the-sun-twin-blog - Tumblr blog

[the-sun-twin-blog]

Visiting Hours

Moana had been in quarantine now for a few days, standard procedure, of course, but frustrating nonetheless. She still wasn't sure what had gone wrong. From the reports she continued to receive on the company provided laptop - the only thing that made the quarantine bearable - it seemed like cases like hers were springing up throughout town. It looked as if they had a plague on their hands. Of course, that was all the more reason for her to get back out there and back to work, but procedure was not about to be broken, despite her miraculous recovery. The thing was, in all likelihood, she could no longer be infected. Which, in her mind, was the most compelling reason to at least give her the virology reports for the latest claimed by the plague. But they insisted, she needed rest and would be able to return soon enough. Her patience was running thin, but there was not much else she could do. After refreshing her inbox for the fifth time in as many minutes and finding no update and refreshing her facebook page, still lacking anything aside from her mother's latest candy crush score, Moana closed the computer and laid back on the hospital bed. She'd almost managed to convinced herself to sleep when the door slid opened, startling her up from the bed. The face there to greet her wasn't at all what she'd expected though. "You..." she murmured, staring in stunned silence at Dimitri. Moana still hadn't grown used to the "restoration children" this town was host to, so seeing the one who had saved her life was unsettling to say the least. Still, she had to be grateful, even if it was one like him who they suspected to be the source of the influx of patients in her hospital. "Thank you," she said, plainly, wetting her lips as she waited for whatever might have brought him into her quarantine room.

Dimitri had slept for the next 12 hours after healing the doctor, despite many attempts for him to be awoken. It was a deep sleep, and while he had dreams, he didn't regard them as such. They felt more like memories, of him and a woman. The face changed several times but the story stayed the same; he would fall in love with them, and then they would die. Once it was into a flower, the other into a tree, and one was even killed by someone who looked an awful lot like Phoebe. When he'd finally woken up, they didn't fade like most of his dreams had. Fortunately they'd almost immediately thrown him back into work, giving him a few hours more to eat and rest before putting him back onto duty. He wanted to go check in on the doctor that he had saved, make sure that she was okay, but he was told he had more pressing matters and that she was fine and in quarantine. It took him several days before he finally had a free moment, not exhausted, and headed to her room. He felt a twinge of nervousness, causing him to pause for a moment. He always checked up on his patients at least once, but this was an agent. He wasn't sure how she'd react. He opened the door slowly, smiling. "Hi," he said. Everyone reacted to him differently. Some were indifferent, some relieved, and some scared. "Don't thank me. I was just doing what I do best," he said, walking over to the side of the bed. "Do you mind if I sit?" he said, pulling out a chair.

Moana pulled her feet up under her and nodded as Dimitri took his seat. She knew, from the initial briefing, that Dimitri was young, only 18. She'd been two years into college when she was his age though, so maybe not that young. Still, it was strange to think that he was barely a man and already healing in a way her six years of education couldn't compete. She might as well be a nursing assistant compared to the skill Dimitri possessed. Still, despite that and despite the fact that he saved her life, she didn't feel intimidated or in awe. She felt, oddly enough, as if he was just another person. Perhaps it was in the way he carried himself, but Dimitri felt more like a real person than any of the other "restoration children" thus far had. "Still, I appreciate it all the same. You've been working with us for a while now, but I don't think we'd actually met yet." She extended her hand and introduced himself, "I'm Doctor Moana Kawai."

Dimitri didn't know many of the doctors there. Most of them tended to clear out by the time he entered the room, only giving him passing glances. He knew a few of the nurses by name, usually in there to make sure that if something did happen to go wrong they could immediately jump in. Nothing went wrong though, unless the patient was already too far gone, which had happened a few times. Even he couldn't bring back the brain-dead. He took her hand, noting the roughness of her hands. It came with the trade. "Dimitri Papadopolous. But you probably already knew that," he said with a little smile and shrug. He leaned back in the chair. "Everyone here is always so busy, trying to save someone else's life. Always another surgery." He zoned out for a moment, thinking about all the surgeries he'd done that day, before shaking his head and returning to reality. "How are you feeling? I know being locked up can kind of drive you stir-crazy."

Moana nodded. Of course she knew his name. Everyone working in the hospital knew his name. Still, few would have heard it from his lips themselves. "Dimitri," she repeated. Nodding once more, she agreed. Few hospitals were as constantly busy as this one and given the sort of patients they treated, it was understandable. She'd performed more surgeries in her brief time here than most did in their first year out of med school. And yet, here he was, after a full day of patients, asking how she was feeling. Moana smiled and nodded once more. "It's a bit maddening, knowing what's going on out there and not being allowed to get back to work. Otherwise, though? I've never felt better. You really do incredible work."

Dimitri understood the feeling, even if it was in a different context. He wanted to get back to the outside world, but knew that he was needed here. The only thing that had kept him safe was seeing people opening their eyes and being healthy again, though they were the same people that the town mistrusted. "I'm glad that you're feeling better. It got pretty severe I was worried..." he shook his head, not dwelling on the grey illness that had suddenly swept through her. He shrugged, never having really though of it as incredible. "It's nice being able to see people okay again, especially considering what they've been through, but, honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing. I just, sit down, grab their hand, and I know what needs to be fixed."

Moana smiled again, certain that he was sincere about that. As a doctor, she cared about the well being of her patients, but far too many in her field were there more interested in the prestige and the money than the patients. Dimitri though, it was clear he was staying here to help people. "That, in and of itself, is pretty incredible. I studied for years and still can only fix so much." She wet her lips and asked, "All these years, have you healed many?"

Dimitri had rarely thought about the fact that he could do something that others trained for years and years to do. He felt embarrassed now, basically trivializing Moana's job to a bunch of magic spells. He flushed a bit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like what you did was easy... I see how much work everyone puts in just to help one person..." He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Again...sorry." He thought about the people he had helped, and it really wasn't that many until the last week. "Not counting the dozens here, three. And a few animals. Me and my sister, Phoebe, agreed that it was better that we didn't show our powers lest we got caught. And sure enough, I healed a guy in a car accident and we got 'encouraged' to come here." He sighed quietly. "I don't regret it, but every time I try to help it feels like something else goes wrong."

Moana shook her head, still smiling and laughed it off. "No, it's nothing to be sorry for. I know I still do the same when people applaud me for the things that come naturally. Her smile only spread when Dimitri went all nervous, hand in his hair. "Really, it's fine. I understand." She listened as he listed off the handful and his reasons, made mention of his sister, her expression dropping to something sympathetic. "I'm sorry to hear that. It can't have been easy to have to relocate like that." Without even thinking about it, Moana reached out and placed her hand over his with a gentle squeeze. "You're definitely helping here though. I'm not the only one whose life you've save, after all. I know you're only here temporarily, as a stop gap until we get things under control, but maybe you might consider continuing after. It'd certainly make a big difference and it's not like people here have to hide either."

Dimitri relaxed a little as she said it was fine and she understood. It didn't entirely get rid of his worry, but at least she wasn't angry. He really didn't want to upset her, especially since her smile was so comforting. "Thanks," he said simply. "I mean we were already planning on leaving home, this just gave us an excuse, even if it was part of some plan." He barely repressed a jolt of surprise at the contact. It wasn't unwelcome, just not what he expected. He smiled at the gesture, thinking about what she said. Coming back without being forced...he could do that. He could be useful and still have his life. "I think I'd like that," he said, looking her in the eyes. "I'd like to help when I can, you know, without the lightly-veiled threats," he joked, chuckling.

Moana enjoyed the way Dimitri smile, the way it lit up his whole face and, even if she wasn't about to admit it, she hoped to be able to make him smile a good bit more. The other doctors and nurses kept their distance from him and she had to, some out of fear of what the restoration children were capable of, some simply for their own pride; although she'd never much thought about why she kept her distance, Moana had. She was determined though, not to do it again. She gave his hand another gentle squeeze and replied, "I'm sorry they forced your hand. I know that can't have been easy either. For what it's worth, I hope you do come back and not just for the patients. You seem like the sort of person I'd want to work beside."

Dimitri shook his head. "No need for you to apologize, wasn't your doing. I understand now why they had to do it, but maybe next time they can be a little more polite," he said lightly. Dimitri remembered how, before moving to Retina Roots, he'd loved being around people, people like Moana who cared about others. But since he had come there, the situation had gotten complicated and he'd hidden away more. He was beginning to think that being forced to come here was not a bad thing, and Moana was showing him why. "Yeah, I feel the same way. You care." He put his free hand on top of hers. "Thank you, for making this whole thing seem a little less bleak."

Moana shrugged and replied, "It's the government. I don't think they know how to polite." They certainly hadn't in her case, after all. It was all about procedure and policy and swearing her to secrecy. When he commented though, on her making things better and touched her hand like that, a soft dusting of red darkened her cheek. "I'm glad I could help," she answered, her gaze falling down to where their hands were joined. "So, you were taking classes before? What were you studying?" she asked, trying to to divert the conversation away from Dimitri being brought here against his will.

Dimitri laughed, nodding. "Yeah, you're probably right. T.V. shows aren't too ridiculously far off are they?" He noticed the slight blush on her cheeks, and thought the color made her look more youthful. He pulled the hand on top of hers away though, just in case it was making her uncomfortable. "I'm not majoring in anything yet, so I was taking a little bit of everything. A music theory course, an intro to biology course, a poetry course, a couple other things. I'm indecisive," he admitted, giving her a little smile. "But I like the fine arts, so maybe I'll focus on those."

Moana laughed along with him, something she hadn't done in a long time, and replied, "Well, the television makes it seem more exciting and there isn't nearly enough paperwork to accurately reflect the hell that is working with the government." Even though Dimitri pulling his hand away - and her subsequently taking back her own - was likely for the best, it still left her hand a touch colder and a small ache in her chest. It was likely the isolation of quarantine getting the best of her, but Moana had been enjoying that small touch. "That sounds nice," she replied, sincerely. "I was always so focused on becoming a doctor, I had very little time for elective courses, much less a wide variety."

Dimitri grinned largely at the amount of paperwork. If the staff wasn't in surgery, they were doing paperwork. He was exempt from it, because they knew he'd fuck it up, but there was always someone doing it. "I don't know, this is pretty exciting. Equally terrifying, but exciting." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs, listening intently. "What motivated you to be a doctor? I mean, you have to have a drive for it, that much I know. So what was yours?"

Moana nodded. "True, but this is hardly the norm for government work. When I was told I'd be on the very edge of medicine, with diseases and conditions unlike anything I'd see anywhere else, I expected to be in some lab somewhere, doing research on samples for the CDC. I hardly expected this sort of excitement." Or terror. "Not that I regret it." She offered him a small smile and continued, "I was good at it and always wanted to help people. I figure if I have the mind for this sort of science, it's only right I use it to help people."

Dimitri pictured Moana in a lab, leaning over several samples and examining them under a microscope. It made him smile a little, mostly because he couldn't see her doing that. "You must have shown something special to them to get this kind of placement. It's not exactly listed online," he pointed out. He did wonder what brought people into this organization. He imagined it was because of curiosity; they saw something impossible and they looked into it. "At least it's never boring," he said, "Barring being quarantined, of course." He nodded as she spoke. "Do you like it though? It's not exactly the easiest job."

Moana blushed softly at his compliment, even though it shouldn't have affected her so. Certainly, the compliments had been far fewer since arriving in Retina Roots, but Moana had been no stranger to praise prior to that. She'd been a favorite of many of her professors and her parents were ever so proud of their brilliant daughter. Yet, something about it coming from Dimitri made her smile shyly. She nodded and then chuckled at the mention of quarantine. "I do. It wasn't what I imagined doing, but I'm working directly with patients. I never would have realized how important that was before actually doing it, but seeing the faces of the people I'm helping to save has made it worth all the stress, even being in quarantine," she added with a grin.

Dimitri knew that sentiment. Everything that everyone, or he hoped everyone, did in this hospital was for the patients sake. It was seeing that relief when they realized they were alive and going to be okay, or when they got their eyesight back. That's what made it worth it. Dimitri liked making Moana blush; it made him happy for some reason. He felt a pang of guilt, and Phoebe popped into his head. There was no reason for him to feel guilty, so why did he? He pushed it aside, ignoring it. "I'm glad that it's something you've enjoyed. To be here and not at least find some joy in it...it would be miserable."

Moana was fairly certain Dimitri understood, even if she'd studied alongside many who didn't and even worked with some who didn't. "Yeah," she replied, glancing up the the clock. She was honestly surprised Dimitri had stayed this long - longer than all of the time doctors had spent checking on her since she'd been in quarantine collectively - and found herself wondering if he would find a reason to leave soon. Hoping to avoid that, she asked, "So, where were you before Retina Roots, if you don't mind me asking that is?"

Dimitri hadn't been able to find good company in the time he had spent there. Everyone always just wanted him somewhere or were bringing him food. This was the first time that he actually felt like a person again. "Small town in Oregon called Ashland. Our parents were working class people, but we lived comfortable lives." He hadn't realized it until that moment, but he'd been talking in 'we's' instead of 'I's.' Always him and his sister. "I always wanted to get away though," he said, forcing himself to say I.

Moana had picked up on the 'we's' in Dimitri's conversation as well and he'd mentioned a sister, so it was easy to place her in that spot. Something about his tone though, when he mentioned her, even just as the other half of a 'we' felt off to Moana. Still, she wasn't about to call him on it and potentially make him uncomfortable enough to leave. "I can't blame you there. My father's in the navy and so we never stayed in one place long. I couldn't wait to get to college just so I could stay still long enough to make a few friends."

Dimitri had a few army friends when he was younger, and they would always disappear within two years. "I can't imagine that. I mean, I was a social kid, but constantly moving sounds like a nightmare for anyone." He paused, looking at her intently. There was no way she was past her mid-twenties. "When exactly did you go to college? Along that train of thought, and I know this is rude to ask a lady, but how old are you?"

Moana couldn't help but laugh, more because it took this long for that question to come up than anything else. All too often, people questioned her age - she was far too young to be a doctor, too young to be in college, too young - but that'd never bothered her much. "I'm twenty-four. I started college at sixteen, a little early, I know, but I took a lot of AP courses and clepped out of a lot of courses as well," she replied, genuinely happy as she did so.

Dimitri openly gaped, having to remind himself to shut his mouth and not stare. "That's incredible ! And here I was thinking my B+ average was pretty good, but I'm talking to a freaking genius." He smiled big, shaking his head. "Wow; I feel dumb now. That's amazing." He composed himself, trying to not be overly enthusiastic. "So you just barely started working? And already at this facility...I'm sorry I can't get over this." He was excited for her, knowing that someone with her talents was rare. It made him wonder if she was a restoration child as well, but she had made no mention of it, and he didn't get that feeling that he did with the people in town.

Moana shook her head and insisted, "Like I said, I'm used to people praising me for something I can just do. I worked hard too, sure, but I wouldn't have been able to do any of it were it not for being naturally gifted." She found herself reaching for his hand once again and added, "You're not dumb, either. Even if you had a crap GPA, you want to help people and do it. That's more important than perfect grades will ever be." She nodded and smiled, explaining, "I've only been here a few months. They snagged me right out of med school."

Dimitri didn't realize that he'd missed the warmth of her hand until it was back, comforting again. He believed what she said, that in the end it was ultimately about helping others. He nodded. "Yeah, we're both here aren't we?" She'd probably only been a doctor for a little longer than he'd been in Retina. "I'm glad they did so I could meet you," he said, not fully processing how that could be interpreted. "This place is nuts but its got its advantages. Particularly for the naturally gifted."

Moana couldn't help but enjoy that warmth, Dimitri's hand beneath hers. She told herself it was just the isolation; after all, Dimitri had been isolated as well. Instead of the light flush of her cheeks that he'd been able to elicit earlier, Moana's cheeks went dark red at that particular comment and had her smiling and pulling her lower lip between her teeth. "I'm sure you say that to all the pretty girls you meet in a new town," she replied coyly, looking up through her lashes.

Dimitri liked this. He didn't know why he was enjoying himself so much, possibly because he hadn't talked to anyone properly in over a week, perhaps of the good company, but what he did know was that Moana biting her lip was ridiculously cute. He winked. "You know it," he said with a laugh, before shaking his head lightly. "Nah, I used to be that guy, not so much lately though. New town, new me," he said proudly, even though he knew that the real explanation was not something to be proud of. "But I do make an exception from the new me for the really gorgeous women," he teased.

Moana rolled her eyes but could do nothing to stifle the grin or the blush. "New you, huh?" she asked. "Well, new you sounds like someone I'd really like to get to know." The words themselves could have been perceived as flirtatious but her tone was genuine. Despite having chosen this town because of how close it was to where she'd gone to medical school and not wanting to move again, Moana still hadn't made many friends in town. Sure, she had a few colleagues she'd get drinks with after a really long day at work, but none who she knew well enough to really even call friends. Still, Dimitri seemed like the sort of person she could genuinely enjoy seeing outside of work. Of course, she had to add, almost teasing, "That is assuming there isn't some jealous girlfriend who would raise a fuss over you having a 'really gorgeous' female friend?" She was only almost teasing though because she actually had been on the bitter end of insecure girlfriends who thought she posed a threat by befriending their boyfriends.

Dimitri "Well new me would be happy to get to know you as well," he responded, unable to stop the smile on his face. He felt normal, without any weird powers or relationships that others would deem disgusting. He hoped that she felt the same way. It came crashing down the moment she brought up a girlfriend though. The smile fell and while he was quick to replace it, he couldn't shake the heaviness in his heart at the thought of Phoebe, and how fucked up everything was. "Nah, the biggest worry is my sister. She's way overprotective. But she wouldn't protest against another friend. I need to get out of the house more anyway."

Moana caught the momentary drop in Dimitri's smile and worried she'd hit the nail right on the head. Even as he replaced the smile and assured her that the only issue was his overprotective sister, it felt like there was something more than just that. Still, she kept her smile on and decided, on impulse alone, to push the line. "Well, if there's no girlfriend in the picture, you'll have to let me take you out for dinner once I finally get out of quarantine. Should be soon too."

Dimitri kept his composure. Would saying yes be betraying Phoebe's trust? It was just dinner, it wasn't anything serious, and besides he could use that sense of normalcy right about now. He grinned and said, "I would gladly say yes, but I'm not sure the guards would exactly approve."

Moana 's grin widened and she gave his hand another squeeze. "How about you leave the guards to me and I'll handle everything?" she replied, already planning how she would sneak him out for an evening, nowhere too far, just back to her apartment and make him something. She was far from a five star chef, but Moana could manage something that easily would be better than whatever they had been feeding him here.

Dimitri felt his cheeks redden and this time his smile was genuine. He might actually be able to get out, even temporarily. Already he was thinking of what he could do for that temporary amount of time. He didn't want to escape, not now, and as he ran through the possibilities he realized all he really wanted to do was call his sister and enjoy the night away. "I will put that job in your capable hands," he said happily. He knew that she'd figure out a way. He glanced up at the clock and realized just how long he'd been there. It hardly seemed like any at all, and he was reluctant to let it end. "When is your quarantine supposed to end? So I know when I need to pull out the nice t-shirt," he joked.

Moana saw the way Dimitri blushed and grinned and she definitely wanted to see more of that. His agreeing to the date only further brightened her mood. It'd been several days, weeks even since she'd felt so light and carefree and even if Dimitri's sister was going to make her run the gauntlet to prove herself good enough for her brother, Moana could already see herself more than willing to do so. His glance at the clock worried her a touch, that maybe he was looking to leave. Still, she kept her smile bright and answered, "Tomorrow three-fifty-two PM and not a second later." Even were it not for such a pleasant visit today and plans to look forward to, she would have still been counting down the minutes. "They'll have some paperwork for me to file after I get out and then I'm free til the morning after, so, when you're shift ends tomorrow, I'll be there."

Dimitri chuckled at the exact answer. "You're very precise aren't you?" He could picture the clock rolling to 3:52 and Moana simply getting up and leaving without another word. He covered his mouth, trying and failing to suppress his laughter at the thought. "Always more paperwork isn't there? Well I'll look forward to after your paperwork and after my shift. God knows I'll be hungry enough to eat a horse."

Moana shrugged, still smiling and insisted, "You'd be counting down the seconds too, if you were stuck in quarantine." She hoped he took it lightly, given that he didn't exactly have the freedom to just leave the facility or an exact date as to when he could go, but still that was better than being locked in the same four walls with no one to talk to and nothing to do besides refresh the same few web pages to no avail. His laughter only made her smile all the more, even if it might have been a touch at her expense. His laughter was infectious and addictive at the same time and she just wanted to hear more. "Always, but I knew I was getting into that much at least. I can't promise any horses, but I do make a pretty amazing kalua pork."

Dimitri laughed while nodding. "You are absolutely right about that. I've always wanted an excuse to carve tally marks into a wall," he teased. He was glad to see her smile so brightly, feeling almost privileged to be able to witness it. Doctors were always so serious, and seeing one relaxed felt like an insight into another world. "Damn, I was really looking forward to that horse," he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis, "But the kalua pork sounds just as amazing and my mouth is already watering." The food at the hospital wasn't ridiculously bad, and he was pretty sure his dinner was specially made, but the kalua pork sounded divine at that moment. And having more of an opportunity to see Moana smile? It was definitely going to be a good day. "I hope there's no jealous ex that might beat me into a pulp."

Moana laughed softly at his teasing, knowing that she was making a bit bigger deal out of the few days she'd been in quarantine than she ought to, but still glad he took it so lightly. Every other thing to pass his lips, be it words or laughter only further encouraged her mirth. "Well good, because I'm already looking forward to making it for you," she replied. When he brought up the jealous ex - which was only fair since she'd asked first - she laughed even harder. "Definitely not jealous ex. I've honestly never had a serious relationship. I dated a little in high school and have been on a few dates since, but no one ever really clicked. Honestly, I'm sure it's at least partially my fault. See, not too many people who understand and respect the challenges of med school also have much interest in my hobbies." In fact, Moana had met exactly one other med school student who was interested in surfing and he ended up not making the cut. Last she'd heard, he was teaching high school biology now.

Dimitri was slightly relieved that there wasn't going to be anyone out for his blood. After all she was gorgeous and of course she would have exes, so when she explained she'd only dated a little, he was a little surprised. "Seriously? You had to have had guys falling for you left and right. I guess I can't really say much, considering I never really dated seriously either, but that's cause I was an idiot and knew I could get away with it." At least in high school he was still having fun with the romance. Now it was drama and secrets. "You deserve the best, someone who respects you and likes what you like. On that topic, what are your hobbies so I can start sounding at least a little intelligent on them?" He was only half-joking on the second half. He was genuinely interested in what she did in her free time.

Moana shrugged, taking the the compliment with a hint of the blush that had dusted her cheeks earlier. "I'm sure there were people interested, but med school doesn't leave a lot of free time, so it had to be someone who could respect both lives." She hoped Dimitri's lack of serious dating wasn't an opposition to such - not that she should have been thinking of a man she barely knew like that, but it was always nice to know the option was there. She chuckled a little and answered, "The only thing I love almost as much as medicine is surfing. Most of my free time is spent in the ocean or on the beach. Volleyball was always a good way to spend the time out there when it was too cold to surf. Not that it's every actually too cold to surf. It's just there aren't too many people willing to do it year round, so sometimes it's meant settling for just being near the ocean, when no one would join me in it. I was lucky though. My brothers and sisters all loved surfing too, so at least while I was still at home with them, they'd be glad to join me." Realizing she was rambling, Moana pulled her lower lip between her teeth, grinning up at him coyly. "Sorry, I get a little excited when I talk about surfing."

Dimitri "And it's not easy to balance professional and personal lives. I get that." He leaned forward as he listened to her talk, noting the way her eyes sparkled as she talked about her passions outside of medicine. When people talked about what they loved, that's when he saw their true beauty. His smile grew bigger as she talked about her family joining in on surfing and he stayed quiet for a few moments after she finished. "Don't apologize for talking about something you love. Especially when you talk about it so passionately. It...it makes you more gorgeous." He hadn't flirted like this since he'd first gotten into town, but it was all honest compliments as well. "Do you still go surfing with your family?"

Moana flushed harder at the compliment which she was certain now had well crossed into flirting territory. It'd been a long while since someone had paid her this sort of attention when it wasn't just trying to get in her pants. Not that she'd mind if that was part of Dimitri's aim as well, it was just clear he cared about her as a person. "Thank you," she murmured, still grinning wide. "I do, when I visit them. One plus to my father being in the navy, even though they move often, they're always near water." That had been the biggest blessing growing up, well, that and her siblings. Much as they fought - as siblings often do - she still loved them dearly and they were her best friends. Pushing that thought aside, Moana took note on their hands connected once more and the way Dimitri had leaned in closer. She couldn't help but scoot closer to the edge of the bed, if only to close some of what little distance remained and ask, her voice soft and inviting, "What about you? What do you love to do?"

Dimitri grinned at the deep red of her cheeks, realizing how much fun he was having. "That's great. Always being able to go home and knowing that you'll have something to do together." His family had always been close, his parents doing their best to make him and Phoebe happy, but the closest they ever got to a family activity was a required game night. He smiled softly as she moved closer. "As lame and cheesy as it sounds, I write poetry and play a few instruments," he said, averting his eyes, his smile more embarrassed now. "I've always just had a natural talent for them. Helps me process things."

Moana shook her head. "That doesn't sound lame or cheesy at all. I danced a little when we were still in Hawaii, but I've never been able to do much with any instrument and poetry was never my forte either. I've always admired people who could make music and poetry." Nodding, she said, "And that's what the ocean does for me. No matter how bad a day I've had, no matter the stress, a few hours on the waves and I'm right as rain." She wet her lips, glancing over at the embarrassed little grin he sported before asking, "Maybe I could talk you into joining me sometime?"

Dimitri was glad that she didn't think his hobby stupid. Most people seemed to find it cool, but there were always a few that thought it was stupid and that he shouldn't enjoy it. "Well I'll have to show you some of my poetry to make sure I'm worthy of that admiration." He wondered if he could ask for his poetry notebook from his apartment, so he could show her one of the finished ones. "Everyone needs something like that." He chuckled, but nodded. "You could. Though if I drown I'm haunting you, just so you're aware."

Moana grinned wider and nodded eagerly. "I can't wait." And she meant it. The thought of him sharing something as personal as his poetry with her was downright exciting. Biting her lower lip, she added, "I don't know a handsome face like yours haunting me indefinitely is pretty tempting." She giggled before leaning in, closing the tiny distance between them and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I promise, you won't drown. Even if you're terrible in the water, I'll keep close."

Dimitri went bright red as she leaned in and pressed her lips against his cheek. He smiled when she pulled back, still ridiculously happy. "Well I'd prefer to not haunt you at all. That's a little creepy." He squeezed her hand gently. "I am holding you to that. I don't think it'll be necessary for you to be close, but I'd prefer it," he said coyly.

Moana 's cheeks were almost as red as Dimitri's but she was glad she'd done it all the same. "Something tells me, I'm going to prefer it too," she confessed, squeezing his hand back. "Here's hoping it warms up soon enough that I can take you out. I mean, I'll surf in December, but if this is a first for you, we should wait til the water's warmed up."

Dimitri "Here's hoping that I get out soon so you can take me out," he pointed out. He was confident his time at the hospital wasn't going to last that long, but he wasn't absolutely sure. "But summer would be preferable. Or any time it's warm. I do better when there's more daylight, and less chance for hypothermia." He glanced up at the clock and sighed. "I should probably let you get some rest, so you can make your daring escape at 3:52," he said, a little reluctantly. He didn't want to leave but both of them needed sleep. He had a full shift the next day and she had her own work to do before making dinner.

Moana knew it was a valid point. Dimitri hadn't been given a time frame for his work here and, even if she knew that was because they didn't know how long the outbreak would last, that didn't change the fact that he had no reason to believe it would be soon. She had to hope that it would be though, if only because he was too good a man to be forced into this. "Well, maybe I can talk with them. If you're willing to keep doing this work without being kept here, maybe they'll be willing to work something out." She smiled again and insisted, "No hypothermia, I promise, but we can definitely wait til it's warmed up." Moana barely stifled the pout those words brought up. "You're probably right. It is getting late. I'll see you tomorrow though." Giving his hand one last squeeze, she thought about leaning in for another peck on the cheek, but decided against it. She'd made her interest clear, after all; better to leave the next move to him.

Dimitri hoped that she could do something. He wanted to see his sister, though something told him it would be really hard to explain Moana to her. "I can come back as much as I'm really necessary." He could tell she was disappointed he had to leave as well, but he reminded himself that it was just a day. "Exactly. Tomorrow and we'll have some real food and not hospital food." He stood up, about leave, and paused. He turned around and kissed her cheek lightly, smiling. "Sleep well," he said before finally leaving the room.

Moana was about to open her mouth to reply when Dimitri's lips met her cheek, instantly silencing her. She flushed and pulled her lower lip between her teeth, a shy grin curving her lips. "Good night," she murmured as he left, wondering how she'd manage to pass the time now. Like a kid on Christmas eve, it'd be harder than ever to get to sleep, the seconds taking ages.

Dimitri went back to his room, and while he felt the most physically relaxed in days, his mind was a whirl. He laid in his bed, thinking of Moana and Phoebe kept popping into his mind, as if chastising him. He wanted to sleep, he truly did, but guilt began to creep into his heart. He wished his life wasn't complicated, that he could just say he had a girlfriend, that he hadn't been taken and that he hadn't met someone who he felt a connection with. He toss and turned, and only fell asleep after pure exhaustion had taken over. 

[the-sun-twin-blog]

Tomorrow isn't so bad

Dimitri collapsed onto his bed, the strain of the day settling into his bones. Today he'd managed to get through another 15 patients. About five of them had relatively minor injuries, ranging from impaired motion to temporary blindness, but the injuries themselves were not hard to heal. The rest of his 14 hour shift had been in what they dubbed "surgery." Where the woman he had healed in the park had only taken a few minutes, her injuries mostly superficial, the people in the intensive care unit had suffered much more severe injuries. He had to repair everything down to the tissue level, bit by bit, and sometimes one person would take over an hour to heal. 

Apparently the accidents and incidents had increased greatly since the introduction of a certain resident in town, but he wasn't given more information than the person was new and was going to be a little troublesome. They didn't plan on keeping Dimitri forever, but they needed him to help reduce the number of patients to a more manageable number. They had hinted at him coming back to help with the injuries where they could do nothing, but it was far from a threat or even a real suggestion. 

He heard a knock on his door and yelled, "Come in!" The door opened and a young man, not much older than Dimitri himself, came in. "Got your meal for the night." Dimitri pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Thanks Laurence, appreciate it," he said as the attendant put the food on his bed. Tonight it was steak and a baked potato with coleslaw on the side. They treated him well here, trying to make him as comfortable as possible, but it still felt wrong. He was glad to be helping people, but he didn't need to be kidnapped to help those in need. He didn't need to be taken from those he loved. 

Laurence smiled and was about to leave when a nurse came rushing in, clearly out of breath. "We just had a doctor collapse, we need you." Immediately Dimitri jumped up, the nurse rushing downstairs trusting that he was following. They went down to the third floor, the one designated for the illnesses and injuries that couldn't be explained or treated in any normal way. This is where he spent most of his time, undoing the work that others like him had done. It was the primary reason he was here. Many of the victims in the other wards had injuries treatable by ordinary means, it was simply their wounds were so severe and they were so understaffed it was impossible to treat them properly without someone like Dimitri.

He could immediately tell which room it had happened, with people cluttering the door while security tried to push them back. He pushed past them, getting into the room where a patient lay dead, all the monitors indicating so, and a woman in a lab coat appeared to be seizing on the floor. "I need this room cleared out!" he screamed, and several people quickly entered the room and moved everything out of his way. He grabbed the woman's hand, her eyes wide open. There was a sort of gray cloud that seemed to be moving up her eyes. He closed his eyes and kept a firm grip on her hand, focusing all his energy on finding and treating what had happened. 

It didn't take long to find it. In her veins a grey spore-like infection had quickly spread to her entire body, draining the life out of everything it touched and sending the brain into complete overdrive. He focused his light on the brain first, battling the infection out. The woman went still under his touch, and he had to double check her pulse was still going, however faintly. He then repaired all the major organs, ridding her of it before going to the source, her left hand. He pushed the rest of the infection out and let the light retreat. 

His eyes opened slowly, knowing she was alive but not knowing how well he did his job, how much damage he couldn't undo. Slowly the doctor opened her eyes, the grey mist gone, trying to figure out what had happened. Dimitri recognized her, having seen her in passing a few times, but didn't really know her. Her eyes focused on him and she sat up. "Thank you," she murmured, hugging him suddenly. He returned it half-heartedly, beginning to feel light-headed. He'd done too much that day, hadn't eaten enough. He simply nodded, and the world went black as he collapsed to the floor. 

[the-sun-twin-blog]

The lies that we all have told

Despite being kidnappers, they were fairly hospitable. They offered Dimitri food and drink while they drove him to wherever they were taking him, and when the blindfold went on Maybelle apologized but said it was necessary. It didn't stop the anger in him from growing. Taking him from his sister, from his relatively comfortable life for their own purposes, it was unforgivable. There was nothing that could justify it. Maybelle tried to make conversation at several points, asking him about his classes (which he learned he was excused from for an indefinite amount of time due to "illness"), how his writing and poetry was going, and simply talking like they were old pals. He responded with one word answers if he responded at all. 

The sun was high in the sky when his blindfold came off. Directly in front of him was a non-descript building, probably about 6 floors high, built with ordinary brown bricks, with a few windows on each level. They looked completely dark, as if it had been abandoned. Cars lined the street, but none were directly in front of this particular building. They pulled to a stop in front of it and let him out, the two agents on either side of him, Maybelle in front of him. They entered the front doors, and it looked like a poorly lit reception room. The brunette flashed her badge at the man sitting at the desk. The man pressed a button and a clicking sound was heard, before Maybelle pushed open the second set of doors.

Immediately he was hit by bright lights and a barrage of sound. People in white uniforms rushed around, carrying clipboards and IV bags. There was an air of panic, accentuated by the screams that only rarely stopped. His eyes were wide and his jaw agape as he tried to take it all in. "Welcome to Carrington Hospital, the primary healthcare facility for agents injured in the line of duty." The woman's face had gone deadly serious as a man was pushed in front of him. The skin on his arms looked like charcoal had been rubbed over them, and sweat dripped down his entire body. Each breath was struggled as the man was pushed to another room, Dimitri's eyes following him.

"Why am I here?" he asked softly.

"To help." 

[the-sun-twin-blog]

The bridges I have burned light my way back home || Self Para

Dimitri's stomach rumbled as he sat watching T.V., blissfully ignoring the stack of homework that he had to do for class by the next week. He looked at it and justified his further procrastination with going to grab something to eat before he could possibly study. He jumped up and rummaged through the fridge and realized that it had been way too long since either him or Phoebe had done proper grocery shopping. He sighed and grabbed his keys, planning on driving to the store, and then dropped them. The weather was nice enough to walk in, and it'd give him more time to avoid the homework he was going to end up being forced to do later.

He grabbed his headphones and plugged in some music to listen to while he walked, praying that some other incident didn't happen that required him to use his powers. Despite his promise to his sister before they moved there, that he wouldn't use his powers unless he had to, he'd been using them a lot recently. He didn't like it, but he'd justified every one of them. He couldn't just leave them in pain and possibly dying. He couldn't do that. 

He shook his head, focusing instead on the song currently playing, Drops of Jupiter by Train. He hummed along happily to it, always liking the more upbeat feel of it. This distraction worked well, well enough that he didn't notice the black van that seemed to be following him out of the corner of his eye until the song had stopped. He debated between turning around and confronting them and continuing on his way; the store was only two blocks away. More than likely they were just the suits doing their normal stalker thing, so he continued on, moving on to the next song. 

A hand suddenly appeared on his arm, turning him around. The earbuds fell out as he tried to pull away, but couldn't. Next to him, holding his arm, was a relatively large man, standing at about his height but twice his weight muscle. More directly in front of Dimitri were two agents, one male and one female. The former was dressed in a suit, while the latter wore a black overcoat with jeans. The woman captured his attention, power radiating off of her despite her slight build. He hair was in a tight ponytail, and her green eyes gazed sharply at him, studying him. The woman walked up to him, smiling. "Hello Dimitri. I'm sorry that this is how we had to meet," she said, her accent clearly from somewhere on the east coast.

He watched her carefully, trying to see if there was any way to slip out and finding none. "And who exactly are you?" he asked carefully. 

"I'm Maybelle, the agent assigned to you. Or the 'suit' assigned to you, if you prefer that terminology." The smile stayed but felt very contrived. "We need you for something." 

Dimitri's heart began to race. He hadn't heard of the suits grabbing anyone, and suddenly they wanted him? This was the government, and the different possibilities raced through his mind, until landing on the most likely one: his ability to make people sick. His stomach turned at the thought. 

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested. Now can I go get food?" he said, trying to be casual but the tension clearly in his voice. 

Maybelle laughed, and it was not a pleasant laugh. It sounded like knives dragging against the ground, like it could physically hurt someone. "You misunderstand me. You're not getting a choice in whether your helping us. The choice you are getting is whether you come willingly and easily, or if we have to use some sort of...persuasion," she said the last word with such venom he already knew where she was going with it. "Perhaps go visit your sister until you cooperate?"

His heart sank. He pictured agents showing up at the apartment, taking Phoebe and her just being confused, wondering where he was while they did god knows what to her. He shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. If he went willingly, she'd be safe. Worried like no other and for good reason, but safe. The other alternative was too risky. 

"What do you want me to do?" he asked in a small voice. 

"You'll find out once we get there, now please get in." The agent with the hold on his arm guided him to the car and opened the door for him. Dimitri climbed in, looking out the window and wondering what lay ahead. 

[the-sun-twin-blog]

He groaned. "But I can't do anything with a middle toe. I can do lots of things with an arm. But if you really want it I guess you can keep it." He grinned at her before turning his eyes back to the road. 

"We're going to some place really special. If it were kidnapping, there would be much more bondage. Crazy romantic road trip would have a lot more food. Both have been noted as ideas though." He didn't even care he was rambling at this point. "Boomerang will be fine for the night," he said as they pulled into the next town, before finding the restaurant he wanted. "There!" he said excitedly, parking the car. 

Sometimes being normal is what you need [Phoebe and Dimitri]

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"But what if I want the arm? Am I not allowed the arm?" He sighed dramatically. "Fine fine, I'll only break one or two laws getting there. I don't like being late." He said that even as he knew he was perpetually 10 minutes late to everything. 

"It's not that it won't be there, but that a table won't be there. Cause this place is always packed and my amazing charm and luck got us a seat there." It was a 30 minute drive to the next town over, and he was bursting with energy the whole drive. "You didn't think you'd be stuck at the apartment all day did you?"

Sometimes being normal is what you need [Phoebe and Dimitri]

[the-sun-twin-blog]

But there isn't much better things to be. What kind of loot did you manage to get?

There is so much leftover candy at the Target two towns over

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"Now that I'm thinking about it that particular sex would be horrifying to hear. I'm with you, definitely."

"Exactly. Participating might be really great, but having to hear someone else take a crack at it? Not so much."

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"I've heard that sex could be really fun though. Maybe not to listen to though..."

"Both sound mildly terrifying, especially if the sex is the kind from that one book series that everyone’s raving about."

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"Screaming coming from above. That could be sex OR murder!"

"I don’t know what’s worse, hearing screaming coming from the floor above or the sound someone having really loud sex down the hall."

[the-sun-twin-blog]

Holy hell that's a lot of candy. I'm oddly impressed.

There is so much leftover candy at the Target two towns over

I may have bought like 4 kilos of it to share with everyone.

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"I'm not doing anything you don't want me to do." He got ready and made his hair look less messy and more organized, before heading to the living room, pacing impatiently. "Come ooonnn we have places to be," he said eagerly, grabbing her by the hand and dragging her out the door. 

"Yes I did. Not as pretty as you, yada yada yada, we are running late!" He glanced at the clock and realized they only had five minutes to get to their reservation. "We might break a few laws just for your information," he said as they headed to the car. 

Sometimes being normal is what you need [Phoebe and Dimitri]

[the-sun-twin-blog]

Dimitri walked into the room, carrying flowers and chocolates. "I bring treats!" he shouted into the apartment. "I also plan to kidnap you so you better be ready." He knew that Phoebe had been down lately, mostly regarding their relationship. He wished he could help, but considering he was part of the problem, there wasn't much he could do. 

He had never been terribly good at the whole Valentine's Day thing, but he'd figure he'd give it a whirl to try and make this one really special for Phoebe. "Pick out your nicest dress," he called as he set down the flowers and chocolate and ran to his room, grabbing a nice outfit. 

Sometimes being normal is what you need [Phoebe and Dimitri]

Phoebe hated Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t that she thought it was stupid, or that she was bitter about being single in the past. It hurt her deeper than that. It was a big fat chocolate coated reminder that she didn’t have a normal relationship. 

Hating the holiday didn’t stop her from doing something special for her special someone though. Phoebe had picked up various chocolates, and candies, and a couple of small presents that she’d wrapped up in an old Amazon box. Nothing really special, but it was still something. She knew that he’d be happy with whatever, and that they would enjoy their night in, but it wasn’t the same.

[the-sun-twin-blog]

sunclouding:

"I heard about them breaking up. I felt really, really bad for her, because breakups are hard, man. But I mean, it could suck if you just got out of one, but I am a long-time pro at the single-it-up Valentine’s day. I watch make up tutorials on YouTube then attempt and drastically fail.”

"I don't know, your makeup seems pretty good to me. But yeah, it was rough for her. I'm usually single by the time this season hits anyway. 

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"They should sell like heart-shaped gummy worms and then discount them to like 25 cents." He smiled. "She recently got out of a relationship, so I'm gonna take her to dinner, get her some new pajamas. Being lonely on Valentine's day kind of sucks."

"Oh yeah. It’s a shame it doesn’t discount even more at the dollar store. 50 cents for a pack of gummy worms? Then again, it isn’t Valentine’s Day themed so it probably wouldn’t be discounted. What are you two going to do?"

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"Pretty much what I'm doing to. Not many plans at all besides hanging out with my sis. The cheap candy afterwards is the best part of Valentine's Day, there's no denying that."

"Yay! Valentine’s Day! Another year of doing nothing but watching 90s police dramas, and staying indoors with my cats all day until the 15th when all of the candy is 50%-75% on sale!"

[the-sun-twin-blog]

"I don't know, the men in suits grabbed them. This guy stumbled up to me with a giant gash in his arm asking for help so I fixed it but then they grabbed him and fuck." The whole thing had happened so quickly he was barely processing exactly what was going on. 

Aiden couldn’t help the short laugh at the “not mine” part of the statement, knowing it was more because of shock that someone would ramble like that to him with hands that covered in blood. “Well, good thing it’s not yours, but kind of weird that you don’t know whose it is.” He chewed on his lip and thought for a second. “And, seriously, taken? By who?”