A Cake for You

Chapter One

When Shion opened his eyes that morning, a sweet aroma filled his nose. Drowsy from a deep, but troubled sleep, he groaned as he shifted in bed. As his pale, red-streaked hand made contact with the opposite side of the bed, he felt the familiar coolness of the sheets.

Shion was alone. This didn't bother him, though. He was, quite frankly, used to waking up alone by now. It had been a little over three years since Nezumi left, and Shion was beginning to lose hope that he'd ever return.

"No... I won't think of him," Shion mumbled, scolding himself.

Getting out of bed, Shion noticed that he was almost nude, save for his boxer shorts. Sighing, he grabbed a loose-fitting t-shirt and some shorts before shuffling out of his room. Letting out a prolonged yawn, Shion rubbed his puffy, tired eyes as he made his way to his restroom.

Locking the door, Shion faced the mirror, looking at himself. He had lost quite a bit of weight over the past few years, crying away his days alone in his room. When his mother, Karan, would make him something to eat, he would take it, then wait until his mother became preoccupied before going out and giving the food to the less fortunate. Karan had no idea. Well, for the most part, anyway.

Without a shirt, however, the emaciation was evident. Shion's ribs popped out slightly, as did his shoulders and elbows. His knees were knobby, and his ankles were quite pronounced. He was always tired, and on bad days, he would get dizzy and have to lie down. If he were to eat something, it wasn't much; just enough to stay alive.

After taking a warm shower, Shion dried himself off, got dressed, wrapped the towel around his hair, and dragged his feet to the living room. There, Karan sat at the table, looking up once Shion walked in.

"Hey, sweetheart," Karan said, happy to see her son.

"Oh. Hey, Mom," Shion replied, his voice a bored monotone. His once happy-go-lucky personality disappeared the same day Nezumi did. Shion subtly shook his head, grabbing some bread to munch on. He was actually hungry this morning.

Karan watched as her son made his way around the kitchen before he found a seat next to her. "Honey, we need to talk. I've noticed that you haven't been eating much...," she began, her tone worried and motherly.

Shion stiffened, glaring down at the floor.

"I'm worried about you. I know you miss Nezumi, but he wouldn't want...".

"Don't say his name," Shion whispered angrily.

His mother closed her mouth, shocked. Mother and son sat in silence for a while before Shion stated, "Hey... I'm sorry, Mom. It's just...," his voice trailed off.

"I understand," Karan reached over, grasping his son's hand gently.

His stone visage crumbling, Shion cleared his throat, standing up. "I'm gonna go do the dishes." He scooped up his and his mother's plates before swiftly escaping into the kitchen.

Almost immediately, the sweet scent Shion awoke to invaded his nose. However, bent on forgetting about the conversation that just occurred, he ignored the smell, fully immersing himself in the dishes.

Fifteen minutes later, and Shion had completed his objective, grinning to himself. Making his way out of the kitchen, Shion gave Karan a hug before making his way back to his room.

There were clothes strewn about his room, and his bed stood disheveled and abused by his restless slumber the night before.

Shion sighed. "What a mess."

Before long, Shion's room was spotless. With nothing left to do, his mind began to wander, going to places he didn't want to go.

"Nezumi...," his conscience said.

"Stop it," Shion absconded himself. "He's never coming back. He's probably forgotten about you by now."

Just then, Shion felt a cold draft blow across the nape of his neck, causing him to shiver. He turned around, noticing that, curiously, his bedroom window stood ajar.

Briefly puzzled, Shion let out a sigh. He had spent many a day standing at that window, hoping that one day, Nezumi would burst back into his life like he did that night so many years ago. Scoffing harshly, Shion shut the window, cutting off his daydream.

An image of Nezumi's face flashed through his subconscious, before being blinked away.

Finished with his room, the frail, thin boy combed his fingers through his hair, using his free hand to scratch his chest. Shion froze once his fingers brushed over a soft, thin scar on his chest.

That's where the bullet that killed him passed through. It was thanks to his old friend, Safu, that he is alive today, according to Nezumi.

A soft smile stretched across his mouth. "Thanks, Safu," he whispered to himself before heading back out to the living room. Not two seconds after he stepped into the living room, the mysterious smell inundated his senses. The sweet aroma was somehow more pungent than before.

His curiosity getting the better of him, the white-haired young man called out, "Hey, Mom! Are you baking something?"

"Yes, dear. It's a cake," Karan replied, walking out of the kitchen in her apron. Flour and sugar were plastered on the apron. She wiped her hands off with a towel. She was done with the cake.

"What's the occasion?" inquired Shion, giving his mother a curious look.

Karan chuckled. "Go see for yourself," she replied in a sing-song voice.

"Um... Ok," Shion said. He walked into the kitchen once more, following the seemingly palpable scent of the cake. Once he was upon it, Shion took in the sight of his mother's creation.

It was the most beautiful cake Shion had ever seen. From the looks of it, it was a vanilla cake with white frosting. Simple enough.

However, what was really awe-inspiring was the decorating. The outline consisted of an intricate, swirling pattern before hitting the corners. Three of those corners contained a beautiful trio of roses. The final corner consisted of something Shion had seen many times before: a wasp.

It wasn't just a regular wasp, though. "Elyurias," Shion whispered. Elyurias, the goddess of the forest. The goddess whose song Nezumi would sing to fix things. The goddess whom Safu transformed into.

Amazed by the cake, Shion's eyes traveled across it. "Mom, this cake looks incredi-," his voice cut off as his eyes glanced upon the phrase in the middle of the cake, written in a beautiful cursive.

Shion stood there, frozen, his eyes fixed on the words. Hearing a rustling behind him, he slowly turned around. He gasped, his breath catching in his throat, his eyes widening.

Standing before him was a young man. He had a tall frame and a thin face. His onyx hair was as unkempt as usual, but was a bit longer. His body was perfect: not too thin, but not too muscular. He was toned and broad-shouldered.

It was Nezumi.