He bites his lip, and I absolutely don't track the movement. "You'd probably hate it."
"Try me."
"It's loud. Crowded. Very... gay."
"I'm counting on it."
There’s a shift in his expression that I haven’t figured out yet. "You sure?"
"Doc." The nickname makes him twitch. "I'm sure."
"Oh, this is happening!" Leo claps. "Okay, we need to dress him. Who has clothes that might fit...?" He looks me up and down. "Jesus, you're built like a truck."
"A very sexy truck," JP adds, then immediately covers his mouth. "I said that out loud."
"Yes, you did," Elliot confirms.
"I mean, he's not wrong," Max muses. "Look at those thighs. You could crack walnuts with?—"
"Okay!” Sebastian's on his feet. "If we're doing this, go find clothes. Now. Before I die of secondhand embarrassment."
"I'd lick them," JP whispers, apparently having lost all filter.
"What?" I ask, even though I definitely heard him.
"Nothing! Nothing. Going to find clothes now!" He flees.
The others scatter, talking over each other about what might fit me. I catch "those shoulders though," "bet nothing fits those thighs," and "climb him like a tree" as they disappear down the hall.
Climb him like a tree. Huh. That's new… I kinda love it here.
And suddenly it's just Doc and me.
"Your friends are..." I search for words.
"Insane? Embarrassing? Currently planning to dress you like a go-go dancer?"
"I was gonna say awesome."
He blinks. "Really?"
"Yeah. They clearly love you." I move closer, noting how he doesn't back away. "Very protective."
"They're ridiculous."
"They told me about EMT Brad, so they could make sure I'm not like him."
"You're not—what?"
"I'm not like him," I repeat, closer now. Close enough to see the gold flecks in his brown eyes. "I wouldn't do that to you."
"Gavin—"
"The other night. What you said in the truck." My hand finds the counter next to his hip. Not touching, but close. "I handled it badly."
"We don't have to?—"
"I like you." Simple. Direct. Tyler would be proud. "A lot. Been trying to figure out if it was just a general gay awakening or specifically you, and it's definitely, specifically you."
