Work Text:
December 20th
Langdon walked into his workplace, quickly setting his coffee down after deciding to splurge on Dunkin's. Thankfully, his Dunkin' coffee addiction was not as bad as it was two years ago, when he had to do double shifts to earn Christmas spending money. It had been one of the few places that had stayed open because it was directly beside the hospital, hence leading to the coffee addictions of several of the hospital staff. He still quickly pulled out one of his Red Bulls, placing it on his workstation, knowing he would need it eventually, even with the coffee. He glanced around, seeing who would be suffering through the next twelve hours during Christmas week. He noted that Dana was off, something he knew she deserved, but felt pained to be without her. He spotted Robby quietly speaking with Shen as they walked around the ER.
Frank swiftly walked away, not wanting to greet the two just yet. The strain in his relationship with Robby had never truly recovered from the fallout. Even after returning with a clean bill of health, whenever Robby was the attending physician, he constantly questioned Langdon's prescriptions and kept a watchful eye on what he dispensed. He knew it could have turned out much worse; he could have lost his license. However, losing his friendship with Robby left him feeling hollow inside.
His therapist suggested that it was guilt. Guilt for the betrayal and for the harsh backlash he had given Robby afterward. Frank had tried to apologize when he returned to work in July, but the older man's expression made it clear the apology was not accepted. The lingering pain in Robby's eyes remained.
I waited too long to get my head out of my ass. Frank thought, shaking his head as he focused on bending his knees to open the locker to place his stuff away. His old locker now belonged to someone else, Dennis, now that he was an intern.
He couldn't even be mad about it, knowing that Whitaker was a sweet kid who seemed to take his place as Robby's favorite quickly. Dennis remained Robby's favorite throughout his time as a med student and intern. Even after Robby returned from his three-month sabbatical, Dennis was the day-shift attending go-to wherever possible. Sometimes Frank felt he would never recover a semblance of it again.
He couldn't even blame Robby for the shift in favoritism, as even he would be weak against those blue-green eyes staring up at him with a pleading expression. Hell, he was impressed there weren't any rumours about them, only that of a favorite student-teacher type of relationship.
His thoughts drifted away from Dennis, who, for some reason, was standing beside him as Robby debriefed the patient's leftovers from the night shift. The Sunday shift on December 20th was as regular as the ER could be, especially given that it was the week of Christmas, when everyone rushed to get checked before their insurance expired, or overworrying about minor symptoms because they had visitors and didn't want to get them sick. The spirit of the holiday truly put many people on edge.
After the debrief was done, he could feel the sleeve of his shirt being tugged, making him turn to glance at the younger man who stared up at him. He'd look good on his knee's star- Stop that!
"Yes?" Langdon asked, his grip on the tablet tightening as he refrained from shaking his head to get away from those thoughts. He's been having them lately, since late August, and they usually revolved around the younger male intern.
"Can I shadow you for today?" Dennis asked, glancing towards his right with narrowed eyes, before Langdon heard someone cackle. It sounded like Santos, whom he pointedly didn't turn to look at.
"Usually, you shadow Robby, Mohan, or Mel?" How did Frank know who Dennis shadowed? He wasn't about to answer that.
"Yeah, well... Mohan has the week off, like Dana, and Mel is off today. Robby is the attending, and I can't keep trailing behind him; he's needed everywhere I'm not." Dennis shrugged his shoulders before smiling nervously at Langdon, "Can I follow you around when I can, Dr Langdon?"
"Uhhhh, yeah, sure... And remember, you can call me Frank when we're not in front of a patient." Langdon nodded, reaching to pat Dennis's head before diverting to the intern's shoulder. He glanced down at his tablet, deciding on the first patient they would look at together before turning and walking towards the room.
Today is going to be a long shift. Frank thought.
"Any plans for Christmas?" Frank overheard Dennis's voice asking someone something as he typed more information into the patient's chart. He wasn’t about to think further into how he knew the intern's voice so well. He was focused on getting the 29-year-old patient's tests in, thinking, 'Wouldn't this be a nice Christmas surprise?' as he left an order on her chart for a pregnancy test along with a few other tests. Then again, in the economy they lived in, it might be considered an unpleasant surprise even for a married couple.
"Dr. Langdon?" He could hear the young man's voice asking, making him turn his attention away from the screen to see Dennis looking at him with eager interest. Langdon thought back to the past few seconds and hmmed, confused.
"Uhm, not necessary, no." He fumbled with his words, perplexed by the sudden question. After his return in July, Dennis Whitaker was one of the few who treated him with complete normality, perhaps due to having known him for just one day, a shitty day, but nevertheless one day. "My ex-wife is taking the kids up to Cleveland to spend time with her parents for Christmas, and I'll be spending the time with them on New Year's with my parents in Oakmont."
It still felt strange to call Abby his ex-wife. She had seen him through rehab, never once leaving his side as he recovered from his addiction. During his recovery, they had a long talk, and they separated amicably at the beginning of April. They both stayed in the house until the paperwork was signed and the money was divided evenly, and then moved into apartments just a few blocks apart, ensuring they could keep their children in the same school districts during visitation. He even met the woman Abby had started seeing in October, whom she had wanted him to meet, Janet, before she introduces her to their children after the New Year. They both agreed to keep her relationship secret from the children until after the holidays, so they could sit down and answer whatever questions their kids might have.
"What about you?" Frank found himself genuinely curious about what the younger man had planned, having overheard Santos brag about getting Christmas off to visit her older sister in Boston. Even though Dennis was now an intern, he knew the salary was laughable, having been there himself once, and with his student debt, Langdon doubted the younger man could afford the flight to Boston without it severely setting him back. Flight tickets during the holidays were laughable; you had to laugh before you cried from the skyrocketing prices.
From what he overheard, as he often did when anyone mentioned his nemesis, Santos (he knows he shouldn't think of her like that. He's working on it), her parents came from wealthy backgrounds and had set her up on a trust fund.
He was outed by a goddamn trust fund baby. Don't blame her, don't blame her, Frank chanted in his mind, attempting to let go of his anger toward Dr. Santos for outing him to Robby for his drug addiction. His therapist, whom he sees once every three weeks after the event, had helped him work through his anger, betrayal, anxiety, sadness, and several other emotions he had bubbling up inside him. Was he a better man than he was while on the drugs? Yes, he thinks he is. Was he the better man he wanted to be for himself and for those he cared about? He's working on it.
"I'm planning to stay home, can't really travel to Nebraska even if I wanted to." Whitaker shrugged his shoulders before adding, "I was thinking of watching some Christmas movies, but it isn't the same watching it alone." His hands linked together in front of his chest, nervously fiddling with his fingers before Dennis separated his hands to clench into fists in front of him, laying them against the work station as he asked, "Do you want to... hang out for Christmas?"
The resident blinked once, then twice. Staring blankly at the intern before his mind kicked back on as he nodded his head abruptly, "Yeah, sure, that's fine. We can meet up at my place after our shift. Interns usually work holidays, so I'm assuming you're on the same shift as me?" A phone was extended to him, and Frank grabbed it, looking at the screen for a new contact profile. Quickly typing in the information, he created the profile, then sent a text to his phone: a simple "Dennis" to let him know the number. He handed it back to the younger man.
The smile that graced the younger man's lips shouldn't have made the older man's heart palpitate. I need to stop drinking Red Bull. Frank thought, trying to reason with his mind, that his irrational heart was being something else entirely. "Yeah, I didn't want to waste my PTO when I could get holiday pay for it," Dennis responded, his hand reaching out before pausing halfway.
Frank stared at the hand, confused, before it moved to his shoulder for an awkward pat. He couldn't help but stare at the hand resting on his shoulder for a few seconds before it tightened for a firm grip, then disappeared along with its owner to the other side of the ER room. He watched as Dennis sped walked towards Dr. Santos, who was now a resident, having watched the scene with keen eyes. Even from a distance, he could see the smug expression on her face, making a sweat trickle down his neck as he knew she knew something he didn't.
Whatever the fuck it is, I don't care as long as it doesn't fuck with my job. Langdon thought before going back to charting, pausing on his typing to recall what he was about to do.
Right... She needs those tests.
Frank turned around, aiming to leave the room when he noticed Dennis trailing behind him. Pausing, he glanced behind him, making eye contact with the younger man. Huh, his eyes look blue, but they do have a hint of amber in them. Not green like I first thought. Langdon couldn't help but think that the eyes suited the younger man well. He heard a snicker to his right, looked away from Dennis's eyes, and noticed Dr. Santos holding back a laugh as she stitched up the patient.
"I-I was wondering if you could help with a consult on one of my patients?" Dennis spoke out, abruptly, having noticed how strange he was acting around the man. He must think I'm weird, Dennis thought to himself, quickly considering which patient he could use for the consultation.
"Robby usually likes to help you with any consult; is he unavailable?" Frank couldn't help but ask, having noticed during the months he was back, Robby wasn't too far behind Dennis whenever they shared a shift. He really replaced me with a new favorite resident... well, intern. Langdon couldn't blame Robby for picking a new favorite, especially when it came in the form of a young man who looked at you with those trusting blue-green eyes. Or well, blue-amber eyes. Langdon had made it a point not to stare too much into Dennis's eyes, before he did something he'd regret. He can't have HR breathing down his neck, especially with his record.
"I-I don't want to depend on him so often, and I asked to shadow you so I can also get your consult on my patients. I have a patient in room ten who’s asking for a second opinion." Dennis' cheeks redden easily, something Langdon was starting to notice as the flustered expression looked good on the younger man. How far does that blush go? Frank barely refrained from licking his lips as his eyes trailed down the blush, seeing it quickly reach the scrubs and beyond.
Don't think like thatttttt! I cannot get distracted by a younger man, no matter how pretty he would look on his knees, looking up at me with those blue eyes and mouth wr- Frank turned around and opened the door, removing his gloves as he said, "I'll help you, just let me go check on one of my patients first. Meet you in your patient room in five?"
"Ye-Yes. See you outside room ten?" Dennis called after him as the older man fled. The intern turned around to stare down his roommate with what he hoped was a scary expression.
The laughter that escaped her cocky lips told Dennis he didn't scare her in the least. "You got it bad. Something to do with authority figures, huh?" Trinity said, finishing the task of stitching up the thankfully unconscious patient.
"Didn't you have a little spin with Garcia before dating Mel?" Dennis shot back, refraining from leaving the room as it would mean admitting defeat. If he did that, she wouldn't let him live it down for the next couple of months.
"Hey, at least I got a spin before knowing that we didn't want that. You, on the other hand." Trinity took off her gloves, tossing them into the red bin before walking towards the younger man, younger by just a few months, and leaning on their shoulder with an extended arm. "Have been looking at Langdon with those puppy eyes for months. I'm impressed he hasn't reported you to HR."
As always, Trinity had the last say as she walked away from a flustered Dennis.
__________________
Splashing cold water on his face, he rubbed his hands over his wet face, feeling the heat on his cheeks cool from the sudden temperature change. He extended his hand, out of muscle memory, to the paper dispenser, grabbing the small sheet of thin paper towel it dispensed to wipe his eyes. With his eyes free of water droplets, the resident stared at his reflection.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked himself, wondering why, of all things, he had thoughts of a man who was practically the ER baby boy, Robby's new favorite. He'll castrate me. Frank thought, knowing how overprotective the older man was of the younger man, having mentioned that he could see the younger man being a better doctor than he was.
Can I be blamed? He has that expression that's asking to be spanked- Frank splashed more cold water on his face.
Checking the time on his watch, he cursed softly before drying his face. Walking out of the bathroom, he headed to room ten and noticed the younger man outside, a tablet in hand, fiddling with the screen while biting his bottom lip, deep in thought.
I want to bite those lips- Frank coughed, bringing the med intern's attention away from the screen. His blue-amber eyes stared up at him with the innocence reserved for younger doctors who still held hope. "What's the case?"
Dennis blinked. Then blinked again. The third time, Frank started to worry, furrowing his eyebrows at him. "Whitaker?"
"S-sorry, I just. Your hair looks different?" Whitaker commented, and his cheeks turned slightly pink after he mentioned the situation.
Fuck. Did I not fix my hair before leaving the bathroom? Frank thought, recalling the steps he took before leaving the restroom, and couldn't remember checking the mirror a second time to look presentable. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to lie, "The patient I saw before had a very... jumpy vein, had to go wash off my face before stopping by here. Anyways, the case?"
Dennis glanced at him with concern before moving the tablet to allow the older man to see, stepping closer to the resident's personal space as he presented the case, "Male patient who presented with a 3-centimeter non-tender mass on the lower right of his chest. He mentioned that his boyfriend noticed the mass gradually increasing in size over a few months and got him to visit the ER to have it checked. I felt around his chest, and it was firm to the touch."
Dennis moved the screen, lowering it to reveal more information about the patient. "No redness, drainage, fever, or trauma were present during vitals. It could be a lipoma, epidermal cyst, or fibroma. I couldn't get a family medical history, as he mentioned he's adopted, and his parents' medical history was not provided during the adoption. I wanted to recommend outpatient surgical excision with his primary physician's recommendation, but he wants a second opinion to ensure he needs surgery."
Langdon nodded along, glancing momentarily at their shoulders touching, more like his bicep to Dennis's shoulder, before looking into the patient room to see the patient and who he assumed was his boyfriend glancing at them. With a sigh, he took the tablet out of the intern's hand, "Best to get a second opinion before discharging, especially when you can't get the patient's parent history to rule out cancer. Even if he's not presenting any other symptoms."
Based on the patient's information, the patient is African-American with Asian ancestry (per family DNA testing), 32 years old, unmarried, but has a partner. He read the notes Dennis personally added from his first observation. 'During examination, the lump was soft, slightly firm, and moved under the skin. The patient was instructed to contact the PCP on file to have the mass surgically removed. Asked how long I've been a doctor and informed the patient that I was less than a year out of med school. Requested a second opinion before contacting PCP.'
Handing the tablet back to Dennis, he opened the door, keeping it open behind him as Dennis stepped inside. "Hello, Mr. Jefferies, I'm Dr. Langdon, the senior resident of this department. I heard you wished for a second opinion?" Frank asked, moving to stand beside the bed, keeping eye contact with the patient as Dennis stood right beside him.
"Uh. Yes!" Stephen Jefferies spoke up, startled, then glanced at the med intern and back to the resident. "It's not like I don't believe Dr. Whitaker, I just wanted to ensure I got a second opinion before asking my doctor to provide a reference for surgery. It takes them a couple of days to get back to me." He laughed nervously, fearing he had made a mistake by asking for a second opinion.
"That's absolutely alright, I can understand your worries and need for reassurance before booking any procedure like this," Frank assured the patient, turning to grab a pair of gloves, only for them to suddenly appear before him. He looked at the gloves, then at the intern who smiled at him.
Very attentive, I'm curious if he's as attentive in- Frank grabbed the gloves, quickly placing them on with ease, thankful the younger man got the correct size. He moved the curtain to block the view from the glass door and gestured to the patient, "If you could remove your shirt or move it to allow me to check?"
It was a quick examination, and Langdon reassured the patient with his explanations as the patient and their boyfriend exchanged nervous looks. He glanced at Whitaker, who had observed in the background, "Dr. Whitaker will be writing up more information on this examination for you to provide to your doctor." With that, he walked to his workstation to chart that he had met with the patient, but felt a hand press against his shoulder, causing him to pause at the nurse's station.
"Thank you for the second evaluation. Uhm... Are you allergic to any food?" Dennis asks, seeing the resident turn to look at him.
"No, though I dislike anything minty to the point it might as well be considered an allergic reaction." Frank joked before adding, "And I guess peppermint. Dunkin's accidentally gave me a peppermint iced white chocolate mocha, and I ended up giving it to Donnie, who said he was willing to suffer through that drink for the extra espresso shot that was in it." Thankfully, the barista was able to give him the correct order before he had to suffer through the shift without caffeine. He had started limiting himself to one coffee drink and one Red Bull, another suggestion made during his rehab sessions, after he mentioned he usually went through three Red Bulls per shift on average. Even as a doctor, he knew how bad that was for him, though, as the common saying goes, doctors make the worst patients.
"Oh yeah, something similar to that happened to Trin, and she made me drink it. She said it was some matcha drink, but thankfully, it wasn't that bad. It was some strange drink that started red from the bottom, white in the middle-" Dennis noticed he was rambling and abruptly stopped, smiling nervously, "Anyways- Okay, I'll make you something and bring it for you to try tomorrow." Whitaker nodded to himself before fleeing, giving the older man no option to decline.
"Sure?" Frank called after the younger man with a confused expression. He heard a conversation behind him, causing him to turn to look at the nurses who had watched the scene with keen interest. The particular glee in the Princess's eye caused him to squint at them with suspicion. "Talking about how perfect I am behind my back? I'm honored."
Pearlah's easy-going smile that said 'I know something you don't' informed Frank that his little comment wouldn't get a rise out of them. "We're just amazed by how you can see without noticing." Her cryptic wording caused Frank's brows to furrow in confusion.
"Notice what?"
Princess spoke in another language, looking directly at him before switching to English, "Even if it's pointed out, you will be blind to it." She shrugged, then got up to check on one of her patients.
It left him with Pearlah, who still had that unnerving smile, before she turned her attention to her workstation.
They're just messing with me. Langdon tried to calm himself. He didn't believe himself. Frank knew something was amiss; he'll just have to find out what it is.
December 21st
Dennis: There's a 'surprise' on your desk ;)
Frank: I swear, if it's a rat...
Dennis: 😱Wha- Why do you think that?
Frank: You're the ER bloodhound...
When Frank walked into the hospital to start his shift, he couldn't help but pause at the strange object on his work station. Rather than placing his backpack in his locker, he pivoted on his feet, walked towards his workstation, and stopped beside it to look down at the plastic container. There was a note on top of it reading.
'Thanks for the help yesterday, hope you like this! Let me know. -Dennis'
Placing his backpack on his chair, he reached for the container, opening the lid to look down at a golden-brown cake, the middle of which appeared to be filled with chocolate. He barely refrained from licking his lips, his sweet tooth rearing its head as he felt his mouth water before he swallowed. He noticed the small spoon inside the container before quickly closing it, looking around to see if anyone would try to steal it from him. Rather than risk theft, he found himself carrying it with him as he went to put his stuff away. With his stuff safely inside his locker, he checked his wrist watch, sighing as he knew he would have to try to sneakily eat it without Robby noticing.
Then.
He realized that today was Robby's day off, and Dr. Omar, the attending for the shift, was more lenient. A small smile crossed his lips as he refrained from rubbing his hands together, ready to devour his snack.
With quick strides, weaving around other hospital staff, he reached his workstation and opened the container, gazing down at the dessert with an expression of longing that he would deny if anyone called him out on it. Grasping the spoon, he broke off a piece of the cake and put it on the spoon. A small groan escaped his lips as he saw the chocolate ooze out from the broken barrier. He brought it to his lips and bit into the cake, his eyes closing as he savored the light, airy texture, mixed with the chocolate it had absorbed.
"I'm glad you like it." His moment with the cake was interrupted by a male voice; if he didn't know any better, it had a flirty tone, which caused him to open his eyes to look at Dennis, who was smiling, pleased with himself.
"I can never deny a dessert," Frank said, going back for another quick bite as if someone would steal it from him before he could finish it. Having grown up with siblings, it had happened several times, especially as the only boy.
"Technically, it's not originally a dessert, more of a side dish to a meal. But Trin made a bet I couldn't make it into a dessert after we watched a bake-off show, and this is the dessert I made." Dennis's smug smile didn't stray as he pressed his hands to his hips and tilted his chin up, striking a proud pose. "And I won the bet since she had to admit the small changes I made to the recipe really made it a dessert."
"What was it originally?" Frank asked after he quickly swallowed, finding it hard to believe it would have been anything other than a dessert.
"It's a Yorkshire Pudding. Though I felt like the British were wrong to name it like that if it wasn't meant to be a dessert." The dramatic sigh that escaped Dennis' lips made Langdon smile as the younger man added, "How can you pair it with gravy or beans? They aren't bad, but I felt like this recipe was better."
Langdon nodded along, "Yeah, this tastes great, I appreciate it." He took another bite, tasting the slight taste of vanilla in the bread.
The intern's expression suddenly turned shy as he leaned over the counter, pressing his chin down on his hand that was resting on his elbow on the counter. "I-I can make you something else? I'm testing out recipes, and whichever one you like best, I can remake for Christmas?"
"Oh, you don't have to," Langdon said, feeling it would be too much just for doing his job and helping the younger man.
"It's fine. Trin wants me to spoil her with desserts before she goes to Boston. She brings enough for Mel and goes to the department Vic is at, so I make enough to spare." Dennis said quickly, as if he had rehearsed the reasoning beforehand.
Langdon nodded along in a confused expression. His eyes lingered on the blush that was spreading on Dennis's cheeks before they were interrupted. "I see Huckleberry got you to eat the strange creation he made. Honestly, I thought he couldn't make it work, but somehow it turned out all right." Frank inhaled deeply, reciting his therapist's teaching before he turned to glance at Dr. Santos, who was looking at them with a smug expression.
The expression was the same one she usually wore, the one saying 'I know something you don't' or at least that's how Langdon reads it. "For something that Dennis said originated from a British dish, I didn't expect much. But it does taste like a strange, nice cake."
"Right? Can't believe they call it pudding but put gravy on it." Dr. Santos shivered, her smile disappearing as she glanced around. "I know Huckleberry said he'll make you some, but don't spread the word around that we're making them; we can't make it for everyone. Our kitchen isn't that big to handle that many."
"No worries, your secret is safe with me, Dr. Santos." Langdon agreed, going back to eating his snack as he watched the two youngsters interact in front of them. Frank ignored the sad pain in his heart when he noticed Dennis was no longer blushing; he wasn't about to entertain those thoughts.
When he had agreed to allow Dennis to treat him to their leftovers, he hadn't expected Dennis to trail after him during the shift. The attention he was getting from the younger man was bewildering, but he couldn't find it in himself to find it displeasing. Langdon felt like he had a little admirer, much to Pearlah's teasing, who pointed it out to him. Who can blame him for liking to be praised? (Dana, Robby, Abbot probably) He enjoyed seeing the awe in the younger man's face when he was able to get the diagnosis correct on a patient with just a few tests, or no tests at all, and just a visual diagnosis.
He was thankful that the attending for the shift was Dr. Omar, as he knew Robby would lead the intern away so that he wouldn't pick up any of Langdon's bad habits. The Muslim doctor had just glanced between the two of them when he noticed the trailing and shrugged, stating he didn't mind as long as Dennis kept up with his patients, which Dennis was diligent about.
It was close to the end of their shift when Dennis scooted beside him on the work station, having found an abandoned rolling stool for him to sit on, as he wrote down in his journal the answers to the questions Langdon was answering for him. "How did you know it was the tonsils that were affecting the patient in room seven?" Dennis asked, his voice tinged with slight awe at the ability to detect the problem so quickly. It was something the intern hoped he could be half as good at once he was a senior resident like Frank.
"The symptoms he was listing off coincide with what I've seen in other patients who needed their tonsils removed." Frank shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip of the Red Bull he had been working on for the last two hours. This shift, he had thankfully only had one Red Bull and a coffee in the morning, something he was pleased to brag to his therapist about as one of the 'assignments' she had tasked him with doing. Being friendlier with his coworkers without being paranoid was still a work in progress, but Langdon was confident he had the whole 'drink less than three Red Bulls and/or three coffees' down.
Langdon could hear the squeak of the chair as Dennis scooted closer, their shoulders touching as Langdon spent their downtime searching for a medical article about a patient. "What are you looking for?" Dennis asks, the younger man's head tilting into Frank's personal space, their heads almost touching as Langdon refrained from stiffening.
"The patient I had in Room 3 is only 23, and they are already having an issue with their bones. She's an athlete, and her case is similar to the one in an article I read recently. I sent her to get a bone density scan while I find the article, but it isn't pulling up." Frank huffed in frustration, closing his eyes and leaning his head to the side, brushing his head against Dennis. They stayed in that position for a few seconds, perhaps a minute, until a cough interrupted them.
Dennis quickly pulled away with a blush that lessened the glare he was directing at his roommate, who had a cocky grin with a raised eyebrow. "Mel asked me to come get you, Huckleberry. She has a patient who'll be a good learning experience for you. Wanna go or am I interrupting?"
A huff could be heard from the intern as Langdon cleared his throat and went back to searching for the article. "I-I'll let you know if I find the article I was talking about," Frank called out to Dennis, who got up to follow the other resident. The younger man turned to nod at him, his cheeks still red from Santo's teasing.
December 22nd
Dennis: Buon appetito
Frank: What does that even mean?
Dennis: You'll see.
The next shift they had together, he checked the schedule to ensure they had it. Thankfully, their shifts aligned for the rest of the week. Langdon wasn't surprised to find another plastic container on his workstation. This time, it came with admirers: Pearlah and Princess stood in front of his workstation, talking to themselves in Tagalog. His steps quickened, tossing his backpack on his chair and his Dunkin coffee on the station as he reached for the container to open it, briefly reading the note.
'Thanks for your patience with me and my questions! I learned a lot from you yesterday. -Dennis'
"Seems you have an admirer giving you food now, is he your little fan?" Pearlah asked, her smile too broad to be innocent. The glint in her eyes told Frank there was trouble afoot.
"More like a bribe. Told Dennis that I'll only help him if I can get something out of it." Langdon lied, recalling his promise to the two youngsters on a budget.
"Oh, he's Dennis to you?" Princess asked, her eyes narrowing at him as she tilted her head, a predator who could sense the scent of prey.
Shit.
"Kid said it was easier to say his first name than his last, so he asked me to call him Dennis," Langdon said, once again lying through his teeth as he tried to find a way to dig himself out of the hole he had dug himself in.
"Just to you?" Pearlah countered, joining in as they tag-teamed him, trying to lower his defenses to see what juicy gossip they could pick up.
"Well, Mel and Javadi call him Dennis as well. Dr. Santos calls him Huckerberry, so it isn't strange I call him Dennis." Frank weakly defended himself; he could hear the bullshit in his own explanation.
The eyebrows raised at him told Langdon he didn't fool either of the nurses. Finding his attempt at explaining himself a lost cause, he focused on the container, opening it to see another dessert that appeared to be a layered cake. He ignored the two nurses who leaned over the counter to glance inside the container.
Princess let out a gleeful 'oooh' as she said, "That's a Tiramisu! I had it during my Italy trip, it was amazing."
Langdon quickly closed it as if she was going to jump over the counter to grab it from him. The smirk she sent him made him feel confident in his decision, and he took the container with him as he put his stuff away.
He carelessly tossed his backpack into the locker, fumbling to hook it on the side with one hand as his other hand gripped the container with dear life. Closing his locker, he checked his watch and grinned when he saw he had a couple of minutes to spare before he was required to clock in. In quick strides, he dodged other staff, patients, and a wandering cart, something he'll need to look into after, before he stopped by his work station to pick up his Dunkin' iced coffee. After retrieving his coffee, he walked towards the staff lounge and quickly stepped inside, spotting Mel and Dennis sitting together. Mel had an empty container in front of her as she smiled at Dennis before her eyes drifted toward the open door. Her smile brightened, her eyes flickering from Dennis to Langdon, who took the open seat Dennis had left.
There was a glee to her expression as she noticed them sitting together, something Frank wanted to question her on before she quickly got up. "I-I need to get back to work. Thank you for the cake, Dennis! I liked it, it'll help me go through this double shift. See you later, Frank." She nodded, a pinkness to her cheeks as she glanced between the two men before she thumbed at them.
Dennis's head tilted downward, causing Frank to stare at the younger man's neck that was slowly turning red before he muttered half-heartedly, "See you later, Mel."
"No problem, Mel." Dennis muttered beside Frank before he straightened his back abruptly, causing Frank to raise his eyebrow at him."
"Ha-Have you tried it yet?" The intern asked with a nervous smile on his lips. Lips that Frank needed to stop looking at as his gaze drifted toward the plastic container that he still had in his hand in a possessive grip. The resident placed the container and to-go cup on the table, opening the lid again to see the strange cake the younger man had made.
"No, Princess and Pearlah were snooping around my station, so I had to hightail it in here." He picked up the plastic fork from the container and took a piece of cake, noting how soft and pudding-like it looked. Frank could see that Dennis was staring at him intensely as he took a bite of the cake. The resident found himself closing his eyes, leaning forward as he moaned at the taste of the cake. Creamy coffee that fit perfectly with the coffee he had brought along, taking a sip from the straw and nodding his head to the double coffee flavor on his lips. Swallowing the cake and coffee, Frank licked his lips, opening his eyes to see Dennis's gaze on his lips.
Oh... I can work with this. Frank thought as he leaned against his elbow, turning towards Dennis, "Have you ever thought of opening up a bakery?" It has been a while since he has deliberately flirted, as he was always loyal to Abby when they were together, and flirting with her was different. He was a fumbling teenager, and she was his second girlfriend, right out of high school, where they met in the English 101 class they shared at community college. Now, here he was about to try out his rusty flirting skills in his thirties with a twenty-seven-year-old man.
"I don't think I'm that good." Dennis laughed nervously as his eyes darted away from Frank's lips, his cheeks heating up as he tucked the hair over his ears in a nervous gesture. Trin had told him he looked better with long hair, which was one of the reasons he had allowed it to grow.
Dennis stilled as he felt fingers against his face, over his other ear, as Frank tucked the hair behind it. His wide eyes stared back at Frank's smug expression as he said, "I think anything you make would be sweet perfection."
That is when the door opened to a smiling Victoria, who paused in the doorway, her smile disappearing as her expression changed to bewilderment. She glanced at Frank's position, his fingers still resting near Dennis's ear, then to Dennis's beet-red face.
"Uhm... Am I interrupting?" Victoria asked bluntly, closing the door behind her as she stood there nervously. She had just managed to sneak out of general surgery due to the promise of Tiramisu. She bit her lip to refrain from smiling at the scene, already knowing she would have to text Mel and Trin regarding Den's hopeless crush not being so futile after all.
"N-N-No!" Dennis blurted out, getting up abruptly as he walked briskly towards the fridge. Opening it and quickly pulling out his lunch box, he set it beside the counter to open the zipper, taking out the last remaining container of cake he had brought with him. Holding it out towards Vic, he had to refrain from rolling his eyes. He knew the expression on the younger woman’s face meant Mel and Trin would quickly learn about what had happened inside the lounge.
Frank quickly finished the rest of the cake, feeling his cheeks redden at the interruption to his flirting.
Frank: So, Buon appetito means "Enjoy your meal" in Italian? Cheesy.
Dennis: Bet you had to look it up. It took you long enough.
Frank: What can I say, I'm a busy man.
Dennis: Well, I hope I keep you busy.
Frank: What do you mean??
Dennis: 😏
December 23rd
"Another day, another suffering," Frank said, sighing as he walked up to Dennis, who was getting out of his car. The yelp that came from Dennis made him grin as he leaned against the younger man's car. Well, it might be Trinity and Dennis' car, as he saw them carpooling in it often enough.
"Did you have to sneak up on me?" Dennis's cheeks were pink as he pursed his lips before sighing and opening his backpack, pulling out a container, and handing it to the other man. Frank grabbed it and stared into the transparent container, seeing a white-frosted cake with a strawberry on top, alongside a small plastic spoon.
Frank smiled with satisfaction at sneaking up on the younger man; seeing the jumpy intern blush from his yelping made it a lovely start to his shift. He leaned over the short man, tilting his head to look into the passenger side to find it empty. "Dr. Santo's left for her sister?" Frank asked, already guessing the answer.
"Yes, she left last night. I managed to finish up this cake for her to eat when I took her to the airport." Dennis beamed, closing the door and stepping into Frank's space, looking up at the man whose face was a few inches away from his. They both blinked at each other before Frank pulled away, feeling his cheeks heat up from what he could only assume was the cold temperature inside the employee parking garage level. It had to be that. Frank thought to himself, failing miserably at fooling himself.
Taking a few steps backward, Langdon redirected his attention to the container as he asked, "What was it that she wanted?" Turning on his heels, he took a sip of his coffee as he tilted the container with a confused expression. Is the cake wet?
"It's a sponge cake, or as it's called in Mexico and Latin American countries, Tres leches. The name is actually on the nose." Dennis rambled, making Frank pause in his walking so Dennis could be slightly ahead of him. He looks cute when he's rambling off stuff, Frank thought as he heard Dennis continue, "It uses evaporated milk, condensed milk, and for this one, I use whole milk rather than heavy creamer. Next time, if I have time to make it, I'll try the heavy creamer, it's supposed to give it a more dense, richer taste." Dennis suddenly shook his hands in front of him as he turned towards the other man, "But don't worry, it's excellent with whole milk, it's traditionally used with that too, so-" Dennis stopped shaking his hands around as he shrugged his shoulder, "I just like to tweak recipes a lot to see where it'll take me. If I have the money to spare for experimentation."
"I remember those times." Frank sighed, noticing they had arrived at the elevator, where Dennis reached out to press the button because the resident's hands were occupied. His eyes lingered on the scarf that was wrapped around the intern's neck. If I mark him, would he try to hide it? Frank proceeded to ignore those thoughts, shoving them into the realm of nonsense not to be rethought. They somehow keep getting out. "What caused you to be interested in baking?" Frank asked, curious about Dennis's response. He had been wanting to get to know the younger man better, especially since the younger man was coming over for Christmas in two days.
Dennis' lips quirked upward, a fond expression passed his face as he said, "I'm the youngest of my siblings, my mom knew I was going to be her last one, and with my older siblings all being boys, she took it upon herself to teach me the housework to help her. This included baking." His eyes softened, thinking back to the times he spent with his mother baking for a house full of his siblings, parents, and the occasional farm hand they had for seasonal work.
The bell of the elevator arriving at their level caused Dennis to shake from his thoughts, before he added, "I also did the other housework that was for men when my brothers didn't have time to get to it. I guess you can say I was a jack of all trades." The intern shrugged his shoulders as he stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the ground level once Frank stepped inside.
Frank hummed, his eyebrows raising slightly at the thought of four older siblings, "And here I thought having two older siblings was bad enough. Then again, I'm not the youngest but the only boy in my family." The resident smiled wistfully, thinking back to the times he spent around his sisters, "Though I'm not a great cook, my sisters did at least show me how to cook so I wouldn't starve myself. Never could understand the science of baking, though."
The door dinged open, revealing the garage ground floor, where a few people were waiting for the elevator. The doctors quickly maneuvered around the people, finding themselves walking towards the ER at the front of the hospital. They cut through the line of visitors and upcoming patients, and the security guard gave their clothing a quick sweep before allowing them in.
"Are you the middle child?" Dennis asked, a quirk to his lips as Dennis scanned his badge to allow them in, holding the door for the older man.
"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call myself the middle child; I'm the second youngest." Frank defended himself, walking towards the staff lounge after he glanced at his wrist watch, finding he had plenty of time to have a quick snack before clocking in. The resident could hear the intern following behind him as the younger man let out a soft chuckle.
"Technically, that means you're the middle child." Dennis teased, walking ahead of Frank to open the staff lounge for him. They found themselves sitting in the same seats as yesterday, the chairs closer than before, their shoulders touching. Neither of them attempted to scoot away. They both placed their backpacks on the empty seats near them while Dennis opened his to pull out a container, "I made a container for Mel before I realized she wasn't going to be in for the remainder of the week. She has a tradition with her sister for Christmas." Placing the container in front of him and opening it, he smiled at Frank as he picked up the spoon.
"Well. Let's see how this turned out." They both took a bite at the same time, Dennis grinning as the rich, moist cake filled his mouth with the sweet, creamy taste that it absorbed from the milk. It was cold against his tongue, having been stored in the refrigerator because of the ingredients it used, and because it was the final step before it absorbed the milk he had poured into the cake.
They ate in silence until the last bit of cake was eaten, where Frank spoke, "I think this is the one."
Dennis: I am preparing the cake—no backing out now.
Frank: Why would I back out of those cakes?
Dennis: I'm only making one?
Frank: ....
Dennis: Oh! 😳
An hour later:
Dennis: Uhhh, remember to send me the address! I have to deliver the cakes to the correct place 😉
Frank: (Link to Google Maps)
Dennis: Ohhh, I didn't know you knew how to use that.
Frank: Should I block you?
December 25th
The hospital usually scheduled people as fairly as it could, including when people put in for PTO in advance, so it was the norm to have either Christmas Eve or Christmas off. Langdon had no reason to have both of them, even with his seniority, as his children wouldn't have been around to celebrate Christmas with him. This year would be the first time his children wouldn't be around for Christmas, having celebrated it early, before Abby left for her parents' house.
The idea of staying in his apartment, alone, spending his time in his barely lived-in apartment on Christmas wasn't appealing to him. Blue eyes and a nervous smile flashed in his mind, reminding him that after his shift, he would have company. That was what allowed him to keep his steps light, his shoulders raised with ease as he powered through the shift, anxious to do a final sweep of his apartment to ensure it was up to standard for guests.
A tap on his shoulder while he was heading towards his car caused him to let out a small curse. Dennis's evil grin made him sigh. "I guess you got me back, huh?"
"I'm not one to forget." Dennis said gleefully before he added, "I'm going home to change clothes and pick up the cake. I should be at your house by 7?" He asked, checking the time on his watch to see they got out a little later than usual, 5:34 pm, "Or well maybe let's make it 7:30?"
Frank nodded, feeling a fluttering sensation in his chest at the thought of Dennis coming over. It seemed more real now that they had set the time. Dennis smiled at him before walking off with a bit of a skip to his step.
With Christmas traffic, it added 12 minutes to Frank's drive to his apartment, his hand gripping the steering wheel tightly as he maneuvered around the cars to his garage. Checking the time on his car's dashboard prompted the man to dart out of his vehicle at 6:01 pm.
Stepping into his apartment, he slipped off his work shoes, walking towards his bathroom to rinse off the gunk from work before he cleaned up the small mess his children had left from yesterday's celebrations. A quick shower later, the clock on his bedside table, reading 6:35 pm, made Frank nervously pick out his clothes, settling on a simple black shirt and pants. Fixing his hair and brushing his teeth, for no apparent reason, he sprayed his favorite cologne and peeked outside the bathroom again to read the time, 6:44 pm.
"Where is the time going?" Frank muttered to himself as he walked into his living room and quickly placed the scattered toys into their rightful bins, thankful he had cleaned the day before and that his children had left only a disaster of toys. It could have been far worse, Frank thought as he finished picking up the last toy and checked the watch on his phone, 7:02 pm.
Walking towards the kitchen, he opened the freezer, reaching inside to pull out a frozen pizza pan from the local pizzeria a few corners away. It was a limited-edition item from their restaurant to compensate for the closure on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Reading the instructions on the back, he placed the oven to the correct temperature and removed the pizza from the packaging, smiling to himself at the pan it came with. I'm curious what I would do with this pizza pan when I'm done with it. Frank thought, wandering around checking for final things he had to set up until the oven dinged.
Placing the pizza in the oven, he checked the time on his phone: 7:16 pm.
"Damn... I need to wait 20 minutes for it to reheat." Frank muttered to himself, setting the timer on his phone before walking towards the TV to check which Netflix movie they would be watching. "Everyone likes the Grinch... right?"
The doorbell rang, and Frank checked his phone, 7:26 pm. In quick strides, he opened the door abruptly, causing Dennis to stare up at him with a surprised expression before he smiled at him. Holding up the cake, the intern said, "Merry Christmas, Frank! Can you let me in?"
"Uhhh, Sure." Frank stepped aside, letting Dennis in before he added, "Pizza should be done in tenish minutes." He closed the door behind him, locking it before turning his full attention to Dennis. Those pants fit him nicely.
"Perfect, I've been starving for that too," Dennis muttered as he placed the cake on the kitchen counter, turning to look at Frank with a smug expression.
"What else have you been starving for?" Frank asked, feeling his throat suddenly dry as he swallowed at the expression on Dennis's face.
"Oh, something I think only you could help provide," Dennis said, stepping towards him, closing the distance until he was leaning up, their lips brushing, when the sudden boom of the movie startled them to move apart. They both glanced at the TV, which was playing the beginning of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey.
Frank laughed, the sudden moment broken before he added, "I can see what I can do. I'm always a gracious host." His hand reached for the back of Dennis's head, leaning down to steal a quick kiss before he moved away, checking the time on his phone. 7:32 pm. "But first, I think we should eat something while we watch the movie?" He suggested pausing the movie.
"Thank you for the pizza, it was delicious," Dennis said, helping dry the last plate that Frank handed to him. Placing it on the dish rack, he turned and noticed Frank looking at him, leaning against the kitchen sink with his hands on the outer edge.
"No problem, it's from a restaurant I've gone to for years. Thanks for baking the cake." Frank said, pulling away from the sink to rest his hand on Dennis's waist. His thumb rubbed circles against the shirt, slipping between the small gap to press against Dennis' skin. "Is... Is this fine?" Frank asked, needing verbal confirmation before he pounced on the younger man.
"More than fine," Dennis said, his voice slightly breathless as he reached up, his hands caressing Frank's hair as he pulled him down to smash their lips in a rough kiss. Rough with the barely restrained desire Dennis has been feeling for the past couple of months. Tongues quickly fought for dominance as one of Dennis' hands left Frank's head, reaching down to unbutton the pants of the older man. The gasp that he felt against his lips made his grin, gleeful at the response of his hands wrapping around the other's length, pumping up and down as he pulled away to lick his lips. "I'm still hungry. Didn't you say you were a gracious host?"
Frank nodded meekily, groaning as he watched Dennis sink down to his knees, hissing at the warmth that enveloped him. Blue-amber eyes filled with lust stared up at Frank; one couldn't fault him for losing himself. The older man quickly learned that Dennis did look perfect on his knees, his mouth wrapped around his member, with hollowed cheeks working him up. He also learned something new about the intern: he had no gag reflex. It was somewhat embarrassing how quickly Frank spilled inside the younger man's throat a few minutes later, panting and holding onto the kitchen counter to support himself.
Dennis smiled up at Frank when he opened his eyes, his voice slightly rough as he asked, "Got any more in you?"
Dennis yelped once he was picked up from the ground, legs wrapping around Frank's waist as he was carried into the bedroom. The intern could feel something twitch against his pants.
"Let's see if you can last through all I have," Frank warned, tossing Dennis onto his bed as he moved to remove his shirt.
Dennis licked his lips as he did the same.
Dennis woke up slowly, blinking in confusion at the sudden brightness coming from a window. Blackout curtains were a lifesaver, one he was thankful Trin splurged on when there was a good deal on them.
I need to tell Trin. Dennis thought as he leaned against the naked chest that belonged to the one and only Frank Langdon. The same Frank Langdon whom Trin had teased him about. Told her I'll snatch him. He quietly and slowly got off Frank's chest, searching around the room for his pants and quickly found them on the floor near his side of the bed. Getting up, ignoring the slight pain in his lower back, he leaned down to grab his phone. Turning to see that Frank was still fast asleep, Dennis slowly got back on the bed and leaned against Frank's chest, a smug smile on his lips as he opened the camera app to take a quick selfie.
Huckleberry: Told you I can get it. (Sent Picture)
Trin: Oh god. I did not need to see that man's chest, Huck!
(Sends a GIF "Right in front of my salad")
Trin: Also. You marked him a lot, possibly too much, Huck?
Huckelberry: Don't be jealous cuz you can't spend time with Mel. Also wanted there to be hickies he can’t hide.
Trin: How dare you.
Huckleberry: I speak the truth. Let me see if I can get seconds... or well thirds... Actually, I lost count. He was a generous host.
Trin: Gross!
(Sents a Boys Are Gross GIFs)
His typing was quickly interrupted by a hand grabbing his phone, causing him to look up to a sleepy Frank who was blinking his eyes awake. The smirk that graced his lips told Dennis the older man had read the texts, his cheeks heating at the thought of Frank reading even further than the recent texts. Thankfully, Frank's thumb didn’t slide down to read more of the past texts. Dennis might have to wrestle the phone out of the resident's hand if he had.
"Seems I have a greedy guest, who should be lucky I'm a benevolent host," Frank said, setting the phone on the nightstand before he turned Dennis to lie on the bed.