Chapter Text
“I got you something for our anniversary.”
Shane looks up from his book and smiles at his husband. Ilya is standing over him, next to the back of the couch, holding something behind his back so that Shane can’t see it.
“That’s in a week.”
“It’s an early present.”
Shane sets his book aside and waits to be presented whatever it is. Ilya shifts his arm back in front of him to reveal the gift.
Flowers. A bouquet of white and yellow flowers. It still surprises Shane, sometimes, that Ilya is such an old-school romantic. It’s sweet, but definitely not something he’d expected before they got together. He takes it with a smile.
“Aww, thank you. You’re so sweet–”
The smile falls. Shane recognizes these flowers: trillium, marigolds. They’ve haunted his thoughts for years. If Shane knows his husband, and he does, the only reason the damn thistle wasn’t included is that it was native to a different continent.
“Ha. Very funny.” Shane shoves the bouquet back at Ilya.
Ilya, being a good sport, takes it. “I love you very much,” he sing-songs, already trying to squirm back into Shane’s good graces.
“I know,” Shane says, and gestures vaguely at the flowers in Ilya’s hand.
“Are you not going to say it back?”
Shane looks up at him. Ilya’s downright pouting, his bottom lip stuck out like the stereotype of a toddler.
“I guess I have to, before you hack up a petal or something.” Shane grabs Ilya’s free arm and tugs him down, planting a kiss to the apple of his husband’s cheek.
“I love you too,” Shane murmurs. “Okay?”
Ilya appears nearly giddy, which seems unneeded when they’ve been together for years, but Shane doesn’t mention it. Honestly, Ilya made him feel the same way.
Later that night, when Shane’s locking up the house and tucking Anya in, he spots the bouquet in a vase on the dining room table. He rolls his eyes, but lets it stay, and he doesn’t even mention it when he crawls into bed and feels Ilya curl his body around him.