Tommy sighed as he answered the phone and heard a familiar voice. "Happy birthday asshole." His old friend James' voice, better known as the Sandman.

Tommy really didn't want to be reminded that today was his thirty-fifth birthday, coincidently it was also Valentine's Day. He hated that his birthday was on February 14th, it only made it more excruciatingly lonely. "Yeah, yeah. Happy fucking Valentine's Day James."

"Don't sound so down Tommy. It's your birthday. Valentine's day ain't so bad." James' outlook on Valentine's Day, and romance, had brightened considerably since he had gotten divorced and settled into life with his boyfriend.

Tommy's outlook had never brightened. Valentine's Day, and his birthday, had just become increasingly lonely over the years. Tommy Dreamer was not an emotional man. He had never been a fairy-tale, prince charming, love-obsessed kind of guy. But something about this time of year drug up memories, dreams of love lost and the one that got away. Tommy had only been in love once in his life, but when the 'innovator of violence' fell, he fell completely.

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you Tommy?" James' voice broke through his thoughts. "How come you're only like this around Valentine's Day?"

"I'm not thinking about him. Why don't you go spend time getting wasted with your boyfriend? Do you always have to bother me on my birthday?"

"I sure do." he replied.

Didn't the old drunk have better things to do on February 14th? Like get drunk and fuck his equally drunk redneck boyfriend?

"You want to know what I got you for your birthday?"

"No... I don't. I'm hanging up now. I'll talk to you later James." Tommy hung up the phone, sighing again, though he couldn't help but wonder what his best friend had up his sleeves.

Of course, James had been right. His best friend knew him too well. He was thinking about him again. It had been so long, Tommy didn't know why he still thought about it. Tommy hadn't seen him in years. But their relationship had been perfect, neither of them had been the romantic type. Neither of them had expected much of the other. They'd had a calm and loving relationship mixed with a master-slave lifestyle that has suited them both. Tommy had been in relationships since then of course, with Beulah and Francine and a lot of little indy wrestler boys that he'd fucked and left, or made slaves of and then ditched them when he discovered that none of them could ever been as good of a slave as he had been. Tommy wondered what kind of relationships he had been in since their split. He had heard rumors, the wrestling locker rooms in all federations were full of rumors about obscure men like him, but Tommy didn't believe them.

The door bell rang and he jumped to answer it. If it was James he swore he'd kill him. He preferred to spend his birthday alone. But he didn't find James at the door. Instead he found a gift. The box was large, as high as Tommy's waist, and wrapped in red paper. Across the side, in James' messy scrawl a note was written that said: 'Happy Birthday asshole. Now stop being so fucking depressed.-- James.' Tommy laughed, wondering what James was up to. The Sandman loved to play pranks. With some difficulty he drug the box inside, it was far heavier than he had expected it to be.

Tommy unwrapped the gift carefully, as if afraid it would explode. Knowing James, it probably would. But what he found was far more shocking that an explosive. Bound and gagged, his naked, sleek muscled body as lovely as Tommy remembered it being, was the very man Tommy had been thinking of all day. A large red bow was on his head, which brought a smile to Tommy's lips. "Raven..." he whispered.

Raven glanced up, meeting his eyes and immediately began struggling against the bonds. Tommy laughed and watched him struggle for a moment before untying him and removing the gag. He was knocked breathless when Raven pounced on him, pinning him to the ground and hungrily seeking his lips. Tommy hadn't expected that reaction. He closed his eyes and kissed the love of his life as he felt all their years apart disappear. Obviously Raven still loved him too. They didn't need to say anything about what had happened. When the kiss was broken, Raven softly whispered. "Happy Birthday Tommy."

"Happy Valentine's day baby... Remind me to thank James later." Tommy smiled.

"Fuck no. That asshole tied me up and didn't fucking tell me he was bringing me here, I've been in that damned box for hours."

"That sounds like James. Don't complain."

"Yes Master..." said Raven, gently nuzzling his face against Tommy's neck.

Tommy grinned, this was the best birthday ever.