Sorry folks, this one was posted in the wrong place the first time!

Day 22: In battle, side by side

"You want…that much?" John asked, staring at the cell-o in front of him. Dorian was looking too, his eyes shiny.

"These are real flowers, gentleman," the florist sniffed arrogantly, "If you want something cheaper, go somewhere and get some organic printer flowers. They will smell wrong, and look wrong, but they'll be cheaper."

"Deal," John said, all too happy to get the hell up and get out of there.

Dorian put a hand on the waist of John's pants and yanked his ass back down in the seat. John have him a furious look once he was seated again.

"C'mon, John, this is important!" Dorian grumbled. "You promised!"

The smarmy, satisfied look on the florist's face made John want to rearrange his teeth for him. Instead, he felt Dorian's grip on his back and relaxed a little. Forcing himself to smile-though it came out like a sneer. "Surely, we can negotiate."

The florist sighed testily. John gestured to the quote he'd been given, "This is more than half the budget for the whole wedding. We can't spend half our money on dying flowers."

"You will look back on this day forever and you'll remember those flowers for the rest of your lives-"

John held up a hand, "Save it buddy."

"Please," Dorian added politely, quietly. John shifted his eyes toward the DRN and sucked his teeth. He wasn't sure who the please was meant for, or in what context, but it tugged at his heart.

"Here's our counter offer," John punched in a few numbers into the Cell-o screen and slid it back over to the man who purpled.

John waited a few seconds then stood up again. "Come on, Dee, honey, organic-printed flowers always have more vibrant colors, anyhow."

Dorian puffed out his bottom lip but stood. John called him 'honey' and he couldn't ever argue when the terms of endearment came out.

They gripped hands and headed for the exit.

"Wait," the man called, "Fine. Fine. You have a deal."

They made arrangements then headed for the car. In the dirt parking lot, silos and water towers littering the agro district's landscape, Dorian pushed John against the cruiser and bumped his pelvis into the taller man. He laughed into John's mouth, then pulled back and asked, "How did you do that?"

John shrugged like it was nothing but his smile betrayed his pride. He had been really regretting agreeing to plan this wedding with Dorian. However, he had to monitor his money and ensure that Dorian wasn't going overboard or getting jerked around.

Dorian let him up with a final nip and they both got into the cruiser.

"What next?" John asked, scratching flowers off the list of tasks on his phone.

"Cake," Dorian said, with a serious nod of the head, eyes narrowed and ready.

"Let's fucking do this," John said, gunning it out of the parking lot, leaving a cloud of brown dust in their wake. This was war.