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Adam cursed and groaned when he heard his fire alarm going off at 3 a.m and his dog barking. He was not in the mood to deal with this right now. He'd just gotten off his shift an hour ago and had to be back at the hospital in a few hours. He rubbed his sleepy and sore eyes and rolled off his bed.
He stomped downstairs, green bunny slippers muffling the angry noise, and walked to the kitchen, his dog, Garth, following closely behind him.
He smelled the smoke before he saw the fire, and it’s a true testament to how exhausted he was that he just turned around – he noticed Garth running out his doggy door to get help – and slowly walked back up the stairs to grab his cell phone.
He dialed 911 and told them there was a fire. Adam yawned several times during the conversation and it took a while before the dispatcher understood what was happening.
“Sir, the authorities have been dispatched. Can you successfully vacate the premises?”
“Not anymore. I see smoke traveling up my stairs.” Adam replied angrily, mad that this stupid house had to catch fire tonight.
“Okay sir, I need you to stay low to the ground and shut your door and block the cracks to keep the smoke from getting in.”
Adam groaned, all he wanted to do was sleep. He crawled on the ground, shut the door and used some jeans from the floor to block the crack at the bottom.
“Mkay, done.”
“Very good. Emergency services are three minutes away. Is there a window by you sir?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you climb out of it safely?”
“No, I’m on the second floor.”
“Okay, sir I need you to open the window and when the firefighters arrive, signal them that you are there.”
“Alright it’s opened.”
“Very good, they should be there any minute.”
“Are any of them hot?”
He heard the woman choke on something before responding, “W-what?”
“The firefighters, do you know if any of them are hot? I feel like something good should come out of this.”
“I-I don’t know sir.”
Adam heard the sirens and turned on a lamp so the firefighters could see him waving.
“They’re here but I don’t know if any of them are hot.”
“Okay sir, I have other calls.”
“Alright, see you tomorrow Charlie.”
“Bye Adam.”
Adam looked out his window to see the firefighters already raising the ladder to his window.
He saw someone walking up it and decided to have some fun.
He started coughing violently and fell to the ground just as the firefighter reached his window.
Muffled under the equipment, he heard a deep voice speak out, “Sir, are you okay? Can you say something?”
Adam fluttered his eyes and looked into the void of the mask, “Is it hot in here or is it just you?”
He heard a groan from the man before he was lifted off the ground and carried out of the window.
The firefighter held him close as they slowly descended down the ladder.
Adam smiled, “You’re really strong.”
The voice spoke again, amused, “You’re really calm.”
“Your voice is really nice.”
“You’re wearing bunny slippers.”
They were halfway down the ladder and Adam felt like the firefighter was slowing down a little bit more.
Adam kicked his right foot up and laughed, throwing his head back and further into the man’s chest.
“And they’re green!”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you! You’re very nice.”
The other man didn’t respond.
Adam’s adrenaline and exhaustion caught up to him in a whirlwind of confidence.
“Did you know that today is the feast of St. Michael?” Adam whispered as the neared the end of the ladder.
The man readjusted Adam in his arms, pulling him tighter against his chest.
“Did you know you’re only wearing boxers?” The voice whispered back.
Adam looked down, unashamed.
“Oh these? My boyfriend got them for me. They have little stethoscopes on them.”
“He seems like a lucky guy.”
“He is.”
Adam was carried in silence to the ambulance where he lost the firefighter and the EMTs looked him over before someone finally shouted, “ALL CLEAR!”
There was a collective sigh of relief as people relaxed and started chatting excitedly.
“We’d like to thank all the volunteers who helped these new trainees, dispatchers, and EMTs get real practice at the real thing.”
Adam smiled and clapped along with everyone else, but his eyes drifted around the lot, looking for one face in particular. He hoped Michael wasn’t mad. He didn’t mean to ruin his first run through, but with Bobby as Chief and Charlie in dispatch, he couldn’t not be a part of this.
Everyone was told to keep this little secret from Michael so Adam could surprise him. The fact that the day of the run through coincided with his birthday was just the icing on the cake.
“We’d like to give a special thanks to Dr. Milligan and Garth here,” Bobby shouted as his pet Adam’s Golden Retriever behind his ears, “for being part of our demonstration.”
There was another round of clapping and smiles directed towards Adam. All except the one he wanted to see.
Shit.
He really hoped Michael wasn’t mad.
Each group eventually dissipated and though Adam searched for Michael, he couldn’t find him. Even Bobby and the other recruits didn’t know where he was.
“Think he went out with the first group that left, boy.”
“Shit, alright. Thanks for everything Bobby.”
“Anytime, Adam.” Bobby reluctantly handed the leash over for Garth and climbed in the fire truck.
Adam began walking with Garth before the dog pulled free from his hold and started running.
Adam called for him but he didn’t stop. So at 5:30 in the morning, in boxers and green bunny slippers, Adam Milligan was running down a street chasing his dog.
Garth took a right and went back into the practice house that still had it lights on.
“Garth!” he shouted, but his dog just ran straight back into the house.
Adam ran up the steps and into the house, knowing it was safe and barely had any embers left burning.
He stopped dead in his tracks in the doorway when he saw Michael, devoid of gear and instead in a dark grey tailored suit.
“Mike, what’s going on? Bobby told me you were back at the station house.”
For some reason Adam felt the need to close the door, like they were about to be intruded upon.
Michael smiled and Adam breathed a sigh of relief at the sight he’s wanted to see all night long.
“I don’t know if you know this or not Adam, but Bobby can keep more than one secret at a time.”
Adam swallowed hard at the intense look Michael was giving him.
“S-So what’s your secret, then?”
Adam tried to be confident, but his nerves got the best of him and his tripped over Garth’s paw and into Michael’s chest.
“Hey there, I’ve got you.” Michael straightened Adam out and smiled, “You’ve always been so clumsy. I don’t know how they let you become a doctor.”
Adam smiled, but something must’ve shown on his face because Michael immediately grabbed his hands and kissed them.
“I love you so much Adam.”
Adam’s breath caught in his throat. Michael had said he loved him a handful of times in the three years they’ve been together, but never once had he said it like that. Like Adam was the be-all, end-all for Michael.
“I lo-,” Adam started before Michael stopped him.
“Please, just let me get this out,” Michael smiled nervously before readjusting his grip on Adam’s hands and letting out a deep breath, “I know that I’m not always good at expressing my emotions, but I need you to understand that I do love you. I think I fell in love with you when you first tripped and fell into me three years ago today. Who goes on a blind date on their birthday, anyway?”
Michael laughed and Adam just stared as tears began well up behind his eyes.
“I remember the terrible garlic bread and the amazing wine, but most of all I remember your smile. I knew that night that I would never fall in love with another smile for the rest of my life. I would never want to and I knew I would try as hard as I could to keep that smile in my life. To keep you in my life. You’re all I’ve ever needed and wanted Adam and I hope that I can be that for you as well.”
Michael got down on one knee and Adam’s heart stopped.
“Adam Milligan, will you m-”
Adam dropped to his knees and kissed Michael as hard as he could, tears dropping onto where his hands held Michael’s face.
He pulled away with a breathy laugh, “Yes. Yes, yes, yes.”
Michael smiled and pulled Adam into another kiss before pulling away.
“Oh, I was asking you to marry me by the way.”
Michael smiled brightly and Adam hit his arm.
“I know dumbass, and I'm still saying yes.”
Michael’s smile lit up even more and Adam fell just a little bit more in love with him in that moment.
Michael pulled Adam’s hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on his ring finger before sliding a dark blue ring on his finger.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Compared to you, it’s just a piece of metal.”
Adam looked to Michael and pulled him in closer, pouring all of his love into the kiss.
They pulled away sometime later, smiles permanently etched on their faces.
“I can’t believe you proposed in a suit and I’m wearing bunny slippers, boxers, and your Pink Floyd t-shirt.”
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It’s entirely genuine and us.”
Adam’s heart warmed and he wrapped his arms around Michael’s back and pulled him tight against his chest.
“Say that again.”
“It’s entirely us.”
Adam kissed Michael again, content to kiss him all day, everyday, for the rest of his life.
“You know there’s a perfectly good bed upstairs, you wanna make good use of it while we’re here?”
Adam wiggled his eyebrows and smiled when Michael laughed.
“I have one more surprise.”
Michael grabbed Adam’s hand and pulled him towards the charred remains of the model kitchen.
There, sitting on the counter, contrasting the stark black was a small white birthday cake with the number 25 on it.
“Happy Birthday Adam.”
“Michael, thank you so much. This is the second best birthday I’ve ever had.”
Michael frowned.
“Second best? What's the first?”
“Let me tell you a story…it was a rainy day in September, three long years ago..”
Michael groaned as Adam began to dramatically spin the story of how they met.
“Adam, if you stop right now we can eat your birthday cake in bed.”
Adam stopped suddenly and pulled Michael flushed against his chest, letting the man feel his excitement.
“I’m going to let you lick each and every drop of icing off me.”
“Is that an offer or a promise?” Michael whispered in Adam’s ear before licking Adam’s throat.
“Yes.” Adam groaned.
“You have two minutes to be naked and waiting on the bed, starting now.”
Michael had never seen a grown man move so fast up the stairs.
Michael laughed before he turned off the downstairs lights, dropped a small piece of cake on the floor for Garth and walked up the stairs, ready to properly celebrate Adam’s birthday and their engagement.
He walked into the room and groaned. Not in sexual tension but in frustration at his new fiancée.
“For the love of God Adam, why are your slippers still on?”