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Markus found human holidays endlessly absolutely fascinating. There were so many, split into categories by culture and subculture, celebrated differently wherever one looked. Carl had never been particularly interested in many of them, but he tried, even just for Leo's sake. With millennia to develop traditions, humans were infinitely diverse.
Androids, having twenty years of total existence if one was being generous, only a year of which had been spent as a free species with acknowledged sentience, had none of that. Many latched onto certain human traditions from their previous owners or that they had found while researching. Some chose to forgo them altogether in favor of norms unique to androids, only choosing to celebrate Liberation Day.
Markus fell in the middle, mixing the two as he pleased. He celebrated human holidays with his dad and brother, but followed android traditions other times to help encourage others to do so as well.
Relationship anniversaries did not fall into either category very well. Human customs were confusing, and even after a little over a year since the revolution, there weren’t many android customs, meaning Markus had exactly zero idea what he was doing.
“Something for his desk?”
“He has a total of two non-work things and that’s because Hank made him do it.”
“Fidget toy?”
“Last time I offered to buy one he said he already had two and didn’t understand wanting another.”
“A shirt with a dog on it?”
“Have you ever seen him wearing anything besides a button up and that sweater you forced onto him?”
North groaned dramatically, leaning back in seat at Josh’s desk. “Just buy him something, Markus!”
Josh stepped into their shared office with a frighteningly large stack of paper. “Are you still trying to pick out a gift for Connor? It’s an anniversary gift, it should not be this complicated.”
“You’re not the one getting him the gift,” Markus shot back. “I just - what do you give to someone who answers someone asking what he wants with my needs are already being filled but thanks anyway? ”
Josh nudged North away from the desk and set the papers down. “He likes plants, right? Just get him flowers or something he can take care of.”
Oh. That was brilliant, and made... so, so much more sense than anything Markus had been able to come up with.
“You’re a genius . Josh is my new favorite.”
North snorted. “Rude. Go get your bouquet then, dork.”
And so, the moment they were done with the disgusting amount of paperwork the government shoved at them every second of the day, Markus found a flower shop that seemed well-recommended, and set off.
After a year of dating Connor, it really should not have been so difficult to pick out something to buy him. They were both figuring out their likes and dislikes but they had made a lot of progress. The problem was that most of the things Connor liked were not things Markus could buy. Connor liked dogs, fish, his job as a detective, and the cactus on his desk he swore Hank made him keep there, that he meticulously cared for and talked about every moment he could. He had a list of things he liked and didn’t like that he updated often.
Markus was on that list too, which definitely didn’t make Markus want to combust or just start screaming about how much he loved his boyfriend.
Markus Manfred, you useless bisexual, focus!
He scanned the different arrangements. Connor would like at least one of them. Statistically speaking he had to. That didn’t make it any easier to find the perfect one, but he just wouldn’t give up until he did. If this shop didn’t have something, he could go somewhere else...
Then he saw it. A very fluffy stuffed dog with coloring similar to Sumo’s sat on one of the shelves. It was posed sitting up with the front legs at its side like a teddy bear, with little collar. It was perfect. How could he put the flowers with it though?
“Sir, do you need any help?”
He jumped and whipped his head around to face what his processors determined as a threat, and then deleted his systems’ responses. It was just one of the staff, a young woman with bright lavender hair and a neon pink apron.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she babbled, holding her hands up.
He gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, I was just... focused.”
“Do you need help picking something out?” she repeated.
“Sort of?” He moved forward to pick up the dog, holding it up to show her. “I came here to get my boyfriend flowers, and I found this, so now I’m just trying to figure out what flowers to get.”
She lit up. “I could make a tiny bouquet to tie to the paws so it looks like it’s holding them, maybe?”
“That would be perfect, thank you!”
“Great! Do you have a price limit?”
“No, just, as many as you can fit.”
“When is it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Tomorrow? I wanted to make sure the flowers would still look good.”
“Alright, no problem! Luckily I’m free this afternoon, so I can start it now!”
She held her hands out and he handed over the dog so she could take it back to the counter. Markus moved to the side, shuffling awkwardly in place and tugging at the beanie he stole from Connor to keep a low profile.
“So, what’s the special occasion?” she asked casually as she picked up a group of small roses in different colors.
“First anniversary. He likes plants, and dogs, so...”
“Oh, that’s sweet! These roses should last a couple of weeks if he takes care of them.”
He had forgotten about that. The whole point of the flowers had been so they would last, and Connor could take care of them, not just to look pretty for a few days. “Do you have anything he could plant to last longer?”
“Sure - we have a few potted plants over on those shelves, why don’t you look through them while I work on this?”
“Thanks.”
He wandered over to scan the shelves again, simultaneously searching and profiling each flower. How much sun they needed, water and nutrient needs, how much space it took up, the meaning behind them. They were all pretty, and fit his honestly loose criteria, but one of them stood out.
I hope he likes them...
Connor’s gift to Markus was to use one of his personal days. Connor never used them unless practically forced to, and since it was one of the few days Markus had to himself, he insisted. Meaning Markus could wake up from stasis on the morning of their first anniversary to Connor’s arms still around him lying close enough that Markus could feel the pulses of his thirium pump. Neither of them had to leave early for their duties, or get out of bed while the other was still sleeping to start work before even leaving, or anything. It was just them.
“Good morning,” Connor mumbled into his shoulder.
Markus twisted away just enough to roll over with a warm smile. “Morning. Ready for your present?”
Connor hummed, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. “Being with you is my present. You didn’t need to get me anything.”
Markus was going to die, his boyfriend was so cute. Moments like these were the real reason to have a perfect recorded memory he could replay whenever he wanted.
“Well, I did anyway,” he teased. “Come on.”
It took a while - Connor took after his father-figure far more than either would admit if pressed - but Markus finally got him out of the bed and into the main lounge area of his apartment. He had waited for Connor to go into stasis the night before to set up the gifts on their coffee table. Markus walked backwards and pulled Connor along until they reached the entrance, where he let go and moved to the side.
Connor let out a tiny gasp. “Markus, is that-?”
“I hope you like it,” Markus said, his hands fidgeting in front of him.
“I love it! ” Connor stepped forward to pick up the stuffed dog, which held a bouquet of a dozen of the smallest roses he had ever seen.
Markus smiled again, the anxiety releasing his thirium pump. “He already had a collar so I got him a tag, he looks like Sumo, so I thought...”
Connor lifted the tag. Sumo Junior. “Oh, I love him.”
Then he turned towards the planter. It was still in the plastic container from the store so it could be easily transferred, but even so early in the spring it had already bloomed.
“Bleeding hearts,” Connor murmured. “Pink, which typically implies steady, romantic love... Oh, Markus, I love it.”
Connor set Sumo Junior back down to turn back around and throw his arms around Markus’ neck and burrow his face in Markus’ shoulder.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
Markus hugged back with a grin. “I’m glad you like them. Come on, let’s get some water for the roses so we can go back to doing nothing all day.”
“That sounds perfect.”