जिंदगी एक है सफर सुहाना

inevitably, doug says yes and gets to work. the first time is pretty easy. when mark, obviously sleep-deprived, comes in through the ambulance entrance, doug calls out while fanning himself, "is it hot in here or is it just you, mark?"

mark very quickly decides that it is a joke, and brushes him off, "oh im sure it's just the collective body heat of every stressed person in here who has to deal with your quips, doug."

doug scoffs, but before he can rebutt him mark says, "come on show me what's on the board..."

later, doug purposefully antagonises mark to set up the next line. mark is glaring at him angrily, they're looking directly into each other's eyes when doug says, "do you have a map?"

"what?"

"because i got lost in your eyes."

mark rolls his eyes, "oh my god shut up!"

"i'll shut up if you make me," he winks, very purposefully trying not to make it sound like he wants to get into a fist fight with him. he glances over at carol, who has been watching from the nurses' station and she's grinning like an idiot, giving him a thumbs up. he's counting that as two lines. getting him to three out of five.

mark falters at this, a flutter rising in his stomach, but he promptly pushes it down, "you're going to be the death of me some day, doug ross."

"hopefully not too soon," doug replies, wearing his classic smirk.

mark shakes his head and walks away to pick up another patient.

but now it’s in the last hour of the shift and doug still has two more pick up lines left to win that twenty. he decides to corner him in the break room.

“how’s your shift going?”

mark is sitting at the table with a pile of charts in front of him. he sighs, rubbing his eyes, “same as always.”

“well if rest is what you need, my bed's always open.”

“okay. that’s enough, what the hell has gotten into you today??”

“woah, hey, i’m sorry-“

“look i know we joke around a lot but this? this is just cruel.”

“mark…”

“i know you don’t feel the same way i do, you don’t need to rub it in my face. this job’s stressful enough without... whatever it is you think you’re doing.”

“i'm not- i- wait, the way you feel?” realisation dawns on doug, “holy shit.”

“just go away please. i have charting to do,” mark says, sounding hurt. 

“wait. mark. i really am sorry for upsetting you, let me make it up to you - let me- let me take you out somewhere nice just the two of us, yeah?”

“wow. you just don’t know when to stop, do you?”

“i’m serious.”

mark looks for any semblance of dishonesty in doug's expression but finds none.

“let me take you to dinner.”

“doug…”

he crouches down beside him. “please mark. I know im an asshole-“

“understatement.”

doug huffs out a laugh, “...but you aren’t, not to me at least.”

“mm only when you deserve it.”

“only when i deserve it, yeah. look i’ll only ask you one more time and then i promise i’ll shut up. i like you as a friend and i think I’d like you even more as a date, will you let me buy you dinner?”

mark was honest to god blushing now, looking at doug and back to his chart and back to doug again, wrestling between his options. he takes in a deep breath and while exhaling says, “okayfineillgowithyou”

doug jumps up from the floor, clapping his hand together, and then begins rambling, “great! great okay, okay… give me five minutes and I’ll get us a reservation, I know just the place-“

“hey,” mark says, putting a placating hand on doug’s arm, “just, breathe please. i don’t need you passing out on me.”

“oh i wouldn’t dream of it. unless of course it’s after a bottle of wine... and some jazz…”

“okay! okay! i get it! just. go before i change my mind.”

“yes, sir,” doug mock salutes him. mark rolls his eyes, fondly this time.

when doug’s almost finished making their reservation, carol overhears him talking on the phone - “…yeah. yep reservation for two. time? let’s say 8:30. okay, perfect. no, thank you.”

“so did you get your five lines in? or am i twenty dollars richer?”

“nope, i definitely got five in at least. i think i lost count after that.”

“oh yeah? here's your twenty. ...so where's the reservation then?”

"that italian place, treffeleti's."

"ohhh that's your first date spot. who's the lucky one this time?"

“uhh… i don’t think that’s any of your business.”

she raises a brow. just then mark walks over, eyes darting between the pair and asks doug, “did you book it for us?”

doug flushes at being caught, “ahem- yep yeah, tonight, 8:30.”

“great,” mark smiles before walking away.

“oh my god, doug, i knew it! carter! haleh! lydia! chuny! you all owe me a hundred bucks!”

“ah shit!” carter calls out as he walks toward the nurses' station. he sighs, “well congrats, ross, didn't think you had it in you.”

doug is in shock, “what. how did you- you know what. no. i’m not doing this, i’ll ignore it and it'll go away like all my other problems.”

“sure, doug. whatever you say,” carol says, grinning.

yeah, carol thinks, this was definitely a great way to make the shift more interesting.

fin.

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@cuntygeneralhospital happy 100 followers to you both btw!! if you’ve read this, thank you! i love you guys’ posts and blog and yeah <3 big fan. also your actual blog name is so clever and funny to me love it :D