They must have been up there for more than an hour by now. The cool darkness that surrounded them seemed to give Dylan a surge of courage he didn't realise he possessed before.
"Do you remember when you brought that woman's dog into the ED?" Dylan asked, curiously. Lofty nodded without hesitation.
"Of course, why?"
"I'm just really glad you did that, Ben." Dylan admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck, pondering whether he should carry on or drop the idea, but Lofty seemed engrossed in the memory.
"I'm glad you did it because it made me realise I had you all wrong. I thought you were an idiot, but it was me who was an idiot. You're just so kind and warm and loving, everything I'm not. I can't believe I didn't see that." Lofty blinked in disbelief for a moment. He and Dylan were close but he could see that Dylan was being truly honest right now.
"You see it now." Lofty said matter-of-factly. Dylan half smiled at his friend. Without any warning, the lightbulb that dangled above their head gradually faded darker and darker. Soon, they could only just make out each other's faces in the light.
"Well if that isn't irony I don't know what is." Dylan said bluntly. He heard Lofty burst into laughter and this in turn led him to laugh too, but he could feel his cheeks burning up. The doctor could feel his own heart thumping in his ribcage, trying to desperately to get out. Suddenly, Dylan felt a hand touch his own.
Lofty's hand slid into Dylan's palm, filling the gaps with his fingers. Dylan froze in complete shock for a moment, unable to comprehend what was happening – if he was imagining everything. They sat there for a moment in the silent link they shared. Neither of them spoke, they just looked at each other and breathed. Then, Lofty's hand began to move up Dylan's wrist. It rested there for a moment; Dylan wondered what on earth he was doing. Then he realised.
"Your pulse is beating like crazy…" Lofty quietly gasped. Dylan was shaken from his daze; he was forced to come up with a reply.
"I-I… it's, um, it's…" he felt like he couldn't breathe, lost for words in panic. Lofty's face looked serious – what was he thinking? Heart sinking, Dylan hoped he hadn't come to the only sound conclusion - which could ruin everything they had. Dylan raised his brows.
"B-Ben I- I… it's just… I-I don't know-" Dylan's voice trailed off as Lofty's hand glided up his arm and to his chest. It grasped Dylan's shirt and pulled it, prompting Dylan to lean forward. His movement was met with identical movement from Lofty, whose face had already met Dylan's in the darkness. They hovered there for a moment in the suffocating silence. Dylan was sure Lofty would be able to practically hear his heart beating now. But before he had the chance to even utter a "What are you-", Lofty's lips rushed up against him. Dylan felt like his body was collapsing from the inside. He tensed up before finally letting go. This was everything he wanted. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Dylan was here and Lofty was in front of him and he was kissing him and Dylan was kissing him back. Lofty's lips were warm against Dylan's. Without even thinking, his hands were cupping Lofty's face. He carried on until he could not breathe any longer, forcing him to break the bond between their lips. Both men sat gasping for air, suddenly thrown back into the deep end of what was happening.