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Chapter Twenty-Three
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2024-10-29 19:42:56For the first time that he could ever remember, Oscar was actually glad for the fact that he came home to an empty apartment.
Usually, he would hate it. The silence meant that Jessamine was visiting her grandmother and without Jessamine, it would always lead to some form of drinking, usually wine, and the few horror movies he owned that left him feeling a strange sort of energetic that led to more wine.
Oscar was used to the way that Jessamine’s excited voice that always spoke a thousand words a minute and brought a smile to his face, but in this moment, he only wanted silence for the benefit of Bo.
The man had not spoken in any way since the pair had left the hospital, not even in the signs that Oscar had not expected to re
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The first night that Oscar and Bo shared a bed, it was peaceful in an easy way that should not have worked out as well as it had.Their hands stayed delicately intertwined in the space between them the entire night, and when Oscar woke in the morning it was to Bo’s blue eyes already looking at him in an admiring way. The color was bright, just as they had been when Oscar first met the man, and while Bo insists on his embarrassment of their first meeting, the event never ceases to make Oscar smile.Oscar wants more than anything to fall into the blue and lay in bed to see the night sky in his partners eyes until the sky matches them.But Bo had looked embarrassed when Oscar caught him staring, and the deep blue color faltered. He appeared to push away the feeling before immediately pulling on their joined hands with little effort, Oscar complied, watching as Bo brought the smaller man closer to him. Kissing his lips s
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Bringing down a therapist was not as easy as Lydia had hoped it would be.However, considering the fact that she had never attempted to take down anyone of her caliber before. Of course, sexist co-workers, corrupt directors, and those who make advances far outside of the realm of what is allowed were all something she could find easy to take down.Lydia could frustratingly admit that corruption and instances like what happened to Bo is apparent in all aspects of society and its appearance in the hospital, while not expected, was not a surprise.She assumed that the adventure of pulling this specific person off of her pedestal was a rather enjoyable one.To begin with, Lydia was required to make three phone calls to three separate departments, and she was not bothered by
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“Mr. Bradley!” Jessamine’s voice is loud and bright when she speaks, she calls out to Bo from a structure across from his bench at the park.He smiles at her voice and waves, finding her joy an easy thing to replicate in the gesture.Jessamine waves back just as excitedly as she had spoken, shouting for him to watch her as she slides down the slide at her feet. Bo cheers her on dramatically and smiles at the excitement she displays at the repetition of the action.This had become his pattern.This is his comforting routine.Bo takes Jessamine to the park three times a week.Out of these three times, Oscar joins him once and it always ends with ice cream from a sh
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Lydia Nine found herself entirely incapable of thinking about anything else other than how the future would look for Bradley and the new potential friend that she had found in Doctor Emily Howards. Though phrasing it this way made her feel like a giddy high school student with a crush, rather than the impressive woman that she is now.The woman knew barely anything about the doctor, and yet found herself putting together pieces of a life she did not live or even have insight on.Lydia guessed that Emily practically lived at the hospital, just like Bo had.She figured that the woman would spend most of her time walking through the halls, and that, like Bo, she was often told to take a break once a week and not return until she had slept through at least one, maybe even two, nights.
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When Bo wakes up it is with an arm around his waist and a warm hand splayed across his stomach. Oscar’s breath is on his shoulder, the smaller man’s steady exhales muss the hair that has grown a bit longer than usual behind his ear. He is overwhelmed by the earthy smell of Oscar, all oakwood and soft dirt after it rains.“Petrichor - the word comes from petra, which means stones, and ichor, the ethereal blood of the Greek Gods. Plants release an oil that stops their seeds from germinating when it would be too difficult to survive.” Bo’s voice was soft, slight. He didn't mean to keep speaking, but it was obvious that Oscar was not bothered. His insistence to finish the quote overtook his urge to be quiet. “The oil soaks into the pores of the stones, and is set free with water. They say it’s the smell of waiting, paid off.”To Bo, there could not be a better way to wake up, with a quote and Osc
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It was Oscar’s fault that they had fallen back asleep.The smaller man was like a heater, and due to the slight over exertion of both men in the early hours of the morning neither man was particularly surprised when they fell back asleep.Oscar was draped across Bo’s chest, his head nestled in the crook of Bo’s neck. When the taller man woke up hours later it was only due to the repeated knocking on the door of Oscar’s room.Though he quickly realized he could call it their room.“Dad!”Neither man actually reacted to t
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A celebration was in store, this was decided by Oscar the moment the pair stepped outside of the hospital.And a celebration that it was.Oscar treated Bo to a dinner at the taller man’s favorite restaurant, a small pizza place on the corner of seventh and twenty two. Bo had been predictable, his choice of cheese pizza and a Dr. Pepper alongside a slice of cheesecake, Oscar followed suit.Bo had not been very verbal, but Oscar did not mind. He had enough to talk about with small comments from the taller man when he could reply.When Oscar and Bo arrived back at the home, the man was much more touchy than usual. He very rarely let his hands wander away from Oscar, his hands trailing up and down the smaller man’s waist and back, revelling in the way that he cou
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The Board of Directors had spoken briefly to each other before the entrance of Doctor Bradley Jones.It had not been brief, but rather long term and over dramatic.The head, Maria Merrywether had run the hospital for the last nine years. It had been her decision to offer the position of Assistant Head of Pediatrics to Doctor Jones, and it had been the best one yet in her position.She had seen the bias that many of her associates had taken towards the doctor and decided to ignore it, seeking the best position possible for him and noticing almost immediately how well suited he was for Bellevue Hospital.It had been his decision to start a program in Africa as well as South America, and it had been his quick work that saved the lives of so many young children that had made
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“Breathe Bowie.” Oscar is reassuring, his eyes lock with Bo’s in the window glass. “You’ve got this.”Bo nods, his hands shaking as he attempts to tie his tie properly. He smooths out the lapels relaxing ever so slightly as Oscar sets both his hands on his shoulders. He takes a deep breath. “I know.” He repeats the two words two more times.“Hey, hey. You know this inside out, no matter what they say to you, everything will be alright.”Bo could not be sure if he believed the man, but he nodded nonetheless.They had only been waiting for twenty minutes, but with every second that passed Bo couldn’t help but wonder if all
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He knew she was coming.He knew.It had been mentioned and planned and brought up on nearly every call, and still the knowledge of actually having a date that his sister would arrive fucked everything up.Bo says that he is excited and chatters on about the plans that he will include Oscar in if able too. But the consideration of how much he would enjoy his time with both his sister and husband bounced back and forth in his mind.It was entirely his fault that Mel was not aware of his current three limbed life. She was a busy business woman, and when he had had his accident she was on her way to runn
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The moment Bo was given permission to stop wearing his brace, he appeared in better spirits.In Oscar’s eyes, he appeared calmer and overall in a happier mood. His voice was constantly bright and missing the monotone voice that had been apparent the entire time while Bo was healing. He relied on schedules and consistency and it wasn’t until Bo got too much news in too little time that Oscar saw just how fragile his thining was.For Bo, everything started to change after a call from his sister.He was calm externally, his voice bright and common as he answered the call after his shared lunch with Oscar and Jessamine. The pair watched him walk away, smiling as he answered.“Mel!” He smiled, feeling a happiness underneath all of the stressful thinkin
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It was Oscar’s fault that they had fallen back asleep.The smaller man was like a heater, and due to the slight over exertion of both men in the early hours of the morning neither man was particularly surprised when they fell back asleep.Oscar was draped across Bo’s chest, his head nestled in the crook of Bo’s neck. When the taller man woke up hours later it was only due to the repeated knocking on the door of Oscar’s room.Though he quickly realized he could call it their room.“Dad!”Neither man actually reacted to t
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Oscars words to Bo had left him breathless almost immediately.Though it could in part have something to do with the kissing that continued for much longer than he had expected.Seconds after his partner’s declaration, Oscar’s hands were back in Bo’s hair, pulling at it from the roots in a way that brought a small throaty sigh from his lips every time Oscar tugged.Bo felt a strange sense of passion at Oscar’s continuation of the movement, and used Oscar’s sensitivity to his cold skin as a marker for their continuing. Bo delved his uninjured right hand under the man’s shirt at the back, tracing up his spine as far as he could get the shirt to hike up.“God
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When Bo wakes up it is with an arm around his waist and a warm hand splayed across his stomach. Oscar’s breath is on his shoulder, the smaller man’s steady exhales muss the hair that has grown a bit longer than usual behind his ear. He is overwhelmed by the earthy smell of Oscar, all oakwood and soft dirt after it rains.“Petrichor - the word comes from petra, which means stones, and ichor, the ethereal blood of the Greek Gods. Plants release an oil that stops their seeds from germinating when it would be too difficult to survive.” Bo’s voice was soft, slight. He didn't mean to keep speaking, but it was obvious that Oscar was not bothered. His insistence to finish the quote overtook his urge to be quiet. “The oil soaks into the pores of the stones, and is set free with water. They say it’s the smell of waiting, paid off.”To Bo, there could not be a better way to wake up, with a quote and Osc
Grow As We Go Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lydia Nine found herself entirely incapable of thinking about anything else other than how the future would look for Bradley and the new potential friend that she had found in Doctor Emily Howards. Though phrasing it this way made her feel like a giddy high school student with a crush, rather than the impressive woman that she is now.The woman knew barely anything about the doctor, and yet found herself putting together pieces of a life she did not live or even have insight on.Lydia guessed that Emily practically lived at the hospital, just like Bo had.She figured that the woman would spend most of her time walking through the halls, and that, like Bo, she was often told to take a break once a week and not return until she had slept through at least one, maybe even two, nights.
