting the dish he knew would force his father to see him as more than just another chef. Claude smiled as he looked over at the raven haired patissier, the man seemed to have the same idea he did, he was crafting a dessert which he knew would honestly force them to see the world in which the chef lived. Sebastian seemed more than ready to demonstrate his skills in real life for his difficult father tow witness. Every movement of the patissier was times as though it were corresponding to a symphony, rapid and precise movements were executed with ease as Sebastian turned his attention to finish frosting a set of Petit Fours. Claude paused when he realized he had to bring out something his father wouldn't see coming, "Venison," he muttered as he wiped his hands on a towel and strode over to the cooler, it had been a long time since he worked with Venison.

Deer wasn't uncommon in New York, however he knew his father prided himself as a man with high tastes and standards, in his opinion venison was beneath him. Claude pulled a large piece of venison from the shelf, he had to finish cutting it up and as he did so he had to be careful. Unlike beef, goat and lamb, venison has a very low fat content, making the meat often tough and stringy if not marinated or prepared properly. Traditionally this toughness was one of the reasons why chef's avoided using deer, that and the connotation that it was meant for plebeians. It wasn't until recently that people learned of it's low fat content and began demanding it. As a result techniques for cooking the animal were developed which would ensure that the meat would be tender and moist, rather than dry and stringy. Claude pulled the piece out and proceeded to pull a large knife and fillet the meat himself. He hummed as he began putting flavors together in his head, each one of them was dancing on his tongue, tempting him, teasing him and all he could do was grin.

Once the venison was cut he turned his attention to gathering the rest of the ingredients, he needed several things which would tie the dish together and smiled deviously. His feet were gliding across the floor as he began to list everything he needed, "Butter, red wine, Shallots, Gastric, Hazelnuts, sugar, white bread crumbs, butternut squash, white port, turnips, white vinegar, semolina polenta, mascarpone, agar, carrots, sheet mizuna and finally trumpets," he said simply. After a moment he had everything he needed and made quick work of preparing the food. Claude pulled a skillet and began to roast the venison fillets he had just made, he slowly seared the sides of it and watched carefully to ensure that the center still remained a signature pink. By searing the sides he was able to control the amount of moisture in the meat. It was a common practice when making a roast to sear the edges and then placing it in the oven. He stared at the grease at the bottom of the pan and smiled, it was just enough to make the reduction.

Once the fillet had been seared he turned his attention to the reduction. In a saucepan on the range Claude added the juice from the fillets and began to add the red wine to it. The air smelled of the elegant bouquet from the merlot and the venison as he brought the pot to a simmer and began to add both the stomach as well as a little salt and pepper. His fork moved smoothly through the reduction as he allowed it to thicken slightly. He dipped the fork into it and examined how it was coming along. He turned his attention to the second part the hazelnut praline. Praline by definition were a sweet candy, which were often made using sugar syrup and nuts, however Claude was going to use it to bring out the earthiness of the venison. It was a bold move one in which he was quite tempted to have Sebastian craft the base, however, he came to the realization that the Patissier had more than enough to do. This recipe wasn't like the one he learned in school, it was his own, a clever dish which would cause the senses to explode and the guest to question his judgment on such a piece of meat.

His hands seemed to move on their own as he made the familiar candy base, it seemed as though the pieces to the puzzle were simply falling into place, rather than apart. He hummed as he thought about what his father's expression would be like. It would certainly be one to remember. Claude chuckled at the thought as he added the chopped hazelnuts into the pot and watched the concoction thicken. William walked into the kitchen and paused before Claude, "Is that?" he asked curiously. Claude chuckled as he began spreading all of the ingredients between two sheets of parchment, "Surprised?" he asked curiously. Claude's long slender fingers took the sheets covered with the reduction and praline and wrapped them around the fillets with grace. "Very," replied William smoothly, Claude could feel the sommelier's eyes on him, this wasn't the first time the man was shocked by him and certainly wouldn't be the last. Claude placed each piece on a rack which was nestled in a deep pan. He had the oven up to temperature already and was going to love the result, the goal was lock in the flavor and cook the meat but not kill it. One of the most difficult things to do while broiling the meat was to avoid killing the venison, it was already dead to begin with, and in all honesty he wasn't interested in killing it twice.

After placing the tray in the oven he rubbed his hands together and grabbed the shallots. He could remember the first time cooking with shallots in college, the French used shallots differently than most cultures. They desired to incorporate them into a dish, not just for color but over all flavor. The first and most irritating step was blanching; while it was essential to remove the skin which covered them he honestly found the process tedious. Blanching involved taking the shallot and dipping it in boiling water for a few seconds to loosen the skin. Once the skin was loose peeling was far easier. He smiled as he continued cutting the 9cm lengths and then proceeds to take each of the white slivers and slicing them even thinner. His silver knife glistened in the harsh light as it slipped through the white flesh of the shallot. His golden eyes were trained on how thick the slivers were, he intended to roll them together and craft long white shallot rolls. Dining in French cuisine was an art which required the use of the five senses, sight being aesthetically the most important. Claude himself was known for a clean presentation with a crisp finish in taste. Once he finished slicing them he poured white vinegar into a container he also added a touch of port and . Once this was done he picked up parsley and chopped it quickly, the sound of a knife hitting the cutting board filled the kitchen as he made quick work of chopping them. He drew a deep breath as he began chopping the butternut squash, time was of no concern as Claude continued his march forward. Once done he used the vinegar as a way to hold the shallots and the parsley together. He picked up the white stacks and began to roll them so they became long cylinders.

He smiled as he began crafting the polenta sheets for the base of the dish. Polenta may be Italian in origin, however it would be just the right thing to give the venison a base and the whimsical shallots some depth. All polenta started the same, porridge, this was the simplest part of the dish, he smiled as he began mixing semolina polenta, mascarpone, agar, butter, salt, chopped shallots, and trumpets. Once he managed to get the concoction to head evenly in a pot on the stove he smiled as he watched it turn into a dough like substance. His eyes glanced up to Sebastian who was leaning on a glass slab on his table, Claude looked around curiously and then it occurred to him, he had nothing to roll the dough out on before he cut the sheets. Claude picked up the pot and sauntered over to the Patissier who was folding another puff pastry dough. "May I?" asked Claude tentatively, he may had been head chef but this was the domain of a patissier, and he had no interest in irritating the man. Sebastian looked up and smiled before reply, "Please," with a smile.

Claude grinned happily as he covered the table top with two large sheets of parchment on his side. Shocking dough of any kind was bad, however this table was perfect for what he was about to do. In moments he was spreading the mixture between the two sheets, and proceeded to pick up a knife. The silver blade of the knife sliced through the pages with ease as he cut rectangular piece. "You did that rather well for a normal chef," remarked Sebastian. Claude looked up to see the smile that was tugging at the corner's of the raven's lips. Internally he shivered, it was that small smile that he found unbelievably sexy. Despite everything he knew about Sebastian's past and the darkness inside his life, that sexy as hell half grin got him every time. Claude smirked and replied, "Thanks, and you don't do too bad yourself, second rate," he said teasingly before picking up a knife and cutting rectangular piece to fit under the dish. All that was left were the carrot laces and the apple jelly balls to place on top of the shallot roll.

Claude strode over to Hannah and siphoned out some of the carrot puree, she glared at him furiously, which he ignored. As far as he was concerned Hannah could learn from this, he covered the top of the table in wax paper before he finished adding ingredients to the puree which was sitting in a silver bowl. A copious amount of butter was added to the base as well as a touch of flour and water to keep it moist yet firm. Claude pulled a golden spoon from his pocket and dipped it into the mixture, it hovered a breath above the parchment before Claude flicked his wrist harshly. The bright orange mixture fell to the paper harshly as the spider began to craft his webbing. Claude grinned mischievously as he created three beautiful bright orange lace patterns on the paper. His golden eyes never left the steady stream of carrot puree which was falling effortlessly from the spoon. He placed the spoon off to the side and allowed for the laces to stiffen a touch before gently peeling them off of the paper. By that time the pieces of venison were done and he was at the oven, all he had left was to assemble.

Lucius had always been one for good food, but never making it, only eating it. He could remember the day he told his father what he actually wanted to do with his life, his father went ballistic, which wasn't anything new in Claude's world. Especially after the disaster in High School when he told his father he was gay, naturally the man panicked for his financial legacy not having a grandson. Claude attempted to explain to the man that he could always adopt, however, his father seemed to have gone deaf in his rage, honestly Claude thought it was from the sound of the man's yelling. Nimble fingers untied each of the fillets, they had a beautiful caramel colored coating on the outside that was crisp while the inside remained a little pink, it was just as it should be. Claude placed one of the polenta sheets on the plate and then added a touch of the reduction, before placing the fillet on top of it. The shallot roll came next as well as the apple jelly tufts and finally the carrot lace, with a little mizuna tucked inside of the cone which rested against the fillet. All that was left was the reduction, he could feel eyes on him as he added the reduction to finish the presentation. Several large dots of the burgundy red sauce were added to the plate, they stood out boldly against the stark white plate. "Knox," he shouted after he finished plating.

His eyes were trained on the blond as he walked over to Claude and picked up the plates. Now all he had to do was wait. If there was one thing he knew about his father, it was that the man never left a restaurant before criticizing the chef.

~~xXx~~

Ronald strode onto the floor smoothly, a pair of golden eyes locked on him as he walked over, they were filled with irritation. Ronald smiled as he brought over the plates, "The Special for tonight," he said with a smile. There was silence as he placed the plates before them. Lucius stared at the fillet hesitantly. His eyes were locked on the elegant presentation, he hadn't seen something this coherent in a long time. The orange from the lace and green from the Mizuna brought life to the plate, as well as the soft yellow of the jelly. With a knife in hand he slipped into the piece of what he thought was, it was surprisingly tender and cut as though it were made of butter. Yet it didn't smell anything like beef, Ronald was about to leave when Lucius commanded, "Wait." Ronald merely nodded and stood hesitantly as Lucius slipped the piece of meat into his mouth. Golden eyes widened as the Faustus patriarch came to the realization that it wasn't beef on his plate.

"This is delicious," gushed Victoria as she cut another piece and slipped it into her mouth, "So tender, it's not beef thought what is it?" Lucius swallowed the piece and stared at the plate, the sweetness from the coating around the meat gave it dimension and texture, as the bitterness of the sauce contrasted it. Tari who had been taking his time enjoying the bottle that had been presented now turned his attention to the meat. His cold grey eyes narrowed as he sliced into it and popped the square piece into his mouth. The Sommelier purred as he chewed, once finished he chuckled and grinned with glee, "My dear, this is venison," he stated. Victoria's eyes went wide as she looked at the plate, Lucius knew why, it was the one meat he wouldn't eat. It wasn't the principle of eating a deer which annoyed Lucius, but the texture, it was always tough and stringy, yet this melted in his mouth. He placed his knife and fork down and looked Ronald in the eye. He had no idea what to say, the meat was perfect, moist, succulent and well executed.

"Is it not to your liking sir?" asked Ronald after a moment. It was only then that he realized he had the attention of the entire table and those around him. He shook his head and replied, "No, it's perfect," his voice was distant in sound as he picked up his utensils and continued with his meal. The entire time, he was lost in thought as he wondered how his son of all people could craft such a phenomenal dish. "Its wonderful with the wine, I thought merlots were ideal?" asked Victoria as she cut into the shallot roll. Tari hummed and shrugged before replying, "They are, but occasionally you'll see this one very special bottle of wine, one that has matured in a very dark place for a long time. A bottle that even though it has the potential to be better, a certain Sommelier has selected because it's a reminder of times past, of times when the world was a far better place," he explained. Lucius could see Spears standing at the table by them, a grin of triumph curved the man's lips as he explained the bottle he had selected.

It wasn't until then that he realized Ronald was still waiting to be released, "You may go," he said softly to the waiter. The blonde bowed respectfully before vanishing from view, leaving the man to his thoughts and the dish before him, the one which he never thought he would like.

~~xXx~~

Victoria glanced over to Lucius who had fallen silent since the main course, she was shocked to see that Claude had selected venison, but didn't understand Lucius' reaction. It were as though the man had seen a ghost, it had been half an hour since then, oddly the conversation with Monsieur Tari was more stimulating than she thought possible. She was shocked however to learn an interesting fact, not only did Tari know William and Ronald, but he knew Claude and the Patissier as well, he had even heard of the bartender named Alois. "You're telling me that you know most of the staff here?" she asked curiously. Tari nodded as he cradled another glass of wine between his stubby fingers, "Oui, mind you I met them at different times," he explained. Her green eyes widened as she looked at him in confusion. "Please explain," she begged. Tari chuckled, it was a deep sound and his smile quickly became infectious. "Where to begin," he commented as he looked over at the proud Sommelier. "Do you know what the term 'Bottle Shock,' means in our industry?" he asked curiously. She shook her head as she looked at the bottle on the table. "Bottle shock is the separation of flavors, which occurred right after the wine is bottled or when it's transported a great distance. This is caused by the sulfur dioxide which is put in the bottles during the bottling process. It will also occur when the wine is transported a great distance," he explained with ease, "such as over an ocean. It takes a few weeks to clear up."

She hummed as she understood the explanation however she failed to see how this involved the parties the man claimed to know. "The proud Sommelier wasn't always like that, William was far more stubborn and actually more French than English, if you can believe it," commented Tari with a note of amusement. Victoria looked at the tall man dressed in the elegant suit and then to the blonde, "What happened?" she asked curiously. Tari grinned, as he looked down his nose into the glass of Simi, "Quite a bit," he replied, "William was going to lose his shop in Paris, so he took a gamble, one which cost him practically everything." Tari was silent as he swirled the wine in the glass, he didn't seem keen on telling her more about the man, even though it puzzled her. Tari was one of the foremost critics in his circles, however, so was William, she simply couldn't wrap her head around the fact that someone as young as William was among the top ranked. "And the waiter?" she asked after a moment.

Tari sighed as he shifted a little in his seat, "Ronald Knox, his father owns a vineyard, actually," he paused and looked at the bottle and chuckled, "He owns the very vineyard where this chardonnay was bottled." Victoria's mouth popped open as she gaped at the bottle, that mean the kid had money, and yet he worked as a waiter. "I don't know much else about him, other than his father has every intention of leaving the young man the vineyard in New York." Victoria glanced over at the blonde waiter who spoke brightly and was rather professional. "How come he isn't the sommelier?" she asked. Tari shrugged, it didn't seem to even be within his realm of knowledge.

"How about Sebastian and Claude?" she asked after a moment. As soon as the question left her lips she noticed Lucius stiffen out of the corner of her eye. "You just said the two most famous names in France, Michaelis, and Faustus. Everyone sought after them once they graduated, they were the favorite children of the cuisine world," he explained, "but you won't find the right chef under Faustus, the one with the awards is Fairchild, however they're one in the same." Lucius paused and looked at Tari, "You know my son?" he asked curiously. Tari hummed and nodded, "I know both your son and Michaelis, they are quite the pair. This place," he gestured to to the room around him with the glass in his hand and looked at the ornate ceiling, "It was so cold before they arrived, Claude was first and then Sebastian," he replied. Tari smiled as he looked at his plate, "Imagine my surprise when I went to Le Cordon Bleu and saw William perched near the one and only Claude Fairchild, a young chef who had more skill than any other in Paris. He was dazzling critics before he even graduated," Tari explained.

Victoria looked at him curiously, "Why was he so famous?" she asked as she glanced toward the kitchen doors which housed the chef himself. Her green eyes never left the doors as she imagined the chef working with his head over the stove and shouting orders to other chefs and cooks in the room. "Simple, he was the first to use techniques and combine other cultures with French food, his style bold flavor and ability to capture an emotion in dish was unsurpassed. Even during his dark years he was still the best," Tari explained. A hand raked through the brown hair of Lucius Faustus, a nervous tick which Victoria had noted and often chided him for. "Tonight his flavors are screaming one thing," Tari stated with ease as he leaned back in his seat and looked directly at Lucius, cool gray eyes met seething gold as he continued, "He has not intention of backing down, or giving in."

Lucius snorted before looking down his nose at the plate, "This dish was good, however how do I know he made it?" he asked with irritation. Tari's grey eyes narrowed as his steel brows lifted, "You can't believe that, I doubt anyone else in that kitchen was even allowed to know you are here, we haven't had contact with any other employees, excluding the Sommelier and Head Waiter, we haven't even met the manager or owner of this place," Tari observed and shook his head. Victoria stared at the man, it was the truth, she was so accustomed to the owner immediately introducing themselves that she didn't realize she hasn't met them. "I don't care what you think, I really don't think my son has that kind of skill," he stated with irritation in his voice. Veronica's lips parted as she was about to say something when the Head Waiter appeared practically out of no where. "Is everything alright?" he asked smoothly. There was a pause as they looked at him, she made a mental note to suggest that Knox wear a bell, he was so quiet it was frightening.

"No," Tari said flatly.

"Yes," shouted Lucius with a hint of aggravation.

Knox smirked and looked at the pair before asking, "Which is it? Yes or No?" Tari held back a chuckle as he looked at the sparkling eyed Head Waiter, snickers could be heard from the surrounding tables. "I don't believe my son cooked this," he spat the word 'son' as though it were vile and didn't belong on his tongue. There was a murmur thought the room and Victoria watched the waiter smile kindly as he held his hands behind his back, he turned to face Lucius slightly and it was then she noticed that he was holding up his middle and pinky fingers behind his back. His wrist clasped the hand which was making the signal and she glanced over to see a nod from the dark haired Sommelier, she smiled at the ingenuity of the signals, she hadn't see that kind of idea used on the floor before. "Why?" asked Ronald simply, his voice was even and he didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable. Lucius sighed and sneered, "Simple, he has a business degree there's no way in hell he could ever cook like that."

Ronald was quiet and smiled before asking, "Mister Spears, do you think it would be at all possible to show them the kitchen?" Victoria stared at the pair, the Sommelier didn't even make a sound, it was as though the pair had ESP. It wasn't until then that she noticed a silver ring on a certain finger on the Head Waiter, as well as the Sommelier, the bands were identical. She smiled to herself as she looked at the beautiful and wave like vines on both bands, there was no way that their bride's just happened to choose the same bands. She nudged Tari and whispered, "They're together aren't they?" The question in itself made the man smile before he winked at her and looked at the pair. "Allow me to speak the Head Chef first," William stated simply. Ronald nodded and looked at the table, "Naturally, I will return momentarily," he stated as he glided off to another table. William pivoted on his heel and strode toward the only barrier between the kitchen and the floor, those beautifully polished dark mahogany double doors.

~~xXx~~

"CHEF!" shouted William over the clamor, since the dish had left his hands there were several other orders of the special. Which didn't bother Claude, it meant he could enjoy making the dish and spend a little more time being involved in his food, rather than with everyone else's. Claude and Sebastian's heads shot up, only for William to stride toward Claude, "We have a problem," he stated briskly. Claude's golden eyes fell on the man's grass green ones and he sighed before turning his attention to the reduction he was crafting, "What?" he asked curtly as he continued stirring it, the consistency was just right. "Your father doesn't believe you made the dish and wishes to come into the kitchen," stated William bluntly. Claude's eyes widened as he released the fork and watched it clatter to the floor, his eyes were wide for a moment with shock before narrowing dangerously. "He what?" Claude roared, he knew his grasp on his temper was slipping it was only a matter of time before any and all control he had disappeared entirely.

William placed a hand on Claude's shoulder, "You chose," he stated. Claude looked at them and stared before wondering just what to say. His eyes slid across the room to Sebastian, the Patissier's red eyes met his golden ones. He watched the chef intently as the Patissier set down his edge and gave a firm nod, "Alright, invite his entire party, they have to stay off to the side away from this end of the kitchen, I don't want anyone burned," Claude replied, "Grab a few hats, they have to wear them in here and they aren't allowed to touch anything." William smiled a little and nodded. Claude couldn't understand why he had just agreed to doing such a thing but he did. He picked up the fork and tossed it in the sink before looking at the dish he was working on. He drew a deep breath as he tipped his head back and whispered, "Hold it together." After a moment he managed to recompose himself and turned his attention to the rest of the chefs, "Timber! Check those other reductions, lay off the salt," he chided.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched the door open as a party of three entered his domain. He was about to greet them when he noticed Hannah staring at a pot strangely. In moments he was off to see her, "What's wrong?" he asked smoothly she looked over her shoulder at him and replied simply, "I have no idea." Claude hummed as he looked at the pot of what now looked like mush. "Okay," he said as he clapped his hands together, ignoring all of the looks he was receiving as he launched into chef mode and began fixing the mess which had been made. It wasn't the years of training which defined him, but his ingenuity, "No, add this," he stated as he grabbed a little flour and butter, "You need to make a stiffer rue, any decent cream sauce starts at the rue," he stated, "We've been over this." Out of the corner of his eye he noticed someone shift and brushed it off. "Yes chef, however it keeps burning," she pointed out. Claude reached over the burner and turned down the heat before picking up the pot and quickly stirring the butter and flouer together, "Grab the milk powder as well as the cheese and basil," he directed. Hannah dashed across the room and opened the spice room. Her hands were wrapped around the canisters and a container of parmesan. "Good," Claude stated as he began adding each thing slowly, "I need milk," he stated, "Butter milk preferably." Hannah looked at him quizzically. Claude slowly added the butter milk and began whisking it together, "Butter milk has a higher fat content but the fat in the milk gives the sauce a velvet texture, smooth and lush and not too thin," he replied as he continued to whisk the sauce rigorously. He placed the pot on the burner and looked at Hannah, "Watch it so it doesn't curdle," he directed before sliding to meet with Thompson, "Show me what you've got," he commanded as he looked at the sauté pan. "Nice, cooked and just a little color, not dead," he remarked.

The door swung open and Ronald shouted, "Four Special Orders!" his voice carried through the kitchen and the three in the corner stared at the blonde. A smile tugged at Claude's lips, "Got it!" He watched the plates leave the waiting shelf with perfect timing, it was a beautifully oiled clock, even though there were minor issues, there was one thing in common, they were all fixed by him. The only chef without an issue was Sebastian, the Patissier operated in his own sphere, and did so with grace. He was nothing like the other chefs, he was self reliant and skilled. Practically perfect.

~~xXx~~

Lucius was sitting on Sebastian's side of the kitchen, his eyes were wide with wonder as he watched his son. Claude had total command of the kitchen, every aspect of it was under his control, he managed to operate it better than he could run a board meeting or his company. "Impressive, isn't it?" asked a voiced beside them. Lucius' head snapped to where the voice emanated from, he found himself looking a pair of gorgeous red eyes the color of merlot. "Sorry?" asked Lucius as he blinked a few times, he had seen beautiful women, but nothing like this man. His pale nearly translucent skin with noble cheek bones, his face was soft yet there was an air of strength apparent. "Claude, he runs a tight ship," Sebastian commented as he turned his attention once again to a bowl which was filled with a thick white substance. He held the bowl in his arm as he used a large silver whisk to fuse the ingredients together. Lucius turned his attention to the slender and skilled fingers of the Patissier.

While his son's side of the kitchen was loud and quick, this side was soothing and tranquil. It was as though they didn't even exist in the same place, let alone the same restaurant. He slowly gazed at the counter at the countless treats which were lined up, each in a fluted cup, pristine and perfect. Sebastian lifted the whisk from the bowl and looked at the firm point which stood on top of it. He hummed in satisfaction as he pulled various other bowls from the walk in, "He does, I wouldn't expect anything else," his father stated. Sebastian nodded absently as he began layering ingredients, first came a layer of geele, it was a slightly tan hughe which made him wonder quietly what it was. Once the layer was down he took a spoon full caramel which smelt of coriander, as well as Pistachio Jaconade and Pistachio Halva, with a touch of roasted pistachios. Lucius golden eyes were locked on her as he watched Sebastian's hands move. "I see, so you expect him to be clean cut, see clearly and always in command, never breaking the rules and always following convention," asked Sebastian as he took the whisk and scooped out some of the white cream that smelt faintly of citrus, orange was Lucius' best guess. "Of course, it's what he's expected to do," Lucius stated pointedly.

The Patissier looked at Lucius and sighed, "You really don't see it do you?" he asked as he looked at Lucius again. The man stared at Sebastian and noticed how Monsieur Tari and Victoria were now watching the Patissier. Sebastian hummed before sighing with a hint of defeat, "I've never been good with words," he admitted as he placed the stacked plate aside and held up his finger for a moment, "Hang on," he said after a moment as he walked across the kitchen, a straight line through the madness which surrounded Claude. It was as though the chaos around him wasn't even occurring, he was simply striding through. Sebastian vanished from view for a moment and Lucius took it upon himself to look at the small plated desserts. Ronald arrived after a moment and picked up the plates, not once did he question where the chef was, he simply picked up the order and left. Sebastian returned a moment later and pulled three white rectangular plates.

Lucius watched as Sebastian took a mold and held it upside down on the plate, gently pressing the top of it so that the cube was released from the mold's vice like grip. Resting on the white plate was a perfectly white cube, it was clean and simple, straight lines and sharp corners, conventional and yet not. The Patissier pressed out two more of these cubes before picking up a spoon and dipping it into a thin looking black sauce. Once the sauce was on top of the cubes and on the plates, they were placed before the three who had found themselves at Sebastian's mercy. The dessert itself looked like a work of modern art, clean cut and monochrome. A silver spoon was held out to him between those very same fingers which had assembled the dish. "Enjoy, and hopefully this will make more sense," he stated. Lucius hesitantly took the fork and looked at the cube.

He slowly brought the spoon down on the cube and with a little pressure forced the fork to break the shell. His eyes widened as the corner of the shell snapped and the cube's contents spilled out, oranges, greens, reds and a beautiful white were seen falling from the sterile cube and only now did he realize he was watching Sebastian prepare this dessert. Lucius scooped up the contents with the spoon and brought it to his lips, only then to realize what he had just tasted. His eyes widened as he looked at it. The cream was a orange and apricot yogurt based cream, it was slightly heavy but not too. The cream allowed for the nuttiness of the pistachio to come out, gently caressing his taste buds while it was accented by the earthiness of sesame seeds from the black sauce, and the sweetness of sake from the geele. All of this had been wrapped in the sweet white casing of white chocolate. "You see, it's not about the look, it's all about what's inside that counts," said Sebastian. He smiled as he leaned against the table, Ronald looked at the desserts quizative before sighing and walking out with them.

"You see, Claude and I break convention, his daring use of venison tonight and my modern dessert," he stated simply as he crossed his arms and took a breather for a moment. "His work is about flavor, ingenuity and bold ideas, I can't name a single chef in the world with his skills and talents," Sebastian stated with a smile as his eyes fell on the Head Chef. There was silence in the kitchen for a moment, Lucius was reveling in the taste of the dessert, "It would be a shame to lose him," Sebastian stated.

~~xXx~~

The night concluded with the completion of a slew of both the Chef's special and Patissier's Special. Sitting on three stools were Lucius, Victoria and Tari, all of them staring at the chefs who were cleaning their stations and leaving for the night. Hannah and the triplets had left, leaving Ronald, William, Claude and Sebastian in the kitchen. Sebastian had stripped his black jacket and was standing in jeans and the black tee. His hands were in the sink as he continued to wash dishing, his hair was out of the hat and seemed to be slightly messier than usual. He could feel the three looking at him, which he was slowly getting irritated with, he didn't think the dish was that revolutionary, although he had been asked out to the floor tonight more than any other. All compliments over the little white cubes, it was anything but traditional, yet it was well received. Sebastian sighed as he finished clean his edge and moved to cleaning the various metal tips he used while frosting.

The doors opened again and Sebastian glanced over his shoulder to see Claude entering the kitchen again, "It appears there will be another review in the paper tomorrow, Saint Claire was here tonight, apparently both Special Orders were well received," Claude stated as he shrugged, it had become a small fact that whenever the pair decided to do anything unique and unusual it usually turned out well. "Oh, that's nice," replied Sebastian as he continued washing, a smile tugged at his lips again. He liked seeing people enjoy his work, however the reviews were slightly irritating. Each and every time the emphasized his skills and techniques, he couldn't wait for it to die down after the competition, he wouldn't be called out to the floor as frequently. He heard a girlish giggle and turned to see Victoria wrapping her arms around Claude's abdomen, the chef stiffened instantly and gently pried her hands away from his person. "Claude, you were fab," she cooed. "Thank you," he replied stiffly as he turned his attention to his knives.

"It was impressive," Lucius began before stiffly adding, "son." Once again it sounded as though the man were struggling with the concept of calling the only other person on the planet who shared his DNA his son. Sebastian sighed as he rolled his eyes, the man was thick, at least Claude had a father, even if the man was a pain. "Thanks," Claude replied sharply as he examined each of the blades and then tucked them away in the black knife bag. Tari nudged Lucius in the side which made the man grumble before adding, "You were more than impressive, the entire event was wonderful, thank you," he said earnestly. Claude paused and looked at his father, there was a mixture of disbelief and awe in them. "Thank you," Claude said slowly, hesitating slightly before continuing on to say, "I'm glad you came."

Lucius nodded and silence filled the kitchen once more, Monsieur Tari seemed far more keen on listening than actually commenting, which Sebastian found odd. Tari was the king of Sommelier who always had a comment, for him to not have one was rare, then again it was a bit tense in the kitchen. "Ah, that is Victoria Rockwell, she's the daughter of a business associate of mine," Lucius explained as the brunette smiled at Claude and touched his arm with her hand. Instantly Claude recognized what was happening, "No, father we have been through this," he stated harshly as he shrugged her hand off his arm. "I'm not interested in her," replied Claude. Lucius looked annoyed, his face was turning slightly red and his golden eyes narrowed, "She's good for business," Lucius stated harshly. Claude simply crossed his arms and leaned on the counter. "Oh? and after the deal, what do I do with her? Divorce I don't think so," he hissed angrily.

Lucius' jaw clenched as his golden eyes took on the same dangerous gleam as Claude's, they were undoubtedly related. "You don't have a choice," barked Lucius, his volume rising as his fury followed it. Claude groaned as he rubbed his temples with one hand, "It's my life and I will do with it as I damn well please," he hissed as he continued to rub his temple in a circular motion, his golden eyes closed and Sebastian could tell that the man was in for a wicked migraine. "I will not have my company fall, all because my son would rather play chef," spat Lucius. There was dead silence in the room as Claude's eyes snapped open, "Play?" asked Claude dangerously, the word took on a new edge as he said it. "Play? You think this is a game?" he asked harshly, Sebastian watched Claude stand at his full height, his golden eyes were filled with fury as he spoke. "Yes I do, I think this is you running away," said Lucius.

Claude growled, "I am not running away, this is my life. If I were running, I wouldn't have made your dinner, I would have told William to have you removed from the premises." Lucius laughed darkly, it was a sound that caused Sebastian to drop the pan which he had been washing and his hands shake. That cold and detached laugher was so much like His. Sebastian wrapped his arms around himself and squeezed his arms, he knew that Father Francis wasn't with them, however he couldn't shake the feeling. "You wouldn't," replied Lucius haughtily. Claude hummed and snorted before stating, "I would."

Lucius wrinkled his nose with disgust before looking at Victoria, "She's perfect, in breeding and temperament, take her as a bride, that's the least you can do for me," he barked. Sebastian had enough, he had had it. He spun on his heel and marched toward Claude, his eyes were narrowed and everyone in the room stared at the slender chef as he stopped before Claude and looked at him, irritation and pain were in his eyes. "Sebastian?" asked Claude softly as the Patissier's fingers slipped around the corner of the wire frames and tugged the lenses off of his face, "Se-" before the chef could finish he felt a pair of soft lips brush against his own.

They were supple like silk but sweet and hot, the three sensations were driving him insane. His eyes flutter closed as he felt Sebastian's fingers twist in his hair, gently tugging at his thick black locks. Claude could feel Sebastian's wet tongue slide over his lips begging for entry. The Head Chef felt his blood sing and his body began to act on it's own. One of his hands looped around the man's waist, crushing the slightly smaller chef to him to ensure that no one would take the raven from him. Their groins touched as he did so, eliciting a moan from the eager raven. Claude slipped his tongue into the Patissier's hot cavern, he took control of the kiss. His long skilled tongue caressed every inch of the delectable Patissier's mouth, their tongues tangled as his other hand slipped into Sebastian's hair and relished how silky and fine it was. Lust clouded the man's judgment as he clutched the slender hips of the Patissier and admired the man's trim waist, his fingers tugged at the waistband of the man's jeans. The kiss transformed from a tender to motion to a harsh and aggressive one, something which showed possession and passion. The pair were hungry, starving for skin as Claude's hand slipped under Sebastian's shirt and he flattened his palm against the soft skin beneath it. Claude had lost himself as his senses took over, he couldn't think, the clever raven had stolen his ability to do so when he had snatched Claude's glasses. It took a moment for them to finally come up for air, his chest was heaving, his mind fogged with lust, his lips burned from the kiss and craved more of that sinful fire, and his hands itched to remove every article of clothing then and there. The pair were still flush to one another as Claude gently tucked one of Sebastian's bangs behind his ear.

Golden orbs met glassy crimson ones, and for a second they knew just what the other was thinking. Claude chuckled as he looked up at his father and wrapped his arms protectively around Sebastian. "I will tell you now, as I have told you before, I like men and I have managed to catch my Raven," he stated sternly, "I refuse to marry a woman. I love him." Those powerful words vibrated through Claude's chest and he felt the Patissier grip him even harder and nuzzle into his chest. "I refuse, it's Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve," shouted Lucius, "You are a-" There was a loud clatter as a pan slammed into the floor. "I think it's wonderful, and if you say disgrace Lucius I may just back out of the deal," Victoria threatened, "Claude has a partner, you should never try to break them apart, ever." Lucius paled visibly, if there was anything the man couldn't tolerate it was the prospect of losing money. Clearly Victoria was going to hang this over him, to the point that he would have to side with her. Lucius was silent before he turned on his heel and vanished from view. "I'll talk to him, congrats," she stated before trotting after him.

Claude and Sebastian looked at one another before Sebastian asked curiously, "What just happened?" Claude hummed as he slowly loosened his grip and looked down at the young man, "I think we just made an ally on the dark side," Claude stated with a chuckle. Sebastian hummed as he looked at the Head Chef, "I would ask yours or mine, but I don't feel like dealing with Ciel," Sebastian stated. The Head Chef smiled, his eyes glistened as Claude tugged at the chef's attire. "Stay with me?" asked Claude softly. Sebastian simply grinned before replying, "Of course."

~~xXx~~

Monsier Tari sighed as he slipped away from the restaurant, he expected the pair to be together, however he didn't expect Lucius to take it so poorly. It could have been far worse, the two had been in love since they went to college together in Paris. There was a soft ringing from the man's pocket which made the Sommelier hum before getting into his car. "'Allo?" he asked softly after he had managed to fish the mobile out of his pockets. "How did it go?" asked the familiar voice of the Phantomhive butler. "Tanaka, it's been a while, I didn't expect that call a few days ago," he commented. He heard the butler laugh on the other end of the line as he slipped into his small rental car, Tari and Tanaka had known each other for a long time. "I just wanted to show you what happened to the Sommelier and your favorite chefs, thank you for getting Sebastian's resume, and Claude's all that long ago," Tanaka said with ease.

Tari closed the door of the Audi coop and leaned back in the seat. "Of course, they were the most sought after in Paris, my only issue is that the place is called Ciel, and yet I never saw Ciel," he mused. There was silence on the other end after the french man realized that what he said didn't make sense in English. "Ciel means heaven and yet I didn't see that, all I saw was hell with a beautiful exterior and elegant food," he commented. There was a pause on the other end as Tari slipped the keys to the car into the ignition. "Monsieur, would you like to know about a little project I'm working on?" asked Tanaka deviously.

~~xXx~~

The day had been excruciatingly long, and the throbbing in Ciel's jaw wouldn't disappear. Alois threw a better punch than he thought, since the entire side of his face had swollen and the point of impact was purple and blue in hue. The slate haired owner sighed, he hated days like these. They were slow and excruciatingly painful as Ciel applied concealed and wore sunglasses to hide the swelling. He hummed as he entered his flat, Sebastian hadn't returned the night before, not that he would have wanted the Patissier to see him in such a state anyway. The apartment was cold again, he hated it. It was empty, and clean. Ciel sighed as he walked into the kitchen to grab a bag of frozen peas, his jaw needed ice again.

His days kept getting better and better, first he had been seen while screwing Sebastian by Lizzy, then punched by Alois, after that his father appeared and told him that his mother was dying once again, and now he had learned that the challenge was being moved to tomorrow, which meant that he would have to be closed since these days a majority of his customers were only interested in tasting Claude's main dishes and Sebastian's desserts. Ciel growled in frustration as he smashed the door of his white refrigerator with his hand, it wasn't even referred to as Ciel by a majority of his customers anymore, they all called it Claude and Sebastian's Place. Ciel's fist clenched as he thought about the number of people asking him if he had met the chefs which owned the place. New customers who had never even heard of him were gushing about how bold the pair were to open the shop. Suddenly he was being placed on the back burner as the two chefs began crafting an image which would be impossible to compete with.

"Fuck, I need to get this under control," he hissed as he looked out the window, he wasn't going to lose his restaurant to a pair of chefs who didn't know a damn thing about owning one. He was going to invite Lucius himself, he didn't expect for the stubborn man to actually book a table in advance, if Ciel had known he would have made an appearance, after all Faustus had money and plenty of it. Funds which he could invest, and was now irritated that he had missed his opportunity to gain them.