A Big Step [Harley]

Harley lived for these weekends when he went to visit Ian, or when Ian came to visit him, he'd respected Ian's wishes to go back home, it was a reasonable thing to want to do given the nature of his job and the demands of it. But Harley missed him something fierce, only seeing him once or twice a month was painful, it was worth it, but still painful.

Harley had lived in Spain for as long as he'd been out of India, but he was starting to consider relocation, of course there were troubles with that, he had patients that relied on him to be there, though he was sure he could manage some arrangements for that. He would think about it later, for now, he could see Ian's house coming into view and he could feel the excitement already.

He didn't waste time as he pulled into the driveway, going around to grab his bags from the car before heading up to the door, ringing the door bell as he waited to be let inside.

This was always the point Ian told himself he wouldn't act as giddy and excited as he felt, that whole sort of 'kid on Christmas morning' feeling. And this was also the point that he always failed at this. He saw the car pull into his driveway from his office upstairs and hurried down them two at a time to the front door, opening it almost the same time as the doorbell rang.

He stood grinning on the other side, letting the other get in the door at least and put his bags down before pulling him into a tight embrace. "I'm glad you're here, I've missed you! What I should do..." He pulled back from the hug enough for a quick kiss and to look him in the face, his arms still around the other. "Is give you your own key...then you can come and go easier."

Harley's face lit up the moment Ian opened the door and he laughed as he stepped in and set his bags down, letting out a surprised 'oof' when the man threw his arms around him in a hug. He was always surprised, and pleased, When Ian felt comfortable enough to show affection to him like this, "Ian! Ah mera pyaar, god I have missed you!" He held onto the man tightly, only loosening his grip when Ian pulled away to return his kiss, "haha! Are you sure? You would never get ride of my I am afraid!" He grinned wide, "I could drop in whenever I liked!" He chuckled and leaned to press his forehead to Ian's, looking into his eyes with a fond expression, "I think that'd be lovely though."

"Oh no. You'd be in my house more...what would I ever do in such a situation?" He teased, but grinned back widely, feeling encouraged with that though, and how it related to what he wanted to talk about later on. But that wasn't something he was going to spring the moment the other walked in the door, some time to relax was in order first. "I would like it if you were around more though too." he added in a softer tone, looking back up to meet Harley's gaze.

"But first...come in and sit down...or well...maybe you're tired of sitting after the long drive!" He still had moments of getting a little flustered, it seemed. "Are you hungry? I can cook..." he offered.

Harley grinned wide at the man, laughing at his reply, "Ha! You are cheeky. You would not get bored of me?" He retorted with a smile, knowing full well the answer but asking anyway to mess with the man. He chuckled softly and nodded, looking a little wistful at the idea, "yes, it would be so nice to be able to see you more often." He looked down with a soft sigh, "I miss you so terribly...I am glad I can speak to you every night though." He glanced down at him, "Mmm but nothing compares to having you in my arms." It was worth the long waiting in between, but to have him every day would be ideal.

He couldn't help a fond laugh at the man's bursting enthusiasm, finding himself sharing it, "Ha! You would be surprised!" He stretched and popped his back with a wince, "sitting down sounds nice, the long car ride aggravates my back fiercely." He was still plagued by the souvenir from the war, where he'd been shot what felt like forever ago, "I am famished...But I could not possibly ask you to cook for me!" He laughed, "unless you let me help!" He always enjoyed being in the kitchen alongside Ian, he liked doing everything with the man, but he lit up in there and it was an endearing sight.

Ian laughed. "I'd be more worried about you getting bored with me. I'm not always this...whirlwind of excitement you tend to see." He joked. Though he imagined they'd both fall pretty quickly and easily into the routines of domestic life, from what he'd seen of the time they had spent together. "That is one thing I miss about Indiana...how much closer we were." He admitted as he started to move into the kitchen.

He could hear the other's back pop even standing a bit away, and winced a little at the sound. It wasn't something they'd ever talked about in great detail, but he was aware of the other's previous injury, and also was vaguely aware it was most likely an old war wound, but it still worried him a bit. "If it's bothering you again, you should maybe get it looked at? Massage or...there've been some interesting advances in medical technology to treat such things." He suggested, knowing this as it was among the sorts of projects he most often worked on.

"And you know I like to cook, it's hardly something you're making me to!" He dismissed the other's mild protest with a wave of his hand, already opening cabinets to see what he had on hand. He did a better job of keeping his kitchen stocked whenever he knew he'd have company like Sol or Harley, otherwise the place was embarrassingly bare. "But I won't say no to your help either...I just went shopping a day or two ago, what would you like?"

Harley let out a soft hiss at the suggestion and grinned, "psh. Never going to happen." He took the man's hands and squeezed them, "when I see the rest of my life, I see you, and every moment I spend with you is wonderful." He chuckled and let go of him to follow him into the kitchen, "yes, I live for these weekends, I shall have to try and come out here more often." Surely he could spare extra weekends to come out here? The drive would be worth it, even if it was long and grueling, he could also start flying out here, he would have to think over these plans later.

He rubbed at his back and chuckled, shaking his head, "ah, it is only when the weather changes, or after long drives...I am fine." He smiled at him and leaned to kiss his cheek, "but thank you for worrying, simply the lingering scars of an old veteran." He knew Ian could understand that on an intimate level.

He chuckled as he came up behind the man, wrapping his arms around him from behind to rest his chin over his shoulder, glancing through the cabinets with him, "what are the options? You know me, I am not a picky man...Though it has been cold...Maybe something with a kick to it?" He grinned wide, "though I may be biased on that...I am always a fan of spice."

The unexpected swell of emotions when Harley spoke of the future between them was enough to make Ian pause until he could catch his breath again. That was all he really wanted to, and to hear it from the other's mouth as well was an indescribable, joyful feeling. His eyes stung a little, but he smiled brightly at the thought as well.

"Hmm. I can still worry about you, and want you to feel better." He countered, the smile softening a little as he leaned back into the other's embrace. He hated how that damned war still left it's scars on them both, even now.

Not shifting from where he was leaning back, he stretched out one hand to shift through the cabinet contents a little, but the motion was half-hearted, thoughtful.

"So...I've been thinking...a lot." he started slowly, he hadn't meant to do this now but it would just sit there, this nervous, eager thing in his brain until he said it. "What if...we weren't so far apart all of the time?"

Harley was glad to press in closer when Ian leaned back into him, squeezing him tightly and chuckling, "Okay, doctor, I will make an appointment when I am next able and have it looked at, okay?" There was an affectionate tease in his voice, because he honestly loved being fussed over, he was a man who often forgot to take care of himself, especially when he was working, so having Ian there to remind him that he was a human with human needs was refreshing.

His attention shifted however when Ian spoke again, pulling back enough to look over him curiously, he looked as if he had a heavy or at least difficult thought to get out to him, so Harley waited patiently for him to work up the courage to get it out. He smiled and tilted his head, "you know I would enjoy that, immensely, you look as though you have some thoughts on that..." He smiled and put a gentle hand to his cheek, "what did you have in mind mera pyaar?"

Ian made a face back at him when Harley said he'd make an appointment. "Don't take that tone with me, just because I worry about you." He protested, but it was very clearly gentle and affectionate teasing, rather than actually feeling out of sorts about it.

At the next part he drew in a breath, and before he could think about it anymore, just started saying it, the words coming out rapidly, as though he had to get them out before he changed his mind, and if he said enough of them quickly enough, that maybe he'd convince the other.

"What if...you were here? I know maybe it's a little sudden, but I've been thinking about it a lot...I mean, Indiana is pretty far away, and let's be honest, we've done what we can there, but I just don't see it being something that becomes a permanent or long-term solution...and Europe is nice, but that's even further and then we'd pretty much never see each other if you went back there...but if you came to D.C. there's a lot of potential there, you're respected in your field, I know people...and there's a lot of people you could help here, you want to work with veterans, this is a place to do it, I mean it's a big reason I came here and I know it's sudden and a bit of a transition...but I've got this place all to myself especially now that Sol's grown up and I just...hate having you all the way over there when...you could be here..."

Harley had not been expecting the string of thoughts that came from the man when he prompted him to go ahead and tell him what he was thinking, by his previous words he'd already gotten an idea of what Ian was getting at, but hearing it all laid out that way was surprising from the man. He could tell he was trying to get it all out before he lost the nerve to do so, and there was a part of him that found that incredibly endearing.

When the man finished speaking, Harley smiled, and nodded, "I have been thinking about leaving Indiana...The only thing that has tied me there is you..." He brushed a hand over his cheek, "because you are right...To go back to Spain would mean I see you even less than I do now." He let out a thoughtful noise through his nose, "I have patients in Spain who are not yet finished with their treatments..." He rubbed a hand over his chin, "I have colleagues who may be able to take over..." He sighed, "and you are right...There are not nearly as many veterans in Spain as there must be here..."

He breathed softly, "I cannot say yes, for sure, right now." He took his cheeks and looked over his face with a fond smile, "I must make calls and arrangements, but...I think...You are right." He leaned in to kiss the top of his head, "I would much rather be here, with you, than thousands of miles away." He wished he could give a better answer, but he supposed maybe Ian didn't expect a definite response, "give me time to iron out a few things...And I will come here to be with you."

Ian had not been expecting a for certain answer immediately either, this was not 'move from across town to live with me', but the complete restructuring of the other's life, and for just a moment he worried he was asking too much, was it selfish of him to want to stay where he was, but to expect the other to come here? But he also hadn't been told no either, so was quick to stuff his uncertainties back down.

He smiled back, leaning into the taller man again. "Just...I just wanted to put it out there, as a thought. You can think about it as little or as long as you'd like...there's no deadline or anything on it. And then, I want you to give me the answer you really want, I know it's a huge, *huge* thing to ask and...I just ultimately...I want you to be happy. I want you to be where you're happy, and I don't want you to feel like you have to give a bunch of things up or anything unless it's what you really want." He considered on, a little calmer now, but still seeming a little as though he had so many things he wanted to say but was also nervous about saying.

Harley could tell by the way Ian was babbling that he had a lot of thoughts to get out, so for a moment he just stayed quiet and let him speak, content to let him finish before wrapping his arms around him gently and pulling him close, planting a soft kiss on his forehead, "I am where I am happy...Right here...Right now..." He let out a soft sigh through his nose, a content noise, "if I could have this feeling every day..." He chuckled softly and put a hand on the man's cheek so he could look over his face, "I must think, not about whether I want this, because I do want this..."

He looked thoughtful, "just on the best course of action for my patients back home..." He ran a hand through Ian's hair, "I have been gone a while as is, they may have been moved to other doctors anyway. And I have no family there to fret for." He realized he was making his decision without even making it, but really it was an easy decision to make, "is there anything else you wish to say?" He brushed his fingers through his hair again, "on your own time of course, but I am here to listen."