Sky had a secret hobby that no one but family knew.

He loved clocks.

Their flawless bodies, carefully crafted hands, etched in numbers, simply devine. And Grandfather clocks? Oh he could just nerd away at it.

So when his husband Ian tried to throw away a small clock in their house, it just simply would not do.

"Sky, it's five minutes early all the time!"

"I like being early!"

"The batteries are dying, it'll get stuck soon!"

"Then it'll be right twice a day!"

Ian face-palmed and groaned as his hand rubbed down his face. "Sky, it's a clock."

"It's art!"

"It's been in our house for years!"

"For a good reason!"

"Why?! What's so important about it?!"

"You don't remember?!"

"No!"

Sky looked like he was ready to cry at those words. He snatched the clock from Ian and angrilly pointed at it's back. There was faint, smudged, silver marker writing that read, "Sky and Ian: Class of 1999- Screw this school!"

Ian's fury faded and was replaced with guilt as Sky's eyes watered and he retreated upstairs dropping the clock on the couch.

Ian groaned. "Point 1 Ian." He said sadly. Sky and him had gotten the clock on the last day of school that year. He looked at the stairs then at his computer and began ro get an idea.

~~~~

Sky was making dinner, still pretty pissed at Ian for the argument and the fact he left without saying a word. His face had finally lost the red glow and his eyes had returned back from their puffy state. He had cried for a while. It was stupid, the whole argument was, but it hurt nonetheless. It was decided. Ian would sleep on the couch tonight. Suddenly the door slammed open, startling him so much he dropped the spoon he was stiring with into the pot. He growled and turned off the stove and looked in shock as men he didn't know began hauling this giant box into his house. He saw Ian standing at thw door smugly as he told them where to put it.

Sky grew furious. What the heck was he doing?! He marched pver to Ian who just put a finger on his lips before he could say anything.

"Trust me." He said, kissing his forehead, making the younger male go silent. It was an angry silence, but a silence nonetheless.

The men placed the box in the set place and left after getting Ian to sign something. Sky sat on the couch, legs crossed and gus lips pursed in a thin lin of disapproval.

Ian smiled and opened the box, carefully removing the plastic that surrounded the mystery object. "Close your eyes, Sky." The male in question let out an irritated sigh and did as he was told.

He heard the plastic fall to the ground. "Open them up." He heard his husband say.

Sky did and all the anger and annoyance left his body as he looked up in wonder and awe.

There it stood. A beautiful grandfather clock. The handles were a thin iron with the numbers in a grand victorian font with all of them in roman numerals. Leaves and birds were engraved in it's thick dark oak walls with golden paint outling their frame. A glass door with yellow vines painted on its surface guarded the golden pendulum. It was beautiful. Sky was awestruck by it's grace.

Ian beamed. He held up his finger in a 'wait for it' motion, and opened the glass covering the hands. He took the minutehand and spun it so it reached 12:00. The clock rang out a deep bong and sounded throughout the small house. Oan placed it back on the proper time as the sound receded and stopped repeating. He sat down beside his lovely husband who stared at it with amazement like a child looking at an opened Christmas present.

"Do you like it?" Ian said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Sky let his head fall on his shoulder.

"Oh, Ian...It's perfect." He said quietly.

"Than can we please get rid of the old one? Or at least place it in the attic?"

Sky chuckled. "Of course. I'm sorry for getting so worked about it."

"I'm sorry for forgetting why it was so important." Ian said kissing his head.

They sat in a comfortable silence as snow began to fall outside. The clock ticked soundly, letting the universe know that each tick was another second of peace and love in the household.

~fin~