The Doctor of Rhodes Island would be hard-pressed to recall a more elated expression, other than the one on Exusiai's face here and now. The Sankta was smiling so brightly that her pearly whites could flashbang several Reunion operatives at once. Beaming, the redhead angel wraps her arms tightly around the Doctor's, unwilling to let go for even a single second.
This is how things have been for quite some time. And neither of them would have it any other way.
Since partnering with the likes of Penguin Logistics (which had made that Emperor penguin quite a hefty sum of LMD, all things considered), the Doctor had come to know Texas, Croissant, Sora, and even Mostima much more than before. It was likely you'd find at least one of them on the landship at all times, assisting with base operations or forward planning or tactical missions…
But Exusiai was a special case.
She and the Doctor have grown much closer than anticipated, much to Emperor's amusement and Kal'tsit's chagrin. It was no secret that the two relished each other's company, with Exusiai often staying close to the Doctor even when she wasn't explicitly on a mission, or set to serve as his bodyguard for the day. It prompted questioning. It prompted investigation.
What's your relationship with that Sankta, Doctor?
That is what they'd ask him. And his response was always the same.
"Don't get any bright ideas. We're just friends, she and I. Just friends, nothing more."
"I might need to think of a new nickname for you… you know?"
Exusiai hummed thoughtfully, putting a finger to her chin as she pouted. Then she continued.
"I know I call you Leader, but…" She trailed off, her cheeks turning red. "I think we might need to upgrade! Because, y-you know…!"
She didn't want to say it. Even now, she couldn't believe it. And even now, the Doctor found it necessary to tease the little redhead. It was his obligation.
"Because you're my guardian angel? My sweet girlfriend? Sweet like apple pie?" He was grinning behind his mask. She could hear his smile.
Exusiai opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was an embarrassed whine. She covered her face with both hands, the heat radiating from her cheeks palpable as they tinged even redder than before. Ironic how she was so carefree, so spunky, and so bombastic in personality; so easygoing; a free spirit, but she could never handle the Doctor's taunts. She turned into a flustered schoolgirl if he persisted with it, and he loved it.
"Shut up!" Exusiai glared at her lover through her spread fingers. "I'm serious!"
"So am I, you know." The Doctor crossed his arms. "So, nicknames… Could you give me an example of what you were thinking?"
"What I was thinking?" Exusiai pursed her lips for a moment. "Well, I thought about just calling you Doctor at first, but that's way too formal… WAY too formal!"
"For the likes of you? Agreed," Doctor thought. It even sounded too formal for Amiya sometimes, yet she insisted on maintaining the title no matter what, for all the importance it held for everyone.
"I also thought about just calling you by your real name, but…" Exusiai shrugged her shoulders. "That's not a nickname, then. It's just calling you your name. And not everyone should know what it is, right? Some of the people on Rhodes Island are hella shady."
It was true. Not every operator aboard the landship had the Doctor's best interests at the forefront of their minds. Some were here on contract. Some had a job to do, or a duty to fulfill, and that was that. Everyone else could be damned.
"Definitely not my name," the Doctor thought aloud. "You love baking pastries, don't you? There's a lot of material there."
"Material?"
"You know, like… sweetie pie, cutie pie, honey, cupcake… must I go on?" He held his hands together, thoroughly amused at Exusiai's embarrassment.
"S-sweetie pie… and cutie pie… and honey…" Exusiai pushed her pointer fingers together, shyly. "Th-those are YOUR nicknames for ME though…"
"They sure are, sweetie pie."
"AAHHHHHH…" Exusiai patted her own cheeks, in a vain attempt to cool them down. "Noooooo stop! I'm totally gonna lose it if you keep throwing those at me! That's not faaair…" She pouted. "Cupcake, though… Maybe Cupcake? Does it feel right?"
"If you have to ask… then it probably doesn't," the Doctor told her. Exusiai sighed.
"Okay, let's see… how about… Darling?" She tried.
"Mmmmm, no." The Doctor shook his head. "Don't call me that unless you grow your hair out and dye it pink."
"Wow." Exusiai frowned. "Then how about… Prince? Prince is cute, right?"
"Prince…" The Doctor wasn't so sure. Plus, he wasn't much of a musician.
"Sunshine…?!" Exusiai grinned.
"I live in darkness…" The Doctor wiggled his fingers in front of Exusiai's face. "I am the shadow of Babel, of Rhodes Island made manifest."
"OK… that's edgy. What about Big Mac? You know… because when I'm with you, I'm lovin' it?"
"Copyright." The Doctor shoved his hands into his coat pockets. Now he was hungry.
"Hercules! Because you're so strong?"
"We both know that's not true… I am noodle arms. The noodest."
"Admiral Dreamboat?" Exusiai waggled her eyebrows.
"That reminds me too much of my last job…" He cringed. Another life…
"Commander?"
"I definitely left that part of my life behind me." The Doctor shuddered. He still had nightmares about that submachine gun-wielding cat.
"Casanova…?"
"That's…"
The Doctor paused, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, that one might work…"
"Actually I regret saying that one." Exusiai prodded her lover's chest with her forefinger. "Especially since you're all mine. No one else gets to be your guardian angel! Just me!"
"You're not the jealous type…"
"You don't know that." Exusiai pouted. "Don't tempt fate, you know?"
"So no more owls under the desk - got it."
"Ugh, don't even joke about that!"
"Sorry, sorry…"
"Maybe I should check online?" Exusiai took out her phone, and hit up the internet. "Let's see… Here's a site! 255+ Cute Nicknames For Your Boyfriend That He'll Secretly Love."
"I doubt that," said the Doctor.
"Number four is Batman."
"You need to immediately start calling me that every chance you get."
"No!" Exusiai laughed. "No way!" She looked back to her phone screen. "Number 5 is Big Guy. Just Big Guy…" She looked up at the Doctor. "Hm. I guess you're a Big Guy."
"For you," he said.
There was a knock at the door, suddenly. Three ginger raps. Dr. Kal'tsit's way of non verbally announcing her presence. Exusiai went over and opened the door for the Feline, who held up a pair of folders for the Rhodes Island tactician's perusal.
"Doctor." She greeted him, before her eyes flicked over to Exusiai. "And you."
"And me!" Exusiai tried a smile, feeling the temperature in the room drop from Kal'tsit's ice-cold gaze. "Ha ha… Hey, Kelsey."
"Never call me that. This is your only warning."
"Message received." Exusiai gulped, rubbing the back of her neck, meekly.
The hooded Doctor took the folders carefully from the Feline woman. "Thank you, Dr. Kal'tsit," he told her. "I'll have the mission details outlined within a half hour."
Dr. Kal'tsit nodded. She turned to leave… only to be stopped by Exusiai.
"Hey, hang on a second!" The Sankta piped up, causing Dr. Kal'tsit to stop in her tracks and turn her head. Her Feline ears perked up.
"Yes? Is there something you need now?" Dr. Kal'tsit made no attempt to mask her irritation, but still Exusiai pressed on.
"I, uh… I was wondering… Dr. Kal'tsit," the Sankta tried, suddenly regretting trying to navigate around this conversational landmine. "I, um… heh…"
"What? What is it? I'm very busy. Spit it out."
"I was wondering… do you… have any… cute nicknames… for… your lover?"
Dr. Kal'tsit turned around fully, to face Exusiai. "Excuse me?"
The angel swallowed hard. "I'm trying to uh, come up with a nickname for…" She trailed off, watching as Dr. Kal'tsit came up to Exusiai to poke her chest with a probing finger. It felt as though the Sankta's soul was being stabbed through, somehow.
"Get it straight, operator Exusiai, I'm not here to entertain your absurdities. I'm working around the clock to ensure that this landship continues to operate as smoothly as possible, and with minimal disruption. You couldn't possibly begin to understand the toil and labor that goes into everything that we do at Rhodes Island. With that being said, I would greatly appreciate it if you could significantly reduce your getting in our way. If you're going to stand so close to the Doctor at all times, I'd suggest you do good work, and not just flitter around like a moth to a flame. Hmph…"
Dr. Kal'tsit pulled away, and she held her hands behind her back.
"However, if you must know, as far as nicknames are concerned, I default to Jellybean."
Exusiai gasped.
"JELLYBEAN…" The redhead looked over at Rhodes Island's tactician, who had already finished reading the contents of the folders given to him when he looked up at the two women.
"What? No," he told them, "no, I don't want to be called Jellybean again. I refuse."
"You should call him Jellybean 24/7," said Dr. Kal'tsit.
"JELLYBEAN 24/7," Exusiai exclaimed.
"Dr. Kal'tsit, you can't do this to me." The masked Doctor was withering away.
"Hm." Dr. Kal'tsit turned around fully, not just to leave the office, but to hide her expression. "Both of you do some work, before I throw you off the ship myself."
"Aye aye!" Exusiai saluted, smiling gleefully. "Teehee! Jellybeannn~"
The Doctor held his head in his hands. Jellybean. Again.
Suddenly being put back in a coma didn't seem so bad.