My Chocomallows Cake by ARIE78 (on hold)

Chapter 7

Forth winced when he heard the metal clutter that resounded through the changing room. With a scowl, he hoped that Beam hadn't succeeded in sending the dumpster to the ECU. The boy was a walking-talking hazard.

I shouldn't have brought him here. What was I even thinking?

He put his coat on- the one that had 'Jaturapom' printed on his breast pocket in elegant purple thread and tied the apron around his waist.

Forth paused in his movements and glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

He sighed.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't disturbed by his own actions. What had happened out there in the dining hall had been his initiative. Surely, he was taking this 'take care of boss's kid' a little too far.

He didn't understand his own reflexes. In this line of work, cuts and burns were fairly common. The last time (which wasn't very long ago), Lam had set fire to his hat and while the others grabbed a fire-extinguisher, all Forth had done was look on in amusement.

Forth never remembered doing to his crew what he'd just done to Beam. Yet with the boy, he had felt this strong overprotective urge and he knew it was going to lead him to a downward spiral of no return.

No. No. Just a brotherly urge. Yes, that had to be it.

When the restaurant opened up to the public and the crowds rushed in, he asked Nien to fetch Beam and to use him as an extra hand.

He heard the boy whine and crib while he worked at cleaning the dishes.

"This is so not fair!"

Forth was working on the dressing of 'Tagliatelle' with Bolognese sauce... which required some careful finesse.

"I came to see the restaurant and not the wash basin!"

Forth's eye twitched.

"Besides I'm supposed to be injured," the boy cribbed, holding up his bandaged finger.

Forth was almost done...

"And I haven't had breakfast yet. How do you expect me to work on a friggin' empty stomach when there is such delicious aroma around-"

He never got to finish. His face was sporting a wet towel slapped across his face with Forth smirking from the other corner of the kitchen.

Lam looked outside the window, wondering whether it was going to rain today.

Beam was so annoyed that he got stuck washing dishes as in washing OFF delicious smell. He wanted to cry because frankly everything he had peeked at going out from the kitchen was a wonder to his eyes and a sore sight when the dishes came back empty and dumped onto the basin.

The squiggly things, the small things, the things with fish and meat in it, the thinly sliced things, the watery things, the things whose name was so difficult to pronounce that he'd resorted to calling them by the format of : Visual description followed by the word 'things.'

This stupid restaurant couldn't even afford waterproof bandage and the one around his finger was starting to sting.

When Forth (again he did NOT deserve honorifics) threw the towel at him it was the LAST straw. He took the towel and rinsed it out over whatever Forth was concocting in his little chef's corner. If he couldn't eat it then no one could! SO THERE!

Beam had half expected a punch and was surprised at Forth just gaping at him, maybe he was too shocked, then his temple twitched and Beam gulped, rooted on the spot.

He should have run! He knows more so when he is bracing a face full of Bolognese sauce and a saucepan is hanging off his head. Brown sauce trickling into the strands of his hair and down his neck inside his shirt

The whole kitchen was quiet in an instant. Everyone anticipating Forth's next move or maybe Beam's next move but before either could engage in a not so composed fist fight a woman pulled Beam away from Forth's reach and dragged him to the wash basin where Beam had been previously cleaning dishes.

Beam heard a snort from behind when his head was pushed ungraciously onto the basin and the tap turned on over his head.

This was going to be one long, hungry day...

There was nothing more soothing to the ears than Nien's voice when she announced the last order of the day with that nice tra-la-la ring to it. Nien was the host of the diner- the one who did the inviting, checking up on reservations and wishing the guests with a buoyant 'Benvenuto(welcome)' even when she was having a bad day.

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When the doors had been closed and the cafe had settled in for the day, Forth stumbled into the changing rooms- exhausted, weary and annoyed (the last one courtesy of a devil who went by the name Beam Baramee).

He was in the process of changing into a t-shirt that said 'Hello! I cook!' when Nien peeped in.

"Ah, P'Forth," she breathed in a low voice, her eyes trailing down his naked chest. "I was looking all over for you."

Forth quickly pulled down the t-shirt and smiled gratuitously at her.

"And?"

The woman seemed visibly embarrassed. "Oh... I was just wondering. Who is that boy you brought down here?"

Forth turned to his locker, carefully folding his toque and avoided her gaze.

"A distant cousin. Why do you want to know?"

"Well, because the Boss summoned for him an hour ago."

Forth turned to her sharply, realization sinking in.

"The boss?"

"Yes. He just returned from his overseas trip and wasn't really happy to see the boy-"

Forth grabbed his bag and brushed past her for the stairs.

When he'd reached the next landing, he darted across the hallway, stopping before the closed door of the 'Chef De Cuisine'. Forth realized he was breathless and he still stunk of an odd mix of fish and vanilla.

The room was lit and he could hear voices from inside. He raised a hand to the door knob and was wondering whether it would be impolite to walk in unasked... when he caught some words in the exchange.

black sheep... should'ave never come...too naive... just leave

His fingers were about to turn the knob when the door pulled open and Beam knocked into him. He watched as the door slowly swung closed but not before his eyes met his mentor's. There was a faraway look in those eyes, an incomprehensible expression. And then, he found himself staring at the door.

Forth was barely aware of the messy head buried into his shoulder.

"H-hey," he said.

Beam drew back, blinking and gave a slight bow of the head. He gave a forced laugh. "Ah, it's you, P'Forth.Khor thot, i didn't noticed."

Forth glanced at him, watching how his eyes were lowered to his feet and he seemed withdrawn. Gone was that stupid, sunshine smile of his.

"Something wrong?"

"I. . .  Nothing. Can we... just go home?"

ARIE78: Sorry for the late update, due to my workload. Feel free to comment and vote like always na. I will try to up twice today if there no urgent matter coming right up to me hahah...