AU fic. Valon even has a father! And Valon and Joey are friends. Were friends, to be exact.

Val is how Mai calls him!

Valon was resting on the sofa, remembering the girl he always loved. Mai Valentine. She never said she loved him though. And he didn't notice anything. They were friends since first grade. Always together. Valon even didn't understood how it happened. To the prom they came together, but she left with Wheeler, his best friend.

Mai felt bad for it. She came several times to apologise, she told him, that she doesn't understands anything herself, just can't live without Joey.

Valon hadn't had any hysterics, it was life. She hasn't promised anything to him. It wasn't Joey's fault either.

It was the time he understood what love is. Valon's father, who was aware of everything, that happened to his son, plus he was a experienced crime investigator and before his eyes had passed a lot of personal tragedies and love dramas, have told him

"You have no rights to demand of the person you love to love you back. No one is obliged to feel the same way you do. If the feelings are the same - it's rare and great luck . If they aren't – it's a usual event" Also Valon has learned from father's lessons, that Joey isn't better than him. And if Mai left him, that doesn't mean, Valon's bad in something. He and Wheeler are just different

After three years Mai and Joey started living together and got married. Valon worked in the police like his father in the department of strife against the economic crimes, was the friend of the family and never stopped loving his Mai.

Once he got the information, that Joey's company is in the zone of a rapt attention and soon-to-be-arrested. For the few days Valon was torn between friendship and the law. Friendship won. He warned Joey, but he despised himself for betraying his own profession.

Joey never asked for the advice, he just told the facts. He divorced Mai, transferred the money abroad and flew away to France. He wanted to come back later, marry Mai second time and make everything turn like it was before.

At first Joey called every three days, then more infrequent and after a half of the year, it turned out, that Joey married again. Just not Mai. Mai was shocked.

Through all this time Valon was beside her, helping to deal with the things and problems, that Joey solved earlier. After the shocking news, Valon became the only nearest and best friend again. She cried on his shoulder, when she was ill, Mai took medicine and food from him. She let him comfort and assuage her.

And one wonderful for Valon day Mai suddenly looked at him , a bit surprised.

"Val, I love you after all. And the most ridiculous is I always loved you .I was ill with Joey, but now I fully recovered."

They got married. That were the happiest years of Valon's life. But once Joey returned back, said that he divorced long ago and wants to get here the part of his business.

Valon was jealous. He wasn't before, when Mai and Joey became a couple. But this time he really was. Every morning he was afraid, that he wouldn't find Mai in their house again. He understood, that he couldn't live without her beside him. He wouldn't be able to breath without her presence in his house. In their house So it wasn't only jealousy, it was fear, fear about his life. No, he just can't let her go again

He tried now to get from the work as late as possible. Afraid to hear she is going back to Joey.

Once Mai set across the table and said

"Val, I need to tell you something. Very important. You have to listen to me carefully"

'Here it comes. She will be Mai Wheeler again'

"Val, I love you. I don't want to lose you. I don't want that something happens to you. I can perfectly see, in what condition you are at the moment and I know why. Because of Joey. I want to tell you, that I never make my mistakes second time. Once I left you. That won't happen again. You can believe me or not, you have right to be jealous, but you must now I love you and I won't dump you."

"I'll always believe you".

He stood up and looked at her with a pan in her hand

"Do you want to eat?"
Hour ago, he couldn't even think about food. But now he realized he was starving

"Yes".

"Soup?"
"Yes"

"Chop with potatoes?"

"Yes"

"Won't you split?"-she smirked

"I'll try not to."

The lump in his throat was gone and he finally began to recognise his voice. He felt that his hands, that were few minutes earlier like ice, now were warm again.

"Mai…"

She turned around from the kitchen range to face him and to look in his eyes

"Mai, I love you, too"

He kissed her. Now he was sure, he was happy. First time he slept feeling not worried or concerned about Joey Wheeler, who lost all his chances on getting Mai back.

Hope, you like it!