God, I really have had nothing to do lately, so here's the fourth chapter.

Chapter 4: Sudden Loss of Character

He remained at the party till he was the last guest. Yoh and Manta had disappeared, though Ren had full knowledge of where they were and what they were doing. That knowledge was not necessarily a good thing. The Chinese boy sat where he had all evening, in the corner of the ballroom on an antique oak-wood chair, drinking his emptiness away with coke after coke and now watching the maids and servants sweep the floor around him.

He couldn't drive and his bike was nowhere to be found. Yoh had obviously anticipated that he would get a ride home, but not necessarily to his own. It was so like Yoh that Ren couldn't really blame him; it was just how he was. Though Yoh, after knowing Tao Ren for 5 years should know that he wouldn't do that.

The Chinese boy's house was 4 miles away and it was snowing hard, but snow never hurt anyone… until they froze and died…

"You're not really thinking about going out there alone, are you sir?" The butler asked as he gave Ren his coat. He just nodded and opened the front door.

The wind bit his face and his hands were already cold, but Ren wanted to get home so badly that some ice wouldn't put a stop to him. So he trudged on, through the snow and sleet now coming down in blankets. The crunch of the snow filled his ears as the moisture seeped through his boot to his feet. By the end of the first mile, Ren could not feel his toes.

The night had been horrible. He had been left there, people thought he was a waiter, and only two people talked to him. Though, out of the two, one was insane and a nice person to talk with, and the other was just a bartender Ren would never see again. It wasn't so bad. At least he hadn't been completely alone.

Around Hemlock Drive, a blue Ferrari pulled up next to the half-frozen Chinese boy. He looked over and recognized the bartender with spiky blue hair. Ren stopped walking, half because his feet were so sore.

The bartender rolled down the window and smiled kindly. "Want a lift? It's a bit cold to be walking… especially from Manta's place."

Ren looked very long and hard at the bartender. His hair was soaked, he was shivering like mad, and he would be sick tomorrow… What's the harm of a car ride from a complete stranger?

He got into the car and was immensely happy to find that the leather seats were heated, along with the rest of the car. The bartender continued to drive in the direction Ren had been walking.

"My name's Horohoro." He said, smiling at the Chinese boy next to him. He didn't get an answer. Ren felt too self-conscious to say anything. "So, where do you live?"

It took about 25 minutes to get to Ren's house, and to him they seemed like seconds. He felt something in that car, near Horohoro, though he wouldn't admit it. He shouldn't become attached to someone he'd never see again.

Ren shut the car door and began walking up to his house, surprised that the bartender also got out and followed him up to his door.

"I wanna see you again." Horohoro said. His voice sent shivers up the Chinese boy's spine as he looked at his door. He didn't want the bartender to see him blush.

"Maybe you will… Maybe you won't." Ren mumbled as he opened the door. His house was empty and dark again. He shouldn't be surprised though. He was destined to be alone. Horohoro looked right into the sad gold eyes. As if his heart had sent out a call, the blue haired man returned it. Ren looked up at him with a blush growing.

"Please?" He asked, his eyes a bit dire. The purple haired boy looked at the ground, ashamed to be blushing again. He never blushed, what was happening to him? The Chinese boy felt a warm and soft hand around his cold wrist as Horohoro tenderly searched the gold eyes for some reassurance.

Maybe it was the snow, maybe it was the sugar rush, maybe it was just something more, but for reasons unknown, Ren turned back and said to meet him in the mall's coffee house at 12, for his break. The blue haired guy smiled, even when the Chinese boy gently pulled away and into his house, closing the door quietly behind him. He caught his breath and leaned against the door.

Why was he so breathless after just talking with a normal bartender? But… to Ren… he was anything but normal. With a sigh, he grabbed a blanket and began the trek up his stairs. Tomorrow was going to be nerve wracking.