Of Flowers and Fire

Chapter 18

Sawyer's hands were soft against Diego's bare stomach. It was late, maybe two or three in the morning, and early in the new year. They'd stayed up all night, talking about nothing and kissing sleepily. Diego's fingers bumped against the scar stretching along Sawyer's back.

"I love this," Sawyer whispered, nails dancing along Diego's front, "I love you."

"I love you too, Sawyer," Diego murmured.

Sawyer shivered and Diego brought him closer. Sawyer smiled and closed his eyes. "What are you thinking about?" Sawyer asked. Diego watched Sawyer carefully. What was he thinking? He was thinking about how perfect this was going. About how it felt like a bubble was around them, protecting them from the harshness of reality. Protecting them from a dysfunctional family and crazy ex-lovers and, hell, even themselves. Here, lying together, naked emotionally and physically, the only thing Diego was thinking about was how bubbles popped. He didn't know where that thought came from. He didn't recognize it. He pushed it backwards and tried to ignore it. He answered Sawyer with a kiss and tried his best to relax against him.

Sawyer's cellphone rang and Sawyer dropped his head down against Diego's chest, sighing. "Who's calling?" Diego asked through a laugh, "It's two in the morning."

"I don't know," Sawyer complained reaching across Diego to fumble for his phone. The room around them was pitch and the sound of Lou Bega's Mambo no. 5 filled the air. Diego felt it fit the mood, and laughed accordingly. Sawyer kissed his stomach and then pulled the phone up to his ear answering with a soft, "Hello?"

Diego listened to the silence. The voice on the end of the phone was too muffled to be heard, and if Diego focused, he thought he could hear an owl outside which was concerning to say the least.

"You're coming here?" Sawyer asked, voice going serious, sitting up and prompting Diego to prop himself up on his elbows. "Why? When?"

Diego sat and looked at Sawyer, eyebrows furrowed. "What's going on?" Diego mouthed. Sawyer shook his head.

"Why do you suddenly want to see me then?" Sawyer questioned defensively.

"Do you want me to handle it?" Diego whispered.

Sawyer tilted the phone away from his mouth, "No, Diego." Sawyer brought it back, "You had every opportunity before." A beat of silence, "The reason I refused is personal." The voice on the other end responded and Sawyer made an odd noise, "Oh." Diego rubbed Sawyer's knee, Sawyer took his hand. "There's nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?" Sawyer closed his eyes. "I guess I'll see you later, then." He hung up and held the phone in his palm for a while.

"Was it --?"

"My father," Sawyer said staring at his phone.

"He's coming?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Thursday."

"Sawyer," Diego murmured. Sawyer put his phone on the side table and folded himself against Diego.

"It's okay," Sawyer said softly, "I can do it." Diego ruffled his hair. "But I can't do it alone," Sawyer added.

Diego tilted Sawyer's head up and kissed him, "You won't have to."

~

Sawyer was nervous all day Thursday, but he refused to close the shop. They worked together all day, only stopping when the door opened at five thirty. The man who entered didn't look like Sawyer at first, despite having sandy blonde hair that mirrored his exactly. He had blue, drooping eyes, a full, gray beard, and a square face. He was tall, dressed in a gray, casual suit and black shoes. The woman who trailed him wasn't much to look at. Slight with dark hair and skin. She looked like Anita minus about eighty pounds.