From the comfort of his office, Luca let out a loud groan and sank into his chair. Today, like always, had been a hectic day. A mess of patients, paperwork, and "can-you-squeeze-in-one-more" cases.
The door creaked open
"How is the doctor doing?" Isla walked in holding two bento boxes.
"The doctor is extremely tired," Luca muttered, cracking a half-smile as he reached for one. "Did you make this?"
"Uhm, no. You got your delivery as always." She smiled teasingly.
"Tony?"
"Oop—he even knows the sender!" she teased, dramatically placing a hand over her heart.
Luca rolled his eyes and grabbed his phone. "He's the only one who cooks like this and the only one sweet enough to send me food."
"So…" Isla leaned in, wiggling her eyebrows. "What's the situation with him?"
"What's the situation with who?"
"Don't play dumb now." She pointed a chopstick at his face. "Tony. Are you two a thing? Is he wooing you? Seducing you via soy-glazed salmon?"
"Isla Green, I am straight."
She scoffed, "I beg to disagree, i think the word you're looking for is Bi-sexual."
"Well, Miss Isla, I only like women." He opened the box and took a bite, refusing to give her the satisfaction.
"Says the man who had a guy crush so intense he changed his cologne just to smell like him."
"HO. I admired him. He's… just… admirable, okay?! SHUT UP."
"Someone's getting defensive," she sing-songed with a smug smirk.
"Can I just eat in peace? For the first time!?"
"Sureeee…" she drawled dramatically, standing up.
"You're so annoying, get out."
"I'm going, I'm going. I know you just want to be alone so you can text your man."
Luca flipped her off as she exited.
Once the door shut, he sighed—again—and finally picked up his phone, just as it started ringing.
"Hi."
"Hey!" Tony's voice was overly chipper, as usual. "How are you?"
"I'm good." Please don't talk too long, he thought.
"Um, I called to ask you something."
Luca's brow raised. "Go on."
"Would you wanna have dinner tonight?"
A pause. Luca blinked. Was this finally the moment? Were they gonna define whatever "this" was?
"…Sure," he said, already resigned to ending this weirdly gray… thing.
"OH! Oh!" Tony's voice cracked with excitement. "That's amazing! Come over after work. You can bring Iris and Ivory—I even got them little presents!"
Damn. Almost got my heart with that one.
"I will. Thanks, Tony."
"It's no bother!"
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Luca hung up. He stared at the ceiling and let out his third sigh of the day.
He had met Tony at the hospital's annual fundraiser two years ago—charming, smart, an incredible cook, and way too into Luca's kids. It was all a little… much. Sweet, yes. Comfortable, maybe. But also not what Luca wanted.
If only he knew what that was.
❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀
Twenty minutes later, Luca was parked right outside the school gates, engine humming softly, sunglasses on, looking effortlessly cool in his scrubs and black coat. A few moms nearby definitely glanced over.
Kids started spilling out of the building, laughter echoing across the parking lot. Then—
"DADDDYYY!!!"
Two identical blurs shot toward his car, pigtails bouncing, backpacks swinging like wrecking balls.
"Ivory, Iris—slow down or you'll knock someone out!" Luca laughed as they flung the car door open and clambered in.
"We made bracelets today!" Iris announced, shoving a beaded string into his face.
"I made you a unicorn one," Ivory added. "But then I lost it. But then I found it. But then it got stepped on."
Luca raised an eyebrow. "So… do I still get it?"
"Ehh… it might be in pieces." She shrugged.
He smiled, heart melting like it always did with them. "Sounds magical."
"I also did my math homework! My teacher gave me a red star!" Iris fumbled with her bag before drawing out a book, she flipped to the last page that had scribbles all over it and pointed at the star right at the top. "She said I'm so smart!"
"Aww, I'm so proud of you, Isy"
Iris bopped her head, face smug.
"What about you, Ivory?"
"My teacher doesn't give red stars anymore."
"Huh? Why?"
"We all have no idea!" She leaned against the window, watching the scenery with quiet fascination.
"Well, don't worry then Papa is going to buy lots of red stars and give them to both of you!"
Iris cheered while Ivory smiled happily.
"Do you guys remember Tony?" Luca turned right, asking after a brief moment of silence.
"Yes, he was the annoying man who kept pestering us, but gave us nice food!"
Luca shook his head with a smile, "Darlings, we don't say that about other people, okay? He was just trying to be nice."
"Well, I didn't like it," Iris announced.
"Neither did I!" Ivory supported.
"Okay fine. It's a good thing you liked his food anyway, because we are going to his house for dinner!"
Luca laughed over the sounds of groans at the back. "Please be on your best behavior, and I'll reward you both when we get home."
"Sureeeee," Iris drawled out, exchanging a secret smile with Ivory where Luca couldn't see.