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Eula
A few days after adopting Aedon
Eula catches Lohen between cases, halfway through charting his most recent surgery.
“Hey, how’s the dog?” she asks, leaning against the counter beside him.
“He’s alright.” Lohen shrugs, “Took him to the vet and the groomer you suggested.”
“I told you that groomer was good.” Eula folds her arms, “What breed is he, exactly?”
“We’re not entirely sure, but he’s got golden fur.”
Eula nods absently, then pauses.
“We?”
Lohen doesn’t even look up.
“Illuga and I.”
Eula blinks.
“Dr Illuga, from the ER?”
“Yeah.” Lohen keeps typing, “We’re adopting Aedon together.”
Of course it’s Dr Illuga from the ER, Eula thinks.
“Oh, and his name’s Aedon.” Lohen adds, “I’m pretty sure Illuga came up with that name on the spot when Kaeya asked.”
He snickers, “You should’ve seen his face.”
Eula stares at him.
Lohen, oblivious to the damage he’s causing, keeps going.
“We’re still figuring out the schedule, though. Our shifts change depending on the week.”
He shrugs.
“He suggested dog daycare.”
Then pauses.
“Suggested is probably the wrong word. You know how he is. He basically decided for both of us.”
Eula is not sure Since when Dr Illuga can be stubborn about what he thinks is right was common knowledge.
She continues staring at him, starting to regret asking about the dog.
Lohen, somehow, keeps finding ways to make this progressively more concerning.
“Aedon likes him more, which is rude.” Lohen adds, like that’s the real problem here, “Probably because he spoils him.”
This is, Eula thinks, a frankly irresponsible amount of domestic information to casually drop on another person between surgeries.
She did not ask for this level of…
Does this count as PDA?
There are just far too many problems here to address.
First of all, adopting a dog with whatever unresolved thing Lohen has going on with Illuga is, objectively, a terrible idea.
Second, Lohen would absolutely deny having had a crush on Illuga when they were younger——or now still, even——despite the fact that everyone with eyes had suffered through it in real time.
Third, why is this whole thing phrased like shared custody of a child?
“I’m happy for you,” Eula settles on that at last.
Because she is. Mostly, she thinks. As long as Lohen’s happy.
“Thanks.” Lohen smiles, entirely oblivious.
Eula watches him walk away and decides, for the sake of her own sanity, that this is none of her business.
Yet.
Flins & Nikita
A very long time ago
“They’re not getting along.” Nikita concludes, glancing up from the chart in his hands.
Flins hums, watching across the room.
“I wouldn’t say that exactly.”
Across the hall, Lohen says something. Too quick, too deliberate. And Illuga snaps back immediately.
Nikita exhales through his nose.
“If that were anyone else, I would assume someone was about to throw a chair.”
Flins chuckles.
“It’s Lohen, isn’t it? Dr Varka’s ward.”
“Yes.”
Nikita watches a moment longer.
“I’ve never seen Illuga like this,” he says, “He’s being…childish.”
“Childlike,” Flins corrects mildly.
Illuga cuts Lohen off mid-sentence. Lohen grins.
“…If it weren’t Illuga,” Nikita mutters, “I’d be concerned.”
“That boy gets along with everyone,” he continues. “I don’t know what it is with this Lohen kid.”
Flins tilts his head slightly.
“Perhaps it’s a good thing,” Flins says, “A little friction between children their age is good.”
Nikita doesn’t answer immediately.
Illuga is talking more now. Faster. Sharper. Alive in a way he rarely is.
“…He does seem livelier,” Nikita admits.
He pause.
“I do hope that’s what this is.”
Flins smiles, faintly amused. “I’m sure they’ll become friends eventually.”
Nikita huffs, “More like enemies.”
“I don’t think Lohen is a bad kid.”
“No,” Nikita agrees. “Just…wild. But meticulous.”
Flins watches a moment longer.
“He does know exactly where to poke,” he says lightly, “if he wants Illuga’s attention.”
As if to prove the point, Lohen leans in just enough to whisper something under his breath.
Illuga shoots him a glare sharp enough to kill.
But instead of walking away, he follows him when Lohen walks away.
Nikita sighs.
“…Yes.”
A beat passes before he adds, “Illuga talks about him a lot. Complains, mostly.”
Flins lets out a quiet chuckle, “Of course.”
“He remembers everything,” Nikita says, “What he said. What he did. What he was supposed to be doing instead.”
“Lohen this, Lohen that.”
Flins smiles faintly. “Then I suppose the attention is not entirely one-sided.”
Nikita glances back across the room.
Lohen says something again.
Illuga is already glaring before he’s even finished.
Neither of them leaves.
“…No,” Nikita admits, “I suppose not.”
Columbina
The first few days in dog daycare
Aedon sprints towards them the moment he sees them.
A woman dressed in white follows after at an unhurried pace, her expression soft and calm.
“Ah,” she says, tilting her head slightly. “You must be the ones raising Aedon.”
Illuga straightens to greet her while Lohen stays kneeling on the floor with Aedon.
“Yeah,” Illuga says, “We just adopted him recently.”
“I was away the first few times you came,” she says, “I’m Columbina.”
“Lohen.”
“Illuga.”
“How lovely,” Columbina says, “It’s always nice to see two people fall into this sort of rhythm so naturally.”
Illuga pauses for half a second, one hand resting on Aedon’s head.
“…We’re still figuring things out.”
“Of course,” Columbina hums, “That part never really ends.”
Lohen laughs lightly, “Well, not with a dog. I grew up with them. He’s completely clueless.”
“I’m learning,” Illuga mutters.
Columbina smiles, as though that confirms exactly what she suspected.
“I see.”
Aedon nudges against Illuga’s leg. Columbina gestures lightly in his direction.
“He’s already very well-behaved, and he responds well to both of you. That’s always a good sign.”
“I’m the one doing all the hard lifting. He just spoils him.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is.”
Illuga rolls his eyes.
Columbina lets out a soft laugh. “How reassuring.”
Illuga pauses, just briefly, but keeps going.
“Anyway, we mostly just need somewhere for him to stay during the day. We’re both doctors, so our schedules are kind of a mess.”
“Of course,” Columbina says, “Balancing work and home life can be difficult, especially when both of you are carrying it together.”
“That’s true,” Illuga says, without thinking.
“Don’t worry,” she says gently, “We’ll take good care of him for you.”
After seeing them off, Columbina returns to the break room, where a brunette is hunched over a half-disassembled little robot.
“They’ve clearly been together for years,” Sandrone says.
Columbina smiles.
“Mm. They’re very cute together.”
Kayta & Illuga
Some time after adopting Aedon
“The usual?” Kayta asks when Illuga pushes open the door, still in scrubs and looking half-dead.
He looks completely caught off guard, “The what?”
“The soup. The rice bowl.”
He stares, “How do you know that?”
“Because this is the fourth time this month?”
Then she adds, cheerfully, “It’s sweet how Lohen keeps using his takeaway privileges on you.”
Illuga looks, for a moment, like he’s not sure which part to object to first.
Interesting, Kayta thinks.
“I told you before,” he says, slower this time, “We’re not——we’re not together.”
Kayta hums, entirely unconvinced, and passes him the bag.
He takes it without looking inside, which is telling in itself.
“You keep saying that.”
Illuga narrows his eyes, “What does that mean?”
Kayta rests a hand on her hip. “It means every time you come here, it’s because Lohen ordered for you.”
“He just——”
“And he remembers you don’t like spring onions. Or your food going cold.”
Illuga closes his mouth.
Ah. Bullseye.
Kayta continues, now mostly because it’s fun. “He orders soup and asks for it to be seasoned lighter. Easier to eat after a long night, I assume.”
Silence.
“He alternates, actually. Soup after nightshifts. Rice after dayshifts.”
She tilts her head. “He’s clearly put some thought into it.”
Illuga opens his mouth.
Then closes it again.
Oh, Kayta thinks, he didn’t realise that.
Delightful.
“How romantic.”
“It’s not,” Illuga says, a little too quickly.
“Mm.”
“It’s just practical.”
“Is it?”
“You’re making a lot of assumptions,” Illuga says, quieter this time.
“No,” Kayta raises an eyebrow, “I’m making observations.”
Illuga sighs, reaching for his wallet.
“He already paid,” she says.
That makes Illuga hesitate for exactly half a second before taking the bag properly.
There it is again——that tiny pause, like he still hasn’t decided what to do with this.
Poor thing.
Just as he says thanks and turns to leave, Kayta says, far too casually, “You can call it whatever you want, doctor, but that’s not nothing.”
He stops.
Only briefly.
Then he leaves without another word.
Kayta watches the door swing shut behind him and smiles to herself.
Young love's exhausting.
Jean & Varka
A quick exchange after Lohen was assaulted
Jean glances at the closed exam room door.
“What do you think?”
Varka folds his arms, “Medically? He’ll be fine.”
She gives him a flat look, “That’s not what I meant. You saw them.”
“I did.” Varka exhales through his nose.
“This is becoming unmanageable.”
Varka almost laughs. “Jean, they’ve been orbiting each other like this since they were kids.”
“That does not make it better. And it used to be subtler.”
“True,” he agrees. “But it does make it less surprising.”
“This is years of unresolved…” Varka gestures vaguely, “Whatever it is, catching up.”
Jean presses her lips together. “They’re getting worse. The dog was a terrible idea.”
Varka huffs, almost amused, “It’s about time it explodes.”
Jean turns to look at him. “That’s not helping.”
“It’s true.”
Through the door, something clatters.
“They should go home.” Jean sighs.
This time, Varka nods easily.
“Agree,” he says, “I’ll call evening shift in early.”
Kaeya, Albedo & Klee
A few weeks after the assault
“Big brother Kaeya!”
A young girl’s voice rings through the ER before Kaeya even has time to turn.
He catches Klee just as she launches herself at him.
“Hello, Klee.” Kaeya shifts her higher in his arms, ”How are you doing?”
“I’m great!” Klee raises her arms excitedly, “Mom has a meeting with Uncle Varka, so I came with her!”
“You come down here by yourself from the meeting room?”
“No, she came with me.” A calm voice follows a second later. Albedo steps into view. “But she ran the moment she spotted you.”
“My, my, if it isn’t Professor Albedo himself in the flesh.” Kaeya smiles, turning to face him, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Albedo pauses, and then smiles softly, “Nurse Kaeya. It’s always great pleasure to see you.”
Kaeya’s smile only widens.
Klee looks back and forth from the two gazing at each other, confused.
“Why are you two talking like that…”
She gasps dramatically as if realising something, eyes widening.
“Are you two flirting?”
The two of them blink at her in unison. Albedo, unfortunately, goes visibly red upon that comment.
Kaeya chuckles, “Where did you learn that word, Klee?”
“Uncle Varka said it when he was talking about big brother Lohen and big brother Illuga! Klee didn’t know what it meant, so Klee asked!”
“I see.” Kaeya nods, “I wouldn’t call those two flirting, exactly. That would imply intent.”
“They’re still unaware?” Albedo asks.
“Somehow, yes.” Kaeya sighs, “They may actually be more oblivious than you. Which is impressive.”
“…That’s uncalled for.”
“Anyhow, care to join the betting?”
“What betting?”
“I started a betting pool in the ER.” Kaeya says, far too pleased with himself, “Surgery and Radiology are in now, too.”
“Of course you did. But are they likely to make any progress without external intervention?”
“Hard to say. But according to a reliable source, they’re taking a vacation together soon.”
Kaeya lowers his voice dramatically.
“Alone. In the snow. A secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere.”
“…They really are not together? That sounds like honeymoon.”
“I know right. It’s hard to believe, but endlessly entertaining to watch.”
“You’re enjoying this far too much.”
“Only a little,” Kaeya says innocently, “I behave when necessary.”
“You’re not interfering?”
“Of course not,” Kaeya says, “That would ruin the betting.”
Klee tugs at his sleeve. “So when are they going to start flirting?”
Kaeya opens his mouth, and pauses.
Across the ER, Lohen is paged down for a consult. He says something.
And Illuga snaps back immediately.
They don’t move apart.
They don’t leave.
They don’t stop.
Kaeya smiles, “…Any day now.”