I don't know for sure, but considering the similarities, I was probably subconsciously inspired by Siberia Nightly's story 'The painted idol'. If you have the time, then I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chaotic
No one knew for sure how rumor of this human holiday got spread throughout the Underworld. Most creatures laughed at it, but a few of them secretly thought it was sweet. A day put aside just for the sake of reminding everyone to appreciate the ones they care about- a day called Valentine's Day. None of them openly admitted to any other creature that they wanted to know what a valentine was, but after some guards heard Kaz talking with Chaor's advisors about it, word got out quickly. For the first time in a while, some Underworlders even started going to Hearring for the latest information.
The idea of giving gifts seemed a bit to sappy for most Underworlders.
But Krekk was not like most Underworlders. This day could change everything. Humans had been doing this for solans. It was their holiday. If he was going to understand it, he was going to need a human, and he knew exactly how to find Chaor's favorite.
"Kaz!" Hearring opened the window as soon as he heard his friend port in. This was not a good time.
"Hearring, I'm glad to see you too." Kaz said, too preoccupied with another thought to notice the worry in the creature's voice. "I brought you so-hey!"
An electro-web caught his attention, and his scanner.
"That's what I was about to warn you about!" Hearring told him, "Krekk has been following me!"
"Why didn't you go to Chaor?" Kaz asked as he backed away, watching his scanner as Krekk pulled it behind a building
Hearring responded, "Stalking creatures of a lower rank isn't illegal in the Underworld."
"How is Krekk still your superior after all the trouble he's gotten into?" Kaz asked as he considered whether or not going to Chaor was a good idea. He knew Chaor would protect him, but leaving Hearring would put his friend in danger.
"It's complicated!" That was usually just Hearring's way of saying that he didn't want to talk about it.
"Enough talking!" Krekk said as he stepped into view "Come willingly and I might give you your scanner back."
"If you think I'm going to fall for that, you're crazier than Skithia!" Kaz told him as he ran.
But Krekk was not going to let him get away with that comment. No one knew about Krekk and Skithia being a real thing, but that didn't stop Krekk from feeling like he had to protect his female, even if it was just an insult and not a threat.
"Kaz!" Hearring yelled as Krekk grabbed the human
"Tell Chaor!" Kaz pleaded as the winged creature flew upwards.
Kaz didn't struggle to escape because he knew falling from a height like that would kill him. But perhaps that form of death would be better than letting Krekk take him to wherever they were going. Still, Hearring would go to Chaor, and they would find him fast. There was a high chance that Krekk was taking him to Gothos Tower, and that would be the first place Chaor would look. Chaor would get there quickly, giving Kaz just enough time to figure out what the traitors were up to this time.
"I meant what I said."
"About what?" Kaz asked
"About giving you your scanner back."
"Why would you do that?" Kaz questioned him "All you've ever been is a traitor. Why should I believe you?"
"Because I could easily drop you. So don't try to take it out of my hand, unless you want to break a few bones."
Kaz didn't say anything else. He just silently waited to see where Krekk was taking him to. The winged creature dropped him on a balcony and opened the doors.
"Get in before someone sees you." Krekk ordered
Kaz didn't want to, but disobeying Krekk get get him coded, and he needed to know what the traitor was up to. Seeing the inside of it made Kaz feel even worse. It was clearly a bedroom, with a wardrobe and bed which was considerably large for one creature. At first he assumed the room belonged to Atrapol, but the current leader would have had a bigger, better room. It couldn't have been Galmedar's since Atrapol looked out for his little brother. There was a slight chance that Zamool had convinced Krekk to bring Kaz to him, but Kaz had a feeling Zamool's room would have at least one dirty weapon in it and smell like blood.
That left Krekk and Skithia.
"Please tell me this isn't your room." Kaz whined
"No comment then." Krekk casually
"This can't be happening." Kaz started to panic "Why did you bring me here? What are going to do to me? Who else is in on this?"
"I just need to ask you a few questions." Krekk remained calm. He wasn't surprised that the human was scared. He would be too if he was in Kaz's place.
"I'm not telling you anything that could help you hurt Chaor!" Kaz said loudly
"Settle down!" Krekk scolded the human. Kaz flinched. "I'm not asking those kinds of questions. I want to know more about this human holiday everyone had been talking about."
"Really?" Kaz asked, making the same face he did when he found out Chaor needed his help for the first time.
"And when you've finished answering my questions, you can scan me and leave."
"Why would I want a scan of you after you kidnapped me?"
"You have to answer my questions anyways." Krekk folded his arms "Do you want the scan or not?"
"Yes, please."
As Krekk started asking questions, Chaor started out on his mowercycle.
"He's going to get himself killed." Takinom said with her hands on her hips as she watched him leave the city.
"You know we can't talk any sense into him." Agitos reminded her "And if we send someone out to help him, then Chaor will only get upset with us."
"Unless he actually needs it." Takinom told her superior "Which he obviously does. This is clearly a trap."
"I knew I should have said something." Hearring blamed himself "I could have at least reported him for suspicious behaviour."
"So what do you want to know?" Kaz began to relax as he sat down on the floor
"Everything." Krekk wasn't sure exactly what kind of information he was looking for; he just wanted ideas on how to impress Skithia.
"I mean, do you want to know the history of it, or how we celebrate it?" Kaz asked
"I want to know what humans do on this day."
"Oh well..." Kaz turned a little red as he thought about what it meant to him, but he wasn't going to tell Krekk about all of that "There are some interesting commercials." Kaz tried to think about what guys were supposed to do for women, but the commercials and sales were the only way Kaz knew anything about it.
Krekk get a little impatient as Kaz clearly had to stop and think about it.
"You don't understand your own holiday?" the creature tried to contain his emotions
"Of course I do!" Kaz lied, "It's just hard to explain"
"Just do your best." Krekk sounded as if he was giving up. For just a second, Kaz remembered when he was little. His mother was around more often back then, but even when she was home, she didn't have much time for him. The tone in Krekk's reminded Kaz of a time he had asked his mother for help with his homework. Kaz didn't think about his relationship with his mother very often, but Krekk had somehow accidentally reminded him of her reminded him of just how much he used to miss her, even when she was right there with him.
"Ask for something more specific." Kaz had to distract himself
"How much more specific can I get?"
"Just ask me what you need to know and let me go home."
"Home." That got Krekk thinking. "What do families do on this day?"
"I wouldn't know." Kaz admitted
"You don't have a family?" Krekk began to pity the human
"A guess you could say I have a mother, but she doesn't even know Perim exists."
"Then what does she think you're doing all day?" Krekk was still concerned with Valentine's Day, but this made him feel as though he was actually bonding with someone other than Skithia.
"She doesn't know and she doesn't care." Kaz didn't bother trying to hide it. Getting that out felt better than he thought it would.
"I kind of know how you feel." Krekk admitted. If the human was going to open up to him after everything that they had been through, then why not open up to him? It wasn't like they were going to tell anyone about their secret bonding time.
"How could you?"
They talked until Chaor showed up. Krekk recognized the sound of the mowercycle as it quickly pulled up to Gothos Tower.
"Uh oh"
"What's wrong, Krekk?" Kaz asked as Krekk looked at the balcony.
"Chaor's here."
"Uh oh." Kaz repeated, recalling that he had told Hearring to get Chaor for him.
"We're running out of time." Krekk told Kaz "Chaor will have my head for this."
"You risked your life just to learn more about a holiday?" Kaz knew Krekk wasn't very bright, but this still seemed like a dumb idea.
"I'm hoping the fact that I didn't hurt you will convince Chaor that I meant no harm."
"It won't change the fact that you kidnapped me." Kaz tried to reason with the creature
"'Kidnapped' and 'assaulted' are two different things." Krekk reminded Kaz
"Right." Kaz remembered "And kidnapping a human won't get you much more than a slap on the wrist."
"You're not an average human. Chaor likes you, and considering my history, I'm lucky if I only get a few stiches."
Kaz felt sorry for the winged creature. Krekk really didn't mean any harm, and they actually had a lot in common, although neither of them would admit to it.
"Krekk!" Atrapol's voice boomed and echoed throughout the tower
"Krekk, what did you do this time!?" Even Kaz could hear Skithia yelling
"I think I could talk Chaor into going easy on you." Kaz offered
"You're telling me that he only kidnapped you to learn more about some holiday?" Chaor gave Kaz an opportunity to add something to it. Surely even Krekk wouldn't do something as dumb as that.
"He's not that bad." Kaz stretched the truth "He just didn't have anyone else to go to."
"And that gives him an excuse to take your scanner and carry you to here?" Chaor tried to be gentle with Kaz, but how could anyone take Krekk's side after something like this?
"Well no, but like I said, he didn't hurt me. He even tried to make me comfortable." Kaz knew he was not going to talk Chaor out of whatever he had in mind for Krekk, but that didn't stop him from trying.
Atrapol and Skithia just watched the show, trying to figure out what Krekk must have gave the Chaotic player to try to talk Chaor out of punishing him.
"And why would I let this slide?" Chaor asked.
But before Kaz could answer, something caught the creature's attention. Kaz looked around at the others and saw that they too were staring at the doors to Gothos Tower. Chaor walked up the doors and opened them as though he was expecting an army to be out there. Kaz ran to his hero's side to see what the problem was. Chaor was apparently right- there was in deed an army heading towards the tower, and Takinom was leading them.
"I can't believe this." Chaor said to himself. He had specifically told her to stay out of it, and of all the things she could have done, she got the army involved. He didn't time to deal with Krekk when he couldn't even keep his advisor under control.
"Alright Krekk, I won't punish you." Krekk breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that, but what Chaor said afterwards made everything worse. "I'm going to let Atrapol and Skithia handle that, in any way they choose."
"But first you're going to give me back my scanner!" Kaz commanded as he held his hand out, knowing Krekk wouldn't dare disobey him as long as Chaor was still around.
Krekk closed his eye and handed it to the human. The sound of Kaz porting out just made Krekk feel worse- he still didn't know anything Valentine's Day.
The sound of Skithia clearing her throat caught Krekk's attention. He had expected Atrapol to be angry, but even Skithia looked as though she was ready to kill him.
