I know i'm greedy, and you're probably busy now, but you're just so good and I want your take on ... being stuck in a lift together ❤️
(thank you darling, flattery will get you everywhere ;) )
Love in an elevator (AO3)
“HOLD THE LIFT PLEASE!” someone yells and Aaron rolls his eyes but sticks his hand out to hold open the doors anyway. The year has just begun, he should at least try to be nicer to people these first few days.
A mess of blond hair and every single item from the gift shop stumbles into the lift.
“Thanks.” the guy says as he tries to catch his breath.
Aaron nods.
“No problem. What floor?”
“Uh… three… I think. Maternity. I’m not sure what floor that is now.”
“Yeah that’s three.” Aaron says and presses the button.
“Do you work here?” the guy asks
“Do I look like a doctor to you?”
The guy shrugs.
“I don’t know. You could be just starting your shift or something.”
Aaron smiles, decides to have a little fun with the guy.
“Yeah that’s it. I’m a neuro surgeon actually.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. I have surgery in 20 minutes, removing a tumour. It’s a tough one.”
The guy looks at him as if he's trying to decide if Aaron’s telling the truth.
“You’re full of shit.” he says as the doors close and the lift begins to move.
Aaron laughs.
“Yes I am. I’m a mechanic. Though some would say the engine is the brains of the car.”
“More like the heart. You should’ve gone with heart surgeon.”
“I’ll remember that for next time.”
“You do this a lot then?”
Aaron shrugs.
“Only every other Tuesday.”
“It’s Wednesday.”
“I figured I’d make an exception for the guy who just about fell into the lift.”
“I didn’t fall - " the guy starts but doesn’t finish whatever it was he wanted to say when the lift suddenly stops with a shock.
Aaron manages to grab the handrail to stop himself from falling on his face but the guy stumbles and crashes into the wall beside him.
“Are you ok?” Aaron asks as the guy grimaces and pushes himself off the wall. He notices he dropped the bag he’d been holding and picks it up. “I hope there wasn’t anything fragile in there.”
“Uh no, no there wasn’t.” The guy replies as he takes the bag. “Thanks… what just happened? Did it stop?”
“Yeah… I think so. They’ll probably have it sorted out in a minute.” Aaron says, looking at the control panel by the door, looking for some kind of alarm button.
He notices a small button with a bell on it and presses it but nothing seems to happen.
“Did it work? Hello?“ he tries. “Hello? Can anyone hear me? Hello?”
There is no answer.
“Oh this is just great. We’re stuck in a lift and nobody knows because the alarm isn’t working.” the guy says and starts pacing.
“You don’t know that. It might be a silent alarm.” Aaron says and presses the button again while looking around for something else that might help them. “Aren’t they supposed to have some kind of intercom system in these things? What if there was a patient in here that was almost dying?” he says more to himself than to the guy.
“Then by some miracle there is another doctor nearby and they help save the patient with just a pen and a plastic knife from the canteen, while two heroic firemen hold the doors open just far enough to pass through the supplies.” the guy says.
“You what?” Aaron asks, giving him a confused look.
He shrugs.
“I kind of grew up on these medical dramas. My mum and sister loved them… and if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”
“Right. So what happens then if it’s two random people?” Aaron asks and then suddenly notices the balloon the guy is holding. “Or one random person and one whose wife just had a baby boy?”
“What? Oh this…” the guy looks at the balloon and tugs on the string half heartedly. “No, it’s my sister and her boyfriend. They just had a boy. I was coming to see him… but at this rate he’ll be having kids of his own by the time I get out of here.”
Aaron chuckles.
“Are you always this optimistic?”
The guy grins.
“Only ever other Tuesday.” He says and they both laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m Robert.” He holds out his hand for Aaron to shake. “And I don’t do that well with small spaces. I try to distract myself so I don’t freak out.”
“Got it. I’m Aaron by the way. I came to see my sister as well. She’s on the paediatric ward… even though she’s 17.” Aaron sighs. “There’s no room on a regular ward so she’s surrounded by rainbows and forest animals… and my ex.”
“Oh your ex works here?” Robert asks and Aaron nods.
“Yeah. Paediatrician. My mum and my sister played matchmaker to set us up… So they know each other and everything. They tried to trap us under the mistletoe over the Christmas period.” Aaron says and cringes.
“How long were you two together?”
Aaron scrunches up his face as he thinks.
“About six months… but if I’m honest I was kind of done with it all after six weeks.”
“So what made you last that long? Was she good in bed?”
Aaron laughs.
“No. Well… not bad, but definitely not the best I ever had.” He shrugs. “Alex was… a bit of a disaster and I felt bad for them. They were going through a tough time at work… Lost a patient… I didn’t want to add more misery by ending things.” Aaron says, choosing his words carefully.
Robert nods.
“Isn’t it more unfair to stay with someone out of pity though?”
“Yeah that’s what he said when I finally ended it. That he didn’t want to be my charity case. It wasn’t a friendly break up really.”
“He?”
“Oh… uh… yeah… he…” Aaron stammers and silently cursing himself for slipping up.
Robert nods again.
“Well at least your family is supportive. My dad caught me with a lad in my room when I was 15 and well… it wasn’t pretty. Let’s just keep it at that.”
“And things haven’t improved since then?”
“Not really.” Robert shakes his head and sits down on the floor with his back against the wall. “My sister is supportive though. She’s always in my corner. So is my mum.” He says with a smile.
“That’s good then.” Aaron offers as he sits down next to Robert who nods.
“Yeah. They all loved my ex… He was sweet. Irish. A chef. And he has a dog. The perfect guy.”
“But not the perfect guy for you?” Aaron guessed.
“Nope.” Robert replies “And my son’s mother was one of my sister’s best friends. So I do know how to pick them.” He says. “I’m bi.”
Aaron nods now.
“I take it you and her aren’t together anymore either?”
“Never really were. One drunken hook up and 9 months later I was a dad.” Robert explains. “And then three months after that I was a single parent. She was killed by a drunk driver.”
“Oh… I’m sorry…”
Robert shakes his head.
“It’s ok. It’s been almost 3 years.“ He takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for dumping all of this on you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I quite like knowing I’m not the only one with a messy love life.” Aaron says bumping his shoulder against Robert’s and they both laugh.
“Or lack of one.” Robert says. “My sister talked me into installing this dating app on my phone… it matched me with Mike. My ex.”
Aaron laughs.
“I hooked up with a guy at a party via an app a few weeks ago, and he gave me a lift home after… and then tried to steal my wallet and my phone.”
“Really?” Robert asks laughingly and Aaron nods.
“I kicked him out right as my sister got home. And then he yelled at me that I was the worst shag he’d ever had. So now the neighbours all know that too.”
“Ok. Ok you win.”
They sat in silence for a while until suddenly a voice came from a speaker in the ceiling.
“Hi, this is doctor Patel, we are doing our best to get you out of there. The fire department and lift mechanic are on their way. Sit tight, we’re working as fast as we can.”
“Alright. Thank you for the update!” Aaron says, not sure anyone can actually hear or see him, then turns to Robert. “See? Silent alarm.”
“What’s the point of a silent alarm? Won’t that cause even more panic because you don’t know if it’s working?”
“I never said it made sense.” Aaron grins. “Only that I was right.”
Robert smiles and lowers the zip on his coat and undoes a the top buttons on his shirt.
“It’s warm in here isn’t it?”
“I suppose…” Aaron says “Are you ok?”
Robert nods.
“Yeah… just… they just reminded me we’re stuck in this tiny metal box.”
Aaron takes a good look at the man sitting next to him. He’s pale and his breathing is shallow.
“Are you having a panic attack?”
“Maybe a little?” Robert tries.
Aaron moves and sits in front of Robert and takes his hands in his.
“I used to get them too. Still do sometimes. You have to try get your breathing under control. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Come on, do it with me.”
Robert tries to copy Aaron’s breathing but Aaron can tell it’s not working yet.
“Take off your coat.” Aaron orders as he takes off his own and throws it to the side and helps Robert do the same. “Focus on me. Just me, nothing else.” He puts Robert’s hand on his chest. “Breathe with me.”
After what feels like hours Robert’s breathing starts to return to normal and Aaron lets go of the hand he’d had held against his chest.
“Better?” he asks and Robert nods.
“Sorry about that… Not good with confined spaces…”
“Don’t worry about it.” Aaron waves his apology away. “Let’s just keep talking. We’ve covered bad exes, now tell me what you’re looking for in a guy… or girl.”
“Uhm… I don’t know. Someone who doesn’t mind a guy with a 2 year old kid?”
”Kids are great. I’m sure yours is too. Girls love kids don’t they?”
Robert shrugs.
“I haven’t really tried to be honest. Mike and I got together after my son was born, and he knew about him… but… I don’t know.” he shrugs again ”He never met him and I think that suited him just fine.”
“Why did you split up?” Aaron asks.
“I don’t know. It just didn’t work out. I needed to be there for my son… and he had his career and his life… and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t looking to become a step dad.”
Aaron nods.
“Well I suppose it’s better to be honest about that than staying together for the wrong reasons.”
“Yeah.” Robert agrees and rubs a hand over his face. “I wasn’t exactly heart broken. He was nice, but hardly the love of my life.”
Aaron grins.
“So is that what you’re looking for? The love of your life? The knight in shining armour riding into town on his white horse, coming to sweep you off your feet?”
Robert laughs.
“Aren’t we all?”
“Yeah…” Aaron agrees, noticing the light dusting of freckles on Robert’s nose and the green/blue of his eyes. “What about a mechanic with a silver car?”
“What?”
Aaron leans forward and kisses Robert. Just a quick brush of lips.
The other man doesn’t respond and just sits there looking like he’s trying to figure out what just happened.
Suddenly the lift starts moving again and before they know it the doors open and three fireman and someone in overalls as well as a few of the medical staff are on the other side.
“Are you ok? Do you need assistance?” One of the nurses asks.
“I’m fine.” Aaron says, gathering his coat and pushing past them out of the lift.
He’s almost at the double doors leading to the paediatrics ward when he hears someone call his name and telling him to wait.
The next thing he knows someone grabs his arm and spins him around, there is a blur of blond hair and freckles pushing him against the wall and kissing him in a way that’s definitely not appropriate for a hospital corridor.
But it’s been a long time since Aaron has been kissed like that and he’ll be damned if he’s not going to enjoy it.
“I’m a little slow sometimes.” Robert admits when they break the kiss.
“It’s ok. You’re a pretty good kisser. You’re forgiven.” Aaron says and pulls Robert back in for another kiss. Completely forgetting about their surroundings until someone clears their throat in passing and they break apart like bashful teenagers.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” Robert says with a grin. “But I should really go see my nephew now… How about we continue this later? My son is with my mum… so… do you want to get a coffee?”
“Yeah. Yeah I’d like that. Meet you downstairs in an hour?”
“It’s a date.”
