[A Sex Therapist] Warm Stew Title: Warm Stew Author:trio Rating: PG Warnings: none Word Count: 427 Summary: Kain finds comfort in Café Heven as he thinks about a problematic customer.
"I'm sorry, we're clo... oh, it's you." His voice is warm, the words familiar as I sit down at the bar. It's become something of a ritual, but unlike other times, I have nothing else to bring with me. There are no 'thank you' gifts from my customers today, and last night's customer still leaves me concerned. Most of the time, I'm confident in my abilities and my customers' wishes. But Mr. Kuramoto left almost as troubled as he arrived, and the way his heart shifted from the one man to the other left me worn out. So when Tsuzuki slides the coffee over to me, I take a long sip, just staring at the dark liquid within. His coffee is good, the type of coffee you only get when someone really cares about the way it's made, and for that very reason, it's comforting. But what's even more comforting is the way the unasked-for bowl of stew appears in front of me, warm and thick. Since he introduced it to the menu, it's come to be one of my favorite dishes.
Lately, the air in the café has changed. Ever since the night he came to me, asking me for a way to approach his 'special customer', I've spent longer each morning. Who knew that someone like me would be so sentimental, content to watch him as he worked? Looking up at him now, I see a broad-shouldered man with an easy smile. His appearance may be rough, but those hands can be incredibly tender and delicate, their touch as precise as a good cook's should be. I wonder, sometimes, what he thinks of me and my work, but it never seems to bother him. For a long moment, we just stare at each other, and then the door chimes. It's past his opening time now, so when his eyes break from mine, he doesn't shoo them out. Instead, he directs them to a window booth, one hand waving at the place he's pointing out. As that hand drops again, his fingers graze my cheek lightly, and I look up at him in surprise. Warm eyes greet me in turn, and the blush that rises up in me surprises me. I thought I'd left behind blushes long ago, but he can still tease them out of me.
He leaves to tend his customers, but it doesn't matter anymore. He's washed away all the unhappiness in me, and I slowly eat my stew, thinking once more of last night's customer. Kyouya... I hope they love you, too.