"I don't wish to scare Ivan. Forcing him to meet me or come to terms with me will help no one. The best thing to do is to be patient, which I'm sure, may be hard in the case of your friend Mr. Micheal."

"Please, just call me Micheal." Micheal said, his cheeks tingling. He turned off the kitchen faucet and handed the olive skinned doctor a large blue plastic mixing bowl.

"Thank you." Dr. Steel smiled briskly and took the object from the blond. He set it on the rectangular counter and cracked his knuckles. "Alright...now where is that apron...?"

"I don't think he has one." Micheal said watching the man move about the kitchen.

"Oh well then." The doctor grumbled settling on rolling up his shirt sleeves. He then pulled his hair back in a low but loose pony tail. "Just have to be careful then, right?" he looked at Micheal who flinched.

"Uhm, yes." This was so unlike him to not say anything. But what could he say? The man was unspeakably handsome. Telling his friend that the doctor was sexy seemed to be an offense now. Studying the man closely, Micheal knew he couldn't be American. Dr. Steel's skin was olive. his hair was silky, a dark brown that looked almost black if the kitchen lights weren't on, and his face... Dr. Steel's face looked like a Greek statue with the strong jawline, facial stubble, and piercing almond, black eyes. It took Micheal a moment to realize he was practically drooling over the man. Dr. Steel was staring at him, questioningly. Cocking his head to the side, a strand of dark hair tumbled onto his brow, the doctor asked, "Is something wrong?"

"We-well...!" Micheal began averting his eyes a little. He struggled to find something to say.

"You don't have to be shy, say what's on your mind." The bronzed man smiled warmly catching him red handed.

'Now that's not fair...!' The blond didn't say anything for a while, but he did after taking a moment of consideration. "Dr. Steel, can I ask you something."

The other inclined his head as permission.

"I'm going to be leaving my friend here so I can go to work...wh-what do you plan on doing..." Micheal couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. It seemed rude to ask the man what his intentions were when he himself had told Ivan he meant no harm.

Almost like reading his mind, Dr. Steel nodded thoughtfully, "You have every right to be skeptical of me." He said in a cool voice, "After all, you'll be leaving your friend in the hands of a complete stranger." He paused and tilted his head to the other side, something Micheal found funny and charming, "Have you called Geo Phobia before?"

"No. This is my first time actually," Micheal said admittedly. "I just want to be sure that I made the right choice." As Micheal said this, Dr. Steel nodded in understanding. "I don't mean to be rude."

"No, I understand Micheal." Dr. Steel shook his head with a raised hand then smiled in a way that made his eyes close slightly. "Geo Phobia is responsible for everything we do, and if the customer isn't satisfied, then we can assure you proper compensation—"

"No! What I mean is...crap..." Micheal looked away. He hadn't meant it like that.

Dr. Steel was silent then suddenly started chuckling under his breath.

"Uhm, Doctor?"

"Are you afraid that I'll sexually harass him?" Dr. Steel laughed a little.

The blush that appeared on Micheal's face was dark. The blond, flustered, blurted his response, "That ain't it at all! I'm just—"he gasped realizing he let his accent slip again. Not to mention he yelled at the man. What is up with him?

Absorbed in his shame, Micheal tried to come up with a proper apology and excuse for his behavior. Before he could come up with anything, the doctor had walked up to Micheal and stopped a breath away from him. When Micheal looked up, he nearly yelped. On reflex, he started to move back but stopped when his back bumped the countertop. Simultaneously, Dr. Steel reached out his hand toward the blond making the man's eyes widened. Micheal's breath hitched at that moment expecting the olived skinned doctor to touch him. The man was already so close: Michael could smell his cologne. Was it even cologne? It smelled so good, like maple syrup and apple pie. He should really not let this happen. As tempting as this is, he has Robin. Micheal isn't that type of man anymore anyway! Before the fingers touched him, Micheal closed his eyes and let loose a shaken breath.

A long moment passed.

"....: Micheal opened an eye.

"You didn't pass me the lettuce." Dr. Steel cooed beside his face and straightened up holding the head of lettuce behind Micheal.

The blond was dumbfounded. 'What the hell—'

The Dr. Steel inspected the vegetable casually, but it seemed he was even seducing the lettuce with his eyes.

Micheal stared at the man not sure whether to ask the question in his mind or punch the physician for making him think...

"You jerk."

Dr. Steel looked up in shock, "Hm? What's wrong?" the man blinked at Micheal for a moment before, finally, giving in to laughter.

Micheal flared, "You ass! You did that on purpose!" he spat. Despite his embarrassment, he couldn't be too mad at the olive skinned doctor. He's been a nervous wreck since the man walked in the house. Now look at him, what was he expecting? If it were Micheal himself, he'd have done the same...

"Excuse me, but what did I do on purpose?" Dr. Steel asked once his chuckling stopped. He turned his body away from Micheal to go to the kitchen sink. He placed the head of lettuce inside and turned on the faucet. "Did I do something wrong?"

Micheal's brow furrowed and he folded his arms over his chest, "Getting close too poor old me." He said this pathetically.

The doctor, despite facing away from Micheal, raised his brows and asked the question, "Did you want me to do something to you?"

Micheal couldn't see it, but Dr. Steel was smirking while washing the lettuce leaves. He knew the man behind him must be flabbergasted. When Micheal exclaimed 'no', and denied his expectations. The doctor turned off the faucet and turned around with the head of lettuce in his hands.

Micheal was clear as day red and his mouth was strained. Dr. Steel raised a questioning brow at the man. Micheal looked down shamefully and apologized.

"Don't apologize." The doctor chuckled warmly, "I should. I couldn't help myself. You were acting like a blushing virgin."

"That's unprofessional for a doctor." Micheal grumbled slightly irritated now.

"I'm working as a therapist, not a doctor." Dr. Steel pointed his nose up in a posh manner.

Micheal huffed, "That's still unprofessional!"

"You're not my patient."

Micheal was silent on that statement for a long time. Dr. Steel stared at him as if irritated. However, when Micheal heard the man chuckle again, he laughed with him.

"Ok. Ok. You win!" Micheal waved him away and decided to go to the fridge for more vegetables.

"What do I win Micheal?" Dr. Steel asked playfully then asked, "Do you think he has olives?"

Micheal bent down and checked the bottom drawers carefully. "If you call me Mr. Woodlong I'll give you a prize." When he found the package of olives, he grabbed it and closed the door to the fridge. He turned to hand it to the doctor and nearly screamed. The man was an inch away from him.

"Jesus!!" Micheal shouted in his southern drawl.

The doctor laughed loudly and moved away from him again. "Sorry, you set it up for me."

"How?"

"The fact you were turned away and you told me to call you 'woodlong'." Dr. Steel sniffed from his laughter and grabbed the olives from the pouting blond.

"Believe it or not, that is actually my last name." Micheal pursed his lips.

The doctor blinked at him and apologized, "I had no idea."

"It's fine." Micheal waved him off casually, but paused, "Wait, how do you not know that?! I told the receptionist my name over the phone?!"

Dr. Steel sighed from, what seemed like, irritation. "Jezebel is reliable enough, but if she finds your name boring, you can trust her to forget. She just told me your name was Micheal." The doctor went over to the sink again and started to open the olives.

"Hmph! Sorry for not having such a cool name." Micheal rolled his eyes thinking of the complement given to Ivan's name.

"I like your name."

"Well aren't you a charmer!" Micheal sassed, "Did they teach you that in college?"

"At Aristotle Universitty? No." Dr. Steel answered casually, now going to place the olives next to the mixing bowl and lettuce.

Micheal was confused. He had never heard of that school before. Was it even in the U.S? Curious, Micheal asked. "Where is that?"

"Thessaloniki." The doctor glanced at Micheal's confused expression. "It's a city in Greece."

Greece?!

Micheal's eyes blinked rapidly, "I...I'm sorry. Did you just say Greece? Like, literal Greece?!"

A chuckle came from the oliveskinned man, "From the movie "300"?" he turned to Micheal with an amused grin. "Yes, that Greece. Born and raised."

Micheal's eyes widened in childlike excitement. "So, you're like a full on Greek!"

"Mr. Woodlong, I'm not a dog." Dr. Steel gave an expression that was a mixture of amusement and confusion. "But I will say I'm not full blooded. I'm half to be exact." He stopped explaining when he noticed how interested Micheal was. "....Hm."

"Well?!" Micheal exclaimed, "What's the other half?!"

"Pit Bull."

"Stop playing!!" Micheal whined earning another laugh from the doctor.