Of Flowers and Fire

Chapter 8

Sawyer jumped when Diego stormed into the shop the Tuesday afternoon Marco was coming to get the bouquet. Sawyer was sitting in the workshop, positioned so he could see the door. "Diego?" Sawyer asked and, in response, Diego barreled into the room.

"Please tell me you did not make that bouquet for that arrogant bastard," Diego roared.

Sawyer raised his eyebrows, "Marco?" He asked.

"Dios míos, what a fucking douchebag." Diego pulled at his hair and sat down on the stool he usually sat on when he was in the workshop.

"What happened?" Sawyer asked taking off his glasses and folding his hands under his chin.

"Fucking cornered me in the goddamn Whole Foods and fucking accused me of taking advantage of you," Diego rubbed his eyes and Sawyer stood up and went to him.

"Diego," Sawyer sighed quietly. He laid one hand on his shoulder and put the other hesitantly on Diego's neck.

"Fucking fuck! Who does he fucking think he is?" Diego asked tugging at his hair.

"Hey," Sawyer murmured gently. His hand shook as he rubbed Diego's cheek with his thumb. "It's okay, there's nothing to take advantage of." He offered a sweet smile and squeezed Diego's shoulder.

Diego closed his eyes and sighed, "Fuck."

"Yeah," Sawyer agreed.

Diego opened his eyes and sighed. His eyes were red but he didn't look like he'd been drinking or crying, that Sawyer could tell anyways. "You dated that asshole?"

"Unfortunately," Sawyer said, nodding. He dropped his hand from Diego's shoulder and put it in his palm. He squeezed, "Come on upstairs, I'll make tea," He pulled Diego towards the stairs.

"What about fuckface's bouquet?" Diego sneered.

Sawyer smiled and laughed slightly. He let go of Diego's hand and started to the door. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," Sawyer said, "if 'fuckface' didn't get it."

Diego laughed and smiled, and Sawyer had to turn away to the door to catch his breath. When Sawyer locked the door and turned the sign, he went back to where Diego was waiting by the stairs, and took Diego's hand again, squeezing it. Diego squeezed back, nervously, and let Sawyer drag him upstairs.

Sawyer selected two bags of peppermint tea and set them in mugs while the water boiled. Diego was studying all of the flavors of tea in the cupboard when he asked, "How long were you and Marco together?"

Sawyer was positioning himself on the countertop just as Diego turned around. "Three years," He answered.

"Did you love him?" Diego asked.

"I thought I did."

"You aren't sure?"

"I was then. But, I don't know, it feels different."

"Than what?"

Sawyer sighed and lifted a shoulder, "Everything, I guess. I looked up to my Nona and Grandad. You know, what they had. Grandad was an asshole, but he loved my Nona with everything he had. Everything he was. He travelled halfway across the world for her."

Diego watched Sawyer talk like he caused world peace. He memorized the sparkle in Sawyer's eyes, "Really?"

"Yeah," Sawyer murmured, "he worked in accounting and Nona's family owned an Italian restaurant. They needed help once, with taxes, when she was sixteen and her older brother knew Grandad from school, so he called him up. That's how they met. He did everything for her. She wanted kids, so they had kids. She wanted a small house in Italy, they moved to Italy and he dropped thousands on a little house. She wanted a flower shop in Buttfuck, Indiana, he found her an empty building and a book on gardening. I always wanted that," Sawyer hopped off the counter and poured the water into both mugs. "Nona used to say the right boy would 'realize the best is right there,' and then he'd take me where I needed to be," Sawyer turned and handed one mug to Diego. He smiled. "Marco never did that."