04-16-2020, 03:01 PM
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— music gently played in the background. mickey busied himself in his work, finishing up his end of the paperwork. one arm resting against the table he stood over, the other busy jotting down notes. tedious work; time that could be spent doing other things. with a gentle sigh he lifted his head up from the work, bringing the pen-wielding hand up to his face, mouth briefly resting against knuckle. his gaze lingered on the wall straight ahead absently. guess he did this to himself. lucerne was getting off easy; mick was always so quick to volunteer closing up the clinic. wonder why. eyes wandered slowly towards the side, turning his head slightly. his gaze settled on vernon, waiting for mick to get done. eventually their gazes met; green’s lips twitched into a soft smile. mick’s own followed suit. lowering his arm from his face, he turned and went back to work.
“there’s only a couple things left. then we can get out of here.” green hummed in acknowledgement. mick still found himself struggling to fight back the subtlest of smiles. it hadn’t been long since he realized his feelings for vernon green, however each day spent without green knowing felt like weeks. the other man’s obliviousness was so bad that it was almost laughable; it was endearing. each moment left mickey wondering if he was being too subtle; a man usually so up-front about his feelings now too afraid to breathe the words to life. he knew what he wanted and he would take it; why was this any different?
every other time in his previous relationship, he seemed to feel the same. once so sure about how to approach someone he liked, always feeling like he knew what to do, he soon became a changed man in this new world. the man with a plan changed into someone far more reluctant, someone who didn’t seem to be in any hurry. there was no need to rush things, he told himself. “why not wait?” he constantly asked. making a promise to himself and ellie that they’d have their happy ending eventually, even when he didn’t completely feel sold on the idea at times. perhaps all that time spent prolonging everything, from proposals to setting a wedding date, had been out of some form of self-loathing. unwilling to let himself indulge in something he didn’t think he deserved. believing it wasn’t right for a man as troubled as him to live a happy life.
he told himself love wasn’t for him. ever since he and ellie broke off their engagement, he felt determined that there would never be another chance at love. give up on relationships entirely; it was best not to get his hopes up. though the way looking at vernon could simply uplift a sour mood, the way his mind wandered towards him without even trying… it all felt so natural. and perhaps there was even a feeling of assurance, of feeling like maybe green’s mind wandered towards him at times, too. in passing glances, in realizing that vernon seemed to know far more about where they stood than mick gave him credit for, it gave him that subtle breath of hope. it slowly brought back to life that hopeless romantic mick once was.
and, for the first time since mick could ever remember, he found himself asking the question: why wait? why prevent himself from pursuing something that would make him happy?
he suddenly placed the pen down, straightening up with a quick exhale. “hey-” he turned to face green. the brief confidence he felt didn’t waver, though it felt like the weight of the situation truly dawned on him then. however, it didn’t make him feel nervous. it didn’t cause his hands to feel shaky and nervous; his heart raced, but not from anxiety. there was a certain excitement, a happiness that caused a once-cold heart to feel so welcome. he wished he could feel this way forever. eyes wandered green’s momentarily before he ended up asking what was so desperately on his mind.
“do you want to go out sometime?”
his gaze lingered on green’s. then, huffing a short breath, he lowered his gaze, almost in disbelief at what he was doing. god, what was he doing? it was only painfully obvious to him then how out of practice he was. it had been over a decade since his last first-date, asking someone to go out on a date. he wanted to feel almost embarrassed for himself; all he could feel was the gentle racing of his heart. he slowly brought his gaze back over towards vernon. the grin that appeared on green’s lips was almost contagious. “like a… date date?”
he stared just a few moments longer on that contagious grin, feeling his own lips pull into a rare, gentle smile. “yeah… like a date date.” he shifted slightly, waiting only a moment before stepping forward. stepping to stand in front of green, he rested his hands back on the table behind him, leaning back slightly. “tomorrow? i’ll plan everything.” his mind reeled with ideas, unable to stop thinking about all of the possibilities. he’d plan everything; all he wanted was to make green feel so happy.
“yeah!” vernon responded, nodding his head before he added, “that sounds great.” the pieces came together so easily. it all felt natural, nothing forced or rushed… green straightened in his seat and offered, “my place at six?”
if only the other man knew exactly how his answer made mickey feel. the swell of happiness, overcome with such fondness and endearment for the other man. not too long ago mick told himself he’d never feel this way again; how did he ever once feel okay about that? it felt so overwhelming, breathtaking, exciting, to finally feel so alive. his gaze lingered on vernon as he nodded, lowering his head after the action, trying to fight back a smile. “alright.” he brought his focus back towards green. “it’s a date- date.” if the noticeable pause didn’t give it away, the subtly-quirked brow surely did. evidently he wasn’t going to let “date date” go so easily. he didn’t plan on dropping it anytime soon, either. the subtle eye roll from green almost egged him on even more.
the medic took the moment in for as long as he could. he hated the inevitable, that every moment had to come to an end. he could’ve lived in it forever. turning his head, he wandered back over towards the paper, sliding it away. “let's go.”
mick couldn’t hide the smile that lingered on his lips the whole walk there; he couldn’t keep his eyes from glancing towards green as they made effortless conversation. mickey serge was one of the luckiest men on earth, and nothing could convince him otherwise.
for a man whose nerves seemed to never fray, the hours leading up to the date felt almost like an eternity. he was almost embarrassed to admit the amount of time he spent looking at himself in the mirror, trying to determine if he was cleaned up too much, too little. arguably the most effort he took into his look than any other occasion. no matter how certain of himself he grew, the nerves still lingered. even tara’s soft words of encouragement couldn’t seem to help the pre-date jitters.
he found himself almost wanting to laugh at his own anxieties. it took him back to his college days all over again, the last time he had been on a first date. if only he were like how he was back then; confident, out there, unafraid to speak his mind, thriving in the socials that the city had to offer. though it seemed like green had never been bothered by mick’s reserved and quiet ways. if anything, it seemed more endearing to be more open with green than any other man he knew. it made those moments of happiness all the more memorable.
his heart raced away in his chest as he made it to green’s house, having set up their date location just before heading over. he paused at the front door, took the moment to collect himself. then, after a short breath, he reached up and knocked gently on the door. and no matter how much time he gave himself to collect his composure, it never would’ve been enough. the sight of green, cleaned up and handsome as ever, was enough to make him simply come undone. his lips twitched into a smile without even realizing.
“hey,” he greeted in a soft utter, finding himself feeling unusually flustered (when was the last time he ever felt this flustered?). “you look- great.” saying anything felt like the epitome of an understatement. there were no words. he felt speechless. the idea alone that this was actually happening seemed unreal; why green gave someone like him a chance, he wouldn’t know. however, he was so grateful that he did. he gestured outside, gently clearing his throat before asking, “are you ready to go?” and as they set off, whatever pre-date nerves he previously had seemed completely dissolved. comfortable in green’s presence.
eyes wandered around as they made their way to the hidden beach, unable to keep his gaze from occasionally wandering towards green. it wasn’t until they made it to the beach that he slowed to a stop, turning his gaze over towards the set-up. eyes lingered on the picnic, the blanket nearby for when it got later and chillier. going out on a fancy dinner for a first date always seemed overrated to the older man. however, the idea of a cozy picnic away from the district, set up on the hidden beach- that was a better idea. with the sun going down and the stars slowly starting to appear, he glanced briefly overhead before looking back towards green. “what do you think?”
// AAAAAAAA
— music gently played in the background. mickey busied himself in his work, finishing up his end of the paperwork. one arm resting against the table he stood over, the other busy jotting down notes. tedious work; time that could be spent doing other things. with a gentle sigh he lifted his head up from the work, bringing the pen-wielding hand up to his face, mouth briefly resting against knuckle. his gaze lingered on the wall straight ahead absently. guess he did this to himself. lucerne was getting off easy; mick was always so quick to volunteer closing up the clinic. wonder why. eyes wandered slowly towards the side, turning his head slightly. his gaze settled on vernon, waiting for mick to get done. eventually their gazes met; green’s lips twitched into a soft smile. mick’s own followed suit. lowering his arm from his face, he turned and went back to work.
“there’s only a couple things left. then we can get out of here.” green hummed in acknowledgement. mick still found himself struggling to fight back the subtlest of smiles. it hadn’t been long since he realized his feelings for vernon green, however each day spent without green knowing felt like weeks. the other man’s obliviousness was so bad that it was almost laughable; it was endearing. each moment left mickey wondering if he was being too subtle; a man usually so up-front about his feelings now too afraid to breathe the words to life. he knew what he wanted and he would take it; why was this any different?
every other time in his previous relationship, he seemed to feel the same. once so sure about how to approach someone he liked, always feeling like he knew what to do, he soon became a changed man in this new world. the man with a plan changed into someone far more reluctant, someone who didn’t seem to be in any hurry. there was no need to rush things, he told himself. “why not wait?” he constantly asked. making a promise to himself and ellie that they’d have their happy ending eventually, even when he didn’t completely feel sold on the idea at times. perhaps all that time spent prolonging everything, from proposals to setting a wedding date, had been out of some form of self-loathing. unwilling to let himself indulge in something he didn’t think he deserved. believing it wasn’t right for a man as troubled as him to live a happy life.
he told himself love wasn’t for him. ever since he and ellie broke off their engagement, he felt determined that there would never be another chance at love. give up on relationships entirely; it was best not to get his hopes up. though the way looking at vernon could simply uplift a sour mood, the way his mind wandered towards him without even trying… it all felt so natural. and perhaps there was even a feeling of assurance, of feeling like maybe green’s mind wandered towards him at times, too. in passing glances, in realizing that vernon seemed to know far more about where they stood than mick gave him credit for, it gave him that subtle breath of hope. it slowly brought back to life that hopeless romantic mick once was.
and, for the first time since mick could ever remember, he found himself asking the question: why wait? why prevent himself from pursuing something that would make him happy?
he suddenly placed the pen down, straightening up with a quick exhale. “hey-” he turned to face green. the brief confidence he felt didn’t waver, though it felt like the weight of the situation truly dawned on him then. however, it didn’t make him feel nervous. it didn’t cause his hands to feel shaky and nervous; his heart raced, but not from anxiety. there was a certain excitement, a happiness that caused a once-cold heart to feel so welcome. he wished he could feel this way forever. eyes wandered green’s momentarily before he ended up asking what was so desperately on his mind.
“do you want to go out sometime?”
his gaze lingered on green’s. then, huffing a short breath, he lowered his gaze, almost in disbelief at what he was doing. god, what was he doing? it was only painfully obvious to him then how out of practice he was. it had been over a decade since his last first-date, asking someone to go out on a date. he wanted to feel almost embarrassed for himself; all he could feel was the gentle racing of his heart. he slowly brought his gaze back over towards vernon. the grin that appeared on green’s lips was almost contagious. “like a… date date?”
he stared just a few moments longer on that contagious grin, feeling his own lips pull into a rare, gentle smile. “yeah… like a date date.” he shifted slightly, waiting only a moment before stepping forward. stepping to stand in front of green, he rested his hands back on the table behind him, leaning back slightly. “tomorrow? i’ll plan everything.” his mind reeled with ideas, unable to stop thinking about all of the possibilities. he’d plan everything; all he wanted was to make green feel so happy.
“yeah!” vernon responded, nodding his head before he added, “that sounds great.” the pieces came together so easily. it all felt natural, nothing forced or rushed… green straightened in his seat and offered, “my place at six?”
if only the other man knew exactly how his answer made mickey feel. the swell of happiness, overcome with such fondness and endearment for the other man. not too long ago mick told himself he’d never feel this way again; how did he ever once feel okay about that? it felt so overwhelming, breathtaking, exciting, to finally feel so alive. his gaze lingered on vernon as he nodded, lowering his head after the action, trying to fight back a smile. “alright.” he brought his focus back towards green. “it’s a date- date.” if the noticeable pause didn’t give it away, the subtly-quirked brow surely did. evidently he wasn’t going to let “date date” go so easily. he didn’t plan on dropping it anytime soon, either. the subtle eye roll from green almost egged him on even more.
the medic took the moment in for as long as he could. he hated the inevitable, that every moment had to come to an end. he could’ve lived in it forever. turning his head, he wandered back over towards the paper, sliding it away. “let's go.”
mick couldn’t hide the smile that lingered on his lips the whole walk there; he couldn’t keep his eyes from glancing towards green as they made effortless conversation. mickey serge was one of the luckiest men on earth, and nothing could convince him otherwise.
for a man whose nerves seemed to never fray, the hours leading up to the date felt almost like an eternity. he was almost embarrassed to admit the amount of time he spent looking at himself in the mirror, trying to determine if he was cleaned up too much, too little. arguably the most effort he took into his look than any other occasion. no matter how certain of himself he grew, the nerves still lingered. even tara’s soft words of encouragement couldn’t seem to help the pre-date jitters.
he found himself almost wanting to laugh at his own anxieties. it took him back to his college days all over again, the last time he had been on a first date. if only he were like how he was back then; confident, out there, unafraid to speak his mind, thriving in the socials that the city had to offer. though it seemed like green had never been bothered by mick’s reserved and quiet ways. if anything, it seemed more endearing to be more open with green than any other man he knew. it made those moments of happiness all the more memorable.
his heart raced away in his chest as he made it to green’s house, having set up their date location just before heading over. he paused at the front door, took the moment to collect himself. then, after a short breath, he reached up and knocked gently on the door. and no matter how much time he gave himself to collect his composure, it never would’ve been enough. the sight of green, cleaned up and handsome as ever, was enough to make him simply come undone. his lips twitched into a smile without even realizing.
“hey,” he greeted in a soft utter, finding himself feeling unusually flustered (when was the last time he ever felt this flustered?). “you look- great.” saying anything felt like the epitome of an understatement. there were no words. he felt speechless. the idea alone that this was actually happening seemed unreal; why green gave someone like him a chance, he wouldn’t know. however, he was so grateful that he did. he gestured outside, gently clearing his throat before asking, “are you ready to go?” and as they set off, whatever pre-date nerves he previously had seemed completely dissolved. comfortable in green’s presence.
eyes wandered around as they made their way to the hidden beach, unable to keep his gaze from occasionally wandering towards green. it wasn’t until they made it to the beach that he slowed to a stop, turning his gaze over towards the set-up. eyes lingered on the picnic, the blanket nearby for when it got later and chillier. going out on a fancy dinner for a first date always seemed overrated to the older man. however, the idea of a cozy picnic away from the district, set up on the hidden beach- that was a better idea. with the sun going down and the stars slowly starting to appear, he glanced briefly overhead before looking back towards green. “what do you think?”
// AAAAAAAA