Short, but new, and much quicker. I hope that you all enjoy. If I need to provide background info on the Antique Bakery people, please just let me know.

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They were alone. Him and Chikage. Yusuke Ono stayed stalk-still, knowing that Chikage's eyes, hidden as usual behind his sunglasses, were on his back at this moment. He couldn't afford to turn around, to meet those eyes, or even to glance at the taller man standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He knew that if he looked, there would be trouble. His self-control was already paper thin, and now they were alone.

"Mr. Ono?"

Yusuke twitched. "Y... Yes, Chikage-san?"

"When will My Lord and Kanda-kun be back again?"

'Are you that anxious to get away from me?' Yusuke thought sardonically, though he knew that even he himself was eagerly awaited the return of the store's owner, Tachibana (whom Chikage called 'My Lord', apparently a left-over habit from an old game that they had played as children. It always made Yusuke jealous) and young Eiji Kanda, his talented former-deliquent, ex-boxer, cake-loving apprentice. "Tachibana will be back an hour before closing, and Eiji-kun will be back two hours after that. You know that he has French class at this time."

"Oh," Chikage said, and Yusuke could tell without turning away from the batter he was mixing that the man, older than him by two years, had slumped his shoulders. "So another...?" Yusuke smiled as he imaged the innocent (or idiotic, depending on how you looked at him) man's expression as he tried to calculate the remaining time till his 'lord's' return.

"Two hours and Forty-five minutes, Chikage-san," He supplied, "That is how long until everyone will be back. Tachibana should be here in an hour and a half, knowing him. He always does seem to arrive earlier than planned." Tachibana was out on business errands at the bank and the suppliers, this happened weekly, though their fruits and vegetables arrives fresh each morning.

Yusuke then poured his batter into a small cake-pan, satisfied with it's color and smell, and placed into their large baker's oven. He smiled, feeling good about having finished his last real task (other that removing the cake and storing if properly so that it would still be fresh and ready to decorate the next morning) for the day, and was glad to be able to relax. But was uncomfortable to no longer have something to keep his hands busy. He jumped as he felt hands gently grip his arms.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Ono? You seem tense." Yusuke felt a shiver go up and down his spine and he surpressed the urge to show Chikage exactly why he was tense.

'No, no,' he said to himself. 'I pormised myself, remember? I promised myself that I wouldn't do this to him. He's much too good for me. Damn it, Ono!'

Thankfully, Ono was saved from himself by the bell on the door ringing, telling them that they had customers. Chikage let go of Yusuke's arms and left the kitchen, though the baker could feel him looking back, as if a to promise that he would find out what was bothering the pattisier, eventually. Chikage was just too innocent.

After a moment of debate, Yusuke followed Chikage out to the counter, ready to help if Chikage had an air-headed moment and was unable to help the customer. Well, he would help unless it was a woman... But that was a tale for another time. He was slightly surprised to see that the young boy from two days before, the quiet one with the interesting sense of taste, was back, but with a different boy then he had been with before. Ono was pleased, however, to see that these two were obviously not intimate like young... Ayumu, wasn't it?... and the other boy, 'Noboru-sempai', had been. Though he was a player himself, Yusuke would have hated to see two young boys so obviously in love break up so quickly.

"Ayumu-kun!" Ono smiled, coming forward now, "Good afternoon, who is your friend?"

"This is my cousin... He is mute," Ayumu explained, "We would like... Something new." He looked at Chikage with large doe-like eyes, "Any suggestions?"

"Buche de Noel!" Chikage said, a dreamy look coming over his face. Yusuke chuckled. It was only November 23rd, but they had already begun selling their holiday cakes, especially their ever popular Buche de Noel.

"What is that?" Ayumu asked and Chikage gave him a wise-soundng speak on the cake.

"The Buche de Noel is a lot like a shortcake in rolled form, and is filled with strawberries and chestnut buttercream, which we make here with real butter instead of shortening or margerine, so the cream is light and delactable, rather than bitter and slightly hardened." Chikage said informedly, and then ruined all of the professionalism he had just shown, by adding, "And it's really, really yummy!"

"Chestnut...?" Ayumu asked, seeming a little put off.

"It doesn't taste like chestnuts, nor are there full chestnuts in it, Ayumu-kun," Yusuke assured, "If you're not allergic to nuts, I would recommend trying it."

Ayumu shared a quick look with Ayase and then nodded. "We will try that."

"Alright," Ono said accomidatingly and grabbed one of the small sized Buche de Noels from the display case. Chikage then took the decorated plate out to the table the two boys had settled down at. He was alerted by the tinkling of the bell on the door. "Kanda! You're back already?"

"Yeah," Eiji Kanda said, scratching the back of his head with a misceivious look on his face. "Madame Butt-Chin let class out way early for some reason. Something about having an appointment with the plastic sergion."

"Surely you're joking."

"Yeah, she had to drive her fiance to the doctor's. Said since we was big kids and all, we should just deal with not having class."

"Is her fiance alright?"

"Peachy. Think he broke his leg though."

Ono shook his head. "Well then, he's not 'peachy' then."

"Eehh? Master, a broken leg aint that bad!"

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Ayase felt like a bolt of lightning had just gone through his heart the moment that new man had come through the door. What an aura that man had! Like sunshine, like strength like love and like passion! Ayase had never seen such a brilliant and untainted aura on an adult before. And yet there was still a frament of darkness around the edges, like this man had gone through something in his life, like he had been someone else before, and now was becoming who he truely wanteed to be. Ayase was nothing short of stunned.

'I need to talk to that man,' Ayase thought to himself, 'I need to know him. I have to know him.'

('Is everything alright?') Ayumu's voice in his head so suddenly made him jump, and this made the other boy chuckle. ('Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you.')

('It's... Nothing.')

Ayumu nodded and took a sip of the tea he had ordered to go with his cake. "Of course not."