Neil

It's mid-morning on my day off, and I'm doing some prep work in the living room, the radio cranked up in the window. I'm so into what I'm doing that I don't hear the door open.

"Neil!" A familiar voice startles me.

I climb down the ladder and wipe off my hands before turning down the radio. "Come on in, Barry."

"I did knock." He points out as he meets me in the middle of the living room, hugging me and leaving a quick kiss on my cheek. "It's really coming together."

"Oh, you don't have to lie." I reply. "It's a disaster area right now."

Barry laughs. "It's not so bad. I've seen worse. Hell, I've lived with worse."

"I remember. So, what brings you by?"

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop in." Barry replies airily. "Maybe see if you needed some help."

"I won't be working on this long, I don't think." I reply. "I might have plans later."

Barry suddenly looks interested. "Do tell."

I tell him about my repeated encounters with John during my first day of my new position. "So, at some point, he gave me his number. Then later on tells me about some photography exhibit he wants to check out. Seems like a nice enough guy."

"Well, you did say you didn't want anything serious." Barry responds. "And this guy certainly sounds like he fits the bill. Although…well, you know how those kinds of men are. Wouldn't catch me messing around with one."

"What do you mean?"

"You know." He waves his hand around. "Men that can't decide what side of the fence they want to be on. Personally, I don't think bisexual men exist. They're just gay men that won't admit they're gay."

I don't feel like debating this with Barry. "Well, either way, I'm sure we'll have a good time."

Barry lets out a hmph. "Now you know I have friends that I would be happy to set you up with. You just let me know."

"If they're so great, why don't you set yourself up with one of them?" I reply sharply. Truthfully, I'm not looking for anyone right now, and I'm tired of Barry trying to set me up.

Barry laughs. "They already know me too well. Besides, they'd be better suited for you."

"I'll tell you what," I answer. "Why don't you let me manage my own life, and you manage yours?"

"Suit yourself." Barry tells me. "But don't be surprised when that guy freaks out and disappears on you."

"I haven't even called him yet." I respond smoothly before climbing back up on the ladder. "It's possible nothing will even come out of this."

"That is true." Barry nods. "Okay, I will leave you to it. Let me know if you're coming to dinner tomorrow night. We'd all love to see you."

"I will, promise."

Barry leaves and I return to working on the ceiling. I understand Barry's concern, but his experiences have no bearing on mine. And I'd just as soon he stop interfering in my nearly non-existent love life.

Finally, after a couple of hours work, the ceiling is ready for a couple of coats of paint. But that can wait for another time. I told John I'd call him, so I'd best do so.

I dial the number and wait as it rings two, then three times before someone picks up. "Hello?"

"John?" I hate how my voice sounds. "It's Neil. From Rampart?"

There's a brief pause on the other end. "I didn't think you were going to call."

"I just got busy around here this morning. Getting ready to paint my living room ceiling. It's a pain, literally and figuratively."

"Well, if you need a break, we can head over to that photography exhibit." John offers.

"That sounds…great, actually." I reply. "I just need a little time to clean up before we meet up."

"Sure, yeah, no problem." John answers.

We arrange a time to meet, and I hang up so that I can clean up and get ready to meet him. I'm nervous, though I shouldn't be. I'm going into this with no expectations, and I'm sure John is doing the same. If something more comes out of this, great, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

I make my way through the city and find parking not too far from the museum, spotting John just inside. He looks different out of uniform, but still recognizable. If anything, he's more attractive.

"Hey." He greets me with a slight smile. "Thanks for meeting me."

"Oh, happy to do so." I tell him, cringing a little at my own response. "Gets me out of the house for a while."

We start toward the exhibit. "You said you're fixing up your house?"

"I am." I answer. "I bought it a few months ago and I've been living in renovation hell ever since. The big projects are done, I'm just painting now."

John looks thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I help Roy out on his home projects all the time. I could help you out too, if you wanted me to."

"I'll take it under advisement."

John rolls his eyes a little. "You can say no, it's okay."

I nudge his arm with my shoulder. "I'll let you know. How about that?"

"Okay." John nods.

The moment we step into the exhibit, John starts chattering about the details of the photographs, alternating between stepping close to study it and stepping far back to see the overall effect. His passion is obvious, and I'm fascinated, though I haven't been able to get a word in edgewise.

He finally seems to wind down a little, falling silent, and I take the opportunity to jump in. "You must be a photographer yourself."

"Not like this." John answers, studying the photograph. "Sure can learn a lot, though. I do a lot of hiking and camping, usually take a camera with me."

With that, he's off and running again, taking a seat on the bench to examine it from another perspective. He pats the spot on the bench next to him. "Sit. Take a look at this one."

I sit next to him, and I swear that he shifts a little so that our thighs touch, and he leans toward me ever so slightly as he continues to talk about the elements of the photograph. I start to see what he sees. It's quite an insight into how John's mind works.

He leans over further so that his arm touches my shoulder, and he pauses for a moment, looking over at me with an expression I can't quite decipher.

"Sorry." He finally says quietly. "I've been told I talk too much."

I want to touch him, take his hand, something. But we're in public, and I don't dare. Instead, I lean in ever so slightly. "I don't mind. I like it when people get excited about whatever they're into."

John doesn't move, and the contact is stirring something up in me. It doesn't seem he's going to break that contact any time soon.

"What about you?" He finally asks.

I'm momentarily baffled. "What about me?"

John smiles a little. "Hiking, camping, that sort of thing."

"I'm not much of a camper, but I'm good for a day hike." I admit. "I haven't been in a while."

"We'll have to go sometime." John tells me.

"I'd like that." I answer without thinking.

John's smile broadens at that, and he nods before scooting away ever so slightly. I find myself already missing the contact.

This is ridiculous. We've barely spent an hour together and he already has me hooked.

"There's a whole lot more to check out." John's voice breaks into my thoughts. "If you've got time, that is."

"Anything to get out of painting." I tell him lightly.

He looks briefly confused before his expression smooths out and into that already familiar lopsided smile.

We make our way around the museum, and I find myself losing track of time, simply content to walk alongside this man, occasionally stopping to take a closer look at something that catches either of our eyes. Every so often I feel his fingers brush mine, and I can't tell if the contact is intentional or accidental.

I'm reading far too much into this, I know that. Better to just enjoy the afternoon and the company.

We finish our tour and step outside the museum into the late afternoon sun, and John blinks briefly before pulling out a pair of aviator sunglasses and shoving them on his face. "I could do with some food. You hungry?"

As if on cue, my stomach rumbles. Between painting and my own nerves about meeting up with John, I hadn't bothered to eat much today. "I suppose so. What's close by?"

John starts off, and I hurry to catch up. We soon arrive at a nearby coffee shop, and John opens the door and waves me through. He waves briefly to someone behind the counter, and she points to a booth.

"Friend of yours?" I ask in what I hope is a teasing tone.

"Sort of." He replies casually as he picks up a menu. "We went out a few times, but it didn't really work out. Nice girl, though."

That should surprise me, but somehow it doesn't.

We place our orders and the waitress brings us coffee. John's oddly silent, just watching me from across the table as he takes a drink of coffee.

Finally, he breaks the silence. "Kind of feel like I did all the talking today. Figured I'd give you a crack at it."

I wrap my hands around my coffee cup. "What would you like to know?"

John looks thoughtful. "Why nursing?"

I take a drink of my coffee. "Honestly, I couldn't swing med school. I was pre-med at UCLA, and once I did the math, I transferred into the nursing program to finish. My parents were baffled, to say the least. They were very much looking forward to having a doctor in the family. That was when I was still on speaking terms with them."

John's expression changes to a more questioning look, and I realize I've said more than I intended. Oh well, no sense stopping now, I suppose. "They disapprove of my 'lifestyle'. Goes against God, so on and so forth."

John nods, glancing down at his own coffee. "I hear that a lot. You know, from guys I…talk to. I don't have much family myself, just an aunt I don't see all that often. She wants to know when I'll meet a nice girl and settle down. Don't know how to break it to her that it might not be a girl when it happens."

Now my curiosity is piqued. "Word around Rampart is that you're not the settling kind."

John shrugs and smiles ever so slightly. "Just haven't found the right one yet. Not for lack of trying. What about you?"

I pause while the waitress sets down our meals, waiting until she leaves to pick up the thread of the conversation again. "Last guy I was serious about burned me pretty badly. I decided to concentrate on other things."

"But you called me anyway." That smile never leaves his face.

"I did." I answer carefully. "I found you…interesting."

He nods at that. "I thought you were kind of interesting, too. Obviously. Wasn't sure you'd call me, because I wasn't one hundred percent sure that…you know."

"Right." I nod in understanding. "I usually go to bars if I want to meet people, but I haven't really felt like it lately."

John scrunches up his face. "I'm not much of a bar guy. Just kind of take my chances, try to read people, and hope for the best."

"You're a braver soul than me."

"Not sure if I'm brave or stupid. Probably a little of both."

It does seem to explain an awful lot about him. Whether that's good or not remains to be seen.

We talk a bit more as we finish our meals, and I find myself enjoying John's company. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to make a little time for him, maybe even take him up on his offer to help me out with the house.

The waitress drops off the check and John immediately takes it, waving off my offer to kick in my share. "I invited you. I'll cover it." He tells me.

We leave the coffee shop just as the sun is starting to dip low in the sky, and I'm once again surprised at how much time has passed. "I suppose I should be going." I tell him.

"Where are you parked?" John asks. "I'll walk back with you if you want."

The prospect of spending just a little more time with John doesn't bother me in the least, so I lead us back to the parking garage just as the lights come on near my car.

"Well, this is it." I tell him as I pull out my car keys.

He nods, glancing around, seeming suddenly unsure before leaning in slightly. "Is it okay if I kiss you here? I know some guys get weird about it, you know, in public."

It's sweet, in an odd sort of way, and I sure as hell don't object. I'm pretty sure no one's around anyway. I nod, not sure what to say, and he leans in further, his lips on mine, his tongue sliding into my mouth, one hand on my cheek and the other moving to the small of my back and pulling me in closer.

He finally pulls away, pausing to stroke my cheekbone with his thumb. "You'll call me, right?"

I can barely form words. I nod. "I will."

"Okay." He smiles ever so slightly then before backing away, shoving his hands in his pockets. "And we'll do that hike, right?"

"Right."

"Okay, cool." He answers quickly. "See you around."

And with that he's gone, whistling softly to himself as he goes. I take a deep breath as I get into my car and start it up. If he has me in knots just from a kiss, I can't imagine what else might happen if things go any further. Maybe it's worth finding out.

John

I pull into the station for my next shift, hopping down from the Rover and trotting into the station. Roy pokes his head out from behind his locker door. "Cutting it a little close, aren't you?"

"No more than usual." I answer casually as I start to change into uniform. "How was your time off?"

"Oh, busy." Roy replies. "Joanne and Jenny went down to visit her mother for the day, so Chris and I got a lot done around the house. Figured it was a good opportunity to start teaching him some things. How about you?"

"Good, good." I respond. "Finally got to check out that photography exhibit."

"All by yourself?"

"Not exactly." I reply carefully. "Went with Neil."

Roy looks confused. "The supply guy?"

"Yeah, the supply guy." I've already said more than I should have.

"Oh." Roy nods, still clearly baffled. "As long as you had a good time, I guess."

"We did." I respond. And I kissed him and it was amazing and I'm probably going to do it again if I get the chance.

The day starts off like any other, a briefing with the other paramedic team followed by a briefing with Cap. Before we know it, we're off and rolling on our first call of the day.

Sometime around mid-morning, we finally catch a call requiring us to go to Rampart. It's the perfect opportunity to restock and catch up with Neil.

Christ, I hope I didn't freak him out. But the way his leg had been pressed up against mine at the museum, the way his shoulder touched my arm, hell, even the way he was sitting across from me at the coffee shop did something to me.

He sure as hell didn't seem to mind then, but maybe he'd changed his mind over the last couple of days. I guess I'll see.

I wave to Dixie on my way through and notice a couple of other paramedics waiting their turn. I also notice several clipboards hanging on hooks just outside the supply room. Good to know he took one of my suggestions seriously.

I slip in and grab one of the clipboards, filling out the form while the other paramedics have their supply boxes filled. Finally, I'm up.

"Oh, hello." Neil smiles as he takes the clipboard, and something in my chest flutters.

I clear my throat and try to settle myself down a little. One damn kiss should not affect me this much. "Hey, morning."

I lean on the half-door and watch as Neil fills the box. I want to say something, anything that won't make me sound like a blithering idiot, but of course, I can't think of anything.

Neil sets my box on the half-door, that smile never leaving his face. He leans toward me slightly. "I had a good time the other day."

I take a deep breath, my hands on either end of the box. "Me too. I hope I didn't, you know, freak you out or anything."

He glances around before looking me up and down. "Not in the slightest."

"Well, uh, that's good." I answer, trying to sound confident. "Because there's, uh, more where that came from."

Jesus, why would I say something so dumb? What the hell is wrong with me?

Neil nods, clearly amused, placing his hands on the half-door. "I certainly hope so."

"I'm off the next couple of days." I tell him. "Could probably set up that hike if you're still interested."

"I think we can work that out." He answers.

"Great." I pick up my box and tuck it under my arm. "See you later."

I turn around and nearly bump into one of the other paramedics. If he heard anything, I can't tell. I nod and mutter something as I dodge him to return to the desk to wait for Roy.

Dixie eyes my supply box as I set it down. "You're not giving that man any trouble, are you?"

"No?' I reply, not sure how much she knows about what's going on between me and Neil. "Just following procedure, just like I'm supposed to. He's a pretty cool guy, actually."

"Is that so?" Dixie responds mildly.

"Yeah." I tell her, seemingly unable to stop myself. "We, uh, got together to see that photography exhibit. Might be going hiking sometime this week, too."

Dixie nods, completely unperturbed. "Sounds like you two are becoming friends. That's good."

A nervous chuckle escapes me. "Yeah, right. Friends. Maybe more."

Dixie raises an eyebrow but otherwise doesn't respond. I figure she's probably used to whatever pops out of my mouth by now, so I probably don't have anything to worry about. Not that she would care anyway.

The handy-talkie crackles just as Roy shows up, and we're soon dispatched to another call. We're on back-to-back calls until early afternoon when we return to Rampart to restock.

The new ritual plays itself out again, and I find myself waiting as Neil makes small talk with the other paramedics. I spot one of the nurses, one I had a few dates with last year, and I nod as she passes by.

She flashes a quick smile and moves along, and before I know it it's my turn. I hand Neil the form and the box, and he takes them with a slight smile. "I see you've run into another friend of yours." He teases me.

"Funny." I answer, leaning on the half-door. Roy is soon beside me.

"Charming the supply nurse?" He asks dryly.

"Restocking." I reply sharply.

Roy chuckles just as Neil returns with the box. "Oh, hey Neil, I don't think you've met my partner. This is Roy. Roy, Neil."

Roy nods and shakes hands with Neil. "Nice to meet you. Hope this guy isn't giving you too hard a time."

Neil smiles a little at that. "No, I'd say we're getting along just fine."

I feel my face heat up a little at that. "Roy, we should probably get going."

"Right." Roy nods. "See you around, Neil."

We start down the hallway to the squad and climb in for the ride back to the station. It's quiet until Roy breaks the silence. "I thought you were done messing around with guys."

I already don't like where this is going. "I don't know why you thought that."

Roy sighs. "I just don't see how you expect any woman to take you seriously. No wonder none of them stick around."

We've had this conversation countless times, and no matter how many times I've explained it, Roy doesn't get it. At this point he's just not going to. Still, I can't help trying one more time. "Maybe Neil's the one. You don't know."

Roy merely shakes his head. "That's not normal. For crying out loud, Johnny."

I don't respond, and we continue in silence until we reach the station and Roy shuts off the squad.

"Just so you know, I didn't bring this up." I point out as he opens the door. "You did. I wasn't going to say anything."

"You didn't have to." Roy replies in a resigned tone.

"Well, in that case…" I'm good and ready to give him the details. To hell with it, he's already bothered. I can't possibly make it worse. "We went to the museum, we got something to eat after, and then I walked him back to his car. And that's when I kissed him. With tongue and everything."

Roy visibly cringes as he climbs down from the squad. I'm not far behind. "And you know what? I'm probably going to do it again. And at some point, I'm probably going to sleep with him, and you're going to hear all about that, too."

"I don't want to hear about any of it." Roy answers sharply as we enter the day room. "Got it? Not another word. Besides, you're probably just going to blow it up anyway, so why bother getting all in a snit over it?"

That sounds like a challenge if I've ever heard one. "If I'm just going to blow it up, why are you so bothered?"

"I'm not going into this again." Roy tells me. "It's a pointless argument."

"Then why even bring it up in the first place?" I demand. "It's like you're trying to pick a fight."

"I'm not." Roy answers quietly. "I just want you to get this…whatever it is…out of your system."

That's not happening, and I don't know how to make Roy understand that. I should quit trying. It isn't worth the argument.

Besides, I have plans to make with Neil. Maybe we can go beyond that one damn incredible kiss.