Whole Lotta Apollo Goin' On [Celestial Nights 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rebecca Joyce

  In the time they had been at the Crystal Tumbler, the local diner had filled to capacity. So far, everyone had his or her drinks, from coffee to orange juice, but that was it. Helios spotted Cricket a few tables over, smiling as she licked a butter packet. “This is ridiculous. I’m gonna go see what’s going on.”

  “Helios, give him a few more minutes, please,” Fairy begged.

  “Go for it, Helios!” Charity yelled. “I’m starving.”

  “But he hasn’t finished breakfast yet. Maybe he’s preparing it all, and he is going to bring it all out at once,” Fairy said, defending Apollo.

  “I don’t care if he’s laying the damn eggs himself. I’m hungry,” Virgo said, moaning.

  “Same here,” Pisces added, ripping a packet of grape jelly open and squeezing its contents down his throat.

  “Baby, you eat another jelly package and I’m leaving,” Landon huffed, looking strangely at his lover.

  “What?” Pisces asked shocked. “It’s carbs.”

  “Wasted carbs that are going to go right to your ass,” Landon replied dryly.

  “You love my ass.” Pisces smacked a kiss on his cheek, making Landon blush.

  Just then, Apollo emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of toast. Well, Helios thought it was toast, but the black charred squares were smoking heavily, and they smelled awful. However, Apollo still placed a smoking plate of burnt toast at each table, and returned to the kitchen without saying a word.

  “What the hell is this?” Charity asked, picking up the crispy black item.

  “Who cares, I’m hungry,” Pisces said, and started chowing down on the ominous item as Jude, Leo, and Dew Stevenson barged out of the kitchen, heading straight for Helios.

  Helios sighed, already knowing what the three triplets were going to say. Honestly, they really didn’t have to say anything. Helios knew Apollo couldn’t cook. Hell, when he suggested that Apollo help at the Crystal Tumbler, he meant that Apollo wait tables, talk to the customers, and be helpful, not to actually do the cooking.

  “You have got to get him out of there,” Jude ordered harshly.

  “Seriously, Helios, we like you,” Leo added, and then pointed toward the kitchen. “Him, we don’t.”

  “Oh, he ain’t that bad, guys. He said he was willing to learn,” Dew said, defending Apollo.

  “Learn, yes, but he took over!” Jude roared. “And he sucks. He can’t cook. He’s burning everything, and he refuses to listen.”

  “That’s Apollo,” Helios heard Charity say. “Selfish, inconsiderate, and all about him.”

  “Yip.” Cricket nodded, opening another butter packet. “You should have seen him at the daycare. He just stood in the corner, away from all the kids. He wouldn’t play with the kids, refused to help feed them, and he cringed when I asked him if he wanted to learn to change a diaper. I tried to get him to interact, but I had to send him on his way when he informed Lilly’s sons on how to properly make out with a girl. Those boys attacked poor Tabitha when she arrived.”

  “I feel sorry for him,” Buzzy added. “The man was so petrified out at my place, my sensitive bees swarmed him immediately. He was utterly useless. No help to me whatsoever. I ended up wasting half a day to tend to him. I swear I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was like my little babies just knew they could kick his ass.”

  “You think that’s bad, I barely hit him yesterday and he cried,” Pisces stated, eating another piece of burnt toast. “He literally cried. He’s bigger than I am, and still he cowered like a little girl.”

  Helios listened as everyone in the diner began to talk about all of Apollo’s less than fortunate attributes. He could admit that some of them were funny, but the more they talked, the more Helios realized that the townsfolk of Celestial weren’t laughing with Apollo, they were laughing at him.

  Now, there were many things he could over look and sometimes, he dismissed the facts that were right before him, however, this time he couldn’t. Getting to his feet, Helios cleared his voice, getting everyone’s attention. “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. That man in there has bent over backward to help all of you. He didn’t know what he was getting into, and yet he went willingly, albeit begrudgingly, but had a smile on his face. He showed up, and tried. He may not be the nicest man in town, but every one of you could learn a lesson from him. At least he was willing to give everything a shot. He may not be the best babysitter, or beekeeper, or cook in these parts, but he’s in there right now, trying. What have all of you tried? Have any of you tried to step outside your boxes? No, you all stay where you’re at, and then you complain when someone tries to help. We’re supposed to be a town of patience, of understanding and tolerance. What I see before me now makes me wonder that just maybe we’re just like every other town in this universe. I can’t stand to look at any of you. Fairy, go get Apollo. We are done here.”

  Fairy immediately stood and silently headed toward the kitchen. A few seconds later, she reappeared, with Apollo in tow, wearing a dirty apron and flour all over his face.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, wiping his hands with a towel.

  “We’re leaving,” Helios ordered, moving toward the door.

  “But I haven’t finished breakfast yet. I just put the waffles in the toaster.”

  “Let them burn,” Helios muttered. “Let’s go home, Apollo.”

  “Come on, baby.” Fairy smiled, helping him take off his apron. “I’ll make us scrambled eggs when we get home.”

  Helios was furious as he drove out of town to Apollo’s place. He refused to go to his store and have people come in and listen to them apologize. Fairy’s place was out, because her sisters were getting ready for the Wiccan social tonight over at the Rainbow Room. Therefore, Apollo’s cabin it was.

  He had lived in Celestial for over five years, and during that time, he had seen many selfless and considerate acts of kindness. Yet not a single person at the Crystal Tumbler could say one nice thing about Apollo. Oh, Helios knew Apollo was a huge pain in the ass, who preferred things his way. He was crass and at times belligerent. He was selfish and greedy. Nevertheless, for the last week, Apollo tried to show a different side of himself, a side that he only showed to Fairy and himself. Helios knew it was going to be hard for Apollo, but his lover manned up and agreed to everything. He tried. That’s all he and Fairy asked of him, and Apollo did it.

  By the time Helios pulled into Apollo’s driveway, Apollo and Fairy were laughing about something. He had been so distracted with what happened in town, he missed what they were talking about. Of course, it didn’t matter. As long as his loves were happy, that was what he cared about. Apollo and Fairy were different from him and would always be. Where they lived their whole lives in harmony with brightly colored rainbows, singing Kumbaya while dancing naked in the streets. Helios grew up in the real world with hatred, contempt, and prejudice. Helios knew life could be cruel and sometimes downright mean. He just never thought he’d see that vile disease seep into Celestial, which was one of the reasons he chose to stay in Celestial, to get away from the reality of what life was really like on the outside.

  For years, he allowed himself to live in a colorful bubble, but like most things in life, his bubble burst. Celestial was no better than anywhere else in the world.

  “You coming inside, Helios?” Apollo shouted from the porch of his cabin. Nodding, Helios got out of his vehicle and for the first time in five years, he set the security alarm.

  * * * *

  Fairy knew something was bothering Helios. Though she agreed with him when he put some of the residents of Celestial in their place, she also knew that they honestly didn’t mean anything by it. Well, at least she hoped they didn’t. She knew from experience that sometimes, people just needed to talk and get whatever they were thinking off their chest. It was a release of sorts, and it helped that person’s Chi. Yet she also knew that words could be cruel, and she thanked the Goddess that Apollo was in the kitchen and didn’t hear anyt
hing. If he did, Goddess only knew what he would be like.

  Apollo prided himself on his ability to stand out in a crowd, to make decisions that bettered, helped, and served the community. He may not go about it the right way, but his heart was always in the right place. He never was an eloquent speaker, and tended just to blurt out words before thinking. He wasn’t very social, and had a hard time going into situations that he knew nothing about, but he was always willing to give it his best shot. He loved the town of Celestial and the residents, and only wanted the best for them. He had feted the outside world many times, when someone would come and try to buy up land, or Walmart came in and tried to build a super store within the town’s city limits. Apollo stood in front of it all, and refused to allow them entrance. He did that, all by himself, protecting those he loved, and what the town didn’t know was that Apollo was fighting for their way of life again by running for reelection. He knew what the town was up against with the modern age of technology and major corporations always wanting to build in rural areas. Treasure Cove was dealing with such a man now, who had already bought several thousands of acres. Apollo didn’t want that for his town, and he would fight to the death to keep the town and the residents safe.

  That was what Apollo did, and unlike most people, Apollo didn’t want any recognition. According to him, that was his job and any person worth their weight in salt would understand. Fairly loved those traits within Apollo. Everything he did wasn’t for him. It was for those he loved. She just wished that he would allow the others to see that about him. She never understood why he let people think the worst of him. He was a good man, an honest man, and a gentle man.

  “I’m going to go start breakfast,” she announced happily. “Any requests?”

  “Eggs and toast, please,” Helios muttered, as he sat on the couch and closed his eyes.

  “I’ll take the same, baby.” Apollo smiled then added, “I’m just gonna go jump in the shower real quick. I need to wash up.”

  “Okay.” Fairy grinned, turning toward the kitchen. “Breakfast should be ready in about twenty minutes.”

  * * * *

  Apollo entered his bathroom and quietly shut the door. Leaning his head against it, he reached up and for the first time ever, he locked it. Turning toward the shower, he turned on the water, and then proceeded to remove his clothes. Stepping under the hot spray, he lowered himself to the shower floor, drew his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. He tried to hold everything in, and he thought he did a damn good job of it, too, but when Fairy smiled at him, he knew he couldn’t contain it any longer.

  Laying his head on his arms, letting the hot spray wash over him, he cried. For the first time since he was twelve, he cried, letting everything go.

  He was eager to help this morning, and was actually ready to learn how to cook because he wanted to do something nice for Fairy and Helios. For the last week, the loves of his life had bent over backward, trying to help him get reelected. They were patient and understanding with him when things got out of hand, and they were there to support him in every way they knew how when he messed up.

  When Fairy and Helios suggested he step out of his box and help the residents in town, he wasn’t sure it was going to work. He didn’t know the first thing about kids, bees, fighting, cooking, anything. All he knew was how to run a town. He was good at it. However, he would do anything for Fairy and Helios and he gave everything his best effort. He thought he was doing well, until he heard them talk about him.

  He was in the kitchen beating some eggs, when he heard Helios’s voice rise. The sound was strange to him, because he’d never heard Helios angry before. That was when he went to go see what was going on, and that’s was when he heard them. All of them.

  Every one of those he helped, and those who thought they knew him. It wasn’t easy standing behind the door as people he considered his friends talked openly and harshly about him. Nevertheless, what hurt the most was that they laughed at him.

  He could handle knowing that he was unable to do their jobs, but to laugh at him for trying was something he thought he’d never have to experience again. The last time something like that happened to him, he was twelve and his brothers laughed at him for helping their mother braid her hair. He loved being with his mother and learning from her, but he really loved touching and playing with her long blonde hair. His mother had the most exquisite hair in the world, so think and silky. Every morning, he would wake to find his mother sitting in front of her mirror brushing her long locks. One morning, she allowed him to brush her hair. Apollo was scared he would hurt, or worse, pull her hair, but she smiled and insisted he try it anyway. From then on, his mother taught him to be gentle, and to take his time. She taught him not to be scared of something just because he didn’t know anything, that learning was an experience in itself, and that it was okay to make mistakes. She taught him to be considerate and smile, even though he didn’t want to do something, but mainly she taught him to try new things.

  From that morning on, Apollo would get up before his brothers and rush to his mother’s room, and help her with her hair. She taught him to brush, curl, and braid her hair. She taught him the proper way to shampoo and rinse. Apollo loved his mother and cherished the time with her. It was then he started letting his own blond hair grow, wanting hair as beautiful as his mothers had. However, his time with his mother ended when his brothers walked in as he was French braiding her long locks and started making fun of him, calling him names, but what hurt the most was that the three brothers he looked up too and the mother he loved dearly laughed at him.

  That day, he decided that whatever he did, no matter how small, no one would ever now. His life was his alone, and to keep the hurt at bay, he refused to allow anyone close enough to see the pain in his heart.

  Silently crying under the shower, Apollo let the last week of heartache recede from his body. He couldn’t take anymore. He didn’t care if he won the reelection, even if that meant giving up his favorite chair. He just wanted to stay under the shower until everyone forgot about the horrible week. He was tired of trying to please everyone. He just wanted everyone to leave him alone.

  “Apollo.” Fairy’s soft angelic voice filtered in from behind the closed door. “Breakfast is ready.”

  “Okay, baby,” he replied, wiping his eyes. “I’ll be right out.”

  He couldn’t let her see him this way, or Helios. He had never shown this side of himself to anyone, and though he knew it was therapeutic, he wasn’t proud of the way he was acting. He knew he needed to get a grip and just let it go. He couldn’t change the world, but he could change himself. He did that when he was younger, and he could do it again. He wasn’t going to give up trying, but he could harden himself for when things didn’t turn out right.

  Standing up, Apollo quickly washed and got out of the shower. Drying off, he put on a fresh pair of clothes and went into the kitchen to eat the breakfast that Fairy had made.

  Chapter Nine

  Thursday evening

  “Thank you for doing this, Apollo.” Moon Goddess smiled up at him. Apollo trusted Moon, and knew he could trust her with his livelihood, but it was the other women he watched as they moved around the Rainbow Room he had issues with. Yet, he had agreed, and he never went back on his word.

  “All right,” Apollo reluctantly said. “The place is yours. Decorate it as you wish, but remember this is my place of business. I couldn’t close it down completely, but I am allowing you to have your party here. Thursdays are generally slow, so I don’t expect too many customers to show up. However, if they do, you have to promise me that you won’t scare them away.”

  “We understand, Apollo, and everything you requested is ready to go. Here are the keys, just lock up when you’re done,” Moon Goddess replied, smiling sweetly, and then cocked her head to the side, really looking at him. “Are you okay, Apollo? You seem out of sorts. When was the last time you visited Phoebe for a massage, or had Pandora clean your chak
ra? You know a good cleansing is necessary to maintain a healthy balance.”

  “I well aware of that, Moon,” Apollo replied dryly. “And I’m perfectly fine.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to swing by tonight? Both women will be here, and I am sure they wouldn’t mind helping you out.”

  “Oh no,” Apollo replied quickly as he backed away toward the front door. “I have plans tonight. You just make sure my business is still standing at the end of the night, and I will try not to think of what you’re doing here in my club. Agreed?”

  Moon Goddess smiled, and replied sweetly, “Agreed.”

  Trusting in Moon Goddess to keep a tight rein on her coven, Apollo reluctantly left the Rainbow Room. He was torn between staying and making sure everything went okay, and spending a night of un-obstructed bliss with Fairy and Helios. The decision was easy when he stepped outside to find Helios leaning against his vehicle, smiling at him.

  Apollo had asked Helios to pick him up exactly at eight o’clock, because he wanted to do something special for Fairy and Helios. When he offered up the Rainbow Room to Moon Goddess so she could hold her Wiccan social, he had asked for something in return. He knew it went against everything that Fairy and Helios were doing for him, but he really needed Moon’s help. Of course, his friend was most eager to help.

  He had known for a while know that there would never be anyone else for him. With Helios now comfortable with Fairy and vice versa, Apollo saw no reason to wait any longer. He wanted them both, and hopefully, if the stars aligned correctly tonight, he might just get his wish.