A Triple Shot of Love: Macchiato
Out of breath with his hair blowing back in the wind, he ran down the sidewalks and streets that he had frantically sprinted across earlier that day. He looked in alleyways, trash cans and even began asking people if they had seen his book but to no avail.

He glanced at his watch," Has it already been forty-five minutes?" he looked back up and the behind him in the opposite direction desperately wanting to continue his search for the book. "I guess it can't be helped," he sighed as he began walking back towards the café.

As he was walking he felt a small drop of water land against his neck, he looked up into the sky, "The clouds are getting darker…I guess I'd better hurry. The one time I don't bring my umbrella," he smiled a little at the comment.

The bell chimed softly as he entered the café," Welcome to Café… oh it's you Alfred," Kiku smiled softly. "So where did you leave for in such a hurry?" the dark haired man asked.

"It's nothing really. So did we get any customers?" Alfred asked trying to switch the subject. "Not really… a lot of people were leaving earlier because they didn't want to get caught in the storm that's going to start soon."

Kiku looked out of the window for a moment to see if anyone was coming and then turned to Alfred, " Well what to do you want to do while we wait for more customers?" Kiku asked.

"I'm not sure," Alfred responded looking through the window as the rain began slowly and quickly sped up to a downpour. Alfred thought about the pages in his book, the black ink being faded and smudged by the water, perhaps it was being carried down the street by the high water, getting pulled into the gutter.

He pulled himself away from the window and turned the television back on promptly flipping through the channels.

The rain continued to pour down into the early evening like the forecast had predicted as the last specks of water fall from the sky and drip from the café's dome awning outside. The sun began to fade into the thick clouds now painted a light purple by the night's approach.

"Well perhaps we should get ready to switch shifts with Feliciano and Antonio," Kiku said as he began taking out candles and placing one on each small window table and all of the booths around him like he did every night.

"Right," Alfred's eyes were aimed at the floor, enveloped in a soft melancholy. Kiku noticed this almost immediately; Alfred's usually bright cyan eyes were now dull and lacked the happiness they almost always held inside of them.

"Alfred… is something the matter?" Kiku asked softly. Alfred remained silent for a moment and then began to speak when he was interrupted by the small bell above the door.

Alfred and Kiku's attention shifted to the door; they both stared as a tall pale man with platinum hair and violet eyes entered the café slightly bent over so that he wouldn't hit his head on the metal frame.

"Welcome to Café Aroma," they both said in unison as the door closed behind the Russian. "How may we help you sir?" Alfred said with his head tilted up to meet the violet eyes again. The Russian man ordered a black coffee and a sandwich and took a seat in the booth far over to the left on the opposite side of the television.

Alfred promptly brews the coffee for the man while Kiku finished making the sandwich at the other counter.

Alfred looks over, focusing his eyes on the man; it was as if he had seen him before. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Kiku's voice, "Alfred… can you take the order over to the man in the booth?" Alfred nodded and proceeded with the serving tray over to the platinum haired Russian.

"Here's your order sir," Alfred said softly as he placed the items on the table, the man looked at him, nodded his head and said thank you. Alfred looked intently at the man once again for a moment.

The Russian broke the silence with his words, "I-Is something wrong?" Alfred blinked and noticed that he had been staring at him for around thirty seconds. "Oh! No…I'm sorry…it's just that you look so familiar. Like I've seen you somewhere before," Alfred smiled and began walking back towards the front counter.

He returned to his quiet state as he looked back out of the window; Kiku was concerned and so he went to ask again what was troubling him, "Alfred …I've been watching you all day… something's wrong. What is it?" the Japanese man asked.

Alfred continued to stare out the window, "It's nothing really…" Kiku placed his hand on Alfred's shoulder, "Please Alfred…we always talk to each other…" Alfred looked at the Japanese man and sighed, "Alright."

"Earlier today when I was running to work I think I lost my book…It was very important to me, all of my writing was in there and now it's probably…" Alfred looked down again.

Kiku sympathized with his friend, "I'm sorry. Well what does it look like? Maybe we can find it," Kiku said with a small smile. The Russian man sat in the booth glancing up at the television in front of him slowly sipping his coffee listening to their conversation.

Alfred's head lifted slightly, "Really? I-It's probably gone…but it was a small tan book with a sepia toned picture of a tree on the front cover. Oh! And the words 'Alfred's Work' were written under it."

The Russian man looked up remembering the book from earlier that he had tucked inside of his inner coat pocket. Once he finished his meal he stood up and walked towards the front counter, "Excuse me. You are Alfred da?" the Russian man looked down at the blonde.

Alfred replied after a couple of seconds, "Y-Yes…why do you ask?" Alfred turned his head slightly with a small smile.

The Russian blushed slightly, "I think I have something of yours," the man searched through his coat pocket and finally pulls out a small tan book with a picture and the words Alfred's Work written on the front.

Alfred looked at the man in disbelief for a moment before letting small pearls of clear liquid escape the corners of his eyes, "It's my book," tears began to stream down his cheeks. "But where did you find it?" the Russian man looked at him and replied, "You don't remember? This morning you ran into me," he smiled.

Alfred thought back to earlier and all of a sudden it came rushing back to him, "I remember now! I went to turn a corner and then I fell and my things went everywhere… that must have been when I dropped my book, "Alfred said looking back at Kiku.

"Well the important thing is that it's not ruined," Kiku said as he began to take off his apron. Alfred walked around the counter and embraced the Russian in his arms to show gratitude, "Thanks again!" the violet eyes widened slightly as his cheeks became warm.

"It was no trouble at all. Really it was nothing," the Russian looked away for a moment. "Are you kidding me? It was definitely something…all of my best writing is in there from as far back as I can remember, Alfred smiled.

"Here," Alfred said cheerfully as he handed the man a bag full of pastries out from behind the glass case in front of him. "Thank you," the Russian man said as he took a hold of one of the small cakes and began eating a small portion of it.

"It's delicious," said the Russian man as he returned the cake to the inside of the bag from which it was presented to him. Alfred's face lit up, "You really think so?" he asked completely intrigued by the Russian's comment. "D-Da… it is," the platinum haired man replied.

Kiku stepped in for a moment, "He made that himself," Kiku said as he placed his head on top of Alfred's head.

The conversation between the three is interrupted once again by the bell above the door as two men; one taller with dark brown hair and green eyes and the other shorter with light brown hair and a prominent curl on the left side of his head enter the café.

"Ve~ Kiku we're here!" Feliciano exclaimed. Antonio's face was set in a calm yet inviting demeanor, "Buenas noches," he said as he walked towards the counter.

"All right now you two can leave for the night. See you tomorrow night," the darker haired man said while putting on his white shirt and apron. Kiku nodded and made his way to the door, "Goodbye Feliciano and Antonio. Goodbye Alfred," he said as he left.

Alfred waved as he grabbed his bag and went to open the door to leave; he stopped outside under the awning for a second and stuck his hand out to see if it was raining hard, "It's not great but it's not horrible either… I guess I'll be fine," as he starts to leave thunder roars in the distance and the rain starts to pick up again.

"Oh come on!" he huffed and searched through his bag for a bag for a book that he could use to cover his head, " Don't tell me I don't even have anything to keep my head dry…" he said as he took his hand out of his bag.

"I guess it can't be helped," Alfred said as he moved one foot out from under the café's awning and then the rest of his body. He noticed that he wasn't getting drenched; he looked up to see the same platinum haired man holding an umbrella above his head.

"You don't want to end up getting sick do you?" the Russian man smiled as he looked down at the blonde. "Please allow me to walk you home? It is the least I can do for the kindness you've shown me da?" he stood there waiting for the American's reply.

"S-Sure… If it's not too much trouble for you?" the blonde questioned the Russian. "Not at all…had he laughed. "What type of person would I be if I let you walk home all alone in the rain?" Alfred smiled as he began walking with the violet eyed man to the train station.

It finally caught his attention, "You know what I've just realized?" "Da?" the Russian calmly replies. "You know my name and I haven't asked you what yours is yet…I feel so embarrassed." "Don't be… the Russian replied. "My name is Ivan…Ivan Braginski," he said as he tipped his head slightly. "I like the sound of that name," Alfred says as he moves in closer to the Russian attempting to avoid the heavy rain outside of the umbrella.

Ivan blushes at the comment as they approach the train platform; they both board the train and talk the entire time back to Alfred's apartment. As they reach his front step Russia realizes that he must go now that the American was back at his residence, "Well I guess I should be leaving now. Thank you for the pastries…I-I'll be sure to come back to your café some time.

Right as Ivan turns to leave, a voice calls out to him, "Wait…the weather is still pretty fierce out here. W-Why don't you come inside until it stops?" Alfred asks as he opens the front door. The Russian's face is struck with the same warmth again, "Are you sure?" the violet eyed man asks. "Yes. Come in…I'll make us some coffee," with those last few words that escaped from the blonde's lips Ivan found himself walking upstairs to get to Alfred's apartment.