Free reads: Red Roses

Apparently anniversaries have to be celebrated

Red Roses

Summer, 2004

"Flowers?"

Damian cast a glance over at Silver.

"Not flowers." Silver pointed in exasperation. "Roses."

"Why roses?" Damian couldn't believe he was standing in a flower shop with his best friend looking at bouquets of flowers. What was so special about flowers?

"It's your anniversary!" Silver stared at him with his eyebrows raised. "You have to get him something and red roses are perfect! They're the flowers of love."

"That is so cheesy." Why buy flowers as a gift? They'd eventually wither and die, and it would happen sooner rather than later.

"You want my help or not?" Silver was exasperated. "Your anniversary is today and you haven't gotten him anything else."

Damian looked at him. "Why make such a big deal about being together for a year? What's the point? It's not his birthday."

"Damian." Silver turned his head up and he seemed to gather himself for a moment before he looked back down at Damian. "An anniversary is a big deal. You've been together for a year and it has to be celebrated! If you last another year, you do it all over again. It's part of being in a relationship."

How should Damian know that? He'd never been in one before. This was all so new to him and Josh hadn't ever mentioned anything about gift giving on anniversaries. He knew his uncle and aunt got each other gifts on theirs or went out to dinner, but that was their wedding anniversary. Apparently it was different when you weren't married; you celebrated the day you got together.

"You should definitely buy a bouquet of red roses, but you should also buy something else. A gift that'll last longer." Silver's eyes scanned the shop, but as it was a flower shop Damian couldn't fathom how he could find anything lasting in here. "How about buying him a bracelet?"

"I don't think that'll be very comfortable for his scars." Or new cuts that showed up from time to time. "Something that goes on his arms are generally a bad idea."

"What about a neck chain then? Or a pendant, or something like that?"

That was a better idea. "Josh hasn't said anything about gifts." Josh would have told him if it was expected, wouldn't he?

"Come on, mate. This is not something your boyfriend is going to tell you." Silver clapped him on the shoulder. "Buy a bouquet of roses, Damian. Be a little romantic. Then we'll head off to a jewelry store and look at neck chains or something like that." He picked up a bouquet and looked at it critically. "Seriously, what would you do without me?"

Damian was wondering the very same thing. He hadn't really thought much about today, to be honest. When he'd told Silver that he and Josh had been together for a year today, Silver had been shocked to hear that Damian hadn't gotten Josh anything. So here they were, in a flower shop, buying roses.

To think that he'd already been with Josh for a year. It was unbelievable, really, that Damian had managed to keep a relationship steady for so long. Unbelievable … and amazing.

Damian supposed gift giving wasn't so bad after all. Not when the gifts were to Josh. Josh deserved so much, maybe more than Damian could give him. This wasn't so bad, he thought as he paid for the bouquet Silver had picked out, especially not if it made Josh happy.

There was nothing Damian liked more than making Josh happy.