"Well, I do apologise. He didn't tell me he was expecting you, sir." Whis pushed open the doors to Beerus's room. "Of course, it does explain why he wanted to use my staff the other day."

They looked up to see Beerus half-hanging off his bed.

"It's good to see that you give him such freedom. I hear things are stricter in Universe 6," the kai said.

Whis feigned surprise. "My, my, I didn't know the Supreme Kais were such gossips! So, have you come to spy on your own destroyer to compare notes?"

"Nothing like that. Although, perhaps I will – it would be beneficial to my understanding of destroyers in general after all."

Whis floated up to Beerus, gently rousing him by petting his head. "So, can I ask why you're here?"

"I shan't be here much longer. Lord Beerus has somewhere to show me."

That was even more curious. The destroyer stirred and stretched before settling into a new position. "No, no, Lord Beerus, it's time to get up."

"It's very sweet of you to be so gentle," the kai noted. "I was expecting loud noises, perhaps a few crashes and bangs. Makes me wonder how he slept through the last meeting when we were having that heated debate about Planet Parc."

"I wouldn't want to put him in a foul mood before his outing with you." Whis leant down and whispered into Beerus's ear, making the destroyer jolt up and look down at the kai.

It took him a few moments to process, and then he called out, "What time d'you call this?!"

"Late afternoon," the kai replied. "I've already had a tour of your gardens in the hope that I was early and you weren't ready yet."

Beerus huffed and fell from the bed, catching himself just before he hit the ground. "You ever drink coffee on the Sacred World? Because I'm gonna need one before we go anywhere."

"And where exactly is it we're going?"

Beerus pulled a folded piece of paper from his gold cuff and handed it to the Supreme Kai.

"Planet –" The kai was immediately silenced by a hand over his mouth.

"Don't say it!"

The kai removed Beerus's hand. "Your handwriting is terrible."

"I even put down the coordinates so there's no confusion."

"Yes, quite unnecessary. I know where every planet is."

"Ooh, look at you showing off."

Oo

"Are you going to tell me why we're here?" the kai asked when they arrived.

"Yeah, er – do you have a name? Or should I just call you by your title?" Beerus asked. "Or I could just call you West like at the meetings?"

"You may call me Nish, or you may stick with West. I am not fussed, but perhaps 'Supreme Kai' would sound a bit weird if the locals overhear us."

"Well, Nish, I'm here to get a little something for Whis. But obviously I can't just get Whis to take me or it wouldn't be a surprise."

"I see. So I'm just your ride?" He sounded disappointed.

"Yeah, but it'll be fun to hang out, right? I don't really see you guys all that much outside of work, so I'm looking forward to getting to know another side of a kai."

"And is there a reason you chose me out of the five of us?"

"You picked up my call. And I thought, you know, I should get to know the rest of you too – not just Grand."

"So, Lord Beerus –"

"Please, don't be so formal. If you're allowing me to use just your name, you should do the same for me."

Nish shifted uncomfortably, not used to being so informal. "You're right…Beerus." It sounded wrong. Even with the other kais he always paid Beerus every respect. "Did you have a gift in mind? Or are we hunting one down?"

"I know where we're going – but I haven't decided what to get from there. I thought you could help me. I hope you have a sweet tooth."

"I'm quite partial to sugary treats."

"Fantastic." Beerus began to lead the way.

"Lord Beerus! Welcome!" The shop keeper was familiar with him by now. He and Whis had decided that they had to make the most of this place while it was here; he had now learned how disappointing it was to lose fantastic food due to short mortal lifespans. "No Mr. Whis today?"

"Not today, Nanab. I'm getting him a special treat, and I've got a friend to help me decide."

Nanab nodded enthusiastically; whenever Beerus came to her shop it was a good day for business. "Well, let me know if I can be of any help." She began to make herself busy, giving them space to browse.

"This is…the most amazing sweet shop I've ever been in," Nish said. Everything was displayed perfectly in glass cases, as if he were stood in a jewellery shop. The descriptions made the food sound lavish, as if there wasn't anything in here that was plain or had no thought put into it. "So, what were you planning to get?"

"I don't know," Beerus said. "I thought we could taste-test half the shop before we decide."

Nish looked at Beerus like he was mad. "Are you serious?"

"Uh, yeah?" Beerus pointed over to some stools near the counter. "We'll just sit there and eat until the matter's settled. Whis likes fruity sweets, so we'll mainly try them."

Strawberry cream enrobed in milk chocolate, citrus truffles, orange jelly slices coated in sugar, and chewy lemon cubes… The list went on and on.

"You alright there, Nish?"

"I think I'm overdosing on sugar here. You may have to carry on without me."

Beerus laughed. "I thought kais were made of sturdier stuff than that."

"We don't eat nearly as much as you seem to."

"More for me." Beerus popped a white chocolate raspberry ball into his mouth. "Oh, that one's definitely coming home with me."

"It's lovely that you're doing this for Whis," Nish said. "You're very lucky to have him. He seems very sweet."

"Isn't he just?" Beerus agreed without thinking much about it, busy pondering over which item to try next.

"Is this your first time out without him? He seemed quite reluctant to see you go earlier."

Beerus paused. "…I think so. Never had a reason to go out without him."

"So this is his first gift?" Nish wasn't going to comment on how late he thought it, but clearly the way he'd delivered the line gave him away.

"Hey! I've given him other gifts. Some not as much of a surprise, others not an item to obtain. Trust me, when you live with an angel you'll find they're not very easy to gift at all – they don't seem to need or want much."

"I see."

"You know, I don't think he even needs to eat. He just does for fun. And he'll eat more than me while he's at it!" Beerus huffed. "Eats me under the table, drinks me under the table… Sometimes he's quite annoying. So, you know, today's been fun, because I'm the champion eater!"

"So, have you decided which ones to get?"

Beerus called Nanab over. "I'll take two of all the ones I've tried."

Nish's mouth dropped open. "That's… I tried at least 20!"

"Whis deserves to try them all too. And I'd better get him a second one in case he really likes them – or if he's feeling generous." Beerus grinned, hoping he'd get an orange one. "Say, do you have any money?"

Nish's mouth ever-widened. "Are you serious? You didn't bring any currency with you?"

Beerus shrugged. "Whis usually takes care of these things. I mean, if I'm desperate I threaten to destroy people, but that's not really how I want to go with this place. I reckon she'd open a tab for Whis to pay next time we come back, but that's not really how you give a gift, right? And you can create, right? That's your role in this universe, right?"

Nish sighed. "Strictly speaking, I shouldn't meddle in planet economics like this, but… Whis must be, so I'm sure paying this one time won't hurt."

A box was placed on the counter gently in front of Beerus. "Here you go, Lord Beerus. 62 pieces in total – your biggest order yet!" Nanab smiled. "I'll do you a deal because you're my favourite customer – only 300 taels."

Nish raised his eyebrows and placed a silk bag on the counter, the metal in it clinking satisfyingly. "Thank you for entertaining us this afternoon. It's been a wonderful experience." He should get out like this more often.

Nanab emptied the bag and handed it back to Nish. "No, no, thank you for visiting. You're welcome back any time."

Beerus picked up the box and waved goodbye, leading Nish out into the cool evening air. "Do you have somewhere to put this?" He motioned to the box.

"No?"

Beerus frowned. "God, I miss Whis."

"Did you want to return home?"

Beerus shrugged. "I guess. Got what I came for, and nowhere to put it. Uh, unless you wanted to go somewhere?"

"No, no, I'm quite done with adventures today. I could use a long sit down with a nice cup of tea." Nish held out his hand, but Beerus placed a hand on his shoulder instead.

They appeared outside the main entrance to Beerus's castle. "Well, thanks for today. I really appreciate you taking me where I wanted to go – and instantly too! Big plus, that. Much faster than Whis."

"You're welcome, Lord Beerus. It was quite a different day, and I hope that telling the others won't make them too jealous – you might just have to take them all out one by one!" Nish joked, certain that none of the other kais would be jumping at the opportunity to play attendant to the destroyer for a day.

"You know, maybe I should." Meeting up with Nish like this had shown him how much he didn't know about his colleagues - something he should really fix before he gets even older and inevitably pretends he's been paying attention. "But I've taken enough of your time for one day, and I'm sure you're really busy, so I'll see you next coordination meeting?" Now he had what he needed, he wanted nothing more than to get rid of the kai so he could deliver the goods.

Nish nodded, relived he didn't have to stay. "Yes, I'll see you then."

Beerus stood at the doors for a moment, not having planned exactly how he was going to present his gift to Whis. Should it be a grand reveal? Or should he pretend it was no big deal?

The door opened and Whis looked around. "Did I miss the Supreme Kai? I wanted to thank him for not leaving you stranded."

"And why would he do that?"

"A very funny story, my lord. Let's just say that one of my previous destroyers pushed their kai a little too far, and I had to go out and find him."

"Surely that was a piece of cake for you?"

"My abilities do have limits, you realise. The Supreme Kai dropped him off on the planet furthest from here just to make it that much more difficult." Whis chuckled to himself at the memory. "Fortunately this won't happen again, as I can now spy on you all I like; the Grand Priest did a fantastic job upgrading our staves."

Beerus frowned. "You weren't spying on me today, were you?"

"Now, now, I have more faith in you and the Supreme Kai than that. Perhaps I might have looked in on you had you been gone past dinner time." Whis looked down at the box Beerus was holding. "It's very mean of you not to tell me where you're going or how long for. I felt useless these past few hours. Off enjoying sweets, were you?"

"Eh? Oh!" Beerus couldn't hide the box now. "Actually, I… Of course I enjoyed some myself, but I went there for you." He held the box out to Whis, shyly averting his eyes. "I wanted to get you something, but secretly. It's so hard to do that when you take me everywhere, so I asked Nish to take me instead."

For a moment there was a look of pleasant surprise on Whis's face, coupled with a faint blush. "That's – that's very sweet of you, my lord." He bent down to kiss Beerus's cheek as he took the box.

Beerus couldn't help but smile with success – he'd made Whis speechless for all of half a second! "I got you two of each. Nanab had quite a few new ones since we last went."

"You got me two of each, or you got one for you and one for me?"

"Both for you!" Beerus wasn't surprised by the accusation. "I'll even feed them to you if you want…"

"I think I'd quite enjoy that. Much better than you sitting there watching me and wishing you'd bought yourself some."

"You can eat them while I sleep if you'd prefer."

"No, no, I want to talk about the new ones, and for you to tell me all about your little date with the Supreme Kai."

"It wasn't a date!" He attached himself to Whis's side. "I only go on dates with you."

Whis rubbed Beerus's arm. "I was joking, my lord. You're being awfully cute right now."

"Shut up," Beerus muttered.

Oo

"So, you didn't get him any sweets?" Whis asked as he accepted the blueberry parcel.

They were laying on the sofa, Whis laying across Beerus's lap for once, the box of goodies in Whis's lap as he pointed out which one he wanted to try next, Beerus reciting what it was and his opinion of it. They were almost halfway through the top layer.

"He didn't ask for any," Beerus said. "Didn't say he had any interest in taking any home with him. If he wanted some, he should have said!" He wasn't going to feel guilty about this; he'd shown the kai this magical sweet shop, and that should be payment enough. "Besides, he was probably sugared out by the end."

Whis couldn't help but laugh. "That's unfortunate. But for all your thoughtfulness regarding me, you could have at least thrown in something for him. After all, he not only transported you there, but also paid for everything."

"Money means nothing to gods. It wasn't like he'd earned the money." Beerus looked at the one Whis was pointing to next. "Oh, this one's fun! I think the ewest nut is particular to Planet Amai, and this is a praline made of it."

Whis's mouth made an O in intrigue. "Will you be going on more trips in the future?"

Beerus pressed a finger to Whis's lips. "Shh. I'll answer you, but first you have to appreciate this praline fully." Carefully he popped the chocolate into Whis's waiting mouth, watching to see if it tickled Whis's fancy the same way it did for him.

"Very interesting flavour," Whis finally announced after much thought. "I feel like this is something that shouldn't work as a dessert nut, but it does. We'll have to go back and investigate what else it's used in."

"I know, right? It reminded me of using chilli in chocolate. Something different, but quite fine."

"Yes, I imagine there are some people who wouldn't agree with this. I'll certainly need to taste the other one later to make sure I've made the right judgement."

"But anyway," Beerus continued. "I think it's only fair I at least learn the names of the other kais, don't you think?"

"Or you could pretend to forget the West Supreme Kai's name."

"Don't you want me to hang out with them?"

Whis shook his head. "Of course I want you to have a better relationship with your counterparts, but I also don't think you should force yourself to see them 'outside of work' so to speak." He paused to let a truffle melt in his mouth. "You could sound a bit more enthusiastic about going out with them if that's your plan."

"It was weird without you," Beerus admitted. "I guess I'm too used to always having you by my side."

Whis reached to cup Beerus's face. "So sweet…" he whispered.

"Hey! Stop that. You've said I was sweet or cute or whatever at least three times today!" Beerus let out a small growl. "I'm a mean destroyer! I'm not sweet, I leave a sour taste in most people's mouths. And I'm not cute!"

"Why are you not cute?"

"Because cute is what little kittens are, or small fluffy things, or –"

"You're cute to me, Lord Beerus. And while some people don't see you as sweet, you're sweet to me." Whis smiled softly. "You went to all this effort of calling up the Supreme Kai behind my back, and getting me something you knew I'd enjoy – that is a very sweet gesture. I don't think I've thanked you properly for it yet, but I will soon."

"No! You don't have to! I got you this to say thanks to you."

"See, there you are being sweet. And a cute little blush to go with it!"

Beerus hid his face in his hands. "I knew liking you was a bad idea. This is so embarrassing."

Whis carefully moved the box to the table before throwing his arms around Beerus. "It's these qualities about you that make me love you so!"

"Urgh, Whis, you're being so sappy!" He tried to shrug the angel off, but not trying very hard.

"Didn't you buy me these sweets so I'd react like this? Isn't this what you wanted?"

Of course I did. "Maybe."

"Or were you looking for a different reaction?" Whis dragged his fingertips down Beerus's abs suggestively.

"What? No!" He moved Whis's hand away. "No, I just wanted to make you happy."

Whis beamed. "Can I call you sweet again? Or would you prefer a different adjective?"

He buried his face in the angel's shoulder. "I'm not very good at this. I can't handle you saying all these things without looking like a beetroot, and I don't know what to say in response."

"You don't have to say anything." Whis kissed him. "You just have to listen to how much I love you."

"Why do you love me, Whis?" Beerus hadn't dwelled too much on the question, but his mind had thrown it at him a few times. "Why does a divine being like you love someone like me?" He wasn't going to imply that Whis could do better seeing as he couldn't think of many other people higher up than him that Whis could possibly form a romantic attachment with. "Why do angels love at all?" Ah, that last question wasn't meant to be voiced.

Whis had let Beerus run on with his questions because he had been choosing his words carefully – not wanting to compare his lord to a pet. It was very much like having a pet though. "Sometimes you meet someone, or find something, and you grow attached," Whis began. "And sometimes you grow attached even though you know it will have to come to an end eventually and you'll feel loss. But that's okay, because you can do it all again, and it'll still feel wonderful in the moment." He held on to Beerus's hand. "I don't know why angels love, but I guess that it's just one of those universal emotions shared by all beings. It certainly makes life a lot more interesting when I get to feel that rush of excitement when I see you in the morning, or that smile you bring to my face when you kiss me unexpectedly. Does it make me more mortal? Or does it show the divinity in mortals?" Maybe he was getting a bit too philosophical. "Either way, I cannot help but feel this comforting warmth in my heart when I'm with you. Why you? My lord, I chose you because I could see these charming qualities in you, even if you can't."

"I was an absolute bastard back then, right? That's what you saw of me."

"And when you were with your brother?" Whis reminisced. "I saw another side of you that I knew I'd see again someday. You may like to think you're uncaring and only thinking about yourself – which is true most of the time – but you pay a great deal of care and attention to the most important people in your life."

Beerus said nothing, aware that Whis was able to read him like a book by now. He wasn't going to pretend Whis was wrong when he was very much speaking the truth. Instead he squeezed the angel tighter, enjoying this lovely heart-to-heart moment they'd had. Whis gently stroked the back of Beerus's neck as they sat in silence, wondering what the destroyer was thinking about.

"Did you want more sweets?" Beerus whispered.

"Not yet, I'm enjoying this."

Beerus hummed and closed his eyes, wanting to hold the angel like this forever.