Cherish

David yawned, rolled over, and scrubbed at his eyes. Sitting up his yawn was cut short, and in wonder his widened blue eyes passed over the room. Every surface that could hold an array of colorful blooms did. Vases overflowed with sweetly scented buds and wide opened flowers. Yellow, red, pink, white, lavender, purple, orange, etc… Rising off the bed David took a step and saw rose petals strewn all over the floor.

“Oh my God!” he breathed. Blinking and giving his head a shake he wondered if he was still asleep? Hurrying from the room he saw Karl was nowhere in sight. Disappointed he returned to his room and went from vase to vase to sniff at the bouquets. Turning he noticed now the one red rose on the pillow next to the one he’d slept on, and a note beneath the flower.

Ht ont on the bed and picked up bloom and note.

‘I hate having to leave you, but I have to go to work. I kept one rose for myself so I can think of you when I look at it. Though, to tell the truth I don’t need any help in thinking of you. You’re never far from my thoughts. I may be late tonight, and if I am I’ll call. Have a good day. Love, Karl.’

Falling back on the bed David looked over at the many bouquets once more. The thought and time it must have taken to set this up without waking him… He wanted to do something for Karl. Something like this. Something… to tell him how much David appreciated his kindness and caring.

Leaping up he dressed quickly and left the hotel. What would Karl appreciate? What did he enjoy? The only way he’d find something was to just hit the shops and look. Sometimes you found wonderful little treasures that way.


“Did you fuck him yet?”

Karl was startled by the familiar voice as he headed to work. “I haven’t fucked him,” he told Viggo who had fallen into step beside him.

“Oh, come on, Karl. You gonna tell me you don’t want to?”

Now Karl stopped. “I don’t. What I want is to make love to David. There’s a difference. Maybe if you paid attention you’d know that.”

Viggo’s lips pursed, and his jaw tightened. “So have you made love to him yet?”

“No.”

They were walking again, and Viggo kept pace. “Why not?”

“Because he’s not mine,” Karl stated.

Viggo grabbed his arm, and they both halted once more. “Don’t forget that. He’s not yours, he’s mine, and I don’t appreciate you showing up and making moves on him.”

“Are you worried he’ll leave you for me?” the tall Kiwi shot back. “You have to be or else you wouldn’t be threatening me in public.”

“I’m not threatening, I’m telling. If you want threats I can go that way,” the voice was soft, but there was no doubt as to the anger he felt. People gave them a wide berth when going by.

They stood nearly nose-to-nose they were so close. Karl’s eyes were narrowed, and his lips pulled back to bare his teeth. “I’m not the one you have to worry about, Viggo. If David leaves you it’s your own fucking fault. Why? You don’t appreciate him. He wants more than to just be the one you fuck. He wants love.”

“He doesn’t. He told me he’s happy with what we have. He knows I don’t want commitments, and I don’t want love. If it bothered him he’d have left long ago.”

“You’re so bloody delusional, mate. He told you he loved you, and when you bitched at him he said he lied. Well, surprise, he lied. I’m sad to say he still loves you, and it’s killing him. You’re killing him. And if I can give him what you can’t I will, and I’ll go out of my way to make him happy.”

“You cocksucker,” raged Viggo, shoving Karl away.

Karl smiled, and shrugged. “You should know, mate. I sucked yours once, didn’t I?” He turned and walked away.

Viggo ran both hands over his face, turned the opposite way, and marched down the street. There was no way he was going to let Karl take David away.