Chapter Text
From an early age, Scott was aware of his family’s maldición, but since nothing happened to him by the ripe age of 27, he wondered if maybe it skipped a generation. His mother and abuelita both experienced la llamada before they turned 21, but Scott lived his entire life free from it so far.
He could still vividly remember his thirteenth birthday when his mother first warned him about the curse. She’d pushed his hair back from his face, looking into his eyes with a bittersweet emotion he didn’t fully understand then, and told him about how it happened to her when she’d met his father. She said the first born children in their family were cursed to fall in love at first sight once, and only once, in their lives—to be irrevocably bound to their único amor at first sight. Scott didn’t think that sounded so bad.
“There’s always a catch,” she’d clarified for him. “It’s never easy, and when we lose our único amor, most of us cannot survive them for long.”
Scott remembered thinking about that for a while before speaking up again. “But I’m going to be in love someday, right? I’ll be happy!” His grin stretched across his face at the thought, eyes sparkling with joy.
She smiled sweetly at him, but it didn’t contain the usual warmth he associated with his mother. “I hope so. But it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes our único can’t return our love, and it isn’t their choice either. You can’t force yourself to love someone.”
At the time, Scott hadn’t wanted to think too hard about that. The thought of falling in love with someone that couldn’t love him back opened a wound in his chest where there hadn’t been one before, so he bandaged it with hope. He spent many nights trying to fall asleep while picturing his único. He’d waited and waited, thinking that someday he’d fall in love like he eventually fell asleep each night, but by his twenty-first birthday, his hope began to falter. Here it was over six years later, and he’d accepted that he might spend his life surrounded by only the platonic love his friends had to offer. And really, the more he considered it, that wasn’t the worst life he could imagine.
It was late on a Tuesday afternoon, and he’d just wrapped up his last patient for the day—a tabby cat with previously undiagnosed food allergies who would hopefully be okay now with her new diet. He was removing his examination coat when he heard his receptionist talking hurriedly with someone before she poked her head down the hallway, smiling at him in a way that suggested she needed a favor.
“Doctor,” she called out in an overly sweet tone, “do you have time for a sad puppy and his owner?”
Scott wanted to roll his eyes, but he also knew she wouldn’t bother him with a last minute appointment without at least a decent reason. As he shrugged the coat back on, he sent her a thumbs up.
“Last one, Erica! It’s already been a long day.”
She sent a mock salute his way before returning to lead the customer to the first exam room.
Before entering, Scott grabbed a quick drink from his office and attempted to perk himself up a bit by jumping in place. He’d already spiraled into mental shut down halfway through his appointment with the tabby, and now he was even more ready to just unwind.
As he approached the door, he could hear the pet’s owner speaking softly to his dog to comfort the whimpering creature. He smiled, always appreciative of a caring owner as he stepped into the room. The moment his eyes fell on the tall blond bent over the exam table, petting his dog softly along its back, he froze, stomach dropping to the floor and heartbeat spluttering. It felt like a million shocks of pleasure erupted all over his body, suffocating every other emotion and thought he tried to formulate. His fingers fidgeted at his side, itching abruptly to touch the other man. Scott coughed, excusing himself quickly from the room with a mumbled, “Just a moment, please.”
He knew his voice had sounded absolutely wrecked, but he had to get away from the room to catch his breath and find some way to act normal again. He immediately thought of his mother, her soft tone as she’d warned him about la llamada, about the unbidden rush of emotions and crushing desire to be closer to someone who, by all accounts, was a complete stranger only a second before.
Running back to his office, Scott pulled his cell phone from his desk drawer and quickly dialed his mother’s number, fingers still trembling.
“Please, please answer,” he pleaded to the universe, leg bouncing in his impatience.
On the third ring, his mother’s concerned voice answered, “Scott, is everything okay? You don’t usually call this early.”
“Yes. No? Mom, uh, what was it like when you felt la llamada?”
He heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. Yeah, he thought, I was surprised too.
“Oh, sweetheart, when did it happen?”
“Just now. A, um, a patient—well, no, a patient’s owner came in and—oh God, mom, he’s still in the exam room. I panicked and ran out to call you. What do I do?”
He swore he could hear his mother’s smile through the connection. “Are you sure it was la llamada?”
“I—I don’t know. I couldn’t focus, everything was shaking, I felt shocks all over, my heartbeat was crazy, but I couldn’t stop looking at him. I just…I wanted to be near him, but I panicked and ran to hide in my office.”
“Sounds familiar,” she said calmly. Scott wanted to shout that he very much did not appreciate how calm she could be about this, but he bit his tongue.
“Go back in there and talk to him. It sounds like he came in for a reason, right? Focus on that. You’re good at your job. Just talk to him.”
“How? I couldn’t do anything but escape earlier.”
“It gets easier once the shock wears off.” He heard his mother hum, as though she was remembering something distant. “But honey, remember, he didn’t feel the same thing. You’ll have to be patient. This is the hardest part because you jumped immediately from strangers to the deepest connection you can experience with another person. But for him, you’re still a stranger.”
Scott couldn’t stop the disappointed whine at the back of his throat.
“I know,” his mother said soothingly. “Just be patient, sweetie. Go back in there and talk to him, do your job, and be yourself. That’s the best you can do, okay?”
He took a deep breath, sighing as he let it go. “Okay. Thanks, mom. I’ll call you tonight?”
“You better. Go get him, Scott.”
He nodded and hung up the phone before remembering she couldn’t see him. After another deep breath and a silent prayer to whoever would listen, he walked back to the exam room while trying to build his confidence with every step.
This time when he entered the room and saw its occupants, the shock didn’t stop his brain like before, though is still buzzed along his skin, and he felt an overwhelming need to be closer to the other man.
“Sorry about that,” he said sincerely. “I’m Dr. McCall.” He reached his hand out to shake the owner’s. “You can call me Scott.”
“Isaac,” the man said, “And it’s alright. I know I wasn’t exactly on the schedule.” He shrugged slowly, and Scott could see a sadness in his face and slumping posture that pulled hard at his heart.
“I, um,” he paused, lost momentarily before looking down to the whimpering Labrador on his exam table. “What seems to be the trouble with your friend here?”
Isaac sat in the chair beside his dog, hand still softly petting his back. “I’m not sure. He won’t eat, and he seems like he’s lost all his energy. It’s like he’s depressed? I don’t know… Maybe I’m worried over nothing, but he’s never been like this before.”
Scott frowns, understanding the connection between pets and their owners. Isaac obviously has a big heart, and it fills Scott with hope for himself despite the situation.
“How long has this been going on?” he asks.
“Four or five days? At first I thought I was feeding him too much. Ryan says I do that.” A look of pain flies across Isaac’s face before the man shakes himself and sighs. “I’m sorry, um, I just didn’t know what to do anymore. I hope I didn’t wait too long?”
He looks up then, eyes locking with Scott’s and filled with confusion, questions, and a pain that makes Scott ache through to his bones.
“Not at all,” he assures the other man quickly. “Let me take a look, and I’ll see what we can do.”
After gently approaching Tucker and finding that he had no problem with Scott poking and prodding him to perform a preliminary exam, Scott searched for any noticeable physical causes for the change in behavior. As he finished and pulled away, though, he focused again on Isaac and had to squash an urge to wrap the other man in his arms.
“Physically, he seems okay from what I can observe. It could be an emotional problem, of course. Has there been any big changes recently to his routine?”
Scott watched as Isaac’s skin paled, beautiful blue eyes looking away, focusing on the counter beside him.
Eventually, Isaac sighed and admitted, “Kind of? I, uh, I haven’t really been taking care of him like I should.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“No, it is.” Isaac wrapped his arms around himself and turned to face the vet, their eyes meeting once again. Scott was struck by the color—a blue that his mind couldn’t quite name. He wanted those eyes to look at him always, and the thought alone sent a chill through him.
“I recently—well no, I,” Isaac paused again, clearly unsure of how to go on or if he even should.
Scott rolled a chair over, sitting across from Isaac and reaching out a hand to grip the other man’s shoulder reassuringly. “Hey, you can talk to me. You’re my last appointment today, and I don’t have any other plans after this besides maybe Netflix and definitely food. I’m pretty sure Erica’s already left for the day anyway. So,” he said as he tried to offer an open smile, “I’m all yours.” He wondered if Isaac could hear the depth behind those words and just how sincere they were. “Whatever it is, I’m here to help you—and Tucker, of course,” he added after a beat, blushing at Isaac’s questioning look.
He watched as a tiny smile crossed Isaac’s lips before he dropped his head down and shook it. “Are you sure? It might be more than you bargained for.”
Scott nodded. “I’m positive. It could do you both some good to have a willing audience?”
Isaac huffed out a laugh as he looked up. “Couldn’t hurt,” he mumbled. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Scott squeezed Isaac’s shoulder, hoping it would encourage him further, and then pulled away to give the man some space as he listened. “Go on,” he added softly, “I’m all ears.”
“Alright,” he began, “I uh—I’m in a relationship, or was, or still am?—I don’t know anymore.”
Scott’s stomach sank again in a much worse way than it had earlier. He swallowed. “Girl trouble?” he asked around the lump in his throat.
Isaac shook his head. “Not exactly. The, uh, the guy I’m seeing—I just found out he cheated on me last month, and I haven’t been handling it well, I guess.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact with Scott.
The vet’s eyes widened as his brain buzzed with static, flitting among jealousy, outrage, and disbelief. He was at a loss for how to process this information, but as the weighty pain on Isaac’s face registered, he leaned forward, pulling the other man into a tight embrace. He wanted to say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and he meant to, but instead, he said, “You don’t deserve that. You deserve so much better.” And then, because his mouth didn’t know when to stop, he added a quieter, “I wouldn’t cheat on you.”
Isaac had heard it, and he gasped, jerking away from the hug.
“Are you hitting on me after I just told you I was cheated on?” The sadness was suddenly replaced by…anger? Scott wasn’t sure, but he knew it wasn’t a happy look. He panicked again, hands raising up, palms facing the other man.
“No! No, I’m sorry. That isn’t—I didn’t mean to say that. I—I just—it came out, but I swear it wasn’t supposed to.”
Slowly—so slowly—Isaac tilted his head to the side, the anger somewhat dissipated but confusion clear. “You didn’t mean to say it?”
Scott nodded.
Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “But you were thinking it anyway?”
Scott nodded again, guilt washing over him as he swallowed around another hard lump in his throat.
“I’m sorry,” he said, sincere, “I—I didn’t know earlier what had happened, and…” He stopped, not sure where he was going with this. He couldn’t explain la llamada; he’d sound even crazier than he already did. “God, I swear I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it.”
Isaac eyed him warily, but he hadn’t moved to leave yet. Scott didn’t know if that was a good sign or not, but it swirled in his belly like hope.
“You didn’t finish what you were saying,” he said, eyes looking straight at Scott now.
“I don’t know how.”
Isaac hummed then, biting his lip as his knee bounced in place.
“Honestly?”
Scott could feel his eyes widening, a lump forming in his throat. “Okay, um, do you believe in love at first sight?” he asked, unsure of how else to explain.
Isaac’s expression flattened, anger resurfacing. “You’re fucking with me. I get it.” He stood up, reaching for his dog, and Scott’s heart jumped into overdrive. He jumped up as well, hands held up again in surrender.
“Wait,” he nearly yelled. “No, it’s not—I swear I’m not. I know that it sounds like the world’s worst pick up line, but you wanted honesty, and that’s all I’ve got.” He paused, catching Isaac’s eyes again. Then, softer, he nudged at the air between them. “Honest.”
When Isaac finally spoke again, he only sounded exhausted. “Look, even if—even without all the baggage I have right now, I don’t know that that would work. And at best right now, if I am single—and I still don’t know if I even am—I won’t be ready yet to date again for a while.”
Scott nodded, fully understanding. “I know that, I do. That’s why I never meant to say what I said. I was just hoping to be a friend to lean on for now.” At Isaac’s incredulous look, he went on, “I swear. Yes, I’m attracted to you, and yes, I meant what I said. I can’t take it back, and I wouldn’t anyway. I was serious, but I still shouldn’t have said it now. I know you’re in pain.”
Isaac sat back down then, shoulders sagging. He looked like a new burden was weighing him down now.
“Listen, Isaac, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never done this before or anything remotely close, but I know you don’t deserve what happened to you. You do deserve better. Even if,” he paused, swallowing hard again and feeling an old, forgotten wound reopen, “even if it isn’t with me someday, you deserve someone loyal, loving, and honest. We all do.”
Scott watched as Isaac started to shake, as if he was fighting with himself over something. He risked leaning forward again, hands steady as they gripped the other man’s thighs.
“I’m not ready,” he said, sounding as if he were genuinely sorry for it. Scott felt himself smile.
“And I don’t want to be a rebound.”
That seemed to catch the other man’s attention as he looked back at Scott, eyes wet. Scott took that as an invitation to continue being honest at the expense of his own heart.
“I want an honest chance at something real here. And for that, I can wait.”
Isaac’s eyes went wide as a tear rolled down his cheek. Scott reached up to wipe it away, and Isaac shut his eyes to the sight, a sad sound catching in his throat as he did. Tucker looked up at the sound, whining as he leaned over with his head now laying on his owner’s lap.
“Hey,” Scott whispered, “this isn’t a sad thing. It doesn’t have to be.”
“You can’t just say that. You can’t say you’ll wait for some guy you just met.”
“Well, I just did.” Scott leaned down, trying to catch Isaac’s eyes to show that he was smiling, that he meant what he said.
“I don’t know what you expect me to do,” Isaac said, looking into Scott’s eyes and still holding back tears as best as he could.
“I feel like maybe I’ve overwhelmed you today,” Scott admitted. “Maybe you and Tucker should head home, get some rest, and try to find a routine that feels comfortable again?”
At Isaac’s confused look, Scott continued, “And here,” he reached for a nearby notepad and pen, writing down his personal number before handing the loose sheet to Isaac. “Whenever, if ever, you want to talk to me again, as friends or as something else, I’m available.”
Isaac took the sheet, rolling it around his hands nervously.
“You know I can’t promise anything.”
“You don’t have to,” Scott replied, “but I do.”
Isaac shook his head in disbelief. “You’re kind of strange,” he said with no venom, only bewilderment.
“I’ll take any compliment I can get.” Scott winked at the other man as he stood, rubbing his hand down Tucker’s back soothingly as he did. “And feel free to contact me if Tucker needs anything, too. I’m here for you both.” He smiled happily at Isaac, who nodded in return, a small smile of his own tugging at his lips.
“This was the weirdest visit I’ve ever had to a vet’s.”
Scott laughed at that, nodding in agreement. “This is the weirdest visit I’ve had with a patient.”
“So you don’t do this with all your patients?” Isaac asked teasingly.
“I don’t do this with anyone.”
Isaac blinked at the sheer honesty filling Scott’s reply. He nodded, holding up the other man’s number before making a show of stashing it away in his jacket pocket.
“Use it,” Scott said as Isaac started to leave.
“I think I will,” he replied.