“Sam,” Danny was suddenly at Samantha Spade’s desk, almost frantic, “What did you get Martin for Christmas?” Danny and Martin had been dating for two years now and Danny had found that Martin was a difficult person to buy for. Every year Martin would get him some extravagant gift and make Danny’s cheap present look like cr**. And every year Martin would smile and say it was okay, besides he “didn’t really want anything”.

“Why?”

“Because I keep asking him what he wants and he keeps saying that he doesn’t want anything.”

“Maybe he actually doesn’t want anything.”

“He’s lying. A few years back I asked him what he wanted and he said nothing, so I got him a new tie, just to say I did. And do you know what he got me?

Flashback time:


“You’ll never guess what I got you.” Martin smiled, way too happy for someone who woke up at five am and still hasn’t had any coffee.

“I though we weren’t getting each other anything?”

“No, I don’t like getting things, but I wanted to get you something.” He kissed Danny lightly before handing him a set a keys and smiling, “its outside!”

“Please don’t tell me you got me a car.”

“I didn’t.” Martin kept smile, “Come on.” he all but dragged Danny outside.

Danny’s jaw dropped when he saw it, “A motorcycle? You got me a motorcycle?”

“Yeah, it’s that one you wanted.”

“The one that you can only get is Australia?”

“The very same, I had it imported. And, I got you the helmet.”

“The one, that’s only sold in Brazil?”

“It’s the one you wanted right?” blue eyes bore into his sole, hearing the hesitation in his voice.

“You know you didn’t have to, right”

“I like to spoil you.” Martin said kissing him on the cheek.

Suddenly Danny felt as if the tie wasn’t good enough.

End of Flashback:



“Maybe he does like to spoil you.” Sam shrugged trying to end the conversation so she could get back to work.

“No he’s not. Every time he looks at me with these big expecting eyes, like he thinks I got him something equally as special.”

“Maybe he’s just watching for your reaction. He could just be sentimental like that.”

Danny just gave her a look, “That same year for my birthday he got me a car. Fresh off the lot,” he said though gritted teeth.

“Who needs a motorcycle and a car?”

“Exactly, and that’s not the worst part. For our anniversary he…”

Flashback Time:

“I love it.” Martin smiled up at Danny, who in an attempt to match what ever Martin threw at him this year, he got that two hundred dollar tie Martin wanted. Sure it was small but he recalled Martin saying something about really wanting it so he got it.

Danny smiled back, being able to tell that Martin was truly pleased with his gift.

“You’ll never guess what I got you.” Martin beamed.

“No, I can’t,” Danny said back praying that it wasn’t a boat, or something like that. He sighed in relief when Martin handed him a light weight envelope. That meant it was something small. However, when he opened it he almost fainted.

Recently Danny and Martin had been shopping around for houses. There was this one that Danny really liked but thought that it was way out of their price range. But, Martin being as rich as he was, decided to surprise him.

“You brought us a house!”

~.~.~.~.~


“A house?” Sam asked in disbelief, “The exact one that you wanted too?”

“Yes.”

“And you got him a tie?”

“I know.”

“If you know that he gets you big things and that you don’t like being out done, why don’t you get something that you think is of equal value.”

“I’m not made of money Sam.”

“Then what do you want me to tell you?”

“I just need an idea that can beat out what he got me last Christmas.”

Flashback time:


Martin smiled handing him an envelope, which Danny had learned from past experiences, can be dangerous. “What is it?”

“Open it and see.” Martin taunted, it was supposed to be playful but Danny could only hear malicious intent.

“Y-you,” Danny could only stutter as he looked at the content of the folder. “You bought a constellation of stars and named it after us?”

End flash back


“How am I supposed to beat that?”

“You know, there are a lot of people who would love to be dating someone like that. Why don’t you just sit back and enjoy it?” Sam raised a brow, “When me and Martin were dating during that quarter life crises of his when he was trying to prove to his dad that he was straight and could have kids, he never got me anything like that.”

“It’s not that simple. You know how now in days the bigger the gift the more it says you love someone?”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“If my gift is not of greater or equal value than if means I love him less.”

“I don’t think he thinks that.”

“You don’t get it.” he sighed. “I don’t want him to one day compare what I’ve gotten him to what he’s gotten me and think that I’m not putting my all into this relationship. Because I am and I plan on spending the rest of my life.”

“You should marry him then.” Sam rolled her eyes taking a sip of her coffee.

“I plan to,” Danny said causing Sam to almost spit out her drink and fall from her chair.

“Really, you are?”

“Yes, but after Christmas. And I spent so much on the ring…”

“You got him ring?”

“What else am I supposed to propose to him with? Like I was saying before, I have almost nothing left to get him anything for Christmas.”

“Why don’t you propose on Christmas? You’ll beat out what ever he got you and not have to worry about getting him anything else.”

“Because, I don’t want this to be about me competing with him,” he said.

“Then maybe just don’t get him anything this year. That’s what he’s been telling you to do right?”

“What if he doesn’t mean it and he does want me to get him something and I don’t?”

“Did you ask his dad if Martin’s serious about that?”

“Yes and we had a very uncomfortable talk.”

Flashback time

“Why did you want to talk to me again?” Victor, Martin’s dad, asked glaring at Danny as they as in his office.

“I wanted to know what you think would be a good idea to get Martin for Christmas.”

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“Every year he says he wants nothing and he means it. He’s just always been weird that way

Flashback inside of flashback time


Martin was five years old and finally old enough to understand the whole concept of Christmas, which Victor had just explained to him, “So people give gifts?”

“Yes.” Victor nodded.

“Can I give people thing too?” he asked beaming up at his father with blue eyes sparking in excitement at the thought of being able to give something instead of receive.

“Sure.” Victor shrugged, just a little freaked out by the boys enthusiasm

“This is the best holiday ever!”
End of Flashback in flash back. So were back to the first flashback


“Like I said, he’s just always been weird like that.” Victor said, “Take me advise, he’s happiest when you don’t get him anything.”

“But it makes me feel guilty.”

“It makes him happy. Do you have a problem doing something that makes him happy?” Victor asked, a serious look on his face, and Danny could sense that he said the wrong thing in front of the wrong person.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that.” Danny stuttered out, “You know what if getting him nothing makes him happy, I just won’t give him anything. Thank for the advice.”

End of Flashback


“And then I got out of there as fast as I could.” Danny finished his little story.

“Then don’t…”

“Or, I could take the money I would have spent on his present and give it to charity. Do you think he would like that?”

Sam opened her mouth to say something then closed it again. If she said yes then it would end the conversation and she could go back to her work, but if she had the slightest bit of doubt in her voice they would start all over again. “He’ll love it.” She beamed.

“You really think so?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks Sam,” Danny waved as he headed back to his desk not realizing that Sam let out a sigh of relief.