Was it going to end just like that? No fight whatsoever? Fuck that!

Seth was going to paralyze resistance with persistence like Woody Hayes had said. Hell, the same persistence had walked him through the trials and tribulations of med school.

He knew it was highly possible that Leonardo didn't have space for him in his life anymore but the resident was full of determination. A man will always die trying. Even if it meant groveling. Seth was even down for that. There was no shame in fighting for love.

"Are you serious right now?" Seth called out, voice firmer than before and that got the Italian's attention. "You're just going to walk away from everything? From us?"

Seth also advanced toward the hospital entrance. Prying the other man's hand off the door handle, Seth forced Leonardo to look at him. "I'm asking you a question, Leonardo. Don't you love me anymore?"

Leonardo's black eyes were now fixed on Seth's narrowed ones, studying him. He exhaled steadily. "I love you, okay?"

"But?"

"But it's too late for us now."

"Why? What do you mean it's too late for us now? You love me and I love you that's what's important here."

"Seth, you don't understand."

"So make me understand. Why can't we be together if we love each other?"

"I'm seeing someone." Seth blinked, okay that really hurt to the bone marrow. Seth took in a shaky breath as he ran fingers inside his hair, pondering on what to say. "Eventually I had to start moving on you know?"

"When? I mean, when did you—" Seth couldn't bring himself to finish the statement without tasting a bitter taste on his tongue. It was his damn fault that they were in this muddled situation in the first place so he had to suck it up.

"I met him about two weeks ago?" Seth waited for the part Leonardo would burst into laughter and call it a joke. It wasn't. "It killed me being ripped apart from you as if we didn't mean anything to each other. I tried waiting for you, Seth but—"

Seth managed to swallow the painful bolus swelling on his throat. "Are you happy with him?"

Not even close.

"Look Seth," Leonardo's soft gaze locked on to his. "You're young and you still have enough time to go out and have some fun, meet new people and find yourself a suitable life partner but as for me..." He paused a bit. "I'm at a stage in my life where I need stability, my daughter deserves that. Hell, I deserve a stable partner who's willing to propel in the same direction as I am. That good old house and picket fence. I want that."

Seth visibly winced at Leonardo blatantly pointing out on their age difference. "I am an adult and I know exactly what I want. You're what I want Leonardo. You make me feel like I'm needed all the time. You see past my previous mistakes and you never judge me about them. I always feel safe with you even if we hurt each other sometimes. We share common interests yet we're so different at the same time. I love that about us, it makes us fit like two pieces of a puzzle. You know what else I love about you? You are patient, handling me is not quite the easiest job on this planet and I know that. I want to be with you and I want stability too."

Leonardo wanted to say being with you is not a job however his mouth slightly parted but words eluded him. Seth stepped in closer to him, wrapping his hands around his waist. He didn't give two rat shits on who was watching them or whether or not if it was deemed appropriate. "Take me back, Leo. I want this as much as you do. Being with you is all I ever wanted."

"I don't know Seth."

"If you're happy with him tell me and I will walk away."

Leonardo responded by hauling Seth close to his chest. They breathed in the tranquil of each other's presence. "I missed looking into your eyes. They are so—green."

"Just my eyes?" Seth muttered against Leonardo's neck drawing a soft sigh of contentment out of him. "I missed tracing the tattoo on your back, cuddling with you at night whilst we watched Die Hard or Road House and having you tickle the crap out of me even if I hated that. I was going crazy without you Seth. I was now allegedly intolerable to be around, you should ask Dr. Stevens how horrible my mood was. Mamma may or may not have been planning on murdering you for hurting her little nipotina, but mostly me."

Seth found himself dissolving in laughter. His first genuine laugh after three months of faking elation. "Actually, my mom wanted to murder you too for the exact same reason. She said you are like cyanide in my life, bad for human consumption."

"Oh shit, I never wanted to be on her bad side." Leonardo chuckled, running his thump down Seth's bottom lip. "And I missed these lips."

"Prove it." Seth whispered, he could hear Leonardo's sharp intake of air as he carefully cradled his face in both his hands.

"May I?" The Italian asked softly.

Seth nodded hastily, murmuring. "Please."

Leonardo's lips were so close to his that he could've easily tasted them. Savoring every inch of them. Then the Italian kissed him, softly at first and then with a swift graduation of intensity which felt aphrodisiac with a mixture of Pandora box effect.

Leonardo's insistent mouth was parting Seth's shaking lips even more, sending wild tremors along his firing nerves and before he knew it, the resident was kissing him back with an equal if not more zeal. It was a sweet kiss tongue and all, so intoxicating that neither of them dared thinking about anything else. Both were completely spellbound in the moment.

When they broke off, both men's emotions were intricately tangled that no comb could've straightened them. "Well, that was...uhh...hot." Seth struggled to express himself.

"Hot?" The Italian laughed. "That's the best word you could come up with? What about sweet, ravishing, thrilling or even exciting?"

"Those words can work too. I'm not a poet, I'm a surgeon."

"Is that your getaway statement?"

"Maybe?"

"I've been lost these last three months. I don't want to repeat that ever again."

"It was never my intention for any of this to happen."

"If this is going to work Seth, promise me from now on you and I will communicate about everything, no guessing or making crazy over the top assumptions about what the other person is thinking or feeling. We talk it out, like adults."

"Crazy over the top assumptions?" Seth raised a brow.

"If my memory still serves me right, at one point you assumed I was a married man and you also assumed I was bedding my patient's wife." Leonardo said with a smirk making Seth groan loudly. "Should I go on?"

"Urg fine, I promise to communicate with you at all times alright?"

"Good, now come on we have a daughter to take care of and I have a man to tell there won't be anymore dates from me."

"I don't know if I'll make a good dad. I have never thought about it before and—" Leonardo halted Seth's panic by simply placing his finger on his lips.

"Shhh, you're not your father and never will be. You're so much better than him and you will make one heck of an awesome dad, okay?"

"You don't know that." Seth's voice was delicate and so small. "What if I suck at it big time?"

"You won't suck. If there's anything you'll be sucking is my..."

The innuendo made Seth laugh. "Yeah, right. Let's go check on our daughter."

. . .

"A hundred says he's going to freak out and say no." Aiden quipped from the pool table where he was playing against Brad.

"A hundred says he's going to say yes." Carl countered as he downed on a beer.

"A hundred says he's going to laugh the whole idea off." Brad offered his own opinion.

"All of you just stop." Leonardo said, rubbing the bridge of his nose and throwing the guys an exasperated look. "It's not like I'm proposing or anything big like that."

"Yeah whatever, shacking up. Same thing if you asked me." Aiden said only to end up growling when he sunk the cue ball obviously by mistake.

"Are you sure you're not rushing into things? I mean, you guys just got back together like eight weeks ago?" Giovanni asked his brother full of worry.

"Guys." The seriousness in Leonardo's eyes was quite self explanatory. The guys figured the final decision was fully up to Leonardo at the end of the day hence dropping the case.

Leonardo had decided to take a short leave so he could spend time with Mia. Not that she didn't have a nice nanny to take care of her while he worked at the hospital, he thought it would be good for Mia's recovery if he stayed home with her. Fortunately she'd only fractured her fibula and a cast to help with bone healing was already in place.

Seth could tell his boyfriend had some company home, a part of him wanted to curse himself for willingly walking over to the entertainment room where the guys were drinking their lives away and seeming to be having a great time.

The resident had almost turned back to where he'd came from but how could he possibly do that when Leonardo was prowling toward him, an adoring smile on his lips?

"Hi." Leonardo placed a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead.

"Hi." Seth replied, a twitch on his lips threatening to break into a full blown smile.

All the guys greeted and welcomed Seth except for Aiden. The businessman cleared his throat and he actually looked serious. "Can we talk? You and me, alone." He said to Seth.

Seth turned to look at Leonardo who only shrugged. Great. Pursing his lips, he said. "Sure."

The two were now at the balcony enjoying the thrum of rain cascading in heavy drops. It was mid March so it was only to be expected in California. The wind abruptly whipped up into a frenzy causing Seth to wrap his hands around his body seeking for some sort of warmth. It was futile.

"You look exhausted." Aiden noted.

"Yeah, I was on a nightshift." Seth was slightly frowning but still acted civil.

Seth was bracing himself for Aiden's usual hostility, he stared at him expectantly when he released a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Seth found himself laughing in utter disbelief.

Was this some kind of joke?

"You heard me." Aiden said, clearly not willing to repeat himself. "Look Seth, I'm sometimes possessive when it comes to the people I care about. Not that it's an excuse for being a total dick to you but I was trying to protect my friend. He's like a brother to me."

"I get it." Seth murmured, feeling a sense of calm washing over him. "He told me about his ex, Kelvin. Rest assured Aiden, I'm not him."

"I know you're not Kelvin. You might be expecting me to spew out the regular if you hurt my friend I'll come for you but it's getting old now. I mean considering everything we've been through?" Aiden took a dramatic pause which induced Seth's anxiety. "And about that night in Los Angeles—I didn't mean to tip you over. That was cruel and I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, for whatever its worth—for you know, drugging you and stealing your cash. That was wrong."

"Still on that case, how the hell did you even manage to break into my safe?"

Seth gave a smug expression at that. "Just a few tricks." He said making Aiden quirk him a brow.

"That was impressive."

"I'm not even proud."

"I would be if I were you." Aiden drawled eliciting a full laugh from Seth. "We should hangout, get to know each other and stuff."

"Umm..." Seth wasn't sure if he wanted to dive into anything. He preferred leaving things cordial not too comfy.

"I'm not going to kill you and throw your body into a sea if that's what you're thinking, Seth. We're family now."

"It's just—I don't know."

"I feel you." Aiden nodded his head in understanding. "Just a few drinks. You watch football? Like American football, those Europeans can be quite convincing when it comes to the football vs soccer debate." He stated gesturing towards the Bravucci twins using his head.

"I do, used to be a kicker in college."

A satisfied grin spread across Aiden's features. "I have two tickets to the New York Giants versus Los Angeles Raiders game this coming Saturday. Are you in?"

"Damn, now that's a big match. Sold."

"It's a date then. Now before your guy starts fussing you should probably go spend some time with him."

"Thank you, Aiden." Seth said to him softly.

"I should be thanking you for making Leonardo happy. It's been long since I saw him like that."

. . .

"You're too sexy for your own good." Leonardo spoke breathlessly, the two ended up fucking senselessly as soon as the guys were out of their hair. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm still horny." Seth's breathing matched his boyfriend's, wrecked. "Can't get enough of you."

"You're an insatiable man Mickelson." Leonardo laughed, rolling off his boyfriend.

Seth scoffed. "You're the one to talk."

"Have you thought about my proposition yet?" Leonardo wrapped a hand around Seth's semi. "About moving in with me?"

"I don't know." Seth muttered, biting his bottom lip to refrain himself from moaning. "What about my mom? I'm not sure if I can leave her alone just yet."

"She's fine, your mom is seeing someone Seth. She needs her privacy. Unless you want to be bumping into your step-daddy every now and again."

Seth could sense the desperation in his boyfriend's tone. It was true, Elizabeth was taking another shot at love and Seth had obviously told Leonardo about it. The guy Elizabeth was dating seemed nice and Seth thought it was a good change for his mother.

"Don't call him step-daddy, he's my mom's boyfriend and that's weird." Seth stated with a mock scowl making Leonardo howl. "I want to come in your mouth."

"We are having a serious conversation here, Seth."

"Yet your hand is on my dick? Screw that, now open your mouth."

Leonardo always loved it when Seth slipped into dominant mode. He smiled as he positioned himself, gladly opening his mouth.

"What a sight you make." Seth uttered as he guided himself inside his boyfriend's mouth.

Leonardo gripped Seth's hips, halting him from making any reckless movements hence regaining a bit of control. He sucked faster and harder, his tongue flicking against the bulging veins. Dropping his head back in pure bliss, Seth pulsed in Leonardo's hot mouth and later pouring out his excitement inside. 

Leonardo darted his tongue out, licking the tip clean and enjoying the dazed look on his boyfriend's face. "Still want more?" He teased making Seth grin.

"I'm in." Seth sighed in relation to Leonardo's confused expression. "I will move in with you."

"You mean that?"

"Yes, I mean it." Seth said softly. "But you'll have to tell Mia."

"Consider it done."