Prologue.

He wasn't someone who would be taken by weakness easily, no matter the situation.

Having lost his parents early in life and gone through life balancing day-by-day necessities with a secret, delicate research, hiding his worries and what he knew behind a veil of normal behavior, his nerve endings had hardened along the years and developed a high resistance to external elements. And internal as well.

As such, there weren't many things that affected him and when this happened, his self control came forward to fight it. Among the war, this wasn't surprising: It was needed.

It didn't mean he couldn't be affected (the moon had witnessed several nights spent awake, his mind becoming a Hell made by himself and for himself), however at least it didn't use to reach the point when there was need of a conscious effort to keep appearances and not allow other people to notice his muscles pulled apart under his skin as marionette's strings, about to rip apart and let the doll fall. It wasn't in him to be like this…

And still, this was not one of these occasions.

Once he parked near the building, he realized the shivers underneath his skin, his body waving between warm and cold. Taking a deep breath, he tried to force his organism under control as threads of memory were pulled forward his mind, not being of any help.

He had known, as soon as he had entered the car, he would end up feeling like this. It was always like this.

Through the window, he looked to the building. .

It wouldn't be easy. It never was.

Shirogane Ryou ran his fingers through his face and his hair, almost as if cleaning unseen stains as he took another deep breath, slower this time and eyes closing in that conscious effort. What he came to do wasn't just something he should, but someone that he needed to do. And wanted…

Leaving the car, he went up the white stairs to the entrance with head high and crossed the glass doors to the hall that received him with the milky cream floor, smooth and shiny along white walls… The light shades were helped by the huge windows that seemed to attract the sunlight and created an atmosphere as pleasant as they come. A pretty plant at the side of the reception desk and beige couches also helped it.

Not diverting his eyes to anything around, Ryou approached the desk behind which some people were either at the phone or checking data in the computers. The woman he approached was talking to a man a head taller than Ryou.

Both took notice of him.

The automatic smile of welcome from the woman became mechanic and made by iron strings and gears instead of muscles and life. The gesture that should be gentle turned into a grimace, unnatural even for a robot. Her green eyes reflected nothing. Meanwhile, the man adjusted his glasses, analyzing the blonde man without saying a word, face of a sphinx untouched by anything.

The silence between the three didn't last more than a second, yet there was enough communication in it.

"Good day" The woman greeted him politely enough, but yet not fully bothering to hide traits of her feelings. Not that it mattered, what slithered in her eyes was more than enough. "How are you today, Mr. Shirogane?"

"Very well, thank you, Miss Hiroyuki" He replied in the same way with a brief nod. The air around became uncomfortable and he didn't feel at all like exchanging amenities with any of them, preferring to go straight to the point. "I have scheduled a visit"

It was a thin warning.

The woman kept that expression, turning her attention to the computer, fingers flying over the keyboard. The man with glasses, on another hand, kept his hazel eyes in Ryou like daggers digging his flesh, never blinking and soon the wish that he would speak something found birth in Ryou. He nodded to him as well.

"Good day, Dr. Katsura"

One of the man's eyebrows lifted briefly. There was no need of dead smiles between them.

"Mr. Shirogane" The doctor replied with a head gesture of his own, the only sign of acknowledgment, as brief as Ryou's had been and more alike a tick than a real greeting. His face could have been something cruelly carved in marble by someone who was studying facial muscles and knew nothing of expressions. Only his eyes played under the light and the minuscule blue dots among the hazel were alike cold scintilla.

"I didn't expect to see you" His voice was gentle like the worse of poisons.

"Well, like I said, I have scheduled a visit, so I don't know why the surprise…" Ryou held his head high enough, wishing this would be over soon.

Dr. Katsura's eyes narrowed for a second.

"I think it would be too much to expect otherwise" Not moving, his eyes slithered to the woman who stood of her chair to give a small visitant pass, a white card scarred by blue and black letters. The younger man picked it with a thankfulness that was mere politeness.

Dr. Katsura crossed his arms on his chest, never stopping studying the blonde.

"Since I'm here, I suppose it would be better if I guide you"

"I know the way" The answer was hissed between teeth with a little more annoyance than he had intended to show. Every time he came here, the person in charge of "guiding" him seemed unable to restrain themselves and this didn't make things better, however it was even worse when coming down to Dr. Katsura.

Ryou didn't feel any pleasure in the doctor's company and the feeling was more than mutual.

Dr. Katsura raised his eyebrows, studying him down and up before leaning to him with the movement of a snake in front of prey.

"I believe I didn't ask for your opinion" His whisper was no more than a breeze. "If you intend to carry on this lie you call "visit", especially with people under my care, then you'll follow the rules, understand?"

There was no way to win.

Ryou hated have to give in, had hated it all his life, yet he knew that if he refuse, he would end up being sent away. This he knew by personal experience and there was no other way to achieve what he wanted.

It was hard enough to be able to schedule a visit due to certain complications of late, despite the place having visitor hours, and it wouldn't do any good if he allowed his emotions to take over and ruin everything… The doctor, as well as other members of the staff, would love that Ryou himself offered a justification to not be let beyond the hall.

Opening his best smile, as false as Miss Hiroyuki's, he acquiesced.

"Very well, then… If you insist"

Hello and welcome to "Consequences". This is an idea that has been in my mind for quite a awhile. I won't go in details now, since this is just the prologue, but I hope you'll enjoy! Reviews and criticism are always welcome!