| strawberry wine |

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    ”The ducklings are the best part about coming to my office”, Raelen said. He glanced out of the window again to where the fluffy ducks were in the pond, their protective mother sitting just at the edge. “I won’t fight you. Who would turn down a free meal?”, the doctor added with a grin. He watched Jake take a seat before adjusting himself on the corner of his desk. It wasn’t comfortable; his chair would have been better. Raelen was looking at the picture again when he caught Jake’s question. “He’s doing good. He doesn’t ask where mommy is anymore which i’m glad about.” It had been a constant reminder and Raelen was thrilled- as had as it may have seemed- that she was forgotten. “But he’s great. Growing everyday. He looks just like me. You know I adopted Alex too, my patient i’ve taken care of for years.” Most people knew but a lot of them didn’t know why, aside from Emily and the who worked close with him. Raelen didn’t feel the need to explain himself. “What about you? Got a special friend yet?” Raelen tried to keep it casual but he couldn’t help but ask, especially after Alex said he had caught him looking at him several times. “Why don’t we order some kind of mexican food? I’m thinking salsa?”


    “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you to stay.” Collin knew he had apologized once already but he couldn’t help it; he still felt bad about what he had done. “A tired baby? Maybe you should have stayed away so I could spend the rest of the weekend holding the tired baby.” He smiled and nudged Alex again, gently pushing his finger into his rib cage. Alex still felt so small. Collin kissed the side of his head when he leaned against him. “Why don’t you take a shower? I’ll pull the blankets back, roll them down the way you like and we can relax in bed for awhile. Grandpa had a VCR hooked up down there and they have a lot of older movies.” It still felt too early to sleep- though he was exhausted- and Collin did want to wish his grandparents goodnight but he knew they were still cleaning the kitchen. Then they would get ready for bed. “I didn’t. I just kept that side out from under the water the best I could. But i think I know jay place he took you too, I just can’t remember the name.” Collin was surprised at the request to stay at Raelens. He didn’t know why but he felt he would have waited longer to invite him over. Then again, he is my father in law. “Sure, i’d love to stay there with you. If it’s warm enough I can try to teach you. I’ll have to stay in the shallow end though, you know. Can’t get this shoulder wet yet.”


    Jake kept a smile on his lips as he listened to his words about the ducklings. “That, of course, and to see you. You really are a wonderful man Raelen.” He wanted to test the waters a little bit before he began to flirt freely with him. He didn’t even know if the other male was attracted to men like he was. He didn’t want to rush things too much or to offend the other male any. He really enjoyed his company and his friendship. He let out a soft laugh when he heard his comment. “I knew that you wouldn’t be able to say no.” He commented in a teasing tone. He fell silent as he listened to the other male talked more on Tommy. He had always been fond of his son. He was such a sweet little bit. “That’s good. I know the divorce was really hard for you. I’m just glad that Tommy is doing well. Thankfully he is too young to ask too many questions about it.” He admitted. He nodded his head quickly when he mentioned Alexander. “That I did hear. That is a wonderful thing of you to do.” He added in a gentle tone. His gaze had softened as he watched him. “I am not dating anyone right now. I am looking though. As for Mexican food, that sounds great to me.”


    Alexander quickly shook his head at his words. He didn’t want for the other male to feel terrible about things like that. “It is okay. We both were upset, but he are over it now. We are both going to move on and be happy again. Besides, we couldn’t be upset at each other for long anyways.” He pointed out with a laugh. He laughed again at his next comment. “I don’t think that you would’ve wanted to deal with me like that. I am sure I would’ve been a huge crybaby.” He spoke truthfully. He squirmed whenever his finger was touched. He let out a soft sound too. It was a bit ticklish, but he didn’t mind it. He closed his eyes for a few moments then before opening them at his words. “Okay, I will. I will help you wrap your shoulder when you take another shower.” He pressed another kiss to his cheek. He moved to grab his clothes and his toiletries. A big smile came to his face when he agreed to go with him. “Yay! I love you baby!” He exclaimed. He moved to the bathroom then. His shower was much quicker than normal. He soon returned back to the bedroom in comfortable clothes.

    Raelen couldn’t keep off the nervous laugh that came from him. It reminded him of the way Collin had laughed when he had first come around with Alex. He could feel his cheeks heat up- again Raelen was thankful that he had an olive complexion that hid all shades of red and pink. “I’m just a doctor...”, he finally chuckled. Raelen raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. He put the picture of his son down before glancing back to where Jake was looking at him. Or gazing. Raelen wasn’t sure which. “The picking pool is slim”, he added and shook his head. “Ive been divorced for what, three or four years? The only thing touching me is the towel when I dry myself off after a shower.” It wasn’t the most appropriate thing to say but who would run back and tell on a doctor? Besides, Raelen knew no one was listening in. He pulled his phone out when Jake agreed to the food and held it out to him. “The best one in town is saved into my contacts. Tommy loves the rice so it’s easier than searching the number up online.” Raelen didn’t know why but he felt it necessary to explain why a mexican restaurants number was saved into his phone.


    “Thats true”, Collin agreed with a. smile. “Weve never been angry or upset with each other for longer than a day, if even that. I guess that’s good.” He had proven that. Collin had been rushed to the emergency room less than six hours before and already Alex was back by his side. Neither of them could be upset for long. Collin watched Alex go with a smirk, shaking his head at the squeak he let go. He loved the fact that Alex could still act like a kid- Collin had once feared he wouldn’t become one of those sullen, cold people who hated life but that had quickly been squashed. Collin listened for the bathroom door to close before he moved to the big bed. It was a queen with the hotel quality sheets that he had always loved. There were six pillows; three on each side with a couple throw pillows. Tossing the throw pillows aside- and making himself smile at the irony- Collin took all but two of the big feather pillows and laid them in a pile on the floor. With those out of the way, he tugged the blankets and sheets down as one piece then folded them over, smoothing the curve with his hand as he did. He fixed the tv channel to pair with the VCR and drug out the box that had all of the cassette tapes in them. Collin was sitting on the edge of the bed when Alex came back.


    The laugh that left the other male brought a smile to Jake’s lips. Raelen was just so cute and handsome. His personality was everything that he had been looking for. He knew to not look too excited to start speaking with him like this. He didn’t want to chase the other male away. But it seemed as though the other male reflected the feelings he was feeling himself for him. “I can promise you that you are so much more than a doctor.” He confessed. He left it at that though. The interpretation would be completely up to the other male. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of the towel. He could picture it quite clearly in his head. He shifted a little in his seat. The image really hit him in a good way. “Now that is a nice picture.” His tone dropped to be a little more seductive than what he normally would let on. He licked his lips as well. A smile was on his face then. “That sounds great,” He paused to clear his throat a little,” While it is nice to have a lunch with you, I do want to do something more. Are you free tomorrow night? I would love for you to come over. I could cook and we could just relax some.” He offered.


    Alexander nodded his head in agreement with his words. It was one of the wonderful things about the two of them being together. They really did seem like the perfect match. He wouldn’t trade his relationship with the other male for the world. Collin understood and appreciated him in a way that no one else did. He placed a quick kiss on his lips before he had rushed off to shower. He returned in clean clothes. He was wearing one of Collin’s shirts and just a pair of boxers. The two might end up getting some sleep soon as well so there wasn’t any harm in him dressing like this. He could throw on some shorts if his husband’s grandparents needed them. He smiled gently at him as he came over to the bed. He took a seat beside him. “Ready to cuddle and watch some movies? I could use a huge Collin hug right now.” He spoke gently. He looked up at him with an affectionate gaze. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

    JAKE AINT PLAYING NO GAMES


    I LOVE IT



    Raelen only rolled his eyes playfully at Jake’s comment. He turned, biting his lip when his back was to the other doctor. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Raelen busied himself nudging things around on his desk and straightening up a few files and papers before he turned back around. He didn’t know what he had expected when bringing Jake to his office but it certainly hadn’t been the second comment that left his lips. Unable to hide the surprised delight on his face, Raelen turned back with a grin. “One i’m sure you would love to see, yeah...”, he muttered. Against better judgment, Raelen stepped forwards to Jake, leaning over his shoulder to retrieve something from the shelf behind him. He was close enough to catch a whiff of the cologne Jake wore. “Just say the word”, Raelen added in a low tone. In his hand he held a paperweight. He sat it on top of the papers he had adjusted and carried on as if nothing had happened. “A big fancy doctor like you knows how to cook? Albeit. Id love to come over.” Raelen knew his sitter for Tommy- a sweet but sharp elderly woman- would delighted to watch him through the evening.


    “Well look at you.” Collin put an arm around Alex as he sat next to him. The look on his face made his smile and he couldn’t help but kiss him then. “Wearing my boxers. I like it.” Pulling back, he gestured to the box of movies in the floor. “Pick a movie and you can have all of me that you want. I’m going to tell grandma and grandpa goodnight. I’ll send them your love so you don’t have to put pants on.” Grinning, Collin left the room and went down the hall. The kitchen lights were off and he could see the pink glow of the nightlight from his little sisters room. In the bed too. He went down to his grand parents room and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Collin slipped quietly into his grandfathers office to find him with his nose in a book. “Grandpa? Alex and I are gonna watch some movies before we head to bed. I went to your room but no one answered.” Jeff looked up and smiled. “Your grandma headed to bed. I’ll be following soon i just wanted to put away a few chapters.” He closed it and stood to give Collin a quick hug. “If either of you need anything, come get me.” Nodding, Collin said. a quick i love him before hurrying back to Alex. “You find a movie yet?”, Collin asked when he shut their door.


    JAKE WANTS THAT BOOTY))


    Jake’s gaze never left the other doctor that stood in front of him. With the way that Raelen was beginning to act, it was opening up a lot of avenues for him to explore. He was going to test the waters that were given for him and he was very excited to see just how far Raelen was wanting to go. The way the other male turned and reorganized things on his desk that were completely unnecessary just showed him everything that he needed to know. He grinned back at him, though it was borderline a smirk. “I would. You are a very attractive and smart man Raelen. We have been working together for years now. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have a crush on you.” He didn’t care if the cameras caught them doing certain things in his office. He was more than willing to get a slap on the wrist for that. When he walked closer and leaned over him, he rested a hand on his waist. He squeezed lightly before Raelen pulled away. “I’ll give you my address. We can have dinner and maybe watch a movie. Maybe I can see a bit more of what we were talking about. It would be a shame to have the towel continue to be the only thing touching there.” His grin had faded to a smirk then.


    Alexander was smiling brightly at his husband as he sat beside him. He immediately moved to lean into him as well. “Yours are very comfortable. Besides, we share everything and are in everything so it isn’t like it is dirty.” He doubted his joke would make full sense, but it made a light laugh leave his own lips. He tilted his head a pressed a quick kiss to his jawline. “That sounds like a good idea. I love when I don’t have to wear pants.” He teased a little more. He watched as he walked from the room before he stood. He moved to carefully kneel by the boxes. It seemed as though they had plenty of different ones for them to choose. He knew Collin well enough that he would want to watch a horror movie. He chose one that he assumed he would like for their first movie before he chose a Disney movie as their second. He moved to put it into the player. He then sat back on his side of the bed. He placed the portable oxygen machine to the side as he waited for Collin to return. He smiled at him as he did. “Yeah, I chose some horror movie. I figure we will watch that since you love them first and then we can watch a Disney movie afterwards.” He offered.

    YES


    “Grown men don’t have crushes. Either you want me or you don’t.” Raelen glanced down at the hand that touched his waist for those few seconds. He’s got a grip... “Now do you want me or do you?”, he smirked back. The easiest way to hide his anxiety was to roll with what was happening. It was easy. Raelen’s hand moved, hovering over Jake’s but he dropped it when he pulled away. “We’ve worked together for years. What took you so long.” Back at his desk, he took a seat on the corner. From where he was, he could barely see one of the cameras nestled into the top corner where two walls met. If anything, it could see as far in as his doorway. But what was the harm in two doctors fraternizing in an office? Raelen’s face flushed at the last comment and he couldn’t help but laugh; he couldn’t play that one off. “You get right to the point, don’t you? Unfortunately, i’m not the hit-it-and-quit-it type of guy but dinner and a movie sound great.” Standing from the desk again, Raelen grabbed his phone moved from the opening of his doorway to where Jake sat, partially blocked by the wall. “Come on. Let’s get lunch before we get carried away...” He opened Jake’s hand and dropped the phone, brushing the tips of his fingers across his arm.


    “I love it even more when you don’t wear pants.” Collin laughed a little, watching as Alex moved to dig through the box of movies. He didn’t give any input on what to pick, it was up to Alex. While he did that, Collin adjusted the blankets again. When the movie was beginning to play, he dropped to his knees on the bed and leaned up, taking the beaded pull cord and tugging it until the lights above went on. The fan was still on, of course. Collin nudged Alex when he sat on the side. “We have a whole bed, come here.” He pushed the rolled comforter down some and opened his arms for Alex to come into. It would have felt weird if they weren’t right up against each other. Collin was quiet until he moved. “This is much better than the hospital, don’t you think? It’s peaceful, I can hear the crickets from outside.” It was a sound he didn’t realize he kissed; Collin wasn’t able to hear it from inside of the hospital.


    Jake raised an eyebrows as he heard his words. “Well aren’t you getting a bit cocky now?” He asked in a teasing tone. He was sure that the other male understood what he meant. While he was being quite flirtatious, he really was such a sweetheart when it came to relationships. He would do everything in his power to allow the two of them to have a wonderful relationship together. He would never want to hurt the other male. “Oh trust me, I do want you. I have wanted you for a while now. I was surprised you came to ask me to lunch though. I hadn’t expected for you to. I never knew you even thought of me like that.” He confessed. It answered the other male’s question as to why he waited so long. “But trust me, I am more than ready for this now. Besides, it took you a while to get over your ex wife. I guess that this is now my chance.” He admitted. It was very easy to see just how he felt about the other doctor. “I’m not that type of guy either. While I wouldn’t mind a nice screw, I want to build something with you. I really do think so highly of you.” He murmured. When the other male dropped the phone in his hand, he grabbed his hand. He let go and then grabbed his shirt carefully. He pulled him down so that he could be face-to-face with him. “Getting too carried away isn’t that bad. I’ve waited a while for a chance with you.” He whispered. He glanced down to his lips. He was sure that they could find a closet that was empty if they really wanted to.


    Alexander let out a gentle laugh at his words. “You just like my butt. My birthday is perfect for you. Also you can make out bits of my, y’know.” He signaled to his crotch area as he spoke. He normally would’ve blushed, but the two of them had been together long enough for it to not bother him. He looked back to him after he put the movie on. He knew that the two could just cuddle and he would be able to handle the movie that way. He grinned over at him and immediately moved to cuddle into him like normal. He rested his head carefully on his good shoulder. He rested an arm over his stomach. “This is so much nicer than being in the hospital. I can’t wait for us to finally get to the apartment. We should talk to dad and ask him when we might be able to get out. I’m doing a lot better and so are you.” He spoke quietly. He didn’t want to talk through the movie too much. He was sure Collin would want to watch it.

    GONNA SHUT THE OFFICE DOOR AND LOCK IT NOW - it CANT wait until they have dinner tomorrow XD


    “It wasn’t me trying to get over her...” The smile slipped from his face for a moment but Collin quickly shoved the thought aside. It was a conversation for another day. Raelen cleared his throat. “I suppose it is your turn but i’ll tell you now, I can’t be won over that easily.” Even as he said, he chuckled softly and glanced away. “A nice screw? That’s something I wouldn’t mind though, you’ll have to be gentle. I’ve never been with a... you know.” Raelen looked back, nervous as he said it. There was no need to finish the sentence. When Jake grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him down, pulling the neckline tight against the back of his neck, he had made it clear what he wanted. What they both wanted. Raelen gazed at Jake. He was terribly handsome, his lips supple, soft looking. “Hold on.” Pulling from the gentle grip, Raelen moved across the room and closed his office door, taking a quick peak outside. There was no one. He locked the golden lock and came back to Jake. “Now, what were you saying...”, Raelen mumbled, his words muffled when he kissed the other man.


    “I do like your butt.” Collin raised a brow when Alex straightened your. He barely saw the curve under the fabric before Alex sat down. “Oh I can see that too.” He smiled and let his gaze find the front of the boxers. The first time he had done that- before Alex had had his way with him the first time- he had blushed horribly and looked away. Now Collin met Alex’s gaze. “I think you’re parading around in my boxers just so i’ll see it. That’s what I think.” Collin pulled the blankets over Alex, covering his legs up to his waist before putting an arm around him. He had thought to take his shirt off, it was a little uncomfortable against the bandage on his shoulder but Collin could bare it until they changed the movie. “We will. As soon as we’re back. I put the deposit down already and i’ve explained our situation to them. All I have to do is give them a call when we’re ready. They said they would have it cleaned really good before we come”, he went on quietly as the movie began. “We’ll talk to him tomorrow. Or when we stay with him.” Collin kissed the top of his head and fell silent.


    YES YES YES))


    Jake watched the change in expression. He could tell just how hard this had been for him. He had never gone through a marriage and divorce before so he wouldn’t know. He did have his fair share of heartbreaks though. He had a good feeling about Raelen. It was different than the other relationships he had been in. He hoped that everything went well. He didn’t speak more on his ex-wife and just focused on what was happening between them now. “I promise that I will be as charming as I can.” He joked. “I won’t treat you wrong though. It would kill me if I did.” His next comment was completely sincere. His gaze had softened a bit as well when he spoke. He eagerly nodded his head. “Of course I will be gentle.” He promised. He allowed for the other male to pull back and to close and lock the door. He couldn’t believe that this was finally happening for him. He had waited a while for it. He pulled him back down and connected their lips passionately. He carefully tugged Raelen to sit in his lap. He deepened the kiss some then.


    Alexander allowed a loud laugh to leave his lips then. A bright smile had come onto his face as well. “You are such a pervert, Mr. Rhodes.” He teased a little bit then. He was aware that he had been the first to mention it. It just felt nice to be able to tease his husband in that way. He helped him pull the blankets up to cover that portion of his body. He then relaxed beside him. “It isn’t like you complain about it though. You stare at that more than you do my face.” He teased once more. He closed his eyes partly as they focused on the movie. He let out a gentle breath then. He was grateful that they had been able to work things out. He would’ve been rather upset if they hadn’t. “That sounds great baby. Thank you. I love you.” He whispered. He tilted his head to kiss his cheek before he fully watched the movie.

    YES WE FANGIRL OVER OUR BOYS 😂😂 i’m gonna flip the order we’re writing for them to give jake and rae some time to do-the-do lol


    “That is a lie!” Collin’s chest bounced with a quiet laugh. He still watched the flashing television. “I do not stare at that more than I do your face. I look at all of you.” It made sense in his head and he wasn’t concerned with what it sounded like out in the air. It did sound weird though. “I love you too.” Collin rested his head back against where he had placed the pillows against the headboard behind his back. He didn’t sit straight up; he was at an angle with a pillow supporting his neck so it wouldn’t ache. Collin had missed the name of the movie and to his surprise it was one that he didn’t recognize. He stayed that way for about thirty minute, maybe forty-five before he began shifting. “Alex, babe, sit up for a second...” Collin moved from where Alex lay under him. “This has to go...”, he grunted as he tugged the thin shirt over his head. Collin tossed it to the floor and shifted his shoulder, wincing at the sharp pain. He sighed but gave Alex a tiny smile before settling back down.


    “Worth the wait...?” Raelen pulled away from Jake with a soft whisper as he pushed the last button through the hole of the other mans shirt. For a moment he rested both hands on his chest and smiled at him. He stared at Jake’s lips and let his gaze wander down to where the shirt covered Jake’s collarbone where a light purple bruise was hidden. Raelen took a step back to push the belt through the silver buckle on his own jeans, turning his back when he bent to take his shirt from the floor. It had wrinkled but his white coat would cover it. He could hear Jake moving around quietly behind him and Raelen smiled to himself- he was nervous to turn around and face Jake. What if he is one of those guys that just leave? The thought hit Raelen and he frowned but quickly wiped it away when he turned back around. “Your hair...” Stepping across the small space, Raelen lifted his fingers and brushed Jake’s messy hair back down to where it had been.



    YES YES YES THEY ARE GONNA BE SO CUTE TOGETHER))


    Alexander raised an eyebrow as he heard his words. He couldn’t help himself any. “That is so not a lie! You know that you are just staring at that because you love that part of me.” He teased a little. He was aware that they both stared at each other multiple times a day. It didn’t matter what they stared at. It was a way of them both showing that they loved each other. It was a bit of a nice sign of affection. “We both look at each other in crazy ways and stare at in appropriate areas. It is nice though. I really like the dynamic of our relationship.” He leaned over to press a light kiss to his lips. He held it out for a few moments before he pulled back. He had to cuddle and hide into Collin at certain parts of the movie, but he didn’t mind it that much. He frowned when the other male moved to sit up. “You could’ve asked me to help.” He whispered. He moved to cuddle back into him. A light yawn left his lips.


    Jake let out a soft sound as he finally fully pulled back. They both had helped dress each other. “Yeah, that was definitely worth the wait.” He confessed. He would’ve waited ten years if he had to. The other male was exactly what he had needed. He almost couldn’t get enough of him. He slowly stood himself and moved to grab his own jacket. He slid it back on and moved to hug the other male from behind for a moment. He pressed a kiss to his ex before he pulled back. He allowed for him to fix his hair. “Yours is really messy too.” He admitted. He reached forward to carefully fix Raelen’s hair as well. He then felt his picket buzz. A groan left his lips. They were calling him for a surgery. “I’ve got to go. This was a good way to spend lunch. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll send you my address. See you at five.” He murmured. The two already had their phone numbers exchanged from before. He moved to give him one more kiss before he walked out.

    ”Any normal couple would assume you and I are only together for the best but that isn’t true. You do however know what you’re doing and I do love that part of you.” Collin laughed again in the quiet room and held Alex closer to him. He didn’t care what anyone else thought of their relationship anyways. He smiled every time Alex would jump and hide his face in his chest. Collin would respond with squeezing him gently or kissing the top of his head. Once he even pulled the blankets tighter and higher up around Alex. “Its okay, I got it...”, Collin smiled when Alex rested back down on his chest. He adjusted the blankets and moved the pillows down so he was almost laying. It was more comfortable. “I love you...”, Collin mumbled when he heard Alex’s quiet yawn. He had a feeling he wouldn’t make it through the full movie, let alone a second one. He glanced towards the clock. It was even ten yet but he knew that a good nights sleep would be good for the both of them. “Babe, if you’re tired it’s okay if you go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”


    Raelen pressed backwards into Jake when he slipped his arms around him. He smiled a little but said nothing as he let him go. He had caught a glimpse of his messy head in the glass of one of the picture frames behind Jake. It was a mess and he could still feel the delicate way Jake had ran his hands through it. Raelen’s heart sank when he caught the quiet buzz. It was a sound he was all too familiar with and as a surgeon his elf, he knew what it meant. Raelen took a step back as Jake tugged it out and looked at it. “Someone couldn’t have picked a worse time to have surgery, could they...”, he muttered with a slight smile when Jake groaned. Raelen moved forwards to rest against him briefly before Jake leaned down to kiss him. He only gave him a small nod, watching him as he left. When Jake was gone, Raelen sunk back down into the leather chair. You just had sex with another doctor in the hospital in your office. He stared at the messy papers on his desk before he burst out laughing. Raelen pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a message to his son. You were right. We had a nice lunch. A smile was on his face as he tried to go back to his work.

    Alexander let out a soft laugh as he heard his words. “That’s true. After all, I know you wouldn’t be after me just for my body. It really isn’t attractive at all.” He was far too skinny and had way too many scars. He had oxygen tubes in his nose constantly as well. He truly didn’t know what Collin had seen in him. He was lucky though. “Well aren’t you just sweet?” He asked in a teasing tone. He glanced up at him to see his reaction before he focused back on the screen. He had never been much of a horror movie fan. They always scared him too much, especially when being stuck in a hospital. There were strange sounds and shadows. He avoided watching them as much as he could. He appreciated the way that the other male squeezed him in reassurance whenever he jumped. He let out one more yawn. He shifted closer to him. “I love you too.” He whispered. His eyes were already falling shut when Collin assured him that he could go to sleep. “M’kay. Goodnight baby.” He added quietly before he fully dozed off. He didn’t see the text from his father due to that.


    Jake could feel the way that Raelen was responding to him and it made him happy. It was really everything that he had been looking for. He only fully pulled back when he was actually forced to. This surgery hadn’t been on the schedule. He knew that it would push things back some more. He would probably end up being here most of the night now. “They really couldn’t have. I’ll see you tomorrow though. I promise that. Thank you for this all. I really can’t wait for our date.” He confessed with the brightest smile that he could show him. That is when he made his way out of the room and back towards the rooms. True to his thoughts, he did end up spending the entire night there due to the addition of a few surgeries. He was used to it by that point. He let out a yawn when he was finally able to leave, glancing down at his watch. He couldn’t wait until he could get some sleep, as well as a proper meal.

    would you mind me skipping to the day just before raelen heads to jake’s house? i’m assuming collin and alex are still hanging out at his grandparents (^:


    Raelen had spent the rest of the evening eagerly waiting for Jake to call him or send him a message. Time drug on and nothing came. He didn’t catch sight of Jake while he was making his rounds or before he left but he tried not to get too down; Raelen was a surgeon too and he knew things could go a million different ways in two minutes. For all he knew, another emergency had come in while Jake was working on the first call and he was simply tied up. Raelen left the hospital that day in higher spirits and happier than he had been in weeks. He was humming as he drove home, still humming when he went inside. Immediately Tommy barreled into him, staring up at him with those giant blue eyes- so much like his mother’s- and that gap-toothed smile. “Daddy! Ellie and I are cooking, come see!” Raelen let his son drag him from the doorway and down the hall where his babysitter, the sweet Ellie, was in the kitchen, her silvery pulled back into a tight three-strand braid down her back. “Tommy demanded spaghetti”, she smiled when she saw him. Raelen grabbed his son up and hugged him. He asked Ellie to stay for dinner.


    Ellie had been more than willing to watch over Tommy through the evening the night he was supposed to meet Jake. Raelen told her all about him- leaving out his office- and she was delighted. Ellie was almost like a grandmother to him and she had watched him struggle to get over his wife for over a year. It warmed her heart to see him putting himself out there again. You be safe and if you need me to stay the night, don’t hesitate to call! Ellie had winked when telling him that and thinking about it now, Raelen couldn’t help but laugh. He had just parked his car in Jake’s driveway and was getting out. He was nervous but eager. He had chosen dark jeans with an equally dark, black shirt. Ellie had said it went nice with his light eyes. Raelen swallowed as he went up the steps to the front door and knocked. In his hand he held a chilled bottle of red wine- Raelen felt weird showing up empty handed and the wine was cold in his already chilled fingers. “Its just dinner...”, he reminded himself softly as the door began to open.


    Jake had been absolutely exhausted by the time that he got back to his house. He didn’t really have rushes like that often, but it was terrible. He hadn’t been that tired in ages. He had immediately gone to his bedroom and laid down on his bed. He hadn’t even bothered changing. He slept for most of the day, waking up around three o’clock. That is when he realized that he hadn’t texted Raelen yet. His eyes widened and he rushed to grab his phone. He quickly sent the address with a smiley face and a heart. He felt terrible that he hadn’t told him sooner. He hated that he had been so tired. He moved to take a quick shower. He pulled on a button up shirts and decent pants before he got to cooking. He only had a basic idea of what the other male might want, so he just went along with that.


    He ended up making pasta for them. He made homemade pasta with a carbonara sauce. He made some garlic bread to go along with it. He had the table set up quite nicely. There was a candle and wine glasses. He hoped it wouldn’t be too much. He just wanted for everything to be perfect. When he heard the knock at the front door, he froze. He glanced at himself in the reflection of the window by the fridge, adjusting his hair once more. He then hurried to the door. He had a bright smile on his face when he saw the other male. “Raelen! Come on in!” He exclaimed. He opened the door for him fully, closing it once they both were inside. He pulled him into a quick hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You look so handsome.” He confessed. He led him to the table then. “Please make yourself comfortable. I just need to bring the food to the table.” He informed. It was clear that he tried hard to make everything perfect.

    Raelen couldnt help but smile when he was met with Jake’s beaming face. He was pulled in before he said anything and even when the door was shut, he remained motionless for a moment. Say something, idiot! Raelen cleared his throat quickly and held up the bottle of wine. “I-uh brought this...”, he said in a tone that was almost unsure. But he finally smiled when Jake hugged him. He could feel the chilled glass of the bottle through his thin shirt. Raelen closed his eyes at the brief kiss before finding his way to the table. He sat the wine down and ran a finger over the trimmed wood of the dining room chair, admiring the setup at the table while he did. It was nice, nothing too fancy or too simple and he liked it. There were even two glasses; a regular glass and a wine glass. Raelen glanced to the kitchen where a few sounds reached him and he made his way there. Raelen didn’t know his way around Jake’s home but the sound of him in the kitchen told Raelen where he needed to go. He soon found him in the kitchen near the counter.


    “You look wonderful...” Raelen cleared his throat softly to warn Jake if his presence behind him so he wouldn’t scare him. He didn’t want to be the cause of dinner were somehow ruined. He admired Jake again. It was odd seeing him out of his scrubs and coat and in normal clothes. Sometimes he forgot the doctors- much like himself- were just regular people and opened clothing that was more than just a worn scrub top with matching pants. Jake had a good taste in clothes and Raelen liked the way his shoulders stretched the fabric taut over them. A damn attractive man... “You want some help?” Raelen wouldn’t mind lending a hand, he did it almost every night. He made his way over to Jake and grabbed one of the dishes. It was warm between his hands and he gave Jake a smile before turning and taking it to the table. A space had been left clear and he sat it down before turning back. Raelen took the chance to check his phone again. He still hadn’t heard a response from his son and it worries him but Raelen reminded himself that if there were an emergency, Collin would have found him already.

    Jake looked for the bottle of wine that was in his hands, his smile brightening even more. “That is wonderful, thank you. It will actually go perfect with dinner.” He admitted. He was rather excited for this date and didn’t want anything to go wrong. After all, the two of them had sex not that long ago. He wanted to prove to him that he could be a good boyfriends. “You can set it on the table if you would like. I will grab the corkscrew for it.” He informed. There were some bags underneath his eyes, showing that he was still tired from not being able to come home the night prior. That was the one thing that he hated about his job. The hours were truly starting to get to him as he got older. He glanced to the table as he passed it, glad that he had already filled the few files glasses with water. He was hiding the nervousness that he was currently feeling.


    He glanced back to Raelen when he heard his voice follow him to the kitchen. He offered him a bright smile. “Thank you. I am glad that you think so.” He glanced down to his outfit. He had changed multiple times before he found something that he liked. It just made him feel even better that Raelen liked it as well. He handed him the plate that held the garlic bread. He didn’t want for his guest to have to carry the pasta to the table. He grabbed that himself and carried it carefully to the table. “I didn’t know what you fully liked, so I just made pasta carbonara. Take as much as you would like.” He stated as he set it down. He turned to a drawer and pulled out the corkscrew. He undid the cork and then carefully poured the wine into their glasses. He then took his seat. “How was your day?” He inquired.