anything approaching physical intimacy, and since he'd moved to Steeple Westford he'd had none. Apart from the new guys, that psychic and his friend, and Phil of course, it wasn't like there was a lot of tail to chase in this sleepy village. Of course there might be more than he knew, since he appeared to have a malfunctioning gaydar.
"How's the pain?" Stick with the doctor questions. That was the way to handle this.
"You didn't finish the question." Daniel smirked. "Aren't you supposed to add on a scale of one to ten?"
"On a scale of—"
"A three. I can handle that with my eyes shut." Daniel opened the chemist's bag to rummage inside. "Not so many drugs now. Perhaps I can even get an erection." Sean's grip on the wheel tightened momentarily. Why the hell would Daniel say something quite so obvious as to allude to his dick? "I'm hungry." Daniel glanced at his watch. "I'm guessing you have other things to do, but the steaks at the Red Lion are good."
Sean jumped at the chance of more face time with Daniel.
They didn't do much talking. Instead they made a lot of pleased happy eating sounds. They were halfway through a huge plate of steak and chips when Will found them in the corner. Sean was startled as the man stood at their side, and for a moment, he wondered if he needed a doctor or something. Instead it seemed as if the man was here to speak to Daniel. Then he put two and two together. Will wanted Daniel to be his best man, and God did Will look furious.
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" he snapped at Daniel, who dipped his head and looked guilty. "You aren't answering your phone, your cell, you weren't at home—"
"He was with me," Sean interrupted, "at the surgery." He stopped at adding anything about the knee because that was doctor-patient privileged information. Will stopped in his tracks, slumping tiredly in the empty chair next to Daniel and resting a hand on his friend's back.
"What happened to you, Dan?" he asked carefully, and Daniel looked at him pointedly, before cutting another piece of steak and popping it in his mouth. Sean watched the interaction, saw the indecision on Will's face, and decided they probably needed alone time for a little while. He made excuses for more drink, propping up the bar with his back to them and far enough away to give the illusion of privacy but near enough to actually hear.
"I went for a walk," he heard Daniel start.
"A walk?"
"I hadn't taken my meds and—"
"Bloody hell, Daniel, you idiot."
"That's what he said."
Sean imagined he was the "he" in the conversation.
"Are you back on them now?"
"I am, well, different ones, better ones."
"Okay, and the pain?"
"Not too bad."
"Not too bad?" Sean could just imagine the look of incredulity that was probably passing Will's face, and he wasted more time asking Josie, the barmaid, about anything he could come up with.
"I'm okay, Will, stop fussing." Irritation coloured Daniel's voice, and Sean winced. He hated being fussed over when he was ill so he could sympathise with the soldier.
"Okay, but I haven't had your answer yet, and I need it."
"To what?"
"Damn it, Daniel, I want you to be my best man."
"No. So you need to find someone else."
"I don't want anyone else," Will replied with a hiss. It wasn't disappointment he had in his voice, but anger.
"You can't want my face there."
"What the hell does your face have to do with this?"
"Diana won't want her photos ruined."
"Diana wants—"
"No." Daniel's voice was determined and low, and then Sean heard the heavy oak door crashing against the wall. Just as quickly it slammed closed. He wanted to turn, but he couldn't. It was a train wreck. The door opened and shut a second time, and finally, he turned. The table in the corner was empty of both men. He sighed and turned back to Josie.
"Can I have the bill?"
* * * *
Will caught up with him quickly, but that was pretty easy considering he was a bloody cripple.
"Dan, wait." Sighing, Dan did as he was told,
"How's the pain?" Stick with the doctor questions. That was the way to handle this.
"You didn't finish the question." Daniel smirked. "Aren't you supposed to add on a scale of one to ten?"
"On a scale of—"
"A three. I can handle that with my eyes shut." Daniel opened the chemist's bag to rummage inside. "Not so many drugs now. Perhaps I can even get an erection." Sean's grip on the wheel tightened momentarily. Why the hell would Daniel say something quite so obvious as to allude to his dick? "I'm hungry." Daniel glanced at his watch. "I'm guessing you have other things to do, but the steaks at the Red Lion are good."
Sean jumped at the chance of more face time with Daniel.
They didn't do much talking. Instead they made a lot of pleased happy eating sounds. They were halfway through a huge plate of steak and chips when Will found them in the corner. Sean was startled as the man stood at their side, and for a moment, he wondered if he needed a doctor or something. Instead it seemed as if the man was here to speak to Daniel. Then he put two and two together. Will wanted Daniel to be his best man, and God did Will look furious.
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" he snapped at Daniel, who dipped his head and looked guilty. "You aren't answering your phone, your cell, you weren't at home—"
"He was with me," Sean interrupted, "at the surgery." He stopped at adding anything about the knee because that was doctor-patient privileged information. Will stopped in his tracks, slumping tiredly in the empty chair next to Daniel and resting a hand on his friend's back.
"What happened to you, Dan?" he asked carefully, and Daniel looked at him pointedly, before cutting another piece of steak and popping it in his mouth. Sean watched the interaction, saw the indecision on Will's face, and decided they probably needed alone time for a little while. He made excuses for more drink, propping up the bar with his back to them and far enough away to give the illusion of privacy but near enough to actually hear.
"I went for a walk," he heard Daniel start.
"A walk?"
"I hadn't taken my meds and—"
"Bloody hell, Daniel, you idiot."
"That's what he said."
Sean imagined he was the "he" in the conversation.
"Are you back on them now?"
"I am, well, different ones, better ones."
"Okay, and the pain?"
"Not too bad."
"Not too bad?" Sean could just imagine the look of incredulity that was probably passing Will's face, and he wasted more time asking Josie, the barmaid, about anything he could come up with.
"I'm okay, Will, stop fussing." Irritation coloured Daniel's voice, and Sean winced. He hated being fussed over when he was ill so he could sympathise with the soldier.
"Okay, but I haven't had your answer yet, and I need it."
"To what?"
"Damn it, Daniel, I want you to be my best man."
"No. So you need to find someone else."
"I don't want anyone else," Will replied with a hiss. It wasn't disappointment he had in his voice, but anger.
"You can't want my face there."
"What the hell does your face have to do with this?"
"Diana won't want her photos ruined."
"Diana wants—"
"No." Daniel's voice was determined and low, and then Sean heard the heavy oak door crashing against the wall. Just as quickly it slammed closed. He wanted to turn, but he couldn't. It was a train wreck. The door opened and shut a second time, and finally, he turned. The table in the corner was empty of both men. He sighed and turned back to Josie.
"Can I have the bill?"
* * * *
Will caught up with him quickly, but that was pretty easy considering he was a bloody cripple.
"Dan, wait." Sighing, Dan did as he was told,
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