Written In The Stars
Author: LudoJudo
Summary: Robyn teases Lofty about his possible feelings for Dylan after reading a horoscope.
Pairing: Dylan and Lofty (aka Ben)...or Dyfty.
Rating: PG.
Notes: This hasn't been checked, so sorry about that. I use commas wherever I want and my spelling is the worst. I did my best with Word and the Merriam-Webster app, so fingers crossed.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to BBC, Casualty, the shows various writers and probably a few other people, just not me, unfortunately:(
Feedback: If you want to, sure. But please be kind, I have a delicate system!
'A blonde haired person will wish you well. Be patient and show them some TLC and you'll soon be singing from the same hymn sheet.'
Robyn read the horoscope from the free newspaper someone had left on the coffee table.
"Yeah, but that's for every Sagittarius in the country." Lofty began. "How can a horoscope appeal to so many different people?"
"But you don't take it literally." Robyn began to shake her hand from side to side in midair. "You read between the lines. Besides you have to take a bit from today and a bit from tomorrow..."
"They're predicting my future in daily installments!"
"No, it's because not everything will..." She was interrupted by Dylan popping his head around the staff room door while the rest of him stayed outside.
"Ben, Mrs. Drake has been discharged. She apologised for her fear of needles and told me to thank you for your kindness. Said you were a..." He looked to the ceiling to remember the exact words. "...'lovely boy. Nice hair'. Anyway you did very well with her. Keep it up." And with that he was a gone.
Robyn began to smirk.
"What?" Lofty questioned.
"'A blonde haired person will wish you well.' Maybe it is literal." She laughed.
"It's just Dylan passing on a message."
"When has Dylan ever been bothered about what a patient thinks and when has he ever passed their thanks on to the nurses. It's only 'cause he feels guilty."
"Guilty about what?"
Robyn stood and carried her empty coffee mug to the sink. "The way he treated you like crap." She said remembering him shouting at Lofty in reception. "He thinks more of his dog than he does of us."
"That's really unfair."
"Maybe a bit harsh, but you know what I mean."
"But he is trying..."
"Yeah, don't I know it!" Robyn said sarcastically.
Lofty continued. "It's not easy when everyone has this perception of him and won't allow him to change it."
Robyn started to grin at Lofty's defence of his new friend.
"Stop smirking."
"I'm not. But you have to admit you've shown him 'some TLC' over the last couple of months."
Lofty began to blush and tried to explain. "He's been through a tough time, I'd do the same for anyone. He needs a friend and he doesn't have many.
"Any, more like." Lofty gave Robyn a disappointed look. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But honestly, I think you have a bit of a crush on Doctor Keogh." She said leaning against the kitchen worktop.
"No I don't!" Lofty stood up to leave. "I better check on Mr. Jenkins in cubicle one."
"Oh Lofty. I was only messin'" Lofty headed towards the staff room door.
"I'll see you at the Christmas tree switch on." And with that he was gone.
**5hrs later**
"Thanks to everyone for turning up..." Lofty pushed through a line of people at the back to get to his colleagues further forward. Zoe continued to speak "...especially the day staff who've just finished a busy shift and have stayed around to join in..." Lofty squeezed to Robyn's left side nudging her sideways towards her brother, their earlier teasing having been forgotten.
"Have I missed anything?"
"No." Whispered Robyn.
"...The WRVS are going to lead us in 'Joy To The World' before we switch the lights on." A woman in her late 50's and a WRVS uniform stood up and thanked Zoe for the introduction. She stood side on so she could direct the 7 members of the WRVS and the small crowd of people in a cappella version of the carol.
"One, Two, Three. Joy to the world..." Lofty started to look around.
"What's wrong?" Whispered Robyn.
"I don't have the words." He looked over eyeing up the piece of paper Max was holding but knew it was impossible to see from where he was. Max already had Robyn at his left shoulder and Big Mac at his right. All of a sudden a sheet of paper came into view with the words clearly visible.
"Thanks."
"Let every heart, prepare his room. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaaaven and nature sing."
Lofty tried to focus on the words but his head was swimming. Standing so close to Dylan, watching his unusually pink lips sing a perfect melody. His dexterous hand holding the fine paper, his scarf gently rubbing at his strawberry blonde stubble. Lofty continued to sing, not quite sure how his brain was doing it as the only thing on his mind was Robyn's earlier conversation. 'A bit of a crush' was an understatement. Lofty knew she was right but it was more than a crush. The weeks and months after Dylan's meltdown in Resus, had been difficult, especially when he was almost being bullied by the doctor, but they'd worked closely together and made up for those tough times. It was more than a crush he knew that. When he watched those dexterous fingers suture a cut or take a pulse or even hold a piece of paper, he wanted those hands to hold him, wanted to kiss those unusually pink lips and feel that strawberry blonde stubble against his own cheek. A silence broke him out of his revere and the sheet of paper disappeared. The song had ended and he had no memory of it.
"Thanks." Lofty repeated for the share of the song sheet.
"You're welcome." Dylan acknowledged. "You have a very good voice." Lofty smiled, Dylan looked away as if he'd been caught out. Caught out doing what he had no idea.
"Thanks. You weren't so bad yourself." Lofty prayed to the man he'd just been singing about that he wasn't blushing.
"Well thank my Catholic upbringing. Plenty of hymn practice."
The lights were switched on by Mr. Donaldson, a financial donor who'd recently been a patient, to a joyous round of applause. The crowd started to disperse, making their way out of the A&E department into the biting cold air. The gang of casualty staff congregated at the entrance, Max, Big Mac, Noel and Ethan waiting for Rita and Zoe to catch up and Dylan and Lofty to podge through the crowd.
"We're off to the pub. You coming?" Max said to Lofty. Lofty looked at Dylan then to Max, torn. He knew Dylan would go home alone, and although he knew Dylan liked his own company, surely not every night, and not on Christmas Eve. Max seemed to read Lofty's mind and jumped in.
"You coming too, Dylan?"
"Well I don't know, I was just going to head..."
Max interrupted Dylan, having no time for an explanation or excuse when there was valuable drinking to be done. "We're all going." Max continued.
"Yeah, come on, it'll be fun." Lofty begged.
"There's even karaoke." Max wasn't sure if that would sweeten the deal or not but though he'd throw it out there.
"As long as Ben gives us a song." Dylan walked towards Max. "He has a very good voice you know." Max looked over his shoulder to Lofty who was trailing behind. "Does he now."
The casualty staff ensconced themselves around 3 round tables, jumping between chairs to join in existing conversations, the table covered in empty glasses and half drunk drinks. Cal arrived late after getting caught up in resus and Dixie and Iain had joined the group after finishing their shift, missing Rita and Robyn's performance of Dancing Queen.
"Thank you Noel for that rendition of Copacabana." Said the compere.
"Up next we have Lofty..."
Lofty put his hand in the air as if to say he'd got the wrong name.
"...You're Just To Good To Be True. Lofty?"
Lofty looked around confused as he hadn't put his name down. Max sat opposite with a big grin on his face.
"I'm not getting up there."
"You've got to." Said the porter.
"I didn't put my name down." He began to panic.
"I did." Said Robyn.
"Why?"
"Because you sang it at that birthday party we went to and it was brillant. Everyone joined in. Oh please Lofty, everyone else is doing it. It won't be any worse than Noel's Copacabana.
"Fine." Lofty gave in to the peer pressure.
Lofty took to the stage and waited for the words to appear on the screen.
'You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off you...'
As he sang certain words he looked out across the room to his colleagues. Rita and Iain practically sitting in each others laps, Dixie surriptiously eyeing someone up over her pint glass and Big Mac getting slowly and merrily drunk, but one person kept catching his eye as he looked around the tables. He tried to focus on Robyn but that was just as awkward, so he scanned around the rest of the room but everytime his eyes came back to that one person at his table. Dylan.
'Pardon the way that I stare. There's nothing else to compare. The sight of you leaves me weak. There are no words left to speak. But if you feel like I feel. Please let me know that it's real...'
It got to the chorus and the whole bar started to build into a rowdy raucous noise, arms punching the air with joy and humour. The camaraderie and festive good cheer, not to mention copious amounts of alcohol, becoming infectious to the various groups who all joined in.
'Duh, duh. Duh, duh. Duh, duh, duh, duh. Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh duhhaaa.
I love you baby and if it's quite alright. I need you baby, to warm the lonely night..."
Heads were turning from left to right, people were getting caught up in the spirit of the moment and the joyful atmosphere so no one noticed Lofty's glances. Except one person.
Dylan didn't join in the singing. A small carol concert was one thing but such excuberant groups and public displays of fun were alien to him. He kept watching the stage and the person on it. A mild look of confusion on his face as to why Lofty kept looking at him, but the mild blush telling him that it wasn't unwelcome.
The song ended and everyone cheered.
"Give a big round of applause for Lofty there. Absolutely fantastic. You can come again. Up next we have Big Mac. Has anyone got normal names? Big mac with The Wonder Of You by Elvis."
Lofty returned to his chair and looked down at the table not able to make eye contact with Dylan but with a feeling that Dylan was looking at him. He knew he couldn't stare at the table all night so risked a sideways glance. He didn't know what to say so said the first think that came into his head.
"Do you want a drink?"
Dylan's brow furrowed not expecting that particular question. "Erm, erm no, I'm fine thanks. Ben..."
He quickly moved onto Rita sitting next to him not giving Dylan time to question him further.
"Rita, do you want a drink?"
She turned away from Iain to respond.
"No, I'm ok." And with her short reply she was back gazing at her new beau.
"I'll 'ave one if you're offering." Max to the rescue, thank God for my finacially challenged friend, thought Lofty.
"Ben..."
Lofty knew Dylan wanted to ask a question, wanted to speak to him about something and he could guess what, he'd been acting strangely around him since the carol service, and the staring during his song hadn't helped his case, so he quickly headed to the bar. He leaned his elbows on the counter top and waited to be served. Dylan watched him from across the room and could see him shaking is head in the mirrored refelection behind the bar.
Lofty returned to the table with his and Max's drink. Dylan closely watched him return, watched him sit down, watched him look toward the stage, with the feeling he was being ignored. Not in a malicious or spiteful way, more in an ackward, maybe even embarassed way. Something wasn't right, the intense looks Lofty had been giving him all night, coupled with the mild feeling of hope and optimism he'd felt, made him more confused than ever.
Lofty got a sense of panic. He could still feel Dylan's eyes on him, watching him. He needed to get away. He took a small sip of his beer and went outside without saying anything.
Robyn noticed him leave the seat next to her and got the feeling he was annoyed about something. She followed him outside trailing a half a meter of tinsel from each shoulder that had been wrapped around her neck by Rita.
Robyn left the bar and found Lofty pacing back and forth in front of the pub window. Big Mac's version of The Wonder Of You drifting through the open door.
"Lofty, what's wrong?"
Lofty turned at Robyn's questioning voice.
"Nothing, I'm fine. I just needed some air." He tried to say as nonchalantly as possible
"Lofty?" She said worriedly.
"I said I'm fine." He snapped.
Robyn folded her arms across her body in defence. "Well you're obviously not."
He continued to pace in front of the window, he suddenly stopped and with his back to Robyn declared.
"You and that bloody horoscope."
"What?" She questioned.
He spun round to face her. "'Wish you well', 'TLC', 'singing from the hymn sheet'."
Robyn's eyebrows raisied at the sudden realisation. "Oh yeah." She said smiling, remembering the hymn at the carol concert, but she could see that it was bothering Lofty. "Like you said it doesn't mean anything."
"But it does." He shouted.
She could see how agitated Lofty was becoming and realised why.
"You don't have a crush do you? You've fallen for him."
Lofty looked to the heavens, a handful of stars twinkling through the Holby night sky.
"Go on then laugh."
"I'll ignore that. I think you know me better than that." She said hurt.
"Sorry." Lofty said shaking the idea from his head and looking to the ground tiredly.
"I only joked about the crush because, well I didn't know you actually really liked him, like properly like him."
"Is everything ok?" Asked Dylan.
Lofty's head shot up, a slight worried look on his face. How long had he been standing there? How much had he just heard?
"Everythings fine. We'll be in in a bit." Stated Robyn.
Dylan turned his attention to Lofty, wanting the conformation from him. "Ben?"
Robyn looked at Lofty who seemed to be in shock so jumped to his rescue again. "He's fine, he just needed some air."
Dylan continued to look at Lofty. "He doesn't look fine."
"He is. Really."
"I'd like to speak with, Ben, please."
Lofty's shock dissipated. "It's ok, Robyn."
Robyn stood in the middle of Dylan and Lofty, she turned her head to each of them who acted like she wasn't there. "Ohhhhkayyyy" and with that she was gone.
Dylan stepped forward to occupy the space Robyn had just vaccated.
"I enjoyed your song. Much better than Noel's Copacabana. He didn't even get half the words right."
"Yeah. Wait you know Copacabana."
"I've heard it, in the past." Dylan became more serious and quickly changed the subject. "Ben?"
Lofty sensed the change in tone so looked to the ground, gently kicking imaginary objects with his foot.
"Ben will you look at me?"
Lofty turned to face Dylan.
"Have I done something wrong?" Lofty looked confused not expecting that question.
"No."
"I just have a feeling that something's been bothering you, that something's not right, with either you or me, or both of us. Something's going on but I'm not sure what." Dylan paused. "I feel like I'm being kept in the dark about something." Lofty was silent.
With no new information coming from Lofty, Dylan continued "Just talk to me, because, well, I thought we'd become friends."
"We are." Lofty paused. "Robyn..." he stumbled over his words "She..." He paused again trying to get the words right "...thinks, she suspects."
"What?" He began to get impatient with the stumbling, desperate to find out what was happening.
"She thinks. I may have. A. Possible. Crush. Maybe. On you."
Dylan blinked.
"I'm sorry. If I've embarassed you.
"I'm not embarassed." Dylan said calmly.
"Well then if I've made this situation awkward."
"It's not awkward."
"Well, I'm sorry anyway."
"Why are you sorry?"
Lofty narrowed his eyes in confusion not understanding why Dylan wasn't put out by the suggestion. He wasn't flustered at the emotional declartion which was unsual for him, because he wasn't great with feelings and the like.
"I erm, well I know you don't feel the same... This is really awkward. It's just a crush it doesn't mean we can't work together. Does it?"
"No, no of course not. You're the only one who'll put up with me."
"Robyn likes you."
"Robyn tolarates me."
"She likes you."
"I don't want to talk about, Robyn. I want to talk about us. This crush, how long have you had this crush?"
Lofty began to blush. "A few months. Prehaps you've had a crush, I mean maybe Doctor Hanna."
"No." Dylan shook his head. "She's like a sister to me, so no." He paused and decided honesty was the best policy. It was Christmas eve and he didn't really have anything to lose but a hell of a lot to gain.
"I can tell you when my crush started." He swallowed at his candid and frank words. When you brought Ms. Fallon's dog to visit her.
Lofty gently shook his head not quite believing what was happening.
"You broke the rules, but for the right reasons. That's when I became a bit in awe of you."
Lofty laughed "In awe of me?"
"Only slightly."
Dylan stepped closer to Lofty. Lofty followed suit and took a step towards Dylan. Both men's increased breathing being given away by the rapid cold breathes exiting their mouths. Lofty inched forward until they were almost chest to chest. He reached forward and placed a chaste kiss to Dylan's lips. The doctor parted his lips slightly and responded, slowly kissing his new lover.
Robyn looked over Max's shoulder and noticed her friend's first kiss with Dylan through the window. She grinned from ear to ear but wouldn't tell anyone why when they asked.
Dylan pulled away and rested his forehead against Lofty's. "I don't think this is simply a crush."
"You maybe right."