don't you call me baby

basics.

full name: Oliver Lucas Jameson nickname(s): Ollie, O d.o.b. / age: November 2nd, 1985 / 34 gender: Cis male pronouns: He / Him nationality: Dual Citizen Canadian/American sexuality: Bisexual  relationship status: It’s Complicated  hometown: Quebec, QC, Canada occupation: Orthopedic Surgeon children: None pets: Cookie (Corgi), Moose (shetland sheepdog)

Oliver was making it difficult to fight. He would sell his house? They’d go to open houses on the weekend? They’d…combine their income? Landon inhaled, his brows furrowed together and his face scrunched up as Oliver spoke. Why would Oliver want to live with him? The answer couldn’t have been as simple as love. There needed to be an ulterior motive. Landon needed there to be a motive. 

Both men were well off financially– a doctor and a software developer. Logistically, they could afford a decent sized house with enough space for Landon to stomp off and be dramatic when he needed to. He pulled away when Oliver nudged him teasingly. It was so much to comprehend– he needed his mom. 

“You spoke to Allison?” he asked. Landon pulled out of Oliver’s grasp, using one hand to poke at the sides of his lips while the other ran through his hair. If his sister-in-law couldn’t talk Oliver out of this request, Landon was a goner. “I’m not going to complain about accent walls when your–,” eyes darted down, “nevermind. This is a lot for me, Ollie. You…you understand that, don’t you?”

Slinking down to the floor, the dogs came over and sat in front of him. It felt like a family. “We’re going to have to figure out what neighborhood we want to live in,” Landon explained, “And I reserve the right to say no to any house without reason, okay? I’m going to need an office for days when I work from home, and…,” a pause. “Why do you want to live with me?”

As he listened, he felt the need to give the man some space. A little space when a long way, and learning to communicate effectively was at the top of his radar. In some aspects, it was okay the way that they were-- going to separate houses after a few days stretch of being together, knowing that they had a place to go if a fight broke out, or a disagreement. It was a safe space. It was comforting.

When Landon fully pulled away, Oliver felt his chest rising in anticipation for exactly what he was afraid of. The bomb, the explosion, the aftermath. The screaming, the disagreeing. The moments that weren’t fun. From what it looked like on the surface, the body language spoke for itself.

Oliver tensed. The question seemed a bit accusatory, a bit like he wasn’t expecting Oliver to go to someone and ask for advice, specifically someone who he may not want in their business. But, he felt that Alli was one person that he could trust. Someone who knew them both, and could give an unbiased opinion. “I did talk to her, yes, I’m sorry if that was a bit forward,” The man’s eyes looked at Landon’s stance away from him, wondering if this was a mistake. At the same time, he recognized that this was at least an okay reaction. There wasn’t screaming, there wasn’t crying. It seemed to be civil. 

“I know this is a lot.” His voice softened, a bit of silence filling the air in the kitchen. “That’s why I just... wanted space to open up and talk about it. We don’t have to make any decisions right now.” He watched the man sit on the ground, the movement a bit childish, but seemingly sweet as he watched them climb into his lap willingly. “Those are all things we can talk about,” He leaned on the counter, his other hand resting on his hip as his eyes narrowed down at the man. His smile growing on his face at the man’s request, “I don’t see any problem with that. I’ll give you the moon, but only if you ask nicely. And, say please.” 

Oliver paused. His throat tightening at the words; his innate reaction was to clear his throat promptly. “Because,” He bit his lip, “I love you. It’s important to me that we can navigate big decisions together,” He could bait him-- he really knew what it was that could hook, line, and sink it. “Plus,” He sat on the floor in front of Landon, their knees touching. “Think about the room we can build together for your niece. The yard, the playroom-- I want to help you with that. An apartment is not going to facilitate that as well, you know?”

Granting her a second to collect her thoughts, Allison watched as the spread they had ordered for lunch started to appear on the tabletop. A myriad of salads, Allison had opted for a soup as the weather was getting colder, and then of course there was the agreed upon tapas of the day that ended up being fried cheese curds. She’d never seen such a thing, she was pretty sure they were just smaller mozzarella bites, but she would find out soon based on the way it came with a zesty sauce rather than a marinara just how wrong her assumptions were. Still, even as she set the napkin on her lap and mulled over Oliver’s question, she could certainly see it from both ends of the spectrum. Especially when she herself had been tied to the idea of simply being alone and focusing on her work and saving who she could when the system just wasn’t being adequate enough. She paused for just another moment before she nodded, “I can get how it would feel fulfilling, to know there’s someone to come home to.” Allison admitted, a fond smile gracing her features as she thought about how her heart still leapt when she heard Sanem’s greeting at the front door. 

But Sanem and Landon, though brother and sister through thick and thin, were certainly cut from two separate cloths. “I couldn’t imagine Landon doing something so normal,” Allison admitted, “Are you sure he’s drinking coffee and not some weird juice cleanse he read about that’s supposed to stop the government from tapping into your brain waves?” She asked the question in jest, but she knew that they both were aware just how Landon’s logic couldn’t meet the standard sometimes. 

“So then if he does agree, what does that change for you?” Allison asked earnestly. “And not just having him there as a sense of fulfillment, if he agrees are there stipulations or are you simply letting the wind take you where you need to go?” 

It had been a discussion that Oliver had thought of for a while, but he wasn’t entirely sure how to present it. Now, knowing more than ever that he was attached to his friends in a way that seemed non-negotiable-- being the Godfather and all, he wasn’t going to back down now. There was an attachment that hadn’t been there before. But now it was. He was practically related to Landon in an odd sense of the way; they’d be attached in some aspects forever. This just solidified his decision making. Maybe this was how it was supposed to happen.

Her comment made him smile, knowing that Alli had the same feelings about Landon that most did. “Unfortunately, Landon does do normal things more frequently than you’d imagine,” It wasn’t easy to deal with him-- that much he knew. But it was lovely to know what he was like in the small moments that he let his guard down and could be a normal person for a minute. The moments didn’t last long, but they were enough to convince Oliver that this is what he wanted. Possibly for the rest of his life. But he wouldn’t have that conversation yet. “I think that he has more trust in his rabbit than he does about the government, which I don’t totally disagree with. I’m sure Jonesy could solve the inflation crisis better than anyone in the senate.”

Her question didn’t startle him, but it did make him question. Of course, she’d ask the hard-hitting things that he hadn’t thought about. What would change? He bit into one of the mozzarella bites, wiping his fingers against the cloth napkin and clearing his throat. “I guess that means that I’m past the first step,” He shrugged his shoulders, realizing that he hadn’t really thought past that. “I know Landon is difficult. It usually means that he can’t just be easy, move into my place, and have it be done with.” Oliver licked his lips, taking a sip of the liquor that he desperately needed in this moment. 

“If I’m being completely transparent and honest,” He thought of his words for a moment before speaking them. “However I can get it done, I want him to do what he needs.” Oliver looked up at Alli, hoping she could sense his commitment. “I have everything I could ever want or need,” He paused. “No stipulations, no games. I just want Landon to be happy... and I hope it’s with me. Forever, you know?”

“With your imagination, Doctor Jameson, I’m sure it can certainly lead you to whatever promise land it is you’re looking for.” Hope said subtly, ordering her coke as promised and swirling the straw around. His words entered in through one ear and out of the other, she wasn’t really one to care about much else when she was in her wards or in the OR. She couldn’t give two shits who looked like they were chiseled from the finest stone or who she could have imagined herself domineering if given the chance, when she was on her game at work, that was a high that she chased that garnered her enough to feel in control, in her own power. If she started faltering into the gossip that was spoken behind closed curtains, anything that wasn’t what a stone-cold person she was, she would simply have to ask for a transfer out. Meddling with coworkers and playing dumb games that would put her integrity on the line was off-limits, but anything that happened outside of the parameters? Oliver knew full well that was a fair game. 

She smirked at his literal explanation of things that were fun. Though she couldn’t help but feign a bored expression as she leaned onto her right hand, pale cheek touching her palms. “Maybe I just miss the ambience of whatever swanky hotel bar they usually holed us up in. Don’t you remember?” She asked, as she brought the straw to her lips and took a sip of her drink. She was sure that he did, considering last years tryst. “The interns say you’ve been seeing a pouty little thing though, I heard he’s in tech?” 

Knowing Hope meant you just had to like her for her, because she wasn’t going to give you any false perceptions of her personality. He liked that, though. It was easy to like someone so comfortably confident and ready for the world. She had the integrity of an bear, and the work ethic of an ox. It was hard to see past that once you saw what she could do.

His eyebrows heightened at her response, he shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat. “How could I forget,” He replied, a warm smirk laid on his face as he recalled the very long, very tired evenings going into mornings. It was such an odd part of his life, that he couldn’t imagine being back doing such monotonous tasks. Med school was hard, but it was so rewarding. So rewarding that he found almost everyone in their residencies were sleeping with each other to numb the pain. “A lot of drinking, not a lot of sleep, and a lot of,” He paused, wondering if he should just leave it there. “A lot of it.” 

At her question, he found himself wondering what it was that people said about him. He figured that there was some talk, most clinical settings had that bit of gossip. But overall, there wasn’t much interest in people outside of that-- which included Landon. At this point, Landon was probably known by many people from the way that he barged into Oliver’s office at all hours of the day, and would bring him meals depending on the hours Oliver was at the hospital. “He’s pretty pouty,” He confirmed, laughing a bit at the description. He finished the last of his beer, setting it back on the counter. “He is in tech, yes. I’d love to ask how you’d know that, but sometimes it’s just better left unknown.” He laughed a bit, peeling at the beer bottle. “A software developer. We met last year and we’ve... we’ve gotten very close.”

It was a feeling Hope knew she couldn’t take for granted, having a colleague being on her side despite the icy exterior she had to put on in order to garner the reputation she’d built for herself. “It’s funny, one of the interns asked me why they called me ice queen back in residency,” Hope mused. “I had to tell them it wasn’t because I was hand delivering ice cups to patients who want something to chew on. Right before I zeroed in and asked is that the future they want?” A humorlessly laugh fell from her mouth. It was hard being questioned about her demeanor sometimes, but Hope tried her best to keep her personal affairs out from the one true thing that she had control over and would fight tooth and nail to keep pristine. “It seems my reputation precedes me, and I don’t think I have much intention to stop it.” She chuckled softly again. He was partaking in his beer, though Oliver was sensibly at least from the few interactions they had had, he appeared sensible. “You were right to keep your focus there,” Hope sighed, “I hoped too but I didn’t think it’d be such a slap in the face regroup. I haven’t seen the man in five years.” 

And her children in that same time frame. Her finger mindlessly swirled circles on the wooden tops of the bar, declining the alcohol once more. “Would it help if I had a coke and you could pretend it was coke and rum?” Hope teased. “If I’m already this stiff, a stiff drink won’t do either of us any favors.” She ordered a coke then, and turned her gaze back over to the surgeon. “Tell me something fun.” 

If the man had taken a bit more time to think about the recourse of his actions, he’d find that he was attracted to people who genuinely loved and hated all at the same time. Maybe it was just people who found a bit of obsession in the things they loved, but also loved to harbor in the eminent fear mongering that they ensured to others. Whatever that personality type was, Oliver seemed to be attracted to those people. Hope wasn’t really any different. “Well, aren’t you just the iciest queen to ever exist,” He teased, knowing that she liked her reputation to be a bit more significant than that. “If I were a sweet, little intern, I’d also stay away from you,” Oliver raised his eyebrows at her, “Bit of a double-edge sword. You’re one of the top neurosurgeons in the Northeastern region, so it’s a bit unfair unless some of the kids can keep up with you. Guess you’ve gotta find someone attracted enough to you that’s willing to spar with you, as well.”

Realizing that the woman was firm on her decision to stay sober, Oliver nodded in agreement of her choice. Definitely a bit of a stubborn ass, even after a few years. “No, not the same thing, unfortunately. But I will let it go this time.” He took a few sips of his own drink, licking his lips at the bitter flavor on his tongue. “Oh, something fun,” He mused, shaking his head. “Personally, I think going to see a movie is fun. Escape rooms are also fun.” He clinked her glass, nodding at it before turning his eyes back up to her. “Drinking before an important conference or meeting is also fun. Thought you were always a bit...” He trailed off, smirking. “More daring.”

Landon’s teeth pressed into each other, the sound of grinding hitting the deepest part of his ear canal. Living there? With each other? He supposed it was a sign that things were going well, but how did Oliver expect him to just move everything he owned into here? A hand ran through his hair as he turned so his back faced the other man. If he left right now, there would be enough time to leave the state. If he drove an average of 80 miles an hour, it was possible he could hit the Midwest. 

“This is your house Oliver,” he started. Inhale. Count to five. Exhale. It felt odd to be angry about the offer, but he was. “I’m not moving my things into a place that has been established by you and only you.” Another deep inhale, pause, and exhale. If anything, Oliver should be proud that Landon was handling it so well. As well as the man could, anyway. 

He turned back around and leaned against the counter. “You know that I have deep feelings for you,” Landon spoke softly. “So deep that sometimes it gets us into trouble. If I break my lease, move in here, and we fight, then what?” Logic. Oliver was a doctor, he could follow logic. “You get to keep the house and I have to wait for another apartment with exposed brick to open up? If you want to live with me, we have to start from the ground up. House hunting. Redecorating. I hate the color of the accent wall in the bathroom, and there’s certain walls in here that I’d have knocked out. It would be better to just go all in on something new. Fresh.”

There seemed to be a bit of anxiety riding through Landon’s system. Oliver stepped back at the sight, wanting to give him enough space to work through it. He was asking a lot of him, he understood. That made the process of standing back and being quiet way more difficult. Instead, he decided to listen and take the feedback that Landon gave him with as much gratitude as he could. He didn’t run. That’s all he could ask for right now. 

“Okay,” The man started, his eyes merely keeping their sights on the brunette. Keeping calm was something he was learning to utilize, and it was much easier to do so when he recognized what was on the line. Their future.  “It doesn’t have to be in this house, specifically,” He retaliated, “We can... figure it out.” The words trailed off as he tried to mimic the inhales and exhales that came off of the man’s body language. It would be best to try to keep that same energy, his therapist had told him. 

“Landon,” Oliver tried his best to cut the man off, his rambling seemed to be fixated on small obsessive tendencies that the brunette could not budge on. But it was an offer that Oliver was still trying his best to work with. “Listen to me, I didn’t say that this would happen today, okay?” His hands found their way to the man’s wrists, holding them gently under his grip. Sometimes his eyes darted around too fast for Oliver to catch them, but when he did, it seemed too good to be true. “I want to live with you. Whatever that takes-- redecorating, knocking out a wall, buying a fucking castle in the middle of Geneva because it has a specific type of brick that you find fitting to your Feng shui, I don’t fucking care.”

Their bodies were close, but not close enough. The taller man pulled Landon closer, gently, to not make him feel suffocated by the requests. “We can do this however you need to. I’m flexible and want to work with you,” He squinted at the man. “I told Alli I’d need a contract ready for this, I should have known you’d want a ten page document with all the necessary accommodations you’d need from me. How silly of me to forget.” His smirked, nudging the man with his nose. “Also, fuck you-- you never complained about the wall when I was pushing you up against it.”

Fifteen?! Landon tapped his foot and looked at Oliver with slight annoyance. That number was higher than anticipated, that was for sure. Landon could handle fifteen people at a business meeting because they didn’t matter. But Oliver’s family? Extended family? “That’s a lot of people, Ollie,” he murmured, pushing his chest lightly. “Just tell me if I should shave or stay scruffy. I wouldn’t want to disgust your grandfather.” 

The way Oliver’s lips left a goofy grin on Landon’s face was ridiculous. He was a man in his mid-thirties getting butterflies in his stomach! Landon continued to stare into Oliver’s eyes, taking note of the way the other man struggled to look at him as he searched for words. “Correct, we’re not labeled,” Landon mumbled quietly. “I’m comfortable with where we are, Oliver,” he snaked his arms around the taller man’s waist, pulling himself closer to the man’s chest. “What about our future? Are you getting transferred to a different hospital? Talk to me.” 

Maybe it was a bit of overkill, but he felt that the man would be ready for this step. Even if he felt like maybe he wasn’t, Oliver was certain that he would be able to handle it. “It is a lot of people, but,” He bit at his lip slightly, holding back the smile as the man pushed back on him. “I don’t know. They’re people I want you to meet.” Most of the time he knew Landon, he’d had somewhat of an established beard. It wasn’t until the man offered the shave did Oliver really think about it. “No, scruffy is good. Rugged.”

It felt so much better in Landon’s arms, even if his grip was always a bit tight. He figured that was the way that the man showed his affection. Landon was a bit uptight all the time, so his grip must match. “I’m comfortable where we are as well,” He started, feeling himself start to melt into the touch. As he stood, he figured that this conversation could lead elsewhere if he wanted it to. There could be a lot more conversation. So much more. “I want to,” He stopped for a moment, his words mumbling a bit, “I think I want to ask you a question, but I don’t know how you’re going to take it. So, I’m trying my best to just say it.” 

His hand moved to the man’s face, cupping his cheek gently as his thumb moved across. “I know this is a lot-- the family thing,” His eyes cast down a bit so they weren’t looking directly into each other’s eyes. “How do you feel about... sharing space?” They locked eyes again. Oliver felt more nervous now than he did before he spoke. “Like, living here?”

location: Harbor Views Bar & Lounge with: @oliverjameson​

“Things are fine,” Hope began. “The interns seem to be taking well to the new assignment, though it seems Doctor Zhou was certainly a force to be reckoned with.” It was the way of their world wasn’t it? Supervisors and directors changed almost quarterly, different life changes caused a rotation and sometimes it meant uprooting out of a town and into another for an indeterminate amount of time. That’s why Hope never set expectations in being anywhere longer than a few months, but now with her long term goal in mind, she figured Kings Head Harbor might have been the first place she’d land for a longer period of time. “You couldn’t have told me Jonah was on shift when I had to be carted around earlier today?” She asked the question with a sickly sweet demeanor though she knew the fury was brewing behind her eyes. 

Oliver wasn’t technically at fault for her feelings, nor did he need to hold any accountability for it, but it felt easy to start off for now. She held up a hand and asked the bartender for a simple club soda. “I don’t like to drink before a major meeting.” She feigned. When truthfully her stomach turned at the scent, memories rushing back all over again from when she tried to pull away from it laden on her ex-husbands clothes. “Nothing I couldn’t handle though.” Though she knew it was the beginning of yet another long road she would have to walk through that involved Jonah. 

The sound of the bottle cap flying to the floor reckoned through the bar, his eyes landing back on Hope as he took hold of the bottle. “Interns are usually helpful, I find,” Oliver hadn’t been stationed at Kings Head for long, but he found it quite approachable as far as hospital settings went. It wasn’t overwhelming like a lot of the bigger facilities, and he understood more of the way the place functioned. It helped that he really only did a few surgeries in the morning, his afternoon rounds, and spent the rest of his time settling between appointments and the ER, depending on where he was most needed. His eyes settled on her glass, inching up back to her serene smile that he could tell was a bit forced. “I wasn’t completely aware that he was there. Focusing a bit more on the care of our patients, not the whereabouts of your ex-husband. Well, I guess I’m not focused on his whereabouts anymore.” He cleared his throat a bit, his eyes shifting down to the wooden bar top. His tone was a bit teasing as he took a hefty sip from the bottle. 

Oliver should have definitely thought about drinking before he figured he’d go back to his shift in a few hours. But one couldn’t hurt. “I’m sure if you got enough alcohol in you, the meeting would probably go better than expected. Maybe your colleagues would see you’ve loosened up and you’re not so...,” He smirked at her, “Stiff.” It was easier to be friends with her than it was to be involved, but he found their banter to be rather playful. “Drinks on me if you promise to not scare the first year nurses at rounds, and you actually smile while giving patients happy news.”

Grabbing lunch with Oliver was a favorite pastime in her ever evolving schedule. Spending most of her time these days going from her office downtown back to Sandport for various things including this outing made things easier in a sense. She’d been grateful the last few times they’d grabbed lunch that Oliver seemed to be in better spirits as time went on, and she was sure her expression said it all when usually she was so good at hiding her immediate feelings. “Share a space in what way?” Allison decided to reply with, play a bit dumbfounded while she could. There wasn’t a lot of details that she dove into, generally she knew as much as her wife would relay to her, but with Oliver and Landon it was very similar to a Katy Perry song she’d heard a few times on the radio. They could be hot one day, and then cold the very next second. Stay neutral. She tried to tell herself before the man continued. 

“It sounds hypothetical but seems very factual as if it’s something you’ve been considering at length,” Allison began, picking up her glass of water gingerly and shaking her head. The only thing that could come to mind at the moment was the very severe lack of communication either man possessed with each other. When things struck the kettle it was very fast, very passionate, but when the kettle stopped boiling over, it turned sour, nearly toxic. “I didn’t realize that’s where Landon’s been spending his days lately,” She admitted. “But I do have to ask, are you sure that’s an avenue you want to explore? Moving in together is a pretty big step. Contracts might be a positive for Landon, but I don’t think it’s the security system he’s worried about.” 

Talking with Alli always seemed to make sense. For one, she was a lawyer, so the pros and cons list always seemed to come in handy. Second, she knew what it was like to put up with a Reid-- well, to be fair, there wasn’t any ‘putting up’ with Sanem. Mostly, they put up with the same Reid. Naturally, bringing up feelings that he had seemed to encompass around the idea of sharing a space with Landon felt right with her. “Like,” He took a sip of his water, sniffling a little bit as he tried to figure out what kind of words would sound the clearest. “Move in. With me. In my house.” For a quick second, he wasn’t sure if he had wanted to make eye contact. While he knew that his relationship was far from perfect, it usually didn’t make him feel better to talk about specific aspects of the relationship. There was a lot of heat under their feathers, which made their arguments stand out more than others. 

“It’s hypothetical until I’m able to really muster up the thought and courage to talk with him about it,” Oliver poked his cheek with his tongue. “I haven’t had any real, in-depth thoughts about it. But I do want to explore how I feel.” Oliver was getting older, it was a progression of steps in their ever-evolving romance. Even if they kept themselves casual, it seemed that they could continue going forward at this point. He didn’t see their flame burning out any time quickly. “If I’m not over there, he’s over at my place. It just seems to make sense space and monetarily. We shouldn’t have to pay for Landon to have his own space. We-- I like him there.” Oliver paused for a moment, recognizing her concerns. Their fights weren’t just fights but explosions of emotions that neither of them had really discussed at length, either. It may be best for that conversation to take place between the two men sooner rather than later. 

Oliver picked at the bread basket that sat on the table. “It’s felt a lot more comfortable to get home and Landon’s already on the sofa, or he’s working at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee,” Looking back up at Alli, he noticed that he may having been blushing slightly. “You know what I mean? It’s more... fulfilling.”

“They’re yams,” he stated matter-of-factly. Instinctively, Landon began rubbing the man’s shoulders, frowning as his thumb found a number of knots in his shoulder blades. “Sorry.” The more Oliver spoke, the more Landon hoped he was too tired to notice the blush on his cheeks– hopefully his facial hair was scraggly enough to hide it. “So it’s important that I charm them?” He’d never been introduced to anybody’s family before. Not as a…well, the label still wasn’t there. The old Landon would’ve kept Oliver up to fight about it, but he kept silent. “Your grandfather’s coming?” his brow perked up. That didn’t seem just like anybody. “Again, how many people are you planning on having?”

Landon mused for a moment before shrugging. “I’m not sure. I mean, I’m sure Allison and Sanem might be doing something. I haven’t really talked to Sanem much,” he admitted. “I’m not trying to stress her out too much during the pregnancy. I…I can be a lot,” a soft laugh. He didn’t think the basis of their relationship would change, but a baby was going to be involved and from all the books he’d read, he wasn’t supposed to bring intense energy around them. “Did you want them to come too? Or is this…a me and you thing?”

Landon was a charming man-- that he knew. Even if he was a bit uptight, at first, it came off as rigid and all-knowing. Good enough to make great first impressions if he tried hard. “I don’t think anything is too important or not important, I think it’s just,” Pausing, he shrugged. “It’s just important that you’re there. Present.” The man hadn’t noticed how much Landon’s skin had brightened since they had started being in each other’s lives again; he seemed to want to feel slightly responsible for the way the man glowed. How many people would there be? Oliver let a breath inhale before he nudged Landon with his chin. “It won’t be that many, I promise. My family isn’t that big-- I’m only a child, I don’t see my dad’s family, so it’s, at most, fifteen people.”

It hadn’t shocked Oliver at how involved Landon wanted to be in his sister’s pregnancy process. What shocked him is how much he visually expressed it. The smiling, the musing, the rambling on and on about linen versus cotton sheets and the benefits and cons to both. Oliver’s best trait was that he could just listen to Landon talk for hours about anything and not get bored. “It... should be a me and you thing,” Settling on the man’s lips, his hand respectively sat on his knee as he tightened his grip to a firmness. 

“I don’t want to scare you or anything, so if this is too much because we’re, you know,” He licked his lips, “We’re not really... labeled-- which is fine. Absolutely fine,” He felt himself scattering over words to not scare him off. It happened before, it could happen again. “I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable with where we are, and where I see the future heading.” Oliver shrugged. “Our future.”

A few people. Few meant at least three. Landon could handle a minimum of three people, especially during a holiday that they typically didn’t celebrate. It would just be a standard dinner. What was annoying, however, was the way Landon’s standard scowl turned into a schoolboy smile and his heart beating out of his chest. “I mean, when you put it that way…,” he murmured, putting his mug down to wrap his arms around the other man and rubbing his back gently. “Babe, we both know you would absolutely love it if I wore a maid’s outfit, so let’s not get started on that,” Landon stood up on his toes to meet his lips. “I mean, I can make a sangria or my mom’s candied yams if you’d like,” he blushed. Landon knew he’d have to practice a few times before perfecting the final dish, but if he was going to make an impression– a good impression– he’d have to step up his game. “If you hate yams though, I won’t. But let’s go to the living room okay? You’ve been up all night and you deserve to sit down for a bit.” 

He hadn’t told Landon about everyone that was coming, mostly to not overwhelm him with that fact. It didn’t matter if it were one or twenty-- he still wanted the man there, no matter what. Leaning into the man’s touch, he started to feel his muscles atrophying from standing for so long. Landon being so easy to fall into may have also had something to do with it. “If you wore a maid’s outfit?” He smirked, a small chuckle following. “I know we do some kinky shit, but I don’t think that really makes the cut for me.” 

In some respects, Oliver knew Landon would over analyze what this holiday would mean and how it would be significant for their relationship. There was a lot to unpack. “I don’t hate yams, but I think we could argue about whether or not they’re called yams or sweet potatoes all day. A sangria would be fantastic, though,” He followed the man into the living room space, groaning as he sat down, feeling the exhaustion washing over him. “I think you could just win over my family with your charming personality and witty knowledge about stuff people don’t care about, except my grandfather, maybe.” Oliver snuggled his head into the man’s shoulder, pressing his lips on it gently to take in the man’s scent. “He’ll have a lot to say about the history of the HTML, I’m sure.”

His eyes lifted, “What’s your family doing for Thanksgiving?”

“You could also start with ‘good morning,’” Landon teased, falling into the trap of touch. The idea of meeting Oliver’s family was intimidating. They’d been off and on for so long, he wasn’t sure what Oliver had told them about everything. About him. The dogs puttered around their feet, greeting their dad and asking for attention. Oliver had a knack for finding love in things that needed an absurd amount of attention. Sipping his own coffee gave him a moment to think rather than react, a first for Landon Reid. “Well, who does that entail? And…what are we telling them? Meeting your family sounds like something you’d take your boyfriend to do,” eyes peered up at him as he took another sip. Was this is way of asking? Or was he trying to play head games with him? “If I decide to come, should I bring anything?”

Mornings felt slower with Landon around. Every movement he made, the man wanted to ensure that he caught it. Watching him maneuver his kitchen had struck a bolt in Oliver’s chest, one that he wouldn’t share with the man quite yet, but he hoped that he felt the same initial want. “Good morning, sunshine,” He replied with a small kiss to the man’s cheek. As the dogs scratched at him, the whines didn’t cease until he got on the floor to pet them. His eyes searched up at the being in front of him, “It entails... I mean, just a few people, not a big deal,” Which meant grandparents, possibly a few aunts or uncles, cousins. Whoever wanted to show up. Specifically, his mom was the most important. “I want to introduce my family to someone who makes me really happy,” Oliver stood back up, his feet hurting from standing in the OR all night from an emergency surgery that lasted a few hours. “Plus, you’re here all the time, anyways. If they stay here, they’re bound to see you. I could introduce you as the maid, if you wanted.” Putting the boyfriend label on things seemed to not work in their favor, especially when they pushed the boundary. Oliver laughed at the sentiment, “Is there a special Reid-family Thanksgiving recipe that I should be acquiring about? Possibly a cocktail?”

Finishing off his first glass of water, he sighed at the menu in front of him. Getting lunch with Alli seemed to be the perfect time to present her with the idea that had been looming in his mind for a while. She may have a few opinions on the matter, but he was ready to share those negative thoughts with her, as well. “How do you approach wanting to share a space with someone?” His facial expression remained neutral, eyes studied the menu that he had grown to know very well, as he already knew what to order. While it was easy to talk to Alli because her mind worked in both pro and con ways, it was difficult when she knew who he was talking about. 

Oliver and Alli had the pleasure of being outside-insiders to the Reid lifestyle, which he knew was mostly about navigating Landon. On both sides, that is. “This is a very hypothetical situation that occurs a lot of planning and a lot of negotiating, but I think I can conjure up a contract for him, if he’s ready for that step.” His eyes finally reached hers as he fought off the smile. “I mean he’s practically at my place all the time anyways, right? Do you think I need to upgrade my security system to make a better impression?”

It had felt like a fever dream the past few weeks. He was happy. There were so many instances of small detailed text messages, ranging from late at night to early in the morning, encouraging words before he was sent off to work. He took the time to always remind his man of how infatuated with him he was. Something about this time trying was different; they knew their differences, their kinks and twists. The atmosphere felt like there was a shift in the universe that was telling him to continue moving forward. There were days when Oliver would be getting home just as Landon was waking up; this just happened to be one of those slow mornings that entailed extra coffee and more affection. “My family is coming in to town to celebrate Thanksgiving. We don’t really do that in Canada but it’s an excuse for them to travel here to see me, I guess.” One hand holding a cup of coffee, the other outreaching towards the man in front of him. His hand placed on Landon’s hip, softly pulling the man closer to him. He only wanted a touch, but the intention to come closer was a nice touch. “Come. Meet them.”

“Maybe that was my problem, there was never a time the teacher wasn’t looking at me.” Though she could laugh it off now, school had been hard for her. She had never really got why she couldn’t just focus and sit still like the rest of the kids, it wasn’t like she wanted to be kept behind on her lunches and after school or have her mom dragged into speak to a teacher every other day. When she had finally gotten tested and she had been able to get that help to get something done in school - it had been a breathe of fresh air. “Yea a few things here and there and no one will have known a thing, I mean it clearly worked you don’t look like a failure at life right now.” Mack beamed up at him. “I was a little shit, or at least my teachers thought, got kept back a year, turns out I just had some major ADHD going on and concentration was not my best friend.” 

In school, Oliver was a relatively good kid. There were a few spurts, like when a kid punched him after playing softball in gym class, and he might have punched back. Otherwise, he was respectful. Which meant that eyes weren’t always on him for the wrong reasons. “I don’t know if that is always a bad thing, maybe in your case, though. Having all eyes on you, I mean.” School was always a place that Oliver was able to overachieve, possibly not allowing that to take place in other aspects on his life. Looking around at the vehicle looming over them, he smirked a bit at the way that she phrased it. “I’m very glad I don’t come off looking like a failure. But if I did, please let me know what that would look like.” There were so many questions that he had to ask, but he figured that all at once would be a bit too much. “ADHD is definitely under identified, especially in older adults. I’m not into neuroscience by any means, but I’ve read a lot about it, it’s fascinating.” Sipping on his beer, his eyes went back to the van. “So, I assume that this is a product of ADHD dreams? Seems... small.”