Ivan Hart and Darren Larson are about to celebrate their ninth anniversary. Unfortunately, Darren happens to be busy that day. Following Darren’s suggestion, Ivan decides to take a trip down memory lane, visiting some of the places where the two of them have celebrated their previous anniversaries. Then he finds the perfect anniversary gift for Darren.<br><br>Darren isn’t really busy with work. He’s actually planning an anniversary surprise for Ivan, but he doesn’t want his boyfriend to know about it until the right moment. He enlists the assistance of family and friends, who know of his huge plan except for one little detail. Darren is determined to keep that a secret, but he doesn’t count on Ivan’s unexpected surprise.<br><br>What happens when Ivan and Darren eventually unveil their surprises for each other?

The Ninth Hour

Ivan shook his head. He needed to work things out inside his head. Darren probably wanted to bring him to Disneyland again, but he dismissed the idea almost immediately. His boyfriend would never repeat an anniversary gift, especially if it was meant to be a surprise. He was certain there would be one. The two of them knew each other in and out. Since he knew Darren really well after nine years of dating, he had no doubt the gift for this year would be different from all the previous years. He darted his eyes back and forth between Thomas and Jeremiah before expelling the breath he had been holding back for quite a few seconds now.


“Nothing,” Ivan eventually replied to Jeremiah’s question before checking the time on his smartphone. “Hey, it’s almost six o’clock now. I have to go home and prepare for my evening with Darren. Do you guys need me to give you a ride anywhere?”


Chapter 13