Wednesday was B.J.'s day off from the hospital, so when the alarm clock sounded at 7 a.m. for Hawkeye, he immediately smacked it into silence. Kissing his sleeping lover on the cheek, he slipped quietly out of bed, dressed, and headed downstairs.
He found his father sitting at the kitchen table, wolfing down scrambled eggs and toast and reading the newspaper. "Coffee made?" he asked his pop.
"Yeah, just got done brewing, nice and fresh." Daniel set aside the newspaper and glanced up at his son. "B.J. sleeping in this morning?"
There was something in his father's tone that made Hawkeye go stock-still. Shit, he thought. He forced himself into movement, pouring himself a cup of coffee and then taking a seat next to his dad. "I guess you've noticed?"
"I've noticed that you haven't been spending the past few nights in your bedroom."
Hawkeye could feel himself blush. "Yeah. Well." He cleared his throat and tried to gather his thoughts. He found he couldn't look at his dad. "We… uh… we're very much in love. I hope you'll understand…"
"Son, I'm not disapproving. Does it sound like I am?" Daniel put a hand on the back of Hawkeye's neck and forced him into eye contact. "You're both adults and capable of making your own decisions. If you want to know the truth, I had a feeling…"
"You did? About this?" Hawkeye asked, shocked.
Daniel gave a half-shrug as he released his hold on his son's neck. "Call it a vibe between the two of you. Something intangible, but there. Let's just say I'm not surprised." He paused, forked some of his scrambled eggs into his mouth and chewed, and then added, "Were the two of you… back there in Korea?"
"No, sir," Hawkeye replied immediately. "I've had feelings for him for years, but I didn't act on them. Not until now. I respected his marriage."
"Good man."
"So… uh… this is all right, under your roof? I mean, I'd understand if you wanted us to move out."
Daniel waved his fork, "Nonsense. I'm not upset about this, Hawkeye. I know love when I see it. You have my blessing. I haven't known B.J. and Erin very long, but they feel like my family already. As long as you all want to live here, you're more than welcome to."
Hawkeye's smile felt ridiculously huge. He leaned into Daniel and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Do I have the best father in the universe or what?"
"You sure do," Daniel agreed, shoveling the rest of his eggs into his mouth and then grinning around them.