Jae and Toby

Author Note:

I wrote this Jack part almost right after I wrote the first chapter of this story. I have been waiting until I thought it was time to insert it. So here it is.

Thank you for the comments, public and private, I do enjoy reading them.

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**Toby**

The Doc and I were walking up to the ER doors from the parking structure and there stood him, Jack. I knew him immediately, he wasn't facing us as we were walking up to him but seeing his red hair, his slim shoulders, tight waist and how he just stood there, I knew it was him. I stopped the Doc and turned to him, he saw the shock on my face.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Jack."

"Where?"

"Ahead of us, red hair, with his back turn."

"Are you ok?" He squeezed my hand.

"Yeah." I started forward again and Jack turned around.

"HONEY!" Jack had the look of surprise on his face, he stepped towards me. "How have you been?" He stepped closer to me to give me a kiss and I put my hand to his chest.

"Jack, what are you doing here?" The Doc was still at my side.

"I want you back Toby, I love you, I am sorry." He looked at the Doc and noticed he wasn't leaving. "Do you mind, I need to talk to my boyfriend, ALONE."

"Don't talk to him like that, and you aren't my boyfriend. Jack, I would like you to meet Jake, HE is my boyfriend." Jack's face fell. "Jack, you should have contacted me before coming all this way, I am not available and I will never be available for you again.

"But... but, can't we talk about this? You can't be serious with this..." He looked up and down Jake. "...man."

"Jack, leave, there is nothing here for you."

"You're lying to me, you are not with this..." He looked at Jake again, "...man. Toby, you love me. You know you do, please."

"Doc, go in and I will see you in a bit." Jake looked at Toby for a minute and then squeezed his hand and walked in the doors. "Where are you parked?"

"In the lot over there." Jack pointed to the visitor lot in the ER section. "Toby?"

"Jack, I don't want you anymore." I started walking towards the parking lot and he followed. "Jack please go home and don't contact me anymore."

"Toby, you love me though."

"No Jack, I don't think I ever have loved you. I realized once I have been with Jake that I don't think I did love you, it was more a convenience then anything. I don't know how you found me, and I don't care, but forget where I am. Go back to LA."

"But Toby..."

"But nothing Jack, I don't want or need you anymore. Where is your rental?"

"But my flight back isn't for another week, I wanted to reconnect and work on finding a job out here. It's over there." Jack pointed to a sedan and we walked over to it.

"You didn't stupidly quit your job in LA did you?"

"No, I was hoping that you would come back with me, you know I am FULLLY L.A., I can't live anywhere else, unless I have to, but I was hoping that you would quit and come home."

"Not going to happen, I am happy where I am. Happy and in love." He had his keys in his hand and was just standing there, looking at me. I took the keys from him and opened his car door.

"Don't... don't do this, please. I love you Toby."

I handed his keys back and looked at him. "I'm not your doormat anymore, Jack. Please go home and don't contact me again." I turned and walked away from him.

"YOU ASSHOLE, HOW DARE YOU MOVE ON?" I didn't respond to him I just keep walking away. "TOBY, TOBIAS, PLEASE." He was screaming across the parking lot at me, I continued to walk away, I didn't look back. I heard his door shut, the car start and him pull away at a high rate of speed.

When I neared the hospital doors I pulled out my phone, I didn't care that it was only five in the morning in L.A., I called my brother Charlie. It rang and finally he answered. "Hello." I knew I woke him but I didn't care.

"Why did you tell Jack where I was?"

"Tobias?"

"Yeah, why did you tell Jack where I was?" I repeated.

"He came by here a few weeks ago to ask where he could send some stuff of yours, I told him that you worked at the hospital there, I didn't give him your address." He took a deep breath. "Jesus Tobias, why the hell are you calling so early for?"

"BECAUSE HE SHOWED UP AT MY JOB, CHARLIE and I don't need that shit at my work."

"I am sorry, I didn't think he would come out there, he just said he had stuff to send you. It's not like you are dating anyone, so why not go back to the one you have been with all these years."

"I am dating someone and I love him. Jack is nothing to me now, if he asks never tell him where I live and when I change my number, don't give it to him."

"Ok Tobias, ok, I am sorry. Does Mom know you are seeing someone?"

"Yes I have talked to Mom about Jake, I would like to bring him out to meet everyone soon."

"Ok, I was just checking. Again I am sorry Tobias."

"Yeah Charlie, talk to you later." I hung up, turned around and there stood Jake, I smiled at him. "Hey."

"Are you ok?" He looked worried.

I stepped closer to him, "Yeah Doc, I am." I so wanted to hold him and kiss him, but we have agreed no public display of affection at work, he will let me hold his hand when we are in the cafeteria and when there are not many people around.

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**Jake**

Wow, Jack was flaming in more ways than one. Shit I didn't think that was Toby's type, I am amazed that Toby picked me. I am the complete opposite of Jack. Shit Jack, was... I can't even put words to it, and that red hair shit, the attitude. When he told me to go into work, I didn't want to leave him, I watched from the doors for a minute, but decided I better make an appearance. So I went and changed into my scrubs, told Janice I would be right back and went back out to see Toby. Toby was on the phone and Jack was nowhere to be found, he turned around at me and smiled and I asked if he was ok, he said he was.

"Is he gone?"

"Yeah, I walked him to his car and told him to leave."

"Ok, are you really ok?"

"Yeah, Doc, I am more pissed with my brother for telling him where I was, but he said he didn't give him my address, I am hoping he didn't, I don't need him showing up at my place." I squeezed his hand. "Let's get to work, see you at lunch time?"

"Yeah Toby, I will call you when I can get a break."

We walked back in the doors and split up, he went to his office, I went back to ER and was busy the rest of the day. Jack didn't show up again, Toby was a little stressed thinking he was going to follow us home or something, but he never did show up.

The rest of the week went great, we spent most of the nights at my condo, I love snuggling up with him so much, and I really love when I get to lay on top of him, and lay my head on his chest, I really do like listening to his heart beat. I am glad that I am shorter than him, it is nice how I just curve right into the spots, I fit perfect to his six foot frame.

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**Toby**

We were lying in bed the following Saturday morning, it was the first Saturday that the Doc had off in a while, so it was nice to just sleep in a bit. It was getting much colder; this is going to be my first winter here, god I'm already freezing and it only fall.

"Doc?"

"MMMMmm." He snuggled up to me and kissed my neck.

"Doc?" I was losing my focus, god do I love when he snuggles into me.

"Yeah Toby, what's up?" He stopped kissing me and looked me in the eyes.

"I was wondering... I was actually hoping..." I was stammering, gee why can't I just ask him?

"Spit it out Toby." He smiled at me.

I smiled at him, I loved him so much and one of these days I am going to have to tell him that. "I was wondering if you had any vacation time coming up."

"I do, what do you have planned?"

"Doc, I was hoping that you would come with me to L.A. to visit my family."

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**Jake**

Oh shit, he wants me to meet his family, holy cow. What do I say? I don't want to come off as an ass, because I think it might be too soon to start meeting his parents, but in a way I wouldn't mind going to see where he grew up. Wow, he is looking at me, I need to say something. "Sure." Did I just say sure, holy shit, but it might be nice, we have been together now for a few months, five to be exact.

"Are you really ok with it? I don't want to push you or anything." He was smiling.

"It might be fun, yeah I... would love to meet your family, Toby." Wow, I can't believe I am saying this.

"Really, ok, you don't have to do anything, I will get the tickets, hotel and rental car. This is going to be great. When can you get some time off?" He actually looked happy.

"You name it, I will put in for it. Just remember I need at least two weeks' notice."

"No problem, Doc. I was hoping to go sometime after your birthday, but before the holidays because I don't know if you could stand my family during the holiday season."

"Are they that bad?"

"Yes and no, I am just trying to keep you away from my uncles. I don't even like them, they aren't the nicest toward gay people."

"I am sorry to hear that, are they at least nice to you?"

"If calling me their queer nephew is nice, than no." He chuckled. "I try not to be around the house when they visit. It is worse in the holiday season because they come around more."

"Then after my birthday it is. What do you think about leaving maybe Halloween, which is a Friday? How long were you thinking a week or two?"

"I would like to go for two weeks, but if you don't, it will be fine." He stared at me for a second. "Either you can come back or we both could after a week. I would love to have you there the entire time, but I can understand if you, don't want to." He drew out the last three words, as he keeps looking at me. "You don't have to go, I can see that you don't really want to."

Before I knew what happened, he was out of the bed and left the bedroom. "Toby?" He didn't answer, I got up and followed him, he must have went downstairs because he was nowhere to be found up here. I went down the stairs and saw him in the kitchen. "Toby?" He looked over at me. "Toby, I want to go."

"Doc, it is ok, no worries. I just thought it would be nice to have you meet my parents." He looked down and back up. "Hey do you mind if I go for a run. I know I told you I was all yours today, but I really need to run a bit." He didn't wait for my answer, he headed upstairs to grab his sweats and left out.

Was I saying something else with my facial expressions or was he just reading too much into it? Are we having our first fight? Wow, I really don't know what happen in the split second where he wanting me to come to thinking I didn't want to.

I called Janice, I didn't know what the hell just went on, I needed to bounce it off someone. "Hey Janice, do you have a second to talk?"

"Yeah Jake, what's going on, you sound distressed." Janice must be picking up that in my voice.

"I don't know Janice, I am not sure if Toby and I had our first fight or what, but he just left for a run and won't really look at me."

"Jake, calm down, what happened?"

"As I said, I am not sure, he was talking about taking me to visit his parents and then he all of a sudden changed his mind and became distant, I don't know if I was putting off the fact that I was scare to meet them or what?"

"Jake, how do you feel about Toby?"

"I like him very much."

"Just like him, Jake?"

"I love him."

"Have you told him that? Has he told you he loves you?"

"No on both counts. I know he loves me, I see it in his actions and everything he does."

"Duh Jake, you can see that boy loves you beyond belief. What is stopping you from telling him?"

"I don't know, Janice."

"Jake, he isn't Rick."

"I know Janice, I know he isn't Rick. But."

"But what, he loves you and you love him, what is the big deal."

"I don't know Janice, I don't know."

"Don't break this boy's heart."

"Janice, he's a grown man, he turns thirty-one in January."

"And you turn thirty-seven in October, tell him Jake, don't lose this one because you're afraid."

"I will think about it Janice."

"Don't think, just do it."

"Ok, thanks, I will see you tomorrow at work?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Jake."

**************

**Toby**

I had to get out of there; I could really tell he didn't want to go. Maybe he doesn't feel the same way about me and I do about him. Maybe I am glad I haven't told him that I love him. God it is cold out here and it is only late September, shit why did I move here?

I decided to head back to the house, maybe he will be there, or maybe he left and went home. I am not going to push him into anything he doesn't want to do. Maybe this relationship was not meant to be, I don't know, I just know I like the Doc a hell of a lot. Shit, what am I going to do?

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**Jake**

I waited for over an hour for Toby to return, I almost gave up on him when he walked into the house. "Hey Toby." I was sitting on the couch.

"Hi Doc." He was about to head upstairs.

"Toby, will you please come here."

"Doc, I am all sweaty, can I take a shower first."

"Nope, this will only take a minute." I had a key in my hand, I decided it was time.

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**Toby**

I walked over to the Doc, and then I saw it, I saw my key in his hands, and I knew he was going to break up with me, I just looked at him.

"Toby, what's wrong."

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**Jake**

"Nothing Doc, just tell me what you have to say." I could see that he looked defeated now. What was going through his head?

"Toby, I love you." His head snapped up when I said that. "I love you, and I need to stop guarding my heart. You have been the best thing for me, in years, and I should have told you this a long time ago." I looked at him and he had tears cresting his eyes. "Toby are you ok?"

"Yeah Doc, this is a weird way of breaking up with me."

"Breaking up with you, I am not breaking up with you. I am telling you that I love you."

"But you have my key in your hand like you are returning it to me."

I laughed. "It's not your key, it is my key. I was giving you my spare key." He sat down on the couch I could tell he was relieved, the tears that were threating to cascade over his lids, began to flow. I sat down and hugged him. "Toby I love you." He nodded his head but wouldn't look at me, was he ashamed to cry in front of me or something, I really need to figure this man out.

"Doc, I love you too. I was scare to tell you, not completely knowing how you felt about me. Sometimes I knew beyond a doubt that you did but sometimes, I couldn't tell. Like when I asked you to go with me to my parents, you got distant."

"Scare Toby, not distant, I am scare." He looked at me. "Toby, I was scared to open my heart, to trust you. But I have to remember you're not Rick. Honey, I want to go with you to visit your parents, please let me be with you."

"But it really seems like it's something you don't want to do."

"To be honest, it scares the living shit out of me. I never had to do that before. I was with Rick since coming out to my parents and he was in and out of foster homes when he was a kid, so he never had real parents, so I didn't have to go through the stage of meeting someone's parents."

"Then you don't have to right now. It is ok, Doc. I will go out this time alone and if you feel up to it next time, then please accompany me." I could tell he didn't like saying that.

"Toby, will it bother you that I won't be there with you this time."

"I would be lying to you if I said it won't, but it will be fine Doc. It's not like we have been together that long, so it will be fine." He turned towards me, kissed and hugged me. "Do you mind if I take a shower?"

"No Toby, I don't mind."

He ran up the stairs and I heard the water running after a minute. I looked over to the coffee table, he left his cell there, I wonder if I could find his sister's number in it or if he locks his phone. I picked it up, press the on button and it goes right into the main screen. I look for Sarah's number and quickly put it in my phone.

I laid his phone back on the table and he came down a few minutes later and sat next to me. "So what do you want to do here Doc? We had our first disagreement or small fight, so do we get to have make up sex now?" He grinned his evil grin at me.

I pushed him down and kissed him. "I love you, Toby, and I don't think I will ever get tired of telling you that."

I love you too, Doc, and I don't think I will ever get tired of you telling me that."

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**Toby**

We didn't end up having sex, we had things to do. Both of our places were in desperate need of cleaning and we had laundry to do. We cleaned mine first, we threw a load of laundry in as we started and flipped it when it needed. Then we went over to his place and did the same. I would run home and switch over my laundry when it was time and put it away.

Merlin didn't hide anymore when I would come over; we stay more at the Doc's place then mine, so when we went to the grocery store we mainly just left the food at his place. I would just stock my place with the necessary items such as coffee, beer and snacks.

Over the following weeks, we were getting along great, I still wish he would come with me to L.A., but I can understand his fear. When his birthday came, I asked Janice and her husband over to have a small celebration; I didn't want to embarrass the Doc. Janice and he had it off, it was their normal day off, I asked for the day off, I didn't tell him beforehand.

"Toby, you are going to be late." The Doc woke me, with kisses.

"MMMMmm, I think I am going to call in sick today." I rolled over and reached under the bed and pulled out his gift. "Happy Birthday, Babe, I love you."

"Wait a minute."

"What?"

"You didn't call me, Doc or Jake, this is the first time you called me Babe." He was smiling at me.

"I think I have called you that before, do you not like it, I can call you Doc. I love calling you Doc."

"No, no, I love it." He was smiling at me. "Just couldn't believe you finally called me something else. Thank you."

I leaned in and kissed him, I do love him so much. I handed him his gift.

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**Jake**

God, I like that, that was I think the first time he has called me Babe. That was the best Birthday present he could have given me, but of course, no he hands me a wrapped gift. I sat up against his headboard and sat the present in my lap. "Wait a minute; you are calling in sick today? Why?"

"I don't have to call in sick, Babe, I took today off, to be with you and to have everything ready for your Birthday dinner."

"You what? But you are taking two weeks off in just two weeks from now. Do you have the time?"

"Yes I do, when I hired in, it was one of the items that I asked for upfront was my vacation time. So I could take it around my employees. So I have three weeks to use before January, then it reloads with five weeks." He looks at me, he had shifted up in the bed to sit next to me against the headboard. "Babe?" He looked at the present in my hand and back up at me.

"Ok, ok, I will stop stalling." I looked down at the gift in my lap, I really didn't want anything for my birthday, but of course he didn't listen to me. I turned it over and delicately I removed the tape from the paper, and lifted the paper from around the box.

"Oh my god, you are not one of those?"

"What?"

"The people that nicely unwrap their gifts, to the point that they could literally save the paper or rewrap the box." He was laughing at me. "You are supposed to rip it open, Doc."

"It is just how I am. So stop laughing at me." I kissed him and opened the box, my mouth dropped open.

"I noticed that you had every one of these books, and when I asked if you had read them all and you said you had, all except the first one. I finally asked how you had gotten into such a weird series, which would be more up my alley, then a doctor's. You said your Dad got you hooked on the series. So I found the first one for you, it wasn't easy, who am I kidding, yeah it was, but I still hope that you like it."