Love Shen! Can you maybe write simmering about him being nonchalant and reader thinks he’s not into her but he’s like flirting to the max in his mind?
You have a tendency to laugh him off when he makes comments that could be perceived as flirting. Easy to dismiss as “that’s just Shen” when you see the way he treats everyone else in the Pitt.
He’s friendly—more often than not, when he's covering day shifts for Robby, staff feel more relaxed in his presence. Less like there’s someone breathing down their neck, disappointment heavy in their sigh.
“What are you doing once you’re done here?”
You look up from the tablet you’re reading through, blinking at Shen who posed the question.
“Probably check on my patient.” It comes out uncertain, like a question.
Shen frowns. “No, I meant—after today. Our shift. Not that.” He gestures to the tablet you’re holding.
“Oh.” For a moment, you had thought he was passive-aggressively asking you to move onto your next task. “Crash, probably. I’m going to sleep for the next 10 hours. Hopefully longer.”
Shen nods, sipping absentmindedly at his Dunkin cup. “You want to get coffee after?”
“Why would I get coffee if I want to sleep?” You have to remind yourself that he’s not interested. You’re reading into things that aren’t there. Shen wouldn’t ask you out—he’s probably inviting you out for night shift traditions that he upholds with other staff. It’s not a personal thing.
“Alright,” he says, shrugging.
And that’s the thing too. If he had any intent to follow through with his flirting, he wouldn’t back off that quickly, you think. He wouldn’t be that nonchalant.
Later, much later, Shen leans his forehead against the desk at the nurses’ station. Parker pats his back. “What am I doing wrong?” he bemoans.
Parker stifles a laugh. “Have you tried asking for a date?”
“I have.” Quickly approaching a whiny intonation that’s unbecoming of his attending status. But he and Parker have been close since their med student years. Hanging out with her brings back juvenile behaviours.
“A proper one, dumbass.”
“What if I get rejected?”
“That hasn’t stopped you from flirting.”
“Yeah, but that’s testing the waters.”
“You flirt with everyone.”
“I don’t flirt with you.”
“Because I’d punch you in the face if you did.”
Shen sniffs, groaning as he straightens his back. “Valid. I’d expect nothing less, Parker.”
“Um,” you hedge, a sudden appearance.
“Shit—hey.” Shen contorts his face into a smile for you.
Parker smothers a laugh by clearing her throat, turning her head away.
“Can I present my case to you?” you ask, holding out the tablet between you as an offering.
“Yeah, course.” He takes it, skimming through your notes as you talk about your patient.
You yawn, knuckles rubbing against your eye. Shutting your locker.
“Hey,” Shen says, sidling up to you.
“Hey,” you respond, soft. “Did I forget something?”
“No. Uh—” Uncharacteristically nervous. Lips pursing. “Did you… um. Ever want to get breakfast together? Just you and me. As a date.”
You blink at him, owlish.
“And no coffee,” he adds.
You’re still staring silently. Brain sluggish.
“You know, it’s—”
“Yes,” you say. “Yeah, I’d like that. As a date.”
Shen grins, and something about it makes your face respond in its own smile. “Great. I’ll message you and we can schedule something. You probably still want to catch your sleep, right?”
A tired chuckle escapes you. “Yeah. Um. I’ll—respond. When I’m awake.” You wince; it already sounded stupid before it left your mouth.
“Great.”
When you leave, Shen finds Parker by Central, charting.
“Put it here.” Holding out a palm.
“Seriously?” Parker gives him a high-five.
“Yeah. It worked.”
“What worked?” Abbot asks, narrowed eyes aimed towards his troublesome doctor duo.
“I got a date.”
“With?”
Parker raises an eyebrow, as if there really is any other option.
