Thanks to Amy for helping me through this fic!
"Come on Hiiro, you have to try it!" Poppy begged.
Hiiro glared at the girl, "These crane machines are a waste of time and money. I agreed to come to the mall with you two because I needed a new shirt. I have what I need so let's go."
"Come on, lighten up," Emu held out a couple quarters, "Poppy almost won a prize, why don't you try it?"
Hiiro rolled his eyes and took the quarters. Soon his eyes were trained on a stuffed animal but quickly watched it fall from the claw. "I told you, they are impossible to win."
Emu laughed, "Like any game, you just need to practice." He put in a few quarters and soon pulled out a plush bear. He handed it over to Hiiro, "See?"
Hiiro took it, "It's still a waste of time."
The next few months Poppy would keep begging to try all of the crane games. She kept making everyone else join in too. She finally won once or twice, but Hiiro never succeeded. Emu kept winning and handing the prizes to Hiiro reminding him it just takes practice.
"A fair is in town! We have to go! Think of all of the fun games that will be there!" Poppy smiled.
"You two have fun without me," Hiiro waved.
"But Hiiro, they have elephant ears. And funnel cakes. And fried oreos. And so many other sweets!" Poppy reminded.
Hiiro looked up and resigned himself to his fate of being dragged around. They knew he wouldn't say no to sweets.
"There are also a bunch of rides!" Emu looked at the flyer Poppy handed to him.
After signing out they headed off toward the fair. After riding a few rides together, Poppy and Emu found Hiiro snacking on an elephant ear. He somehow managed to find a knife and fork to cut it with.
"Don't most people just rip them apart?" Poppy asked.
"This is Hiiro we are talking about," Emu chuckled as he bought his own food and started digging in.
"Play some games with us," Emu offered after Hiiro threw his plate away.
Hiiro shrugged and followed along. Poppy won a balloon and a fish (which Emu agreed to take home after Hiiro argued about a fish being a safety hazard in a hospital).
Emu kept trading his littler prizes in for bigger ones and eventually came out with a huge stuffed plush of Kamen Rider Brave. "I don't play for prizes, I just like having fun." He handed it to Hiiro, "Plus they ran out of Ex-Aid plushies."
Hiiro's eyes grew wide as he took the gigantic plush in his arms. Honestly he wasn't sure why they had a prize this big if the kids playing it couldn't even carry it. "Do you think I want the prizes or do you just give them to me out of pity because I never win them?"
Emu smiled and admitted, "I just like giving you things." His eyes turned to Poppy who approached with another snack. Hiiro didn't think further into it and just followed them along carrying the plush.
Poppy knocked on Hiiro's door one morning. He swung it open and glared, "is there an emergency?"
"No, Emu and I were going to a festival and wanted you to join!"
"No."
He went to shut the door but Poppy grabbed it and begged, "Please? It will be really fun!"
He sighed knowing she would persist. "Alright. Let me change." He offered her to step inside for a moment. She glanced around noticing the tidy apartment which lacked decoration. Her eyes darted toward his bedroom door once it opened and her eyes lit up. "You kept all of the plushies?"
His cheeks grew red, "No."
He tried to block the view but Poppy pushed him over. "Those are all of the ones from Emu!"
"I've always liked stuffed animals," he replied trying to get her to drop the subject.
"If you liked them, you'd have bought some right? You only have ones from Emu."
Hiiro ignored her comment, "Come on, you want to get to this festival, right?" He held the door open.
She passed him and exited the apartment, staying quiet until they reached the festival.
Later while sitting at a table Poppy nudged Hiiro, "Why don't you tell Emu you've kept all the prizes he's given you?"
"Why does it matter?"
She thought for a moment, "I think you like him but are afraid to say it."
"That's ridiculous."
Emu sat down with their food, "What's ridiculous?"
"Nothing," Hiiro grabbed a plate.
Poppy shrugged at Emu, "He just doesn't want to admit I'm right."
Hiiro gave an angry look her way but stayed quiet.
After a while they wandered past booths with different games and items to buy. Emu found a table that was selling board games. He smirked, "Hey Hiiro, I found a game you can win. I think it would be cheating though."
Hiiro raised an eyebrow and approached. To Emu's surprise Hiiro broke out laughing when he saw the sign – "Operation – Whoever can get all of the items out in under a minute wins a prize."
"This game is one of my dad's favorites. I could do this with my eyes closed."
The woman at the stand smiled and set up the timer, "We've not had a winner all day." In 24 seconds Hiiro got all of the items out without touching the sides. The lady stared in shock for a few seconds before handing over a stuffed prize.
"You are right, practice helps. Maybe you should play this game and you'll become a better surgeon."
Emu scrunched his eyebrows, "You don't want me to practice too much or I'll become a more famous surgeon than you." He stuck his tongue out before laughing.
Hiiro held the plush toward Emu, "Here. He's your favorite isn't he?"
Emu smiled when he noticed the plush was of Mighty. He gave a quiet thanks as he accepted the gift.
Poppy stared at the two smiling before noticing the time, "It's getting dark, we should probably head home. You both have work in the morning."
They both nodded. Emu smiled, "See you in the morning!"
Hiiro waved as he headed in the opposite direction.
Poppy looked at Emu who was hugging the Mighty plush and watching Hiiro walk away.
"You should tell him how you feel," Poppy sighed.
"We are coworkers. Even if he did like me, there are rules against it."
"I'm sure the director would let you bend the rules."
Emu shook his head, "We have to focus on fighting the bugsters."
Poppy rolled her eyes, "I'll see you in the morning."
In the morning Emu walked in and starting looking through the files sitting on the table. He greeted Hiiro who was eating a small cake.
Soon Poppy came in grinning followed by the director.
"Poppy has brought it to my attention that there is a rule that needs changing," he announced, she smiled at him so he continued, "CR doesn't follow many of the hospitals rules as it is run separately and has different protocols. We will now allow coworkers to date so you two don't have to keep hiding your relationship."
Hiiro started choking on his cake and Emu's face turned red, "What?!"
The director patted Hiiro on the back to help him stop coughing, "Poppy explained how you and Emu have been dating in secret so you don't get in trouble, so now you don't have to worry."
Hiiro and Emu glanced at each other confused before looking at Poppy, "What?"
"I'm glad to see you finally moving on from Saki," The director smiled at Hiiro before he headed out of the office.
"We are not dating," Hiiro said plainly, "I don't know what kind of game you are playing but it ends now."
Emu grabbed his files and headed toward the stairs.
"Emu?" Poppy stopped him.
He shook his head, "I need to get to work."
"I just…"
"I don't want to hear it right now," he left to get his work done.
When he got back to CR Hiiro was filing some paperwork. Emu looked around, "Where's Poppy?"
"She's been sulking in her game all day."
"I have no idea why she told the director we were dating."
Hiiro looked up and shrugged, "If I see her again soon though she'll be getting yelled at again."
Emu sat down to re-alphabetize his files. Eventually he wondered, "The director seemed happy to think you're getting over Saki. How are you really?"
Hiiro looked a little surprised but finally admitted, "I don't think I'll ever fully be over what happened." After a few seconds he added, "I have found someone I'm interested in, but work comes first. I'd just end up treating them like I did Saki."
Emu looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "You should tell them how you feel. You deserve some happiness after everything that's happened."
Hiiro packed up his bag, "What about you?"
"Huh?"
"Do you ever go on dates? I've even hung out with you outside of work and never hear anything about you going out. I'm beginning to wonder if you've ever been on one," Hiiro chuckled.
Emu laughed, "I've dated a few times. I'm normally busy with work and gaming tournaments though. Most people I've met from gaming do that full time while most people I met in school think gaming is pointless. It's fine for now though, I mean with how much I run off to fight bugsters I doubt I'd be able to keep anyone very long."
Poppy appeared stopping their conversation, "Look, Emu I know you like Hiiro. Hiiro, I think you like Emu too. Emu, Hiiro would understand you running off to fight bugsters because he'd be there too. Hiiro, Emu gets you are totally focused on your patients and being a great surgeon. I'm sick of you two just ignoring your feelings when you'd be much happier together. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds by going to the director but I am so sick of waiting for you two to get the courage and admit how you feel."
"Poppy…" Hiiro thought for a moment, "or should I say, Asuna? Please go scan these into the computers." He dropped a huge pile into her arms.
"Oh yeah, these too," Emu added another large stack before he grabbed his bag. She frowned in confusion but quickly changed into her nursing outfit.
Hiiro waved as he headed down the stairs and Emu followed, "Night Poppy."
When Hiiro and Emu finally got outside Hiiro spoke up, "Maybe now she'll learn not to get into other people's business."
"I don't think she understands relationships can't be rushed, or forced upon other people for that matter."
"She found out I kept the prizes you've been winning for me and assumed that I like you."
"I do give them to you because I like you, but I knew you wouldn't like me back."
"I said she assumed I like you, I never said she assumed wrong."
Hiiro turned around when he noticed Emu stopped walking.
"Wait did you just imply you like me? Like romantically?" Emu stuttered.
Hiiro gave a short nod and continued walking.
Emu sprinted after him, "So… what now?"
"Well normally people go on dates with each other and become a couple after admitting their feelings," Hiiro responded, "I thought you'd done this before."
Emu smirked, "Well, do you want to get some dinner?"
Hiiro looked over, "Sure."
"I think we should hide it from Poppy," Emu laughed, "She tried to force us to talk, I don't know if we should give her the satisfaction of being right. At least not yet anyway."
Hiiro smirked, "Making her scan all the paperwork wasn't enough?"
"Are you of all people going to go easy on her?" Emu chuckled.
"No, just surprised you aren't going easy on her," Hiiro pointed to a building they were approaching and decided, "We can plan more against her while we eat."