Title: The Unimportant Details
Author: AnnieVH
Summary: Milo tries to charm his way into Rick's forgiveness.
Rating: PG
Genre: slash, humor, romance, fluffness
Characters or Pairing: Milo/Rick
Prompts:
by vakair_dar : After a pointed comment from Rick, Milo finally gets it.
Warning: slash.
Spoilers: none really.
Disclaimer: don't own, just borrow.
Notes: written for an LJ FicBattle.
With a cold glance, Rick called the elevator and stood still as they waited.
"So, you walk me to the parking lot?"
"No, I'm too busy." He replied, not even trying to cover up his anger.
Milo tried with a pleading tone. "You know I'd rather spend my night with you than at the station."
"I can see that."
Exhaling loudly, Milo pushed aside his own indignation because he knew Rick had a point - though he couldn't help but think his partner could be a little more flexible. "I'll make it up to you. I'll take you somewhere nice next weekend."
"Our anniversary is not next weekend."
"You know" Milo snapped ", last year I had to work too and you went easier on me."
"Because you said you wouldn't do it again, and I believed you." Rick hissed. "I was that stupid. I organized my whole month so I could take tomorrow night off, and what did you do? Nothing."
Milo tried to defend himself. "I didn't forget the date. I got you a present and everything-"
"You forgot we had plans. Big surprise." Rick punched the button again, as if it could make the elevator come faster.
"Well, you could've reminded me!" Said Milo, before he could refrain himself.
There was a soft ring when the elevator arrived, stopping the fight, and that was great because Rick seemed ready to jump on his neck. Instead, he muttered "...like I'm your secretary" and stepped into the elevator. Turned. "You comming or not?"
Milo stomped his way to a corner and worked hard at staring at Rick's back without saying a word. His head was getting hotter and the last thing they needed was to start a fight right in the middle of the ER. Instead, he used the short ride to calm himself down and think of a different strategy.
By the time they arrived at the emergency room, he knew exactly what to do.
"Stop right there?"
"I don't have time to fight, Milo-"
"I'm not fighting. Just don't move."
Rick sighed with impatience and stopped walking, turning to face his partner, though that was clearly the last thing he wanted to do. "Yes?"
"Through that corridor is the doctor's room, and that's where I met you for the first time, nearly 16 years ago. It was 1h23am, february 8th, 1984."
Rick didn't seem moved. "Oh, so you do remember." Tried to walk away, but Milo held him by the shoulders, making him roll up his eyes.
"Quit bitching, I'm not finished."
"I'm not bitching-"
"Now, that counter over there" and pointed. As if forced to do so, Rick followed his index finger. Arched his eyebrows. "I was standing there, right over there the first time I saw you, even before you knew I existed. You were standing right over there" and pointed again ", talking to Joel and that nurse you liked, uhn... blonde and short, chubby..."
"Olivia?" Rick guessed.
"Doesn't matter. You were right there, discussing a patient, still in your green scrubs, and then you turned and you looked right at me."
Milo could be wrong, but it looked like Rick's eyes were turning a little less hostile, though he still refused to smile.
"And we stared at each other for a second and that was enough to get butterflies in my stomach, before you walked away. And that happened 11h32pm of february 7th. So, technically, tonight's our anniversary."
A deep wrinkle formed between Rick's eyes, and Milo knew he was surprised and smiled, proud of himself for managing the situation.
With a lighter expression, Rick plucked at his mustache and tried to cover a smirk by rubbing his mouth. "Right there, you say?"
"Right there, 16 years ago. See? I remember the things that matter."
And Rick started to chuckle. Milo thought he was off the hook. "Oh, Big Guy, you're lucky to be charming."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. They moved that counter in 1992, so you missed the right spot by fifty feet."
Milo's smile froze on his face and started to fade. "Excuse me?"
"That's right. So I couldn't be standing there, or else you wouldn't have seen me, so you missed that one too. I'm pretty sure you were standing there" and pointed to the other side of the large room. "And I was standing right where we are now, or close enough, or that wall would've blocked your view." Milo opened his mouth, but Rick was faster and finished, "And either way, you're working tonight too, so my point stands."
With a defeated sigh, Milo said, "Fine. You won."
"Damn right I won." And turned his back to keep walking. Milo stayed behind, disappointment all over his face. Suddenly, all he wanted was to get out of there as fast as he could. "Milo?"
He looked up to see Richard waiting a few steps ahead. "What now? Did I get the color of your scrubs wrong too?"
Rick ignored that. "If you still want me to walk you to the parking lot, it's gotta be now, so lets move."
Surprised by the sudden offer of truce, Milo took a moment to see if Rick meant it. He did. Maybe somewhere along that rambling Milo had said something right.
He rushed to follow Rick close. When they were near the glass doors, Rick said, "By the way, my scrubs were blue. We also changed that in '92. If you recall."
"Was that an idea by the same genius who moved the counter for no apparent reason?" Milo asked, and now Rick couldn't help but to smile.