special shoutout to everyone in the diomedestruthers server that pitched in with this, extra special shoutout to @ithacantrickster for the lovely art at the beginning
Summary; Daínn went and got himself hit by a damn truck, and while he's lucky to have not ended up worse, he is still hospitalized for several months. His nurse, a pretty face with pastel hair, becomes not only his only support system but also the crack in his composure. Because he's pretty. And Daínn is progressively more desperate.
Thankfully, though much to the chagrin of any hospital's board of directors, Zephyr really loves his job and insists on providing the absolute best care to his patients. Especially Daínn, his favorite. Even if that means providing a helping hand below the belt.
Content: This is another NSFW oneshot. It contains the following;
Hospital inaccuracies, unmentioned age gap (seven years), assisted masturbation, dirty talk, fantasizing about your femboy nurse.
Daínn's stay at the hospital, and then the subsequent stay at the attached recovery wing was nothing short of boring. Agonizingly boring. Not that he was really in any position to complain. Not when he was lucky to be alive at all, as spoken by a few nurses. They were pretty impressed that he took being hit by a truck like such a champ. He was evidently healing well too.
It had been about two months. Give or take. Daínn actually wasn't entirely sure, because it began to blur together. It was mostly the same routine over and over, with little variation. He found himself actually happy to gave books to read, even if he couldn't get through a session of reading without ending up passed out. Something about flipping pages and reading paragraphs had always lulled him into unconsciousness.
The most exciting things he'd had happened was always because of one specific nurse.
The one he'd confused for an angel when he'd woken up in a haze of pain meds and sedation. Much to his embarrassment. But, it wasn't unfair, really. One look at the effeminate man and anyone could've made the mistake. Especially after being so close to death.
A soft voice, pretty long hair always tied back, long fluttering lashes, and sugary sweet smiles. Always delicate with his hands and encouraging when Daínn got past something difficult. Like learning to walk again with the physical therapy. Or finishing all his pills in one go, as gross as that felt.
Zephyr had gone far and beyond any other nurse. Admittedly even breaking some rules just to make Daínn's stay a little easier. At first, the man had assumed pity, but, it eventually became clear that Zephyr was just like that. Truly generous and earnest. So, Daínn had gone and gotten a little…spoiled.
He was getting homemade food from Zephyr's hands. Always in a cute little pink lunchbox. He rarely needed to wait for help the few times he'd ask for it, one push to the call button and the pastel-candy-coated physician would appear like magic. Zephyr had provided him with books, a thicker blanket to fight off the cold, plenty of conversation that actually had Daínn laughing for the first time in years. Zephyr had even snuck the pediatric therapy dog in to visit him when he began missing his own dog, Duchess, a little too much.
Zephyr made it easier. For as self sufficient as Daínn was, he couldn't deny that. That being said, by the forth week of his first month, it was clear that for everything made easier by the nurse…
Zephyr also made everything harder.
Literally.
Daínn was as much of a gentleman as you could hope for. He might've taken a glance, but he'd never leer. He'd appreciate a pretty face but never stare. When he'd have a night of fun he was up front, honest, and he was sure to leave on a good note. Though he hadn't had a night like that in quite awhile.
He was also, however, a man. A simple man who couldn't help but appreciate pretty faces and…well, a nice ass. Of which Zephyr had an abundance of both. And it was perfectly fine in the beginning, even during the more embarrassing moments, Daínn held himself together just fine.
Being injured put himself in a vulnerable position. He was scraped up, bruised sore, and unable to walk for awhile. The main pain was his shoulder though. Something that was healing just fine, but still sent shocks of pain down his spine whenever he raised it too far. And that was after he'd been healing up.
Zephyr had seen far worse. He even tried to soothe Daínn's bashfulness in the beginning by reminding him that he'd seen plenty of bodies. Nothing to be ashamed of! It was just part of the process. But, that was one thing. Shyly covering himself with a towel when he'd need his hair washed during a towel bath, because he couldn't reasonably stand or even walk to a shower.
Recently though, as he'd gotten to know Zephyr better, and as he was now put in what was a medical equivalent of a dorm room, Daínn had been having a tougher time. He looked forward to seeing Zephyr when the man would visit. After all, Zephyr was one of the few sources of color in his life as of late. Some color he'd been desperately needing, apparently. The issue arose any time Daínn looked for just a bit too long. Or when he thought too hard. The issue arose…literally. Rising against a pair of thin sweatpants he often worse and throbbing with a want that Daínn could only describe as annoying.
There were simple fixes, naturally. Even if one arm was out of commission, he had the other, and his hand was still fully functional. But it was only natural he'd feel sort of guilty in a way. Because post nut clarity was a heavy weight to bare, especially when the face that'd he'd been envisioning would check on him a minimum of twice a day. Always showing up with a smile that acted like a Cupid's Arrow right to the chest.
Honestly, it was a complete gamble if Zephyr helped the healing process or made it all worse.
Still, the veteran kept it all together. All under wraps…mostly. He may or may not have begun to play into their fun banter more in a sort of flirty way, if you were to squint. But it was all friendly. Zephyr had happily informed him pretty early on that he found Daínn plenty handsome, even used that as encouragement to help Daínn want to get better. Which worked, by the way.
Daínn's composure was waning though. He'd claim to be humble but he wasn't an idiot. Zephyr had looked him up and down more than once. He'd seen a lingering glance whenever the nurse would change a bandage or check his vitals. But, could that translate into fulfilling what Daínn had been thirsting for? He wasn't so sure. After all, that most definitely broke some rules, more important ones that the ones Zephyr had already broken for him.
So that left Daínn with a dilemma. A large, heavy, heated dilemma.
"Son of a-" Daínn growled out between his clenched jaw. Teeth grinding down on each other as pain coursed through his shoulder. His arm fell back down into the warm water he was sat in. It was a bathtub, finally. One that was made for people in physical therapy or seniors, the latter portion being something that Daínn had initially bristled at. Thirty wasn't old, damnit.
Lingering bubbles swirled around him as he huffed.
Annoyed as curls fell over his brow. Dirty curls, because washing his hair was a pain in the ass -or the shoulder, actually- and he couldn't get the film of oil off it all. He'd been rather happy with the knowledge he'd no longer need to rely on the awkward, cumbersome position of needing his hair washed over a bucket. Only for him to not be able to do it himself anyway. His eyes shut in annoyance as his neck came to rest on the edge of the tub. Brows furrowed, twitching with lingering aggression when a light knock came upon the cracked bathroom door.
"Daínn, are you alright?" Zephyr's sweetened voice entered the space. Having Daínn sighing, his face loosening into something more akin to dejected acceptance, staring at the ceiling. "Yeaaahh," He complained in a low tone. Still, Zephyr approached. Slow and patient. Though he let out a little chuckle under his breath.
Daínn's eyes flicked over when pastel colors hit his peripheral. They trailed up to Zephyr's face, met with that warm, loving expression. Zephyr tilted his head and raised a brow. A hand resting on the edge of the tub with the other on his hip. Which Daínn definitely didn't acknowledge the width of, because that would've been rude and inappropriate.
"Still struggling with your shoulder?" The nurse asked. Daínn sucked on his own tongue and clicked it, pulling his eyes to the ceiling again. "Yuuuup."
"Can't wash your hair?"
"Nnnoope."
Zephyr let out another breathy chuckle. He used two of his fingers to hold some of Daínn's hair between them, acknowledging the subtle build up that left the strands greasy. Nothing that a good scrub wouldn't fix. Zephyr moved around the tub and used his shoe to kick a stool over to the back of the tub, where he'd eventually sit down in order to be behind Daínn.
"I've got you." He said, reaching to grab the shampoo. Daínn grumbled incoherently to himself. Complaints about the fact he was a grown man who'd been in war, been shot, stabbed, etc. And yet here he was, unable to wash his own hair. Zephyr tapped at his temple, having the man's vision refocusing. Was it something about being a nurse that affected the charisma? Why was he pretty even upside down?
"Stop chastising yourself. You're hurt, and it's quite literally my job to help you." Zephyr smiled. He ruffled Daínn's hair as he went and sat down. The tub was tall, because it being close to the ground like most normal tubs would've been harder to get out of. So Zephyr wasn't all that much taller than Daínn, even when the man was bathing. If Daínn leaned back far enough, his head would come into contact with the other man's shoulder.
"You've seen me naked way too often for my liking," Daínn halfheartedly complained. It succeeded in having Zephyr laugh a little. Shaking his head fondly. "Well, I'm terribly sorry. I'll be sure to keep my looks to a minimum." He said whilst wetting Daínn's hair. He was still a little too big for the bathtub, so his now soaked hair dripped into Zephyr's lap. But said man didn't complain.
Daínn let out a slow breath when Zephyr's nails helped guide the water through the layers. The drag against his scalp already had him growing drowsy. He glanced up when he heard the man behind him mumbling to himself about needing better shampoo. Which meant he'd likely be sneaking it into Daínn's room by the next day, no doubt.
"Keep your head back, I don't want this in your eyes." Zephyr instructed. Daínn gave a small sound in response. It was quiet, amplifying the ambiance in the room. The ripples of water moving with Daínn's movements. The slow drip of the faucet, the click of the shampoo bottle cap, the rustle of Zephyr's clothes. Daínn accidentally broke the silence with a sound from the back of his throat when Zephyr began to scrub the soap into his hair.
Nails properly scratching, being sure to get the base of his skull and the space behind his ears. Zephyr bit down a giggle when Daínn made the groan. Sort of like a dog when you hit the spot that made their leg thump.
He tried not to show how much he liked it. But, he failed pretty miserably. The weight of his skull practically fell into Zephyr's hands. The nurse couldn't help but smile to himself as Daínn relaxed further into the water. He took the second to glance over the man's form. Checking remaining stitches and scabs, ensuring it was all healing well. Personally logging the dips of muscle and soft hair across the man's body for himself.
Zephyr dipped his hands in the water to remove any shampoo left, then he began the process of pouring water through Daínn's hair. Washing away all the dirt with care. He giggled to himself when Daínn's head lulled.
"Easy now, Daínn. Don't fall asleep on me." He cooed quietly. Though his command wasn't very commanding. If anything, the way he spoke would've soothed Daínn further. The man barely blinked his eyes open. Watching as Zephyr leaned over to grab something, hearing the water shift. He let out a breath when warm water rolled over his shoulder. Aided with a rag, softly scrubbing around the edges of his scabs. Naturally it gave a little sting but it was nothing he couldn't handle. It only acted as something to keep him awake.
"Don't trust me to wash myself?" He asked teasingly. Zephyr snorted and shook his head. "Not necessarily. Sometimes people avoid their cuts and scrapes. But, I'm mostly just trying to get you to relax." He explained. Moving the rag across the side of Daínn's neck, adding subtle pressure when he moved to the man's upper back. Pressing against a pressure point that had Daínn wincing, but not pulling away.
"I'm thinking you being tense is making it worse." Zephyr theorized as he dragged the rag down Daínn's arm. It wasn't like he hadn't done this before. After all, he'd been the nurse that helped Daínn when he could hardly get out of the hospital bed. Still, he probably wasn't aware just how much it was affecting Daínn.
Maybe it was because he was pent up, more than he could ever have imagined. Or maybe it was just because it was Zephyr. Whatever the reason, though Daínn was reclined and the most relaxed he'd been in years, the smooth drag of warm water with soft hands, and the gentle words…it was starting to be a little too much.
"It must be difficult I'm sure," Zephyr's voice remained barely above a whisper. "Trying to relax in a place like this. I can only try and do what I can to make you feel safe." He explained while he leaned forward a bit to get over Daínn's collarbone. It was instinct by now to notice elevated vitals. Subtly raised breathing, some extra bass in the pulse. But Daínn wasn't moving really, he wasn't saying much either.
That was because Daínn was trying to hold it together. He was on the verge of sleep, almost. So lax that it wasn't almost hard to move, even if he wanted to. At the same time, he felt like he was coming down with a fever. He'd never liked being coddled, he barely liked being cared for. But unbeknownst to him, that was more so from it being unusual than an actual dislike. If he could've been more honest with himself, the way his body was, he'd know he found it far more enjoyable than originally suspected.
The soothing words in his ears with the sweet scented perfume, the delicate touch. Daínn realized it a moment too late, though all the signs were there. The heat rising in the room, the way his pulse spiked, the way he could feel his blood began to pool below his navel. All he could do, however, was hope he wasn't at full mast. Maybe he could ignore it in that case.
"You're alright, aren't you? I'm not hurting you, right?" Zephyr asked. Absentmindedly pushing a curl off of Daínn's forehead with the hand not holding the rag. Daínn had to cough before he replied. "No, no I'm…I'm okay." He said, almost out of breath. Zephyr's brows furrowed.
"Are you sure? It's alright if you aren't, I'd-" Zephyr glanced down and found himself stunned for a second. He hadn't meant to look, honestly. But it was hard not to notice, given it was quite hard to miss. Zephyr swallowed. It was certainly not part of protocol, and anyone else, he would've ignored it and found a clever excuse to leave. That was the professional thing to do.
"Ahh, I see." The words made Daínn cringe. He looked away, off to a far wall. Anticipating a valid reaction, one of disgust or maybe anger. He forced air into his lungs and readied himself for a shameful apology. Only to feel pink painted nails roll over his scalp once more. Scratching carefully behind his ear. His breath hitched, feeling borderline claustrophobic as Zephyr's elbow rested on the tub's edge. Creating little space for him.
"Is that why you've been so tense? Has this been bothering you?" Zephyr asked not far from Daínn's ear. The man swallowed the water that gathered in his mouth, deliberately ignoring the shudder down his spine in order to gaze at Zephyr from his periphery. Though turning his head only made Zephyr appear closer, enough he could feel the quiet breath against his ear. He nodded cautiously. Hearing a little click of the tongue, mimicking a scolding.
"Daínn, you should've told me. What kind of nurse would I be if I didn't fix what ails you, huh?" Zephyr asked. Still petting the veteran's hair, though his other hand drew dizzying delicate lines down Daínn's chest. Making the man shiver under his care. He would've tensed in anticipation, had it not been for the almost paranormal calm that Zephyr seemed to stir in him. He could only lean back more, his head resting against his nurse' shoulder.
"Already do enough for me," Daínn managed. His voice was rough and hushed. His fingers twitched as Zephyr's arm breached beneath the water. Spreading out his fingers as he roved over soft, dampened hair that trailed from Daínn's stomach downward. His middle finger barely grazing the base. Daínn grit his teeth, feeling a delicate peck left to the space behind his ear.
"It's my life's duty to care for you, you know. Whatever you need to feel better," Zephyr leaned forward more. Properly bent in order to reach down enough to try and wrap his fingers around Daínn. Finding it heavier than he expected, which explained why it hadn't exactly been hitting Daínn's stomach before. Weighed down to much by its own girth. He listened as Daínn bit back a grunt while he settled with the feeling of it against his hand.
"Tell me, Daínn. When did this problem start?" Zephyr asked. Feeling his uniform growing more soaked with Daínn's hair as the man turned a little more into his neck. Breathing heavier now. Daínn took a second to gather himself before answering.
"Bout uh…three, four weeks ago? 'S real- ngh. Real troublesome, doc." Daínn managed to make himself let out the tiniest chuckle. Only for his jaw to fall slack as Zephyr gave a curious squeeze, slowly rising to the head, grazing his index fingertip over the slit. He hummed in response.
"I see…and how often does this affect you?" The nurse questioned. "Once, maybe twice a day…" Daínn muttered past his teeth. The words carefully picked despite the haze covering his mind. A clue of sorts, which Zephyr caught almost immediately. Zephyr smiled to himself while analyzing what to do next. The little rhythmic pattern he could feel against his palm, he could measure how many beats per minute his patient's heart was taking. Honestly, it might've worked better than the EKG.
"Tsk, poor thing…" The nurse cooed while, deliberately and slow, he brought his hands all the way up. Then all the way back down to the base. Feeling Daínn's breath hitch against his neck. Zephyr pinched his knees together, willing himself to not be distracted. He wouldn't want to be selfish when there was a man in need, after all. He focused himself to once again go up and down, applying a delicate pressure. He closed his fist a little more as a test, finding Daínn twitched in appreciation. Both his whole body and the damn weapon Zephyr was currently holding.
Not that he was complaining.
"And when this happens to you…what do you think about, exactly?" Zephyr questioned in a whisper. Not losing the pattern he'd built. His other hand still comforting over the other man's curls, moving his hand down a little to felicitously trace the sharp edge of Daínn's jaw. Smiling as he felt the scrape of the man's stubble against his fingertips. He smoothed over the jawbone, feeling as the man's teeth released each other, no longer clenched.
"'S not really- not really appropriate." Daínn finally answered, out of breath.
Zephyr shook his head. "I can't help you if you don't tell me, mister Daínn. You know that." He murmured, almost bordering on teasing in his tone. He almost laughed a little when he felt a huff of breath hit his neck. In response, he squeezed Daínn just under the head. Getting a hiss and a cut off groan for his efforts, all while Zephyr sighed, like he was mildly disappointed.
"I suppose if you don't want to tell me, I could always guess." He offered. Looking down to watch his hand move under the water. He swallowed, rolling his tongue almost hungrily over his bottom lip. Only getting vanilla lip gloss.
"Let's see," He began while tilting his head to the side. Giving Daínn more room to fit in the curve of his neck. "Maybe you were thinking about…an old fling? Some pretty lady, recently divorced, looking for a no strings attached night of fun." He guessed jokingly. It made Daínn scoff. Almost responding verbally but that was dashed when Zephyr pressed at the base, fingers almost forming a ring for a moment. Daínn settled for shaking his head.
"No? Okay…then, maybe you were thinking about an old college buddy, hm?" The nurse's amusement hit his voice, ending in almost a snicker. "Night in the locker room, pressed close, a dirty little secret?" He got Daínn to mutter a strained denial. Mixed in with heavy breaths and shivers.
Zephyr clicked his tongue and faked a pout. "Damn, I thought I had that one. Alright…let me try again." He said, by now he'd been going slow and steady for so long, it was making Daínn flinch. But too polite to ask for anything more. Or maybe he was worried this was all a dream, which would end if he moved wrong. His hands tensed subconsciously when a slow, delicate kiss hit the edge of his ear.
"Were you…thinking about someone here, in the hospital?" Zephyr questioned. His sweet voice now almost dangerous. A singular octave lower. Rising from his chest, rolling over like layers of honey. Daínn nodded with a slow exhale. Only for his head to twitch back when his answer got Zephyr to speed up a bit. Not by much, but anything was enough at this point. Zephyr bit down on his lower lip when he heard to sound Daínn made.
"I see, okay. Someone here. Could it be someone who you see often?" He asked.
Daínn grunted out a noise that really wasn't a word, though that was his intention. He swallowed and settled for nodding again. He got more pressure for his answer, making him sink a little further knees bumping the walls of the tub. Zephyr hushed at him. Threading his fingers in Daínn's hair again, almost cradling his head in a way.
"Shh, don't tense. Breathe. You're okay." Zephyr reassured. It was almost scary, some kind of witchcraft the way the mere words of consolation made Daínn's muscles give away again.
"There we go, that's good." The nurse praised as Daínn's sank down again. Not missing the rather impressive shudder he got in reply. He hummed slowly, remembering what he was doing before.
"Now where was I? Oh, right," He smiled. "Someone you see often in the hospital. Have you been thinking about a nurse?" He questioned, hoping he didn't sound too smug when he asked. Because they both knew by now. But in case there was any doubt, Daínn washed that away by forcing out his answer from his chest. Saying 'yes' quicker than he had before. Maybe because he'd caught on with the pattern they had now, and he was a little eager for more. He got what he wanted, another speed up while Zephyr nodded in understanding.
"Daínn." Just the way he said it made the man's stomach tense. He was used to hearing his name said sternly, sometimes with malice in between the spaces of the letters, disappointment woven into the syllables. Yet here, now, it was said wanton and almost romantically. Like Zephyr liked the taste of it. That train of thought wasn't helping. He almost missed the following question his nurse asked.
"Were you thinking of me?" Zephyr asked.
"Too fuckin' often." Daínn answered with an edging crack in his voice. Zephyr rewarded his honesty with an appreciatively firm and fast few strokes. Being sure he didn't miss any space, even if his hands were notably smaller and softer than Daínn's own. Something about that made it worse. Or better, depending on how you looked at it.
"I see. My, it must've been hard to keep it together, hm? You should've told me sooner." Zephyr replied, still keeping Daínn's head from completely falling back. Still doing his best to keep the man from tensing up. Still ignoring the no doubt obvious swell forming in his uniform.
"I can't say I'm not curious what exactly about me visiting you got you like this." He continued. Voice unfairly steady all things considered, though a notable breathlessness had begun to lay across every word. Eyes roving over every detail he could get. A sight he'd been selfishly wanting for weeks. It wasn't often he came across a man like Daínn, in almost every sense. He began to muse out loud. Almost losing his own train of thought in the act of service of it all.
"I also wonder where your mind would go," He wondered out loud. Not acknowledging the shuddered whisper of his name from his patient. "Maybe you thought of something like this? That time you complimented my nails, did you go on to imagine how nicely the color would compliment you here? Maybe how I'd graze over those piercings we had to take out?" He actually let himself chuckle a little this time.
"You really should let me see those when you get to put them back in."
By now, Daínn felt like he was on fire. Yet he couldn't even bring himself to buck up. He couldn't rush it even if he wanted to, something about the air felt like molasses. Thick, sweet, and sticky. Keeping him languid in the, now lukewarm, water. Only able to occasionally manage the subconscious twitch when Zephyr's fingers traced under the head or over the slit. Not to mention the throb that seemed to happen whenever the other man finished a sentence. Syllables playing out like he'd been reading Daínn's mind.
Some kind of incubus boon, he must've had.
"Or maybe you were thinking of my thighs? I know you like them. You look at them a lot," Zephyr began again. He let Daínn's face fit in the crook of his neck and shoulder. Resting his cheek there, even giving a loving peck to the man's hairline before continuing. "I can't imagine me tightening my legs together to create a place for you would really fix this problem though, would it? Little too…intense for that."
Daínn cursed to himself in a language Zephyr couldn't understand. But he'd make sure to learn about it later. When he'd finished his job, naturally.
"Oh I know," The man took a slower stroke upward this time. Twisting his wrist a bit as he went back down, unable to stop the awe he felt when he watched Daínn's abs tighten again. Hell, he almost forget to finish his thought, but only almost, thankfully.
"You must've been thinking about where in your room was hidden from that camera. Some corner where you could crowd me against. Probably didn't care if you popped a stitch, just so long as you could sink this down my throat. How's that? Am I close?"
Daínn certainly was. The mental image of the cotton candy colored man on his knees, wearing one of those little nurse caps with the cross. Little kitten heels and a pair of shiny nylon stockings, dressed all in white like an angel. Lip gloss smeared down his chin with watery eyes gazing upward with some kind of reverie.
Zephyr sighed with admiration when Daínn finally let out a sound not kept caged in his throat. Deep and raspy, coming from his diaphragm without any impediments. The sound waves just loud enough to vibrate off the walls. A pattern that Zephyr would've liked to delicately engrave in the ridges of his brain, so he could run over it again when he was alone perfectly. He'd settle for the chance to get this opportunity again though. If not for himself than at least for Daínn to get a little closer to feeling ready to face the world again. Give him a feeling the medicine couldn't really touch.
"There's just so many possibilities, really." He began again, deliberately ignoring how sore his shoulder was getting. Never one to leave a job half done.
"You might've thought of me laid underneath you, flushed and breathless. Needy, too. Could've been wondering how I sound with my face hidden in a pillow, with my face trapped between your bicep. Ooo, or maybe what I look like when I bend over so far it stretches out my back?"
By now Zephyr was just using his own lustful wishes to torture the poor man. But, as a wise man once said, it could only get worse before it got better. Each thought playfully pushed into Daínn's head, vivid and desperate, all with a melodic voice that might've been making heaven right on earth. All of it pushed him closer and closer to the cliff. Swaying over the edge of it. If he could've thought for more than two seconds, he might've even been a little embarrassed about the choked whine he let out when he got a tantalizing kiss to his cheekbone.
"Well, with so many treatment plans for your ailment, I'm just not sure what to prescribe you, dear." Zephyr hummed quizzically. He hummed, watching as Daínn's back began to bow in. A movement he couldn't control. He cooed in earnest affection as he moved with the man, just to make sure his hand's pattern didn't get thrown off. He let out a short breath, laced with a dangerous sweetness like belladonna.
"I guess we'll just have to try them all, won't we?" He offered like a promise.
Just the implication was enough, evidently. Daínn had been through hell and back, lived a lot of lives in only thirty years. It wasn't like he was some virginal saint. Yet somehow, be it a long break of abstinence, or, his theory, the fact it was the angel in white over his shoulder doing this to him, it was the kind of orgasm that whited out your vision for a moment. Gasping breaths and a broken moan coupled with cloudy grey irises rolling back. Maybe only a couple seconds but it felt like an eternity before he could get enough oxygen in his lungs.
Zephyr kept his hand moving, though slowing down carefully with each stripe of iridescent white that left the man. Hushing him soothingly when Daínn came down from it. Letting his hand fall away and leave the water only when his dear patient winced at the sensitivity. He slyly wiped his palm on the bottom of his uniform, which he would have to change out of anyway. His other hand working out Daínn's hair and down to cradle his jaw again. Tracing the line of his artery, taking a second to feel his pulse thrum under the tan skin.
"Easy, Daínn, deep breaths. Let it ebb away…there you go…" Zephyr instructed gently. Daínn's vision, though a little hazy, began to return to him. Past a couple rapid blinks and shifting roves of his eyes around the room. Just to make sure he didn't actually die on that damn stretcher and this was all a fabrication of a paradise his sinful ass didn't deserve. He finally glanced up to Zephyr's face. Finding an expression full of an emotion a little too intense for just simple lust. Having Daínn's chest tighten for a moment, only for his body to remind itself what Zephyr offered it.
Some peace.
"You feel any better?" His nurse asked. Daínn blinked slow, swallowing before he attempted an answer. He gave a lazy nod first. "Yeah…I think so. Thanks doc." He offered. Feeling a more relaxed kind of heat wash over him as he watched the other man laugh a bit. Looking back at him with a generosity that could only be born from something holy.
"Only the best for my favorite patient."
(Banner credit; @pixopix . Daínn is @psycheofaphaggot 's character. Zephyr is mine)
”After years of silence, the Rochana family is finally opening their doors for more suitors."
The Rochana Family was illustrious and well known. A political monarchy in their well established home of Helioplesia. Known for many accomplishments, many attributed to their many children. While they were often known for breaking age old customs, it was hard to deny the benefits of marriage. Politically, financially, heirs, etc. So, as a way to hopefully speed up the process, the five available Rochana's came up with a game.
Inviting suitors from all over, they'd do their best to gain the hearts of each Rochana sibling over the course of two weeks. Staying in the estate and going through the trials and games each of the Rochana's had set up. All with the hope of earning a hand in marriage.
Zephyr isn't thrilled. While he tries to avoid being idealistic, he did always wish for more of a book kind of romance. Or one more earnest. Years of being around nobility, their brown-nosing, has left him tired. However, when he spots an earnest and gruff man in the crowd, he's infatuated. But, Daínn is no suitor. He wasn't an option. Only there to watch his more noble brothers.
However, Daínn can't seem to lose.
This is a fic that's pulled from the story role-play my partner ( @psycheofaphaggot ) and I have been doing the past year. Using our OCs Zephyr(mine) and Daínn(theirs)! It's an AU we're doing for fun! But, we both really like it!
Plus, it's been helping me get back into writing after being so out of it the past two years. I know it's not my usual work but I hope it's still enjoyable to read!
when my wife hasn’t posted in ao3 in five million years and the first time they do its not even slashers. just our bullshit ocs that we’ve been obsessed with for months LMAOO
I think Lakan might be one of the only examples of implied high support needs autism I've seen in anime.
You'd think he'd be low support needs, right? I mean, he's crazy intelligent and a good judge of character, which are typically more low support traits, but this isn't the case. Lakan needs to be watched constantly, cannot communicate effectively in regards to anything that isn't strategy, and clearly needs a higher amount of support than other autism-coded characters in Apothecary Diaries like Lahan or Maomao. He has to be watched constantly to make sure he doesn't run off, and he shows a disposition that doesn't really match his age.
What really makes me like him as a representation of high support needs autistics is that this support doesn't make him less useful or less of a person within the story like high support needs is typically depicted as. He's eccentric (his whole family is, generational autism clan ftw) but his interests aren't shamed and he contributes heavily in the ways he can. This might sound a little rambly lol I just really appreciate seeing a HSN autism-coded character in a sea of LSN autism-coded characters that isn't sent to the background
i'm probably gonna say very little about fandom discourse around this ep because spring break starts next week and i'm running out of sanity but actually. i love everyone on the pitt being flawed and fucked up and nasty sometimes. i love robby being a hypocrite and repulsed by samira's anxiety because he's repulsed by his own. i love that, alternatively, samira is repulsed by her mother's loneliness because she's repulsed by her own, too. i love santos blaming langdon for her ostracization at the ED and her unwillingness to see that, separate of the langdon issue (however separate you can make it), if you go around being an asshole to your peers all the time, some people are just not going to fucking like you. i love that its garcia specifically who checks santos for the lack of decorum she's displaying in front of their patients in this ep because garcia herself could arguably stand to have a bit more decorum when talking about patients and she's also treating santos like a dogggg right now. i love that mel is overstepping boundaries with becca and coddling her in a way that doesnt allow becca the space she deserves to be an autonomous adult with autism who should be respected on her own terms because mel's also struggling with what it means to be an autonomous adult with autism who should be respected on her own terms. i think there's a difference between a show depicting characters behaving badly and cosigning their bad behavior. i think a good character and a good person are separate categories. i love that this is a show that isn't so obsessed with likability that it keeps its characters from behaving badly.
frankly, i hope these characters keep fucking up, and i hope they keep getting checked by their fellow fuck ups, because that's life, brother. there is no divine priestly class of sinless people who exist to tell the "bad" people off for their missteps. and i hope that, as the show progresses, we see robby, santos, mohan, langdon etc make more mistakes and better mistakes. and i love that this show, for all its flaws, is (imo) still holding true to its premise that people are not wholly defined by their best moments or their worst. no matter how uncomfortable it is to sit with that nuance or how tense that makes an episode of television lol.
robby can lash out in self-hatred and be a misogynist at the same time. robby can be written to be purposefully hypocritical and incidentally misogynistic at the same time. robby can be suffering from ptsd and be a misogynist at the same time. “actually the point is he’s lashing out because he sees himself in samira and hates it” correct. AND he’s being misogynistic while he’s at it
How it feels to genuinely enjoy the Pitt and not get caught up on every little bad thing a character has done because they’re all complex human beings and none of them are truly evil like everyone in this fandom seems to think
It seems like many people missed that little exchange between Abbot and Al-Hashimi (don't blame you, they're both so hot I had to rewind several times).
Basically what Al-Hashimi says is that she worked in Kabul, Afghanistan and specifically in 2020 at the maternity wing of a hospital. In May of 2020 there was a massacre at the maternity wing which is located in Dasht-e-Barchi (that's what Abbot is referencing, that's why he follows up with "Tragedy.").
Given the scenes with the baby girl in the first episodes and now Al-Hashimi making a phone call to the Neuroscience Group to book an appointment with her doctor, she clearly has some sort of PTSD.
Can't wait to see where her storyline goes next. Sepideh does a phenomenal job with this role so far.