pull up a seat, take a load off your feet

sean miers. 27. podiatrist and matchmaker extraordinaire.

[seanmiers-blog]

Start Mending → Alex & Sean

[alexcanterbury]

Alex nodded to himself, humming softly as he scratched Argos behind his ears. He understood where Sean was coming form, he really did. He didn’t want Sean to take on a dog quite yet, if he couldn’t handle it. It wasn’t fair to him, nor was it fair to the dog. Hopefully, sometime in the future, however, he’d see Sean with a little puppy. One that didn’t need constant attention, especially since Sean would be gone for most of the day with his practice and everything. Even so, Alex could always help Sean out with the dog, if Sean ever decided to get one. Alex chuckled at the idea of Argos being looked up to. There was something entertaining about a small puppy looking up to Argos, but it also made Alex feel good that Sean entrusted him with helping him train his dog. “If you ever do decide to get a dog, feel free to ask me for help.”

”That’s alright. Just text me later with the details.” Alex knew that things came up, especially with Sean’s new practice. He hadn’t expected something super late, especially since it was just dinner — it wasn’t like they were going clubbing or trying to get wasted or anything, but that was still good to hear. Besides, it wasn’t as if he had anything other than volunteering and work planned for next week. He knew that his parents wanted him to go over to their house for dinner at some point, but he didn’t exactly want to do that quite yet. They’d just ask him about Amber, and try to set him up, which was the very last thing that he wanted. His parents constantly kept pushing him to get out and start dating again, and while he knew that that would probably help him get over her, he didn’t want to use anyone as a rebound, and he didn’t want to go out and just hook up with a random stranger. The last time he had visited his parents, they had tried to set him up with what sounded like a low-maintenance version of Amber. While he had gone along with the blind date, the girl had quickly revealed that she wasn’t interested in him, and was interested in someone else, although he seemed like a nice boy. And the girl before that had been the exact opposite of him. He knew that his parents meant well, and all they wanted was to see him happy again, but Alex just wasn’t ready to jump back into a relationship, regardless of Amber’s relationship status.

“Watch.” Alex told Sean, as he grabbed a treat out of the bag. He made the hand signal for “play dead”, and watched proudly as Argos followed promptly. “Good boy!” He praised, before giving the treat to Argos. “What were you up to today?” He asked. He turned his attention back to Argos, and started scratching the dog under his chin, which was one of his favorite spots to be scratched.

[seanmiers-blog]

He smiled appreciatively, "thanks. I'm sure I'd do much better with a few words of advice." Sean was the type of guy to read about raising and training a dog to an unnecessary extent if he was ever giving serious consideration to getting a puppy. Yet he knew that tips from a guy who had a dog of his own, knew him to a certain extend, and trained dogs for a living would ultimately prove a more helpful source for the little things than any book Sean could study.

He was really glad to hear that Alex was flexible when it came to this dinner thing. In order for his plan with Aidan to work, Alex and Lara both needed to be on board. True, neither of them would have any idea they were being sent on a blind date, but the only way to get them to agree was to leave out that little detail. With Alex, the issue remained that he couldn't let go of his past relationship. Sean completely understood this sentiment, and was aware Alex wasn't even close to being the only person stuck in such a situation. Plenty of people pined over lost loves and 'what could have beens.' In fact, he couldn't claim total exemption from the concept. While he hadn't moped around about how things could have gone with Aidan upon leaving for his residency, he definitely hadn't just cast aside that part of his life. Upon returning, he and Aidan had reconnected, and even if they weren't a couple, they definitely did have a thing going on, and he had to admit he wasn't exactly sure where he'd be if he'd returned and things had taken no such route. But he knew there wasn't any point over wondering how things could have gone, which is exactly why he and Aidan agreed Alex should try to get out there. As far as Sean could tell, a lot of what held him back was his own determination, rather than any actual possibility of his relationship with Amber rekindling. Most of all, Sean just wanted to see his friendly neighbor happy, and he hoped from what he'd heard from Aidan that Lara could at least help with that. Even if they didn't get together, they might at least help each other become more open minded and gain a pleasant outlook on life.

Sean watched as Alex and Argos demonstrated the new trick, before clapping with a grin. "That was awesome! As long as it's a trick and not reality, then I definitely love it." One thing that was great about dog owners was how enthusiastic they often were when their dogs learned something or did something well. The happiness took over everyone around at the time. "Not much," he replied with a shrug. "I just ran a few errands. I should probably get all of this stuff inside and let you get back to training Argos. I'll get back to you about a night for dinner." He smiled and then raised his hand with a little wave. "It was great to see both of you." Now he just had to get inside, unpack his things, and contact Aidan. Their plan was in motion.

[seanmiers-blog]

Start Mending → Alex & Sean

[alexcanterbury]

“You know, you should really get a puppy or something.” Alex said, as he watched Sean pet Argos. Sean was easily one of Argos’ favorite human beings, although Argos liked everybody. Argos would probably make the worst watchdog ever, just because he loved everyone and because he just wanted to play. That being said, Argos was still a puppy, and his energy would probably die down in a few months. “Argos could really use a friend. I know he gets lonely sometimes.” One of the perks of working with animals was that Alex got to bring Argos to work most days, but there were some places that Argos couldn’t go, like restaurants, or doctor’s appointments. Even so, Argos enjoyed playing with other dogs, and ever since Alex and his ex-girlfriend had separated, he hadn’t gotten to do that as much. Alex knew that Argos wondered where Ariel, his ex-girlfriend’s dog, was — and Ariel’s owner too. The first month after the breakup, Argos frequently sat by the door, waiting for them to return, and Alex couldn’t bring it to himself to tell his dog that the two of them would never return, and it was all his fault.

“Friday works for me.” Literally every day worked for Alex. He had no plans, other than work, and volunteering at the animal shelter on Sunday’s. That was all he ever did. “Is there a specific time that works? Just so that I can make sure I have nothing planned for that time.” He didn’t want to come off as a loser, even if he knew that Sean wouldn’t judge him in the slightest for not having any plans, moping a bit, or being a loser. He was looking forward to hanging out with Sean, though. His neighbor was extremely charismatic, and just an all-around nice guy. He had even brought him a present when he had first moved in — who even does that? Alex had honestly thought that that only ever happened in movies. It wouldn’t surprise Alex if Sean had been raised to be Prince Charming or something. He had lived next door to Sean for a while now, and he had yet to hear one bad thing about the man.

”He’s getting much bigger.” Alex agreed, as he reached over and scratched Argos right below his chin. “It seems like I just got him yesterday, and now… he’s already so big. He still has to get bigger, though.” Argos outgrew any item of clothing within weeks, and Alex knew that he should just stop buying clothes for the dog, but he worried that the dog would get cold — especially with winter coming along. “I was trying to teach him a few tricks, but you’re fine. No harm done.”

[seanmiers-blog]

The thought of having a puppy of his own immediately brought a smile to Sean's face. Animals of all kinds tended to be pretty cute, unless they had scales or were trying to eat you. But there was something about dogs that always seemed so lovable. He thought it was great to play with them, and he was absolutely that guy who made embarrassing faces when he passed a dog on the street. Still, he wasn't sure whether actually owning a dog would be the right choice for him or not. "I do love dogs, and I'd be more than happy to let Argos have a friend nearby to spend time with. That being said, I only established my practice a short while ago, and so I'm still rather preoccupied trying to find patients and all of that fun stuff." He chuckled, because while he did love what he did, going on the hunt for clientele wasn't exactly a breeze. But Sean was new to all of this and he had to be patient. He was trying his best. "Maybe at some point down the road," he added. "Then Argos will have someone looking up to him." If he ever did decide to get a dog, Sean was pretty sure he'd go to Alex for help with the process. The other man knew a lot more about dogs, and he would also be helpful when it came to figuring out what breed would be happiest even if he was left alone for much of the day - a thought Sean didn't like very much, but a reality he'd have to handle.

"Uh, I'll have to check and get back to you about the time, if that's alright." Sean knew his schedule for this Friday, but he had no idea what Lara's was like or if Friday even worked for her. Setting up this whole thing was a bit of a mess, and part of him just wanted to explain all of it to Alex so they could work everything out more cleanly. But he knew well that it wouldn't work. If anyone even mentioned the possibility of Alex spending time with a girl in a slightly more than friendly sense, he relapsed into his moping over Amber. Sean was sure that Amber had been a very nice girl at one point, but she sounded like a huge piece of work, and it made him sad to see Alex so hung up on someone who clearly was not going to get back with him or anything of the sort. That was pretty much what inspired this whole plan, and now he just had to hope it worked. "But probably not super late or anything," he added. It was supposed to be a blind date, not some crazy night out on the town.

As Alex talked about Argos and his progress and growth, Sean couldn't help but just stand there smiling at the puppy. Even if he was much bigger than when he'd first joined the neighborhood, he definitely was still young and little, and Sean thought he was absolutely adorable. Who didn't love puppies? His curiosity sparked, he figured that while he was there he might as well chat a bit more. "What tricks were you teaching him?"

[seanmiers-blog]

Start Mending → Alex & Sean

[alexcanterbury]

Aside from going to work, running errands, and going to the gym, Alex rarely left his house these days. Sure, it had been three months since Amber had broken up with him, but it didn’t make the pain hurt any less. The two of them had been dating since high school and it was hard to carry on with his daily routine without Amber there. His house was eerily quiet without her, save for the noise Argos, his golden retriever, made. It was strange to be able to make plans, and schedule things and not have to worry about what Amber thought or what Amber was doing. While his parents had never been able to picture their son with a girl like Amber, they did have a soft spot for the girl. Alex had honestly planned on getting married to Amber, and despite his older brother’s persistent “It’s been three months, you’ve got to get back into the dating pool again”, or “Just get out of the house” text messages, Alex just couldn’t bring himself to do so. He knew that it was pathetic how much he moped around, and truth be told, Amber had never really been that great of a girlfriend. But they had gone through so much together, and now, it was hard to imagine a future without her in it. It probably would’ve been easier if she had given him a reason why they didn’t work out anymore, but Alex had enough pride to stop himself from contacting the blonde and asking her why she had broken up with him.

To take his mind off of Amber, Alex had planned on working with Argos outside and working on getting the dog to stay. It was a nice day outside, and Argos was doing quite well with the stay indoors, he wasn’t doing it as well outside — there were just far too many distractions for the young puppy to focus. However, those plans were put on pause as he spotted his neighbor, Sean, making an appearance. Alex liked Sean, he really did. The other man was extremely nice, and friendly, which made it extremely easy to strike up a conversation with him. “It really is.” Alex agreed. While Alex wasn’t a fan of the heat, he did like to see the sun. Still, he couldn’t wait for winter to arrive, and for Argos to experience his first winter. Alex was certain that the young puppy would love the snow, although he had yet to purchase a winter parka and snow shoes for the dog.

It was no surprise to him that Sean was happy about the sun — he was just that guy, the one who was happy about almost everything. Alex flipped through his mental calendar, trying to remember if he had anything important planned for the upcoming week. While the last thing Alex wanted to do was leave his house, he knew that it would be good for him to get out and have some fun with his friend. “I’m pretty sure I’m free all of this week, aside from work. What did you have in mind?”

[seanmiers-blog]

Sean loved Alex's dog. He didn't know him well, and they hadn't spent much time together, but he just liked seeing how happy Argos got when Alex returned home or took him outside for a game or a training session. On top of that, the thing was positively adorable, and it was pretty impossible to not love a cheerful dog. So, in his trip over to greet Alex and try to put his plans with Aidan into motion, he was pleased to discover that Argos was out and about with his owner. After the short commentary on the weather, Sean bent down for a minute to give the puppy a little scratch on the head in greeting, before straightening back up so he could properly converse with his neighbor. One thing Sean really liked about Alex was that he tended to be a pretty easy going guy. Unless you somehow said something that reminded him of his ex-girlfriend, he tended to be open and pleasant about everything. But boy, did that girl sound like a piece of work. And a piece of work Alex deserved to move on from, at that. It only made Sean even more satisfied to hear that Alex was willing to agree to this dinner. The whole concept sounded a bit funny, since he couldn't exactly say the specific plans; still, he tried to present it in a way where no wouldn't be an answer to receive much weight.

"Great," he replied simply. The date. That part was a little more challenging, because his calendar and Aidan's calendar didn't actually hold any relevance. Since Aidan still had to ask Lara about whether or not she'd be willing to go to dinner, and, by extension, what her availability might be, too, setting a date was somewhat tricky. Though, it seemed like the only real complication to their plans, and so Sean would take it. "Does Friday sound alright?" He tried to ask as casually as possible, leaving the opportunity open for Alex to change the day of the week if he remembered something belatedly. Sean made a mental note to text Aidan on his way back inside with whatever date they settled upon. "I think Friday's the best option, though we can always shift it if necessary." He shrugged, hoping this actually seemed as nonchalant as it felt.

Knowing that it was rude to just walk over, ask about dinner, and then dash off, especially when he didn't have any specific plans this evening, Aidan refocused his attention. The easiest target was his favorite new addition to the neighborhood. "How's Argos doing? He looks bigger than he did a few weeks ago," Sean chuckled as he glanced over at the puppy. "Were you working on teaching him something?" His mouth morphed into an expression that read 'oopsies' or something along those lines. "I probably chose a horrible time to come over and talk, didn't I? Sorry about that. The last thing you need is everyone on the street popping by and interrupting his lessons."

[seanmiers-blog]

Start Mending → Alex & Sean

Though he and Aidan began discussing this whole idea a little while ago, the time to put it in motion finally arrived. Sean thought it was brilliant - both of them did. Truthfully, it felt well constructed and smart. It all started one afternoon when he was spending time with Aidan at the other man's place. They were chatting about their friends, when Alex came into the conversation. He absolutely loved his neighbor. What wasn't to like about Alex? He was friendly, attractive, and spent his days with dogs. There really was nothing to complain about there. On the other hand, Alex wasn't always the cheeriest guy. A few months ago, he and his longtime girlfriend called it quits. Sean understood just as well as the last person that not all relationships ended well. In fact, he was incredibly lucky that things had finished on an amicable note with Aidan when he got the news about his residency in another state. Then again, 'finished' was perhaps too much of an extreme.

Regardless, Alex still started moping every now and then over the end of his past relationship, and that was exactly what sparked this whole plan. He and Aidan agreed that they needed to help Alex find a distraction so that he could begin to move on rather than just clinging to the past. Unfortunately, that proved easier said than done, because as they listed their other friends, they struggled to come up with anyone. While they were in no mind to give up, they at least needed a break, because not having the answers proved frustrating. Yet while they were eating dinner, Aidan suddenly snapped his fingers and looked over, revealing that he had the perfect idea: Lara, one of the other teachers at his school to whom he was rather close. Apparently she always rebuffed relationship inquiries with statements about how she didn't need anyone and loved being single, yet Aidan pointed out how he didn't know to what degree that was true. Because of her insistence, they decided to make the blind date a surprise one. What could possibly go wrong with that plan?

On his way into the house after running a few errands the following Saturday, Sean spotted his neighbor outside, and gave a friendly wave, making his way over. It looked like he no longer needed to make a call or send a text; this was one handy thing about the two of them living so close. When he made it to his friend's lawn, he grinned. "It's a nice day, isn't it?" A bit of a chilly one, but the sun was shining, and that was nothing a few layers couldn't mend. "I was starting to think the clouds would never leave." Weather talk might have seemed elementary, but Sean really was quite happy about the sun's presence at long last. "In any case, I just came over to say hi and see if maybe you'd like to grab lunch or dinner this week." One thing he appreciated about Alex was that he wasn't the type of guy to automatically assume gay men were hitting on him. The meal invitation just seemed like a friendly one, even if, in reality, Sean wasn't going to be there at all. It was implied, but not stated.

[katnisseverdeen]

your faves could never ❤ matt doyle