Chapter Text
Aster raps their hand against the gentle curved dip on the handle of their cane. He silently scrutinised the bleached floor tiles through tinted glasses as he gently tapped their heel against the ceramic.
The hospital was much too quiet and too noisy at the same time, and for him, that was not ideal.
Not, not ideal. Aster grits their teeth when another human strutted along with a noisy cart of supplies atop a metal trolley. Every squeak, every scratch was simply tempting Aster to snap the supplies on it out of existence with a black hole, but that’d literally destroy the building and leave behind nothing but smoke and flames and a gigantic crater.
He set Kiwi to watch the apartment while he clomped in their human form into the familiar white building, all for one person.
And that one person is an absolute moron. Don’t mistake him, Aster could care less about mere story characters, but when he sees something he can prevent, perhaps he will.
Especially when it’s really important.
“A-Aster?”
“Yo, doc.” He grins lopsidedly. “Good to see you.”
Doctor Vir, human disaster , and their…dear friend, sighs with frustration. “ Aster. ”
“Doc, you know I get bored without you around.” He leans over towards the taller man and cocks their head. “But as expected, you’re milling about this branch again. Does it ever feel like no fun being here?”
Up this close, Aster notes the sharp creases in Vir’s expression, unusually stern for the softness they usually express, how he slightly flinches at the sudden proximity yet tracks how even their legs were shaking every move, and yet as the good doctor is, their serious tone persists, biting and curt. “If you’re going to hang around me annoying me all day, why not go find Kiwi to play with instead? I have a job to be working.”
Ow. Aster’s impermeable smirk of defiance flickers and falters for a moment before he skillfully drapes it over him once again. “ Well , dear Vir.” He dares himself to snatch up the doctor’s hand in between their gloved ones, noting how uncomfortably clammy were the spaces in between their (human) fingers. “If you’re going to work, it’s dangerous to go alone.” He weaves one of their hands in their pockets, grasping the only rotund cylinder within and pulling it out to light with a cocky smile. “Take this.” Take that reference too.
The cylinder was pressed into Vir’s palm, and watching how the doctor’s expression went from irritation to surprise, Aster counted the milliseconds that passed until he observed the other’s next response.
Then it came, a small smile, insignificant, but far more than enough for Aster’s would-be nonexistent stomach to pirouette at the sight.
It was like watching a small ray of sunbeams peek out of a discreet corner of dark clouds, and fuck, it was marvellous.
Aster was not generous by any means, but if it means he could make that rare genuine smile stay a little longer, maybe he should be a little greedier. He didn’t know what exactly was about it, he didn’t understand emotion, and yet…
…Did that sound too cheesy? He had become soft, Aster begrudgingly admits that to himself. And yet…
This. Aster fights the urge to make a fool of himself and kneel on the floor with their hands to their face in front of the doctor, as if he had any dignity left. this is the person I supposedly don’t want to let go of, that I want in my life. He exhales slowly and forgets to breathe for a moment. Shit, I’ve got it bad in the pals department. He muses, digging their nails into the hardwood of their cane as he watches the doctor fumble with the small bottle, a gentle look of realization once they finally read the label.
“Oh crap, that's what I kept forgetting about this morning…” Vir pockets it. “… thanks Aster.”
“No problem, doctor.” Aster grinned. “We should really get you a note that reminds you about your antidepressants every morning.”
“Right…” Vir coughs. “I should really get going, I had a destination before this.”
Aster hums, twirling the handle of their cane between their gloved fingers. “Better to get a move on then. I would hate to delay the work of the Cities’ best exchange doctor.” He chuckles when he watches the pink tint on Vir’s ears light up in their cheeks too. “I’m being honest. Are you going to be alright, though?”
“I’ll be fine.” Vir scratches the back of their neck, and for a second, Aster could catch a glimpse of their eyes behind their spectacles, but was quickly covered by the overhead glare. “I was just… in a mood earlier. I’ll tell you if anything goes wrong, alright?”
“Sounds good to me.” He is careful not to allow their hands to fly as freely as he often carried them, but with the lack of a crowd around, he allowed himself to raise a gloved hand and pat their shoulder. Vir did not flinch at it. “I’ll see you around?”
“Mhm.” Vir nods, grateful but with a heavy sense of fatigue. “Thanks, Ast. Really.”
Aster flashes a smile, but he doesn’t say anything more, hoping their shades were enough to hide the swirl of colors in their human irises.
He shouldn’t get involved, he’s just a spectator of this story.
Just a…just a visitor, he grits their teeth as he spun around on their heels to exit the premise, their cane tightly gripped in their right.
So why… why is he compelled to?