"Have you thought of what you wanna do for your birthday this year?" Richie asked, helping Raiden choose an outfit for Irina's party. His little boy would be turning seven. How time seemed to slip by so quickly.

Raiden looked up at him, his eyes shining with excitement. "I want to go bowling! Cosmic bowling! And a LEGO hero cake!"

"Obviously! You're gonna invite Irina?" Richie couldn't help but chuckle.

Raiden looked down at his feet, his cheeks flushing a light rose. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips. "Yeah...she's my friend."

Richie smiled and ruffled his son's hair, his hand resting gently on Raiden's shoulder. "Good choice, buddy. Now go pick out which pants." Raiden held up a pair of black jeans and grinned as Richie nodded his head proudly. "Nice. Not sure I would have chosen Metallica, but you do you."

"Metallica's cool, Mookie. You wouldn't understand," Raiden said, rummaging in his closet.

"Hold on...Jonny! Come here!" Richie called downstairs.

Jon's face poked into the bedroom. "Is he almost done? We're gonna be late."

Richie pointed to Raiden with an indignant look. "He said I don't understand cool. He called Metallica cool."

"You don't know cool," Jon said with a wide grin. "I know cool. Raiden, your old man doesn't get it. Just remember I was the lead singer of the biggest 80s hair band."

Raiden's eyes widened in amazement, his mouth forming a silent 'O'.

Richie chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yeah, he's a legend. That's why you don't mess with him when it comes to music." He wrapped his arms around Jon, pulling him close. "And that's why I love you, Jonny. You understand cool and I'm cool."

Jon's smile turned softer, and he leaned in closer to Richie. "You're the coolest, Rich. And Raiden is lucky to have you." He pressed a kiss against Richie's cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin against his lips.

Richie smiled, his heart filled with love. "Nice save, Cap."

"But you're old now," Raiden piped up.

"He's got us there, babe," Jon chuckled.

"Speak for yourself," Richie replied, grabbing Jon's ass and hauling him into a one-armed hug. "You'll see, kid. This weekend...you're gonna learn just how cool we are."

Jon laughed, his body relaxed against Richie's. "Don't disappoint the kid, babe. This is our one chance to change his mind."

Richie's eyes darkened with a playful glint. "Come on. Help me get this kid ready."

"No need," Raiden said, pulling on a red and black plaid overshirt. "I'm done."

Richie and Jon took him in and nodded their approval. "Very cool," Jon grinned, giving him a thumbs up. "I think Irina will like it."

"Speaking of," Jon held up a pink gift bag. "Got her gift wrapped. Never show up without something for them. A gift...snack...something."

Raiden nodded and took the bag. "Murray...come, boy!" Murray hopped off the bed, tail wagging happily. "I hope they don't put a hat on him."

"A girl's party...I can guarantee he gets a hat," Richie laughed. Raiden sighed and left the bedroom with Murray and the gift. "Wanna bet that the girls will be all over him and Murray?"

"Hell no...I'm a betting man, not a losing one," Jon said indignantly. They shared a sweet kiss before following Raiden.

Pulling up outside of Irina's home, Raiden sighed audibly from the backseat. It was a modest home but the party decorations adorning the house were on a much grander scale.

Streamers and balloons in various shades of pink hung from every post and window frame, and two large posters, or paintings, of unicorns stood guard on either side of the front door. A group of giggly, squealy girls ran from one side of the house, across the front lawn and down the other side.

"Oh god!" Raiden lamented. "It's all pink...and unicorns. And too many girls! Can we go home?!"

"It's not that bad," Jon said as Richie reached through the front seats to unbuckle Raiden's seatbelt, "Besides...you're not going home after waking us up at 5am to make sure your gift was wrapped."

"There's D'Andre!" Raiden pointed to the short dark boy peeking around the corner of the house.

"See? Your friend is here, probably feeling the same way as you are, and Irina's probably waiting for you," Richie said, rolling down the window as D'Andre bolted across the front yard towards them.

"Y'all here to rescue me?" D'Andre drawled. "It's...it's madness, bro!"

"Aww, shit," Raiden cursed, opening the car door.

Jon sent him his infamous stink eye from the driver's seat. "Raiden, what did we say about swearing?"

"Sorry, Papa J," Raiden apologized, climbing from the car with Murray. "Nightmare?"

"Pink nightmare," D'Andre confirmed.

"Wasn't that the name of a stripper we met?" Richie asked Jon in a low voice as they waited for Raiden to call Murray out of the car.

Jon smirked and winked. "Let's discuss that on the way home."

"Remember, bud, call us when you're ready to go home," Richie called out the window to Raiden.

"Okay, Mookie!" Raiden and D'Andre dodged the running girls. "Where's she?"

"Your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Raiden sighed.

"Oh yeah? Then what's in the bag?"

"A present."

D'Andre laughed. "First a twinkie...now a gift. Girlfriend...Raiden's got a girlfriend! Raiden's got a girlfriend!" His voice took on a high squeaky sing-song tone as they rounded the house and into the backyard. Several sets of eyes turned their way.

"She's not--"

"Raiden!"

Raiden stopped at the sight of Irina in a princess dress. "Oh boy."

"Yeah it's bad."

"Mookie would say it's hell."

The boys laughed as Irina ran over to them, brandishing a starry wand with glitter flying from it. "You made it!"

Raiden looked over at D'Andre then to Irina. "Yeah...yeah I sure did. The pink is...everywhere..."

"It's pretty, yes?!" she asked eagerly. Irina grabbed Raiden by the wrist and tugged him along. "Come. Meet my parents."

Raiden swallowed hard, looking back at D'Andre for help as he was dragged along. He caught his friend's hand and yanked him. "If I go, you go."

"Bros stick together," D'Andre promised, though his eyes darted for the road.

The two were stopped in front of a large man. A tall and stern looking Russian man stared down at them. "Oh...my you're a tall one," Raiden said and gulped.

"You here for my daughter's party? You keep hands off," the man replied in a low, rumble of a voice and in words that Raiden couldn't understand.

"Oh, Daddy...don't scare them," Irina said in Russian.

The boys looked at each other and shrugged, unable to understand what their friend was saying.

"This is Raiden," Irina continued the conversation with her father in her native language. "He gave me a Twinkie. And this is Murray, his service dog. Oh, and D'Andre...his sidekick."

"What she say about me?" D'Andre asked Raiden in a whisper. "We gonna die...I swear to god we're gonna die."

Looking down at Murray and seeing his tail wagging happily, Raiden pasted a smile on his face that begged not to die. Nervous energy radiated from him. "H-hello, sir."

"Привет," the man said with a curt nod.

"Huh?"

Irina giggled. "He said hello. Papa speaks no English. Mama!" Her mother waved and walked over with a cold smile. "Mama...you met Raiden and D'Andre."

"The one from hospital?" her mom asked in broken English similar to Irina's.

"He gave me a Twinkie. Remember?"

"Ah, yes, yes, Twinkie boy." A small smile crossed Irina's mother's face.

"Yeah! Yeah that's me...Twinkie boy," Raiden agreed with a hurried nod. "And Murray."

"May I pet?"

Raiden nodded at Irina's mom and Murray happily accepted her head scratches and mumbles in Russian. She kissed the pup on his temple. "Goodest boy."

"Yeah he's a good boy," Raiden laughed nervously.

"Punch and sweets are on table. Lunch served soon," her mom said and walked away with her husband.

"I got a surprise for you. Um...I saw it with Papa J." He held out his wrapped gift to Irina. "It's nothing big but I thought...you know...It was pretty and you're pretty...so...yeah..."

"Bro," D'Andre chuckled.

Irina opened the bag and pulled out the small jewelry box. Her eyes widened at the silver necklace Raiden had chosen at the jewelry store, adorned with the sparkling heart pendant. She stared at it for a moment, then looked up at Raiden with tears in her eyes.

"So pretty!" She exclaimed, her Russian accent getting thicker. "Put on me, Raiden. I will wear it for party."

Raiden cocked an eyebrow over at D'Andre, who simply crossed his arms to watch in interest. "Hear that...Wear it for the party," he whispered and stuck out his tongue stubbornly.

Irina handed him the necklace and, just as Richie had taught him, he slid it around her neck and fixed her hair.

"See...uh...a pretty necklace for a pretty girl," he said with a charming smile.

"It's so pretty! Thank you, Raiden," Irina replied with a slight coo in her tone. She leaned in and kissed Raiden on the cheek, giggling when he blushed. She skipped off towards the punch and Raiden looked over to D'Andre.

"Eeeets so preeeeetty," D'Andre mocked. "You like how she says Raaaaiden." Raiden thought about that and decided, yes, he did like how she said it.

*~*~*

Jon took another steaming slurp of the sauce, clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Something was missing. This didn't taste like his father's. Garlic? Check. Sauteed onions and peppers? Check. Spices? Yes! Sugar? He even remembered the sugar.

What the fuck could it be?

This was a sauce he should have known by heart; one steeped in Bongiovi history. He opened the pantry and went through the ingredients one by one, mentally kicking himself when the mystery missing ingredient didn't magically appear from the depths. Everything was there.

"Son of a...," Jon swore before he had an epiphany. "Tony!"

Jon grabbed his phone and found his brother's name, double tapping on it.

"Hey hey, Jonny!"

"Something's not right! Where'd I go wrong?"

"Oh god, that's a loaded question! What's fucked up now, big brother?" Tony asked with a low chuckle.

"The sauce. The fucking sauce. Bro, I'm over here yanking my own brain out. I fucked up somewhere."

"You...you messed up Dad's sauce?!" his brother asked incredulously. "Dude!"

The intonation in that one singular word was felt down to Jon's bones.

"I know...I know!" he said, frustration making him growly. "Just...just help me and don't say a word to Dad, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Tony chuckled. "But you owe me." Tony went through the same checklist of ingredients and special prep that gave the sauce a certain zing. Prep that their father had perfected.

"Sugar?"

"Yeah of course!"

"Pasta water?" There was a pause from Jon. "Jonny...the pasta water. Have you even started cooking the pasta?"

"Motherfucker."

Tony chuckled and said, "To the victor, the spoils-."Jon slammed the phone down and grabbed the pasta pot from the cupboard. As he filled it with water, he noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. The sauce was his father's legacy. If he couldn't get it right, how would he ever live up to the family's expectations?

As he turned off the faucet and set the pot on the stove, he heard the door opening behind him.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Richie asked, his voice floated across the room, soft and gentle.

"I forgot the damn pasta water!"

"What's got you so worked up about the sauce?" Richie asked as he walked into the kitchen to see Jon's gray hair frizzled from running his hands through it too many times, his face slightly sweaty and flushed. "It's okay, Jon. We can always order in."

Jon shook his head, his eyes filled with determination. "No, no. I've got this."

"You sure?" Richie placed a hand on Jon's shoulder, feeling the tenseness in the muscles beneath his fingers.

"I can do this. I just need to calm down and focus." Jon said through gritted teeth. "I'm just annoyed that Tony's gonna hold this over me for the rest of my life."

"Okay, honey. I'm here for you," Richie sighed and pulled Jon into a hug. He could feel the tension in Jon's body slowly melt away as he held onto him.

As they pulled away, Richie looked at Jon with concern in his eyes. "You know, you don't have to do this alone," he said softly. "How about we help you?"

Raiden peeked into the kitchen, shining with hair glitter and a unicorn painted on his face. "I smell sketti!" he said excitedly, creeping towards Jon.

Jon smiled and ruffled his hair. "Hey! Look at you! Positively shining!" Jon looked at his hand, now covered in glitter too. He turned to the sink, squirted out some hand soap and washed it clean.

"Yeah, I know!"

"How was the party?" Jon asked, adding salt, not glitter, to the water.

"Not bad for a girl's party," Raiden replied with a grin. "You know, with all the pink and sparkles and princess stuff."

Jon laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I bet you were a hit with all the girls."

"I think it was more Murray," Raiden conceded, a slight blush on his cheeks. "But Irina liked her gift. I even got to put it on her!"

"And?" Richie egged him on.

"Aaaand she kissed my cheek after I met her parents. Her Dad is scary-looking and talks funny!" Raiden shuddered at the memory.

Richie chuckled and squeezed Jon's hand. "Sounds like you made quite the impression, Raiden."

Jon nodded, a smile on his lips. "He's a natural when it comes to charming the ladies," he said fondly. "I'm just glad he has us to guide him along the way."

Richie leaned in and kissed Jon gently on the lips, their lips pressed together for a moment before pulling away. "Give us a few," he whispered, his eyes filled with affection. "I need to try and wash that glitter out."

"Hell, take him outside and shake him," Jon laughed, turning back to his now-rolling pot of water. "I need to teach this pasta a lesson."

"Tempting but I think a scrub should help," Richie replied and gestured to Raiden. "Come on, bud. Hair washing time."

Raiden grinned eagerly and followed Richie into the bathroom, where Richie started shampooing his hair under the running water. As he scrubbed the shampoo into Raiden's thick curls, Richie couldn't help but compare the child to David. Curly hair that could be a pain in the ass.

Richie rinsed the shampoo out of Raiden's hair, repeated the process, then went in with the conditioner and towel-dried him, combing through it with a wide-toothed comb and detangling spray.

When he was finished, Raiden stood up, his face beaming. "Am I cootie free?"

"You're as clean as a whistle, baby!" Richie chuckled and ruffled his hair with the towel. He grabbed the hairdryer and gently fluffed the blonde curls. "The rest will just have to work its own way out."

"Thanks, Mookie!" Raiden exclaimed and ran from the bathroom with Murray. "Come on, boy! Papa's making sketti!"

Richie watched Raiden and Murray disappear down the hallway, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment. He followed them downstairs and re-entered the kitchen. "Looks like you got it figured out, babe." He smiled at Jon, who was stirring the sauce and smiling.

Jon looked up from the pot and smiled back at Richie. "Just about. I think it's going to be delicious."

"Um, baby?!"

"Yeah?" Jon looked up from the sauce.

"You've got a little," Richie waved his fingers around his own face. "Hold still," he said and leaned closer to Jon and lapped at the specks of red sauce near the corner of Jon's mouth. "Hmm...tasty."

"Oh!" Jon managed to squeak out upon seeing the heat in his partner's eyes.

Richie leaned in and kissed Jon softly on the lips, their lips pressed together for a moment before pulling away. "I love you," he whispered, his eyes filled with affection. "You're the spice that makes my life complete."

Jon reached up and stroked Richie's cheek, running his thumb across the stubble of his evening growth. "Mmm...I love your pretty words, baby." He leaned in for another kiss, this time deeper and more passionate.

"Just for you, Jonny," Richie whispered. His hands found their way to Jon's waist, pulling him closer as his lips explored every inch of Jon's mouth. He felt the heat rising between them, the desire building with every touch.

"You gotta stop getting me excited, babe," Jon mumbled "Save it for tonight."

Richie chuckled and pulled away, his hands still resting on Jon's waist. "I know, I know. But I can't help it when you're this close to me." He leaned in and kissed Jon again, this time lingering just a bit longer. "I just want to feel you in my arms," he whispered, pressing their hips together in a silent promise.

The sound of a throat clearing snapped them back to reality. Raiden was grinning from the dining table. Murray sat on the floor next to him, his tail wagging. "Are you two done yet?" he asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Richie and Jon looked at each other, their eyes widening in realization. They quickly pulled away from each other, both blushing slightly. "Sorry, kiddo," Richie apologized, his voice cracking slightly. "We got a little carried away."

Jon nodded, his face still flushed. "Yeah, sorry, Raiden. We didn't mean to embarrass you."

Raiden shrugged, his face unreadable. "It's okay," he said quietly and slid down into his chair. "I'm just hungry."

Jon looked at Richie with a smirk, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, now that we've got that out of the way, let's eat!" He clapped his hands together, signaling everyone to the table.

Raiden clapped his hands excitedly as Jon and Richie paraded in with the sauce pot, bowl of pasta and some garlic bread. He sat at the table, his eyes wide with anticipation as he waited for them to serve. "It's a feast!" he declared, his eyes lighting up.

Richie placed the steaming pot of sauce in the center of the table. He sat down next to Raiden, picking up a piece of bread and dipping it into the sauce. "It's a feast fit for a king!"

Jon sat across from the two and set the pasta bowl down. Raiden handed him his plate and watched as his Papa scooped out pasta and sauce. He inhaled deeply, his eyelids sliding close. "Mmm...yummy!"

"Top compliment right there," Jon said with a smile. "It's your Grampy Bongiovi's recipe." He dished up some pasta for himself and took a bite, savoring the flavors which had improved immensely with the addition of the salty goodness of the starchy water. "So...tell me more about Irina's party. I'd bet money that she's wearing that necklace to school."

Raiden blushed as he slurped up his spaghetti and wiped his mouth. "She had a bouncy castle and the cake was huge!" he said excitedly. "And the necklace...it looked so pretty on her."

"Her mom sent out photos to the parents," Richie said, pulling out his phone and handing it to Jon.

Jon glanced at the photos and nodded appreciatively. "Irina's parents sure know how to throw a party," he said, scrolling through the photos. "But it looks like you had a great time."

Raiden beamed, his chest puffed up with pride. "I did! And we even made new friends!"

Richie reached over and placed a hand on Raiden's shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. "That's my boy! I told you girls aren't so bad." His eyes softened as he looked at Jon, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Girls are still ick...just less," Raiden corrected him matter of factly. "But I made friends with Evie and Summer. They're cool."

Jon nodded, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'm glad to hear it, bubby. Girls can be a lot of fun once you get to know them." He took a bite of pasta and chewed thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving Richie's.

"So...are you gonna invite her to your party next month?" Richie asked, his eyes darting to Raiden.

Raiden shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "I don't know..." He looked up at Jon and Richie, his eyes pleading for an answer. "What do you think, Papa? Should I invite her?"

Jon put down his fork and considered the question for a moment. "I think you should, Raiden. After all, she's your friend and invited you to her party."

"Okay then," the child shrugged, "She can come."

Richie nodded approvingly, a smile playing on his lips. "That's my boy. You can invite anyone you want." He reached over and ruffled Raiden's hair, his expression soft. "Just don't forget to invite me, too."

Raiden giggled and pushed Richie's hand away, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Of course I'll invite you, Mookie. You're the most important person in my life."

~~**~~