doctormicah (doctormicah) wrote in the_dome, @ 2013-11-15 19:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | 04-14-2017, micah, micah and nic, nic |
Fighting For Dominance
Who: Nic and Micah
Where: The Hospital
When: Late Afternoon
When Nic woke to find the temperature had dropped, the first thing he did was stock the house with fresh firewood. Then he went to work helping other people stock their houses, as well as make sure their flu was open to prevent more work for him later on. He wasn’t worried about anyone’s ability to set a fire, since they wouldn’t be alive now without that capability, but he did sometimes worry that they forgot they were in a house now and that setting a fire had different constraints inside rather than out. The rain, of course, slowed his work, and once the electricity went out he headed on down to the hospital. It was one of the few buildings in the dome with backup generators, but that didn’t mean things were easy on the inside. It was still only partially lit, though lucky not in a state of chaos. While people were cold, they weren’t in danger, so he went to find Micah.
Micah hadn’t gone home. He’d wanted to, but the whole encounter with Riley had made him anxious and as a result, he’d just stayed at work, wanting to be somewhere obvious if Lia decided she needed to find him. Then the weather had turned and it had gotten progressively colder in the hospital. When the power went out, they’d gone into crisis mode, moving what patients they could into rooms with working power and something close to heat, as well as doubling and tripling up if only for extra body warmth. Nurses were carrying extra blankets and sheets into the rooms, keeping patients warm as well as trying to keep themselves warm. Micah had already sent home half of the staff, anyone who was willing to brave the weather to get home.
At the moment things were moving as they should, and Micah was at one of the only lit nurses stations, sorting their board of patients by which had been moved where, and trying to determine where he was needed just this moment.
“There you are,” Nic said, giving Micah a smile despite the fact that he was both cold and wet. The ambulance was parked out front, ready if needed, but Nic had spent enough time running between houses that he’d gotten soaked in the process. “Can I help with anything?”
Micah looked up surprised at the voice and he had a smile, but it faded the moment he realized Nic was wet. “You can get changed,” he said, moving forward, concern on his features. “You’re dripping. You’re going to freeze to death.” Which was definitely not acceptable. He was slipping out of his lab coat already, reaching to wrap it around Nic.
“I’ll change in a minute,” Nic laughed, shaking his head rather than accepting Micah’s lab coat. “Let me find a towel. That won’t warm me; I’ll just get it wet. How’re things holding up here?” he asked, moving to the supply closet as he spoke. He knew the hospital as well as he knew the fire station, as he almost worked one place as much as they other.
“No in a minute. You are not allowed to get sick on me,” Micah said, shaking his head, and pulling his coat back on, but following Nic to make sure he got that towel. Next stop was dry clothes. “It’s fine. Could be worse. But we weren’t really full up today which is a blessing.” Though a few hours earlier he’d been hoping for more patients to distract himself.
“That’s good. Now, so long as people don’t burn their houses down, things should be quiet for both of us,” Nic said, pulling off his wet shirt and toweling himself off. The air was cold, but being dry made it so much better. He glanced up at Micah as he dried off, a little smirk on his face. “You know being out in bad conditions is part of my job, right? A cold isn’t going to kill me.”
Micah only half heard something about burning houses down, too caught up in a barechested and damp Nic. The wolf practically lapped at the sight, and almost instantly Micah wanted him. It took actual work to drag his mind back to the present. “I know, but I get to worry. That’s not the kind of taking care of you I want to do.” He would of course, but there were far more fun things to do in bed.
Nic rolled his eyes, but didn’t object, seeing as he agreed with Micah. He didn’t want to get sick, but he also didn’t want to be treated like he was fragile. “When I start coughing and sneezing, you can worry,” he said, pulling on a dry shirt before pulling off his pants. His boxers were damp, but not soaked, so he was just going to leave them on for now. He took a seat on a nearby stool to dry his legs off. “So, other than the panic the power loss caused, how’s your day been?”
Yeah there was something close to a stupid grin on Micah’s face at the sight of his boyfriend in just his underwear, but he managed to stay on task better this time. “Alright. Had a run in yesterday that was odd.” And probably why he hadn’t come home the night before. “How was Skylar?”
Nic didn’t realize that Micah had been at the hospital the whole time. He thought Micah had just stayed at his own house, though if he thought about it, he would have known better. Micah staying at the hospital was nothing new. “Skylar was fine,” Nic said with a little laugh. “He’s trying to get me to play in his band. What happened yesterday?”
“Did he succeed?” Micah asked, thinking that might be a neat thing to see, Nic in a band. Could he be a groupie? Maybe. “Lia’s husband accused me of having an affair with her.”
“Eh, he’s working on it. We played a little, so maybe. We’ll see.” Nic enjoyed the music, the singing, and the playing, but he just wasn’t sure about the pressure of all that attention on him at once. Maybe if he got a little better, he could manage it. “Seriously?” he asked, blinking in surprise. “When does he think you’d have time for that?”
“I’ll come to all your shows,” Micah promised with a chuckle. “I would like to see you play though. Even if it’s just for me.” Which would be painfully romantic, wouldn’t it? “I was more concerned with the fact that he didn’t let it go when I told him I wasn’t interested in her.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Nic smiled, his nerves twisting at the idea of playing for Micah. That was almost more pressure than playing for a full audience. How would he even decide what to play? “Did you tell him why?” Nic asked, raising a brow. It was one thing if it had been Nic, who was interested in girls, but Micah didn’t even swing that way. “Why would he even think that in the first place?”
“I did. He didn’t look like he bought it,” Micah said, shaking his head. Maybe he wasn’t ridiculously obvious, but he was pretty sure most people believed him when he said it. “She talks about me, about the werewolf things. Apparently too much.”
“He could ask around here. I’m pretty sure the heartbroken nurses know,” Nic snickered. Micah didn’t come across as gay, but most straight men wouldn’t use it as an excuse to cover up an affair. “Ahh, so you’re her alpha or something? And he’s her husband? I can see where he might jump to that conclusion then.”
“I even pointed out that my boyfriend wouldn’t approve, but he was drunk and dense,” Micah said shaking his head. “I am. And as her alpha, I don’t like her husband.” He wished he could do more, but he wasn’t going to mess things up for Lia if she could calm Riley on her own.
“You want me to talk to him?” Nic offered, wondering if that would help. “Not just as your boyfriend, but as someone who’s with a someone like you and not one myself.” Because there was something to that. Nic understood what it was like to have the person he was with change suddenly. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling, even if he would accept Micah regardless.
Micah was going to protest, but stopped short. “That might not be a bad idea actually. Not the boyfriend part. Don’t...bring that up too much. But as someone who’s going through what he’s going through, that might not be bad.”
“I might have to at least mention it, just as a frame of reference.” He usually didn’t go out of his way to point out that he was dating a guy, but in this case he didn’t know how else to meet up with Leigh’s husband. He couldn’t just bump into him and start a conversation about their werewolf significant others. “But yeah, I could do that. He might not even be that bad a guy when he doesn’t think his wife’s cheating on him.”
“I hope he’s not a bad guy.” Micah drifted closer to Nic, hand somewhere near his waist. It was a light touch, showing he was there, but still appropriate for public. “Only if you’re comfortable. I know you don’t like it as public knowledge. But you might be able to help each other.”
“I’ll be fine,” Nic said, giving Micah a little smile. He was a fireman. He could handle Lia’s husband. He might even end up with a friend he wasn’t attracted to, which would be a nice change. “Anything else I should know?”
“About him? No. Otherwise, I regret not going home last night. I missed you.” Which was probably too much for public, but Micah couldn’t help himself.
Nic didn’t have a chance to be embarrassed about Micah admitting that aloud in public, distracted by another part of the admission. “You didn’t go home at all? I thought you’d just stayed at your place. You’ve got to get rest, Micah, and a cot in the back room isn’t cutting it.”
“Why would I stay at my place?” Micah asked. He had things there, but Nic wasn’t there. “I get fine rest. I did this for a long time before you started watching when I was sleeping.”
“I dunno. I just assumed you might’ve gone there when you didn’t come by. I didn’t realize it was because you were still working,” Nic said. He liked when Micah stayed with him, but they weren’t exactly to the point where Micah needed to give up his own house. Going that far would’ve spooked Nic. “You overwork yourself. Was there even a crisis last night worth staying for?”
“My bed feels lonely at this point. At least the cot doesn’t have an entire unoccupied side.” Micah shrugged. “Not really. And I don’t overwork myself. Not like you’re thinking. But someone should be here.”
“Okay, just don’t let it always be you. You’ll get burnt out,” Nic said with a little smile. “I figure this time I’ll stay here with you, unless I get called out.” Nic was really hoping that no one had an emergency that would take him out in the storm. He wasn’t looking forward to getting rained on.
“Well...I’m used to it being only me.” Micah shrugged a little, but what Nic said next surprised him. “You’re going to stay here? We won’t be alone.” Micah hated that Nic wasn’t comfortable yet, but he did his best to be accommodating and keep their relationship as much to themselves as he could, but Nic just hanging around the hospital was going to be obvious.
“Unless I get a call, why not?” Nic asked. “I figure I can help. I’ve got similar training. Unless you think I’d get in the way?” He didn’t feel like being around Micah in public should be a problem, so long as Micah wasn’t pinning him to a wall or something crazy. He enjoyed his company and they should be able to spend time together without getting it on.
"Of course you can help, I'm just surprised, that's all." Micah smiled and reached for Nic's hand, squeezing it gently, then letting go. "This way at least I know you're keeping warm." Since it seemed like it wasn't going to get any warmer outside that much was for sure.
Nic gave Micah’s hand a squeeze back, then leaned against the counter, watching him for a minute. “You know I’m not a child, right? I’m capable of taking care of myself.” In fact, most nights he even made it home and into bed, something Micah had trouble with. Since when did he need his boyfriend making sure he didn’t catch a cold?
Micah opened his mouth to answer but realized he didn't have an answer for that. Instead he just felt chastised and possibly a little silly for worrying. Swallowing hard her force a smile and a nod that he didn't feel at all. What he did feel was Nic seeming unhappy, which scared him. "Of course not. I'm just hovering. Sorry about that. I'll let you get comfortable and dry or whatever and I'll get back to patients." He took a step back, still forcing that smile.
"I'm not trying to run you off," Nic said with a little smile, taking a step towards Micah as he stepped away. "I'm just sayin', you know? I'm already comfortable and dry." Though if Micah really did have to get back to patients, then Nic didn't want to stop him. He just didn't want Micah running away just because he objected to one little thing.
Micah sighed, not moving away as Nic came closer. "I know. I just feel admonished," he admitted. "I can't help it. Or, I hadn't thought about it. Everything in me wants to protect you and take care of you and I know you aren't a child. So I'm trying to shut up and maybe not do something else to annoy you."
“I don’t want you to shut up. I just don’t want you to think of me as something less than you,” Nic said, hoping that made sense. Before Micah had become a werewolf, he’d felt like they were closer to being equals. But now that he was all alpha wolf, Nic had a hard time figuring out his own place. He’d always been the protector, the one to take care of someone, but Micah didn’t need protecting.
Micah moved a little closer, cupping Nic's cheeks in his hands. "Well...you are a puny human," he teased lightly, obviously joking. "I know you aren't less than me. You're probably stronger than I am. You just mean so much to me."
Nic didn’t like the gesture, even if he knew Micah didn’t mean anything by it. He was being affectionate, but to Nic it felt like something he would do to a girl or a child. But then Micah was joking, so he let it go. “Okay,” he sighed, trying not to dig his heels in. “I’m not trying to admonish you. I’m just not used to some things.”
Micah sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. "What would help?" He asked, wanting to make it easier on Nic.
“I dunno,” Nic said with a little shrug. “I feel like the girl in the relationship and I don’t like it. But I like you, and I know you’re not doing any of it on purpose.” He just needed to be less sensitive about it.
Micah nodded as it sank in. "And you aren't used to that." He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, thinking about the situation. "I can try and be more the other," he said, though the werewolf rebelled against that, but he would try. "And if you'd rather change things up elsewhere too, I'm not opposed." He hoped Nic followed his train of thought and while his new instincts bristled again he stamped it down. He knew he'd enjoy it just as much as he enjoyed things now.
“I’m not asking you to go be submissive. I’m just asking that you not be so dominant,” Nic said with a small smile. “I don’t think of myself as super dominant, but when you are, it gets me all riled up.” And not in a good way. He didn’t need to get into a pissing match with his boyfriend just to prove himself. “I’d like to try that, but that’s not what this was about. Just so you know.”
"I can be less dominant. Or try to at least. To reign it in," Micah promised. "I'm not trying to take that away from you though. I like that you stand on your own." He nodded slowly. "I know it's not about that, but I also have a feeling it would help."
“It might,” Nic said, stepping over to Micah, then pulling him closer by his lab coat before resting his hands on his hips. They were both tall, neither of them looking down at the other from over six feet. “Is the wolf gonna have a problem with me occasionally taking charge?”
Micah almost laughed, but he got it. This was what Nic wanted and he could happily go with it. “Yes. But if you mean in bed, then I already know it doesn’t matter. It’s going to be incredible no matter what.” He brushed his fingers along Nic’s chest, wanting more, but holding back for now.
“I mean anytime, but not all the time, though that’s definitely something to look forward to,” Nic said, grinning a little before casting a glance around the room, looking to see that they were alone. That was all he needed to press a hard kiss to Micah’s lips, something that would have quickly grown heated if it weren’t for the footsteps he could hear coming down the hall. “Just in case you needed a taste,” he said as he pulled away.
"Any time is going to be a struggle, but I like this side of you too," Micah said, feeling the human side of him react to Nic as strongly as the wolf did. It was funny, their struggle for dominance, when Micah was so completely wrapped around Nic's finger. He wanted to take and mark and own, but in reality, he could tell he'd do anything for Nic. Anything. And that was instinct too. He couldn't help the soft noise into the kiss, fingers gripping Nic's shirt a little harder or the unamused smile that came after the kiss ended. "Tease."
Nic didn’t want to be difficult, but he was far more comfortable like this, when they were both pushing for dominance, rather than him feeling like he needed to give in. He liked the little noises Micah made, the way Micah gripped his shirt, and the feeling of satisfaction that lingered even after the kiss had ended. “Is that a complaint?” he smirked. “You know, if you came home… It’s too bad we’re stuck here.” Though he was only there because Micah was, and Micah was because he felt obligated. He was pushing on 48 hours in the hospital, so he had to have a break coming soon.
"Not really," Micah admitted. He liked that being strung along feeling, even if it made him want to pounce. Micah looked around them and gave Nic a tired smile. "Not sure they can get another doctor in," he said softly. "And before you started flirting with me, this was home." He knew Nic hated it, but it was something Nic didn't understand about him yet. This was where he'd lived and it had been his purpose and, as wonderful as it was to have a bed and a home to go back to, it was hard pulling away. "This is my pack. Realized that the other day. A bunch of strangers while they're under this roof. And you. And Lia. And her daughter probably because she's sort of a packaged deal with Lia." He smoothed the front of Nic's shirt. "You don't have to stay."
Though he didn’t always like it, Nic understood. Outside the hospital, Micah didn’t come across as much of an alpha wolf, but inside there was no question about it. These were the people he took care of, the staff and the patients. Nic was just one that fell under that umbrella even after Micah left the building. “I’d rather be here with you than go home and sit by myself,” he said. “I was just pointing out that there are some things that you won’t get here.”
Micah watched Nic for a long moment, then reached out for his hand again. "I'd rather you not be alone either," he said softly. "And technically half the hospital is empty. We can't get the generators to even power the east wing properly so we turned it off and moved everyone over here." Not that the wing was much of a wing, more one half of the building but Micah had gotten used to a larger hospital and brought the lingo with him. "But if it has to wait, I can wait. We're more than that."
“Are you suggesting we make good on a portion of the empty hospital?” he asked, raising a brow. He hadn’t been pushing for anything right this moment, but more reminding Micah that he occasionally needed to come home. That didn’t mean the option wasn’t appealing. “I can always wait. I wasn’t rushing anything. Why don’t I go with you to make rounds and then we can find something to eat. I’m starving.”
"Just pointing out that it's always an option." Micah smiled and nodded. "I can wait too. I just know I miss you when it's been longer than twenty-four hours." He knew no one was around without looking, a bonus from his heightened senses, so he had no issues with leaning in to kiss Nic again, something soft and sweeter. "Rounds, then food. Sounds like a plan."
Nic’s fingers hooked into the waistband of Micah’s pants as he kissed him, his body swaying in towards him as his eyes fell shut. Yes, sometimes he questioned what he was doing, but when he was close to Micah, when Micah kissed him like that, there were no questions. He wanted him, to be with him and to make him happy. Nic reluctantly pulled away, but reminded himself there was always later. “I miss you, too,” he said softly, then took a deep breath, pulling himself together. “Let’s go. The sooner we get things settled in, the sooner we can take a break.” And a little together time was just what he needed.
Micah liked Nic closer, clouding up all his senses with his scent and the sound of his heartbeat. That he was missed as well made everything better and gave Micah more reason to want to go home and not feel like he was commandeering all of Nic's time. He smiled again, something brighter. He reached for the chart with all his patients on it, just an overall list that he didn't need but the nurses that came with him on rounds like to have, and handed it to Nic. "Come on," he said with a wave and started down the hall to the first set of rooms.