"Morning, Harvey."

"Good morning, Maru."

Harvey nodded as Maru, nurse and his only co-worker, walked into the clinic, even though it wasn't her workday. He had a feeling that she was only here because she had something to tell him. Harvey paused. He couldn't think of anything so exciting in this small town. Everyone knew everyone in Pelican Town, which meant people would eventually find a way to know about others' business. Harvey was quite sure that it must be someone's secret or the newest gossip.

However, even on the first day of spring Harvey had no expectation. He had been in Pelican town for a while now, though he still felt out of place sometimes. He knew that it couldn't be something that would greatly affect the lives of the people here; that never happened, excluding the arriving of Joja mart last year, of course.

"Hey, have you heard about the newcomer?" Maru asked as Harvey shuffled through his patients' files. She was practically vibrating as she leaned against the counter. "The grandson of old grandpa Kidd, who passed away years ago, arrived yesterday. The Mayor even went to greet him."

"Grandpa Kidd?" Harvey said, a bit confused. "I don't know him. Was he the owner of that…abandoned farm?" Harvey had seen the land, and he had no desire to visit anytime soon. It was overgrown with trees, grasses, and boulders.

"Yes, too bad you didn't have the chance to meet him. He was a good man. I still remember when I visited his farm, when I was a little kid," Maru said, smiling. "I heard that the Mayor advised the grandson to 'get to know' the people. I think he'll be visiting you soon."

"Then I will be waiting happily." Harvey nodded, returning Maru's smile with a polite one as she left.

Well, this was suddenly very interesting. I wonder what he is like, Harvey thought.

It wasn't until late afternoon that Harvey met the newcomer Maru had talked about. He was organizing his patients' files from the day when he heard the door being opened. Harvey looked up, trying to think of anyone who visited him at this time, and was met with a pair of sharp blue eyes.

The newcomer walked in and Harvey felt his heart skip a beat. He assumed that this must be the grandson of Grandpa Kidd, and oh no, he's hot. The man in front of him had tan skin, black hair, high cheekbones, and a body of a Greek-god despite that he was wearing a dusky dark brown jacket over a white T-shirt, dark blue pants, and dark brown shoes.

"Hi," the newcomer said, looking around, and Harvey swallowed. Was it supposed to be this hot in early spring? "I'm Jake, Jake Kidd. I… um, I just arrived." The man, Jake, said as he turned his gaze back to Harvey.

"Oh, hi. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Harvey, the local doctor," Harvey replied, trying to hide how his heart just skipped a beat. The stranger's voice was deep and, if Harvey was honest, quite erotic. "Please feel free to visit whenever you need medical attention."

"Got it." Jake flashed him a smile, a very attractive one in Harvey's opinion. "Um…I should go, still have a lot of trees to clear before nightfall. See you around." The newcomer waved on his way out. Harvey felt his heart drop a bit.

"Okay. Have a nice day," he said, watching the other swiftly open the door. "And don't overwork yourself," he added, although he wasn't sure if Jake heard. The door eased shut and Harvey was alone in the clinic once more.

Harvey found himself unable to stop thinking about the new member of their community, even when he was preparing to go to bed. He wondered what he was doing, if he was okay. Jake had mentioned that he had trees to clear, and from what Harvey had seen there were a lot of trees there. He hoped Jake wouldn't overwork himself; Harvey had a feeling he was the sort who would - even when it was already dark and still raining. That was a dangerous combination.

Unable to sleep, Harvey threw himself out of bed. He sighed and ran a hand down his face. What was he doing? He glanced at the clock as he buttoned his shirt. It was already 10:30, but it still shouldn't be too late to visit Jake. That was normal for new neighbors, right? Or if Jake had already gone to bed, he could just put his welcome gift (med kit) in the mailbox then.

The trip to the farm took several minutes, almost ten due to Harvey's stumbling along the unfamiliar path in the dark. He almost gave up twice, but still told himself to keep going.

He reached the old cottage, sighing in relief that there were still lights on. Jake should still be up.

Harvey walked to the door and knocked, his heart hammering. He heard footsteps before the door opened and Jake was in front of him in a simple white T-shirt and black pants.

"Doctor?" Jake raised his eyebrows. "Is there an emergency?"

Harvey blinked, taking the man in. Damn, he should have listened to his sensible side. This was a stupid decision. "No, no, I just…" He held up the box in his hand. "…I just remembered that I should have given this to you this afternoon." He handed it to Jake. "It's a med kit. I, uh, had a feeling that you might need it. Sorry if I woke you up." He stared at the corner of the door, willing down the flush in his cheeks.

"Oh." Jake took the med kit, and a soft smile appeared on his face. "It's okay, Doc. I was actually trying to stitch myself back when you knocked." The younger man chuckled cheekily, and Harvey immediately looked at his arms. There was a half-stitched cut on his left arm. Harvey frowned.

"Stitching yourself?" Harvey said, taking a closer look at the wound. It was deep, but thankfully not fatal. "Mr. Kidd, do you mind if I finish this?" He gestured toward his arm, and Jake smiled.

"Of course, doctor. I know my hand isn't steady enough. It's a crappy work, isn't it?" Jake said as he pulled the door wider and let Harvey in.

"No, no, it's not…it's alright. It's correct by medical theory at least. You really should stop using it though," Harvey said as he stepped into the cottage. It might be old on the outside, but inside it was clean and warm. Harvey didn't know how Jake managed to arrange all of this, but the cottage looked very comfy. There was a bed, a fireplace, a table, a television, and a chair.

Jake made his way toward the table where another med kit lay opened. He set the new box down and perched on the only chair, holding his arm out.

"May I ask how you got this cut?" Harvey asked as he settled down in front of Jake, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up.

"I was cutting down the trees," Jake replied, his voice smooth and warm. "It was an accident. I was clumsy." He didn't show a wink of pain as Harvey picked the needle up, sterilized it with fire from a lighter, and resumed the work.

"You seem to have some practice stitching up a wound," he said, keeping his eyes glued to the gash before him.

"I was a soldier before, so I know the basics of patching myself up in case there was no medic available," Jake replied, his free hand playing with the edge of the table. "I'm glad you decided to visit me tonight. Else I would have just stitched myself up and gone to you in the morning. And I guess you would have had to redo all of those stitches." Jake chuckled, and Harvey's hand almost slipped.

They fell into silence after that. Harvey focused on the task at hand. He tried to make it as painless as possible, even though Jake hadn't voiced any discomfort yet.

"Done," Harvey announced, setting down the needle. He was about to grab a bandage when Jake snatched it up first.

"Thank you, doctor," Jake said, already starting to wrap the bandage around his arm. "How much?" His gaze rose to Harvey's, the blue in his eyes stunning , and Harvey froze for a few seconds.

"You don't have to pay," he rushed, waving his hands. "It's free."

Unlike most of his patients, Jake frowned. "Free?" He stared at Harvey. "I…um… I don't think I can afford that. I mean, I do appreciate your kindness, but I want to give something in return."

"Well, just don't cut yourself next time," Harvey said. He continued the thought before Jake was able to interrupt. "And you really don't have to pay me anything. Really. I just want to help."

Jake eyed him for several seconds before sighing. "Thank you, Harvey, but at least let me walk you back to the clinic."

Harvey opened his mouth to argue, but Jake was already grabbing his coat.

They walked in silence back to town. Harvey tried not to fall over, but he still managed to stumble. And Jake, with his quick reflexes, caught Harvey every time.

"Thank you," Harvey murmured, cheeks heated. This was the sixth time Jake had prevented him from falling flat on his face.

The younger man nodded, flashing him a smile, and kept going.

"Goodnight, doc," Jake said when they reached Harvey's clinic. "And don't overwork yourself," he added with a wink, grinning.

"You too, Jake," Harvey croaked and watched the ex-soldier chuckled before he disappeared into the darkness of the night. Harvey didn't know how he would be able to sleep tonight.

It had been two weeks since Jake had arrived in Pelican Town. At first it seemed like nothing changed, but it had. No one cared about wild plants that grew around the town, but Jake did. There were several times Harvey saw the younger man carrying plants back to his farm. And then there were the mysterious daffodils on Harvey's desk that showed up in the clinic twice a week since Jake got here. Before Willy had no one to talk to when he fished, but one week after Jake's arrival he announced at the Saloon that the new boy was his favourite fishing scout. Even Clint, who was always quiet, spoke up one day that Jake had asked him to upgrade his pick axe, so he could do a better job in the mine – another thing no one else seemed to care about.

Robin said that she liked Jake. The town's best carpenter also stated that Jake didn't work to improve his farm only, but also other parts of the valley. The broken bridge at the beach was fixed, and sometimes people saw Jake going into the old community centre with tools. He seemed to be trying to repair it.

Pam snorted at the idea of someone trying to repair the old building, but Harvey didn't care about her opinion. He was touched by what Jake was doing. The stories made him smiled as he walked home from the Saloon one night even though it was pouring.

The next day, Harvey decided to confirm his suspicions. Normally he would unlock the door to the clinic at 8:50, and go back to making coffee before coming down to greet his patients at 9:00. Today he decided to skip the coffee and wait to see it Jake would show up.

He did, walking in with a fresh daffodil in his hand. He stopped short when he saw Harvey.

"So, you're the mysterious person who's been bringing me the flowers." Harvey said, trying to relax when his heart was beating so fast.

"Yes." Jake nodded, setting the flower down on the desk. "Do you like it?"

Harvey wasn't expecting that. He expected Jake to be surprised; a little red cheeks would have been nice. But no, Jake was bolder than he thought.

"I've never found a flower I don't like," Harvey replied, smiling and trying to sound calm and nonchalant. He told himself he didn't know what Jake's real intentions were. Jake might just want to be friends. Well, he might just want to screw with Harvey, or he might…he might actually like him.

"I see." Jake nodded, before he leaned down a bit. His blue eyes had never left Harvey's face. "Might I ask you, what is the love of your life?"

"Excuse me?" Harvey arched his eyebrows. "I'm afraid I didn't understand the question."

"The love of my life is coffee," Jake said, smiling softly. "Mrs. Mullner loves tulips and beets, Leah loves wine and truffles, and Elliot has a soft spot for crab cakes."

"You seem to know a lot about the people here," Harvey stated, smiling back. He hoped it wouldn't turn out cheeky.

"I try to talk to everyone." Jake shrugged, leaning down further. "I think it's a good way to start. Getting to know new people, see new things, live a new life." His voice dipped down after that, and Harvey felt bad. Jake was a soldier. He probably had experienced some unpleasant things.

"That's…that's great." Harvey wasn't sure what to say, but he wanted to cheer Jake up. "And I think you're doing pretty well."

"Thank you," Jake replied, his smile brighter. Harvey wanted to say more, but then the door opened and Caroline entered the clinic.

"Doctor Harvey, I think I need you to look at my throat," she said, her voice muffled. "I've had a sore throat since yesterday, and my usual tea isn't helping."

"Of course." Harvey nodded, semi-consciously tugging the daffodil away as he moved to lead Caroline to the room behind the counter where he usually did the check-up.

"See you later, doc," Jake said and left before Harvey had a chance to say anything back. He mentally sighed, telling himself to focus on the task at hand rather than thinking of the new hot guy in town.

The next day, there was a coffee waiting for him at the front desk. Harvey had a feeling that he knew who sent it. Nevertheless, he smiled and accepted the drink. Surprisingly, it tasted better than his own coffee.

"Okay, George. I want you to take a deep breath for me," Harvey said as he ran a normal check-up on Mr. Mullner. The result he got made him frowned. Harvey didn't like it, but the hardest part was dealing with George.

"Mmhmm… Turn around, please," he said, keeping his eyes on the paper as he wrote. He looked up once George was fully facing him. "George, I'll be honest with you. You need to make some changes in your lifestyle if you want to stay healthy. I'd like you to reduce your sodium intake, and try to get some moderate exercise with your arms," Harvey said all in one go, deciding to give the full instruction to Mrs. Mullner later. She was the only one who could handle or tolerate Mr. George.

Just as he had predicted, George was pissed. "Hmmph… I know what's best for me. Who do you think you are, telling me how to live my life?"

George's word hurt a bit, but Harvey brushed it off. "I'm your doctor, George. That's who I am…" he sighed, exhausted already. Harvey really wished that Mrs. Mullner was here. "And I went to school for 8 years so I could learn how to help people stay healthy." His voice dipped down from exhaustion. He knew George was infamous for his hot-temper, but it still hurt a bit.

But before anyone could say anything, there were footsteps. Harvey looked up and was met with the familiar sharp blue eyes.

"Oh!" Harvey was surprised to see Jake here. But as much as he wanted to talk to the taller man, he still had a job to do. "I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be here... these check-ups are supposed to be private." He hoped he sounded friendly enough. He didn't want Jake to get the wrong idea.

Jake nodded and turned to leave, but George stopped him.

"Not so fast! I'd like to get a second opinion from this young man."

Jake stopped when he was called and came further into the room.

"Very well…" Harvey said, clearing his throat a bit before continuing. "Jake, what do you think George should do?" He asked, hoping that Jake would be on his side.

"George should follow Dr. Harvey's advice," Jake said nonchalantly, shrugging. George was frowning, but Harvey smiled.

"Thanks, Jake," Harvey said before turning to George. "You see, George. I'm just trying to help you."

"Fine, I'll do what you say." George grunted, but it was enough. Harvey turned to Jake.

"Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it," he said, smiling, noticing that Jake was carrying a basket full of leeks.

"No problem," Jake nodded, before walking toward George, who was still mumbling something about exercises. "Hey, old man, I know you're angry," he smiled, but George pretended not to hear Jake. "So, I guess this should cheer you up, right?" He handed George the basket. At first George still looked away, but in the end he turned and snatched it out of Jake's hand.

"Thanks, son," Mr. Mullner mumbled, before wheeling away from them. "What are you waiting for? Don't you have anything else to do?" he grunted as he wheeled pass Harvey toward the kitchen. Jake frowned and opened his mouth, but Harvey stopped him.

"It's okay, Jake," he said, gesturing toward the door. "Let's go." He turned toward the kitchen and spoke louder, "Good afternoon, George."

There was no reply, but Harvey shrugged and walked out. Jake followed after him.

"Hey," Harvey said when they were outside, "don't think too much about George's action. He's just a grumpy old man. He doesn't mean to upset anyone."

"I see." Jake looked over at him. "You're very patient with him."

"Oh, at first I was a bit upset, but now I'm used to it." Harvey chuckled, waving off Jake's frown. Still, there was concern in Jake's eyes. "You don't have to worry, really. I'm fine." He said, tilting his head a little.

"Okay," Jake replied, a warm smile appearing on his face. "See you around, doc."

"See you around," Harvey smiled, watching Jake walked toward the beach before returning to his clinic.

There was a daffodil at the front desk when Harvey arrived, and a note.

Tomorrow I'm bringing you coffee.

Jake

Harvey smiled, tucking the note away in his pocket. He knew he was going to keep it in the drawer of his nightstand.