Kisses in Springtime

Chapter 11

And that was how 7 scary Russians ended up at the Thai Rice N' Noodle. They were all so tall and big sprawled out around the little diner tables and Phichit swallowed nervously as he wondered what his grandmother would think of the Russian mobsters who dominated most of her tiny restaurant.

And just in time, it would seem, the 86 year old Satsuki Chulanont came out from the kitchen, a straw broom in her hand as she shooed their little black and white cat Chiyo out from behind the counter.

"H̄lān chāy!" She smiled as she swept Phichit up in a hug.

Aw Yāy.... not now........

Phichit blushed, his cheeks turning pink as he was acutely aware of the 7 Russians watching him.

"Phichit! Where were you last night?" She asked him sternly, her dainty, wrinkly hand pulling his chin down so she could look him in the eyes. If Phichit was slight, his grandmother was even smaller, her head just touching the top of his shoulder.

"Uhm..." He couldn't very well tell her that he spent the better part of the night running around with bleeding yakuzas.

And while Phichit stood there wracking his mind for some sort of plausible excuse, she brightened up immediately moving to hold his cheeks with both her hands.

"Oh! Phichit!"

"Did you finally get a lover? I've been telling you for years you need to settle down. H̄lān chāy I'm not getting any younger you know. Oh who is it Phichit? Is it Haruki, that boy's always liked you or Mei, she did bring you---"

Why Yāy........why.... God.....ugh I wanna die....

Phichit could feel his ears turning red as he grimaced, the soft snickers and chuckles coming from the other side of the restaurant turning him positively scarlet.

"Yāy we have guests today, my friends are here"

Phichit carefully pulled himself out of his grandmother's arms wishing whole-heartedly that the floor would swallow him whole as he heard more snickering coming from the Russians.

"Oh how wonderful!" Satsuki smiled, the laugh lines framing her face charmingly as she looked at the 7 gangsters in her restaurant and promptly bustled over with some menus.

"Phichit get your friends some water! And make sure you grab the little jar of lemons."

"Yes Yāy"

Phichit sighed as he turned back around to the kitchens. It seemed that today was going to be a very long day.

-*-

"Hello my dears" Satsuki smiled as she offered menus all around, her warm smile pulling one in return as the Russians blinked at this charming grandmother.

"Ma'am" Viktor spoke politely accepting the thin plastic menu.

"Well aren't you just gorgeous. Phichit never told he had such beautiful friends" She smiled around at the rest of them. A little wisp of a thing at 86 years old, Satsuki Chulanont wrapped all 7 of them in waves of affection and kindness. Her scent so rich and soft, lavender and chamomile. And even though the patches limited their senses, they could smell it, warm on their noses.

The Russians smiled back at her a little awkwardly unused to such open affection and motherly attention. The Bratva was the recipient of may kinds of scents, anger, violence, lust of occasion but kindness and affection was a rare thing from outsiders and it made them shift in their seats, though not unhappily.

"Right! You must be hungry! Let me fix you right up." She nodded sharply calling over her shoulder.

"Phichit! 2..." She glanced back at them before gracing them with another sweet smile.