Most of October was a complete blur. In Crabapple Cove, as autumn brought crisp air and dwindling daylight, Hawkeye got his house sold and packed up, and arranged for Daniel to move out of his nursing home.
Hawkeye's last day at the practice was emotional. Even Sheila got verklempt, which he never would have imagined was possible. In a way, he felt like he was letting his dad down, handing over the old man's practice to somebody else—and not even a relative—but Daniel had made peace with the idea, and it was time Hawkeye did too. Besides, Jim was going to do them proud, Hawkeye was sure of it.
The drive across the country, with his remaining worldly possessions packed into the car along with his father and his feline, was… well, interesting. Daniel seemed to do more caterwauling than Aphrodite did, and that was really saying something, since the cat was awfully vocal in her displeasure. Hawkeye tried any number of car games to keep Daniel's mind off the miles, and sometimes it worked like a charm while other times he simply refused to play along.
There was not much of anything Hawkeye could do about Aphrodite. Car games were not going to work on her.
The fact that he made it out to Mill Valley without committing homicide or cat-icide was a testament to Hawkeye's euphoric mood. He was heading toward B.J., and that was all that mattered.
Once they arrived in the picture-perfect town, Hawkeye dropped his dad off at the nursing home that he and B.J. had chosen and vetted after a painstaking search. It was a good place, with more staff on the day shift than the Crabapple Cove home had employed. Hawkeye felt comfortable leaving his dad in their care. Weary, he got Daniel settled into his new room and helped him unpack a little before kissing him goodbye.
"I'll stop by tomorrow, Dad, promise."
"OK, son." Daniel looked dejected, which could have been exhaustion from the long trip or the uncertainty of being in a new place. Or both. He would adjust, Hawkeye was sure.
When he finally parked his car in the driveway of his new home on Dorset Lane, Hawkeye unfolded himself from the driver's seat and told Aphrodite, "This is it, baby! We made it." He grabbed her carrier from the backseat, the only cargo that he felt like unloading at the moment.
Before he even got to the front door, it opened wide and B.J. rushed out, grabbing Hawkeye in an awkward hug, with the cat carrier in the way. "Welcome to your new home, Hawk!" he said with one of his wide, beatific smiles.
B.J. slung an arm around Hawkeye's shoulders and together they walked into their adorable little rancher. "Aren't you going to carry me over the threshold?" Hawkeye asked with a smirk.
"I'd put out my back if I tried that, and I want to keep myself injury-free so I can enjoy other, ahem, physical activities."
"Smart man," Hawkeye conceded. Waggle bounded up to him then and sniffed at the cat carrier. "Uh. Does this guy get along with cats?"
B.J. gave a dubious look. "I wouldn't trust it right away."
So Hawkeye got Aphrodite settled into one of the extra bedrooms with her food dishes, toys and litter box, then started to pull off his sweaty clothes, announcing to B.J. that he was going to shower. He stood under the warm spray with his eyes closed and let the stress of the long trip and the cross-country move wash away. This right here—this was the dream. He was in his new home… the home he would be sharing with B.J., a dog, a cat, and sometimes Erin. He couldn't stop smiling.
When he finished showering and pulled the curtain back, B.J. was standing right there in the bathroom, stark naked, with a large fluffy towel in his hands. He gestured to Hawkeye to step out. "Let me dry you off, Hawk. Come here."
Hawkeye had to laugh. "Have I mentioned that I love my new house? Apparently it comes with a naked B.J. Hunnicutt."
"It sure does. Whenever possible, at least."
As B.J. dried him off gently, Hawkeye began to get hard. The towel in B.J.'s hands traveled over his body lovingly… over his back and arms and chest and ass. Lingered between his legs. "I hope this is going where I think it's going." Hawkeye took hold of B.J.'s chin so he could help himself to a quick kiss.
Finally, B.J. tossed aside the towel. "Do you even have to ask? Let's go christen our bedroom, Hawk."
The king-sized bed looked soft and luxurious. B.J. had bought many pillows for it. The man loved his pillows. He'd planned their first night thoughtfully… a few candles lit on the bureau to add to the romantic mood, lotion on the nightstand, bedsheets turned down. Hawkeye watched as B.J. crawled onto the bed and gazed up at him, his expression filled with love and longing. Hawkeye lay down next to him, wrapping legs around legs, snuggling and kissing.
He loved this… everything about this. All those years of searching, of wondering what the hell he wanted, and it turned out what he was looking for was his own best friend.
After a while, B.J. turned onto his stomach, the invitation clear. Hawkeye warmed the lotion in his hands. His fingers stretched and prepared; he had gotten very good at this. B.J. pressed back against Hawk's touch and let out contented sighs. Hawkeye whispered, "I love you." B.J. turned his head for a long, lazy, mouth-watering kiss.
They took their time. No rush… there would never be any rush… they had hours, they had years. But after Hawkeye was finally inside his lover, bringing their bodies together as one, finding their familiar rhythm… he leaned over and put his mouth to B.J.'s ear. "It feels good," he breathed, "to be home."
Afterward, Hawkeye spooned B.J. as he fell deeply and happily unconscious. He may have been in a new bed, a new house, even a new state, but he got the best night's sleep of his adult life.