better for your relationship, in any case.”
Darren huffed a laugh and nodded, rising. “Thanks,” he said, actually shaking the doctor’s hand, and Jayden wound their fingers together as they were shown out. Who cared what the rest of the waiting room thought?
“Okay?” he murmured as they reached the door, and Darren shrugged. “Darren.”
“I am, I’m just…frustrated,” he said eventually. The wind tugged at his hair, and his face was tense behind his curls and glasses. He looked almost angry. “It feels like I keep trying to sort things out, and nobody in the NHS is actually fucking interested.”
Jayden hugged him, fisting his left hand in the soft warmth of Darren’s fleece at his shoulder. His hair tickled Jayden’s face. “But you’re trying,” he murmured. “That’s the first step, and Dr. Zielinski seemed all right. Maybe he can help us.”
Darren hummed and took a sighing breath. “You’re not in until after lunch, right?”
“Mhmm.”
“…Let’s get a…”
Jayden raised his eyebrows.
“Tea,” Darren amended. “Or a shake or a hot chocolate or something.”
“Okay.” Jayden kissed the corner of his mouth. “Let’s go down to Southsea, then? Sit out on the promenade?”
Darren nodded, sliding an arm around Jayden’s waist and flicking those pale green eyes over his face. Jayden cocked his head, frowning.
“What’s going on in there?” he murmured, prodding Darren’s temple with one finger.
“Just thinking,” Darren said and let go with one final, perfunctory kiss. “Thinking that I’m lucky to have someone sitting in there with me. C’mon.” He took Jayden’s hand and turned back towards the car. “I’ll drop you at the office afterwards.”
Jayden smiled, squeezed the gloved hand in his, and enjoyed the warm flutter in his stomach.
Chapter 6
Jayden worked for the local paper.
He’d gotten an internship at the end of his degree, and it had turned into a permanent job working on the arts and culture sections and a fair chunk of the website. It had been a relief to have it offered, the way the economy had been when he’d graduated (and kind of still now, honestly) even if the pay was a bit tight. It was lucky he had Darren, really. Between them, they could make ends meet and live a fairly comfortable lifestyle together, but on his own…
Maybe this coffee ban would help with the budget.
Darren dropped him off at the office after lunch at Southsea; Jayden had opted for a half-day so that he could go to the doctor with him, and his boss Stephanie smiled at him as he hurried out of the lift.
“Everything okay, honey?”
Stephanie was in her fifties, a fat woman with a motherly sort of air, and whose idea of management was to make sure everyone was at their assigned desks for vaguely the right times. She clearly thought Jayden was sweet and kept asking about ‘that boyfriend of yours’ in the same tone Charley used to when they’d first got together. Jayden suspected—and office rumour certainly thought—that Stephanie wrote erotic romance novels. Jayden privately thought they were probably gay novels, with how much interest Stephanie showed in his relationship.
“Yeah,” he said, dropping down at his desk. She followed him with a large mug of her favourite sweet tea. “I have to stop him drinking coffee, apparently, which is never going to happen because he’s like addicted. I might try and get him on crack cocaine instead.” One of his colleagues sniggered, and Stephanie beamed.
“Ooh, I know the feeling.” She chuckled. “Is he back at work, then?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Good. Never does to let them mope!” she said, with the air of someone experienced—though Jayden had never asked—and wobbled away across the office floor towards her own desk.
Jayden liked his job and his colleagues, really. They were nice enough people—a bit quick to assume things about him because he was gay (that was how he’d ended up with the arts and
Darren huffed a laugh and nodded, rising. “Thanks,” he said, actually shaking the doctor’s hand, and Jayden wound their fingers together as they were shown out. Who cared what the rest of the waiting room thought?
“Okay?” he murmured as they reached the door, and Darren shrugged. “Darren.”
“I am, I’m just…frustrated,” he said eventually. The wind tugged at his hair, and his face was tense behind his curls and glasses. He looked almost angry. “It feels like I keep trying to sort things out, and nobody in the NHS is actually fucking interested.”
Jayden hugged him, fisting his left hand in the soft warmth of Darren’s fleece at his shoulder. His hair tickled Jayden’s face. “But you’re trying,” he murmured. “That’s the first step, and Dr. Zielinski seemed all right. Maybe he can help us.”
Darren hummed and took a sighing breath. “You’re not in until after lunch, right?”
“Mhmm.”
“…Let’s get a…”
Jayden raised his eyebrows.
“Tea,” Darren amended. “Or a shake or a hot chocolate or something.”
“Okay.” Jayden kissed the corner of his mouth. “Let’s go down to Southsea, then? Sit out on the promenade?”
Darren nodded, sliding an arm around Jayden’s waist and flicking those pale green eyes over his face. Jayden cocked his head, frowning.
“What’s going on in there?” he murmured, prodding Darren’s temple with one finger.
“Just thinking,” Darren said and let go with one final, perfunctory kiss. “Thinking that I’m lucky to have someone sitting in there with me. C’mon.” He took Jayden’s hand and turned back towards the car. “I’ll drop you at the office afterwards.”
Jayden smiled, squeezed the gloved hand in his, and enjoyed the warm flutter in his stomach.
Chapter 6
Jayden worked for the local paper.
He’d gotten an internship at the end of his degree, and it had turned into a permanent job working on the arts and culture sections and a fair chunk of the website. It had been a relief to have it offered, the way the economy had been when he’d graduated (and kind of still now, honestly) even if the pay was a bit tight. It was lucky he had Darren, really. Between them, they could make ends meet and live a fairly comfortable lifestyle together, but on his own…
Maybe this coffee ban would help with the budget.
Darren dropped him off at the office after lunch at Southsea; Jayden had opted for a half-day so that he could go to the doctor with him, and his boss Stephanie smiled at him as he hurried out of the lift.
“Everything okay, honey?”
Stephanie was in her fifties, a fat woman with a motherly sort of air, and whose idea of management was to make sure everyone was at their assigned desks for vaguely the right times. She clearly thought Jayden was sweet and kept asking about ‘that boyfriend of yours’ in the same tone Charley used to when they’d first got together. Jayden suspected—and office rumour certainly thought—that Stephanie wrote erotic romance novels. Jayden privately thought they were probably gay novels, with how much interest Stephanie showed in his relationship.
“Yeah,” he said, dropping down at his desk. She followed him with a large mug of her favourite sweet tea. “I have to stop him drinking coffee, apparently, which is never going to happen because he’s like addicted. I might try and get him on crack cocaine instead.” One of his colleagues sniggered, and Stephanie beamed.
“Ooh, I know the feeling.” She chuckled. “Is he back at work, then?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Good. Never does to let them mope!” she said, with the air of someone experienced—though Jayden had never asked—and wobbled away across the office floor towards her own desk.
Jayden liked his job and his colleagues, really. They were nice enough people—a bit quick to assume things about him because he was gay (that was how he’d ended up with the arts and
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