Author's Note: Okay, here's the second chapter. It's done now.

Cafe Bonheur is actually a real place. Of course, it's not located in New York City - it's the name of the cafe I used to go to when I was living in South Korea. That cafe opened under the name 'JJ' when I was four years old and changed its name sometime - we used to go there for light meals, and later on, I usually went there to get myself some iced chocolate drinks and pastries. Mmmmm. The last time I've been there was five years ago... I have no idea whether it's still open, but it did do well for almost a whole decade and it always had loads of customers. Things change though. It makes me feel nostalgic and vaguely sad to think of the cafe. It was such a soothing place.

I really liked writing this part of the story, but I have to admit that Joe's thoughts and feelings were a pain to get down. There were just too many of them that I could think of. x.x But I'm happy with the way it turned out, so... yay. Von Kaiser is also more blunt and aggressive here, and I think I've done a slightly better job this time writing him.

This chapter is where the real slash is at. You have been warned.

"The French do love their food," Von Kaiser said as he skimmed through the menu. "... they've got six entries just for the types of baguette they carry."

Glass Joe laughed, working his way steadily through his Mont Blanc. He had eaten most of the chestnut topping and was starting on the meringue. "There used to be one more on that menu, Monsieur. It was taken off around a few months ago. But it's still available... any well-knowing person can order it in person."

"Why is that?"

"It's nothing too special - just a much rounder variation of the long baguette. It tastes exactly the same. But it was taken off the menu because it is considered an inferior form of baguette after all - and because of what we call it in France. They thought it might cause offense around here."

The older man leaned forwards, a spark of interest in his gaze. "Oh? So what do you call it?"

"I don't want to say it," Glass Joe protested softly, but mischief was gleaming in his eyes. "you'd never forgive me if I told you."

"Ach! What's this? Glass Joe refusing my request?" Von Kaiser exclaimed. "you can tell me. I won't do anything to you."

The Frenchman looked around, checking if there were any listeners amongst the customers; there was none, as they were the only ones outside at that time. "Well... we call that particular shape a 'bâtard', Monsieur."

"Which means?"

Glass Joe laughed half to himself. His eyes were dancing in both delight and a kind of dark enjoyment as he gazed at the German boxer; he leaned over to whisper in the other's ear: "It means 'bastard'. So now you understand."

Von Kaiser sat in stunned silence for a moment or two, surprised that Glass Joe (polite, gentle Glass Joe of all people) could say such a thing - before he suddenly burst out laughing. "You French have the strangest sense of humour! I like that! So I assume that nearly every person knows such a word from a very early age?"

"Precisely," Glass Joe chuckled. "when the French send their children out to get some bâtard from the local boulangerie... ah, my country is adorable from time to time, wouldn't you agree?" he said this with pride, finding the situation just as humorous as Von Kaiser.

The older man smirked. "Oh? I bet I can find a dozen examples of Germany being just as adorable," but he wasn't looking for a patriotic comparison, and his carefree tone clearly indicated that. Glass Joe merely smiled at him again, and carried on eating his Mont Blanc.

"This cafe has a strange name," Von Kaiser said, looking up where the name of the cafe was spelled out. "Cafe... Bonheur. I always wondered what that meant. Care to translate for me?"

"'Bonheur' means 'happiness'. Quite appropriate."

The German boxer chuckled at this. "Indeed! That seems to be true. I must admit, until I met you here, I don't recall having laughed so much in a long time," he winked slightly at the younger man. "perhaps we should meet up more often. I think I like having you around."

Glass Joe couldn't believe it. Von Kaiser wanted him around? Sure, Von Kaiser was more gentle towards him than any other boxer, having known Glass Joe for a longer number of years; but when in the presence of other boxers, he was usually too engaged in a patriotic debate to notice the younger man. When he was contemplating something, he usually shut out everybody else, Glass Joe included. There was no particular interest there. But now -

"You do realize that you've got some creme on your face?"

"Eh?" Glass Joe looked up, surprised at this sudden remark; but when he quickly gazed at his reflection on the spoon, he could see that this was true. "oh... I'll... take care of that."

But Von Kaiser acted before the Frenchman could get himself a napkin. The German boxer reached across the table and wiped the smudge of cream off his cheek with his index finger, licking it off afterwards. "Waste not, want not," he remarked with a small grin. "charming phrase, don't you agree? Those Americans and their idioms!"

The Frenchman stared at him for a few seconds, not even attempting to hide the blush on his face - was Von Kaiser flirting with him?

Come to think of it, Von Kaiser had been like this to him for some months now. His previous thought about the older man ignoring him only applied to situations in which they were in the presence of other boxers. It was more different when they were alone. Of course, nothing had been said from him, and he didn't seem to notice the younger man too much; but there were incidents when Glass Joe had stumbled into the changing rooms, beaten up and bruised, only to find the German boxer waiting with a basin of cold water, ice and a towel. He would leave straight after Glass Joe came in, giving him some privacy and time to clean himself and make himself somewhat presentable. No other boxer did that. And there were moments when they were sitting together in a room, maintaining boxing equipment in silence - in those moments, they inevitably had to help each other by passing around things that the other needed. He would sometimes ask Von Kaiser for a wrench or something-or-another, and he swore that the German boxer often prolonged their contact by touching his hand a second longer than necessary. Von Kaiser was also the only boxer in the WVBA who looked at him straight in the eyes, not caring about the bruises and cuts that frequently marred the Frenchman's face. It was evident that he cared far more than the others.

He had to admit that he'd never quite thought about the older man as handsome - or even good looking. Von Kaiser was vastly emotionless when inside the WVBA building, preferring to keep himself looking cool and professional more than anything else, so it was to be expected that nobody ever saw him laughing or smiling. He was usually frowning more than anything, either in contemplation or just plain irritated. But here he was, smiling quite freely at Glass Joe, and the Frenchman could quite clearly see that he was relatively good looking for a forty-two year old man. Had he not been in the military (Von Kaiser had a slight facial tic caused by harsh training and injury) and had he chosen a less violent profession, he might have been even handsomer than now. His mustache gave him even more character; and with typical German efficiency Von Kaiser trimmed and waxed his mustache every morning. It made him look dignified and unique amongst the others.

And just how did he know all those things? The sheer amount of information that he possessed about the German man - some of them distinctly personal - stunned Glass Joe. He'd been subconciously observing and noting Von Kaiser's behaviour over the years; was that why he found himself attracted to the older man? Von Kaiser had now displayed affection for him in public as well-

But he shouldn't misjudge. It was perfectly possible that Von Kaiser was just being kind to him, not flirting. The German boxer wasn't exactly that type of person.

The Frenchman had almost finished the Mont Blanc by this time; he scooped up the very last spoonful, savouring it slowly as he let the concoction melt on his tongue. He felt the German boxer's eyes on him, scanning his form and watching every action, and smiled inwardly as he thought of an idea. Making sure that Von Kaiser's attention was fixed on him alone, Glass Joe picked up the spoon again and slowly began to lick it clean, only throwing him a sideways glance every few seconds or so. He heard Von Kaiser inhale sharply at the sight, obviously taken by surprise at this unexpected display of seduction; from his posture, Glass Joe could quite clearly see that he was trying to hold himself back. It was perhaps for the best if he stopped now, for even he didn't know what might happen if he carried on. The Frenchman put down the spoon and sat there somewhat meekly, not meeting the German boxer's gaze, wondering if he had gone too far.

"Look," Von Kaiser finally said, breaking the silence. "what are you trying to say?"

"... What do you mean?"

"Throughout this conversation you have been puzzling me," the German boxer said. It only struck Glass Joe later that he had been talking in a careful, slow monotone in order to hide his emotions. "what do you want from me? I would really prefer it if you just said what you want instead of all this... hinting. Do you want me to kiss you? Do you want to sleep with me? What?" he ignored Glass Joe's furious blush at his blunt remark, and continued on. "I am not a man of much patience. Tell me what you want."

Glass Joe said nothing for a while. He'd completely misread the older man; he'd only succeeded in confusing the German boxer instead of making his intentions obvious. So had Von Kaiser not been flirting with him at all? After all, the man was famous for being the oldest bachelor in the WVBA; there must be a reason why he remained so. He either had no interest in a relationship with anyone, or was incapable of such feelings. It looked as if Glass Joe had hit upon the exact reason now.

"But would you be offended if I told you, Monsieur?" he uttered, his voice soft and almost resigned; Von Kaiser didn't fail to pick up on this, and leaned back, still looking at the other man. His gaze remained as stoic as ever, but his eyes had softened ever so slightly.

"I will not promise anything," the German boxer replied in an equally gentle voice. "I have no wish to give you false hopes by promising that I won't be offended, but I also do not want you withdrawing from me. All I want now is to hear about what you want of me and nothing more. Das reicht. I will make up my mind after you finish talking - there is no point in judging prematurely, ja?"

Logic. Of course. The whole thing was just so absurdly logical that Glass Joe almost laughed; Von Kaiser was one of the most rational (and sometimes just downright unemotional) people he had ever met, and he really should have expected such a reaction. But how was he going to react to an emotional issue? That was the problem - the Frenchman wanted to talk about what he felt around the older man, but he had a feeling that it wasn't going to go down well. Von Kaiser did not take well to emotions, whether his or other people's.

But he couldn't just sit there and say nothing either.

"It's hard to say," Glass Joe finally started. "I don't exactly know how to explain, Monsieur, although God knows I will try..."

"Go ahead."

The Frenchman took a deep breath before he begun. "Monsieur, you do know that we have been together in the Association for years. You were always there, always one place above me. And I've watched you training and fighting for a very long time. For a couple of years now - because we've been side-by-side for so long, I hoped that you would become more gentle towards me. Oui, and you are," he paused slightly. "you've never abused me nor made any comments regarding my skills. Mon Dieu, if only I can say the same for the likes of the others! But that's not the point. What I want to say is... well..."

"Yes?" Von Kaiser said, his voice kept to that familiar monotone.

"Well... because we've been together for so long, and perhaps because you're older than me, I believe my respect for you has grown into... something more. I have always respected you, Monsieur, for both your fighting skills and your personality. You've always been one of the most ambitious boxers I've ever seen. The ones at the top, they get replaced ever so quickly... but we've stood by all those years, non?"

"You're correct about the champions getting replaced," Von Kaiser interrupted. "Sandman... he was beaten by Little Mac, was he not? Just a few days ago? If there's one thing I have to say for that infernal little brat, he's undoubtedly skilled. As for us... I suppose that is true."

Glass Joe nodded. "Précisément. I wasn't trying to offend you, Monsieur, when I was finishing my Mont Blanc. I admire you..." he faltered for a moment before he spoke in an almost-whisper, "... I admire you much more than you think. So much more."

Von Kaiser nodded, looking pensive.

"So you do want to be with me?"

The Frenchman gave no direct reply, but looked at him for a long while before he suddenly made his move. He leaned over and whispered in the older man's ear: "Please forgive me."

Glass Joe acted surprisingly fast, giving Von Kaiser no time to answer; he grabbed the other man by his shoulders, and taking care to turn their backs from the outside view, just leaned over and kissed him. It was a firm kiss, but rather awkward and cool to the touch; and it only lasted around ten seconds before Glass Joe pulled back. His face was flushed and he held an apologetic glance in his eyes - Von Kaiser had not reacted once during the kiss, and he merely stared blankly at the Frenchman, saying nothing.

"I - I'm sorry..."

But the younger man's apology was soon ignored as Von Kaiser leaned towards him, a strange glint in his eyes.

"Shut up..." he murmured, and then with a sudden, savage agility pulled Glass Joe close to him, pressing his lips to his in a rough kiss. This one was passionate beyond bounds and somehow more enjoyable, despite the fact that Von Kaiser was holding the other man hard enough to bruise the skin; Glass Joe could do nothing but close his eyes, surrendering himself to the pleasure. Von Kaiser's lips burned into his; the former was extremely demanding when it came to kisses, and Glass Joe had to admit that he liked it that way. The older man pulled away from his lips, only to make his way across his jawline, pressing firm kisses here and there.

"Not - not there!" the Frenchman whimpered as he felt the pressure on his fragile jaw grow stronger. "please, not there!"

Von Kaiser offered no reply, but moved down slightly to nuzzle against Glass Joe's neck and shoulder in a strangely affectionate way. His mustache tickled; the younger man squirmed and protested softly, but made no attempts to free himself. He loved the sensation, loved the whole fact that Von Kaiser was embracing him, and he wasn't quite ready to let him go. But the more reasonable part of his mind told him that they'd better stop now - they were in plain view from the streets and inside the cafe. Far too visible for his taste.

"Stop," Glass Joe whispered, placing his hands on the German's chest, attempting to push him away gently. "Les gens... they might see..."

"I didn't think that you cared when you kissed me first," Von Kaiser answered, mischief gleaming in his eyes; but he did comply and pulled away (albeit reluctantly). Glass Joe couldn't help but feel rather regretful when the other man pulled back - had they been alone, he would never have resisted. "now that you've told me your side of the story... I must tell mine. I've watched you for the longest time, you know. For almost five years. You always seemed so determined... I've seen champions retire after only one or two losses, unable to handle their defeat, but you always kept on going. That is what I like about you," he then grinned, which was a rare thing for him to do. "not to mention that I quite like your face. You're not bad looking at all - even when you're bruised all over. I should know, I've been near you for years..."

Glass Joe's eyes widened. "So... does this mean..."

Von Kaiser chuckled. "Don't tell me you didn't notice the signs I was sending you. I believe our whole conversation so far has been an array of those... hints, shall we call it? I certainly picked up on yours."

"I thought you didn't like me, Monsieur... not in that way."

"Your ability to read verbal implications is questionable," Von Kaiser breathed softly, his gaze oddly alluring. "I did say I wanted you around more often, did I not? I didn't just say that for a joke. I'm not young anymore, but I'm not incapable of having feelings for another."

"But... you asked me what I wanted from you, non? Why did you do that, when you already knew?"

Von Kaiser laughed. "You know what I'm like - I wanted to make sure. You were being rather vague and I wouldn't have wanted to embarrass either of us. But maybe I should have just made my move, instead of interrogating you. I apologize - I'm a scoundrel, nein?"

"Not so much as Aran Ryan," Glass Joe replied, a soft smile finally curving his lips. He leaned forwards slightly, meeting the other's eyes with more confidence. "I... I think I like you more like this. Plus agressif. It's what I'm used to seeing you as."

The German boxer raised his eyebrows, looking bemused. "That's how you like me, hmm? Want to see how much more agressiv I can get?"

Glass Joe frowned slightly at those words, vaguely embarrassed. "Monsieur, I really must-"

Von Kaiser had moved already. He leaned forwards, gazing deeply into the other's eyes, calculating his next move; Glass Joe stared back, mentally willing himself not to be afraid. Even though Von Kaiser had admitted his feelings just now, he still didn't really know what the older man was thinking at the best of times. The Frenchman closed his eyes and tried to relax as the other's lips descended onto his, pressing lightly, the kiss being velvet-soft this time. All kisses should feel like that one, he thought to himself vaguely, before Von Kaiser grabbed him roughly and the kiss turned more fierce. The German boxer grasped the back of the other's head in a possessive gesture, making sure that he couldn't wriggle free. He had the Frenchman trapped in his embrace and that was the way it would stay. He pressed on the other's lips with his tongue, demanding access; it was granted without hesitation. Admittedly, he didn't have much idea how it was supposed to be done, but just the feeling of touching Glass Joe's tongue with his own proved to be sensual. He forced his way in, pinning the other's tongue down and tasting the slightest hint of cream in the process; a soft moan escaped the Frenchman as the older man's fingers toyed with his hair.

Glass Joe had not moved once during the kiss, knowing that any resistance was going to be futile; Von Kaiser was much stronger than him and it was useless to think he could escape. There was a certain scent around the older man, a mixture of coffee, boot polish and the faintest hint of musk - it was that male scent that he found rather alluring. He opened his eyes slightly, checking for any passers-by or cafe patrons who might have been gaping at them; but he found that in the pleasure and the strength of Von Kaiser's embrace, the world had become blurry. He stared at the German man, dazed, the view slowly coming back into focus as the kiss broke. Von Kaiser let his tongue brush lightly against Glass Joe's lips as he pulled back.

"I kiss a lot better than you," he whispered, before running his hands over the Frenchman's chest and slipping ever so discreetly under his shirt. Glass Joe flinched and whimpered slightly, looking around in a panic. No one was watching, at least not yet; their backs were turned from the outside view and there seemed to be less customers in the cafe, if anything. "don't be so nervous. Nobody's watching."

"But... I..." Glass Joe was silenced as Von Kaiser ran a large, warm hand over the bare skin of his chest, skimming lightly over the muscles. He gasped at the touch and the jolt of pleasure that traveled up his spine; the German boxer smirked and withdrew his hand, opting to nuzzle and nip lightly at the skin of the other's neck. He was willing to be mischievous, but not to make Glass Joe uncomfortable. It wasn't wise to get too physical right now - after all, the Frenchman had only made his move some minutes ago. He would wait - waiting was what he was good at - and take it slow.

"I apologize if I've hurt you," Von Kaiser said quietly, hoping that the other wouldn't run away from him. Glass Joe looked up at those words; and the older man was surprised to see that he was actually blushing, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"That's... how I like you," he said. "but... not in public... not just yet."

The ginger cat had come back; she mewed softly to indicate her presence, and jumped up to the younger boxer's lap. Glass Joe stroked her absent-mindedly, still partly in disbelief over what had happened. He'd never imagined that Von Kaiser would respond to him, let alone kiss him; yet in the space of an hour and a half or so, everything had changed. He briefly dwelt on an image of the other boxers, who had previously ignored and laughed at both of them, suddenly wearing an expression of utter shock and disbelief after watching them kiss - and then burst out laughing. This startled the little cat, causing her to look up sharply and stare at him.

"What's so funny?" Von Kaiser asked, raising one eyebrow - what a charming little gesture! - inquisitively. Glass Joe shook his head and stroked the cat in his arms; he wasn't smiling, but his eyes danced with delight as he gazed at the older man.

"I was just wondering, Monsieur... could we meet up again for lunch tomorrow?" he dared to ask, sounding hopeful.

Von Kaiser nodded. "I see no reason why we can't. As long as I'm kept happy with your presence, I believe I will be content."

"Well, this is the Cafe Bonheur, after all," the Frenchman said. "as a regular customer, I must try to live up to the name, oui? I'd do anything if it made you happy, Monsieur."

Von Kaiser looked at him, straight in the eyes. "You honestly mean that?"

"Oui, I do."

"Völlig alles?" the German asked again, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "absolutely anything, you say?"

"Anything," Glass Joe repeated softly, an indulgent smile on his face, his gaze seductive. "anything at all, as long as the request is simple."

Von Kaiser smirked.

"Then you can pay for my coffee."

He swiftly leaned over to brush a kiss on the Frenchman's lips, stood up and then walked away with a smile and a sidelong glance. Within seconds he was gone, lost amongst the busy crowds, making his way back to the WVBA building.

Glass Joe just sat there, stunned at what had happened, before he suddenly snickered to himself. Oh, he would pay Von Kaiser back for this sometime. "Touché."

Meanwhile, oblivious to everything that had occurred, the ginger cat purred and snuggled into his chest.