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The first time you met Gustave, he was wielding one of your greatest fear: a needle.
You had come in for your dreaded routine health check-up. It wasn’t that you disliked the check-up, but the process involved needles and that was a huge no-no for you. Which is quite ridiculous since you worked and lived in a place where many of its occupants faced much worse in their line of work. Still, it wasn’t like you could simply wish the fear away.
Arriving at the medical wing, you knocked politely. After receiving an affirmative “come in”, you opened the door and peeked your head in. And found the normally bustling office basically deserted. Your appointment was definitely set today, you’ve checked, albeit with some desperate far-off notion that perhaps you might have gotten the day wrong. Nope, no luck there.
“Hello?” You said hesitatingly as you walked into the room, still seeing no one. “I’m here for my health check-up.” Slightly confused at the apparent lack of signs of life when someone has clearly invited you in, you looked around the room until you locked gazes with a pair of tired brown eyes at the corner of the room. You felt your breath catch in your throat. And what an unfairly handsome man those eyes belonged to. You immediately recognised the man as the famed Gustave “Doc” Kateb. You often wondered how the man ever balanced his missions, his doctor duties and the paperwork that came with both roles. You knew it was far from little, as you had processed a ton of it. And here he was, alone on active medical duty while the rest of the office was seemingly off.
“Oui, and ten minutes early.” The doctor chuckled slightly. “Luckily, you’re the only one today.” Well, a part of you had wanted to get it over and done with, so you guess you were in luck.
“Come, have a seat.” He rose from his desk and gestured to a nearby medical station before busying himself with preparations. Hesitantly, you lowered yourself onto the chair.
“Nervous?” He asked as he approached you.
“Just not a fan of the needle part of the process. I have fainted here a couple of times.” You admitted, embarrassed. Best to inform the doctor if you were gonna drop unconscious on him.
“Ah, so it was you.” His eyes twinkled with some amusement. “You gave some of the nurses quite the scare.” He patted your shoulder reassuringly. “Don‘t worry, it will be painless and over before you know it. Let’s get started, shall we?” You resisted the urge to tell him that this was what they all said and you still found yourself briefly in lala land. Most of the check-up went well, though you will go to your grave saying that your heart rate sped up because of your nervousness towards the blood test. Not because a certain handsome doctor, who incidentally smelled wonderful, had to lean in close with his stethoscope.
Then came the moment of truth. You tried very hard not to look as the doctor prepped the necessary items for the blood test. You were nervously fiddling with the hem of your shirt when you felt a gentle hand on your shoulder, prompting you to look up into the kind eyes of the doctor.
“Remember to breathe. Nice, regulated breaths.” Then he was tearing open an alcohol swab and cleaning your inner elbow. You looked away and tried to concentrate on breathing.
“By the way,” The man said, as you felt a prick. “I’ll like to take the opportunity to thank you for processing the paperwork so efficiently.”
“Oh,” you replied faintly, forcing your mind to focus on the lifeline he had thrown you instead of the unpleasant sensations. “It’s no problem, only really doing my job after all."
“Non, you underestimate your help. Your meticulousness has lessened my work considerably, freeing up more of my time. I really do appreciate it. And... bon. There, we are done.” You released a sigh of relief as he directed you to put pressure on the needle wound. Then, he was placing a plaster on it and it was over. The doctor turned away and efficiently started cleaning up and putting away the items. Feeling somewhat nauseous still, you raised a hand to your mouth as a precaution and stared down at the white tiles, trying to focus on your breathing.
Suddenly, a lollipop with a bright cheery wrapper appeared before your vision. You looked up and was greeted with the sight of a handsome angel with a gentle smile on his face. Granted the fluorescent light above his head wasn’t a halo but it might as well have been.
“Still with me?” You nodded. “Good, here have this. Some sugar will do you good, and well, who says adults can’t enjoy some sweets?” Smiling, you took the lollipop from him, your fingers brushing briefly. Internally, your brain was screaming at you not to be wholly charmed and taken by this man but it was as futile as asking a moth not to be attracted to a shiny bright light.
The sound of a incoming text message pinged, breaking you out of the spell. You stood.
“I’ll get out of your way now, doctor. Thank you for the check-up and for this.” Shyly, you lifted the lollipop slightly.
“De rien. And I mean what I said earlier, merci beaucoup.” The doctor sketched a quick bow. Oh no, this man was too charming for your own good.
“Let’s keep working hard, doctor.” You squeaked out and fled.
-S-
What a productive day! You thought happily as you made your way to the kitchen. You’ve blasted through your work pile, got off relatively on time, showered and was now on your way to get your favourite drink to enjoy while unwinding. It was 10pm and the hallways were quiet, most of the base’s occupants either settling down for the night or have retreated to do their own thing. Which was why a beam of light spilling out into the hallway through a slightly open door caught your eye. It was the office of the medical wing. Wondering if it was who you think it is, you came closer to the open door and peeked inside. And yup, lo and behold, it was the famed Doc still working well into the night, and perhaps the morning too if the piles around him was any indication.
You stood there and wrestled with your shy nature for a moment, before deciding that giving back to the doctor for his kindness was more important than any potential embarrassment. Steeling yourself, you politely knocked on the door and pushed it open a little more. Doc looked up tiredly from his paperwork and it might have been a trick of light but you could have sworn his eyes softened.
“Sorry to disturb… I was going to get a hot drink from the kitchen, can I get your anything?” You offered tentatively and mentally shook yourself as you watched his handsome face relax into a smile.
“Ah are you an angel? A black coffee would be wonderful, s’il vous plaît.”
“You got it, I’ll be right back.” You almost stuttered and left quickly, hoping that you managed to move out of his line of sight before he caught your blush. You returned shortly with both the coffee and your drink in hand. Placing the coffee out of the way so it would not get accidentally knocked over, you informed him to wait a few moments before drinking it as it was still piping hot. That earned you a thanks and a grateful smile that made your knees weak. You almost turned to leave when you got a good look at the documents he was handling. It seemed that most of them fell under your jurisdiction and would eventually be processed by you anyway. While it would be nice to be able to rest, if you could help out…
“Doctor,” You began hesitantly, gaining his attention once more. “Would you mind if I helped out with those?” You gestured to the large pile that was relevant to your job. “Two pair of hands will be better than one after all.”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to take more advantage of your kindness than I’ve already have.” Doc shook his head. But oh the poor man looked so tired.
“And if I was to insist…?” You smiled tentatively. The doctor sighed, put down the document he was holding and laced his hands together. He looked straight at you, eyes tired but alert.
“If you are sure.”
“I am.” You nodded firmly.
“D’accord. Then I will be a fool to decline such a tempting offer.” He smiled lightly and got up to begin making room for you on the adjacent desk. Again, you mentally shook your brain and told it to get ahold of itself. Two hours later saw you tapping a very tired doctor on his shoulder and urging him to take a nap. Raising an eyebrow that conveyed you should know better at his protests, the man finally relented and told you to wake him up after 30 minutes. Yup, not happening. It softened your heart to see how relaxed his features grew when he finally gave in to sleep.
You hunted around the office until you finally found what you were looking for: freshly laundered blankets. Taking one off the pile, you quietly walked over to the sleeping doctor and gently draped it over his broad back. For all the people who he takes care of with such empathy and compassion, its high time somebody took care of him. Even if it was a very small gesture like this. Settling back down on your temporary desk, you began tackling the pile.
You didn’t know what time it was when you finally finished the last piece of document. But here you are, it was done! Thankfully, the doctor had finished his other documents before you had made him take a nap. Said man was still slumbering peacefully at his desk, occasionally emitting soft snores. You felt the exhaustion in your bones, and wondered if you had the energy to get back to you room. With your eyes getting heavier by the second, your last thought was that the next day (today?) was thankfully your off day.
When you next came to your body felt unbearably stiff, a result of sleeping in a chair. A blanket was draped over you, and the realisation that it smelled just like a certain charismatic doctor made your heart skip a beat. The man himself, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. In fact, there was no one else here except for you. I mean if there was no one to see… You gathered the blanket and took a whiff. It smelled wonderful, a combination of clean cotton and his scent. You didn’t know how to describe it except that it was warm, a mixture of his aftershave and another scent you could not -
“Good morning, I have croissants.” The doctor’s voice startled you. You jumped in your seat and did the first thing in you could think of. Bury your face fully in the blanket. Immediately, you were surrounded by that wonderful scent… oh to be able to wake up surrounded by this every day, but without your cheeks burning in embarrassment like it was right now.
“Hmm, still sleepy?” You heard the man chuckle. No, you were definitely wide awake.
“A little.” You lied sheepishly as you lifted your head from the blanket.
“I usually would not recommend it but perhaps you can take a short nap after breakfast.” He placed the tray on his desk. Then, leaning his hip against the edge, he crossed his arms and looked at you. “I told you to wake me after 30 minutes, non?”
“You did,” you nodded, “but I couldn’t bear to, seeing how tired you were. You clearly needed the sleep and I could handle what remained.”
“At the expense of your own rest?” He questioned, lifting an eyebrow.
“It’s my off day. Even if it weren’t, I’ll do it again.” The doctor’s face softened at this.
“Bon, at least you can rest later. But please don’t do that again.” If you ever got the chance again, the man was gonna get some sleep. Still, you pulled what you thought was an agreeable and innocent look. Apparently you were a bad actor too since the doctor actually snorted as he sat down.
“Come, let us eat while these are still hot. They may not be fresh but they’re still delicious when toasted.” You both dug into the food and a comfortable silence descended upon you both as you ate. That was when you began to wonder where the other occupants of the office were, so you asked him.
“Ah, its their off day. You seem to appear whenever I am alone here. I’m almost starting to think you’ve planned this.” You choked on your next bite of croissant and the doctor whacked your back expertly.
“I jest mon ami. Let’s not have a medical emergencies at breakfast, oui?” The man had the audacity to laugh, his rich tones filling the room. You were going to pretend the redness in your cheeks was totally from choking earlier.
-S-
The third time you met Gustave, you had accidentally clocked Mozzie on the side of his head.
“Doc I’m telling you, our mate here got crazy reflexes! They should take them out of admin and train then! All I did was go “G’day!” and BAM right at me!”
“Is that so?” The doctor hummed as he examined the Australian man. The look on the doctor’s face when you first came in with Mozzie had been one of priceless puzzlement but you were too mortified with yourself for hitting the poor man to fully enjoy the view. You were too engrossed in your task, noting something on your clipboard when the energetic daredevil had greeted you, his voice sounding way too close. It startled you and your first instinct was to take a wild swing, clipping the Australian on the side of his head even as he dodged. The edge of the clipboard had grazed his skin, causing a small bleeding cut. You had stared at each other in shock for a moment before you began to profusely apologise, and began dragging the man to the medical wing which was thankfully nearby.
“Doesn’t need stitches. Just a quick patch would do, I am certain Max will live.” Doc shot a small reassuring smile your way. You felt yourself flush and you looked down at the floor, before looking back guiltily at the Australian. The man simply grinned at you.
“Aww don’t look so glum, mate. Doc already said I’l live. Though,” he pointed at his wound, “You should really think about - OW what the burning feral hell Doc!”
“This will sting.” The Frenchman said calmly. “Also please, don’t move.”
“You should have said that before - OWW.” You never knew someone could talk so much while receiving treatment, perhaps with the exception of Jäger. The energetic man kept chattering as the doctor dressed his wound. And unsurprisingly, like a whirlwind, the man was out of the door the moment his treatment was done with a “See ya around, mates!” You stood dumbly, staring at the doorway Mozzie had disappeared out of. You… should probably thank the doctor and get back to work.
“Cookie?” You turned to see the handsome doctor smiling and holding out a packet of cream cookies towards you. The man was terribly efficient, as he had already cleared up the items he used to treat Mozzie.
“I…thank you.” You took the cookies from him and nearly dropped it when your fingers brushed his. Flustered, you tried to cover it up with a casual comment. “You always seem to feed me whenever I’m around.”
“So it would seem,” he laughed. “Perhaps its just a natural instinct.” Calm down self, he doesn’t mean what you think he means. Maybe it was more like a mother bird feeding its young. He gestured to the clipboard you were still clutching in your hands. “That’s the weapon you attacked Max with? I think I see a bloodstain.” Horrified, you gasped and started to examine it, only to stop when you heard the man start laughing again. You glared at him which only made him laugh harder.
“Désolé, you are too adorable.” The doctor apologised, wiping a tear from his eye as he calmed down. Meanwhile you tried, and failed, again to hide the blush rising in your cheeks. “There is nothing there, your clipboard is safe and free of evidence of your assault.” He continued to tease you, eyes twinkling. A buzz sounded and you both checked your respective devices. It was yours.
“I have to go,” You said, eager to escape before you embarrassed yourself further. “Thank you and sorry for disturbing you.”
“De rien, mon ami.” He smiled, squeezing your shoulder. “Do feel free to drop by any time, even if you’re not looking for me as a doctor but as a companion. Your presence makes my heart lighter.” Large. Hand. Shoulder. Presence. Lighter.
“I- uh -um- okay bye.” You stuttered out and once again, fled the office.
-S-
“Is this seat taken?” A French-accented voice which was fast becoming familiar asked. You turned to see the handsome doctor smiling down at you, a tray of food in hand.
“Oh it isn’t, you can sit if you like.” Slightly flustered, you gestured to the empty seat with a little wave. You mostly ate lunch alone and was used to it since your department largely worked on their own schedules based on their roles. You were primarily assigned to help handle the medical division’s matters, which was why some of Doc’s paperwork usually ended up with you.
“Merci.” He thanked you as he gracefully slid into the seat.
“Not having lunch with your colleagues today?” You asked curiously, having spied tables of medical staff and operators on your way in.
"You are my colleague too, non?" The doctor replied smoothly. "Besides, I always see you alone and thought it would be nice to join you."
"You make me sound as if I have no friends, doctor." You laughed, stirring your soup absently.
"Please, call me Gustave. And non, I don't mean to imply that. From what I've heard you're very well-liked among your team, just a little shy. "
"Wait p-people talk about me?" He chuckled at your surprise.
"Again, non. I asked." He... what? Gustave shrugged casually. "I wanted to know more about my new friend who always seem to flee my presence after I offer them food. Will you stay a bit longer if I don't offer you any this time?"His eyes twinkled merrily. You gaped at him.
“I-I’ll try.” You replied shyly after a moment, trying very hard not to blush. He rewarded your reply with the most illegally charming smile that had you wanting to bolt. But you were glad you didn’t, and stayed to have one of the most pleasant and genuine conversations you ever had. You both talked until your food trays were long emptied, touching on various topics, your conversation peppered with laughs and smiles. Only the call of work pulled you both away, but your meetings after that only served to solidify your connection. It became undeniable that you had a crush on Gustave, but it was hard not to given how genuine and charming he was. Still, you were relatively sure that he did not feel the same as he seemed to treat everyone in the same thoughtful manner. So why ruin a good friendship over a childish crush? Burying your feelings deeply, you were content to remain friends.
-S-
The fifteenth time you met Gustave, you were by his bedside waiting for him to wake up from a mission gone wrong. The mission ultimately was salvaged by the skin of its teeth but it had come at the cost of injuries, the worst off being Doc who took the brunt of a blow while trying to aid another operator. You’ll never forget the utterly wretched and painful feeling in your heart as you watched his crumpled body get rushed into the operating theatre. He had pulled through. And now everyone was simply waiting for him to wake up. Of course, Gustave is a very-liked man, with many of his colleagues, operators and non-operators alike, coming to visit him throughout the day. You were too shy to do so when others were around, so you went at night. If anyone else had wanted to visit at this timing, they hadn’t made themselves known to you. So, you sat vigil by his bedside, at times reading softly to him while at other times telling him about your day or the interesting things you had heard. There were times that you ran out of things to say and just sat with him in silence, watching the doctor breathe softly.
Then one night, just as you came back from changing the water for the bouquet of flowers someone had gifted him, you heard a groan. Quickly setting the vase on the side table, you turned just in time to see Gustave’s eyes flutter open. Slowly, you slid into the chair by his bed, watching him blink sluggishly as he began to regain his bearings.
“Gustave?” You whispered tentatively, almost afraid that this was a dream. His beautiful caramel brown eyes flitted to you and the most breathtaking smile spread across his face.
“Ah un ange…perhaps I am in heaven after all.” You couldn’t help it, the deluge of emotions from the moment you heard the news of the mission till now hit you and you burst into tears.
“Shh, mon ange don’t cry. Regarde, je suis toujours là. Ne pleure pas mon ange.” His voice sounded hoarse with disuse but his calming tones still flowed over you, the sound of his native tongue music to your ears. You forced yourself to calm down, reaching instead with still trembling hands to pour a glass of water. You gave yourself a moment for your hands to steady, then leaned over and guided the straw to his dry lips. The doctor’s eyes twinkled affectionately as he parted his mouth and drank slowly. Once he had his fill, he released the straw and thanked you. Setting the glass aside, you sat back down, your hands going to the hem of your shirt, fiddling with it in nervousness and embarrassment.
“Sorry about that, I… lost control of my emotions and made you talk and comfort me just as you woke up.” You looked down, still sniffling, feeling ashamed of your selfish behaviour. Gustave called your name softly and you looked back up at him. Catching your gaze with his, he smiled.
“Je parlerais jusqu'à ce que je perde la voix si cela signifie te réconforter. Te voir verser des larmes sur moi, me peine et m'honore. Et je chéris chacun d'entre eux.” You stared at him wide-eyed. The small French phrases that you picked up here and there did nothing in helping you even understand what he just told you.
“Sorry…I didn’t quite catch that?” You replied apologetically.
“Ah, then it remains my secret then.” Gustave laughed, his eyes glinting mysteriously. “Though perhaps if you’re not too annoyed with me, could you assist me in calling for the nurse?” An “oh” left your lips as you jumped up and pressed the call button, his chuckle playing a musical accompaniment to the sound of blood rushing to your cheeks.
-S-
The twentieth time you met Gustave, you both had been set up by Dokkaebi. Just about two hours before the official end of the work day, you’ve received a message from your colleague asking for help with the work plans for an upcoming project. They wanted to set up in one of the meeting rooms and they needed a second opinion on it. Agreeing to help, you replied that you were on your way. The room was empty when you arrived so you figured you were simply early and took a seat, sending a quick message to your colleague to let them know you were here. Ten minutes passed with no signs of nor communication from your colleague. Just as you pulled out your phone to ascertain again if you were even in the right place, the door opened, admitting not your colleague but Gustave who regarded you in surprise. He even ducked outside to double check the room number.
“So I’m guessing Piotr isn’t here.” The doctor said dryly.
“I don’t think Ashley is coming either.” You huffed out a laugh as the truth of the circumstance caught up to you. Placing your phone on the table, you ran a hand through your hair helplessly.
“Well,” Gustave sighed, entering the room and placing the pile of documents he was carrying onto the table. “I guess I’ll be taking my break now.”
“Black coffee?” You asked, getting up and tilting your head towards the drinks corner that was always kept well stocked.
“Oui, s'il vous plaît.” He replied, gracing you with that patented smile of his. Shaking yourself for still getting flustered at the sight of his smile, you busied yourself making his coffee and your choice of drink. Mugs in hand, you turned around to see him furiously typing on his phone.
“I thought you were taking your break,” you joked as you visibly watched him press send.
“Just replying some work messages.” He hummed, his phone pinging three times. The doctor snorted at the messages and locked his phone just as you placed his coffee before him.
“Merci. Come, sit by me.” He pulled out the chair next to him. You thanked him and sat down, taking a sip of your drink.
“So tell me,” the doctor leaned his face against his palm, “anything new with you?” You both then spent the next pleasant twenty minutes catching up with each other before you caught sight of the time. You stood up, about to politely excuse yourself when to your surprise, Gustave suddenly stood up too. The closeness made you squeak and take a step backwards. What made your eyes widen was that he took a step forward.
“I wonder…”He began slowly, as you took another step backward and he matched you with another step forward. “Is there something you would like to tell me, hmm?”
“W-what do you mean?” You asked nervously. Step back. Step forward.
“Your shyness is endearing… your blushes adorable. A little like a bunny rabbit, but still you remain steadfast and strong.” Step back. Step forward.
“My colleagues agree you seem to have a little of a rabbit aura, but interestingly, they have never seen you blush nor have you flee their presence.” Step back. Step forward.
Another step back and your back hit the wall, an involuntary “eep” escaping from you. Almost lazily, the doctor took the last step forward, his hands pressing against the wall on either side of you.
“Where are you going, ma petite?” Gustave asked lowly, his dulcet tones flowing over you. You flushed, feeling your brain about to short-circuit from his closeness and that wonderful scent of him surrounding you.
“I-I have to go Gustave, please.” You tried ducking around him but he was quick to block your attempts.
“Not this time, ma petite. Now tell me, do you dislike me?” You blushed harder and looked away, but a strong hand on your chin gently turned your head to look back at him.
“N-no, I never will.”
“Do you have feelings for me that goes beyond friendship?”
“Yes.” You whispered shakily and watched in wonder as his eyes softened in a mixture of affection and relief.
“Then would you mind terribly if I kissed you right now?” Timidly, heart thudding loudly in your chest, you managed to shake you head.
“Bien.” He smiled breathtakingly and kissed you. Almost immediately, you melted into him as his lips moved tantalisingly against yours, tasting you. Your mind was wiped blank and all you could feel was Gustave kissing you and smiling as you responded shyly. A sudden nip to your bottom lip had you gasping and granting the access he desired, his tongue tangling with yours as he deepened the kiss. You felt your knees weaken as the kiss consumed you and he pulled you closer, supporting you flushed against his strong body as he continued to kiss you absolutely senseless. He only pulled away when you both needed air. Panting, you both stared mesmerised at each other before the pinging of one of your phones cut through the air. Smiling slyly, he muttered, “One more for the overtime.” And then he was kissing you breathless again.
You would only find out much later that Gustave had immediately figured out this was the work of his operator colleague Dokkaebi and was questioning her about it when you saw him typing intensely on his phone that day. Her only reply was “You’re welcome!” followed by two strings of emojis that Gustave refused to elaborate on. His response, was only to smile enigmatically.
-S-
You’ve since stopped counting the times you met him. You were now blessed with the chance to wake up and go to sleep next to him every day as long as he wasn’t deployed on missions or away from base. The day where you first wished to be able to wake up surrounded by his wonderful scent came true, though you still blushed. The way the sunlight would shine on him, his sleepy smile, his beautiful accented voice greeting you. Every day with him was a gift and you treasured each one immensely. He still loved to tease you and often used French when he especially wanted to fluster you… or turn you on. Contrary to his image, he was a wicked, wicked lover that so loved to have you reduced to a blushing mess.
You saw many different sides of him too, not only the charming lover and the empathic, kind doctor. His frustrations, his exhaustion at the end of a very, very long day, his anger at the injustices of the world, his sadness at the horrors that many had to face. He frequently says your presence alone makes his heart lighter, and you damn well did strive to make it so that when he came home to you, he could forget his burdens for awhile and recharge.
Now as you lay asleep by his side, Gustave smiles, kisses your head tenderly and remembers the first time he met you. Your health check wasn’t the first time he had seen you. Perhaps you do not remember how when you first were assigned to handle the medical division, you had nervously but bravely shaken his hand, introduced yourself and said, “Thank you for being our every day heroes in every colour, I will do every thing in my power to make your burdens lighter.” He did not even remotely fall in love that day, no. But with every meeting thereafter you did as you promised and more - you made his burdens lighter, and his heart along with it.