Chapter Text
The walk from Sakura’s office slash lab to the exit of the University was enlightening, to say the least. With most of the people coming back from their lunch break, the 10 minute walk dragged to almost 30 minutes with the amount of people who stopped them for a chat. More specifically, they stopped to chat with the cheerful doctor than the genial scientist.
Although everyone they walked past gave a wave and a greeting to Lucien, Sakura noticed that they never went past pleasantries. At the same time, Lucien wondered how she could have so many discussions with the different staff in the building. Dr. Zhang’s child's education, Ms. Lee’s upcoming move, and even the security guard’s recent schedule change.
Once outside the University grounds, they took a left turn towards the nearest mall. The air between them was strange, both awkward and yet not. The typical atmosphere of those comfortable enough to have a small chat but not close enough to be called friends. And with Lucien's indifferent personality and Sakura's well-trained ability to blatantly ignore moments like these, this continued on for 2 blocks.
Until a glance to her right made her focus on his gait. Relaxed but closed, his expression pleasant but detached. And it reminded her so much of Kakashi that she decided to take the exact same action whenever confronted with her teacher's techniques of pushing people away - break the wall through sheer force of will.
At the next corner, she tapped him on the shoulder and pointed towards the cluster of houses, near the old market stalls.
“I know a place. It has good food and is also not as crowded as the mall.”
A slight nod from her companion prompted her to take the turn and weave through the crowd, while other pedestrians just naturally walked around Lucien when he followed. It was an interesting sight, likely due to a combination of his height and the confident yet distant and uncaring aura he let off.
A few streets and sidewalks later found them at a rather quiet area of the city, with only a handful of folks strolling by. Lucien gave a side-eye to the shorter woman, noting that she was getting more relaxed the further they walked into the more residential part of the district. It seemed that she was a pseudo-regular here as well, the residents in the area giving her a cheery wave and greeting every now and then while also giving surreptitiously curious looks at him walking alongside her.
He guessed they had arrived when a tint of gold entered his vision. He paused for half a step before catching himself and continuing on, his eyes firmly on the shining ceramic cat almost beckoning him with it's moving paw. He stopped and waited as Sakura pinged the reception bell and called out an affectionate ‘hello’ past the open doorway. The place didn’t seem like a place that served food, the area past the open doors was more akin to an outdoor living room, with it’s long wooden table and bench plus the porcelain tea set decorating the center, than for anyone to sit down and have a meal.
A few beats passed and a middle-aged woman half-spinted, half-stumbled out from within the house, wiping her hands on the small towel that was hanging from her apron. The frustrated wrinkle of her brow smoothened out when her eyes landed on the young doctor waving at her.
The look she made upon seeing Sakura could only be described as "motherly". He could recall, very faintly, another face, one with long black hair and light violet eyes once looking at him with the same affectionate gaze.
This was why he often made himself scarce in family situations, turning his line of sight to focus on the golden cat instead as his hand clenched into a fist hidden deep in his pocket. There was no point in wishing for things that cannot be changed. Nothing is permanent. As a species, humans need to move forward to evolve.
Never before hand those lines rang so hollow than at this moment, watching Sakura accept a loving embrace from the homeowner. Was she her mother?
“-your boyfriend?”
Lucien glanced back at them, seeing the older woman patting Sakura's shoulder excitedly.
“This is Lucien. He's just a colleague at the University.” She introduced with an expression tinged with exasperation and fondness. Even without colors, he could see how her entire demeanor changed the moment she received the embrace. Sakura had always seemed cheerful and open, but the difference between then and now was startling. He couldn't describe it but she was far softer now, more Sakura , than he'd ever seen her before, as if all the burdens in the world have been lifted off her shoulders.
“And? Why bring a colleague here? Did you stop by before going on a trip?”
“Actually…. we're here for lunch. If you're still serving it?” The question was punctuated with both a sheepish smile and a brace for the incoming lecture.
“Lunch?! It's nearly 3! I can't believe you're still not fixing your eating schedule. I've told you time and again that it's not healthy...” The sermon went on as the woman started moving back towards the house, her arm sweeping across to signal them to go in.
Sakura met his amused look with an indulgent one of her own, one shoulder rolling, gesturing to him to follow her to the dining area.
They walked past the wooden table and through the steel netted door into a small back garden with 4 oak tables and chairs, bracketed by wooden panels with different varieties of flowering vines.
He took a seat at the table Sakura selected, the way she almost sprawled onto the chair’s backrest spoke more of habit than intention. He didn’t think anyone knew that Sakura’s family lived in Loveland since she came from Japan. He mentioned as much to her.
“Oh!” She exclaimed with a shake of her head, “No, she’s not family. I met her when I was wandering around the city. We spoke once and she sort of took me in ever since.”
“And is this place…?” The slight tilt of his head as he scanned the alcove gave away his question. Sakura rested her chin against her hand, elbow on the table as she answered.
“Yes, it is a restaurant. Sort of. Ms. Tan usually makes snacks and takeaway boxes but she opens up the back garden during weekdays for lunch. We are a bit later than her usual hours. I thought she’d still be serving her last batch by the time we arrived. I guess most of the customers left early today.”
Lucien hummed in response while Sakura closed her eyes to rest for a bit, both of them in their own world even right across from each other. When she opened it lightly to peer at him, the scene in front of her made her snort, catching his attention.
She waved her hand to brush off the inquisition but the view of Lucien - sitting languidly with the sunlight somehow gently caressing his form turning his dark violet eyes light lavender and surrounded by the immaculate green vines to one side; he looked regal, almost like a forest prince if not for his professional get up - made her remember a past interaction with Ino.
“I don’t understand! How, how, can you be so surrounded with hot, single men. Even NARUTO, of all people, grew up to be a hunk. AND YOU NEVER TAPPED ANY OF IT! Seriously, Forehead, do you have a hot-guy magnet or something? ‘Only those above an 8 are allowed to be within 10 feet of me’?”
Ino would probably be frothing at the mouth if she snapped a photo of Lucien now. Actually.... Sakura took out her mobile phone and took a quick shot, right before his expression changed once he saw her intention.
“Shouldn’t you ask permission first before taking a picture?” There was no indignation, merely curiosity on his face and his tone was slightly teasing as well.
“Candid photos are better than posed ones.” She replied cheekily, typing out a message and then hovering a thumb over the send button, peeking up to meet his gaze. “Would it be alright if I send this over to Youran?”
There was no time outside of the nod that she received when the restaurant owner arrived with their food. Two identical plates filled with steaming rice, breaded pork chops sliced into thick strips, and steamed vegetables. Afterwards, Ms. Tan came back with two bowls of vegetable and corn soup, along with a small basket of condiments and sauce dishes.
Although Sakura protested at the amount of food they were given, the lady just ignored it and criticised Sakura’s eating habits instead, mentioning that a good balance of meat and vegetables are needed for a healthy diet. And no meal is complete without soup so they should just eat up before going back to work.
With her advice given, she then went back inside to clean up while the two scientists were left to eat in relative peace.
Before Lucien could take a bite, Sakura had started with a suggestion to use the red sauce in the basket to add more flavor to the dish, but with a side-eyed smirk that it was strong for people not used to strong spices. She’d already placed the two sauce dishes and heaped a few scoops of the sauce for them before he could respond. The sauce was fairly watery, with specks of what may be minced chilis and shallots swimming in it. Even without the help of his sight, the scent of heat with a slight soury note was so strong that he could feel it at the back of his throat.
Lucien was never really one to give in to taunts, especially one that was as obvious as that. But there really was nothing to lose in giving in to it, since he could barely taste anything. At most the sauce would give him a slight numbing sensation that would go away in a few minutes. So he dipped one slice of pork and then took a bite.
The explosion of flavor in his mouth made him pause. Although his usual meals were centered around the more subtle flavors of Southern Chinese cuisine, he did sometimes try strongly spiced foods from Szechuan and Xinjiang before in an attempt to find foods that could still taste palatable to his desensitised tongue. But all his explorations were fairly disappointing, only having the taste of chili and feeling the lingering spices without being able to savor the meats and vegetables the sauce was supposed to enhance.
This one though, it was spicy yes, and quite sour too. But the way the conflicting flavors complimented the meat made him get a slight hint of pork taste when he chewed in between bites.
His astonished reaction must have been obvious as a gloating expression flitted over Sakura’s face before melding towards a humorless smile.
“Ms. Tan spent a few years around Southeast Asia and incorporates all those flavors in her food. The pork is actually already flavored. Adding the sauce tends to be too much for most palettes, but I thought it would be right up your alley.”
“...how did you know?” He managed to conceal his current state to everyone in his immediate vicinity by controlling body and facial reactions to match the given mood. Even Youran, who he actively spends time with, is unaware of this impairment.
“During the last university gathering, you were one of the few who accepted the second helping of Mrs. Wong’s dish. And unlike the others, you didn’t even flinch at the burnt bits littered in the omelette. And I am a doctor. It’s rare, but I’ve seen symptoms of hypogeusia before.”
“I see.”
“Don’t worry so much.” Chopsticks waved around as Sakura tried to reassure him about this revelation. “I’m not going to tell anyone. Think of this as doctor-patient confidentiality.”
His shoulders relaxed a smidge at the statement. Sakura may be defying all his preconceptions about her, but there was no deceit in her commitment to her profession, the amount of time she’d spent in both the hospital and the research center to work on and improve their healthcare was quite a well known gossip among the university staff.
“ And ” How was she able to control the tension in him with just that one word? “Speaking as a doctor, I’d really appreciate it if you converse with me honestly from now on.”
“I’m sorry?”
A puff of air escaped her lips, blowing away a lock of hair. And though she was addressing him, it suddenly felt that she was looking past him and seeing someone else.
“You showed me, before...at the stairwell, the person underneath. And I just want to let you know that you don’t have to keep up a façade with me. If I say something you don’t like or if you’re not in the mood to hold a conversation, just let me know. You don’t have to force yourself to keep up appearances. Despite what people think, I’m... not a stranger to silence.”
The more she spoke, the further her gaze went until he was sure that she had sunk deep into her own thoughts. And the last hesitant line was released like a wispy breath in winter, its delivery revealing more about her than the words themselves.
He remained silent and it didn’t seem like she was waiting for his acknowledgement, the only sounds were the clacking of chopsticks on the lacquered dishware mixing with the sound of birds chirping and tumbling leaves.
It was only when there was nothing left on the plate that Sakura seemed to snap out of it, blinking down as if wondering how her food disappeared without her knowing. There was a glassy sheen to her eyes that was immediately hidden with her bowed head and she pushed herself up and made an excuse about going to the washroom, feeling Lucien’s eyes boring at her back as she walked off.
Ms. Tan came out while Sakura was away to pick up the dirty dishes, pushing him back down on the seat when he tried to assist. And declining to give any information when he asked about paying for the food, no matter how much he insisted.
“There’s no need for that. Instead, can you help ensure that the girl eats in a timely manner? I’m worried that she gets stuck in her head sometimes and forgets that her body needs to be taken care of as well.”
The tower of dishes clattered on the steel trolley behind him and Ms. Tan took out the towel from her apron, widely wiping the wooden table, speaking to him all the while. He gave into his curiosity and asked how she had met Sakura, considering this was an area typically not visited by non-residents.
“She was walking around with some kids, I think she was babysitting at that time? And one of the more rowdy ones broke my lucky cat to tiny pieces. And I don’t know how she did it, but she distracted the kids with snacks and fixed the cat. In one hour, it was as good as new, shining even.” Sakura fixed it herself? Could it be possible that it wasn’t Youran? Is this a new Evol?
“Which reminds me, tell Sakura to bring the kids over again some time. I haven’t seen them in over a week.” He gave a quiet agreement and the lady returned his answer with a warm smile that lasted a blink, turning to head back into the kitchen. Halfway there, Sakura crossed paths with her and was also pushed away from helping, ordered to go back to work so she can finish early and go home and rest .
He rose from the table and started walking towards them, Sakura moving in step with him as they said their goodbyes and went on their way.
Once they were back outside, he passed on the message of bringing the kids over and asked which of the orphans accompanied her.
“They rotate. I take a few of them at a time with me and we just wander around different areas in Loveland.”
“Is there a reason for that? Their teacher does take them around from time to time.”
“It’s different.” Sakura went on to explain upon seeing the curious look on his face. “Going anywhere as a group is not the same as intimately being acquainted with areas and people that live in the same city as you. With a smaller group of three or four, we get to spend our time meeting different people and it gives others a chance to get to know the kids individually as well instead of just being lumped together as a group. It’s good for their growth because they’d be part of that society one day so their usual haunts should not just be the orphanage or the hospital.”
Warning signs creeped up within him at the slight darkening of her tone when she mentioned the hospital. Coupled with the package she received, he grew suspicious.
“Is there anything wrong with the hospital?”
“Oh, not really. It’s just weird. Loveland Central Hospital deals only with severe cases, except when Evols are involved. Don’t you know?”
“Yes, they bring me in whenever there’s something about the Evols that they can’t handle or understand.”
“And they’re treated like they’re diseased!” Lucien moved a step to the side to prevent the arm from hitting him. “Just because the doctors there don’t have Evols doesn’t mean they should be segregating the Evols on a separate wing! And you should have seen it! It wasn’t even a proper recovery room. It looked more like a lab setup. They wouldn’t even tell me what tests they were running when Xiao Yao got admitted, saying that I wouldn’t understand it if they explained. I’m a board certified doctor ”
“Xiao Yao has an Evol?” He smoothly cut off the indignant rant to focus on one important fact. That revelation was a surprise. The last time he received the results of the children’s checkups, he wasn’t on the list of potential Evol users.
“He accidentally used it when he fell off from tree climbing. I don’t fully know what it is yet, but it seems to be linked to plants? So much grass grew around him to soften his landing. I promised to come back and help him practice. Plus I volunteered to assist the orphanage nurse with handling cases with Evols, working as a liaison between the school and the hospital.”
Offering his help on both Yao’s practice and her investigation at the hospital was simple. Being one of the leading Evol researchers in the city had its perks. And it would help him keep an eye on what she was getting herself into. Plus, another scientific eye on the subject could prove helpful. With Youran’s presence as the Queen being a trigger and Sakura’s observant insight into the biological effects on the body could expedite his own research.
Sakura continued her explanation, gesticulating wildly about the plans she had for the hospital and the orphanage, unaware of his slowing gait. Before he could stop himself, one hand unconsciously reached out to almost grasp her arm. He stopped a hair's breadth away, the skin of her wrist brushing like butterfly wings against his fingertips.
The almost touch raises the hairs on her arm, making her pull her run a hand across to rub away the sensation, continuing on without looking back. His taller frame meant that he could easily go back to matching her pace, but his focus was no longer on the conversation. Instead, he wondered if this was how people felt whenever he was deep into his research and the entire world fell away, leaving him chasing answers to questions people could not even fathom.
In some way, he wanted to capture that free flying essence for himself. And yet, watching Sakura shine with passion and confidence, he could finally understand Youran’s decision of letting the butterfly go. Because watching it soar was a marvellous thing to behold.