Archive of Our Own

Ono was just finishing up assembling another tray of choux when he heard the commotion outside the bakery. To Ono's ear (one very experienced in the ways of drama queens), it sounded as though somebody was throwing a rather spectacular fit. Especially since he could even hear it inside the kitchen.

Kanda opened the kitchen door, looking harried. "Sensei, are the choux done?"

Ono placed the tray carefully in his hands (because he would never, ever be careless with his creations), and Kanda smiled gratefully.

Kanda was rather cute, but not Ono's type at all.

"What's going on out there?" Ono asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Kanda's face scrunched up. "Two guys arguing. The geezer's keeping an eye on them."

"Really, Kanda-kun," Ono tutted. "Tachibana is hardly that old."

Kanda muttered under his breath, and as he backed out, the shop door flew open, and Ono's jaw dropped.

Standing in front of the display case were two of the most beautiful young men Ono had ever seen, and considering how many (naked) young men Ono's had the pleasure of up close and personal looks at, that was saying quite a bit. They were roughly the same height, one with bleached bangs and decidedly trendy clothing. The other had his dark hair in a pageboy cut, wearing a blazer over a sweater vest and somehow managing to pull it off. If he hadn't looked so serious, Ono might have stifled a giggle.

As it was, they were both in deadly earnest, sparing little attention for the shop around them, and focusing it all in an argument that seemed fierce and yet well-trod all at once. Bleached-bangs was loud and obnoxious, while Pageboy was cool and contemptuous. Tachibana was watching them warily from the front desk, and even when he handed them the menus, it only elicited a polite thank-you from Pageboy, who subsequently scolded Bleached-bangs for being so loud indoors, and their war of words hushed to a furious whisper.

Ono was thankful that business was slow at the moment, and none of the current regulars would be frightened off by those two. Still, he had time to kill while he was waiting to finish the chiboust aux pommes, and Ono admitted to being very curious.

From the window in the kitchen door, he could see that Bleached-bangs had taken out a sheet of paper, and was stabbing at it intently with one finger, growling something at his companion. Pageboy, it seemed, had decided that he was too aloof to argue anymore - and Ono smiled, because he had met more than one of those in Shinjuku Nichome, and they're one of the best kinds of challenges.

He stepped away from the door as Kanda came in.

"What did they order?" Ono asked, making an effort to sound as though it were an idle inquiry.

Kanda wrinkled his nose a little. "Two afternoon tea sets."

Ono raised his eyebrows, because he really couldn't imagine that those two young men could actually stay in each other's company for that long without breaking something important. But he helped Kanda assemble the sets, glad of having the time to see this unfold.

Pageboy approached the tea set with the well-bred manners of someone who is so used to formal dining that it hardly occurred to him to behave otherwise. Bleached-bangs was less reserved; the finger he was pointing at the sheet of paper between them had a dollop of custard on it. Ono smiled slightly at the sight. There was something to be said, after all, for the allure of the genuinely clueless.

Apparently, Pageboy agreed, and Ono's eyes widened a bit as he saw Pageboy freeze when Bleached-bangs sucked the errant custard off his fingertip. Well, well.

Ono was only a man. A really, really gay man. And it was his duty to encourage gay love between parties who were decidedly under his dating age limit. In short, it was time to take matters into his own hands.

"Sensei?" Kanda said, looking up from mixing up more whipped cream. "What are those for?"

"Oh, I just wanted to have some of the customers try these - it's a new variation," Ono said airily. It wasn't not precisely a lie.

Kanda looked affronted, and maybe a bit hurt. "Don't I always try new things for you?"

Ono smiled kindly. "Of course you do. But perhaps you're becoming biased."

"Impossible! Because Sensei makes the most delicious cakes in the world!" Kanda said fervently, with all the conviction of the thoroughly converted.

"Just so," Ono said wryly, and delicately exited through the swinging doors.

***

Tachibana looked like he might have a hernia when Ono made a beeline for the boys' table.

"Good afternoon," Ono said, giving them a small smile. "I wonder if you gentlemen would mind trying a new confection for me?"

Bleached-bangs looked irritated at having been interrupted, although the sugar content Ono was holding seemed to be going a long way toward mollifying him. Pageboy thanked him with a polite smile that seemed almost second nature - then again, he had probably had men of various ages offering him candy for awhile now.

They both ate the sample, and Ono was surprised when Bleached-bangs spoke first. "It's kind of sharp, and then soft afterwards."

Pageboy closed his eyes briefly, and took up Bleached-boy's line of thought. "Tart. And soft afterward, yes - not sweet, but gentle."

Ono watched them both intently. They were not talking to him, not really - these were the well-trod lines of a couple who thought together, augmenting and complementing each other's thought processes.

Ono wondered what that was like.

"Excuse me, have I met you before?" Pageboy asked slowly.

"I don't believe so," Ono said, a bit surprised. "It seems unlikely - this is my first time back in Tokyo in quite some time."

"Oh," Pageboy said, but the furrow remained in his brow. "Well, thank you for allowing us to try your new dessert."

Ono thought he heard Bleached-bangs mutter something that sounded like "Suck up" under his breath. Judging from the firm elbow that collided with Bleached-bangs' ribs, Pageboy thought so too. "No, no, the pleasure was mine. It's so nice to see two such...good friends enjoying my creations."

Pageboy gave the tiniest gasp, but his eyes met Ono's, and there was recognition there suddenly. Pageboy somehow knew who he was. Ono looked between the two boys and gave him an encouraging smile, and a faint tinge of color tinged Pageboy's cheeks. "Well then, good afternoon to you both. I hope we'll see you again soon."

He made his swish-free way back to the kitchen, which was amazing since he was clearly brilliant, and also a success. He was betting the two would come back, and with the proper supervision and occasional nudging, they would realize they were very gay for each other, and live happily ever after.

"What the hell were you doing?" Tachibana said crossly when he came in later.

"Doing?" Ono asked coolly, rolling out dough.

"Do you know who those boys are?"

Ono thought about telling Tachibana his nicknames for them, but decided against it. "No. But you do?"

Tachibana shoved a newspaper in front of his face. "They're Go professionals. They're like, super boy genius Go professionals. You can't go picking them up!"

Ono gave him a withering glare. "I wasn't picking them up."

"Then what were you doing?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Tachibana rolled his eyes. "Look, just keep that gay demonic charm in the kitchen. The last thing I need is you picking up two underage boys."

"Now, really," Ono protested. Even he had standards.

Tachibana left the newspaper behind, and Ono looked down at the article. Shindou Hikaru and Touya Akira. They even looked cute together in the picture, although to be fair, they also looked like they wanted to kill each other. They were actually both nineteen years old, although they seemed older, somehow.

"Go pros, huh?" Ono said to himself. He once had a torrid fling with a Go pro, years ago. He'd been really hot, too, although a little distracted for Ono's taste. He'd had fish, Ono remembered vaguely. And fucked like a dream.

Maybe Ono should look him up again, now that he was back in town.

***

Ono took notice of the location of the Antique Bakery only inasmuch that he agreed with Tachibana - the location was accessible, but not hideously busy. It was exactly the right sort of place to stop by for tea and sweets, away from the bustle of the world.

In the end, that's what really counted for Ono. Peace and quiet, and the freedom to do what he did best - dream and create, and satisfy people for a short while.

So when he asked Tachibana where the Go Institute was located, he was a bit surprised to hear it was within walking distance - a bit of a hike, to be sure, but how else would two young Go professionals have stumbled onto their bakery?

He walked there in the late afternoon, although who knew if the man - Ogata, he remembered a bit fondly - would even be there. But it was worth a try, and Ono was curious. Ogata had not been his usual choice for a partner - generally, he liked his lovers to be entirely adoring of him, but Ogata had been so reserved that Ono never knew what he was thinking, much less if he thought of Ono at all.

There were some teenagers milling around the lobby, and Ono wandered over to them. "Excuse me, but would you happen to know if Ogata-san is here?"

One boy, with flipped up red hair, frowned a bit. "He should be up on the seventh floor," he offered after a moment.

How gracious, Ono thought privately. But he took the elevator up, and Ogata stood just down the hall, smoking and talking to another man.

It was a rush of feeling to see Ogata again - when they'd been together, Ono was riding the high of working at a top restaurant in Tokyo, being the toast of the town - only to fall from grace, again and again and again. Ogata was tied to euphoric success in his mind, and just seeing his broad shoulders, the concentration he gave to finishing off his cigarette, brought back sharp memories. He remembered when he told Ogata goodbye - his restaurant manager, never precisely stable, had decided that if he couldn't have Ono, Ono couldn't stay.

It killed Ono every time he was fired, because it usually had nothing to do with him, not really. But he packed up and he moved on, because he couldn't not do this - this thing that he was genuinely good at, that made himself and other people happy - he couldn't give it up, not for anything.

Ogata's young companion smiled sunnily Ono's way when he caught sight of him; Ono gave him a small smile back, and it was then that Ogata turned his head. He didn't look particularly surprised to see him, but then Ogata had said it himself: "My livelihood relies on not being overly surprised by anything."

That might be true, but Ono thought that Ogata loved nothing more than something that was even capable of throwing him for a loop.

"You're back," Ogata said simply. "How was France?"

Ono smiled wryly. "Well, I am back here, aren't I?"

Ogata stubbed out his cigarette. "So you are. Ah, Ashiwara - this is Yuu-chan."

"Ono Yuusuke," he hastily corrected, but the damage was done - Ashiwara's sweet smile had dimmed. "Pleased to meet you."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ashiwara," Ogata said coolly, and herded Ono back into the elevator.

"What are you doing here, after all this time?" Ogata asked after he lit up another cigarette.

"Would you believe I'm just in the neighborhood?" Ono asked, smiling weakly.

***

They were at a very nice restaurant, one that held no bad memories for Ono. Ogata had evidently really moved up in the world - they had already gone through one very expensive bottle of wine, and were working on a second.

"I think some young colleagues of yours came to my shop," Ono said slowly.

"Oh?" Ogata inquired. One of his feet bumped Ono's, and Ono didn't think it was an accident.

"Shindou-kun and Touya-kun?"

"Ah," Ogata said, his lips twisting into a wry smile. "I hope they didn't break anything expensive in your patisserie."

"No, not at all," Ono hastened to assure him. "They were just a bit...energetic."

"Trying to kill each other," Ogata translated.

"Ah, well, perhaps," Ono admitted. He distinctly felt something brush his ankle and up his calf, and managed not to start in surprise. "And here I thought Go players were all models of decorum."

Ogata snorted. "Where did you get an idea like that? Besides, those two - they've been locked in mutual orbit since Shindou went pro. They yell in each other's faces, but they can't seem to tear themselves apart."

"Ah, young love," Ono says, smiling. Ogata's foot is definitely flirting with his knee.

"Love, obsession - whatever."

"And the young man at the institute - Ashiwara, was it? Isn't he a bit young for you, cradle-robber?"

Ogata's foot stilled. "You're one to talk," Ogata said. "And I'm not sleeping with him."

"Oh? Why not?"

Ogata grimaced. "Personal policy. I don't sleep with people I have to see every day."

"Wise," Ono said, with the ache of experience.

Ogata signaled the waiter for the check. "Are we done here?"

Ono left his napkin on the table. "I think so."

"You want a ride?" Ogata asked, his eyes making it clear that not just a ridiculously expensive car was involved.

Ono took a second to think about it. "For old time's sake," he agreed.

***

He really shouldn't have done it. But he wanted a last taste of Ogata's intensity, just to see if it was what he remembered. They'd played a game of Go, once - Ono in Ogata's arms, while Ogata had directed Ono's moves, so that Ono could feel the tense rhythm of the game. For a moment, just a moment, he'd thought he understood Ogata's connection to Go. It was that same mental place, like when Ono came in early to the Antique, and sketched out design. Done properly, either activity was capable of rousing people to passionate approval or even tears.

Anything they might have had was so far out of Ono's reach, he couldn't even imagine it anymore. Ogata's skill in bed might have increased over the years, but their chemistry had petered out. Ono was almost positive that he was a substitute, and he wondered how long Ogata had been distracting himself.

Ono was toying with one stone on the goban when Ogata came out of the shower. "Are you taking off?" Ogata asked.

"I'm afraid so," Ono said.

Ogata stopped in front of him, and gave Ono one last, thorough kiss.

"You should think about what I said," Ono told him.

"What was that, exactly?"

"You shouldn't let go of him. Do you really want someone you can't sit across a board from?"

Ogata's face closed. "What does a patisser know about Go?"

"I learned from the master," Ono said softly. "Stop by the shop someday - I'll make something for the two of you." He slipped on his shoes beside the front door.

"You know I don't like sweet things," Ogata said, sounding grouchy but not looking overly irritated.

"But I bet you he does. I have a sense about these things," Ono said. "Later, then."

"Yeah," Ogata said, and closed the door.

***

Ono was pulling chiffon cakes out of the oven when Tachibana stuck his head inside the kitchen doors. "Ono, someone wants to talk to you about a special order," he said, looking grumpy.

Ono wiped his hands on a towel. "I'll be right out."

Tachibana pointed him towards the side room, which afforded Ono a bit more privacy to discuss requests with customers. But he was still a bit surprised to see Touya Akira sitting up straight on an antique sofa.

"Welcome back," Ono said, offering the boy a warm smile. "How can I help you?"

On closer inspection, the boy looked nervous. "I- I want to special order a cake, if that's possible."

Ono sat down with his sketch pad and pencil next to Touya on the sofa. "What's the occasion?"

Touya was quiet for a moment. "A birthday."

"Ah, for Shindou-kun?" Ono guessed.

Touya's face went from pale and nervous to a panicked flush. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I didn't - you're just usually here with him, that's all, and you're by yourself this time," Ono said gently.

Touya took a steadying breath. "Right."

"So, do you have ideas of what you would like the cake to look like?" Ono asked, resting the pencil tip against the paper.

"I was thinking of something Go-themed, black and white maybe - if that were possible, I mean. If it's not, that's okay, it's just that - sensei, you know Ogata-san, don't you."

Ono's eyebrows climbed at the not-question. "Your pardon?"

"It's just - I've seen you before. Years ago. You and Ogata-san were - you were - how do you -"

Ah, Ono thought affectionately, young gay love. "This is about Shindou-kun, isn't it?"

Touya didn't bother to deny it, but stared very intently at his knees.

Ono patted his shoulder. "He's special, isn't he? So do something special for him."

"He's - he's annoying, and he's always so stubborn - but he is," Touya swallowed and finished quietly, "special to me."

"Well, then," Ono said. "I don't know very much about Go, but you must have played games against each other, right? Could we put the - the record of the game, whatever you call it, on top of the cake? A game that was really important to the both of you?"

"Kifu," Touya breathed, like it was the most important thing in the world.

"Kifu," Ono repeated obediently. "Could you bring back one of those to put on the cake?"

"I don't need to go get it. I can draw it for you right now," Touya said, emotion weighting down his voice with his sincerity.

"The whole thing?" Ono said, surprised.

"Give me the pencil," Touya said. Ono handed him the sketchpad and pencil, and Touya drew firm, straight lines, and then began to draw stones. Ono realized that Touya was drawing the stones in order that they were placed - he realized, suddenly, that for Touya, this was a beloved conversation, played over and over and remembered with perfect clarity. He watched Touya's face and Touya's firm hand, gliding through the recreation of the game without pausing, and realized that this was love he was seeing, but there wasn't anything young about it. It was old and cherished and infinitely dear.

"There," Touya said, and handed the sketchpad back to him.

Ono didn't know much about Go, but he knew this was beautiful. "A square cake, then, maybe with two layers - chocolate and white?" He sketched on another sheet of paper while he talked. "The kifu laid out on top of the cake, with white and dark chocolate for the stones, over a frosted grid."

"That would be...wonderful," Touya said. "He likes chocolate."

"Well, you know what they say about a man's stomach," Ono said with a teasing smile.

"Thank you for your help, sensei," Touya said.

"Not at all. But you should know one thing."

"What's that?"

"He's oblivious, not unwilling. I think your chances are pretty good," Ono said, his voice lowered to a whisper.

"Oh," Touya said, and then he sat a little straighter. A little encouragement went a long way, in Ono's experience.

"I'll see you again soon, then," Ono said. "And good luck."

Personally, Ono didn't think Touya would really need it.

***

"This is all your fault," Tachibana said when he came into the kitchen.

Ono inspected the batter he was stirring. "What is?"

"Our patisserie is becoming some sort of homo hangout," Tachibana groused.

Ono rolled his eyes. "Two boys holding hands under the table does not a 'homo hangout' make."

"I'm not even going to start on what you're doing with Chikage," Tachibana said.

Ono didn't bother telling him that nothing had really happened yet, but this was only a temporary situation, or so he liked to think. Ono had been trying to trip Chikage into bed for weeks now, but not too hard, since Chikage was actually determined to be a gentlemen about the whole thing.

It was all rather novel, really, and Ono was determined to enjoy it.

"Why don't I take that tray over to them?" Ono said.

"I don't have a problem serving customers, no matter who they are," Tachibana said firmly, sounding a little offended.

Ono realized that sometimes, he underestimated Tachibana. He gave him a conciliatory smile. "I just want to talk to them, is all."

"Oh," Tachibana said, slightly mollified. Ono should have known better than to think that Tachibana would ever not stick up for Chikage's feelings, even if they weren't ones he could really understand. Ono knew that, deep down, Tachibana loved Chikage like a brother.

He whisked the tray out into the shop and stopped at Touya and Shindou's table. They had moved their chairs close together, and Ono could their arms were close together and had no difficulty imaging their hands clasped under the tablecloth. It was sweet, really, and Ono was glad to have been of help.

"Here are your afternoon tea sets, gentlemen," Ono said, placing them carefully on the table. "How are you doing?"

"Good," Shindou said, not even letting go of Touya and settling on eating awkwardly with his left hand. "I beat Touya yesterday in a pro match."

Touya twitched. "It was close."

"But it was a first," Shindou shot back.

And then they were both doing a poor job of concealing lovesick smiles, because clearly, it wasn't the only first on their minds. Really, it was enough to give anyone faith in humanity again. How could anyone not see how perfect these two were together?

It was at that moment that Chikage came out with their tea. He arrived at Ono's side almost soundlessly, and there was a horrible moment where he moved, and then Chikage moved, and then they were so close and Chikage nearly dropped everything, but at the last second safely placed the full teapot and cups on the table.

"I'm sorry," Chikage said, sounding slightly anxious. "Are you okay, Ono-san?"

"F-fine," Ono managed after a moment. He really wasn't in a hurry for Chikage to move his hand away from its gentle grip on Ono's elbow.

Shindou's quiet snort made Ono realize that he and Chikage had just been staring at each other without speaking for a few moments. He blinked, unable to completely stifle his instinctive smile, and Chikage flushed before scurrying back to an onlooking Tachibana.

"Sensei?" Touya ventured.

"Yes?"

"Good luck," Touya and Shindou said quietly, suppressing laughter.

"I need it," Ono muttered.

The front door bell jingled, and a voice interrupted Tachibana as he tried to welcome the new customers. "We're here for him," a familiar voice said.

Ono turned to see Ogata and his young man. Tachibana was glaring at Ono, as if to prove his earlier point. Ogata really wasn't helping Ono's case by guiding Ashiwara with a hand at the small of his back.

"Pardon me," he said to Shindou and Touya. Considering that they didn't look surprised at their fellow pros, Ono hazarded that this was old news.

"You said to stop by," Ogata said.

"Indeed I did," Ono said, giving Ashiwara a warm look. He hoped Ashiwara didn't hold their earlier meeting against him, but Ashiwara just looked shyly happy. "Would you like to order?"

Ogata looked grumpy, but Ono suspected it was all for show. "Whatever he wants," he said.

Ashiwara flushed pink at that, and scanned the menu. "How am I supposed to decide? It all looks so good," he said, reminding Ono of Kanda's fervent love for anything and everything that came out of his kitchen.

"If you'll wait a moment, I'll make something special up," Ono said.

From Ashiwara's look, Ono knew he'd made the right decision in inviting them here.

"It'll be right up," he said, and made his way back to the kitchen.

Chikage was back there, drying teacups and humming to himself.

"Chikage, would you mind bringing the custard out of the cooler?" Ono asked, pulling a bowl onto the counter.

Chikage obediently brought the stainless steel bowl of custard over, and without thinking, Ono dipped his finger in the bowl to test its consistency, and then sucked the custard off his finger. When he heard Chikage's slight gasp, he looked up - and then the bowl was on the floor, and they were kissing, and Chikage was so perfect, so good, so -

"Ono, what have I told you?" Tachibana demanded, sounding nearly in pain.

Ono looked around Chikage's shoulder, and grinned. "Keep it in the kitchen?"

Tachibana stared at him. "Well, yes, but -"

Chikage turned to face Tachibana, but kept one arm around Ono's waist. "Waka, about Ono-san - I really, I really -"

Tachibana slumped, defeated. "It's fine, I'm going back there, please take care of that custard on the floor and don't tell me about any alternate uses for it if it's not baking." He stalked out of the kitchen, muttering to himself.

Chikage seemed to suddenly realize the mess they'd made, and he attempted to move away, "Ono-san, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Ono caught his arm and pulled him back. "I think we got interrupted."

"Ono-san," Chikage said, blushing again.

Ono pulled off Chikage's sunglasses. "One more kiss, and I'll go back to work," he promised. Chikage hesitated for a second, and then closed those beautiful eyes and leaned down.

If this was love, it was sweeter than anything that had ever come out of his kitchen.