Silver and Cold

Yay! Reviews! I'm glad I changed someone's mind about M/F fics (by the way, I'm talking about B ^^) And thanks to anyone else who reviewed, I really appreciate it.

-Chapter Four-

I was curled up once again on Shinya's couch, my arms wrapped around my knees. A distant half-smile was on my face, and I was staring into space, looking quite introverted. Shinya was sitting far from me, on another living chair. He seemed to be concentrating on his television, but I could almost feel his apprehensiveness towards me.

After hearing a few of Dir En Grey's songs, I was hypnotized by them. It was really like I was in a trance. I started talking more to them and found that Kyo wasn't as cold as he seemed. We had just gotten off on the wrong foot. Shinya, however, had avoided me ever since me and Die had collided heads. I wondered what would have happened if Toshiya hadn't stopped me from hitting Die.

I wanted to start a conversation but I didn't know what I going to say. "Hey, um, can I ask you a question?" I cringed, feeling oddly intrusive.

Shinya shrugged, but kept his eyes averted. "Ask it,"

"Ok, well, why are you so diffident?"

He looked at me with apprehension. "Diffident?" He sounded unsure of the word.

"Shy," I explained.

"I know what it means," He once again shifted his eyes away. "Why are you so convivial?"

I frowned. "Do you not like me because of what Die told you?" Shinya started to stroke Miyu, who was sitting in his lap, dozing. "Because it's not true," He stayed silent. "And it's rather hurtful that you'd believe him without even getting to know me first," I added, colour springing to my cheeks from my emotional words. For me, that was very emotional.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled. "For everything you've had to go through,"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please don't be sorry for me," I sighed. "I don't need anyone's pity," I started playing with a piece of loose thread from my sweater. Then I thought about something else to ask him.

"You know," I began, still pulling at the string. "I see how Die treats you," I looked up to see Shinya staring intently at Miyu, eyes glassy. "Why do you take that from him?"

"It doesn't bother me much," He looked from Miyu to me, his head slightly lowered. "I'm used to it,"

"Oh no, I beg to differ," I laughed. "Don't think I didn't see you throw your drumsticks at him. I also recall you hitting him on more then one occasion,"

Shinya tried to glare at me, but I could see the hilarity behind his eyes. I gave him a sly smile. "So," I said. "Am I still as horrible as you thought I was?"

He seemed to be deciding that right now. "You aren't all bad, I think you're, um," His lips curled into a tiny smile. "Charming,"

I gave a skeptical scoff, but really, hearing that felt like a colossal weight had lifted off my shoulders. "That's good to know," I smiled back, and we spent the rest of the night in a comfortable silence.

***

The next morning, I awoke from a dreamless sleep. I rubbed my eyes sleepily, then noticed something draped over me. It was a blanket. I grinned broadly, and stood up, walking to the bathroom to wash up.

When I walked back to the living room, I noticed it was still empty, pointing to the fact that Shinya was still asleep. I walked into the kitchen and opened his fridge, searching for something edible. When I was still living in America, I had a waffle and a cigarette for breakfast. But then I quit smoking and moved to Japan, and my meals were suddenly made up of noodles and spring rolls.

Miyu suddenly appeared at my feet, a pleading look upon her tiny features. I couldn't help but melt at the lovable dog, and picked her up, letting her nuzzle her head under my chin.

"Good- morning," I heard Shinya say haltingly from behind me, and I spun on my heels to face him. I had obviously not won him over entirely, I could tell from the way he spoke to me.

"Morning," I chirped, sounding artificially perky. I slapped myself mentally for acting so idiotic. Shinya looked distressed.

"Well, you're looking particularly chipper today," I put emphasis on 'chipper' to show my sarcasm, as people had a difficulty catching my wit most of the time.

"No, it's... it's..." He couldn't seem to say anything without stuttering. I shifted Miyu in my arms like a child, then noticed that he had another little dog in his arms, looking very much like Miyu.

"Awwwww!" I immediately began to fawn over the pint-sized creature, feeling incredibly girly, something I don't feel often. "I didn't know you had two dogs! Who's this?" I asked, balancing Miyu in one arm while scratching the other dog's ear gently with my index finger.

"This is Yuyu, Miyu's baby," Shinya's voice sounded soft but proud. "She had her a year ago,"

"Miyu's a mom?" I said, positively beaming at the dog as if she was my own. Shinya nodded.

"Do you want to go out to breakfast?" Shinya asked me. I looked up at him quizzically, feeling strangely like I was being asked out to a date.

"Ssssure," I said, placing Miyu carefully on the ground.

"Okay," Shinya said, and I knew this was going to be awkward.

"Well," I sighed. "Let's go now, then,"

"Oh, all right," Shinya nodded. I laughed, trying to break the ice a little, but it was in vain.

***

Breakfast was heavenly. It was at a cozy, quaint restaurant with not many people around. I finally got a break from my usual noodles, too. Shinya had brought Miyu and Yuyu with him, and kept Miyu tucked into his jacket while I kept Yuyu curled up on my lap.

After having breakfast, Shinya insisted that I go shopping for new clothes. I told him I had no money, but he just said he'd lend it to me. At first, I refused, but in the end, I promised to pay him back every cent as soon as I could find a job. I was many things, but I was not a freeloader.

In the end, I bought another sweater, a T-shirt, two pairs of pants, the necessary undergarments, a scarf and a coat; because living in Japan in the dead of winter without a coat was a death wish.

We spent a good hour and a half walking from store to store, and at one point, eating ice cream outside while it dipped to minus twenty, with dogs sticking out of our coats. We must have looked like quite the pair. It was absolutely freezing, but more fun then I expected. It would have been the perfect date, if we had wanted it to be. But it wasn't a date. Far from it.

By the time we had returned to his apartment, my hands and toes were numb, and my cheeks and nose were bright red. "It's so nice in here after spending hours in the cold," I commented as I pulled my scarf off my neck and fell in a heap onto the floor. Strangely enough, it was more comfortable then the couch I so loved.

Shinya was checking his answering machine. "There are about six messages from Toshiya and Kyo," He said. "They must be wondering where we are," I tried to imagine why he always told me these random things, but nothing came up.

"Interesting," I half-laughed, then sighed. "That was a nice thing you did,"

Shinya shrugged, trying to seem aloof. He looked like he was blushing, but it could have been from the cold. "I thought you might've needed something like that,"

It was my turn to shrug absentmindedly. "Whatever," I said. 'Great,' I thought. 'Just as soon as I thought someone was trying to be my friend, turns out it was just charity,'

I leaned against the couch, still on the floor, and curled up in my favorite blanket. Shinya handed me some tea, before looking a little lost.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," Shinya said, before sitting next. "I never sit on my floor while drinking my tea," He added.

"Well," I sipped on the warm beverage. "Now you do,"

Shinya turned on the T.V, and we watched some old movie from 1989. It wasn't very good, but I was in too good of a mood to really care.

***

I glanced at the clock. 11:28 PM. I yawned, tired. The movie was over, and now there was some comedy from 1998. Boring. By now, I was leaning up against Shinya's arm, trying not to let my head fall on his shoulder. He wasn't so scared of me now, but still seemed a little edgy.

"Are you tired?" He asked.

"No," But then I yawned again and that extracted a laugh from Shinya. A slightly confused look came over my face. I had never heard Shinya really laugh before, at least, not when I was close by.

My eyelids dropped and I decided I didn't care, and put my head down on his shoulder. At first I felt him tense up, but then he slowly began to relax and closed my eyes, drifting into another dreamless slumber.

-End of Chapter Four-

That was longer then usual, sorry. Just for anyone who doesn't know, Miyu and Yuyu are the actual names of Shinya's dogs, and Miyu did have Yuyu a year ago or so. Anyway, review please!