I waits til she 'eads on ou' an' I blows a li'l kiss af'er 'er. Gonna 'ave ta thank 'er fer wha'e'er's in tha' stunnin' li'l bag she lef' me. Gonna 'ave ta thank 'er a LO'.

'm all rea'y plannin' 'ow when I 'ears th' lock clickin' closed sof'ly b'hin' 'er.

Yah... gonna show m'peach jus' 'ow much I loves 'er, I is...

Soon.

**************************************

She’s a bloody brill’nt bi’ o’ a’righ’, she is. Makes me laugh an’ all. Ne’er made e’en th’ sligh’s’ bi’ o’ a tear come fr’m m’eye. Al’y’s wit’ th’ brigh’ an’ shinin’ glow o’ ‘er.

An’ she wen’ an’ snuck ‘er li’l kitty butt up inta th’ ‘ouse a’ lef’ me prezzies. Me. No’ any o’ th’ ot’er blokes. Jus’ me.

Feels all spec’l, I does.

An’ tha’s why I’s up ta m’elbows ‘n th’ thin’s I’s up ta ‘em in.

C’n ‘ear m’gi’l an’ t’ot’er blokes all a-laughin’ a’ me, cuz th’s ‘s sumthin’ new fer ‘em ta see, I’s guessin’. Tha’s fine wit’ me. Ain’ doin’ ‘t fer ‘em, af’er all. Doin’ this fer ‘ER. Fer m’peach, an’ fer th’ though’ an’ consid’rat’n wha’ wen’ inta th’ gif’s she brung fer me. ‘Sides... been plannin’ ta s’prise ‘er fer a while now. Jus’ took some time ta figger ou’ ‘ow I wannid ta do tha’ ‘zac’ly.

Spen’ some time jus’ a-thinkin’ ‘bou’ ‘t, I did. Though’ o’ takin’ ‘er ta th’ arcade, bu’... ‘s no’ ‘ow I wan’s ta s’prise ‘er. ‘Spec’ly wha’ wit’ th’ ‘oliday an’ all. Don’ thin’ Dev’d e’er fergive me if’n I did tha’, eit’er.

Nah... d’cided ‘t ‘ad ta be sumthin’ verra verra un’xpect’d fr’m me. Summat... romant’c. ‘Ope she likes ‘er s’prise, I does... ‘ope I don’ screw ‘t up.

* * * * * * * * *

Dunno if’n she ‘as plans ‘r sumthin’... course, now tha’ I’s thinkin’ ‘bou’ ‘t, seems ta be likely. Gots alla them blokes an’ mates an’ wha’no’... prolly don’ e’en ‘ave a momen’ fer me, consid’rin’ th’ day.

‘S a’righ’, though. Don’ min’ a bi’. C’n still s’prise ‘er wit’ wha’ I brung wit’ me. Don’ ‘aveta ‘ave time wit’ ‘er righ’ now. ‘S enuf tha’ she’s gonna know I’s been thinkin’ o’ ‘er. ‘Sides... shoul’ prolly spen’ th’ nigh’ wit’ m’own mates, righ’? Righ’.

So I pulls up ta th’ ‘ouse an’ climb fr’m th’ car. I straight’ns m’tie af’er tuggin’ a’ th’ bottom o’ m’suit jack’t. Yah... clean’d m’se’f up. Lookin’ like a righ’ genn’lm’n, I am. Don’ get ta wear th’ thin’s I go’ in Jolly Old of’n, does I?

Checks m’ ‘air ‘n th’ sideview, an’... Wishin’ I knowed ‘ow m’peach ’s gonna reac’. Know this ain’ wha’ ANY o’ m’gi’ls woul’ ‘xpec’, bu’... ‘ope springs et’rn’l an’ all so I grabs m’ small eff’rt fr’m th’ pass’ng’r seat o’ m’car an’ swallows ‘ard afore startin’ tha’ long walk up ta th’ door.

‘M almos’ sweatin’ when I knocks an’ waits fer some kinda answer, bu’ wha’e’er ‘appens, a’leas’ m’Deli-pet’s gonna know I’s tried. Can’ be a bad thin’, ‘r so m’mates an’ brot’ers say.

I knows ‘t’s ‘er wha’ comes ta th’ door. C’n smell ‘er, e’en o’er th’ sweet scen’ comin’ fr’m th’ li’l glass peach on th’ chain unner m’shirt.

I ‘olds out th’ bask’t in m’ ‘ands an’ smiles a’ ‘er jus’ a li’l bi’ sheepish-like.

"‘appy Val’ntine’s Day, luv," I tells ‘er, an’ I knows I’s blushin’ a li’l. "Knows ya gotsta be all busy an’ wha’no’, bu’... ‘ere."

I can’ e’en look a’ ‘er when I passes th’ ‘rangemen’ o’ flow’rs an’ lollies ta ‘er. Th’ magnolias an’ geraniums is kinda nice, an’ I thin’ she migh’ ‘preciate tha’ th’ lollies is all cherry an’ peach flav’r’d... no’ sure ‘ow she’s gonna reac’ ta th’ li’l stuffed panthers I ‘as stickin’ up ‘ere ‘an ther’, bu’ they r’mind’d me o’ ‘er, so ther’ they is.

"Ther’s some bubble-makin’ stuff ‘n th’ bottom, too, Peach," I says.

I swallows ag’in cause she ain’ sayin’ nuthin’. Guessin’ she’s s’prised a’righ’.

"Righ’ th’n, Deli-luv... Gonna letcha get back ta wha’e’er them mates o’ yers ‘as planned. Jus’ wannid ta show ya tha’... I been thinkin’ ‘o’ ya, an’... ‘opes ya ‘as a nice romant’c nigh’."

I leans closer, kissin’ ‘er cheek. "Loves ya, Peach... ‘ope ta see ya ag’in soon. When ya ‘as th’ time, o’course..."

‘M smilin’ as I ‘eads back ta m’car. Still don’ know as she likes m’sad eff’rt, bu’... thin’ she knows I’s tried.

* * * * * * * * *

So I leaves an’ runs on ‘ome, knowin’ m’gi’l’s missed me a’ready. Course, I also knows tha’ Aries ‘s ther’. ‘e was ther’ when me an’ Glarey go’ ‘ome fr’m ‘angin’ wit’ m’petal an’ ‘er blokes, af’er all.

Likes Aries, I does, bu’... ‘s a ‘oliday, ain’ ‘t? Bes’ if’n I’s ther’ fer m’mates... an’ fer m’mates.

Walks in th’ door an’ kisses m’gi’l, an’ I’s thrilled ta see she still ‘as tha’ stunned look fr’m earlier. Th’ one she ‘ad on when she firs’ saw me in this suit. A’most makes me wanna keep th’ thin’ on, bu’... I’s ‘ome, so... "See ya ‘n a bit, luv," I purrs ta ‘er, an’ then I’s off ta change.

* * * * * * * * *

‘S been a nice ev’nin’, wha’ wit’ Aries, Grim, an’ Marcus takin’ o’er th’ kitchen an’ makin’ m’gi’l’s fav’rite thin’s fer ‘er... woulda ‘elped, bu’ I ain’ allowed ta ‘nymore. Thin’ ‘s cause o’ th’ way th’ food al’ys attacks me. Can’ say as I blames it. I’m bloody well wunnerful, I is. Guess ‘t jus’ wan’s ta be closer ta me.

Course, now ‘s no’ so much fun, wha’ wit’ Tis bein’ all caugh’ up wit’ th’ ‘puter. Guessin’ she’s catchin’ up wit’ ‘er ‘Duke’.

So me an’ Aries is watchin’ tha’ xXx movie ‘e gave ta me fer m’birt’d’y when I ‘ears m’gi’l callin’ me.

"Wha’s wrong, luv?" I says, smilin’ a’ ‘ow ‘appy she looks.

"Nothing, baby," she says, smilin’ wide a’ me, "Just... you know it’s just Deli and Fangy at her place, and... I know you’re not exactly bored, but..." ‘Er smile gets e’en bigger. Guess I ain’ ‘idin’ m’int’res’ too good. "She kinda thinks you didn’t want to visit... wanted to come home. Don’t you want to see her, baby?"

An’ tha’s gotta be th’ stup’des’ bloody questi’n e’er. ‘N fac’, I don’ e’en dignify ‘t wit’ ‘n ans’r. I jus’ nods an’ grins, then run off ta put tha’ suit back on’ m’stunnin’ form. Seem ta r’call m’peach lookin’ like she liked ‘t ‘s much ‘s m’gi’l did. Wha’ li’l o’ ‘er I saw fr’m unner lowered eyes.

I runs back inta th’ livin’ room an’ spins ‘roun’ b’fore ‘er, grinnin’ cause she’s go’ tha’ look ag’in.

"Luvs ya, pet," I tells ‘er ag’in, kissin’ ‘er ‘ard.

I steps back an’ nod, an’ nex’ thin’ I knows...

Yah, I knows th’s porch.

So I steps up ta th’ door an’ knock fer th’ secon’ time t’nigh’. Can’ wait ta spen’ some time wit’ m’peach. ‘S been a while.

"H’lo, luv," I says as th’ door opens, then I’s blushin’. "I means... ‘ey, Fang, mate. ‘Ow’s ‘t ‘angin’?"