Chiyoku says: Hey everyone! I hope you're all good and alive. Heh. I have to say that I had a problem...yep...another one...but this time it was with the computer at home! It crashed and mom banned us from using it... ;-; So I definitely have to rely on the computers at school now...The worst part of it is that I had this chapter already written! And I lost it! It had come out so long and good...but I lost it and I had to rewrite it...I'm sure it didn't come out as good as the first one, and it's shorter, too...but I hope you enjoy it anyways!

On a closely related not, from the begining I had been writing this story based on chapters I had already written when I was bored at school. But this chapter is the end of that. I'm not gonna rely on notes or prewritten crap anymore! So hopefully future chapters will come out even better! Here's hopin' anyways...But this also means that now I know just as much as you do about my story... My knowledge of this story goes only as far as this chapter...hehe...the good news is that you can suggest stuff! If you want to see something happening or whatever it is...coupling or outcomes or whatever you want for a certain character to do...if you feel like suggesting anything like this, please feel free to do it!

And I keep telling you guys to suggest pairings you want to read. So you can tell me that too. I'mm thinking to use any and every pairing you guys suggest, which would mean that maybe not every pairing you see now is going to stay the same at the end of the story.

I have no idea what the end of the story is going to be yet. So it's kinda fun that way, 'cuz I get to have fun writting whatever I want and I don't have any rules to go by! (except the preset rules made by anyways...

That's it!

Oh! And tell me if any of you know how I came up the the waiter's name! Hah! I dare you!

Enjoy!

When the Cold Takes its Toll

a fanfiction by Chiyoku Shibata

Chapter 9: Le cafe de Amadeo

It was a park. The municipal park. Which was normally overflowing with people and joy is, on this day, sad. Late in the afternoon, on a dark and gloomy day, the park was completely devoid of humans. The cold breeze was blowing glently, and dead leaves of all shades of autumn flew down from the trees. A lonely path made of cement, wet and dirty from the storm, found itself suddenly occupied by someone. A single person. A young boy with the looks of a bum. Bright pink bubblegum hair, caked with dirt. He walked slowly up the path, walking and walking without noticing his surroundings. And as the path led him outside of the park, he went on.

It was Shuichi Shindou. His face was marred with tears that had long since stopped falling, but he made no move to dry them. He wore them like a badge. An honor to his failure. It had stopped rainging a while ago but the dark grey clouds still loomed dangerous. Darkness had come early that evening. And Shuichi's heart had darkened with the day. Such a young boy, not a kid, yet not quite an adult. It shouldn't have been this way. It should never have to be this way for someone like him. Oh, how cruel the world that had decided to make him suffer so. What an awful fate for someone so lively and energetic.

' I don't deserve it. ' thought Shuichi. ' I don't deserve any of this. Yuki doesn't need me. He never did. I doubt anyone needs me at all. It's so sad. I intrude on the lives of gentle people and throw caution to the wind without regard for others. Just like I bothered Yuki for so long, and Tatsuha decided to punish me for being so wrong with his brother...but I still don't think I deserve being treated this way, being depressed like this. I hate it how they all look at me. Judging me and loathing me terribly. Oh, it hurts! Why does it make my heart ache so much! This is horrible! I never meant to hurt anyone...but I know I'm selfish. I know. And there's nothing I can do to change it. My personality doesn't allow me the comfort, or the ways to better myself. Damn it! How...why did it become like this! Why! '

Just then, Shuichi stopped thinking and he looked up. There was a sign, gently swinging with the breeze. "Le cafe de Amadeo"

The sign wasn't japanese, but he recognized the word coffee. A sparkle shone in his eyes and a smile grazed his lips. His first true smile in almost two days. He walked inside and a bell chimed. Stepping to the counter he sat on a stool and checked his pockets, emptying the money on it on the counter, he decided that he had enough. The waiter gave him the menu, luckily for him, it seemed the young man didn't recognize him. Shuichi licked his lips in anticipation as he eyed the menu.

"You're gonna need something hot, kid." suggested the waiter. And Shuichi knew the sight he must be presenting. With his clothes almost dripping wet and the rest of his wet and dirty appearance.
"I'll have the swiss mocha with lots of chocolate and an extra shot of espresso. The biggest piece of crumcake and that giant cookie with the strawberry glaze."

And Shuichi seemed to get in a better mood even as he finished ordering. "That's a big appetite for such a little guy." commented the waiter as he wrote down the order. Shuichi grinned shippishly. "It should be! I haven't eaten anything in almost two days!" he exclaimed. The waiter seemed surprised at this but he didn't comment on it. A few minutes later he set the order in front of Shuichi and the boy started to consume it as if his life depended on it. And it probably did...Shuichi was not one to be used to spending so much time not eating anything, and it had been almost two days ago when he'd had his last meal.

After a while, the waiter approached him again. "You know, I'm no bartender, but if you need a stranger to tell your problems to, I'm a good listener." he suggested.

Shuichi stopped eating as he sipped the coffee with pleasure and seemed to consider it. "Are you sure?" he asked, "It's complicated."

The waiter motioned to the empty cafe and added, "I've got nothing else to do."

Shuichi sighed as he gathered his thoughts.

"I've been dating this person for a while. And we've had problems from the start. Both our lives are stressful, there's a;ways someone meddilng in our affairs. Recently, this person had been colder to me than usual. He ended up hitting me and I ran away. That was yesterday." Shuichi stopped for a while, not noticing when he had swtiched from 'this person' to 'he' and the waiter noticed but he didn't call on it. "Go on." he said. Shuichi sighed and went on.

"I bumped into his brother just when I was out and he took me to his apartment. Apparently, his brother had feelings for me because he ended up forcing me to have sex with him..." Shuichi made a stop again.

"He raped you!" asked the waiter astonished. "Not really, I had told him to stop but when he ignored my complaints, I just let him take me. Anyways, this morning I woke up, got dressed, insulted him and ran away again. I ended up at the park and here I am."

the waiter remained pensive for a few moment after Shuichi finished. "Sounds like they don't appreciate you. They're abusing you. You shouldn't suffer for someone who doesn't treat you right."

"it's not like that!" protested Shuichi, "He loves me! I know he does! It's just that he's had a difficult time for years now, and it was the first time he hit me! And I probably deserved it, too...I was being a pest to him..."

"No excuse is a good one for hitting someone you love." responded the waiter.

"But how can I go back to him now that I let myslef get taken by his brother! I'm tainted! It's awful!" exclaimed Shuichi, slamming his hand on the counter, his eyes watering again. "Relax, kid. It wasn't your fault. This person's brother took adgantage of you!" said the waiter.

"I know that! But I also know I deserved it! I want to go back to him...I love him so much! But I don't know if he'll take me like this... I'm such a selfish, and horrible person..."

The waiter remained quiet again as Shuichi continued to devour his order. The young man wanted to help, but it was a difficult situation, and he had no idea what he could say to make the kid feel better. He'd never been in such a difficult situation. And he didn't know what would be the right thing to say. But he had offered to listen, he brought himself into this, and now he had to say something or do something to help the poor kid. And what a kid it was. He was beautiful, features of a cherub, but the boy walked around like a fallen angel. So dirty. That's right! The boy is dirty. He should at least offer him some comfort, even if it wasn't mental, it should be physical.

"You need a bath. A hot one." he said finally. Shuichi looked up from his empty cup and plate. Confusion in his eyes as he stared at the waiter. "what?" he asked.

"Look kid. I honestly have no idea what to say to help you with your problem. But I can at least offer you a warm shower and some clean clothes. What do you say?"

Shuichi was stunned at the sudden offer. A warm bath sounded really good. But could he really trust this young man? They didn't know each other...Shuichi was relunctant, especially because the last time he found himself in someone's apartment, he had been raped, and it wasn't the first time it had happened...what to do, what to do...

But the waiter seemed to read the dilemma on his eyes. "Look, it's okay. I live right above the cafe. You don't even have to go anywhere. Please, I insist. It's no problem. I just offer my bathroom, my clothes, a hot meal later on...maybe a place to stay for the night... because you don't really seem like you have anywhere to go to, right?"

Shuichi considered it hard, but it didn't really seem like he had much of a choice...

"...okay...I'll take you up on your offer."

"Great! Let's go then, just give me a minute to close up. It doesn't seem like there's anyone out anyways."

"Wait! I can't make you close up!" exclaimed Shuichi.

"It's okay, I own this place, I can do whatever I want! Heh."

"Oh...okay."

Minutes later, everything was closed up and ready. "But wait! I don't even know your name!" said Shuichi suddenly.

"You're right! How stupid... My name's Amadeo de Romanus. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Amadeo...Amadeo's coffee shop...Haha! I get it... My name's Shuichi! It's cool meeting you, too."

Introductions out the way, Amadeo turned to the door at the back wall of the cafe and turned the key to open it. Shuichi was close behind.

But what is life but a series of fates. And how the fates love to play around, that they decided just at that moment, to make it happen. There was a man on the same block, umbrella in hand, he walked with a fierce determination, his blond hair wipping in the wind, eyes narrowed in anger at himself and worry for a certain pink haired idiot. It was Yuki, obviously, and he kept repeating Shuichi's name in his head just as he quickly flew by the closed coffee shop.

Shuichi turned abruptly and looked outside. His eyes searching around for a familiar face. But he saw nothing. He has missed Yuki by a second. "What's wrong?" asked Amadeo.

"...nothing..." answered Shuichi, still looking outside, "Just thought I heard someone call my name..." he turned around and stared at the other young man. "...I didn't hear anything..." Shuichi sighed deeply, and sadly. Then he gave a weak laugh and started walking towards Amadeo. "Must have imagined it."

Next Chapter: stay connected for another chapter of my story! I don't know what's going to happen next chapter...maybe I'll write more of Shuichi.

So... Please Review!

See you next time!