“Julian,” they asked. “How do you know this part if you weren’t there?”
“Hush, my darling,” he replied. “I’m trying to set the scene for you.
“Well, I really need some mugwort and coneflower petals,” they replied. “Have you got any?”
Salina was already twirling about behind the counter, climbing the step-stool to reach for the jar of mugwort.
“How much do you need, handsome?” She asked. Lochlan smirked at the shameless flirting, not an uncommon thing for them here. They patted their pockets, pretending to check for money as they began their question.
“How much can I get for…” The paused. Cue the concerned expression. “Uhm…” One more pat-down. “Oh no,” They said with a pout. “Looks like I forgot my money today.” They pulled the puppy dog eyes.
“Man, I really needed that mugwort too…” Salina sighed in sympathy. “Do you think I could pay you for it later?” They asked.
Salina was losing the fight within herself. The battle between finances and her position working in the shop, and her desire to see that beautiful smile on their face again.
“I really not supposed to do that…” She said. “And I’ve already let you do it a few times before...”
“Our tragic hero knew there wasn’t much for them to do now,” Julian added with a dramatic flutter of his hand in Lochlan’s line of vision. “And when the apothecary door opened with a new customer, they were ready to cut their loss and leave.”
“But then a tall handsome stranger stepped in, right?” Lochlan asked.
“Ah yes,” Julian replied with a grin. “I believe it was a dashing doctor, standing at a gangly six feet tall.”
Julian entered the shop, stomping dust from his boots, as Salina directed her attention to him in hopes of evading the awkward stand-off with Lochlan.
“Hello, my dear,” Julian said. “I need some coneflower petals and cardamom.”
“Right away, sir.” She replied, quickly stepping up and reaching for the respective jars.
“I’m sorry,” Julian said to the wide-eyed customer before him. “Were you being served?”
“Uh, no…” Lochlan said. “I was just leaving…” They took a few steps, breezing past until Julian caught their shoulder.
“You came in here for a reason, didn’t you, kid?” He asked.
“I needed...some stuff,” they replied. “But I forgot my money.”
“Slippery mind, hmm?” Julian smirked. He stood up fully, neither of them having realized he leaned in so close and squared his shoulders, turning to the girl busying herself with scooping and weighing the herbs. “Let them get when they need,” He commanded. “On me.”
“Oh, you don’t…”
“Hush,” Julian interrupted. “What kind of doctor am I if I don’t help people?” He winked in Lochlan’s direction as Salina bowed her head, nodding when Lochlan asked for two ounces of each.
“What’s your name?” Julian asked.
“Lochlan.” They replied.
“Ah, Lochlan,” Julian grinned. “What a lovely name, a musical name. Lochlan…”
“And who are you?”
“I am Julian,” he said. “You can call me Doctor Devorak.”
“So, Coneflower petals,” Julian said. “Are you planning on using them for some kind of tea?”
“I steep them in boiling water and Prakran sugar until the whole mess bubbles, I’ve come to find that they make these little candies that help with cold symptoms. My friend and I sell them when we can.”
“Ah, so my money goes to a young upstart!” Julian laughed. “How about the mugwort.”
“It’s for my aunt. She’s feeling sick right now, and I know that tends to help her stomachaches.”
“I’ll admit,” Julian said as he nuzzled his nose against Lochlan’s cheek. “I was impressed by your knowledge, after all...you were what, eighteen? And you already knew so much without being a doctor’s apprentice.”
“Asra always told me the little bit he knew of my parents,” Lochlan replied. “He said that I was from Zadith just like him, that I told him about my parents when we were kids.”
“Oh, really?” Julian asked.
“Yeah. According to Asra, my mother was a healer, not a doctor, but had experience; and my father had some magical abilities.”
“Amazing…” he said. “So you get your ability from your father?”
“I guess so.” Lochlan smiled as Julian peppered their face with kisses.
“My wonderful genius.” He mused.
“So what happened next?” Lochlan asked. “Did you sweep me off my feet or something?”
“I’m afraid that happened a long time later,” Julian replied. “I paid for everything, gathered my order, and left. You did ask me where I worked, but… I didn’t hear what you said fully, so I think I just laughed and walked out the door.”
“That does sound like something you’d do, love,” Lochlan replied. They chuckled, kissing away the pout that formed on Julian’s lips, before he settled on the window perch behind them, resting his head on their shoulder now as the two watched Malak fly around the roof of their home.
“When did we fall in love?” Lochlan asked. “Do you remember it?”
“The first time?” Julian asked. Lochlan nodded, and he gazed outward, staring into the sky, reddened by the setting sun.
“I remember it now.” He said. “For a long time it seemed more like a dream than a memory, but somewhere along the way, along all the adventures, it all came back to me…”
One long bony finger twirled a piece of Lochlan’s long hair as he considered it.
“It was early summer...after the plague broke out,” he said. “It had been maybe three months into the epidemic, hundreds were dead, and those who survived isolated themselves. We had been in the last lot of doctors, you were 0-65 and I was 0-69.”
“Really?” They asked. Julian nodded into the curve of their neck.
“Since we knew each other and Valdemar realized we worked well together, they paired us up, we did a lot, found a lot. We nearly perfect bloodletting,” He let out a breath that could have been construed as a laugh. “And somewhere along with all the work, we found time for each other, little touches as we read things, smiles as we fixed up each others’ uniforms, and one night you rested your head on my shoulder, falling asleep as we logged all the notes from the day, that was the part you never enjoyed.”
“How was I supposed to know that years later I’d use those notes and journals to find you again?” Lochlan smirked.
“You were so cute,” Julian replied. “I didn’t have the heart to wake you and send you to your own cot so we both slept on mine. A tight squeeze, I may add; and in the morning, you woke up on top of me,” He smiled fondly at the memory now. “And instead of being startled or angry, you just said good morning and kissed me.”
“I did?” They asked.
“Yes,” Julian replied. “I was still waking up, so it barely registered. But I know I returned the gesture, and we didn’t really stop until someone knocked on the door telling us to report to the morning meeting.”
“Oh…” Lochlan muttered.
“We ended up making a game of it,” Julian added. “If we were passing each other during the day and our hands were full, we’d brush shoulders. We’d often stand in the back during meetings and see how far we could go to make the other blush...and I seem to remember a certain someone keeping a hand on my behind for an entire thirty-minute meeting.”
Lochlan blushed, feeling the second-hand fluster years later.
“I’m sure I deserved it though,” Julian added. “Can’t for the life of me remember why, but I’m sure of it.” The way his side-long gaze landed on them made them think that he knew exactly what he’d done, but he would omit it for the sake of the story.
“I remember the second time then,” Lochlan said. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the moment.”
“When?” Julian asked. Lochlan realized now that Julian was staring at them very intently. Eyes wide open and mouth pressed firmly closed. Eager to hear their truth. When had they fallen in love with him?
“It was at the aqueducts,” They said. “I think the moment you grabbed my hand to lead me down after ripping the vampire eel off of me. Maybe it was the way your face looked, so concentrated and professional, the way your voice dropped...it was sexy. You seemed to enter a whole other realm of existence. You weren’t the fugitive, or the stranger...you were just Julian. A handsome doctor with such skilled hands. Then when I realized you had taken on the pain for me, I really had it bad. You led me to a safe haven while bleeding and injured, and kept me safe, even though you barely knew me.”
Julian opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, drawing in a deep breath while his cheeks burned a hot red.
“You’re so cute when you’re flustered, darling.” Lochlan said.
“Only you, my love…” Julian finally replied after a moment. “Only you could render me speechless like this.” Julian stood up, holding out a hand to Lochlan and they took it. Soon his lips were smashed into their. A hungry kiss that took their breath away. Hands roughly entwined into his red hair.
“I love you, Julian.” the said.
“I love you, Lochlan.”
