Oh God, not AGAIN. This is the first time today, but it's about the fortieth time this week. My eyes narrow as I glare at Kurz. He's leaning against the wall of the de Danaan up ahead, watching me out of the corner of those bright, bright blue eyes of his. My lips tighten into a grim expression and my eyes narrow. What the hell is he planning this time?

It's the worst possible time to be a female officer on the de Danaan, I swear to God. Valentine's Day is the pits, even if you're prepared to sock someone for looking at you the right way. It's even more annoying when they sidle up to you blushing and stammering. Get real! Kurz will be the thirteenth. What a lucky number... not for him; if he lays a hand on me, I'll smack him clear into next week...

"Hey, Melissa." He greets me cheerfully, that irritating gleam in his eye never flickering for a second. I return the greeting warily, hand on hip. He grins at me and lowers his arms from where they had been crossed behind his head. I tense automatically - I've spent too much time around Kurz not to.

But he's holding out a card to me, and it's at least three times the size of the glittery blue packet that's attached to it. His eyes are still bright as ever, but there's wariness now and maybe the tiniest hint of embarrassment. That's really odd, for Kurz.

"Here ya go. Happy V Day, Mao."

And he leaves me there, holding this ridiculously tiny blue package, without so much as a pinch on the butt. I stand there waiting for it until I can't hear his footsteps any more, but it never comes. Finally I relax and stare down the passageway after him, wondering what the hell is wrong with him today. I shove the package and the card that accompanies it into one of the massive pockets in my combat pants and keep walking.

Eventually, though, curiosity does get the better of me, and I fish it out again for a closer look. The card is plain and white, about the size of my outstretched palm. It's got a picture of a heart with a bullet hole in it on the front. I almost smile - it's a nice variation on Cupid's arrow, and much more appropriate to our situation.

Inside, there are a lot of blotches in black ink, as though he tried to get the words right and just couldn't. I can vaguely make out some of it - mostly, it's excuses and explanations.

At the very bottom of the card, squished into a corner and heavily underlined, there are five words.

I snort, flip the card over and let out an uncharacteristic giggle at the sight of a chibi Kurz with a gigantic handprint on his face, moping, with little rivers of tears streaming down his cheeks.

Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I rip open the blue packet. I was never much for decorum, anyway.

It was another card.

Hey, Mao. Since I have no idea when your time off is, I figured a coupon was pretty useless. So I figured, hey, give the girl some cash. This way you can choose your own restaurant and your own time � and hell, even your own guy if you don�t wanna take me. So, come yell at me when you want it, and it�s all yours. Love, Kurz.

I pause before stowing the card carefully in the breast pocket of my uniform. This was certainly a nice surprise, and uncharacteristically thoughtful of Kurz. A vague smile crosses my lips, and I can�t seem to get it to go away. White Day's coming up in a month. Maybe I'll do something equally unexpected...

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