"What's the matter?" Rishu had been Kazuhiko's best friend for many years. Even when other friends had moved on, gotten married, found work abroad or across country, made promises to keep in touch which failed to last beyond a few months, Rishu had been by Kazuhiko's side and Kazuhiko had been beside Rishu's. They were each other's excuses when they required alibis to escape family commitments or needed to lie about their whereabouts. Rishu had been the best man at Kazuhiko's wedding, even if he hadn't secretly agreed with it, Rishu was the godfather of Kou and Kazuhiko was certain that if tables were turned, Kazuhiko would be those things for Rishu and his future children. They were also each other's contact of choice if they needed to confide or vent. When Rishu burst into his office, sat in the leather finished chair across the desk and lifted one leg to rest upon the other as he slouched down, Kazuhiko knew that he had come to vent. "So I was busy considering whether I should accept Ashley or India's proposition this weekend..." Rishu began. "Whose Ashley?" Kazuhiko interrupted. He recalled India as being Rishu's 'friend with benefits,' but had no clue who the other woman was. "I work with Ashley, she's new to the admin department. I told you about her last week, keep up Kaz," Rishu scowled. Rishu worked in sales, his charm and way with words easily placed him as one of the best in the company he worked for. "Right, right," Kazuhiko said, dismissively. He still didn't recall the woman. He rose from his chair, shuffled the paper invoices he was dealing with to neaten the pile, before placing it to one side. Moving to the cabinet where his spirits were locked away, he pulled out two crystal tumblers as Rishu continued; "As I was saying," Rishu sighed, pulling the chair and therefore himself closer to the desk, "I was deciding who to spend Valentines Day with when my parents drop a blind date on me!" He took the tumbler, which was filled with a clear liquid and took a fair gulp, before coughing slightly. "Premium Russian Vodka?" "Directly imported," Kazuhiko admitted, he preferred liquor that was of high quality and drank directly, rather than cheap alcohol that was best mixed into cocktails. He took a sip of his own drink, already aware of its bite. "So don't go." "I was planning on not going," Rishu complained, swirling the liquid in the glass before taking a more cautious taste. "However, I suffered an Indian mama's guilt trip. 'So you will abandon Priya like you abandoned us?' 'I keep asking your father, where did we go wrong?' 'Why can't you be like your cousin, Zalim? He married a good girl and has a son of his own and is still obedient and caring for your Aunty and Uncle at their house. But no, you had to move out!' 'All I wanted to was make sure you married well, too many girls these days can't cook. How will I live with myself if you lost weight because you chose badly?'" Kazuhiko chuckled as Rishu mimicked his mother. "So you agreed to quieten her for a bit," he smiled, clearly seeing through Rishu's words. Rishu's relationship with his parents could be considered strained, he did not visit them, they did not visit him. This was due to Rishu fearing he would be locked up the moment he entered and them not wishing to acknowledge that he had flown from their nest like a unfilial son. However, there were still times when they met around Rekha's home and this was often arranged by the loving sister and daughter herself. "It's why I move out in the first place," he moaned. "I always agreed with whatever she wanted as if I dared say no I would be lectured until I was nothing more than a shivering infant clothed in guilt." In fact, he had moved out the moment Rekha's engagement was finalised, knowing that if he stuck around, the ink would be dry upon his own marriage certificate before he could take his next breath. "So... Valentines day is when?" Kazuhiko enquired, almost as if it didn't make much difference to him. "This Friday," a wide grin began to form upon the other man's cinnamon toned face. "Why, hoping to get a little sweetness from your dark-haired beauty?" Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow in question. "Of course I have met him, Kei's best friends with my nephew. And he is a lovely, pale jade, Keiichi's mother. If I was into men and you hadn't marked him, I would certainly have sought my way into his bed." Kazuhiko scowled, causing Rishu to laugh delightedly. "Keep your wandering eyes to yourself," the Alpha demanded, grabbing back Rishu's drained glass. Kazuhiko couldn't help but feel glad he had fallen to his instincts and claimed Jun that day. Who knows what pests would hover around otherwise?! "Looking and touching are very separate things, Kaz," Rishu grinned, enjoying too much the vinegar his friend was swallowing. "So, for Valentines Day..." "Not happening, Rishu," Kazuhiko replied. "I haven't said anything," Rishu said with the brown eyes of innocence and just a hint of annoyance that he had been caught out. "I am not inviting Jun on a double date," Kazuhiko told him firmly, but was greeted with a bright grin of sparkling white teeth as he spoke. "What a brilliant idea!" Rishu beamed. "We should definitely do that! I'll text you the details!" "No.. Rishu!" However, his best friend had already left his office and was heading for the front door, satisfied, leaving Kazuhiko wondering why he still kept this 'friend' of his around. ***** As it happened, Kazuhiko did not bring Jun to the restaurant where Rishu was meeting his blind date, so the man had to accept his fate and deal with the situation by himself. Instead, Kazuhiko found himself ringing the doorbell to Jun's apartment, carrying Kou in one arm and holding a bottle of red wine in the other. When he had phoned to speak as usual with Keiichi for an hour or so before the young boy was due his bath, Jun had answered and mentioned that Kei just had to finish his dinner before they could speak. Apparently, the child was not too happy at having to eat the broccoli upon his plate. Kazuhiko had laughed and said that it was fine. "We don't get to talk much usually," Kazuhiko said, as although this call was so that he could speak to his son, if it were Jun he was calling and Kei got wind of it, the phone would be immediately snatched away by two small, eager hands and the opportunity was thus lost. "How have you been?" "Tired," Jun confessed, feeling a yawn trying to escape him as he admitted it. "One of the deliveries had roses that had not yet had their thorns removed. I assume the batch were mixed in by mistake, but it was too late to send them back and get a replacement. Valentines Day is just a couple of days away. So Eiko and I spent much of the day removing thorns and checking the rest of the roses to make sure there were no others missed. That and we had a fair few phone calls ordering flowers to be delivered on the day." "Ah, so I take it you won't have time to make homemade chocolates for your loved ones this year," Kazuhiko mused. Jun was confused, wondering what chocolate had to do with anything. However it was not long that clarity came to him and he found himself smiling. "Why would I make them?" He asked, with a teasing note slipping into his words. "Isn't Valentines Day an opportunity for girls to give chocolate to boys they like? I'm not a girl, you know." "You mean I need to wait for White Day?" In Japan, this day was for the boys who had received chocolates to give chocolates or gifts in kind and was one month later. "White Day isn't celebrated in this country," Jun replied and imagining accurately the scowl appearing in Kazuhiko's face and found a bubble of laughter escaping him. "So mean," Kazuhiko complained. "Valentines Day in this country, as you say, is not just for the confessions of girls, you know." "So you want a confession as well as chocolate," Jun grinned, noticing Kei waving his small hands having finally eaten that 'horrible' broccoli that came between him and his daddy. Jun kissed the top of his head and quickly added a few parting words before handing the phone to Kei. "If you want to celebrate the day so badly, how about you and Kou come for dinner on Friday. I might even buy chocolates, seeing as I really won't have the time to make them." "Really, you mean that?" Kazuhiko blurted out in a question that would for now remain unanswered. "Daddy!" Kei grabbed the telephone and rushed into his room as if fearing that the phone would be snatched away from him again. "Hey, Kei," Kazuhiko's voice softened, despite his frustration that he had been kept hanging by Jun. "How's my big boy been doing today?" "We had a test in numbers," Kei began telling his daddy everything that had happened at school and about the games that he and Abhi had played today. Kazuhiko willingly absorbed each and every word. But at the back of his mind, he couldn't help but replay Jun's parting remark. Would he really be receiving chocolates from the man his heart longed for on Valentines Day?