Of Flowers and Fire

Chapter 22

Sawyer full on laughed when Diego exited the dressing room wearing a beige and green pinstriped polo shirt. Diego held out his arms and sighed, "What?"

Sawyer covered his mouth but continued to laugh. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry." He peeked at Diego again and then leaned back on the ottoman and cackled again. "But that shirt," Diego crossed his arms, "that shirt is a crime against God." He snorted, "It's a crime against me."

"I liked this one," Diego muttered glancing down at himself. And he really did. Or he had. Now that he knew Sawyer didn't like it, it didn't mean much to him.

"Oh, babe," Sawyer said dramatically, shaking his head.

"What's so bad about it?" Diego groaned.

"Oh," Sawyer laughed again, "how about you just try the next one." Diego gave Sawyer a look, but he only shrugged and held on to a boyish smile.

It made Diego's stomach flip.

He went back to the dressing room.

Diego had agreed to let Sawyer take him shopping - after about three days of annoying him with constant remarks about his wardrobe. Diego had never been one for high fashion (or any fashion really.) He'd always used being busy as an excuse, and it never really held up, but people rarely bothered him about his eccentric wardrobe.

Sawyer was just different. He was persuasive and talented and just an expert at making Diego want to look nice. On top of all of that, he was deserving of someone with a modern and adult sense of style, so Diego relented and here they were at some trendy shop in Bloomington. They'd taken a day trip down to do some shopping and get a change of scenery, but so far the only scenery Diego had witnessed were the dressing rooms at the last two shops.

Diego took off his shirt and picked up the next one on the hook. He hadn't remembered taking this one, but pulled it on anyway. It was a short sleeved button down with a curly red pattern on it. When Diego stepped out this time, Sawyer was silent, mouth agape.

"Alert the press, Sawyer Hannigan is speechless," Diego joked anxiously. He'd never been fond of trying on clothes or having people judge him so this was like double the torture.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Diego, that's really nice on you," Sawyer stood and started closing the distance between them. Diego's breath caught and Sawyer smiled at him softly. Knowingly. He smoothed the fabric on Diego's shoulders and opened the top button. "Do you like it?" Sawyer asked, and with the way Sawyer was looking at him, Diego concluded that he did. He nodded. Sawyer grinned, "It feels okay? Not too big or small?"

"No, yeah, it feels good," Diego said.

"Good," Sawyer said, squeezing Diego's arms gently. Diego wouldn't describe himself as "touch starved," but he certainly didn't want Sawyer to stop holding him like this.

"Lets get out of here," Diego suggested quietly.

Sawyer rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless and nodded, "Sure. Go get changed." Diego did as he was told, and handed the shirt over the door to Sawyer at his prompting. They paid and left the store hand in hand.

It was warm outside, a promise that summer was on it's way. Diego had one hand in his pocket and the other in Sawyer's hand. Sawyer was holding their bags and talking animatedly about his favorite flowers. Diego interrupted him mid-sentence, "I love you."

Sawyer blinked and stared over at him, smile falling into place easily, "I love you too."

Diego nodded, "Okay, well good. Sorry, continue: 'Dahlias are wildly underappreciated.'"