IV

A few days passed uneventfully. Issei woke early the following Saturday morning. It was overcast hinting imminent rain, but undaunted, he decided to go into town. He dressed, quickly ran his brush through his hair, tossed it on the night stand, and headed out. Despite the rough patches with Koneko, he felt that he was really beginning to connect with her. His mind wandered back to the secrets he had divulged to her, secrets he hadn't told anyone. One of his deepest fears.

I'm glad I told her though. He decided. Since that day she hadn't said a mean word to him. To be fair, I haven't made any embarrassing mistakes either. He reminded himself. Still his spirits were high; his usual optimistic happiness shining through.

The air was cool and moist; he began to wish he had brought his coat along but had convinced himself that the short trip wouldn't require it. This time alone was a pleasant hiatus from the constant commotion at home. It wasn't that he minded the presence of the girls he'd come to call family, but moments of silence in which he could think without interruption were few and far between.

The walk symbol flashed across the street, and Issei strolled through the cross-walk and around the corner finally reaching his favorite bakery. As he pulled open the door a little bell tied to the top jingled.

"Good morning, Issei-kun!" a wizened, but upbeat woman called.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, obaasan!*" he returned, stepping up to the counter.

She wasn't his real grandmother, but he spent so much time at her shop that she had grown fond of him. She doted on him like a grandmother would often adding free sweets to his purchases or suddenly remembering a special sale when he came up short on something he wanted.

"You look thin! Are they feeding you at that school? You haven't been kicked out have you?" She joked.

Issei chuckled, "No, not yet at least! I'd be sad to go, so many pretty girls!"

The shop owner, shook her head amused. "Don't be fresh!" She scolded. "Or I'll make you pay full price!"

Stifling a laugh, Issei put on his best penitent look, and countered, "Grannie! I can't afford your stuff full price!" He playfully pouted muttering, "Even if it isss the best in the whole prefecture…."

The old woman blushed.

"Oh well if you're going to lie to an old woman, at least say something believable!" She shot back rolling her eyes.

"As if you don't know it's true! This is the only bake shop I go to, and with good reason!"

"Alright, you've buttered me up enough. What'll it be?" She winked. "Chocolate chip coffee cake as usual? Ya know, I think the one on display here might be from yesterday. Can't sell it for full price." She sighed. "Perhaps you'd take it off my hands for half?"

Issei smiled at her. She was such a nice old lady always doing things like this.

"Not today, grannie! Today, I want to pick up something special for someone."

"Oh? A girrrrrl?" She asked slyly.

"Yeeeees." Issei shot back in the same tone.

She chuckled. "It's a man's heart you steal with food, dear. Don't you know anything?"

"Ah well, maybe it's compliments for women? Eh, beautiful?"

"Stop it," she waved away his compliment, but her cheeks colored.

"Alright, grannie, you win."

He looked through a case, glancing at the labels.

"There! That's the one!" He pointed to a rack of apple Danishes.

She followed his finger to the rack. She paused a moment and clucked her tongue. "No, I think not." She shook her head, turned and quickly ran into a back room.

Issei grinned. This wasn't the first time she had denied his choice, but she always came back with…

"Here we are!" The old woman was surprisingly quick on her feet. She reappeared with a tray of two fresh, still steaming Danishes. "Just finished," She smiled and handed it to him proudly.

"I can't afford two, Grannie." He smiled guiltily.

"Oh, hush, take it!"

"Well… there's something else…" He began.

"Oh? What is it?" She asked frowning a little.

"Well the Danish for my friend… can you draw a little cat on it in pink frosting?" He asked blushing. "I'll pay extra for it!"

The baker laughed, a knowing smile brightening her face. "Done!"

She grabbed a bag of frosting and twisted on a thin tip. She was famous for her frosted pictures. In mere moments, she had drawn an impressive image of a cat complete with whiskers and arced tail.

"How's that?" She asked.

"Perfect!" He responded. "Beautiful!"

She chuckled. "Anything else?"

"Yes, actually. I'd like a small container with a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of strawberry ice cream, please!"

"Oh my, quite the sweet tooth for your girl!"

"You have no idea," he snickered not bothering to correct her. She would only tease him and call him a liar if he did.

While she got his ice cream, Issei pulled out his wallet. I should have just enough!

The shop owner returned to the counter and placed the two containers of ice cream on the scale; then she removed them and tapped a few keys. She pointed to the price on the digital display on the back of the register.

He nodded and smiled. I guessed right! He handed her the money which she slipped into the drawer.

"You're the best, grannie!" She handed him the Danish and the ice cream tossing a cherry into each of the ice cream containers.

As he turned to the door, she purposely dropped the other Danish on the counter causing it to split slightly.

"Oh, look how clumsy I am!" She sighed grandly. "Can't sell it when it looks like that, no, no." She paused turning to Issei. "Be a dear and get rid of this old thing will you?" She asked waving to the still steaming pastry on the counter as if it were three-week-old, moldy bread.

He blushed and grinned.

"Thank you, grannie. You're the best." He complimented more seriously this time taking the other Danish and slipping it into the box and the box into a little pink gift bag that had somehow fallen onto the counter too.

"Don't know what you're talking about, boy. Enjoy your purchase now and run home before it starts raining too hard!"

***

Issei pulled out the umbrella he'd brought and snapped it open as the rain started. By the time he got back home, it had turned into a full downpour. He slipped passed and closed the gate he realized he had left open on his way out, and skipped up the steps to the front door, dripping from the slanting rain and buffeted by cold, whipping gales.

He quickly pulled open the door, stepped inside, and slammed it shut. His watch read 8:37 A.M. Perfect. She'll be getting up any minute, just in time for breakfast. He decided he would deliver it to her room directly. No sense in bringing it to the kitchen and making all the other girls jealous.

Careful not to track mud onto the floor, he kicked his shoes off onto the mat beside the door, shook off the umbrella, and set it in the stand to dry. Then, he happily rushed off to Koneko's room, stopping in front of her door to wipe the dripping rain from his eyes and to try to comb his hair into some semblance of decency.

He was about to knock when Rias' voice echoed angrily from inside.

"Why must you always put him down?"

Koneko's voice followed quieter but insistent, "You can still keep him as pawn, as a friend! Isn't that good enough?"

Rias retorted, "I don't need your permission, Koneko! I am the king."

There were footsteps growing louder as they approached the door. Issei was frozen in place though.

From right behind the door, Rias called, "You'll never see him for who he really is as long as you can't get passed the few flaws. He cares deeply for me… for all of us. I can feel it. Why are you trying so hard to be blind?" She huffed clearly frustrated.

The handle turned, and the door jerked open revealing Rias' back standing in the door way, as Koneko frustrated desperately shot back, "He's just a pervert who was lucky to have crossed paths with you, Nee-sama! He told me himself, that he thinks your love is all an act. That he has trouble believing anything you say. After all what could he possibly have to off—?"

Koneko's words died in her throat. Her eyes flashed surprise then horror, her face stricken with guilt as she caught sight of Issei in the hall. Rias whipped her head around and clapped a hand to her mouth as her eyes rested on his bedraggled form.

"How…how long have you been standing there?" She demanded breathlessly.

"Just… just got here." The words fell from his lips.

"I—sh-she didn't mean that, Issei." Rias soothed.

Issei's eyes never left Koneko's. Both of them frozen.

Koneko read betrayal and pain. Loneliness and hurt reflected in his eyes. Shock. That was the biggest emotion. It was as if she were reading his thoughts. He had trusted her with his darkest secret not for a moment thinking she had it in her to do this to him.

"Issei!" Rias called.

Her voice drew no reaction from him. Never breaking eye contact, he blinked silently, then quietly whispered, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Koneko-…chan."

His hands lost their strength, and the two containers and the bag fell to his feet. He didn't care. I'm such a fool. "I'm such a fool," he repeated barely audibly. He turned and quickly disappeared from the door way.

"Issei! Wait!" Rias called desperately, but he was gone.

Rias turned her fury on Koneko. "Look what you've done!" she cried.

Koneko stared at the empty doorway still stricken. Her lips shuddered.

Rias stalked to the hall, "You can be a real brat sometimes, Koneko." She shook her head and stormed off.

The slamming door released Koneko from her paralysis like a broken spell. She rigidly stood and very slowly put one foot in front of the other until she had made her way to the door.

She opened it and looked down at the two containers and the box inside a fancy, pink bag tipped over on its side. What did Issei bring to my room?

She robotically picked up the three items, closed the door and carried them to her bed. She sat down and slid back till her shoulders rested against the headboard. Then, a little afraid of what she might find, she opened the first container: vanilla ice cream and a ripe, red cherry. Her upper lip trembled. She lightly bit her bottom lip as she opened the second: strawberry ice cream—her favorite. Her eyes stung. She could feel them filling with saline.

Finally, she opened the fancy, pink gift bag and pulled out the little white cardboard container. It was hot to the touch on the bottom. The distinct smell of baked apples and butter filled her nostrils. She pealed back the top of the container. Inside were two fresh, hot apple Danishes. One a little split, and the other… Her heart dropped into her stomach. Soft pink frosting had been smooshed against the side of the box, but despite the imperfection, she easily recognized the silhouette of a little kitten.

She dropped the box in her lap and hung her head. She leaned forward and drew her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them as tears poured silently down her cheeks.