Chapter Text
Kalego started his birthday with being rudely awaken by a light knocking on his door. The hesitating sounding knocks were all too familiar, and as he stomped his way to the door, he already knew who was on the other side.
Thankfully he didn’t get drunk the night before as he did all the previous years since a teenager, thanks to Shichiro making dinner reservations for tonight. He had planned to sleep till noon as a birthday gift to himself, but as he opened the door he knew that plan had gone to shit.
Because there standing on the other side was the child his Boss randomly adopted, Iruma, with a store bought looking cake in his hands and balloons tied to his backpack.
“Happy Birthday Mr. Kalego!” Was the too loud declaration that greeted him.
Since the boy celebrated his own birthday for the first time under Sullivan’s care, he asked for everyone’s birthday. He had the Boss circle the dates on a calendar that Iruma kept in his possession. He knew the boy was excited but he had hoped he would at least wait for a reasonable hour to come over.
He blinked a few times still not allowing the child inside when he realized the true danger of the situation. The brat was alone at this doorstep. Alone.
Kalego walked outside the doorframe and snapped. “Where’s your Grandpa?”
“He’s driving away and said-“
Kalego didn’t even wait for Iruma to finish before he was sprinting barefoot towards the road. Eyes scanning for the Boss’s car on the road, but was surprised when a hand on his shoulder pulled him back.
The hand spun him around and he was now face to face with the Boss, who had his signature stupid grin on his stupid face. “Oh Kalego, why must you act so dramatic. Acting like spending the day with Iruma would be so dreadful.”
From the doorway he saw Iruma, cake still in hand laughing while yelling in glee with the older man. “We tricked you!”
The deep breath that Kalego took wasn’t enough for his beating heart to calm down or to stop the headache that was coming.
Covering his eyes, he sighed and in defeat he ordered. “Come inside and let’s get this over with.”
While Iruma ran inside, Kalego walked with his Boss who was on a mission to be a pest.
“So where’s Balam taking you tonight?” The noisy old man asked him with wiggling eyebrows and a teasing tone.
Kalego sent a glare to the Boss who was practically becoming a demon when it came to his love life. “Don’t try to act coy, Boss. If I told you where, I know for a fact I’d see you and the brat there.”
Sullivan made an offended noise, but Kalego ignored him to quickly enter his apartment. He didn’t like idea of Iruma being alone in there. That was just waiting for a disaster to happen.
When he walked into his living room, he saw the brat had put the cake and gift on his table and was waiting impatiently for the two to join him. Kalego barely sat down when Iruma ambushed him, pushing the gift bag into his lap.
“This is from Grandpa but I picked it!” Iruma yelled in excitement. He was jumping in place waiting for Kalego to open it.
Under the mountain of tissue paper, Kalego found a very expensive wine bottle from an exquisite brand. He nodded in approval while inspecting the label, while Iruma informed him proudly. “I picked the one with the most numbers on the price tag.”
“A fine choice.” Kalego responded with a smirk.
He batted the balloons away as he put the tissue paper back, but Iruma gasped and yelled in panic. “Wait there’s more! At the bottom! This is from me!”
A glance between the adults showed equal confusion but Kalego dug through the bag again under the heavy stare of his Boss.
When his hand finally found the present, he pulled it out to find a pile of strips of paper crudely stapled together.
There was some crude drawing on the front paper. A couple of lines drawn in blue and purple marker? Finally giving up he asked. “What is this?”
Iruma was so excited to explain his gift as he pointed while explaining. “It’s a coupon book! I made it see, that’s me and you on the cover and-“ the child took the bundle of papers in his excitement and flipped through the papers while explaining.
“Lunch from Iruma, 1 hug from Iruma, Will Play 1 Game, Will clean any room, Will take Nap,”
Kalego stopped listening at one point and instead just studied the childish script on the paper and the stick figures that sometimes decorated the coupons.
The months of the boy learning basic writing and spelling skills showed on the scraps of paper. It seemed unreal that when the child was first adopted, he could not even read or write at all. Kalego couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride when seeing the results of his teaching being so obvious.
Taking the papers back, it took a moment for Kalego to realize Iruma had stopped talking and was now looking up at him with worried eyes. He nervously asked his teacher. “Do you like it.”
Before he could answer, a loud cry interrupted him. Sullivan was on his knees arms stretched out to the coupon book and crying in fake tears. “Iruma-kun why didn’t Grandpa get a coupon book!”
The question made the child twist around and look at the Boss with wide hurt eyes. With a wobbling lip he asked “Grandpa, you didn’t like my drawing I gave you for your birthday?”
The boy’s expression and question had the powerful man backpedaling, shaking his head while now hugging the boy. “No I did! I loved my drawing! You know it’s on Grandpa’s desk so I see it everyday it’s just..”
Sullivan paused before setting a predatory glare at his accountant and the pile of papers in his hand. “Kalego let me see the book.”
The accountant knew the look, many enemies had been destroyed when on the receiving end of such a look, but he held his ground and gripped the book. “No.”
“I just want to see Iruma-kun’s amazing work.” Sullivan said calmly, hand already stretched out expectedly.
Kalego gripped the papers even more. “No. I give it to you and I’m never getting it back.”
Sullivan still hugging the boy, stared over his head and this time, he abused his authority. “Kalego as your Boss I demand-.”
The man never got to finish the threat when Iruma pushed out of his hold and yelled with panic in his eyes. “Grandpa that’s Mr. Kalego’s don’t take it!”
The predator glare disappeared immediately from the Mafia Boss’ face and was replaced with the smile reserved for his grandson. “Oh my boy, I’m so sorry. You’re right. Grandpa will just wait for his birthday!”
The duo hugged again, while Kalego gave the cruelest smirk to his boss at his victory. His victory was short lived when Iruma shyly informed the accountant.
“Mr. Kalego there’s a coupon there for a Happy birthday song.”
Kalego didn’t respond for a moment, and slowly said. “Oh. That’s nice.”
He tried to avoid eye contact but he felt his Boss’ stare once again. Against his instinct he glanced at the Boss who was staring him down. His stare telling him ‘use it Kalego’.
With Iruma’s back to him he rolled his eyes at the Boss but still tore the coupon out.
Sighing he folded to the Boss. “Alright, I’m redeeming this coupon. Let’s get this over with.”
Iruma reacted instantly to the words, pushing the cake to the elder while declaring loudly. “Grandpa we need candles!”
“Oh yes, such a clever boy!”
While Sullivan took the cake and looked for matches in the kitchen, Iruma proudly folded the coupon into his overall pocket while whispering to his teacher. “We had to buy a cake. The one I made, made Grandpa throw up. A lot.”
Kalego couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face. “Oh really.”
Iruma nodded, not knowing that the information should’ve stayed in the household. “He was in the bathroom for a long time. He said it was good but then he pushed it off the counter on purpose but said it was on accident. He wouldn’t even let me eat it.” The child ended his rant with a childish pout at the idea of wasting food.
Kalego smothered his laughter into his hand at the confession. Thankfully Iruma could not embarrass Sullivan further as his
eyes lit up seeing his grandpa come back with lighted candles
Kalego didn’t even try to comment the fact the Boss had placed the cake on the table more towards Iruma than him. He sat their weirdly as one does when being sung happy birthday. When the torture was finally over he leaned towards the cake but let the boy blow out his candles.
Iruma clapped with his Grandpa so excited that he didn’t realize he himself blew out the candles.
Kalego not being a fan of sweets cut the cake in three pieces, giving the biggest slice to the boy who was watching his every move. He did this to avoid eating the sweet, but the boy didn’t know this. So when the largest piece was given to him, he looked up at his teacher with stars in his eyes.
“Mr. Kalego,”
Kalego groaned at the emotional reaction and pushed the other slice of cake towards the Boss. “And yet you call me the dramatic one.” He muttered.
Despite Kalego seeming indifferent about the coupon books, he kept each one he received from the boy on his birthday. Every year the books became thicker, the boy creating new ones in hopes the teacher would use them. But he never did.
Because the accountant was investing in the books for when the brat became the new Boss.
~666~
Time moved forward and Sullivan retired and Iruma became the new Boss. There was a rough patch in the beginning but Kalego ultimately stayed in the crew.
Iruma was wary in approaching the accountant after becoming the new Boss, but one day he was called to the man’s office. He entered silently, seeing the man’s buried under a pile of papers. Neither said a word, which was killing Iruma. Before his promotion was announced, he and the accountant were very close. He knew the man practically all his life and though he never said it aloud, he saw the man as like his Father. Now, the accountant wouldn’t even talk to him.
Finally the accountant acknowledged him by beckoning him to the desk while pulling something from his pocket. He silently pulled out a piece of paper that had a childish script on it.
“1 free diner” the misspelled coupon read in faint blue crayon.
Iruma stared at the coupon for a moment, his mind going in several different directions with thoughts.
“Grab me a special from the restaurant at the corner.” Is all Kalego says before he turns back to his papers. When Iruma still stands absolutely frozen in his office he looks up and sighs “Don’t tell me these things have an expiration date?”
Iruma stumbles out, hands grabbing the paper to see if it’s really real. “Why do you still have them?”
Kalego can only smirk before looking back at his papers. “Why would I use all my coupons when you were just a brat. They're valued much more now that you’re the Boss.”
Iruma tries his best not to cry while waiting in line for Mr.Kalego’s food. The folded coupon in his jacket making him feel as if this was the way the accountant was showing he accepted him as the new Boss.