Prompt: candy corn

Word count: 1657 words

Author's Notes: Prompt for SAW 2016. Ian likes candy corn. I don't know if he does IRL, but in this FF he does. :P

The highway was long and broad, a big orange sun right in front of him. It felt like he was driving right into it. He was a few miles away from Los Angeles now. Not sure how many, though, he had been driving for around an hour now, so maybe 80 miles. He didn't care. He just wanted to get away, leave the city that actually had made him so happy during the last few months. But today… Today had been different.

"What is that?", Ian asked, walking into the kitchen.

"A gift.", Anthony responded, not getting up from his spot on the couch.

Ian went over to the red box standing on the kitchen counter. It was as tall as a small water bottle, so pretty average sized, it was red and a red shimmering bow was tied around it. Ian pulled at one of the two lose ends of the bow and then took off the lid. He chuckled when he saw the content of the box.

"Candy corn?"

Suddenly he felt arms wrapping around his waist. Anthony had tiptoed over to his boyfriend, now hugging him from behind and placing soft kisses on his neck.

"I know you love candy corn. And you're just as sweet." Another kiss, mixed with a little bit of sucking on Ian's skin, made Ian quiver with excitement.

"And that's why you give me a ton of it?", he laughed and turned around, his hands slinging around the taller man's neck. "Thanks. If I eat all of that, you have to roll me to the office next time." His lips touched Anthony's gently. "But honestly. Thank you. Nice gesture."

"That's not all that's in the box."

Ian gave him a confused look, glancing at the box over his shoulder.

"You mean, there is more candy corn under the candy corn?"

"No." Anthony snickered. "Here, give me your hand."

Anthony intertwined their hands and lead them inside of the box. Ian flinched when he felt something soft yet solid between all of the candy. His hand grabbed the cube shaped object and pulled it out. It turned out to be a small jewel casket, its surface made of red velvet. His mouth dropped open, his body temperature rose dangerously, and little drops of sweat were forming on his forehead.

"Well, open it." Anthony rested his chin on Ian's left shoulder watching his every move very closely.

Ian didn't want to open the small box. He knew exactly what was inside.

"Anthony…"

"Ian, I want you. Forever and always. Through the good, the bad and the ugly. I will always love. Will you..."

"Stop!"

Ian's sudden outcry made Anthony jump. He dropped the jewel casket into the big, candy corn filled box again. His whole body was tensed, he was slightly trembling now, tears beginning to force their way onto the surface.

"Ian… I don't understand..."

"We talked about this! Remember?", he shouted, still facing the box in front of him. He heard Anthony let out a sigh. He let go of Ian's waist, took a step back and dropped his hands to his side.

"Yes. I remember."

"Then why would you do this?" Tears of rage were streaming down Ian's face now. "Why would you still try and change me? After I told you I didn't want to get married! After I told you I didn't want us to go public! That I wanted my privacy!"

"Because I love you, Ian! I want us to live a normal life, together! I'm sick of the secrecy, sick of the walls you are building up around this relationship! Around us! I love you, Ian! And I want you! And I don't care what anybody thinks! I don't five a fuck!"

Anthony sounded pleading, desperate, not really angry. Ian shook his head slightly.

"But I do, Anthony! I care what they think! I'm not that naive and arrogant to think that everyone will accept us. I don't want them to know. I don't want anybody to know. Why can't you respect that? Why…?"

He stopped speaking for a moment. He needed an outlet for his anger, so he grabbed the next best thing in front of him, which happened to be Anthony's gift, and threw it against the kitchen wall. Candy spilled everywhere and covered the floor. The jewel casket flew to the ground, opened up and revealed a silver ring.

"Why would you try and ruin everything?"

Only now did Ian turn around to face a devastated and scared Anthony. And he instantly regretted everything he had said. He dropped his head, his body loosing its tension. He took a step forward, approaching Anthony, but he had backed away, hitting the kitchen counter. Anthony didn't look at him, he just stared to the ground, at the spilled candy and the ring. Ian stood there in silence, his heart beat fastening, feeling nausea coming up. So he turned around, away from Anthony, took his car keys and left the apartment without saying a single word.

He stopped at the side of the road and got out of the car. He tried to catch some fresh air but instead he couldn't breathe. He started to panic. He reached for his inhaler and a few deep breaths later he calmed down again. He leaned against his car, dropping to the ground, his knees pressing against his chest. He cried his heart out, tears uncontrollably covering his cheeks, no intention of ever stopping.

He put out his phone, staring at the screen until finally unlocking it, touching the contact button. Anthony's name popped up at once, it was the first name on the list. The only one that counted.

Ian: can I call u?

A few seconds later he actually got a response from Anthony.

Anthony: no

He burst into tears again, sobbing his heart out. Then his phone vibrated again.

Anthony: in my car

Anthony: where r u?

Ian: highway

Ian: around 80 miles from LA

Ian: stopped at the side of the road

Anthony: stay there

Anthony: coming for u

He kept looking at his phone screen in disbelief. Anthony was coming to get him. How was that possible? After he had said such terrible things? Of course he loved Anthony. With all his heart. To death. He would do anything for him. He just… He got scared. As it had happened so often during their relationship. It had been Anthony who had asked him out the first time. Who had made the first step. Who had initiated their first kiss. Anthony always wanted to stay close to him, to touch him slightly when they were working or sitting next to each other. Anthony would hold his hand when he knew they were alone, squeezing it from time to time. It had been Anthony who had invited Ian over to his apartment. He had shown him what it meant to be loved and adored.

He had loved it. Their secret moments alone together. Now that he was about to lose everything, he realized how much he really wanted to be with Anthony. To stay at his side. And suddenly he didn't care about what other people would think about them. The only thing that was important was what Ian felt for Anthony. Their love counted more than anything else in the world. And without Anthony he just felt hollow. Something was missing. Anthony's love was missing.

He looked up when he heard a car approaching. Tires screeching. The car came to a halt behind his own car. A door opened and someone stepped out.

"Ian?"

He stood up so that Anthony could see him.

"Anthony..." He barely could speak out the name of the other man when again he broke down into sobs. He didn't know he had so many tears left inside his body.

Anthony walked over to him quickly and embraced him tightly.

"Why did you leave?"

"Because…I… you looked so… I was so…" Ian couldn't form a single coherent sentence.

"Calm down. It's okay."

Anthony's soothing voice worked somehow and Ian began taking regular, slow breaths again. He looked up at Anthony and kissed him gently.

"I'm so sorry, Anthony… for the horrible things I said… I'm a coward..."

"No, listen. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pressured you into something you clearly don't want. I'm just so in love with you, Ian. I know I'm being selfish when I say this, but I really want us to be together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I really don't care about anybody else. You alone count. You matter."

Anthony's eyes filled with tears which he wiped away hastily. Ian cupped his face and kissed him again. Anthony leaned into the kiss, clinging to Ian, digging his hands into the back of the brown haired man.

"I'm sorry for running away like this.", Ian mumbled into Anthony's shirt.

"Don't ever do that again. I was really worried about you."

Anthony hugged him even tighter now as if scared that Ian might just vanish into thin air.

"I know. I won't do that again."

Anthony broke the embrace and gazed into Ian's blue eyes. The sun had colored the entire scene in orange and red, making Ian's face glow golden. It made him look even more beautiful, majestic even.

"Anthony?"

"Yes?"

"Ask me again."

Anthony smiled. He went down on one knee, looking up at Ian now.

"I want you forever. Forever and always. Through the good, the bad and the ugly. I'll always love you. Ian, will you marry me?"

Anthony reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the silver ring. Ian smiled and said yes. And this time there was no rage. No frustration. No tears. No fear of what was to come. No screaming. No throwing candy corn against a wall. There was pure bliss and happiness.

Forever and always.

I don't know shit about proposals. So, obviously Anthony's lines were stolen from "Forever and Always" by Parachute. :P