Chapter Text
the first time you properly meet eraserhead is at three in the morning. prior to this, you’ve only seen him at the staff meeting on monday, when nedzu had introduced you as the new on-campus pharmacist for night time emergencies. if he’s walking into the shop today at this ungodly hour, it means he needs something important.
he shuffles up to the counter and you smile tentatively. he looks as exhausted as ever, eyes rimmed red and shoulders hunched inwards. poor guy; he’s in his hero gear too. he must’ve either just gotten back from work or is on his way out. you resist the temptation to brush the hair out of his face. stay professional, damn it - he’s a client.
“hey eraser,” you greet. he grunts in reply. “how can i help?”
he places a small bottle of eye drops before you and sighs. “i’ve run out of eye drops. usually recovery girl would replace them for me but i’m going on patrol soon and i need more.”
you nod, picking up the bottle and inspecting it. the drops are a generic one that most people use for dry eyes. it’s one that you’d recommend to clients who need just a touch of moisture. not for someone like eraserhead though. you move from behind the counter and gesture for him to follow, leading him around to the section in the shop for eye drops.
“do you find that it helps with the dryness?” you ask as you scan the shelves.
“they work well enough,” he says. god, his voice is deep . “could be better.”
“i figured.”
alcon, alcon, alco- yeap there it is. you pluck it from the shelf, giving it a once over to make sure you have the correct product before handing it to the man. at his slightly raised eyebrow, you start to explain.
“the one you’ve been using is a pretty common ocular lubricant that many use for dry eyes, but you’re not suffering from it ‘cause your eyes are strained from a computer screen. this brand should work better because it acts like a tear replacement.”
eraserhead hums, a low and deep rumble. you flush at the sound and whip around to hide your face, picking off the original eye drops he’d wanted from the shelf. it’s the sleep deprivation. from adjusting your body clock. yeah. that’s it.
“i’ll give you both eye drops and you can try it as you’d like. they’re both on an as required basis but try not to over use them.” you say, making your way back to the counter with two small boxes of eye drops. “there are other alternatives that might help as well.”
he eyes them both; you can tell he’s tempted to grab the one you’ve recommended. still, he pockets them but he’s still staring at you, expectant. you frown; nedzu had told everyone that no one would need to pay for anything in the store because all the products were supplied by the school.
“was there something else?” you ask, shifting in place.
“how are you settling in?”
“oh,” you blink. you weren’t expecting that . your ears heat, fingers twisting atop the counter as you chuckle nervously. this is only your second day on campus - you’ve barely familiarised yourself with your surroundings, let alone spoken to the other people here. you still don’t quite know how to act around the famous pro heroes and the kids in training. “i’ve got my things unpacked upstairs and the shop is all set up. i guess i just have to fully adapt to being nocturnal.”
eraserhead nods, hands in his pocket. his eyes have locked onto your fidgeting and you find your cheeks heating even more at the scrutiny. what is up with this man?
“if you need anything, let one of the staff know and we’ll help.”
“thank you!” you beam at him. “the thought is much appreciated.”
he gives you one final nod before heading towards the entrance. he’s only halfway to the door when he stops, turns to face you, head tilted.
“what was the alternative to eye drops?”
ah, that. you rub a sheepish hand on the back of your neck. you’d forgotten to elaborate.
“there’s a brand called lacrisert that’s basically a tiny rod you put against your bottom eyelid and your eye. it’ll release the lubricant over twenty-four hours.” you pull out your phone, fingers flying across the keyboard to pull up an image of the drug. eraserhead shuffles back over, a gleam in his eyes. you show him your screen and point at the diagram.
“it’s easy to apply and remove, plus it takes time away from having to continuously use the eye drops. it’s relatively safe too since it’s just freeze-dried hypromellose; there aren’t any other excipients or irritants in there. it’s an option to look into, although i don’t know if it’s a good long term solution.”
he blinks at you, long and slow. you meet his stare with a raised brow - it’s your job to know these things. while he shifts his focus back to the screen, you take the time to observe him. the set of his jaw is hard and his eyes are very obviously dry. he looks tired, messy even because of the scruff, but most of all he looks handsome. if only he’d just move that damn hair out of his face-
“thank you,” he says, catching your gaze. your heart stammers in your chest. oh no. “i’ll look into it.”
you flash him a smile, “no worries! stay safe on your patrol.”
he leaves the shop, the bell jingling softly as the door shuts behind him. you stifle a yawn. right, time to go make some coffee. before you head into the back room, you notice a small box sitting on the counter; your pulse races. it’s the eye drops he’d been originally looking for. mumbling to yourself about how he’d even managed to do that when he was right in front of you - though he probably did it when you were too busy admiring his jawline - you get started on making that coffee with a smile on your face.