Life Anew Chapter 8

Warning: This story does not contain any sex. None of the characters are based on real people nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people.

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Thanks to everyone who has emailed me. It means a lot hearing from you. Please continue reading! There is a lot more to come. I own all rights to this story.

If you do not like this type of story or you do not agree with the issues in this story, then please feel free to read elsewhere

Characters in This Chapter

Andrew Brock – age 25 – Ex to Ethan, Future B/F to Cody Gaines

Cody Gaines – 29 – Ex to Emma Reed, Dad to Chase Gaines, the main character

Chase Gaines – 4 – Cody Gaines' son

Jason Perez – 26 – Friend of Andrews

Life Anew

Chapter 8

To Dinner

The next day at work, Cody buys pizza for his staff for lunch. Yesterday, they all went above and beyond with Chase yesterday, and he wants them to know that they are loved. He knows that he couldn't do this job without them. Cody hopes they know how much he appreciates every one of them. He couldn't have asked for a better day, and hopefully, today will be just as good.

***

During Cody's lunch, he gets his usual call from Chase.

"Daddy is the nurse there?"

Cody knows which nurse his son is asking about, and it makes him smile that his son is asking about his only male nurse. He hopes that Andrew doesn't do anything to break his son's heart. Forget about him; he'll survive a breakup, but Chase is already attached to the "Nurse," and it's all Cody's fault. If he didn't bring Chase to the clinic yesterday, there wouldn't be as big of a connection between his son and Andrew.

"Yeah, Nurse Andrew is here."

Chase is confused.

"Daddy, his name is just Andrew."

Cody laughs.

Andrew is the cutest little kid. His son is smart too, maybe too smart.

"Daddy, can Andrew come over for dinner?"

Yikes, Cody wasn't expecting that to come out of his son's mouth. He figured that Chase would just want to speak with Andrew. This could go two ways either Andrew accepts the invite or turns down the invite to come over for dinner. If he does turn down the invite, will that hurt Chase?

"I'll ask him when I see him, okay?"

Cody can't do anything else but ask.

"Daddy, can we have tacos?"

Cody thinks about what he has at the house and what he needs to buy for dinner. He then makes a list in his head of what he needs to buy.

"Yeah, we can have tacos."

Tacos rank up there with pizza as far as Chase is concerned.

"Bye, Daddy! Talk with Andrew."

Cody won't forget to speak with Andrew. He doesn't think that he can forget anything about Andrew at this point. It's amazing to him how quickly Chase has taken to his employee, Andrew. He hopes that Andrew doesn't upset his son.

"Bye, Kiddo!"

Cody ends the call. He places the phone down on the desk and then back to eating his lunch. He's relaxing. He also needs to get Andrew where he can talk to him.

***

About an hour later, the doctor is able to pull his nurse aside to talk to him. Andrew is always anxious every time that Cody pulls him to the side. His mind instantly goes to him being in trouble. Of course, it ends up that he's not in trouble, but that is what happens in his head.

"I know you already know this, but you have made an impact on my son. He called me today during lunch like he always does, and usually, he'll tell me that he misses me and loves me. Today though, it was all about you. He asked me if you were at work today. I was really worried about how the two of you would hit it off. Thanks again for everything!"

Cody did his best to tell his nurse what took place during the call. He almost forgot to mention dinner.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Chase wanted me to invite you over for dinner. Can you make it?"

Andrew smiles and nods his head. He wants to tell him about his thoughts before he went to bed last night. It just seems way too soon, so he decides to forget about it. Instead, he thinks about the answer to his question.

"Yeah, I can be there. Around what time should I show up?"

Cody tries his best to figure out what time to have Andrew show up at the house. He takes into account that he still has to finish the day at the office, hit the grocery shopping, and then cooking?

"Can you do 6:30?"

Andrew doesn't see a problem with that, so he nods his head.

"Cool, I will see you at 6:30."

Cody wants to kiss him goodbye, but he doesn't want to do that at the clinic. It wouldn't be the right thing to do.

"Bye, Cody! I will see you later."

With those words exchanged, Andrew needs to go shopping for something to bring to dinner, so that is happening. Cody watches from his office window as Andrew walks out to his car, and he frowns because he wants to be out there with him.

***

Andrew gets home and needs to get something off his chest, and since he can't tell Cody yet, he picks Jason to talk to. He grabs his phone, touches Jason's contact, selects his cell phone, and pushes the phone icon. Jason smiles as he looks at his phone's display.

"Hey, Dude, what's new with the hot doctor?"

Jason loves the minor updates he gets from his best friend.

"I think I have a big problem. I don't know if I told you about yesterday. But I spent time with Cody's son yesterday at the office and then at his house. I have come to a big conclusion that I could be the little guy's step-dad without any problem."

Jason knew his friend was hung up on the doctor. He didn't realize that things were this bad.

"Andrew, you need a reality check, dude."

Andrew doesn't like what just came out of his friend's mouth, but sometimes that is exactly what Andrew needs. No one likes to hear that, but it can be precisely what a person needs, not what they want. Jason is one of those friends who is good at what he does when he thinks his friends need to hear something.

"No, I don't."

Andrew knows that Jason isn't going to shut up. It just doesn't work that way with him. Jason will put his two cents out there if his friends are going to put their lives out there.

"You know, you aren't going to be that lucky. Andrew, you have had one date with this guy, one freaking date. How many times have you been around the kid? You want to be his stepdad after one date with the dad and one day with the kid. I get that you work with the kid's dad, but that isn't enough, dude. It just isn't enough."

Jason tells Andrew what he needs to hear. Andrew isn't happy with what was said to him.

"You don't think that I don't know that. I am very much aware of how many dates that I've had with Cody. I am also aware of how many times that I've met Chase."

Jason doesn't get it.

"Dude, if you knew how I would react to what you told me, then why tell me about it?"

Andrew shrugs his shoulders.

"I guess I secretly wanted to hear what you had to say."

It makes sense to Jason because that is exactly what Andrew did; he called and told his friend what was on his mind. Andrew still believes that he could easily step in and be a step-dad to Chase.

"I need to go and get ready for dinner at Cody's house."

Andrew is smiling at the thought of what is coming. He can't wait to see Cody and Chase.

"Bye, dude, be good!"

Those words end the call, and now we go to Cody's house.

***

Cody starts the process of making tacos. He prepares the hamburger and the chicken for the tacos. Yeah, it takes him a while to cook the meat. He likes chicken over hamburger when it comes to tacos. Hopefully, he's not eating tacos for the rest of the week, but he'll have lunch for work, at least if he does have leftovers. He chops the peppers, the lettuce, and then the onions. He opens a can of black olives that are sliced. He opens the bag of cheese and sets it aside for Chase to help with the meal. He opens the taco sauces; hot, medium, and mild. He also opens the salsas, a peach salsa, and a regular mild salsa. Cody then goes back into the kitchen to warm up the tortillas over the stove. When he is done with the tortillas, he warms up some refried beans. Course, it's not easy prepping a meal with a kid around, so Cody does his best to entertain the kiddo. Cody stops for a second to look at what he's got done. He's happy about his progress. Cody is now ready to get Chase into the kitchen so he can help with the meal.

***

Cody sets up the bar with bowls for all the food items that will be a part of the meal. He positions a chair for Chase to stand on so he can help with the meal prep.

"Okay, come here buddy, we need to set up the taco bar before Andrew gets here."

Chase walks over by his dad, and he climbs up on the chair.

"Can you pour cheese into the bowl?"

Chase carefully dumps the cheese into the bowl. When he's done with one bag, his dad hands him another bag to pour into the bowl with the rest of the cheese. When Chase is done with the cheese, Cody carefully places the hamburger and the chicken into separate bowls. Cody gets the plates the veggies are on and places them on the bar. He hands Chase a pair of tongs and has him put the veggies into different bowls also.

"I'm helping Daddy!"

Cody is glad that Chase loves to help him up in the kitchen. He isn't sure how long that will last, but he'll take it.

"You are helping me. Thanks, Buddy!"

They finish up with a half-hour to go.

"Thanks, Chase. Do you want to change for dinner?"

Cody asks Chase.

"No, Daddy!"

Cody might have pushed it, but Chase isn't that dirty for a change. Cody decides that if Chase isn't going to freshen up that he's going too. He doesn't have a lot of time, so he takes a quick shower, puts on deodorant, and some cologne before getting dressed in some nice clothes. He wants to look good, but he also wants to be comfortable. It's almost time for his date, or maybe this is just Andrew coming over as a friend? Cody and Chase are looking forward to having Andrew over for dinner. Cody looks at Chase, and it would appear that his son is a little bit more excited to see Andrew than he might be at the moment.

***

While the guys were making tacos, Andrew was shopping for the perfect dessert. He looked over the store for something to bring. He might have brought wine, and if the meal were just for Cody and him, he would have bought some too. Tonight, Chase will be there, so no adult beverages. He eyes the coffee cake and decides to buy it. He isn't going to be taking any of it home with him. Andrew admits to himself that he is looking forward to having the cake. As he puts the cake into his car, he heads off towards Cody's house.

***

Andrew pulls up to the house and grabs his coffee cake. Walking up to the door, Andrew's heart begins to pound. He knocks on the door, then waits for it to be answered. Inside the house, Chase runs for the door.

"I want to answer it."

Chase says as he unlocks the door and opens it for his dad's friend.

"Hi Chase, where is your dad?"

Chase reaches out with his hand, and Andrew accepts Chase's outstretched hand. Together, they walk into the dining room, where Andrew sees the person he came to see.

"Hey Cody, I was going to ask if you needed any help, but it looks like you got everything under control. Oh, I got a coffee cake for dessert. I hope that is okay?"

Cody knocks himself in the head for forgetting to make something for dessert. He could have even pulled out the ice cream sitting in the freezer.

"Thanks for bringing it because I forgot to make something."

Andrew nods his head as he puts the coffee cake down on the bar. Cody comes behind him and places it up on the refrigerator.

"I don't want you to know who is having dessert early."

Andrew chuckles under his breath. Looking at Cody's son, Andrew smiles at Chase.

"You wouldn't eat dessert before having tacos?"

Chase's innocent little smile says it all.

"I guess you would eat dessert first."

Cody let a chuckle out when he heard Andrew's reaction to that his son's innocent smile. Everyone washed their hands and sat down for dinner. Andrew is enjoying the meal and loving the company. Cody and Andrew start talking.

***

The guys start talking even if there is stuff they might like to talk about, but it's got to be kept from the child's ears in the house.

"So Andrew, what do you like to do for fun?"

Andrew looks at Cody as he thinks for a second.

"I love to sing. I was pretty good, but someone else will have to be the judge of that. I like to hike, not so much into the bugs, but I guess they go with the package, right? I also love my game console. I have to admit that sometimes, I sit back and play a little after work. I also love to read. Cody likes the answers that Andrew gave.

"So, what do you like to sing?"

Cody is hoping that he loves singing pop.

"Pop, folk, and country are my favorite things to sing."

Cody was hoping he would pick pop music because he loves pop too.

"Cody, what do you like to do?"

Andrew is hoping that Cody has something different from what he likes to pick something else up.

"I like watching action movies, bowling, working out, and I like to listen to pop music. I'm not much of a signer other then in the shower, so the sounds from the shower can drown out my voice. You'll have to sing with me; maybe you'll drown out my vocal flaws."

Chase cringes when Cody tells Andrew to sing with me.

"No, Daddy, don't sing, please!"

Andrew laughs at Chase's plea.

"Wait a second, don't laugh at what he said. I'm telling you that kid is a traitor."

Cody laughs too and sticks his tongue out at his son. Chase makes a funny face at his dad.

"What do you like to do, Chase?"

Andrew asks his little friend.

"I like bowling, seeing the fish, and watching Daddy's hero movies. Maybe, you can watch a movie with us."

Chase tells Andrew. Cody silently agrees with his son. He would love to have Andrew over for a movie night. They could cuddle on the couch with Chase sitting on the floor or next to them.

"What was your favorite subject in school?"

Cody doesn't know what he was thinking asking this question. It doesn't tell you much about a person, but it adds to their overall conversation. Andrew chimes in with his favorite classes.

"I loved choir in high school, and I loved music appreciation in college."

Cody answers his question too.

"My favorite class in high school was this conditioning class in high school and college; it was my comparative anatomy class. I enjoyed it."

This time, Chase can't add to the conversation. Now it's Andrew's turn to ask a question.

"So, do you like to cook?"

Andrew asks Cody. He knows that Cody brings food from home.

"You know, I do like to cook from time to time. I have to feed this little guy. We can't always eat out, so; I had to learn to cook. Do you like to cook?"

Andrew shakes his head.

"I don't like to cook, but seeing that I live by myself, I've had to learn to cook, and I'm not bad at it."

Andrew replies to his friend.

"Would you go camping with me?"

Cody goes camping with Chase at the state park every once in a while, and sometimes, that includes camping in the living room or outside in the backyard.

"Sure, I could camping with you."

Andrew would do many things with Cody that he wouldn't or couldn't do with other boyfriends. Cody likes Andrew's response.

"We'll have to do that at some point then."

Cody is excited that Andrew is willing to go camping. The conversation ends when everyone is done eating and had their fill. Cody wants to show off the house to his potential boyfriend.

***

Cody gets up and helps Andrew up from the chair.

"Would you like to see the house?"

Andrew is excited about the tour of the home. Suddenly, he wonders what the outcome of this little house tour might be.

"I bought the house because of the openness you feel in the dining room, the kitchen, and the family room.

Cody tells Andrew. Andrew admits that he likes the openness too. Andrew likes how despite the money he makes, there is a very humble feeling to the house, not only in its layout but also in the furnishings that he's seen so far. Cody points out the bathroom and then walks over to another room with a closed door. He opens the door and walks into the room. It's obvious this is Cody's home office. It's spotless and organized, just like his office at the clinic. Cody leads him out of the room, and then they move on to the next room in the house. This room is the master bedroom.

"Nice!"

Andrew says as he takes a step into the room. If Cody were Ethan, Cody would have been on Andrew in a heartbeat. Luckily, Cody has more respect for Andrew than any other man that Andrew has ever been within his past. This room is good sized. It's furnished nicely and feels like a place that one could spend hours in just relaxing. Cody points to a closed-door across the room on the left of the room.

"That door leads to my master bathroom, but you don't want to see it. Let's move on."

They leave the room, and Cody leads him to a room that has its door open. They leave the room, and Cody leads him to a room that has its door open.

"This is Chase's bedroom. I could have put him in the room that is the guest bedroom, but I like having him this close in case he has a nightmare, or he gets sick in the middle of the night."

Andrew looks around the room, and he's a bit surprised by what he sees. There are plenty of books, but it lacks toys. Chase must have toys to play with that will change once Andrew knows that Cody wants to keep his nurse in his life.

"Does Chase have any toys?"

Cody's laugh says it all.

"He has toys. I just don't keep them in his room. If you come with me, I'll show you where the toys are kept."

There isn't much else to do at the moment, so Andrew agrees to follow him.

"Okay!"

With that, they leave the room, but not before Cody explains that Chase has a half bath in his room too. It was one thing that Cody wanted to be added to the house when he bought it. Cody leads Andrew to a set of stairs that leads downstairs to the basement. When they get to the bottom of the stairs, Andrew and Cody are surrounded by toys. While Cody and Andrew are standing in the middle of the room, little footsteps can be heard descending the stairs.

"Daddy, can I play for a little bit?"

Chase asks, which puts a smile on his father's face.

"You can play for a little bit until it's time to get ready for bed, okay?"

Cody is smiling, and so is Andrew. There have been times when Andrew thought that Chase seemed like a miniature version of his dad. Chase might have asked Andrew to play with him, but he can see that his big friend is with his dad right now. There are two closed doors and a short hallway that leads to another closed door. Cody tells Andrew that the smaller rooms are the laundry room and the utility room. Cody leads him to the one room in the house that was designed as Cody's escape room. When Chase is sleeping or playing down here in the playroom, Cody will sneak into his man cave. Opening the door to the room, Andrew is wowed. There is a television, a gaming console, a whole wall of movies and games, a closet filled with healthy snacks, some workout equipment, a desk and computer, and a couch. The room has surround sound too. Another feature that sets this room apart from the other room and that is the gas fireplace.

"What do you think, Andrew?"

Andrew is speechless.

"I don't know what to think. Up till now, I thought the house was pretty humble."

Andrew says.

`Wow, maybe I shouldn't have shown him the man-cave. Guess I'll have to just accept the fact that the room is too much.'

Maybe, Cody is showing the fact that he's a bit disappointed.

"Cody, I like it. I just wasn't expecting you to have something like this in the house."

Cody walks over to the computer and wiggles the mouse a little bit, and with a click of the house, they can see Chase playing in the room.

"This way, I can see him and know that he's okay while I'm down here."

Cody says as they look at the computer screen.

"Do you want to sit down here and talk for a little bit?"

Andrew suddenly feels some pressure from Cody. Cody hasn't come out and said that he wants to get physical, causing Andrew some anxiety. Andrew sits down beside him, a little nervous, but he's in control so far. Cody lifts his left hand and puts it across Andrew's back.

***

Dinner was terrific, the house was excellent, and Cody has honestly put no pressure on Andrew. Even with his anxiety, he has to admit that Cody is a gentleman. Course, they aren't alone. Chase is just in the other room playing with his toys. He would come in at any time and disrupt them. Cody wouldn't take that kind of risk. Andrew doesn't want that kind of pressure. Sex is what destroyed him. He allowed his penis to take over his mind, and that leads him to Ethan. It was wrong, and he doesn't want to mess things up with Cody just for sex. He won't put that thought into Cody's mind, and he won't let Cody put that thought into his mind. It was also how Ethan attempted to control him. He won't; he can't be that foolish again.

***

The guys have been talking quietly, but now it's time to end the evening, so Cody and Andrew get up and head for the front door, but somewhere between the entrance to the mancave and the front door, the idea of ending the night goes out the window. Cody sees Chase in the playroom and realizes he needs to get his son to bed.

"Chase, clean up your toys. It's time to get ready for bed."

His son doesn't give him any arguments. He gets up and starts cleaning up the toys. It isn't long before he's upstairs in his room, grabbing his pajamas and heading to the bathroom.

"I need to make sure that Chase is bathed. Can you stick around while I do this, or do you need to leave?"

Neither Cody nor Andrew are ready to call it an evening, so Andrew takes a seat in the living room while Cody sees that his son is all clean for bed. After the bath, Cody watches while Chase brushes his teeth. Cody is there to help out if need be. When Chase is dressed and ready for bed, Cody and Chase emerge from the bathroom. Chase is excited because Andrew is here, and that means he can read to h him. Well, he has to ask first, but Chase already knows that Daddy's friend won't say no.

"Andrew, will you read to me?"

Andrew looks at Chase's dad to make sure that it's okay to read to him. Cody smiles at Andrew and then looks at his son.

"Take Andrew with you and get up into bed."

Andrew was waiting for Cody to say something to let him know that it's okay for him to step in and read. Andrew finds himself being lead to the kid's bedroom. Chase goes to his bookshelf and looks through his books. He pulls out just the right title and walks it over to Andrew. He hands it over to the adult that's going to read to him. Andrew sits on chase's left, and Cody sits on the left side of Andrew. Andrew opens the book and starts reading. Andrew reads the book just like he read the last time. When the book is finished, Chase surprises them.

"Daddy, can Andrew kiss me goodnight?"

Cody isn't sure that he should allow the kiss, but he gives the okay.

"Andrew can give you a kiss."

Andrew gives Chase a little kiss on his forehead, followed by Cody kissing his son on the cheek. Chase kisses his daddy on the cheek.

"Good night, Chase! I'll see you in the morning. Love you!"

Cody tells his son.

"Daddy, is Andrew spending the night?"

Cody would love for Andrew to spend the night, but it is not in the cards at this point. He doesn't want to upset his son or disappoint Andrew.

"Chase, I don't think Andrew is going to be spending the night."

Andrew nods his head to what his dad said.

"I'm going to be visiting with your dad for a little bit longer, and then I am going home."

Andrew tells Chase, who looks sad right now. He wants his nurse to spend the night.

"You don't like us?"

Now, it's Andrew's turn to look sad.

"No, I like the two of you. I just have to get home. I don't have any clothes for tomorrow, and I don't think your dad's clothes would fit me."

Chase isn't happy about Andrew's answer to his question.

"Hey, we will see him again. I promise."

Cody says, hoping to cheer up his son a little bit. It seems to work because Chase covers himself up in his blanket and covers his eyes. In a calm voice, Cody and Andrew hear him say, "Good night!". They respond with the same words. In bed for the night, Andrew and Cody head back into the man-cave.

***

They both thought the evening would be ending, but after putting Chase to bed, things changed. They realize that they want to relax and talk some more. Cody and Andrew can do just that in the man-cave, and Cody can even monitor his son. Andrew tells himself that he can only stay 15 minutes or so while he and Cody relax and talk without having Chase around. Cody had pictures of Chase's mom in his son's room but had to remove them because, for some reason, the image seemed to spawn nightmares. They make small talk, and soon the fifteen minutes that Andrew was going to spend with Cody has turned into a half-hour. Cody surprises Andrew with his choice of topics.

"I know, I already asked you this once, but are you okay with the whole kid thing?"

Andrew isn't sure why Cody is asking a question that they've already talked about before, but he'll answer it again.

"Cody, I'm fine with Chase. You know that."

Andrew wants to steer the conversation away from Chase, though. Cody's heart flutters just a little bit when he hears his date's answer. Cody has another concern, though, and it's one Cody has seen more than once.

"Andre, I sometimes get the feeling that you are anxious around me. Why is that?"

Does Andrew tell him why, or does he change the subject?

"I don't want to ruin the evening, but a lot of things went down in my last relationship, things that shouldn't have, and as much as I want to forget about them, I can't. When I say that I am working on my past, I won't allow those things to happen to me again. I wasn't a saint, and I won't let allow myself to make those mistakes again."

Andrew is very sincere, but hearing those words makes Cody's heart sink.

"I know I might be restating things, but I promise that I am not going to be that guy."

Just hearing that helps, Andrew feels the anxiety lift, at least for now. While they are talking, Chase starts moving around in his bed, and it makes Cody worry that he's going to have a nightmare. Cody looks into Andrew's eyes, and he wonders what is going on in his friend's eyes.

"Cody, what makes you nervous?"

Andrew asks Cody a question, and Cody takes a few seconds to ponder the question.

"I get nervous when I first introduce Chase to a guy. I also get nervous when Doctor Hartman needs to speak with me. It's usually when he thinks that I've done something wrong or if he doesn't like a decision that I've made. I get nervous when Jennifer gives me that look that just says, "Watch it!". My mom sometimes gives me that look that just spells trouble for me."

Andrew understands all of them except for maybe that one about Chase.

"You know Doctor Hartman and Jennifer makes me nervous also."

All of a sudden, Chase wakes from his nightmare. He cries and calls out for his dad. Cody gets up and practically runs up the stairs, followed by Andrew. His son is sitting up in his bed, tears are running down his face, and he looks terrified. Seeing his dad at the door seems to calm him down a little. First thing Cody does is turn on the lights in the room. Cody walks over to the bed and picks up his son in his arms.

"Buddy, what's wrong?"

Chase clings to his dad as the tears slow down. Cody sits on his son's bed and rocks him gently as best as he can.

"Daddy, they-they were coming to get me. They-they wouldn't stop. They-they wanted you too."

Andrew and Cody don't know who "they" are, but they are Chase terrified of them. Andrew watches and listens as Cody does his best to calm his son down so Chase can go back to sleep. He doesn't know who the strangers are causing Chase so much pain, but Cody seems to have this figured out. Cody is completely ignoring the fact that Andrew is watching.

"Chase, you know. Daddy isn't going to let them get you or me. I will always protect you."

Cody kisses his son on the cheek, and Chase kisses his daddy too. Cody lays his son down on the blanket and hands him his teddy bear. Chase looks across the room at Andrew, but he doesn't smile. He wraps himself up in his blanket.

"You want me to stay with you till you fall asleep?"

Cody asks his son. His son looks at Cody and then looks at Andrew before answering.

"I'll be okay, Daddy."

Could Chase have been trying to send his dad into Andrew's arms?]

"Do you want the light on?"

Cody asked his son just in case he wants the light on. Chase looks at his dad and gives him a serious look.

"No, Daddy!"

Cody gives Chase another kiss on the cheek and then turns off the light as he walks out of the room. Cody watches from the doorway as his son wraps himself up in his blanket and snuggles with his teddy bear before he turns away and walks away. The two adults start walking back to the man-cave.

"Does he have nightmares a lot?"

Andrew asks Cody because he feels for the little guy. He use to suffer nightmares, and they kept him awake many nights in a row.

"Not very often, but if things stress him out or there are some changes in his routine, that they might spring up."

Cody's reply doesn't sit well with his date. It kind of makes him feel bad because it makes him feel like he's the reason that Chase had the nightmare. He's wrong, though. Chase has these sometimes when he sees ambulances, firetrucks, or police with the lights on as they head towards a call. Cody and Chase were home one day when a criminal got away from the police and hid in their backyard. Chase was three. He saw the officers find the guy and arrest him, but it was crazy. Before his arrest, he was pounding on the door, and that scared Chase.

"He seemed pretty scared."

Andrew says to which Cody nods his head in agreement. Chase was scared, but being in his daddy's arms made his fears melt away pretty quickly.

"He is usually fearless, but I need him to get over this fear of police officers and first responders, period. I need one to meet one in uniform and see that they are nice guys and ladies."

Cody has a couple of patients who are police officers, and they are great, so maybe one of them might be willing to step by and in uniform and speak with him. Cody and Andrew arrive back downstairs at the door to the man-cave, and Cody stops at the door.

***

Before they enter the room, Cody wants to make sure that this is okay with Andrew. He doesn't want to force him into staying any longer than he wants to stay.

"Would you like to stay and watch a movie with me?"

Andrew isn't exactly ready to call it a night, so he agrees to watch the movie.

"Sure, I can watch a movie with you."

Cody walks over to the movie shelves with Andrew and starts to look them over with him.

"If you see anything you like, feel free to grab it, or we can stream a movie."

Andrew grabs a movie off the shelf and hands it over to Cody.

"Cool, I love this film. I sort of have a thing for Greek mythology. This movie is a classic. I'm glad you picked it. It's been a while since I've seen it."

Cody tells Andrew as he walks over to his entertainment center. He turns on the television, opens the movie case, and then gets the power going on his game console. He then grabs the controller and sits down to start the movie. Cody makes sure to Andrew a little bit of space just in case, but he's hoping Andrew will decide to move up against him. There isn't much distance between them, but there is enough room to give them some breathing room.

"I picked it because I love the guy behind the special effects. The monsters in this movie are so cool."

Andrew appreciates the work that went into making the monsters in this classic seem alive. Cody cant has to watch this by himself because some of the creatures scare Chase. They enjoyed the movie, but by the end of it, it's pretty late. Cody would give Andrew the guest room if he wanted it, or maybe, they sleep together. Andrew makes his mind up.

"I think that I had better head for home."

Andrew's words disappoint Cody a bit. Still, it's all good. He knows that Andrew likes him.

***

Andrew says goodbye to Cody, making sure to kiss him to end the night. As he is heading out, Andrew second-guesses his decision to leave. He wants to stay, but he just can't do it right now. Sadly, he isn't at a point where he can just stay the night. Maybe his anxiety will reduce as they spend more time with each other. When he gets home, Andrew texts Cody to let him know that he's home. Cody must not have had his phone next to him because he didn't respond to him right away. It would take Cody about 10 minutes to answer back, and then it was only a little smiley emoji.

***

Cody decides to chance a phone call. He's a little worried about possibly offending Andrew. He also wants to check to make sure that his friend is okay. Andrew answers by first saying "Hi!" followed by this:

"Cody, is everything okay?"

He sounds worried. Cody doesn't want him stressing.

"I'm fine. I was just calling to make sure that you were okay?"

Now hopefully, Andrew will answer him?"

Cody just wants to know how he is doing. As much as Andrew loves hearing from Cody, it's late, and this call is annoying him at the moment.

"I'm fine, Cody."

Cody is glad that Andrew is good. It's a rare moment where Andrew's answer sounds accurate.

"I didn't make you feel tense."

Cody asked Andrew.

"No, you were fine."

Now this time, Andrew choose to lie. He doesn't want Cody to know that he causes Andrew to feel anxious. If he did, Cody might not want to have Andrew over like he did tonight.

"If you are okay, then I am going to let you go. Have a good evening!"

They're happy to hear each other's voices.

"Good night Cody!"

Andrew likes Cody, and everything is okay.

"Cody, I'll see you tomorrow."

Cody smiles with the knowledge that everything is good. They say good night to each other, and then they get ready for bed.

***

Andrew is staring up at the ceiling with thoughts running through his mind. Cody and Ethan are at battle in his mind. Early on in their relationship, Ethan treated Andrew as he was worth having in his life and used the "love" frequently. He knows that the latter likes him, and he likes Cody. Ethan and Andrew were having sex from the get-go, but even when there have been opportunities to get physical between Andrew and Cody, the only thing that Andrew has gotten from Cody has been kisses and hugs. Oddly enough, Andrew is glad that Cody is waiting. It's also troubling because he's not what Andrew is used to, but that means to world to him. He thinks that it makes him crave Cody a little more because they aren't having sex yet. It keeps him guessing what's under those suit pants that Cody years. Cody doesn't allow his mood to affect how he treats Andrew. However, at least later in their relationship, Ethan would belittle Andrew, and a bit later, he would treat Andrew like he was worth being loved on. It's one of the reasons why Andrew and Ethan aren't together anymore. Cody hasn't gotten mad and hit Andrew, while Ethan, especially later in their relationship, would hit Andrew and not just playful taps. Sometimes, he would hit Andrew when he forgot to do something that Ethan asked him to do, or he would get angry when Andrew would work extra hours. He blamed Andrew for his breakup with his ex. He hopes Cody doesn't change. No matter how Andrew compares Cody to Ethan, Cody wins every time.

***

Andrew is now asleep, but his peaceful sleep is interrupted with dreams of his hunk in a few minutes. In the dream, Andrew and Cody are alone in the house. They aren't talking; they're just kicking back and relaxing. Then it happens, Cody takes off his shirt, which is the first time that Andrew has seen him with his shirt off. Do you know what is interesting? Andrew hasn't seen Cody shirtless, so I am unsure how his mind knows what Cody looks like shirtless, but whatever, this is Andrew's dream, not ours, but if it helps, Cody looks excellent.

"I love you, Andrew!"

Instantly, Andrew's heart begins to pound, and warmth spreads throughout his body. Andrew is so shocked that he cannot speak. Before he is about to say "I love you!" the alarm goes off, waking him up so he can get ready for work. Meanwhile, Cody has been up for a half-hour already.

***

Cody has Andrew on the mind. He wants to see him before all the chaos starts at work. Maybe, they could come in early and have breakfast together in Cody's office. It would be freaking amazing to be able to do that every morning.

`Maybe someday!'

Cody thinks to himself as he starts getting Chase up so they can head over to Grandma's house. Maybe, he can grab Andrew's lunch today.

`That is what I'll do; I'll grab him something for lunch.'

Hopefully, Andrew will be okay with it.

***

Things at work have been good, BUT it seems like a few patients are eyeing both Andrew and Cody. Cody hasn't noticed it, but Andrew has, and it's starting to make Andrew question if this whole relationship that Andrew and Cody are working towards is a good idea. People are going to talk, and that could cause problems for Cody. Andrew can get a job anywhere practically, so he's not worried. Will Cody listen to him if he brings it up? Has he noticed the eyes and whispers? Before the end of the day, Cody pulls Andrew to the side to ask him a question.

"Is it my imagination, or were some of the patients giving you and me the stink eye and whispering behind our backs?"

Andrew's glad that Cody did notice that people were throwing them some shade.

"No, they were giving us some looks like they know that we've been seeing each other."

Andrew responds to Cody and readies himself for Cody, saying that they are over now that word has gotten out about them.

"Oh well, I guess it had to happen at some point."

Cody seems okay with the glances and the whispers. On the other hand, his nurse has a sinking feeling in his stomach, and he wonders if this is a sign that they are doomed. Cody won't allow them to end this way, and Andrew needs to put his trust in him.

***

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