one-shot; taking that one step
pairing: aizawa kosaku/shiraishi megumi
word count: 2879 words
note: this was a draft I had sitting in my folder from couple of weeks ago, so I fished it out, dusted it off and finished it for today's fic. Also kind of a cliché (why can't I be original ffs), haha. More notes at the end.
"What do you mean, you have a date?" Hiyama's voice rang out through the staff station.
Shiraishi glared at her friend, a flush tinting her cheeks. "Hiyama!"
"Ooooh, what's this I'm hearing?" Fujikawa immediately made to sprint towards Shiraishi and Hiyama when Saejima caught the hem of his scrubs, stopping him.
"Fujikawa-sensei, do not be a busybody!"
"No, Haruka, I'm not being a busybody, I am merely concerned about my staff leader," Fujikawa grinned, and perched himself at the counter where Shiraishi was sitting. Shiraishi rubbed her fingers against her temple, and began typing more rapidly, trying to focus on her work.
"Shiraishi Megumi, don't force me to bring alcohol in here. Talk." Hiyama ordered.
"It's not exactly a date. He's someone that my mother wants to me to meet. I am merely doing this as a dutiful daughter, nothing else," Shiraishi clarified.
Hiyama propped on hand on her chin and continued grilling her friend. "But to have dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in town? What does this guy do, anyway?"
"He's a neurologist," Shiraishi mumbled, concentrating on a brain scan on her laptop screen, her finger tracing a shadow. "At Tokyo University Hospital."
"A neurologist!" Fujikawa exclaimed. "Hey, Aizawa, you've got compe…mmmpph!" Saejima had clapped her hand over his mouth, and dragged him away from Shiraishi.
"Fujikawa-sensei, I believe that it's time for you do your ward rounds," she said firmly, propelling him out, towards the ward.
Hiyama stretched her neck out to steal a glance at Aizawa. He was leaning against the staff counter next to Shiraishi's, holding a tablet in his hand as he swiped across the screen rapidly, his face expressionless. But Hiyama knew him well enough not to miss the twitch at his jaw, plus at the speed he was swiping through whatever he was reading, it was obvious he was merely pretending to read.
Hmmm…someone needs a little push, and I think I'm going to give it to him.
"Is he good-looking?" she asked, in a tone of exaggerated curiosity.
"Are we still on this subject?" Shiraishi sighed. "I don't know, I supposed so."
"Shiraishi! Are you actually calling a man good-looking? I'm shocked, you never noticed these things!" Hiyama raised her voice just a little, shooting a sideways glance at Aizawa. She could've sworn she saw a vein throbbing at his forehead.
"Actually, I said I don't know. Hiyama, do you really have to do this? I have reports to rush, and…" She was cut off in mid-sentence by Aizawa.
"I'm going to the ICU to check on the patients," he said abruptly, and left the staff station without a backward glance. Shiraishi stared after him for a moment, and then turned back to Hiyama.
"As I was saying, leave it."
Aizawa was seething. The idea of some hot-shot neurologist arranging a date with Shiraishi at some fancy restaurant was making his blood boil. How dare he, whoever he was? He was so pissed that he was barely focusing on the patient's chart, and he had to consciously force his concentration back to where it was supposed to belong. He scrawled a note on the chart, and handed it to Yukimura. "Monitor her blood pressure," he barked at flight nurse, who visibly started, and stared at him strangely.
This was not good, he could not let his personal feelings spill over into how he does his job. This had never happened before, and would never happen again. He sighed inwardly, and lowered his tone to his usual professional monotone. "Also monitor her urine output. Let me know if anything is abnormal."
Having finished his rounds, Aizawa walked out of the ICU, and headed towards the Heli launchpad, his favourite place for him to collect his thoughts in solitude. On his way out, he bought a coffee from the vending machine, and once out there, he perched himself on the railing, and pulled back the tab. He took a long drink, and tried to calm his thoughts.
A neurologist. One of those doctors who stood around talking, pointing and trying to sound clever, and never held a scalpel to a brain for their entire career. He was aware that he was being completely childish and judgmental, but he didn't seem to care at that particular moment.
But it's your own fault for not doing something about these feelings of yours, his inner voice pipped up. Frowning, he squashed it back down.
Yes, he supposed it was his own fault. But it had been so many years of back and forth, and even if he recognised his feelings for what they were (that in itself took years, too), somehow or rather, he didn't quite know what to do with them. He didn't know how she felt about him. Shiraishi had never seemed interested in such matters. Neither was he, to be frank.
After all, both of them placed their careers above everything else. Lifesaving was her life, and he…being the best doctor he could be was all he ever wanted to be. And so, it was one year after the next, and he found himself comfortable with the status quo. He saw her often, and they built a personal friendship, and he knew he always had her, even if they were in different departments.
Of course, he had thought about doing something about it. When he transferred back to Lifesaving, he knew that it was partly for himself, and partly for her. Lifesaving was in all sorts of disarray, and he saw it first-hand during the Tanabata festival incident. Yes, she stepped up and everything worked out well in the end, but he knew she needed help. His help. And as it always had been, he just couldn't really refuse her.
He had hinted his feelings towards her. There's you in Lifesaving, he told her, and you're interesting. But her, being her, just didn't get it. And then they started clashing because of those incompetent Fellows, and that was that.
And now, she might be taken away from him by some neurologist.
Aizawa crushed the empty can he was holding. Ugh, he was being such a stupid sap over this, which was just not him, but then again, he couldn't help feeling the way he felt. He did have a heart, despite the popular opinion that he didn't have one. He had taken for granted that she would always be there, and now it may not be the case anymore.
Aizawa tapped his foot albeit impatiently, waiting for the elevator. He had managed to reorganise some of his thoughts, and was in a marginally better mood. After all, it was one date. It wasn't as if Shiraishi was marrying the neurologist. That was unlikely to happen anyway.
The elevator pinged, and the doors opened. He stepped in, and saw Shiraishi standing there, alone. He nodded at her, she smiled at him, and the doors closed. They rode in silence for three seconds, and then he cleared his throat.
"Going out tonight?"
"Ah, yes."
"A date."
"No, not really. He's someone my mother wants me to meet. She's been talking about it for ages, so I thought I'll just get it over and done with."
"I see." Get it over and done with. Sounds promising. For him, that is, not for that poor sob of a neurologist. "Well, stay safe."
"Eh?" Her eyes widened in surprise.
"You don't know him, do you? So stay safe," he said simply.
She still looked a bit puzzled, but she nodded.
"He's taking her to Narisawa," Hiyama stopped by his desk.
Aizawa glanced up, his forehead creased with mild irritation. "What?"
"Shiraishi's date. He's taking her to Narisawa."
"So?"
"So…I'm telling you so you can do something about it," Hiyama pulled up a chair beside him. He glanced at her, and then turned his attention back to his work. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about! I saw your face, Aizawa, when she said she had a date." She wasn't going to let him wriggle his way out of this. She was well aware of the back and forth between her two colleagues. "If you have feelings for her, then you have to do something about it."
He glared at her. "I don't see how that's any of your business."
She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, I'm on your team here."
Aizawa stared at her, relenting a little, and he raised an eyebrow. "What do you expect me to do about it?"
Hiyama shrugged. "Go to the same restaurant, keep an eye on her date. I'll sacrifice myself and accompany you, providing you pay for my dinner."
He tapped his pencil against the table, as his brain worked through Hiyama's suggestion. He could do that, pretend that he was coincidentally at the same place, and make sure that damn neurologist would not try anything funny. It could work…
Aizawa stopped himself, horrified. He couldn't believe he was contemplating on agreeing to Hiyama's stupid stalker plan. Evidently, he was losing his mind, and losing his ability to think rationally. He glared at Hiyama. "Are you crazy? There's no way in hell I'm doing that."
"Hey, it was just an idea," Hiyama snickered. Aizawa snorted, and pushed his chair back, heading towards the HDU. Checking up on the patients would hopefully help to clear his mind.
It was seven o'clock in the evening, and Shiraishi had left for her 'date'.
Aizawa couldn't concentrate, and it was...not good. Luckily, he didn't make any significant mistakes, not that he ever would. Even Yokomine was noticed, as he was supervising her in a minor procedure, that he was just a second slower than how he usually was. He mixed up the particulars of two patients, and had the misfortune of Fujikawa noticing it, and the orthopaedic surgeon was sure to gloat about it for the next year. His patient summaries were all over the place. He nearly walked into the female toilet.
He really needed for his shift to be over.
By the time Aizawa was done with everything he needed to do, it was nearly ten o'clock at night, largely thanks to the fact he took twice as long as he usually would with the patients' reports. Cursing under his breath, he was annoyed at himself, at the neurologist, at Shiraishi, at Hiyama, at Fujikawa…literally every single person he could think of. Throwing everything into his locker, he slammed it shut, and shouldered his backpack.
At the exit of the hospital, he paused for two seconds, and took the direction opposite to his apartment. He could use a drink. Or two. Or ten.
He pushed the door to Mary Jane's bar open, hoping for a quiet night, and he wasn't disappointed. The bar counter had only one occupant, and only two tables are occupied. Mary Jane saw him as he came in, and waved enthusiastically. "Aizawa-sensei! There you are. Ugly has been waiting for you for quite a while."
The sole occupant at the bar counter turned around. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that it was Shiraishi. A look of surprise crossed her face. "Aizawa," she said, and then she turned to Mary Jane. "And I was not waiting for him. Or for anyone."
The bar owner winked at her, but said nothing, putting down Aizawa's usual drink next to Shiraishi. Slowly, he approached the counter, and took the seat next to hers, taking his drink. "I thought you had dinner plans."
"I did, and I'm done," she answered, stirring her drink. Her face was a little flushed, and he wondered how much alcohol had she already consumed.
He took a sip of his drink, welcoming the slight burn of the alcohol. "How was it?" He asked, in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone.
Shiraishi made a face. "It was awful."
Aizawa felt his heart lifting as soon as he heard those words, but he fought to keep his expression neutral. "I see."
"He turned out to be the most arrogant, pompous and chauvinistic jerk I've ever met. He was belittling my work in Lifesaving, calling it a non-specialisation," she said, outraged. "And then he told me that he expected his wife to stay at home to cook and clean, a 'proper woman's role'," she rolled her eyes, making quotation marks. "I can't believe such pigs still existed in the twenty-first century!" She grabbed her glass, and tilted it back, downing all its contents.
"Slow down, Ugly," Mary Jane cautioned, placing a glass of soda water in front of her. "I didn't know you're such a feminist."
Aizawa twirled his glass around in his hand. On one hand, he was elated that the neurologist turned out to be such an idiot, but he was also furious that he had belittled Lifesaving. Lifesaving and emergency medicine were Shiraishi's life, and how dare he demeaned that? "Well, no point dwelling on a bad time," he said rationally. "You should just forget about it, and move on."
"Stick to dating men you actually know," Mary Jane advised helpfully.
"Unfortunately, the men I know are not interested in dating me," Shiraishi laughed, and at that, Aizawa, who was taking a drink, nearly choked on his mouthful of alcohol.
The bar owner's eye glinted as she handed the neurosurgeon a napkin. "I'm sure that's not true. Say, Aizawa-sensei, would you be interested in…"
"It's getting late," he recovered rather quickly, and then he stood up. "We should go. Don't you have the early shift tomorrow?"
She turned her wrist to look at her watch, and winced. "I didn't realise it's this late." She slid off the barstool, and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Bye, Mary Jane." The bar owner waved, a positively gleeful look on her face as they left together.
Once outside, Shiraishi took a deep breath, welcoming the cool air. She turned to Aizawa with a slight smile, expecting to part ways. "Good night, and see you tomorrow, Aizawa."
"I'll walk you home."
"Eh, you don't need to. It's out of your way."
"It's very late," he pointed out. "It's better this way."
"Okay," she said, as they started walking, in the same pace, side by side. "Thank you."
He said nothing, but his mind was certainly occupied, as he glanced at her by his side. She had dressed up for the 'date', for she was wearing a knee-length, flowered dress, and she had done her hair differently. He realised that he had barely seen her in a dress, maybe just once or twice when they attended conferences together. The dress showed off her long, slim legs that were usually hidden beneath scrubs, pants of the flight uniform, and her usual slacks for work.
Aizawa may be cold and stoic, but he certainly was not blind. Shiraishi was a beautiful woman, but he was hardly noticing it for the first time. Her physical beauty attracted him, but it was her inner beauty that really meant something. Perhaps he really should think about taking that actual, first step. She had a bad time tonight, but what's not to say the next neurologist or whatever that comes along will actually sweep her off her feet?
He was broken out of his reverie when Shiraishi sighed out loud. "I'm never listening to my mother ever again. I mean, regarding these things."
"Hn," he murmured.
"Mary Jane was right, blind dates are the worst."
He tilted his head in acknowledgment, but he said nothing. Shiraishi, perhaps sensing he wasn't in the mood to talk, said nothing after that. They continued walking in silence, and soon, they reached her apartment. She turned to him, with a genuine smile. "Thank you, Aizawa, for walking me home. I'll see you tomorrow at the hospital."
He nodded, and waited as she rummaged through her bag for her keys and keycard. As she fished them out, Aizawa took a deep breath. It was really now, or never.
"Shiraishi." She turned around, and waited, a questioning look on her face. "Would you want to have dinner together tomorrow night?"
The question was so unexpected and so out of the blue, that for a while, she could only stare at him, trying to figure out whether was there any other hidden meaning to his words. And then she said the first thing that popped into her mind. "Aizawa-sensei, are you asking me out on a date?"
He met her gaze squarely. "Yes," he said calmly. "Yes, I am." It took nearly all of his self-control to look impassive and unruffled, because his heart was about to beat out of his chest as he waited for her answer.
It seemed like an eternity had passed, before he saw her smiling at him. "Yes, I would love to have dinner together tomorrow."
A warm feeling was spreading throughout his body, but he merely nodded at her, keeping his cool. "We'll go after we finish our shift tomorrow."
"Okay," she said, and gave him one last smile. "Good night, Aizawa."
"Good night, Shiraishi."
He watched her enter her apartment safely, and then he turned and left.
Shiraishi has a date tomorrow, and this time, Aizawa will be completely okay with that. Completely.
A/N: Apologies to my brother-in-law and all neurologists, for the dragging is unintentional.
In the original draft, Shiraishi was going to go out with Shinkai, haha, and then it was actually meant to be all angsty as stuff as Aizawa got to be super jealous and mean etc. But honestly, with the finale tomorrow, I think we'll have a fair dose of angst coming up (and also CB writers are unlikely let our ship set sail OR even give us some kind of closure ffs), so I changed this into something a little more light-hearted. Which means Shiraishi could not go out with Shinkai, ahahaha.
One more sleep to go before the finale, and one more fic for me to complete my challenge, fourteen pieces of written Aizawa/Shiraishi works over the course of two weeks.
The usual drill applies: reviews, comments, suggestions, criticisms, prompts…all of those are loved and appreciated, and makes me want to write more :D