RP LOG with timemaychange | Post coital
[Follows THIS]
It was impossible for Nathan's bedroom not to feel warm after what had just taken place in it. Entwined in a tangle of faintly damp sheets with his legs curled together with Mel's and his arm tucked around her waist, Nathan hadn't realised he had dozed off briefly until his stomach growled loudly and woke him up. He didn't realise what it was at first, blinking sleepily as he tried to get his bearings again and let his mind tell itself he wasn't alone like usual. He hadn't meant to do the typical male passing out after sex thing, but after his tiring day and extremely intense and satisfying, yet unexpected, sex with Mel about an hour before, he had given into the warm cosy comfort that came with the afterglow of the mindblowing orgasms they somehow managed to have simultaneously. He couldn't remember the last time he did that with a girl, if at all. They just seemed to be connected through the whole thing and it had really been amazing. The foreplay was only a close second, too. It was complete give and take, leading to the main course which he really hoped there would be a repeat performance of at some point.
He shifted back just a little to try and stifle a yawn, and then smiled sleepily at Mel, reaching up to brush his fingers lethargically through her hair. "You should have just given me a firm nudge in the ribs to wake me up, you know," he told with a laugh. His voice was husky in the hushed tones and he dropped his lips to kiss her shoulder softly when his stomach growled loudly again, causing him to bury his face against her arm. "Shit, I've got the romance coming from all angles, haven't I?" he joked apologetically.
Mel's fingers curled around the back of his neck as she laughed, and pushed her fingers through his still damp hair. She'd been lost in thought most of the time Nathan had been passed out, watching him sleep while she replayed what had just happened. She couldn't help herself. It was going to be on repeat for the rest of her life, and then there would be the debrief to Randy. A part of her had even felt the urge to slip from bed to message her straight after, but Mel had decided to stay entangled with Nathan instead. A much better choice.
"Why would I wake you up? You're too cute when you're asleep and kind of have your mouth hanging open," she teased. "You need something to eat. You got anything here? I don't mind making sandwiches, or something. I'd make something more, but I don't think my body wants to do anything." Her fingers moved, tracing around his ear before she walked them down his jaw. She just wanted to keep touching Nathan. It was like discovering a new sensation, and all you wanted to do was indulge yourself. "I like this kind of romance. We're not pretending to be perfect."
Nathan stretched a little against her with a small grunt of exertion. Any movement right now seemed like too much and he managed to stifle another small yawn. "There's probably not a whole heap there. Milk, maybe some bread if it isn't moldy. I seriously need to get my finger out of my butt and do some shopping. What about pizza? Or Chinese? I can call, my shout. I owe you anyway. We so missed our reservation," he laughed. He starting trailing some soft kisses across her chest to her throat, nuzzling under her chin and brushing his toe down over her leg beneath the sheets. "I didn't get lunch and my stomach feels like it's trying to eat itself. Must've worked up an appetite."
Mel slipped her arm around him, her hand brushing against his back as she revelled in the attention. It was nice being able to snuggle, and have someone nuzzle against her. She tried to remember the last time it had happened. With Cameron there was no nuzzling. They didn't really fly apart after sex, there was still hanging out in bed naked, but it was different. "Mm... pizza..." Mel breathed out as a shiver rolled through her body in response to his touches. "We could go shopping together. I don't mind helping. No rules about where the dates have to be, right? Grocery store's as good a place as any. And you really, really don't owe me anything..." She nudged his head back and kissed his forehead. "I know you got all wet, and cold, and stuff, but I liked how it ended up. But you're okay, aren't you? Because I don't want to be one of those girls! I didn't plan the sex, so it doesn't count, right? You know I like you for more than that... right?" She was having a brief moment of doubt, Mel's teeth catching her lip as she looked at him. "We should eat..."
"Let's think about shopping sometime that's not now," Nathan decided, coughing a little to clear his throat. "So long as I still have toilet paper, it's cool. Can I ask you something without you thinking it's some sort of downer on you? It's not, I promise. I'm just curious about something." He settled onto his back, scratching slowly at a small itch on his stomach, but he was still pressed up against her side, his leg wrapped in with hers.
Mel nodded as she rest her hand on his chest, and kept her head on the pillow near his. "Agreed. Shopping definitely at a time that's not now. And you can ask me anything. Although the dislaimer's making me wonder what the question's going to be."
"Why are you so down on yourself when it comes to guys?" Nathan asked her, turning his head so he could see her face a little better. "Like you need to qualify everything when it comes to them. I mean, it's okay. I don't think it's a bad thing or anything, but you make me start to wonder if I'm doing something wrong then. Like I'm not doing enough to reassure you. I've never really been with someone before who needs to make sure everything's alright after it's done... even sex," he added with a laugh, but gave her a smile so she would know he was just teasing.
Mel shrugged her shoulder a little bit as she tried not to blush. Her immediate reactions to some questions were out of her control. She could already feel her cheeks get hot, and she hated it. "I don't know... I've always been shy. Guess sometimes I wonder what they see in me. Or want to see in me. I'm not... I don't know. I'm not trying to qualify everything. Just you said you didn't like it when girls just wanted sex on the first date, and I just wanted to check... I'm not asking because you're doing something wrong. You're not doing anything wrong! It's all right. I just get worried I'm the one doing something wrong. I've never had this. I guess part of me can't really believe it." Mel's nose scrunched up a little. "Randy doesn't believe me, but guys do just give me the flick because I'm not some bar girl interested in a quick fuck. I'm not good at quick fucks. But I guess every guy I've met hasn't been interested in the something more, so I just get all... I wonder if I'll be enough for anyone."
Nathan held up his hand. "No, I didn't say that. I said I don't like it when that's all girls want. There's a big difference in that fine line. When they want me for what I do and the paycheck they think I get. Sometimes I'm guilty of just rolling with it because, yeah, I'm a guy. Sometimes I just need sex, so it's probably my fault as much as theirs. It's not the same this time. Okay?" he murmured, holding her gaze as he took her hand again, holding it against his chest. "I'll admit, I didn't expect for this to happen, but you know what? It's been a long time since I just felt comfortable enough with someone to do that. Weirdly enough, I usually go to their place, to their bed, so I can leave as soon as I'm able. If you just relax a little bit and not try to worry what we're thinking, you might find that we're not actually thinking badly of you at all."
"I don't know, might need a little something to help me relax more," Mel said with a smile as she moved to kiss him softly. "Sometimes I'm just guilty of rolling with it too, because I'm a girl. Like with Cameron. I don't mean to overthink everything. I probably just need more nights like this. There was a while there where I really wasn't thinking much of anything." Mel lay her head against his shoulder, and rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand. "What pizza do you like?"
"How come?" Nathan asked her. He was genuinely interested in knowing more about her. He knew there was more than met the eye, and he just wanted to know her. "I worried you might have had a bad time with a guy or something. I get the shyness. I used to be like that in the past, but I knew I had to get over it if I wanted to be a doctor. Just put myself in the presence of more people to ween myself off the shyness. It wasn't easy. I don't know Cameron that well, but I get the feeling you probably were just helping each other out. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just a little amused that you were worried I would think you were 'one of those girls', but tell me guys give you the flick because you're not. Your head must be feeling like it's in a washing machine with all those thoughts. Promise me you'll just try and chill a little? I promise you, I'm not thinking bad things of you. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be." He gave his head a rough scratch to try and wake himself up more. "I like anything that isn't fish, has eyes, or onion. I'm not a fan of onion."
Mel pulled her mouth to the side as she moved her head again so she could look at him. "No, nothing like that. Randy would know if it had been a bad experience like that... I'm just... I'm always around people. I change jobs so often, and they're all in customer service pretty much. I guess part of it is I've never been settled. I've never known exactly what it was I wanted to do. But I did really like when I worked in a florist's. That was cool making all these bunches of flowers for people, and getting all creative. The store closed down though, and I couldn't get work in another one. Randy's always known... She's so sure of herself. I love my sister, and she's my best friend, but I do envy her confidence." Mel sighed, and pulled his hand to her chest this time as she hugged it. "I am chilling. I'm chill. The cycle's done, no more washing machine. Ooh, can we get surpreme, then? No onion. And garlic bread."
Nathan was quiet for a moment, brushing his thumb against her palm. "I hear that a lot. That twins can syphon traits off each other, they can be the same, but the total opposite all at the same time. It's kinda cool. I don't think you have any reason to be envious of your sister. You were split into two parts for a reason. If you were exactly like her, what would be the point? This way, you get the best of both worlds. It just means you offer different things to the world. Some guys like it when girls aren't brimming with confidence. For every guy who likes girls like that, I can assure you there are just as many who like the shy sort. I've always been one of the latter. Or more accurately, I get along better with the latter because I like to be able to connect with someone. Sex is awesome, for sure. I need more than that." He reached over to get the cordless phone from his bedside. "The florist at the hospital makes a killing. You should offer your services. It's a nice little shop, too."
"That's why I think we're each other's halves, you know? We're a whole split into two. And I don't care what math, or science says. You can't have identical halves. There's always going to be some kind of difference. You can't split a person in half and have them be the same. One's always going to be thinking with only one side of the brain. I'm glad you're one for the shy sort. Means I'm getting luckier every second." Mel watched him for a moment, before grinning. "Yeah? I never thought about it before, but you're right... Maybe I should look into it."
Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I know. That doesn't mean you couldn't exist without each other... if you had to. Sometimes you probably just have to." If felt like something caught in his throat and he cleared it. That flip in his stomach came next whenever he let his mind linger on this place. He rolled onto his side and held the phone up. "So, supreme? You just want one or should we be horrible and get two? I don't know about you, but cold pizza for breakfast is God's gift to doctors on the run. Not that I have to run. I actually changed my shift tomorrow. I have the day off. And you should. If that's what you want to do. Not trying to tell you that you have to or anything."
Mel frowned a little, catching a slight change in his mood. "Is that something to do with your twin experience?" she asked quietly. "I don't know what I'd do. I know I could if I had to, but I hope it never comes to that." Mel slid her hand over his waist, and rubbed her fingers against his hip. "I say we get two! Then I can show you how much of a pig I can be. I don't have to run tomorrow, either. Rostered day off. So I could hang around a bit longer if you wanted... I'm definitely going to think about it, but because it's a good oppurtunity. Nothing more."
Nathan nodded slowly again but he didn't elaborate straight away. He quickly dialled in the local pizza place's number which he shamefully already knew off by heart and placed their order, including garlic bread and a tub of ice cream for dessert. They told him it would be about half an hour and then he shoved the phone back onto his nightstand. "Probably more than just an experience. It's just easier to refer to it as that. Tomorrow would be good, by the way. If you don't have anything else to be doing. I was just going to hang around and enjoy not being in scrubs, sleeping in." He held his hand up so she could see the inside of his forearm. The tattoo there in an intricate script beneath a Gemini sign simply said 'Part Two'. "Snap?" he offered with a small smile.
"No, I don't have anything else to be doing. I want this date to last as long as possible," she admitted with an impish smile. The smile faded as she stared at the tattoo. "Snap?" she repeated, the meaning not quite sinking in for a moment. When it did her eyes went wide and she sat up a little to take his forearm in her hands as she looked at the tattoo again. "You're a twin? What happened?"
Nathan looked down at his arm in her hand, pressing his lips together a little. "My brother, he died. We were eight when it happened, but he had been ill on and off for two years before that. Leukemia. They originally told my parents he would survive, and he went into a brief remission. But when it came back, it was worse and they gave him six months. He died a week later when he caught a fever. I was too young to really understand everything that was going on. When I was old enough to realise, it's what helped me decide to become a doctor. After my parents thought I was going mental because I still talked to him, of course," he added with a small smirk. "I believed for a long time he could still hear me, even though he wasn't there. Even now, I still sometimes feel like I'm not completely alone."
"Oh my god," Mel gasped as she dragged her gaze from the tattoo, to Nathan's face. "I'm so sorry. And it's not mental. I mean, twins have a bond. I think it really is one that could last beyond death. I read this article once that was talking about twins and the whole supposed ESP thing, and that when you lose one, you just never feel quite right." She bit her lip briefly before releasing it, and dipping her head to kiss the the tattoo. "What was his name?"
Nathan gave a small nod. "Yeah, that's pretty much how it is. Things got strange after that. My parents split up, and my Mom and I moved in with my grandparents. There was loads of debt from medical bills, creating tension. It took me a long time to let myself get close to anyone, make friends, things like that. I was always worried they would die and leave me. It got better, things started to heal and life just went on. I never really stop missing him, though. I wonder what he would be like now if he was still here. If we'd be anything alike, what he would be doing as a career, if he'd have a family, make me an uncle," he said with a laugh. "I really do like kids, see. His name was Caleb."
"Caleb? I like that name..." Mel untangled her legs long enough for her to move on top of Nathan, half-straddling him so she could look at him. Her fingers threaded between his and she held his hand up against her lips as she kissed it. "Well, if he's even the smallest bit like you he'd be a great guy now. And I think it's crazy if neither of you got snapped up and hitched by now. Not that I'm really complaining! I get you now... Do you want kids of your own?"
Nathan laughed. "I don't know, not sure I'm old enough to be married yet. But who knows? I'm probably just saying that because I haven't met the right person yet. It doesn't take a genius to see some of the married couples around here and be as jealous as all hell. They just seem to have something single people don't. It's gotta be a nice thing wanting to share your life with someone." He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I really would like kids of my own one day. I guess I always have. You just get a bit nervous in my job, knowing what could happen to them."
Mel nodded a little. "I think that's true of everyone. Anyone that goes out with the sole purpose of wanting to get married, just settles for the first guy that goes along, and it's never really love. It's just taking what they want. I'd rather fall so madly in love with someone that I knew I didn't want anyone else. That I couldn't imagine my life without them, and they get the twin thing, but they still know they're my other other half. You know?" Mel stuck her tongue between her teeth briefly as she grinned. "I want kids, too. I've never told anyone, but I do. But I'd get really worried about them, just like you would. I was talking to Cameron, and his honorary nephew's going through some hard times. So's the mom."
"Why haven't you told anyone? It's not the Plague!" Nathan joked as he rubbed his hands softly up and down her thighs, letting his thumbs brush lightly in the dips between her hips and her legs. He nodded. "Baby Campbell. He was a patient in the Kid's Ward when I started but was discharged a few days later. It would be hard having a diabetic child, knowing you have to prick them all the time to test their levels, making sure his diet was right. The works. A sick kid... it's really tough on the family. Even the smallest thing, you would panic. Understandably so. Especially with a first child when you're finding your feet as a parent. Still, I'd love it. A little tiny..." he held his hands up like he was holding a small bundle, "you. It might be fantasy land, but to love someone so much you make a person with them. It sounds fucking awesome."
Mel laughed as she ducked her head, hiding it against his chest briefly. She kissed a line along his collarbone, up to his jaw. "Never been with someone I wanted to admit it to. Most guys... I can't see having their kids. Not that I want your kids right now! But just... I don't know. Washing machine." She kissed the corner of his mouth and brushed his hair back from his forehead. "You'd still love them, and it would still be awesome. I know it's hard, but you wouldn't want them to get sick, or anything. You'd want to help them. A little tiny helpless you... Shit, it would be hard. Hard, but amazing... And watching them grow. Watching their first steps, and how their eyes are so full of wonder at the simplest of things." Mel blinked, and started to laugh as she realised she'd gone off in her own land, imagining the tiny her. "I'd really like it."
"The simplest of things is right. I heard Baby Campbell managed to get a sealed condom into his mouth at the bar once. Lachlan was out for blood. Imagine having a curious kid? Your ass would never hit the seat," Nathan laughed. He wrapped his arms loosely around her, too comfortable to really move much right then, despite his stomach growling like he hadn't eaten in a week. "From what I've seen, if they get sick, you just tend to deal. You do what you can to help them get better, make sure they aren't in pain. Some people deal with it through anger, which I had in my face most of today. One of the fathers thought I looked too young to be a qualified doctor, refused to let me near their kid. It sucked, but it's about learning human nature, not just showing up to a shift and taking a kid's temp and giving him Tylenol. If there is one thing in this world that would make a person kill, it's their kid in danger."
Mel's eyebrows shot up. "Oh my god! That's terrible. What was the condom doing lying around, anyway? I'm definitely keeping any condoms I have locked up. But it's still going to remind you just how much we take for granted these days. They're discovering all these things for the first time, you know? We just don't look at things anymore. It's just stuff to us." Mel listened, frowning a little at the idea of a father yelling at Nathan because he hadn't thought he was qualified. Only she did understand. "It's true, a person really would kill for their kid. Same as I'd kill for Randy, or Matty. I'm still sorry you had such a shit day. What happened to the kid?"
"I think that was the golden question. Some stupid dickhead not realising what it's like to have kids around. Luke's always been fine with his staff having their kids around after hours, especially with the band and their practicing. He loves kids. He was pissed it happened too. The bub's pretty much a fixture because his Dad's in the band." Nathan scrunched his nose up with a small shrug. "She went home. She was only kept in for observation after a spider bite. He thought it was reckless of us to let her home when he had decided spider venom was fatal. It wasn't, not this type. Some people just don't want to know. The child was fine, just had a sore rash on her arm. I promise, you really turned my day around," he told her with a smile.
"Jeez, no wonder no one probably owned up. Scared to be murdered on the spot." Mel made a face as she thought about Baby Campbell sucking on a condom. "Some parents need to be shot. I can't even believe they get like that. I can understand Lachlan's reaction, but this Dad... Like, sometimes you just need to realise that someone's helping you. You are a doctor, and you know what you're talking about."
Nathan pressed his lips together and shook his head. "That sounds optimistic, but you always get backdoor doctors in the disguise of friends or family. They always know better. Anything involving not snapping your fingers and healing the person on the spot is incompetency. It's why doctors pay painfully high premiums for insurance, because we get sued so often. Plus, we're still human. We can always make mistakes, just like the next person. Expecially in emergency cases, it's easy to miss something, to not see the answer right away. Our hospital has a special team for that type of case, but any doctor, any day can be faced with the same puzzles. I love it, though. It's not easy, but when Caleb was ill, the doctors were always so awesome. They made him comfortable and cared. If I can be like that, then I know I'm making a difference."
Mel ran her fingers over his cheek, and touched his lips, tracing the curve of them as she gave him a small smile. "I think you'll be close. You want it bad enough, and you have a grasp on what makes a good doctor, and what makes a bad one. I know you've only just started, but I think you'll be true to your dream. At least I hope so. You deserve it."
Nathan was smiling as he looked up at her. "I could just be feeding you a bunch of bullshit to get into your pants, you know. I could really be a jerk. You might need to spend more time with me to find out for yourself," he told her with a cheeky smirk.
Mel matched his smirk, hand disappearing between their bodies as she spared a glance at the clock on his bedside. "Mm, well, we have ten minutes before the pizza gets here. And then we have all of tomorrow. I think that's a start, don't you?"
Nathan sucked in a breath and then let it out through a laugh. He shifted a little under her so his renewing erection rubbed against her, indicating he definitely agreed with her thoughts. "I can think of a better start," he murmured, pushing up to catch her lips with his in an eager kiss.
Word Count | 4,597
It was impossible for Nathan's bedroom not to feel warm after what had just taken place in it. Entwined in a tangle of faintly damp sheets with his legs curled together with Mel's and his arm tucked around her waist, Nathan hadn't realised he had dozed off briefly until his stomach growled loudly and woke him up. He didn't realise what it was at first, blinking sleepily as he tried to get his bearings again and let his mind tell itself he wasn't alone like usual. He hadn't meant to do the typical male passing out after sex thing, but after his tiring day and extremely intense and satisfying, yet unexpected, sex with Mel about an hour before, he had given into the warm cosy comfort that came with the afterglow of the mindblowing orgasms they somehow managed to have simultaneously. He couldn't remember the last time he did that with a girl, if at all. They just seemed to be connected through the whole thing and it had really been amazing. The foreplay was only a close second, too. It was complete give and take, leading to the main course which he really hoped there would be a repeat performance of at some point.
He shifted back just a little to try and stifle a yawn, and then smiled sleepily at Mel, reaching up to brush his fingers lethargically through her hair. "You should have just given me a firm nudge in the ribs to wake me up, you know," he told with a laugh. His voice was husky in the hushed tones and he dropped his lips to kiss her shoulder softly when his stomach growled loudly again, causing him to bury his face against her arm. "Shit, I've got the romance coming from all angles, haven't I?" he joked apologetically.
Mel's fingers curled around the back of his neck as she laughed, and pushed her fingers through his still damp hair. She'd been lost in thought most of the time Nathan had been passed out, watching him sleep while she replayed what had just happened. She couldn't help herself. It was going to be on repeat for the rest of her life, and then there would be the debrief to Randy. A part of her had even felt the urge to slip from bed to message her straight after, but Mel had decided to stay entangled with Nathan instead. A much better choice.
"Why would I wake you up? You're too cute when you're asleep and kind of have your mouth hanging open," she teased. "You need something to eat. You got anything here? I don't mind making sandwiches, or something. I'd make something more, but I don't think my body wants to do anything." Her fingers moved, tracing around his ear before she walked them down his jaw. She just wanted to keep touching Nathan. It was like discovering a new sensation, and all you wanted to do was indulge yourself. "I like this kind of romance. We're not pretending to be perfect."
Nathan stretched a little against her with a small grunt of exertion. Any movement right now seemed like too much and he managed to stifle another small yawn. "There's probably not a whole heap there. Milk, maybe some bread if it isn't moldy. I seriously need to get my finger out of my butt and do some shopping. What about pizza? Or Chinese? I can call, my shout. I owe you anyway. We so missed our reservation," he laughed. He starting trailing some soft kisses across her chest to her throat, nuzzling under her chin and brushing his toe down over her leg beneath the sheets. "I didn't get lunch and my stomach feels like it's trying to eat itself. Must've worked up an appetite."
Mel slipped her arm around him, her hand brushing against his back as she revelled in the attention. It was nice being able to snuggle, and have someone nuzzle against her. She tried to remember the last time it had happened. With Cameron there was no nuzzling. They didn't really fly apart after sex, there was still hanging out in bed naked, but it was different. "Mm... pizza..." Mel breathed out as a shiver rolled through her body in response to his touches. "We could go shopping together. I don't mind helping. No rules about where the dates have to be, right? Grocery store's as good a place as any. And you really, really don't owe me anything..." She nudged his head back and kissed his forehead. "I know you got all wet, and cold, and stuff, but I liked how it ended up. But you're okay, aren't you? Because I don't want to be one of those girls! I didn't plan the sex, so it doesn't count, right? You know I like you for more than that... right?" She was having a brief moment of doubt, Mel's teeth catching her lip as she looked at him. "We should eat..."
"Let's think about shopping sometime that's not now," Nathan decided, coughing a little to clear his throat. "So long as I still have toilet paper, it's cool. Can I ask you something without you thinking it's some sort of downer on you? It's not, I promise. I'm just curious about something." He settled onto his back, scratching slowly at a small itch on his stomach, but he was still pressed up against her side, his leg wrapped in with hers.
Mel nodded as she rest her hand on his chest, and kept her head on the pillow near his. "Agreed. Shopping definitely at a time that's not now. And you can ask me anything. Although the dislaimer's making me wonder what the question's going to be."
"Why are you so down on yourself when it comes to guys?" Nathan asked her, turning his head so he could see her face a little better. "Like you need to qualify everything when it comes to them. I mean, it's okay. I don't think it's a bad thing or anything, but you make me start to wonder if I'm doing something wrong then. Like I'm not doing enough to reassure you. I've never really been with someone before who needs to make sure everything's alright after it's done... even sex," he added with a laugh, but gave her a smile so she would know he was just teasing.
Mel shrugged her shoulder a little bit as she tried not to blush. Her immediate reactions to some questions were out of her control. She could already feel her cheeks get hot, and she hated it. "I don't know... I've always been shy. Guess sometimes I wonder what they see in me. Or want to see in me. I'm not... I don't know. I'm not trying to qualify everything. Just you said you didn't like it when girls just wanted sex on the first date, and I just wanted to check... I'm not asking because you're doing something wrong. You're not doing anything wrong! It's all right. I just get worried I'm the one doing something wrong. I've never had this. I guess part of me can't really believe it." Mel's nose scrunched up a little. "Randy doesn't believe me, but guys do just give me the flick because I'm not some bar girl interested in a quick fuck. I'm not good at quick fucks. But I guess every guy I've met hasn't been interested in the something more, so I just get all... I wonder if I'll be enough for anyone."
Nathan held up his hand. "No, I didn't say that. I said I don't like it when that's all girls want. There's a big difference in that fine line. When they want me for what I do and the paycheck they think I get. Sometimes I'm guilty of just rolling with it because, yeah, I'm a guy. Sometimes I just need sex, so it's probably my fault as much as theirs. It's not the same this time. Okay?" he murmured, holding her gaze as he took her hand again, holding it against his chest. "I'll admit, I didn't expect for this to happen, but you know what? It's been a long time since I just felt comfortable enough with someone to do that. Weirdly enough, I usually go to their place, to their bed, so I can leave as soon as I'm able. If you just relax a little bit and not try to worry what we're thinking, you might find that we're not actually thinking badly of you at all."
"I don't know, might need a little something to help me relax more," Mel said with a smile as she moved to kiss him softly. "Sometimes I'm just guilty of rolling with it too, because I'm a girl. Like with Cameron. I don't mean to overthink everything. I probably just need more nights like this. There was a while there where I really wasn't thinking much of anything." Mel lay her head against his shoulder, and rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand. "What pizza do you like?"
"How come?" Nathan asked her. He was genuinely interested in knowing more about her. He knew there was more than met the eye, and he just wanted to know her. "I worried you might have had a bad time with a guy or something. I get the shyness. I used to be like that in the past, but I knew I had to get over it if I wanted to be a doctor. Just put myself in the presence of more people to ween myself off the shyness. It wasn't easy. I don't know Cameron that well, but I get the feeling you probably were just helping each other out. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just a little amused that you were worried I would think you were 'one of those girls', but tell me guys give you the flick because you're not. Your head must be feeling like it's in a washing machine with all those thoughts. Promise me you'll just try and chill a little? I promise you, I'm not thinking bad things of you. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be." He gave his head a rough scratch to try and wake himself up more. "I like anything that isn't fish, has eyes, or onion. I'm not a fan of onion."
Mel pulled her mouth to the side as she moved her head again so she could look at him. "No, nothing like that. Randy would know if it had been a bad experience like that... I'm just... I'm always around people. I change jobs so often, and they're all in customer service pretty much. I guess part of it is I've never been settled. I've never known exactly what it was I wanted to do. But I did really like when I worked in a florist's. That was cool making all these bunches of flowers for people, and getting all creative. The store closed down though, and I couldn't get work in another one. Randy's always known... She's so sure of herself. I love my sister, and she's my best friend, but I do envy her confidence." Mel sighed, and pulled his hand to her chest this time as she hugged it. "I am chilling. I'm chill. The cycle's done, no more washing machine. Ooh, can we get surpreme, then? No onion. And garlic bread."
Nathan was quiet for a moment, brushing his thumb against her palm. "I hear that a lot. That twins can syphon traits off each other, they can be the same, but the total opposite all at the same time. It's kinda cool. I don't think you have any reason to be envious of your sister. You were split into two parts for a reason. If you were exactly like her, what would be the point? This way, you get the best of both worlds. It just means you offer different things to the world. Some guys like it when girls aren't brimming with confidence. For every guy who likes girls like that, I can assure you there are just as many who like the shy sort. I've always been one of the latter. Or more accurately, I get along better with the latter because I like to be able to connect with someone. Sex is awesome, for sure. I need more than that." He reached over to get the cordless phone from his bedside. "The florist at the hospital makes a killing. You should offer your services. It's a nice little shop, too."
"That's why I think we're each other's halves, you know? We're a whole split into two. And I don't care what math, or science says. You can't have identical halves. There's always going to be some kind of difference. You can't split a person in half and have them be the same. One's always going to be thinking with only one side of the brain. I'm glad you're one for the shy sort. Means I'm getting luckier every second." Mel watched him for a moment, before grinning. "Yeah? I never thought about it before, but you're right... Maybe I should look into it."
Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I know. That doesn't mean you couldn't exist without each other... if you had to. Sometimes you probably just have to." If felt like something caught in his throat and he cleared it. That flip in his stomach came next whenever he let his mind linger on this place. He rolled onto his side and held the phone up. "So, supreme? You just want one or should we be horrible and get two? I don't know about you, but cold pizza for breakfast is God's gift to doctors on the run. Not that I have to run. I actually changed my shift tomorrow. I have the day off. And you should. If that's what you want to do. Not trying to tell you that you have to or anything."
Mel frowned a little, catching a slight change in his mood. "Is that something to do with your twin experience?" she asked quietly. "I don't know what I'd do. I know I could if I had to, but I hope it never comes to that." Mel slid her hand over his waist, and rubbed her fingers against his hip. "I say we get two! Then I can show you how much of a pig I can be. I don't have to run tomorrow, either. Rostered day off. So I could hang around a bit longer if you wanted... I'm definitely going to think about it, but because it's a good oppurtunity. Nothing more."
Nathan nodded slowly again but he didn't elaborate straight away. He quickly dialled in the local pizza place's number which he shamefully already knew off by heart and placed their order, including garlic bread and a tub of ice cream for dessert. They told him it would be about half an hour and then he shoved the phone back onto his nightstand. "Probably more than just an experience. It's just easier to refer to it as that. Tomorrow would be good, by the way. If you don't have anything else to be doing. I was just going to hang around and enjoy not being in scrubs, sleeping in." He held his hand up so she could see the inside of his forearm. The tattoo there in an intricate script beneath a Gemini sign simply said 'Part Two'. "Snap?" he offered with a small smile.
"No, I don't have anything else to be doing. I want this date to last as long as possible," she admitted with an impish smile. The smile faded as she stared at the tattoo. "Snap?" she repeated, the meaning not quite sinking in for a moment. When it did her eyes went wide and she sat up a little to take his forearm in her hands as she looked at the tattoo again. "You're a twin? What happened?"
Nathan looked down at his arm in her hand, pressing his lips together a little. "My brother, he died. We were eight when it happened, but he had been ill on and off for two years before that. Leukemia. They originally told my parents he would survive, and he went into a brief remission. But when it came back, it was worse and they gave him six months. He died a week later when he caught a fever. I was too young to really understand everything that was going on. When I was old enough to realise, it's what helped me decide to become a doctor. After my parents thought I was going mental because I still talked to him, of course," he added with a small smirk. "I believed for a long time he could still hear me, even though he wasn't there. Even now, I still sometimes feel like I'm not completely alone."
"Oh my god," Mel gasped as she dragged her gaze from the tattoo, to Nathan's face. "I'm so sorry. And it's not mental. I mean, twins have a bond. I think it really is one that could last beyond death. I read this article once that was talking about twins and the whole supposed ESP thing, and that when you lose one, you just never feel quite right." She bit her lip briefly before releasing it, and dipping her head to kiss the the tattoo. "What was his name?"
Nathan gave a small nod. "Yeah, that's pretty much how it is. Things got strange after that. My parents split up, and my Mom and I moved in with my grandparents. There was loads of debt from medical bills, creating tension. It took me a long time to let myself get close to anyone, make friends, things like that. I was always worried they would die and leave me. It got better, things started to heal and life just went on. I never really stop missing him, though. I wonder what he would be like now if he was still here. If we'd be anything alike, what he would be doing as a career, if he'd have a family, make me an uncle," he said with a laugh. "I really do like kids, see. His name was Caleb."
"Caleb? I like that name..." Mel untangled her legs long enough for her to move on top of Nathan, half-straddling him so she could look at him. Her fingers threaded between his and she held his hand up against her lips as she kissed it. "Well, if he's even the smallest bit like you he'd be a great guy now. And I think it's crazy if neither of you got snapped up and hitched by now. Not that I'm really complaining! I get you now... Do you want kids of your own?"
Nathan laughed. "I don't know, not sure I'm old enough to be married yet. But who knows? I'm probably just saying that because I haven't met the right person yet. It doesn't take a genius to see some of the married couples around here and be as jealous as all hell. They just seem to have something single people don't. It's gotta be a nice thing wanting to share your life with someone." He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I really would like kids of my own one day. I guess I always have. You just get a bit nervous in my job, knowing what could happen to them."
Mel nodded a little. "I think that's true of everyone. Anyone that goes out with the sole purpose of wanting to get married, just settles for the first guy that goes along, and it's never really love. It's just taking what they want. I'd rather fall so madly in love with someone that I knew I didn't want anyone else. That I couldn't imagine my life without them, and they get the twin thing, but they still know they're my other other half. You know?" Mel stuck her tongue between her teeth briefly as she grinned. "I want kids, too. I've never told anyone, but I do. But I'd get really worried about them, just like you would. I was talking to Cameron, and his honorary nephew's going through some hard times. So's the mom."
"Why haven't you told anyone? It's not the Plague!" Nathan joked as he rubbed his hands softly up and down her thighs, letting his thumbs brush lightly in the dips between her hips and her legs. He nodded. "Baby Campbell. He was a patient in the Kid's Ward when I started but was discharged a few days later. It would be hard having a diabetic child, knowing you have to prick them all the time to test their levels, making sure his diet was right. The works. A sick kid... it's really tough on the family. Even the smallest thing, you would panic. Understandably so. Especially with a first child when you're finding your feet as a parent. Still, I'd love it. A little tiny..." he held his hands up like he was holding a small bundle, "you. It might be fantasy land, but to love someone so much you make a person with them. It sounds fucking awesome."
Mel laughed as she ducked her head, hiding it against his chest briefly. She kissed a line along his collarbone, up to his jaw. "Never been with someone I wanted to admit it to. Most guys... I can't see having their kids. Not that I want your kids right now! But just... I don't know. Washing machine." She kissed the corner of his mouth and brushed his hair back from his forehead. "You'd still love them, and it would still be awesome. I know it's hard, but you wouldn't want them to get sick, or anything. You'd want to help them. A little tiny helpless you... Shit, it would be hard. Hard, but amazing... And watching them grow. Watching their first steps, and how their eyes are so full of wonder at the simplest of things." Mel blinked, and started to laugh as she realised she'd gone off in her own land, imagining the tiny her. "I'd really like it."
"The simplest of things is right. I heard Baby Campbell managed to get a sealed condom into his mouth at the bar once. Lachlan was out for blood. Imagine having a curious kid? Your ass would never hit the seat," Nathan laughed. He wrapped his arms loosely around her, too comfortable to really move much right then, despite his stomach growling like he hadn't eaten in a week. "From what I've seen, if they get sick, you just tend to deal. You do what you can to help them get better, make sure they aren't in pain. Some people deal with it through anger, which I had in my face most of today. One of the fathers thought I looked too young to be a qualified doctor, refused to let me near their kid. It sucked, but it's about learning human nature, not just showing up to a shift and taking a kid's temp and giving him Tylenol. If there is one thing in this world that would make a person kill, it's their kid in danger."
Mel's eyebrows shot up. "Oh my god! That's terrible. What was the condom doing lying around, anyway? I'm definitely keeping any condoms I have locked up. But it's still going to remind you just how much we take for granted these days. They're discovering all these things for the first time, you know? We just don't look at things anymore. It's just stuff to us." Mel listened, frowning a little at the idea of a father yelling at Nathan because he hadn't thought he was qualified. Only she did understand. "It's true, a person really would kill for their kid. Same as I'd kill for Randy, or Matty. I'm still sorry you had such a shit day. What happened to the kid?"
"I think that was the golden question. Some stupid dickhead not realising what it's like to have kids around. Luke's always been fine with his staff having their kids around after hours, especially with the band and their practicing. He loves kids. He was pissed it happened too. The bub's pretty much a fixture because his Dad's in the band." Nathan scrunched his nose up with a small shrug. "She went home. She was only kept in for observation after a spider bite. He thought it was reckless of us to let her home when he had decided spider venom was fatal. It wasn't, not this type. Some people just don't want to know. The child was fine, just had a sore rash on her arm. I promise, you really turned my day around," he told her with a smile.
"Jeez, no wonder no one probably owned up. Scared to be murdered on the spot." Mel made a face as she thought about Baby Campbell sucking on a condom. "Some parents need to be shot. I can't even believe they get like that. I can understand Lachlan's reaction, but this Dad... Like, sometimes you just need to realise that someone's helping you. You are a doctor, and you know what you're talking about."
Nathan pressed his lips together and shook his head. "That sounds optimistic, but you always get backdoor doctors in the disguise of friends or family. They always know better. Anything involving not snapping your fingers and healing the person on the spot is incompetency. It's why doctors pay painfully high premiums for insurance, because we get sued so often. Plus, we're still human. We can always make mistakes, just like the next person. Expecially in emergency cases, it's easy to miss something, to not see the answer right away. Our hospital has a special team for that type of case, but any doctor, any day can be faced with the same puzzles. I love it, though. It's not easy, but when Caleb was ill, the doctors were always so awesome. They made him comfortable and cared. If I can be like that, then I know I'm making a difference."
Mel ran her fingers over his cheek, and touched his lips, tracing the curve of them as she gave him a small smile. "I think you'll be close. You want it bad enough, and you have a grasp on what makes a good doctor, and what makes a bad one. I know you've only just started, but I think you'll be true to your dream. At least I hope so. You deserve it."
Nathan was smiling as he looked up at her. "I could just be feeding you a bunch of bullshit to get into your pants, you know. I could really be a jerk. You might need to spend more time with me to find out for yourself," he told her with a cheeky smirk.
Mel matched his smirk, hand disappearing between their bodies as she spared a glance at the clock on his bedside. "Mm, well, we have ten minutes before the pizza gets here. And then we have all of tomorrow. I think that's a start, don't you?"
Nathan sucked in a breath and then let it out through a laugh. He shifted a little under her so his renewing erection rubbed against her, indicating he definitely agreed with her thoughts. "I can think of a better start," he murmured, pushing up to catch her lips with his in an eager kiss.
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