Lifeline

All Charlie had to do was lie there and act wounded.

All Daniel did was pick him up and carry him.

Charlie doesn't mind helping out his buddies at the Fire station. It's been seven years since he walked away from the police force to concentrate on being a single dad, but he still drops by to shoot the breeze, shoot some pool… Helping out on their paramedic training day is no big deal.

Until a pair of piercing blue eyes lock on his, and a hunky paramedic firefighter picks up Charlie's 180lbs of dead weight as if he were nothing, then carries him like he's something fragile.

Daniel thinks he's seen the last of the cute guy covered in fake blood, so it's a pleasant surprise when they run into each again – and again – and again.

When the supposedly straight ex-cop asks to meet him for coffee, Daniel agrees. And after that, inviting him to Daniel's birthday party is only fair, right?

Charlie asking him to dance though? That was unexpected.

And then one of Daniel's buddies makes a request for a slow dance…