It rang, and it rang, and it rang some more. Marco had been listening to his cell phone ring for the last hour, but he was determined to not answer. He would let the caller be tortured. He would let the man be wonder what he was doing. He was mad. He was furious. He hated him! Yet even as Marco thought this, he knew that wasn't the reason. He let the phone ring because he knew that the moment he picked up the phone his anger would dissolve.

All Dylan would have to do was apologize and admit it was his fault and Marco would forgive him. That blond man had so much power over his boyfriend, but this time Marco wanted to stay angry at the older boy. What Dylan had done was humiliating, it just wasn't right and Marco was determined to hate him forever. What, exactly had Dylan done to make his boyfriend so upset? He had forgotten their anniversary.

This was, to the day, one year since they had begun dating. It was a Saturday and Dylan had come home for the weekend. Marco went to the Michalchuk's house to see him and give him his gift. When he got to the house he was excited to see his love's beloved car in the driveway. He hurried excitedly to the door and rang the bell. A sloppily dressed Dylan opened the door.

"Marco! Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked him while ushering him into the living room.

"Well," he said with a grin, "I just wanted to come by and see you on this momentous occasion."

Dylan gave the shorter boy a confused look, "Momentous?" he asked.

"Dyl," Marco started, "Do you not know what today is?"

"Um… no?" He responded nervously.

Marco just looked at him disgustedly. He had been looking forward to this and his beautiful blond was entirely clueless. "Really? Well, this is fantastic. Fine you don't remember. Oh well." He said becoming more sarcastic with his anger. He took a square box with a card attached out of his messenger bag, shoved it into his boyfriend's chest and said, "Here's your gift. Happy anniversary." With the last words he walked out of the room and out of the house.

Now here he was, an hour later, spending his anniversary alone, angry, hurt and sitting on his bed. Finally the ringing stopped and Marco breathed a sigh of relief. Now the constant guilt of not answering the phone could be replaced by the anger he urged himself to feel. The more he wanted to feel it though, the less he actually did.

Their first date had been disastrous, plus Dylan was busy and preoccupied. He was still adjusting to university and he had hockey all the time too. Marco thought more about the older boy. He had always been a little empty headed and forgetful. It was something Marco had always found endearing. Marco thought continued to think about it more and more. He had over reacted; he should have yelled at him a little and forgiven him, made it simple, but instead he stormed out without thinking. God, what a mistake!

With this sudden realization Marco jumped off his bed. He picked up his coat and hurried downstairs. Still slipping the sleeves onto his arms he threw the door open and stopped when he saw someone there. He looked into the guilty blue eyes with his own surprised brown ones, "Dylan? What are you doing here?"

"Well, uh," He said uneasily, "You left in such a hurry, then you wouldn't answer your phone, I just wanted the chance to apologize."

Marco stepped outside and closed the door. He nodded toward the porch swing. When they sat down he said, "Go on."

Dylan briefly looked away and then looked back, "Well, Marco, you know me. I can't remember a thing. I never could and I'll probably never be able to, but that doesn't mean I don't care."

Marco sighed, "I know Dylan. I just, I wasn't thinking about that when I left. I was upset. It felt almost like I wasn't important enough to remember."

Dylan scooted closer to the younger boy and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Baby, of course you're important enough. You are the most important thing in my life. I love you."

Marco's head snapped up at the words. Neither had ever said them to the other before. Dylan watched him expectantly. The natural response would have been to say the same words in return, but Marco needed to be sure that was how he felt. He quickly thought back on everything they had been through and done in the past year. Maybe he did love him. Otherwise, why would he have been so upset when Dylan forgot their anniversary? He went over every moment they had had together and paused on a smile Dylan had given him. It was completely innocuous, but it stuck out nonetheless.

At that moment it was clear. "I love you too Dylan." And neither had any doubt that it was true.

Marco wrapped his hands behind the blond's head and pulled him close for a kiss. They continued their passionate embrace for some time, but when they stopped Dylan remembered something, "You know, I still haven't opened that gift you gave me."

This news made the Italian boy very excited, "Really? Open it, open it, open it!"

Dylan laughed at Marco's child-like giddiness took out the box from a rather large coat pocket. He took off the wrapping paper and opened the box beneath it. He gasped when he saw the gift. It was a delicate small silver frame just right for a wallet sized picture. Inside the frame was an adorable picture of the couple. Dylan and Marco were both ice skating. The hockey player, being more accustomed to the ice, was leading his Italian boyfriend around the rink backward by holding tightly onto both of his hands. What wasn't pictured was the crowd of friends that had accompanied them, or moments later when both men had fallen onto the ice after one had lost his balance.

Dylan gasped at the sight because he had never known that such a picture existed. In addition he could almost see the connection buzzing between there fixed eyes as they stared at each other. It was absolutely amazing. Holding this wonderful gift in his hands Dylan felt the need to apologize again. The present made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world, however cliché that sounded. The blond once again pulled Marco into a loving kiss was reciprocated fully. When neither could go any longer without oxygen the broke apart and, between heavy breaths, Dylan said, "You and I are going out tonight. Wherever you want. It's all about you."

Marco chuckled at his eagerness, "Thank you, I'd like that." They smiled at each other and Dylan wrapped an arm around Marco. The younger boy leaned all his weight against him and they sat together watching the world go by. A few minutes later Marco found himself once again cursing a certain sound. His cell phone was ringing again, this time, though, he let it ring for a totally different reason.