TIMELINE: Post-canon; established relationship


"I'll wait."


Long shifts in winter months are very tiring.

Emu isn't sure if it's because of the season itself or if it's because of the cold. But whatever the reason may be, it makes the long shifts more tiring and him in particular, incredibly sleepy. So it's a bit (a lot) frustrating that he needs to stay back in the hospital longer than usual today because of unfinished paperwork.

And he was so looking forward to playing games while snuggling under the warm kotatsu with Parad too!

"Ugh..." Slumping over his desk, Emu glares at his paperwork. "I hate this part of the job."

Cackling fills his ears before a familiar, warm body drapes over him. "You did want to be a doctor, remember?"

"I don't remember signing up for paperwork in medical school," Emu mumbles into his desk before sitting up to turn his seat around, finding Parad materialising fully before him. "Why don't you head back first? It's gonna take a while for me to finish this."

"No way," Parad drawls out with a snort. The bugster then parks himself on the neighbouring chair and rolls it over until they're side by side. "I'll wait."

Smiling, he brushes curly bangs aside while his other hand taps at the pile. "I appreciate it, Parad, but I'm not kidding. This is going to take me at least an hour to finish."

"More time spent with you," Parad states matter-of-factly, bringing out his console. "What's the point of me going back to our apartment if you're not there?"

His heart warms at that even as he suggests. "Play games?"

"I can do that anywhere and besides, games aren't half as fun without you," Parad quips with a cheeky grin before his expression turns worried. "...I'm not being a bother, am I?"

Huffing out a disbelieving laugh, Emu leans over to kiss that expression away and feels himself smiling when Parad makes a soft, happy sound as he kisses back.

"You're never a bother to me," Emu murmurs against Parad's lips before pulling back fully to give Parad a reassuring smile. "I love having you around, Parad."

Parad smiles, bright and breathtaking even in the dim lighting. "Back at ya, Emu."

Chuckling, he reluctantly turns back to his desk and sets out to work. Side by side, they sit in silence. Minutes tick by as he writes his reports, double checking them to make sure that there'll be no mistakes once he has to hand them over. Once he's finished half of the pile, Emu glances up at the clock and almost drops his pen when realises that an hour has already passed. This is taking longer than he thought. Worried, his eyes dart to the side and sees that Parad is engrossed with his game.

Emu bites his lip, pen tapping against the desk and wonders if he should insist for Parad to go back. After all, Parad hates the cold even more than Emu and considering he still has another half of the pile to finish, it'll take longer than what he promised. While he knows that Parad said that he'll wait, it's quite troublesome isn't it? At least back at their apartment it'll be warm and Parad won't have to wait around for something that's not even his responsibility. Now that he thinks about it, it's not fair to have Parad wait for him like this so maybe he really should insist after all—

A hand grabs Emu's chin before his lips are caught in a kiss. Surprised, he blinks up at Parad to find the bugster is looking at him with fond exasperation before resting his forehead against Emu's.

"At this point, I don't even need to read your thoughts to know what you're thinking," Parad murmurs. "Wherever you are, is where I wanna be, Emu. It's not troublesome to wait because I chose to be here; I want to be here." Expression turning serious, Parad gives him a meaningful look. "So don't worry, alright? I'll wait."

From his tone and the way the bond flares golden, Emu knows that Parad is no longer talking about just waiting for him to finish his paperwork anymore.

It's a promise; a reassurance that he won't be left alone.

It's a promise Emu never thought he gets to hear; to have someone wait for him in any capacity. Whether it's back at the apartment or even just waiting for him to finish something (spending hours at an empty hospital office in the cold weather neither of them are fond of cannot be fun). To know that the most important person in his life is willing to wait for him no matter what causes his heart to be so full that Emu can do nothing but take Parad's face in his hands and kisses him until they're both just this side of breathless— pouring all the emotions that Emu hopes can at least somewhat express how much he adores his partner.

When they break for air, Emu finds that he's somehow managed to crawl onto Parad's lap as he straddles the bugster. Flushing, he glances around at the still empty office and is about to slide back to his own seat before the hands on his hips stop him. Looking up, he sees Parad smiling at him before the bugster arranges them so that Emu is securely on Parad's lap with his back to Parad's chest.

"I think I'll wait until we get back to finish my checkpoint," Parad murmurs, kissing his ear as his arms wrap around Emu's stomach before Parad nuzzles his neck. "I'm a bit sleepy so I'm gonna doze off until you're done."

Chuckling, he cards a hand through Parad's hair and kisses his temple. "Alright then."

Making himself comfortable (well, more than he already is), Emu sets out to finish the last bit of the bane of his otherwise dream career with a lighter heart; knowing that no matter where Emu is, the person who is his heart and home will wait for him.