This is for my baby girl. I love you. Happy Valentine's day.

I don't own the boys or worlds used.

I'm sorry.

Zack sent the text message and hoped that this time he got a reply other than a simple 'k'. It was Valentine's Day and they were supposed to be enjoying it as best they could. The conversation earlier had started well, both were in great spirits and then suddenly somehow everything had turned around…

He and Sora had been arguing a lot lately. There was no way to tell if it was him or Sora or just their situation that was causing the fighting but he couldn't take much more of it. He knew that it was even harder on Sora and feared that soon the teen would just give up on them all together.

His phone beeped. Me too

Well that was different. He shifted his position in bed and sent back: We need to stop doing this.

Most of their fights were pointless and growing rather redundant. It was usually things they had discussed before that somehow kept getting dragged back up. Zack didn't want to rehash these things anymore; they had enough real problems confronting their relationship to not be dwelling on things that should be resolved. It had to be the frustration of the distance and the increasing amount of time spent apart.

Zack had become increasingly busy working and his time to randomly text or call Sora was cut by half. In addition, because of this increase, he had not been able to get away to visit in nearly two months. Sora's school schedule did not allow him to come to Radiant Garden either so they were stuck. Neither one of them was handling the lack of contact well.

I need to see you.

He sighed and felt his heart tighten. I need that too Prince.

Waiting he leaned his head back against the wall of his darkened room. There had to be something they could do. Maybe if he went to Leon and begged…

But we can't. I know. I just… I don't think I can do this anymore. You said you'd be here soon but it keeps getting dragged out.

I know. The raven-haired man replied, feeling tears in the corners of his eyes. I'm doing the best I can. It's not enough, is it?

He had promised Sora he would move to Destiny Islands when his contract with the Restoration was up but the end date kept getting pushed back. He hated it as much as Sora but there wasn't much he could do about it. He couldn't just up and leave, that went against who he was.

It's okay. That's more important than me.

Zack stared at the screen. Feeling like he had been kicked in the chest, he quickly sent back. No it isn't! You're the most important thing to me!

Sora had been having a lot of depressive fits and it broke Zack's heart knowing that he was the cause behind a lot of them. They had known how hard this was going to get but knowing and feeling were two different things. Often, he felt that he caused the younger man more pain and sadness than love and joy.

Another beep. Okay.

That was it.

Zack sat up and instead of texting, called Sora. His lover barely had time to say a quiet hello before Zack was speaking in a firm voice. "I'm coming to see you in two days."

There was a pause before Sora said, "But you can't…"

"I don't care. I'll work it out with Leon. I can get Cloud to cover me or something. We need to see each other and it needs to be soon."

A trace of hope came to Sora's voice. "You mean it?"

"Yes." Zack confirmed. "And I'm telling Leon that there will be no more extensions. If the work isn't done, he's just going to have to find someone else."

He could hear the smile in Sora's words. "You're sure about this?"

"Yeah," said the older man, smiling into the phone. "Call it your Valentine's present."

Sora laughed softly. "Okay."

"We need this, Prince. I think we need it a lot worse than either of us was admitting."

"Yeah… so two days?"

"Yeah."

"Can we go to the museum I want to show you?"

Zack chuckled. "I'd like that a lot, Sora."

"Okay."

The pain in Zack's chest lessened. Sora was sounding like himself again and that made the hell he was going to get worth it. "Think you can sleep now?"

"I'm gonna try."

"Good. I love you."

"Love you, too."

They bid each other good night and Zack ended the call. He studied the phone in his hand for a moment further before setting it on the nightstand and lying down. It was going to take some cajoling to get his shifts covered for the new few days but it didn't matter. He and Sora needed this visit for both of their sanity.

Now that his mind was made up, Zack grinned and turned on his side. There was a lot he was going to have to arrange in the next two days but he didn't mind. There was only one thing he was going to have to do that had him concerned:

He was going to have to think up a good belated Valentine's gift.