Work Text:
The Feel Of A Moment
It wasn't even a big deal, or at least, Taylor had thought it wasn't. His friends and loved ones, it seemed however, apparently felt differently.
"Oh my god! You have to tell me everything! " Quinn gushed eagerly, her crystalline eyes wide and practically damn well glowing with glee.
"This is phenomenal, Taylor… you really worked hard for this! You're going to do so many amazing things." Michelle added proudly, smiling at him from his computer screen as she scribbled delicately on one of her hospital charts.
"I think you're overreacting a little here," Taylor retorted, smiling shyly as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Nonsense," Aleister scoffed, a small smile lifting the corner of his lips as Grace slid onto his lap with a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms, waving at Taylor with her free hand. "You've achieved something not many are capable of without handouts or favours. Take the praise and deal with it, Taylor." He said, his cool eyes softening as he wiggled his fingers gently over the blankets his wife held.
"What Aleister means is," Grace said, throwing her now preoccupied husband a withering, but fond look. "That you've earned everyone's respect and all the compliments… so just let us all fawn over you a little."
" Pfft , I don't fawn." Zahra scoffed, tossing her hair back from her eyes with a smirk. "But that said… you did good, doofus."
"Chyeah, bro," Craig agreed, his thick arm resting easily on Zahra's shoulders as he he peered around her. "Raj is planning the party of the century to celebrate, ya know?"
"Oh, no! Guys! That is totally unnecessary!" Taylor protested, groaning as he threw his arm over his face to hide the growing redness of it.
"Dude, when has a party ever been unnecessary?" Raj countered, grinning as Taylor reluctantly peeked through his fingers at the various boxes on his screen, which his friends' faces all beamed back at him from.
"I'm pretty sure most of your party's are unnecessary, Raj…" he grumbled. "You'd throw a party for Craig brushing his teeth."
Zahra shoved Craig's arm playfully, a teasing smirk on her lips as she winked at him. "That kinda rarity is worth a party." She sneered, scowling and knocking her forehead to Craig's when he grinned and began to tickle under her arm with his dangling hand.
"Joking and teasing aside, Taylor," Sean chuckled dryly, his Condor shirt seeming an even brighter shade of purple than Diego's long lost favourite shirt, much to Taylor's consternation. "You should be proud, man. This is… it's something pretty big. Congrats," he said, smiling as he glanced over the camera and gave a quick nod to an indistinct mutter.
Taylor sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're all taking this way too seriously… it's really not -"
"Taylor, shut up and let us enjoy this!" Diego complained loudly, grinning when Taylor pouted at him sullenly. "We're all just happy for you, okay? Just let us have this!"
" Urgh ," Taylor sighed, shaking his head as he lifted his eyes to the figure which sauntered into view behind his best friend. "Can't you do something to distract him? I don't know, give him something shiny?" He muttered petulantly.
"Heh, I can give 'im somethin', but it ain't shiny… well, not jus' now, anyhow…" Mike chuckled, smirking and winking in reply to Diego's withering scowl and distinct blush.
"Go away… you're not supposed to be here, what are you even doing home?" Diego demanded, though his body countered his demands by reaching for Mike's hand and unconsciously tilting his lips up toward him.
Mike grinned, wiggling his eyebrows playfully as he leaned in to briefly kiss Diego, before pulling away and pressing his lips to the back of Diego's hand instead, his eyes cutting toward the camera slyly. "Ya know he tried to ban me from bein' in the house while ya all had ya 'lil pow wow?" He said, laughing when Diego blushed and snatched his hand away to shove at his lover's shoulder roughly.
"That explains why things have been so quiet on his end," Taylor huffed fondly, grinning as he watched his friends laugh at Diego's obvious embarrassment.
"Hey, this is a serious call about something important!" He argued defensively, glowering at his lover sulkily. "I didn't think there would be any need for useless sexual innuendo or attempts to instigate any threesomes… or, moresomes…" he muttered, trailing off as his face flamed a pretty shade of red.
Taylor grinned as a deep thrum of laughter rumbled behind him and an arm draped slowly over his shoulder, his head turning as Jake winked at the collection of screens before them. "Ya know ya love it really, Shorty." He teased, his expression softening as he turned to brush his lips briefly against Taylor's brow.
"Okay, this is where we all log off." Estela said drolly, rolling her eyes at them all as she rolled the cursed of her mouse to hover over the exit button on her screen, despite Quinn's protests and attempts to prevent her. "Taylor, congratulations… you deserve everything." She said warmly, a rare smile lighting her face briefly before she turned a frown to Quinn. "I'm not watching any more of their sappy displays. They're ridiculous whenever they're together."
"You don't have to! You can go, but I want to-" Quinn objected, but seemed to realise she had no power to stop her partner. "Bye everyone!" She called quickly, turning to the screen with a beaming, if slightly frantic look. "Congratulations, Taylor! I'll call you tomor-" she yelped, though her promise was abandoned when her screen turned dark and quiet.
"Yeah, no offense doodlejumps but uh, I… I have a party to plan!" Raj said quickly, his screen darkening as he rushed to follow in Estela’s footsteps and escape before any kind of depravity be unleashed.
“Poor boy, he really is too innocent for his own good,” Michelle sighed, shaking her head fondly. “He can drink like a sewer, but mention any kind of sexual innuendo and he’s in way over his head.” She huffed, checking over one of her charts distractedly. “Unfortunately, I need to head out now too-”
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to cut this short too,” Sean added, offering Michelle a guilty grin and blowing her a kiss from his palm in apology for interrupting her. “Coach is getting antsy, saying the team needs me…”
“Of course they do,” Michelle scoffed, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder with a grin. “You’re their star player. Go do your thing, and be sure to be home for dinner!” She said firmly, smiling as she blew him a kiss in return.
Sean winked, dodging around his screen quickly, before returning with an embarrassed grin as he reached for the power button. “Sorry, Taylor… congrats again, man!” He said quickly, before he disappeared again. Michelle sighed, waving as she reached for her own button without further comment, her box on the screen turning dark like so many others.
“We should put him to bed, dearest.” Aleister murmured quietly to his wife, his lips brushing against her curls as he cupped the bundle of blankets carefully. “And you’re exhausted too… try to get some rest, please?”
Grace rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stifle her yawn with her arms full of their precious bundle. “I’m sorry we’re all going at once, Taylor…” she said tiredly, grinning at him sheepishly. “We’ll get together again soon, properly! In person!” She insisted, waving as Aleister looked at her in a way which said they absolutely would not, before he cut off the power without comment.
“Dorks,” Zahra snorted fondly, as Taylor turned his head and scowled at his husband.
“Well, don’t you know how to scare everyone away?” He demanded haughtily, pouting right up until Jake’s grinning lips pressed against his own softly.
“Ya know ya’d had enough o’ all their simperin’ anyway,” he countered when he retreated, grinning at the screen when Mike snorted with amusement.
“Ya losin’ ya touch, Grandpa… Hot Topic ain’t scared off by ya displays no more.” He laughed, grinning as Zahra shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly, shifting her position to lean back against Craig comfortably.
“We’re into all kinds of porn,” she said indifferently. “Figured we might as well stay for a free show, instead of having to go look some up.” She added, smirking as Craig grinned and kissed her shoulder lightly.
“Sorry, what’s that, Skrillex?” Jake asked, feigning a frown as he reached for Taylor’s computer mouse and shifted the cursor over the small cross atop Zahra’s box. “Ya breakin’ up… bad connection or somethi- oh, whoops!” He huffed, grinning as he clicked the button and cut the pair out of the group call. “Damn, tough break, huh?”
“You two are terrible, terrible men… you know that, right?” Diego said, though there was no real heat to his words as Mike laughed softly and kissed him, before sauntering off screen.
“He knew it when he married me.” Jake replied smugly, smirking as he kissed Taylor’s cheek, ignoring his frustrated glower as he moved away and leaned against the top of his small bar top, folding his arms over his chest as he watched Taylor blush.
“ Hmmph ,” he agreed with a noncommittal grunt, shaking his head and sighing as he looked at Diego in exasperation. “So… last one standing, then?” He said, a slow smile growing on his face as he watched Mike’s shirt suddenly fling into view on screen, landing on Diego’s crimson face.
“Go away .” Diego hissed firmly, glaring at his lover behind the camera. “No! I’m not-” he began, only to pause suddenly, his cheeks darkening further as he glanced at the screen and then back to his lover. “That… I mean, I’m…”
Taylor laughed, shaking his head at his friend fondly. “Just go, before he decides to do whatever he’s planning on the call.” He huffed. “You know it will only mean Jake tries to outdo him; and then we’ll just be on another sex call all night.” He said, grinning lopsidedly as his friend blushed and cleared his throat.
“Taylor,” Diego said, twisting Mike’s shirt in his hands. “I’m really proud of you… and really happy for you, okay?” He said, his eyes flicking up over the camera again. “Um, I’ll call you later?” He said distractedly.
Taylor smirked. “Just remember to put your clothes back on first, yeah?” He said innocently, laughing when Diego scowled at him and turned his screen off in reply. Taylor snorted fondly, staring at the now dark screen as he felt his husband watch him patiently. “They’re all being ridiculous… it’s not even that big of a deal!” He finally protested, turning to Jake with a sigh as he pushed off the bar and approached him.
“They’re excited for ya, an’ pleased ya finally gonna get to have the life they always thought ya did ‘fore…” Jake explained, as Taylor huffed tiredly. “Look, it ain’t a big deal to you, Boy Scout… but they’re proud, ya know? Ya got yaself a place, all off ya own back, ‘cause ya worked hard an’ fought for it, yeah?”
Taylor peeled his forehead away from resting against Jake’s stomach, casting him a withering look. “It’s just a college scholarship… its really not -”
“We love ya, Boy Scout.” Jake said simply, smiling gently as his clear eyes peered down at Taylor with the familiar, radiant glow of the affection which he felt for his husband. “Cut us some slack, eh?”
Taylor sighed with exasperation, pushing out of his chair with a groan and rising to loop his arms around Jake’s neck, while Jake snaked his arms around his waist. “I guess I can let you all adore me and praise me some more…” he said, smirking as Jake snorted and grinned at him fondly. “You know, by now… I bet Mike already has Diego completely-” he began teasingly, though he got no further; for Jake’s kiss quickly silenced him, his playful challenge wordlessly accepted; as Jake set about showing him just how proud he was of his husband.