Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sun beat down on the catwalk, the heat reflecting off the metal, making the already hot air even hotter. The lack of shade didn’t help, nor did the humidity, and sweat glistened and beaded on Elliot Baker’s skin, dripping into his eyes and making him feel sticky.

He brushed a ticklish drop away irritably, making sure not to lose his focus on the scene below as he kept his tranquilizer gun level and steady, aimed at the dog-sized creatures below.

The creatures, while the size of dogs, were far from. The Velociraptor pack, only juvenile, were deadly reptiles.

Wistfully, Elliot mused that proper Velociraptors, who had lived millions of years ago, would be more avian than reptilian. With all the modifications to their DNA, however, they were certainly reptiles.

And it showed. Their slitted pupils and scaled bodies were sinisterly reptilian, and while they certainly didn’t resemble any lizard living, the way they were moving– slow and undulating– reminded Elliot of snakes. Kindred spirits then, he thought.

They were, however, currently circling their trainer, Owen Grady, hissing and barking (harsh chirping?) menacingly, so Elliot kept his tranquilizer aimed. Kinship be damned. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest as a raptor, Blue, leaped onto Owen, but Elliot was glad he hesitated to pull the trigger, if only due to the proximity the creature had to his friend.

Blue had leaped onto Owen’s back, but it was immediately clear she had no malicious intent with her attack, as she leaped from shoulder to shoulder like some strange, convoluted pirate’s parrot.

It was ironic, considering she really ought to have feathers.

“Blue!” Owen admonished the dinosaur, even as the other raptors clamored around his feet. Elliot chuckled to himself as Owen attempted to get the scaly toddlers to behave before the exasperated trainer gave the signal that he was done. Elliot shook his head amusedly at a control tech, who then pressed a button that released food into the raptor pen.

Suddenly distracted by the dead rats, the pack left Owen in favor of eating. Elliot watched the creatures until he heard the clang of footsteps on the catwalk.

Now beside him, Owen leaned on the railing and hung his head. “This is hopeless. They can’t follow a single command! They’re supposed to be intelligent.”

Elliot laughed, “Perhaps their intelligence is more human-like than we’d care to admit. They act like my niece and nephews did when they were toddlers. Right nightmares they were, but food was always a good peace offering. That is, if they would eat it.”

“This is some big joke from the genetics lab, I swear. They’re untrainable!”

“Yesterday you said the geneticists all had a massive stick up each of their asses, and they were incapable of lightening up or cracking a joke.”

“Yea, well, that was yesterday. Yesterday , the raptors almost behaved.”

“Oh, cheer up mate, pessimism isn’t a good look for you.”

Owen grumbled something that sounded vaguely like “I’ll show you pessimism” before pushing himself up with a groan. He turned to Elliot, about to speak when the control tech called out to the pair on the catwalk.

“There’s a geneticist here, Mr. Grady! She’d like to talk to you about the training!” Sure enough, a severe-looking, gray-haired woman stood next to the tech, eyeing him with distaste, probably due to his volume level.

The next words Owen spoke were in a low whisper so only Elliot heard. “I suppose I’ll have to go to her, will I? She’d probably get her heels stuck on the catwalk. I told you, stick up their asses.”

Elliot grinned, “Well, I’m sure you’ll have fun, Owen.”

Owen’s brow furrowed, “What do you mean? You’re coming too.”

“No, no,” Elliot replied, his grin turning impish, “she wants to talk to you , Mr. Grady, not me. I’m going on my lunch break.”

“You fucker.”

“Ta-ta,” Elliot said as he waved Owen off, already backing up towards the other side of the catwalk, “Try not to get worked up, dear.”

Owen discreetly flipped Elliot off as he walked toward the geneticist, who was very impatient judging by her foot tapping and deep scowl.

Elliot didn’t feel guilty in the slightest.

Once Elliot set foot in the cool interior of the break room, he had to stop himself from moaning. The relief from the heat was bliss, and Elliot dabbed his face and the back of his neck with a towel, which made him feel even better. He pushed his light-brown hair out of his face, and to his delight, it didn’t slide back down limply. He also delighted in the opportunity to clean his glasses, which were far too dirty (there was a speck of dirt).

Elliot was not an unclean person, quite the opposite, but when it came to his glasses, he was a total clean freak. His brown eyes were often full of emotion and joy, as he was generally very cheerful, and while he had never consciously thought about it too much, he liked how they looked. They did, however, have the unfortunate side-effect of being absolutely worthless when it came to vision. In short; he was blind as a bat.

However, he didn’t need the hearing of a bat to hear the shouting going on outside. Poor Owen. Rather him than me, though. Elliot was glad his official job title was “Handler” and not “Trainer,” otherwise he’d have been right next to Owen, who was a trainer.

Technically, though, Elliot didn’t really “handle” the velociraptors. No one but Owen did. Elliot was more of a bodyguard. For Owen. From lizards. It was honestly rather ridiculous, all things considered.

Elliot had graduated from the University of Oxford (cum laude, but he never said that. It always seemed too pretentious) majoring in Human Sciences, minoring in PPL (Psychology, Philosophy, and Linguistics), and earning his Masters in Social Anthropology. After graduating, he traveled, studying with grants, before being offered a job back at his good old alma mater as a professor in the Anthropology department, which he took. And now he made sure an ex-Navy SEAL didn’t get eaten by creatures that existed millions of years ago. Who were also toddlers. Oh, well.

Elliot was interrupted in the middle of his musings, and his lunch, by Owen storming into the break room. Elliot froze, mid-bite as he watched Owen curse to himself while trying to find his lunch in the fridge.

After a whole minute, which in theory isn’t a lot, it became thoroughly depressing to watch Owen still look for his lunch. Elliot rolled his eyes. “It’s in the back , darling. And you didn’t write your name on it.” Owen stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes glaring at the back of the fridge. He spotted his lunch and snatched it out forcefully.

“So,” Elliot started when Owen still hadn’t said a word, “What happened?”

Owen put his sandwich down, threw his head back, and gave out a sort of strangled groan that sounded like pure frustration.

“Ah, well, get it all out, then, and then you can tell me what happened. Perhaps in a language known to other humans? English is a good one, you know it, don’t you?”

“That lady was such a bitch! Oh my god.”

“Ah, words. Well?”

“No progress on the raptors? What a failure! They should be eating out of your hand and doing a tap dance!” Owen said in a mocking voice, before switching back to his own, “Well, fuck, lady, maybe you should go in the pen and train them yourself! Fuck! And then MY dumbass just HAD to go and tell her so! Now, I’m going to be hearing from her… superiors .” Owen shuddered with the last word– as if it was something cursed.

“Do you know who her superiors are?”

“I have a feeling she was referring to one person in particular.”

“Who would that be?”

“Dr. Wu. He’s scary , man. I’m a good half-foot taller than him, but he looms . I don’t know how he does it!”

“Posture, my dear, and Dr. Wu? As in the Dr. Wu, who cloned the first dinosaur?”

“Yep," Owen said, popping the "p", "Scary bastard.”

“Smart bastard more like. I remember when people found out about it, blimey , it made rounds in the academic community. And the world, really.”

“What year was it? 1993? I was ten, so, y’know, ten-year-olds love dinosaurs. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I’ve changed my tune a bit.”

“Ten? Really...” Elliot trailed off.

“Yea. Why, how old were you?”

“Twenty. Nine.” Was Elliot’s response. He over-enunciated the ‘t’s for emphasis.

“Oh, shit.”

Elliot rolled his eyes “Yes, yes, I know, I’m nearly old enough to be your father.”

“I thought you were closer to my age.”

“Minimal stress lifestyle– Less gray hair.”

“You chose to change that with this job, yeah? ‘Cuz I can feel the gray hair coming on.”

“Oh, I’m sure. Anyway, when will the oh-so-scary Dr. Wu be checking in, do you think?”

“Tomorrow, most likely.”

Elliot groaned, “Oh, lovely. We don’t even get a week to try to turn things around.”

“Yep”

“Yipee.”

Chapter Text

The next day, it rained. Owen was already in a foul mood, and Elliot wasn’t feeling too well either. Nor, he noticed, were the raptors. They seemed to dislike the rain as much as the humans around them. Glancing at the gray, thunderous clouds above him, Elliot could almost pretend he was back in London for a moment. Cold and wet. However, the sound of cars was absent, as was the buzz of voices that always mixed in with the other sounds of the city. The difference Elliot liked best was the air; it tasted clean , rather than of car exhaust and the general pollution that hung over cities like poisonous clouds.

He shivered, his jacket doing a poor job of keeping him warm and dry. All it did was cover his arms, as he hadn’t bothered with the hood. It only obscured his field of vision and ended up getting blown off by the wind anyway. He did, of course, keep having to wipe water off his glasses every five seconds to keep them unblurred. He hated contacts, and would rather subject himself to the mild torture of constantly having raindrops on his lenses than put little plastic discs on his eyeball. No thanks.

The raptors, other than being a bit dejected, were the same as ever; which was to say they were terrors. Even the dead rats Owen had tempted them with earlier hadn’t helped. They weren’t being threatening, much to Elliot’s delight, so he kept his tranquilizer holstered, albeit with the strap unbuckled for a quick draw. The sound of footsteps on the catwalk signaled an approach, but Elliot didn’t look up to see who it was, staying focused on the scene below.

He could guess, though. The steps were measured and evenly paced, something Elliot associated with someone in power. In control. Most likely, it was Dr. Wu, who Owen had said would show up. Elliot afforded himself one glance when the footsteps stopped next to him, just to confirm his suspicions.

He had been right. The geneticist Owen had called intimidating was certainly so. Elliot had seen his face before but had never been, well, face-to-face with the man. He held an umbrella in one hand, his other behind his back. He wore a black turtleneck and pants, and Elliot was mildly surprised to see he didn’t have the signature white lab coat the geneticists always seemed to wear. Then again, it was raining, and the coat would probably only get muddy. Elliot judged him to be the same height, if not shorter, as himself.

There was a sort of… aura of authority about Dr. Wu. Posture , Elliot thought, I knew it .

Elliot looked back down after the quick glance, refocusing on the group below. Echo and Charlie were fighting over a stick. Wonderful. Blue and Delta seemed to be engaged in a friendly wrestle, which didn’t seem too bad, considering Owen wasn’t giving them orders to disobey at that moment.

“Echo! Charlie! Cut that out!” Owen admonished the two raptors, seeing that their fight had gotten heated. As always, he accompanied his command with a corresponding click sequence. The raptors paused but then continued. Seeing Owen approach the fighting dinosaurs, Elliot drew his tranquilizer with a sigh. He hadn’t hoped to keep it holstered, that was far too much to ask, but things had been going so well .

Well, better.

As Owen came within a few yards of the snarling raptors, they split apart. However, the situation was far from diffused, as now their ire was turned on Owen. Elliot’s grip on the tranquilizer tightened.

Elliot was nearly startled from his focus when Dr. Wu spoke. “Is this a… normal occurrence?”

Elliot grimaced and decided he might as well be honest. “Normal enough.”

“The Velociraptors are usually aggressive, then?”

“Yes,” Elliot said, dangerously close to snapping at the doctor as Blue and Delta joined in Echo and Charlie’s hissing. “Sorry,” he said immediately, “I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment.”

“I can see that.” Dr. Wu obviously didn’t try to hide his disdain for the situation, as it seeped into his tone. Elliot could practically hear the scowl.

The raptors were advancing on Owen, teeth bared. Elliot clenched his jaw, debating on whether or not to call out. It was difficult to know what Owen was thinking when he was down with the raptors, and even if Elliot called, Owen wasn’t likely to answer. He didn’t like to shout near the creatures.

Eventually, Elliot decided against it. If he shouted to Owen, it would imply a certain desperation. Not a good look. Neither is Owen being cornered.

Owen slowly lowered himself down, and Elliot could have strangled him. Oh, yes, make yourself an easier target, why don’t you? He soon stood back up, however, holding a stick. He waved it gently before pulling his arm back and giving the stick an underhanded toss.

The raptors scurried after it, but before Owen could get out, they had run back to him, stick in tow. Everyone watched in disbelief as Owen gently took the stick from Blue and threw it. Again, the raptors returned and again Owen threw the stick. Oh my stars. He’s playing fetch with bloody dinosaurs.

Ten minutes later, the raptors tired of the game, and found their way back to the dryness of their holding pen while Owen found his way out. The rain had lessened to a mild drizzle, but it still reverberated off of Dr. Wu’s umbrella, Elliot’s coat, and the metal catwalk, which echoed with every raindrop. Elliot turned to Dr. Wu, “Well, perhaps it would be best to go inside, then.”

“Certainly,” Dr. Wu replied as he looked down at Elliot’s hands. Elliot followed his gaze and found to his horror that he was still holding the tranquilizer. “Oh, sorry, I forgot I was still holding it. In a bit of shock, really.” He quickly holstered the weapon, making sure the buckle was snapped in place.

“I take it the Velociraptors playing fetch is new?”

“Hmm. Quite. Well then, after you, I suppose.”

Elliot followed Dr. Wu off the catwalk, intending to lead him into the interior of the raptor enclosure, that is, the interior of the exterior , where the break room was. Dry . Fate, however, had different plans, as they met Owen immediately upon descending the stairs. “Mr. Grady. Quite the display today.”

“Oh, well, I try.”

“Not hard enough, apparently.” Oh, for fucks sake, let’s just go inside , it’s wet!

“Excuse me?” Oh no , Elliot had heard that tone come from Owen before, and it never ended well.

“I believe you heard me, Mr. Grady. The Velociraptors aren’t making the progress we expect.”

Owen took a deep breath, “Well, if their genetics -”

“What Owen is trying to say,” Elliot interrupted hurriedly as Dr. Wu’s face darkened, “is that there is always the possibility that they cannot follow commands due to their intelligence, which of course is dictated by genetics in this case.” Elliot was still on the bottom stair, putting him at a significant advantage over Dr. Wu–height-wise, that is– yet it did nothing to comfort him as Dr. Wu turned his gaze on Elliot. His glare could be called nothing less than cold .

“Do continue, Mr?”

“Baker, Elliot Baker.”

“Mr. Baker. Please, enlighten me.” Elliot felt a shiver, and not from the rain.

“Well, you see, there are two, no, three possibilities, one is that they, the Velociraptors that is, aren’t intelligent enough to follow orders well. For instance, rabbits aren’t made for such complex thought processes, and so while training them has proven to be possible , it’s also very difficult and takes far longer than compared to, say, a dog.”

“An option that can be ruled out.”

“Of course. We have seen the raptors take orders from Blue, so they certainly aren’t stupid. The other two options are that the raptors have the intelligence, of course, but one is that they lack the proper empathy, much like, well, most reptiles. Reptiles tend to be very intelligent, yet trained snakes and iguanas aren’t commonplace, although some have proven to have empathy… The final option seems to me the most likely, which is that they are choosing not to follow orders.”

Dr. Wu tilted his head slightly, “Go on,” he said, but this time Elliot didn’t get a chill. Great , this is going okay. I think.

Elliot cleared his throat. “I’ll use cats as an example. They are incredibly intelligent, and they’ve been shown to solve complicated puzzles and yes, follow orders, although that is more difficult. However, cats have a bit of a reputation for being… impassive. When a dog-owner walks into their house, they’re likely greeted by a happy, tail-wagging companion. Cat owners, however, are given a blank stare, a headbutt if they’re lucky, and complete apathy if they’re not.

“What I’m trying to say, in fewer words, is that it’s possible the raptors recognize they’re being given commands, but are simply choosing not to follow them. It could also be linked to their juvenile state; still-developing frontal cortices. They remind me an awful lot of human toddlers. Tantrums, playfulness, and learning the word “no” comes to mind.”

“And soiled diapers,” Owen muttered, although Dr. Wu didn’t hear, or pretended as such.

“Your theories could make sense, but can you reinforce them?”

Elliot smiled, “Oh, certainly. I doubt I’ll be able to cite references off the top of my head, but I could compile a list. I’m sure I have a dozen trustworthy sources on behavior just sitting on a bookshelf.”

“Could you bring them to my office later today? The list as well.”

“Of course, although I may wait for the rain to let up. Paper doesn’t do well in the wet.”

“Indeed.” Elliot could’ve sworn Dr. Wu almost looked pleased .

“Great!” Owen said, clapping his hands, “Let’s go inside, yea? Dry off while we finish the inspection and all?”

If looks could kill, Owen would’ve been ripped apart by the glare Elliot shot him as he walked behind Dr. Wu, Owen leading the way into the break room.

Chapter Text

Dr. Wu considered himself a patient man, if not an easy-to-please one. He would be the first to admit that his standards and expectations were high; why wouldn’t they be? After all, it wasn’t as if anyone could say he wasn’t an authority in his field. So when Dr. Tally, red-faced and upset, had complained about Owen Grady and his velociraptors, Wu had decided he had better see for himself what was happening. After all, if you wanted something done right, you might as well do it yourself .

This line of thinking was how he had found himself climbing the stairs to the catwalk above the velociraptor enclosure, umbrella in hand as rain poured down. There was a man on the catwalk when he reached the top of the stairs, and he looked as if he had been there a while.

He wore a company rain jacket, but the hood was down. He had slicked back his soaked hair and kept having to brush water off his round glasses. He didn’t look up as Dr. Wu stepped on the catwalk, his focus staying on whatever was below.

The velociraptors were misbehaving. They reminded Wu of how human children sometimes acted; yet another reason for him not to have children. They even made messes like children– Wu could see the remnants of what looked like rats near a tree.

“Echo! Charlie! Cut that out!” Owen Grady admonished the two velociraptors fighting over a stick, their snaps becoming less and less playful. The man beside him sighed, and Dr. Wu glanced over to see him pull out a tranquilizer handgun, looking dejected and exasperated. When the velociraptors began to act aggressively toward Grady, Wu heard a slight creak. Again, he looked to his side.

The man’s jaw was clenched tightly, and his grip on the gun was white-knuckled as if he were trying to crush the piece of metal in frustration.

“Is this a… normal occurrence?”

The man grimaced, and with the air of someone who is thoroughly exasperated replied “Normal enough.” Wu wasn’t very surprised to hear the man had a British accent; it suited him for some reason.

“The Velociraptors are usually aggressive, then?”

“Yes,” The man bit out, clearly trying to hold back his anger. The velociraptors were all hissing at Grady. “Sorry,” he said immediately after, his face softening apologetically, “I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment.”

“I can see that,” Wu replied, slightly amused by the man’s courtesy. They were silent after that, watching Owen play fetch with velociraptors. It was interesting, certainly, but it wasn’t obedience.

When the velociraptors had gone, the man turned to Dr. Wu, “Well, perhaps it would be best to go inside, then.” He was still holding the tranquilizer, only now it was pointed at Wu.

“Certainly,” Dr. Wu replied as he looked down at the weapon pointedly. The man followed his gaze and quickly holstered the gun. “Oh, sorry, I forgot I was still holding it. In a bit of shock, really.” Again, Wu found the courtesy amusing. Perhaps it was the man’s accent; it was rather posh.

“I take it the Velociraptors playing fetch is new?”

“Hmm. Quite.” The man said crisply, raising his eyebrows as he said “quite.” The man smiled, revealing crows’ feet at the corners of his eyes, which seemed much better suited to him than the scowl he had worn earlier. “Well then, after you, I suppose.”

Dr. Wu hoped there was somewhere dry he could have a conversation with Grady, but he met the man at the bottom of the stairs he had ascended a while ago. Like the man on the catwalk, he wore a company rain jacket with the hood down, and his hair was also plastered to his head.

“Mr. Grady. Quite the display today.”

“Oh, well, I try.”

Dr. Wu felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a slight frown. “Not hard enough, apparently.”

“Excuse me?” Dr. Wu could tell Owen was displeased. That made two of them.

“I believe you heard me, Mr. Grady. The Velociraptors aren’t making the progress we expect.”

Owen took a deep breath, “Well, if their genetics -”

That was the wrong thing to say, Mr. Grady , Dr. Wu thought before the man from the catwalk interrupted.

“What Owen is trying to say,” he said pointedly, obviously attempting to cover Owen’s blunder, “is that there is always the possibility that they cannot follow commands due to their intelligence, which of course is dictated by genetics in this case.” Dr. Wu turned his gaze on the man. His glare could be called nothing less than cold , which was exactly what Wu wanted.

“Do continue, Mr?” He let disdain add a bite to his words. Who are you, to question me? His words implied.

“Baker, Elliot Baker.” The name was unfamiliar.

“Mr. Baker. Please, enlighten me.” The man looked nervous. Good .

“Well, you see, there’s two, no, three possibilities,” he began. As he talked, Wu found himself more and more intrigued. He knows what he’s talking about, that’s for certain. He sounds more confident the longer he speaks. It almost sounds like a college lecture, from one of those professors who rambles.

Mr. Baker finished his rambling speech with a summarized version of the point he was trying to make, which Dr. Wu was thankful for. “Your theories could make sense, but can you reinforce them?”

Mr. Baker smiled, “Oh, certainly. I doubt I’ll be able to cite references off the top of my head, but I could compile a list. I’m sure I have a dozen trustworthy sources on behavior just sitting on a bookshelf.”

“Could you bring them to my office later today? The list as well.”

“Of course, although I may wait for the rain to let up. Paper doesn’t do well in the wet.”

“Indeed.” Wu was pleased, not with the velociraptors, who were indeed acting like toddlers, just as Mr. Baker had suggested. He was rather pleased with Mr. Baker himself, who seemed to be at the very least somewhat competent when it came to behavior.

“Great!” Owen said, clapping his hands, “Let’s go inside, yea? Dry off while we finish the inspection and all?” He sounded like a host who had just seen a fight de-escalated in his entryway. In a way it had.

Wu shook the water off his umbrella as he closed it before stepping inside the room. It was a break room, and Mr. Baker was rooting through a cabinet on the other side of the room. He pulled out towels and tossed one to Mr. Grady. “Would you like one, Doctor?”

“No, thank you.”

Mr. Baker smiled before setting a towel down on the table next to him before taking off his rain jacket. Dr. Wu swallowed thickly.

From the accent, nervousness, round glasses, and kind face, Wu didn’t know what he was expecting to see when Mr. Baker took off his jacket, but what he saw was certainly unexpected. 

Mr. Baker shrugged off the jacket, first revealing strong shoulders before letting the jacket fall fully. He was muscled and lean, but the most surprising sight was the tattoos .

There was a sleeve, starting on his shoulder and ending below the elbow, made of two snakes wrapped around something Wu couldn’t quite make out. His other arm had a shattered sword on the bicep and what looked to be a quote on the inner forearm, although he couldn’t be sure. Wu realized that Mr. Baker’s shirt was white and wet from the rain, making the piece of clothing very ineffectual at concealing the tattoos on his chest; four stars on one side, a butterfly on the other.

Then, Mr. Baker turned, revealing a tattoo running down his spine. It started just below the shirt collar, but even through the see-through shirt, Wu couldn’t see where it ended.

Belatedly, Wu realized he’d been staring for far too long. Luckily, Grady and Baker were too focused on drying themselves to have noticed.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” Baker asked, “Coffee, tea?”

“Tea, please,” Wu responded, grateful for a distraction from the tattoos that rippled on Mr. Baker’s arms every time he moved.

“Let me see what we have.”

“I’ll get the water going,” Owen pitched in, “I’m already making a pot of coffee.”

“Thank you, Owen, you’re a dear.” Mr. Baker began to look through a cabinet, apparently searching for tea. “There’s Jasmine or Oolong, which do you prefer?”

“Jasmine.”

Mr. Baker turned, holding a box of tea. “Oh, please have a se- Owen?” his voice became accusatory, “Did I just hear the microwave?”

“Uh, yes?”

“Please, for the love of someone, don’t tell me that you’re microwaving water.”

“What’s wrong with microwaving water?”

Wu sat down as Mr. Baker’s face turned into one of pure indignation. He spluttered slightly. “W-what’s wrong? What's wrong ? Do they teach you nothing? Microwaving ? I- I can’t even- this is- there’s a kettle! Next to you! Why on earth wouldn’t you use it?”

“I still don’t get what’s wrong with it.” Wu did, as tea was his drink of choice. It was basic science, the water was heated unevenly by the microwaves as they only hit the surface. This caused hot and cold pockets in the water which resulted in sup-par tea. However, he sensed it was better not to say anything and let the increasingly incensed Englishman handle the situation.

“How long have we been working together? Five months? Have I taught you nothing ? Did the American school system fail you that badly ? The water won’t be heated evenly, first of all, but there’s also the principle of the thing!”

At this point, Mr. Baker had gone over to where Mr. Grady was standing, practically shoved him aside, and started making the tea himself. He muttered something about “Americans” as Grady held his hands up in defeat before taking a seat across from Dr. Wu, who was thoroughly amused by the whole situation. It was also amusing how not ten minutes prior Mr. Baker had swooped in to stop Mr. Grady from being involved in an argument but had proceeded to berate him condescendingly right after. There was also a significant difference between the nervous Mr. Baker who had rambled about behavior and the Mr. Baker who had just cowed Mr. Grady into submission. The duality of man. Perhaps Mr. Baker should train the velociraptors if he’s that good at taking charge. A joke, of course. One he wouldn’t say out loud, they had Grady for a purpose. That, and he had a good track record.

Mr. Baker’s warm smile had returned when he set a mug of Jasmine in front of Wu, discreetly elbowing Mr. Grady as he passed him. “My apologies for that little outburst, Doctor, but it’s the principle,” he said as he set his own cup of tea down, before sitting himself.

Grady chuckled awkwardly, “Right, well, I’ve got the reports about the velociraptors here…”

Chapter Text

The remainder of the meeting had gone well, and Dr. Wu had returned to his lab. Elliot had left not long after, going to the employee housing to make his list and get his books. By the time that was finished, the rain had stopped.

So, Elliot hauled the stack he had chosen, along with a complete list of all the sources he thought might be relevant but didn’t have in his possession. Admittedly, there were only three books on the list, but he had decided he could leave the thicker books on the shelf and add them to the list with a note that they were available. He felt a bit like a librarian.

Now, however, he was finding it difficult to enter the genetics lab and get the books to the man who had requested them due to a stubborn receptionist. Elliot was strong, but he had been carrying the books for a while now, and his arms were starting to protest.

“As I said, you don’t have proper clearance or an appointment, and visitor’s hours are over.”

Elliot resisted the urge to roll his eyes in frustration, “And as I said, Dr. Wu requested these delivered today. Do you have a way of contacting him?”

The receptionist gave a smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes and was painfully false. “One moment.” She picked up a phone on the desk and dialed a number. “Dr. Wu? There’s a…”

“Elliot Baker,” Elliot supplied when the receptionist looked up at him as if he hadn’t said his name twice while speaking to her before.

“...Elliot Baker here to see you. He’s-”

Elliot wanted to smile when he heard how obviously the receptionist had been cut off but resisted. The receptionist put on a forced smile, clearly hoping it would help her not sound thoroughly pissed off. It didn’t work.

“Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll send him through.” The receptionist pushed a button, opening a door to the side of her desk.

“Thank you, lovey,” Elliot said as he passed. The two exchanged pettily fake smiles, and once he was through the door, Elliot dropped it and finally gave in to the urge to roll his eyes. Wonderfully rude. She acted as if I kicked her puppy. If the receptionist, Mavis , had simply called Dr. Wu right away, there wouldn’t have been any problems. She couldn’t even be bothered to remember his name, but he would remember hers. Despite usually being a very passive and friendly person, Elliot had his grudges and moments of pettiness.

Soon Elliot came across the lab itself. There was a curved hallway that lined the main area, with windows looking in. There was an office on one side of the lab with glass windows, and Elliot could see Dr. Wu standing in it, speaking with a gray-haired female scientist, who seemed a bit peeved. Figuring that he should just walk up, Elliot entered the lab.

It took careful concentration for Elliot to keep his hold on the books while stepping around scientists and incubators, but a moment later he was knocking on the half-open door to the office.

Both occupants of the room turned to him. Wu motioned for him to enter, “Ah, Mr. Baker. Please, come in.”

Elliot transferred the books to one arm, using the other to open the door, “Anywhere you’d like me to set these?”

“On the desk is fine.” The desk in question was practically bare, so Elliot didn’t have to set anything aside to make room for the stack of books. His task accomplished, he pulled the complete list of references out of his pocket and set it on top.

As he turned around, the gray-haired woman spoke. “So you’re Mr. Baker?”

“Yes, I am. Pleasure to meet you, Dr?”

“Dr. Tally. I hear you’re quite the… behavior expert.”

“Yes,” Elliot answered warily, remembering her from the previous day– and Owen’s complaints.

Dr. Tally raised an eyebrow, “What are your qualifications, then? Surely you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course not.” Elliot turned back to the stack of books and pulled out one near the bottom. He handed it to Dr. Tally with a smile.

“ Humanity’s Behaviours ? What’s that got to do-”

Elliot cut her off by turning the book over in her hands and opening up the back cover. On the dust jacket was a picture of none other than Elliot, with a short autobiography including his credentials written underneath.

“Will that do?” Elliot felt like being petty today and getting a little revenge for Owen, which he certainly received when Dr. Tally’s haughty look fell off her face.

He smiled as he continued, “The biography’s a bit outdated, obviously I’m no longer a professor, but I retired after fifteen years, it only says twelve there. The language bit is off too, I know three more than what’s written. Other than that, though, it’s quite accurate.”

Dr. Wu stepped closer, leaning a bit to read the biography himself. “You know thirty languages?”

“Yes.” Elliot couldn’t help but feel a bit smug; being a polyglot had that effect.

Wu glanced back at the list. “It says here you know Latin, do you only translate or can you speak it?”

“I can speak it.”

“Ecclesiastical or Classical pronunciation?”

Oh, this is good , Elliot thought , someone who knows Latin! “Classical, but I also know the ‘Christian Pronunciation.’”

“ Quam bene loqueris ?” {How well do you speak?}

Elliot smiled. “ Maxime. Tune? ” {Very well. You?}

“ Idem sum. Invenire aliquis qui loquitur eam rarus est. ” {The same. Finding someone who speaks it is rare.}

“ Consentio . Cur cognosciebas Latine? Tuus regio studiorum, coniecto? ” {I agree. Why did you learn Latin? Your field of study, I assume?}

Dr. Wu nodded. “ Ita. Quomodone de tuo? ” {Yes. How about you?}

“ Aperiit iter cognoscere plures linguae. Nescirem tot sine ea. ” {It opened the way to learn more languages. I wouldn’t know as much without it.}

“ Ah, video. ” {Ah, I see.}

Dr. Tally interjected into their Latin irritably, “What is happening?”

Dr. Wu waved her off. “ Ignosce eam. Quia Grady manet ea irata est. Contra eum vindicam quandam habet. ” {Ignore her. She is upset because Grady is staying. She has some sort of vendetta against him.}

Elliot grinned, “ Judicansne a quam tu loquens ab eam, possum coniecto non habes alta sententia eius? ” {Judging by how you are talking about her, can I assume you don’t have a high opinion of her?}

“ Nunquam dico. ” {I never said that.} The corner of Dr. Wu’s mouth twitched as if he was holding back a smile.

Elliot tilted his head, “ Dicisne de homibus in diversum linguae ante eorum saepe? ” {Do you often speak about people in different languages in front of them?}

 The corner of Dr. Wu’s mouth twitched again. “ Modo cum habeo aliquis loqui ad. ” {Only when I have someone to talk to.}

“ Mirifice impudens es. ” {You are surprisingly cheeky.}

“ Impudens? Vere? Qui suum librum medica dedit es. Loquere de impudentia. ” {Cheeky? Really? You are the one who gave his own book to the doctor. Talk about cheeky.}

“ Coepis loquerans de medica ante ea. Impundentia es . Insuper, unum nosse unum est. ” { You began speaking about the doctor in front of her. You are cheeky. Moreover, it takes one to know one.}

“ Ut dicis .” {As you say.}

“English, please? I feel like I’m in a fancy church with all the Latin.”

“Catholic,” Elliot said on reflex, cringing immediately.

“Sorry?”

Elliot grimaced, now unfortunately committed. “Latin is spoken at Catholic mass, which is what I assume you meant by ‘fancy church.’”

Dr. Tally looked like she had swallowed something sour.

“ Corrigi odio fert ,” {She hates being corrected.} Wu offered as explanation.

“ Video. ” {I see}

Dr. Tally, again: “Alright, at Catholic mass , then. My point stands, it’s incredibly disconcerting– sounds like you two are summoning a demon.”

Elliot tried not to glare at Dr. Tally, who seemed to want to bulldoze her way over everything and everyone– she seemed insistent on getting her way. “ Quam infelix tuae, ” {How unfortunate for you} he said sarcastically.

Elliot heard a strange cough from Dr. Wu, and when he looked over he could instantly tell it was a suppressed laugh; the flush on his face was evidence enough. Dr. Tally gave Wu a strange look before turning back to Elliot. “Well, as I was about to say before that whole Latin tirade went off, if you’re so qualified in the study of behavior, perhaps you should replace Grady as a trainer.”

Elliot allowed himself a small chuckle before responding, “My dear , I am an anthropologist , I specialize in human behaviour, not that of fauna. Most concepts apply to both, but when it comes to training a creature, Owen has far more experience and authority on the subject. I also studied behaviour on a wide scale– not that of individuals. If that’s what you want, get a psychologist.”

“Still, you have all these accolades,” Dr. Tally motioned at the book, which was still in her hand, “and Mr. Grady doesn’t.”

“Accolades and awards are about as valuable as dirt . There are plenty of people who deserve awards, but don’t receive them, and plenty of people who receive awards but don’t deserve them.”

“I–”

Elliot cut her off with a raised hand. “Lovey, let it go, I will not be replacing Owen.

Dr. Tally looked murderous at the response and interruption, and Dr. Wu looked up at the ceiling, apparently trying not to laugh again. Pissing off Dr. Tally might become a new hobby, Elliot thought, this is  fun.

Chapter Text

Dr. Tally didn’t take the news about Mr. Grady well. She apparently had some sort of grudge against the man, and Wu was beginning to get exasperated at her ranting, which had been going on for nearly ten minutes. Throughout the course of the rant, Wu had spoken less than ten words.

Dr. Tally’s animated rant was interrupted by the phone ringing. Wu pushed the speaker button on the line, thanking something for the distraction.

Mavis’ voice came through the speaker. “Dr. Wu? There’s a...Elliot Baker here to see you. He’s-”

“Ah, yes, I’m expecting him. Let him in.”

“Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll send him through.”

The call ended, and Wu turned back to Dr. Tally.

“Isn’t that Mr. Grady’s… handler ?”

“He’s more of a bodyguard. When I had the meeting with Grady he said that Mr. Baker’s job, summed up, is to ‘keep him from being mauled.’”

“Why is he here then?”

“That, frankly, is none of your business, Tally, but if you must know, I’ve found he’s very knowledgeable on the subject of behavior.”

There was a knock on the half-open door, and Wu turned to see Mr. Baker standing on the other side carrying a large stack of books. “Ah, Mr. Baker. Please, come in.”

Baker transferred the books to one arm, using the other to open the door, “Anywhere you’d like me to set these?”

“On the desk is fine.” 

Baker gingerly set the books on the desk before pulling a list out of his pocket and setting it on top. Dr. Tally pursed her lips before Mr. Baker turned around, and then spoke. “So you’re Mr. Baker?”

Mr. Baker’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Yes, I am. Pleasure to meet you, Dr?”

“Dr. Tally. I hear you’re quite the… behavior expert.” Wu thought he was going to go insane if he had to keep listening to Dr. Tally’s… well, bitchiness , for lack of a better word.

Mr. Baker, however, seemed unfazed. A simple “yes” was his reply, tentative, as if Dr. Tally was a wild animal he was trying not to provoke.

Dr. Tally raised an eyebrow, “What are your qualifications, then? Surely you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course not.” Dr. Wu watched as Mr. Baker turned back to the stack of books and pulled out one near the bottom. He handed it to Dr. Tally with a smile.

“ Humanity’s Behaviours ? What’s that got to do-”

Mr. Baker cut off Dr. Tally by turning the book over in her hands and opening up the back cover. On the dust jacket was a picture of none other than Mr. Baker, although he was wearing a button-up, waistcoat, and slacks rather than a t-shirt and jeans; with a short autobiography including his credentials written underneath.

“Will that do?” 

Dr. Tally’s haughty look fell off her face, and Wu nearly smiled.

Baker continued with a petty smile, “The biography’s a bit outdated, obviously I’m no longer a professor, but I retired after fifteen years, it only says twelve there. The language bit is off too, I know three more than what’s written. Other than that, though, it’s quite accurate.”

Dr. W stepped closer, leaning a bit to read the biography himself. He felt his eyes widen when he reached the bottom. “You know thirty languages?”

“Yes.” Mr. Baker sounded a bit smug, but Dr. Wu couldn’t blame him.

Referencing the extensive list of languages at the bottom, Dr. Wu found his interest piqued. “It says here you know Latin, do you only translate or can you speak it?”

“I can speak it.”

“Ecclesiastical or Classical pronunciation?

“Classical, but I also know the ‘Christian Pronunciation.’”

Dr. Wu felt a bit giddy, but made a mental note to ask about “Christian Pronunciation.” {How well do you speak?}

{Very well. You?}

{The same. Finding someone who speaks it is rare.}

{I agree. Why did you learn Latin? Your field of study, I assume?}

 {Yes. How about you?}

 {It opened the way to learn more languages. I wouldn’t know as many without it.}

 {Ah, I see.}

Dr. Tally interjected into their Latin irritably, “What is happening?”

Dr. Wu waved her off. {Ignore her. She is upset because Grady is staying. She has some sort of vendetta against him.}

 Mr. Baker grinned, almost Cheshire-like. {Judging by how you are talking about her, can I assume you don’t have a high opinion of her?}

 {I never said that.} Wu knew he had implied it, though, and he felt the corner of his mouth twitch. I’d like to say Tally is insufferable and she never shuts up, which is the truth.

{Do you often speak about people in different languages in front of them?}

{Only when I have someone to talk to.} Someone interesting and intelligent, that is, which is what Mr. Baker is turning out to be.

{You are surprisingly cheeky.}

That was a new one. {Cheeky? Really? You are the one who gave his own book to the doctor. Talk about cheeky.}

{ You began speaking about the doctor in front of her. You are cheeky. Moreover, it takes one to know one.}

Wu had to admit, Baker had a point. {As you say.}

Dr. Tally butted her way into the conversation once more. “English, please? I feel like I’m in a fancy church with all the Latin.”

“Catholic,” Elliot said on reflex, cringing immediately.

“Sorry?”

Elliot grimaced, now unfortunately committed. “Latin is spoken at Catholic mass, which is what I assume you meant by ‘fancy church.’”

Dr. Tally looked like she had swallowed something sour.

“ Corrigi odio fert ,” {She hates being corrected.} Wu offered as explanation.

“ Video. ” {I see}

Dr. Tally, again: “Alright, at Catholic mass , then. My point stands, it’s incredibly disconcerting– sounds like you two are summoning a demon.

 {How unfortunate for you} Baker said sarcastically.

Dr. Wu nearly lost it but turned his laugh into a cough. It must have been odd, as Dr. Tally gave him a strange look before turning back to Mr. Baker. “Well, as I was about to say before that whole Latin tirade went off, if you’re so qualified in the study of behavior, perhaps you should replace Grady as a trainer.”

Baker chuckled lowly, and if asked Wu would have described it as sinister . “My dear , I am an anthropologist , I specialize in human behaviour, not that of fauna. Most concepts apply to both, but when it comes to training a creature, Owen has far more experience and authority on the subject. I also studied behaviour on a wide scale– not that of individuals. If that’s what you want, get a psychologist.” Dr. Tally should– although for personal reasons rather than professional ones.

“Still, you have all these accolades,” Dr. Tally motioned at the book, which was still in her hand, “and Mr. Grady doesn’t.”

“Accolades and awards are about as valuable as dirt,” Dr. Wu agreed– actions spoke louder than words, or awards, “There are plenty of people who deserve awards, but don’t receive them, and plenty of people who receive awards but don’t deserve them.”

“I–”

Baker cut her off abruptly with a raised hand, “Lovey, let it go, I will not be replacing Owen.”

Dr. Tally looked murderous at the response and interruption, and Dr. Wu looked up at the ceiling, trying not to laugh again, because he knew if he looked at Tally now, he would burst out laughing. Her face upon being interrupted and called “lovey” was too much to bear. I don’t think I’ve been this amused in years.

Once he had regained his precious control, Wu cleared his throat. “Well, then. Since that’s cleared up, I believe all of us have jobs to do. Thank you for the references, Mr. Baker, and thank you for your input, Dr. Tally. Good day to you both.”

Dr. Tally’s exit was only slightly more refined than a toddler stomping their foot and slamming the door, but Mr. Baker lingered. “It was no trouble, Doctor. Besides, loquerans Latinae delectatae mihi. Gratias tibi ago. ” {speaking Latin pleases me, thank you.}

“ Tam bene quam ego. ” {As well as I.}

“ Vexare medicam bonum studium esse potest. ” {Annoying the doctor may be a good hobby.}

“ Tuone? Aut mihi ?” {For you? Or for me?}

“ Cur non ambo ?” {Why not both?} Baker said with a smile. It was different from the previous ones Wu had seen, and was accompanied by a slight head tilt. It was almost… flirtatious. I could be mistaken, I’ve never been good at reading people .

“ Ita, cur non? ” {Yes, why not?}

“ Vale, medicus. ” {Goodbye, doctor.}

“ Vale, praeceptor .” {Goodbye, professor.}

“ Non iam. ” {Not anymore.} And with that and a wink, Mr. Baker left.

By the time Dr. Wu thought he had found the time to begin reading the references Baker brought, the lab was nearly empty, most of the other geneticists having gone home for the night. Not wanting to stay in his office overnight, Wu decided to bring the books back to his apartment. Deciding and doing were two different things, however, and he quickly set the books back down with far less grace than Mr. Baker had earlier. They were damned heavy. Wu had thought that it would be a relatively light stack; he had seen Baker carry them with one arm, after all, but he was thoroughly mistaken. The books would simply stay in his office.

He could lift the books, but carrying them back to his apartment was unthinkable now he knew how heavy they were. He took the top one, Humanity’s Behaviours , with him, however. Some light reading.

Chapter Text

Elliot POV

I winked at him. Oh, my stars. I’m such an idiot. I flirted with the man who is essentially my boss. Well, my boss’s boss, technically. Shit. Dammit, why does he have to know Latin? I never knew knowing a dead language was so… attractive. Fuck. Elliot resisted the urge to slam his head against the door to his apartment as he fumbled with his keycard, standing in the small recess that his door was in. I swear- His door beeped, signaling it was unlocked. Before he could open it, however, a voice spoke.

“Hello again, Mr. Baker.”

Elliot yelled in a very undignified manner, cursing as he turned. Dr. Wu looked at him, eyebrows raised as Elliot let out a heavy exhale. Elliot leaned against the side of the recess, holding a hand over his quickly beating heart. “ Crikey, Doctor, you’re quiet as a mouse– I’m not an easy person to sneak up on. Forgive my outburst, I’m not used to being startled.”

The edges of Dr. Wu’s mouth twitched up in a bit of a smirk, “I was about to apologize for startling you, so I suppose that cancels out. Is that your apartment?”

“Yes, why?”

Dr. Wu stepped into the recess across from Elliot and pulled out his keycard. Elliot heard it unlock with a beep. “It appears we’re neighbors.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake– sorry. I carried those books all the way to the lab, if we had known I could’ve just brought them across the bloody hall.”

Dr. Wu gave a slight smile. “ Ita est quomodo est. ” {It is what it is.}

“ Ita… Spero medica non tibi ullam molestiam dederit post discessi. ” {Yes… I hope the doctor didn’t give you any trouble after I left.}

“ Minime. Gratias ago curam tui. ” {No. Thank you for your concern}

As Elliot smiled amiably, his eyes flicked down to the book Wu was holding, and his smile widened into a grin. “ Levis lectura, video .” {Light reading, I see.}

Dr. Wu glanced down at the book, “ Ah, ita. Traxisti adeo attentio ei; putavi prudens est legere id primum. ” {Ah, yes. You drew such attention to it; I thought it wise to read it first.}

“ Aequus ille est, sed puto invenes ille id non levis est. Grave magis verum esset .” {That is fair, but I think you will find that it is not light. Heavy would be more accurate.}

“ Diende felix sum. Si habeo qualities, scriptorem consulere possum. ” {Then I am lucky. If I have questions, I can ask the writer.} Despite himself, Elliot felt his face heat.

“ Non dubite. Foris mei apertus semper est. ” {Don’t hesitate. My door is always open.} As soon as the words left his mouth, Elliot realized how many ways that statement could be taken, but found he didn’t mind.

He certainly also didn’t mind how Dr. Wu nearly smiled properly. “ Semperne? Illa sicut securitas problema sonat. ” {Always? That sounds like a security issue.}

“ Apertus, sed non apertus .” {Open, but not unlocked.} Elliot paused. “I just realized– there isn’t a word for unlocked in Latin; I meant ‘open, but not unlocked.’ I’m sure it sounded like ‘open, but not open,’ now I think about it.”

“ Intellego. Tune semper das invitaties stantes peregrinis? ” {I understand. Do you always give standing invitations to strangers?}

Elliot waved the question off. “ Peregrinum non es. Scio nomen tui, atque laboramus una. Dubito necavibis me in somnus mei. ” {You are not a stranger. I know your name, and we work together. I doubt you will kill me in my sleep.}

“ Puto dexter es. ” {I suppose you’re right.}

Elliot began to feel a crick in his neck, which only happened when he had been up too long and glanced at his watch. 8:21 PM, and he had been up since 5:30 AM. “ Ah, tardum est. Tenueram tu, certus sum. ” {Ah, it is late. I have kept you, I’m sure.}

“ Minime. Exercor meum Latinum obsoletum. Tenueram tu , non vicissim. Diende vale. ” {Not at all. I am practicing my rusty Latin. I have kept you, not the other way around. Goodbye, then.}

“ Vale, medicus– ah: deja vu .” {Goodbye, doctor– ah: deja vu.}

To Elliot’s delight, Dr. Wu smiled, and found he was right– his smile was lovely. He chuckled slightly, and Elliot thought his heart would burst. “ Vale, praeceptor. Bona nox. ” {Goodbye, professor. Good night.}

“ Bona nox. Dr. Wu?”

“Yes, Mr?”

“Please, call me Elliot.”

“Very well. Goodnight, Elliot.”

With that, Dr. Wu slipped into his apartment. He’s my neighbor. My fucking neighbor. Who I just asked to use my first name. I’m not going to be able to stand this torture . I’m so screwed.

Wu POV

When Dr. Wu reached his floor,  he was surprised to see Mr. Baker standing in the recess across from him. This was the third time he had seen the man in one day. “Hello again, Mr. Baker.”

Wu didn’t expect Mr. Baker’s reaction, which was to curse colorfully. It was certainly surprising; it was not something Wu would have the relatively mild-mannered man would be capable of. “ Crikey, Doctor, you’re quiet as a mouse– I’m not an easy person to sneak up on. Forgive my outburst, I’m not used to being startled.” Baker looked a bit out of breath, and a wild light was fading from his eyes. I wonder if this is what a Velociraptor sees when looking at prey. Wu quickly banished the thought from his head. It was all good and well to wonder about what the dinosaurs saw, but it was best not to compare associates to prey.

Wu resisted the urge to clear his throat to relieve the tension, although he knew he was the only one feeling it. “I was about to apologize for startling you, so I suppose that cancels out,” He had a thought, “Is that your apartment?”

“Yes, why?”

Wu quickly went over to his door and unlocked it. “It appears we’re neighbors.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake– sorry. I carried those books all the way to the lab, if we had known I could’ve just brought them across the bloody hall.” Wu found it amusing how odd it was to hear Elliot Baker curse.

Wu felt himself smile slightly. {It is what it is.}

{Yes… I hope the doctor didn’t give you any trouble after I left.}

{No. Thank you for your concern}

Baker smiled amiably, his eyes flicked down to the book Wu was holding, and his smile widened into another Cheshire grin. {Light reading, I see.}

Wu glanced down at the book he was holding. Humanity’s Behaviours. {Ah, yes. You drew such attention to it; I thought it wise to read it first.}

{That is fair, but I think you will find that it is not light. Heavy would be more accurate.}

{Then I am lucky. If I have questions, I can ask the writer.} Wu watched with a strange fascination as Baker’s face turned a bit red, and he realized that he had been flirting. Shit .

Baker’s response, however, crushed the worry bouncing around in Wu’s head. {Don’t hesitate. My door is always open.}

Wu smiled slightly, relieved and amused by the double entendre. {Always? That sounds like a security issue.}

{Open, but not unlocked.} There was a short pause, and Wu didn’t respond, realizing that Baker was thinking. The short pause ended, and Baker spoke again. “I just realized– there isn’t a word for unlocked in Latin, I meant ‘open, but not unlocked.’ I’m sure it sounded like ‘open, but not open,’ now I think about it.”

{I understand. Do you always give standing invitations to strangers?}

{You are not a stranger. I know your name, and we work together. I doubt you will kill me in my sleep.}

You know nothing other than that, and I know nothing about you. We are strangers. Wu didn’t say that, though. Instead, he gave a small nod. {I suppose you’re right.}

Baker glanced at his watch, grimacing. {Ah, it is late. I have kept you, I’m sure.}

Wu knew that Baker was only trying to end the conversation politely, but he didn’t mind. It was better than drawn-out midwestern goodbyes. {Not at all. I am practicing my rusty Latin. I have kept you , not the other way around. Goodbye, then.}

{Goodbye, doctor– ah: deja vu.}

Wu smiled, {Goodbye, professor. Good night.}

Wu stepped toward his door but turned back at the sound of Mr. Baker’s voice. “ Bona nox. Dr. Wu?”

“Yes, Mr. Baker?”

“Please, call me Elliot.” Dr. Wu felt his heart rate accelerate. What?

Hesitantly, he acquiesced. “Very well. Goodnight, Elliot.”

Quickly, Wu stepped through his door, shutting it behind him. The ease with which the name rolled off his tongue was… concerning for him. First names were personal, and Wu couldn’t stand being personal at work or with coworkers. Not after what happened. I won’t deny that Jurassic Park… changed me. I’m self-aware enough for that. Ignoring that, I’ve only known Elliot for a day. That’s certainly much too short a time to become so familiar.

[At work, certainly, but what about outside those hours?] A voice in the back of his mind said.

Absolutely not. I will not be calling Elliot by his first name.

[You are already calling him that in your head– what difference would it be to say it out loud? You’ve already done it once. Do it again.]

It would be inappropriate.

[Would it? He asked you to. He’s always so courteous, shouldn’t you return that courtesy by abiding by his request?]

I’m not known for being a polite or likable person. Wu set the book down on his coffee table, thinking he had won his internal battle. It gave a sense of finality, and Wu moved to his kitchen to make himself dinner he really should have had hours ago. The voice, however, spoke again.

[ He is, though. Elliot is a very likable person. Isn’t he?]

Wu rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache coming on. He is a very sociable and friendly person, and I enjoy his conversation. That is all.

[When was the last time you liked talking to someone?]

Wu thought before coming across the answer. Years, at least. It’s also been years since I’ve talked to someone in a different field– it’s refreshing. That and the Latin.

If the voice was a person, it would have scoffed. [Don’t kid yourself. He has fucking dimples. He held those books you could barely lift with one arm. Did I mention the tattoos? I know you want to find where that one on his spine ends...]

Wu felt his face heat, remembering the numerous tattoos on Elliot Mr. Baker’s body. He was a bit curious, but more so about the quote he spotted on Elliot Mr. Baker’s forearm. He is conventionally attractive, which I can say as a fact, an observation. I am approaching this clinically. It was more to convince himself than the voice playing devil’s advocate.

[No, you’re not, because the only thing you want to observe is him, all-]

“Shut. Up,” Wu said out loud. They were his thoughts, dammit, he ought to be able to control them. Intrusive thoughts… Intrusive isn’t a strong enough word.

Not hearing any more intrusive thoughts, Wu picked up a knife and began cutting vegetables.

[But doesn’t he say please so prettily?]

Wu jolted, nicking his finger with the blade he was holding in the process. “ Fuck,” he cursed as he set the knife down and moved to the sink to clean the cut.

Stop being weird.

Stop thinking about it.

Think about something else.

Anything else.

When Wu returned to the cutting board, he had regained control of his thoughts. Be rational, Henry. Statistically, Mr. Baker wouldn’t even be into men, and even if he is, why would he be interested in me?

Chapter Text

It had been a week since the day Elliot had met Dr. Wu, and things had continued as usual. The velociraptors had no further issues, so Elliot was significantly relaxed. He enjoyed not having to have his finger on a trigger or his shoulders being tense.

He watched as Owen tumbled around with the raptors. Leaning on the guard rail, he was awarded a better view of the playfulness. Relaxed, he finally felt a smile creep onto his face. Other than the fact that four of the five figures below were cloned prehistoric creatures, the scene reminded Elliot of his niece and nephews when they were young, or his former students on the occasion that he forgone a lecture and instead gave them an experiment to act out.

The sound of footsteps, unbalanced yet confident, on the metal catwalk caused Elliot to look up. Dr. Tally was heading toward him. Elliot’s good mood dissipated. “Dr. Tally. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Elliot called out as he pushed himself off the railing, keeping the Velociraptors in the corner of his eye.

Dr. Tally eyed the tattoos on his arms with distaste. Take a picture, it’ll last longer.

She spoke once she had finished glaring at his arms. “Tomorrow is the Velociraptors’ physical, I’m here to observe them beforehand, to ensure that they aren’t exhibiting any strange symptoms. They will be put under anesthetic, of course, so this is an important step.”

“Of course,” Elliot replied, forcing a smile onto his face. Something about Dr. Tally’s tone put him in a foul mood. It’s like she’s… mansplaining to me.

Without another word, Dr. Tally turned to face the enclosure, and Elliot did the same, hoping she would stay quiet.

She didn’t.

Elliot felt his eye starting to twitch as Dr. Tally babbled on about the genetics and gene-splicing that went into creating the Velociraptors. He didn’t understand any of it, and even if he did he wouldn’t have been able to get a word in edgewise. She loves the sound of her own voice. I must admit that I don’t share the sentiment.

The following day, Dr. Tally returned to oversee the anesthetic being given to the raptors. The unhappy lizards hissed from their separate cages, unhappy at being both contained and separated. Elliot suppressed a smile as Dr. Tally took a step too close to the cages; she immediately jumped back as Blue nipped at her through the bars of the cage. “Unruly creatures!” she said with disgust.

Elliot rolled his eyes as he drew Dr. Tally away from the cages. “They have incredible emotional intelligence,” he paused before adding, “They can also sense fear.” He grinned as Dr. Tally spluttered.

“I- I am- I’m- what a ridiculous notion!”

“Suit yourself,” Elliot replied with a shrug.

“I will. Ah, here they are. Late. By about fifteen minutes.” Two interns Elliot had seen around once or twice came in through the door, spewing apologies.

“We’re so sorry, Doctor, we were administering anesthetic to a Dilophosaur, it took longer than we thought!”

Dr. Tally waved them off. “Whatever, just do your job.”

The two terrified interns hurried to do their job; giving the anesthetic to the Velociraptors. As Elliot watched them draw the anesthetic, and something looked a little off to him. “Dr. Tally, I’m no medical expert, but that isn’t enough anesthetic, is it?”

“It– why, you’re right!”

No need to be so surprised.

“You two,” Dr. Tally called to the interns, “how much anesthetic did you just pull?”

“15ml.”

“There’s supposed to be 30ml! Why did you half the dosage?”

The interns looked at each other. “Well, according to the size charts, 30ml is the max for animals in this weight class, and 15ml is the minimum. We thought it would be safer to draw 15ml, so there would be no chance of overdosing the dinosaurs, if we drew too much we didn’t want to kill or hurt them, y’know.”

Elliot couldn’t believe it, “Did you do the same thing for the Dilophosaur and did tell anyone that you halved the dosage?”

“Yes, and no, we didn’t tell anyone. Why would we need to?”

“So,” Elliot spoke slowly, “You halved the dosage on a dinosaur , and told no one ? That’s an extreme security issue! That dinosaur you administered anesthetic to is going to regain consciousness far too early!”

“Exactly!” Dr. Tally chimed in, “The people handling that creature aren’t going to expect it to wake up; they won’t be ready with any sort of restraint!”

“Quick,” Elliot said, “Where are they sending the Dilophosaur you dosed?”

“The John Hammond lab, a handler thinks it was injured and wants it to get checked out.”

Elliot groaned, “You underdosed a dinosaur that spits venom and is going to the one place in the park without significant ACU presence? Christ !”

Dr. Tally shook her head, “No one in the lab is trained to handle a situation like this! I’m sure everyone will panic– no one will have the agency to call the ACU!”

Elliot turned to the doctor, “Did you drive here?”

“Yes, what does that have to do with anything?”

“If we get there before the Dilophosaur, we can prevent creating a panic.”

“Good idea.” Dr. Tally turned toward the door, but stopped and turned back to Elliot. She held out her hand. “I don’t think we got off on the right foot. Start over?”

Elliot took her hand with a grin. “I’d be delighted, my dear.”

Dr. Tally gave Elliot a smile, but it quickly disappeared as she turned back to the interns. “You’re fired.”

Elliot stepped out of Dr. Tally’s company jeep as soon as she stopped in front of the John Hammond lab, the Doctor hot on his heels. Taking a couple of extra steps, Tally caught up with him, swiping her employee card on a keypad once they reached a side door. “Where are we in the lab?”

“The storage rooms are around us, so we’re close to where the Dilophosaur would be.”

Dr. Tally led Elliot to the room she had mentioned, the door of which was wide open. There was no one to be seen. “Well, an absence of blood and bodies is a good sign. No one’s dead. Here.”

“Wow,” Dr. Tally rolled her eyes, “how comforting.”

“Anytime,” Elliot replied, already continuing down the hallway.

As Dr. Tally led them to the main lab, the two started to see scratches on the tile. Elliot drew his tranquilizer as they heard a shout, which was shortly followed by the sound of glass breaking. Elliot sprinted around the corner to the lab, prepared to shoot the rogue Dilophoasaur.

Instead, however, he saw the Dilophosaur already unconscious on a table, with a tranquilizer dart sticking out of its neck. Broken glass littered the floor around it. Near it was Dr. Wu, who was holding a tranquilizer gun. The other scientists in the room were staring at Dr. Wu, open-mouthed. Elliot holstered his gun, it was obvious he wouldn’t need it. “Well, bravo . Anyone hurt?”

Dr. Wu scowled, lowering his gun, “No, but very nearly. How did this happen?”

Before Elliot could open his mouth, Dr. Tally answered. “Two idiot interns who didn’t know that a lower dose meant a dinosaur would be unconscious for a shorter period of time.”

“And they are…?”

“Fired.”

“Good.”

There was a pointed cough from one of the other scientists. Dr. Wu turned toward them. “Yes?”

There was a pause, then, with a bit of an accusatory bite, “Why do you know how to shoot a gun?”

“First of all, there’s no need to be so accusatory, especially considering none of you helped with the Dilophosaur,” Elliot tried not to laugh as Wu continued,  “and second of all, I live and work on an island with lizards that weigh several tonnes. The last time I did that I earned myself a front-row seat to watch my coworkers getting bit in half. I would have to be an idiot not to learn how to shoot after that. So, you’re welcome .” Dr. Wu glared at the other scientists, as if daring them to question him. They didn’t.

After a pregnant pause, Elliot cleared his throat. “Well, now that that’s cleared up, I’ll just move the unconscious lizard? Right?” No one responded. “Right.”

Elliot strode to the middle of the room where the Dilophosaur lay, and stood over it for a moment, his hands on his hips, as he debated what was the best way to pick up the human-sized creature.

Deciding that a bridal carry would be best, he slid his hands under the unconscious dinosaur, and with a grimace he hefted the Dilophosaur into his arms. “Should I bring it to the examination room, or…?”

“That would be best, I think.”

“Right.” Elliot turned to the door, which was blocked by the scientists who were still in a state of shock. “‘Scuse me, dears.”

They moved out of his way quickly, eyeing the creature in his arms distrustfully, as if they expected it to stir. Dr. Tally was right, none of them would’ve had the agency to call ACU; they’re as skittish as a deer. It seems like Dr. Wu was the only one who didn’t panic– it’s a good thing he knows how to shoot. He’s a good shot , Elliot observed, seeing that the tranquilizer dart had hit the Dilophosaur right in a vein. Although, it could be luck. He was very sure and calm though, so I’d guess the former.

Elliot heard footsteps behind him. Heels, from the sound of them, and as they neared, he could distinguish Dr. Tally’s gait. Sure enough, she spoke a moment later. “I’m accompanying you as an excuse to get out of there. Everyone is having a breakdown. Well, except for Dr. Wu. I never would have guessed he knew how to shoot a gun, but it makes sense that he’s the only one not freaking out.”

“Yes. He’s very collected.”

Dr. Tally scoffed slightly from Elliot’s side, and he glanced over to see her roll her eyes. “Yes, he’s collected, if by ‘collected’ you mean a strict ass.”

Elliot eyed Dr. Tally amusedly. “High praise.”

“He and I don’t get along too often. I’ve never met someone who is as intelligent as he is, but he seems to think he’s omniscient. That’s why I was in disbelief when he called you “very knowledgeable.” Dr. Wu doesn’t give out compliments often. Ever.”

Elliot felt a little fuzzy, He rarely compliments people, and yet he complimented me? He’s spoken to me in a familiar manner… No– I’m reading into this too much. It’s not that deep. “How interesting,” he replied, thanking his voice for keeping his internal turmoil out of his tone.

“Yeah. The Latin caught me off guard, too. I never knew Dr. Wu knew Latin, and I’ve worked with him for years. Or about his old coworkers, although it’s not exactly hard to figure out.”

“He seems to be a very private person.”

“No kidding. The most I know about his personal life is that he reads a lot, but I think anyone can come to that conclusion without ever meeting him. Ah, here’s the room. Are you alright? I’m sure the Dilophosaur is heavy.”

Elliot glanced down at the dinosaur in his arms, “Oh. Yes, yes, I’m fine. It’s not terribly heavy. I’ll manage. Right, the cage, I assume?”

“Yes. I’ll call the ACU to bring it back. I think if it was well enough to attack people it doesn’t need a wellness check.”

“Good point, good point.”

Chapter Text

It had been a week since his… uncomfortable encounter with Elliot. Although it was only uncomfortable to him , he still thought of it that way. The velociraptors were due for a physical, so he expected Owen and Elliot to come with the creatures. Wu grimaced inwardly– he hated velociraptors. Not that he would tell anyone.

The sound of his phone ringing pulled Wu from the charts he was inspecting on his computer. The Caller ID read “Handler Jacobs (Dilophosaur).” Wu answered at the third ring. “Dr. Wu speaking.”

“Hello Doctor, Kyle Jacobs here, I’ve got a Dilophosaur limping around the enclosure, I think it ought to get checked on. Should I send it your way?”

“Yes,” Wu replied grudgingly, “Inform the clinician so they can send someone to administer anesthetic. It will be looked into.”

“Thank you, I’ll get on that!”

Wu hung up.

It always annoyed him when he was called for stupid reasons. It wasn’t as if there was something that warranted him inspecting the Dilophosaur, and he wouldn’t be. Really, Jacobs should’ve just called the clinician directly. Rather than let himself get annoyed by it, he pushed the issue to the back of his mind. It wasn’t as if it would affect him.

Wu returned to the data he was inspecting. It was the results from the Velociraptor’s previous wellness check. About 99.7% of their DNA was stable, so there was very little chance it would mutate. The Velociraptors didn’t have the genes that made other dinosaurs on the island grow to maturity far faster than natural, so that likely factored in. Wu expected a similar rate to show up during the check, with an error margin of 0.12%. It was one of the best rates Wu had seen, the other dinosaurs tended to have less stable DNA due to their growth.

It was the rate he would prefer all his creations to have, but if he could get his side-project close … He had to keep in mind that he was (once again) sailing uncharted waters. Cloning prehistoric creatures at the start was extremely experimental, and it was still experimental to some degree, especially when a new species was cloned. Hybrids , on the other hand, were old news. Botanists had been making them naturally for centuries before DNA was discovered, and genetic hybrids, especially for agricultural purposes, were one of the first things scientists did with DNA. A cloned prehistoric hybrid, though, was as experimental and difficult as one could get.

Wu was always up for a challenge.

The only challenge he could do without, however, was Hoskins. The ACU leader tended to be a pain in his ass– always posing stupid ideas and asking for things before they were ready. Wu hated people who rushed. Rushing and not taking the proper precautions was part of the reason Jurassic Park failed. Wu wasn’t interested in having it happen again.

A knock at his door pulled Wu from his musing. “Enter.”

Dr. Tally poked her head in. “I’m off to supervise the Velociraptors. They should be here for their check-up in about half an hour.”

“Very well.”

Dr. Tally left, closing the door behind her. No matter how much he butted heads with his fellow geneticist, she was quick to get to the point, and as long as they weren’t arguing, she was decently pleasant.

Half an hour came and went. Noticing the time that had passed, Dr. Wu sighed and stood from his desk. For all their differences, both he and Tally shared an appreciation of punctuality. It was unlike her to be late. He resisted the urge to call her, and instead opted to check on a batch of embryos. If she hadn’t returned in fifteen minutes, he would call. Tally being as late as that would warrant actual alarm.

As soon as Wu had walked over to an incubator, he heard a shout. Turning, he saw another geneticist stumble back.

“Holy shit who let that thing loose?!” someone shouted. Alarmed, Wu walked over a few paces to see a Dilophosaur standing in the doorway, it’s crest fanned out and mouth open in a hiss, revealing sharp teeth. For a split second, Wu froze.

A dinosaur was loose.

It was happening again.

No. No no no no. Please, no.

[This time you can do something.]

Wu stepped to the side as one of his colleagues stumbled back, away from the hissing dinosaur. The Dilophosaur lunged forward, causing lab coat-clad scientists to scatter and panic. In the chaos, Wu went to the “Break in Case of Emergency” box, which held a fire extinguisher and a tranquilizer. The box did have a door, so Wu opted to open it instead of breaking the glass. As soon as his fingers closed around the pistol inside, he turned to face the nightmare dinosaur.

The Dilophosaur leaped on a table, scattering vials and other glass paraphernalia. As it reared its head back, Wu brought the tranquilizer up, aimed, and fired.

The tranquilizer hit the hissing creature in the neck, right where Wu had aimed. It startled, confused, before collapsing on the table. The room was silent, and Wu approached the dinosaur, wanting to ensure it was properly unconscious. Before he reached it, however, a breathless Elliot Baker rounded the corner, his own tranquilizer drawn. He stopped just inside the room, eyebrows raised. “Well, bravo . Anyone hurt?”

Wu frowned, “No, but very nearly. How did this happen?”

Dr Tally came into sight, just as breathless as Elliot. “Two idiot interns who didn’t know that a lower dose meant a dinosaur would be unconscious for a shorter period of time.”

“And they are…?”

“Fired.”

“Good.”

From behind him, Wu heard someone cough pointedly. “Yes?”

The words that followed were accusatory, which incensed Wu. Even though he had handled the Dilophosaur, his colleagues still asked: “Why do you know how to shoot a gun?”

He gritted his teeth. “First of all, there’s no need to be so accusatory, especially considering none of you helped with the Dilophosaur,” Wu allowed himself some anger, “and second of all, I live and work on an island with lizards that weigh several tonnes. The last time I did that I earned myself a front-row seat to watch my coworkers getting bit in half. I would have to be an idiot not to learn how to shoot after that. So, you’re welcome .” He glared at the other scientists, who looked very sheepish. Some looked a bit unnerved by the amount of emotion Wu had shown. They had that in common.

After a pregnant pause, Elliot cleared his throat. “Well, now that that’s cleared up, I’ll just move the unconscious lizard? Right?” He pointed at the unconscious dinosaur, but received no response. He smiled awkwardly. “Right.”

Elliot walked up to the table where the Dilophosaur lay, broken glass crunching under his feet, and stood over it for a moment. It appeared that he was trying to decide how one was supposed to carry a dinosaur.

Apparently, the answer to that question was a bridal carry. He hefted the Dilophosaur into his arms with a grimace. “Should I bring it to the examination room, or…?”

Pomegranates.

Wu realized he had been asked a question, and hoped his lapse hadn’t been noticed. “That would be best, I think.”

“Right.” Elliot turned to the door, which was blocked by the scientists who were still in a state of shock. “‘Scuse me, dears.” They scurried out of his way, apparently trying to stay as far away from the dinosaur, unconscious or not.

It pissed Wu off.

It wasn’t as if anyone there besides him had seen what could happen. A bit of fear was justified, sure, but this was ridiculous. A bunch of spineless paper-pushers.

[You are many things, Henry, but at least a coward isn’t one of them. Cowards don’t make groundbreaking discoveries and techniques. When it comes to Elliot, on the other hand…]

Enough.

Just as everyone had started to calm down, Dr. Layman, the dinosaur clinician, came through the door the Dilophosaur had come through just a few minutes prior. He had a slightly wild look in his eyes. “Where’s the Dilophosaur, is everyone okay?”

For some reason, that one sentence was enough to send a few scientists into meltdowns. Dramatic.

Dr. Tally seemed to share his distaste. “I’m going to make sure Elliot finds his way back to the examination room,” she said as she nearly ran into Dr. Layman in her haste to get out.

“Dr. Layman,” Wu said to the harried veterinarian, “the Dilophosaur was tranquilized and is being taken back. Care to tell me what happened?”

“Christ, well, the Dilophosaur woke up as we were about to get it out, we didn’t realize it was awake until we opened the cage door– it leaped at myself and my assistant. We got out of the way, but the Dilophosaur ran out the door. We’ve been looking for it since. It came in here? Was anyone hurt?”

“No one was hurt. The Dilophosaur woke up too soon due to two interns not knowing that they needed to inform someone they lowered the anaesthetic dose.”

“What? Wow. Fired, I hope? Idiots. I would think something like that would be common sense. Perhaps I’ve been in my field for too long, but…”

“I agree, it should be common sense. And yes, they were fired.” Wu had forgotten how much he appreciated Dr. Layman’s attitude. He had no patience for incompetence. Wu found that he was out of patience for anything. “Please excuse me, I’m going to go home and have a drink.”

Dr. Layman raised his eyebrows in surprise before smiling. “I might do the same.”

Wu left as quickly as possible.

[Leaving everyone else to take care of the mess?]

I shot the damn thing, I think everyone else can pull their weight.

[Ooh, someone’s feeling feisty.]

Shut up.

For once, the inner voice listened. Wu let his feet carry him along the familiar path to his apartment, completely zoned out. When he made it into his apartment, he dropped his keys on the end table next to the door. The clattering noise quickly faded, and after Wu closed the door, he was left in silence. A heartbeat passed before Wu leaned against the door and slid to the ground, the silence leaving him with nothing but his thoughts.

[At least it wasn’t a Velociraptor. You know how much you hate them. Or, how much they scare you.]

Fuck off.

[Actually, you don’t hate them– they’re your creations, you could never. You hate how scared they make you.]

Can’t I have a moment’s peace?

[Peace? For you? Please. Peace is for good people. People who haven’t caused deaths.]

It wasn’t my fault.

[Perhaps not. But you played a part. Hammond–]

Hammond was an old fool, and I saw it too late. (He was like a father to you)

[And Arnold?]

Arnold wasn’t prepared. (He was probably your closest friend)

[Muldoon?]

Muldoon was never going to die peacefully– it was just a Velociraptor rather than a lion. (He, out of everyone, should’ve survived)

[Nedry–]

Got what he fucking deserved. End. Of. Story.

[Really. What about your coworkers now? None of them are prepared for something like this. What if something happened to them? ]

I- I don’t know.

[You’re a smart man, Henry. Figure it out. ]

Wu stood up sharply, wincing slightly as his knees cracked. He wasn’t as young as he once was. Wu didn’t want to think, so he made himself busy. Reading usually kept his mind off things, so he went to find a book.

[Avoiding the issue won’t help.]

Wu scooped up a book on an end table as he passed, opening it as he sat down on his couch.

[Humanity’s Behaviours? Interesting choice. Interesting… author …]

Wu shut the book with a groan and tossed it on his coffee table. He slumped down, running his hands over his face and through his hair.

A little peace was all he was asking for.

Chapter Text

By the time Elliot had returned to the lab, the glass had been swept from the floor, everyone had calmed down, and Dr. Wu was nowhere to be seen. Elliot frowned. Had he just left? That didn’t seem very on brand for the upright geneticist.

Dr. Tally had trailed behind him after the Dilophosaur had been secured and handed over to a few ACU agents, who looked a bit ashamed of themselves– they hadn’t even known a dinosaur was loose until after it had been recaptured. Now, the geneticist– Elliot’s newfound friend, was conversing with a man with dark shoulder-length hair and a button down rolled above his forearms. Elliot approached them, and immediately Dr. Tally noticed his presence. “Ah, Elliot! This is Dr. Layman, our clinician. I’m not sure if you’ve met him yet– he’s in charge of the health of all our dinosaurs.”

Elliot held out his hand, which Dr. Layman took in a firm grip. “Elliot Baker, pleasure to meet you, Doctor.”

“Likewise. So, the Dilophosaur woke in your care?”

Dr. Layman grimaced. “Yes, but my assistant and I are fine, luckily. I spoke with Dr. Wu and he said the interns responsible have been fired, yes?”

Dr. Tally snorted derisively, “Very. Speaking of, where is Dr. Wu?”

“Oh, he said he was going to go home and have a drink,” Dr. Layman chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, “He had the right idea, honestly. My nerves are shot for the day.”

So that’s where he went. “Ah, that makes sense. He was the one who shot the Dilophosaur, I’m sure I would’ve been stressed as well.”

Dr. Layman made a face of surprise. “Oh, he was the one who tranquilized it? I never knew he knew how to shoot. Learn something new every day, I suppose.”

“Yes,” Elliot replied, “I suppose this means that the Velociraptor’s physical will have to be rescheduled?”

“Yes, unfortunately. I don’t think the ACU will want us moving more dinosaurs around at the moment. I’ll be in contact with Mr. Grady about when a good time is.”

Elliot smiled, trying to keep his outward happiness to a minimum. On the inside, he was beaming. “Lovely,” he said, trying not to be too bright, “Well, then I suppose I’m not exactly needed here, am I?”

Dr. Tally smirked at him, seeming to pick up on his joy. “No, you’re free to go.”

“Great, I’ll be going then. I’ll see you some other time, Dr. Tally, Dr. Layman.”

As Elliot made his goodbyes and left, he could’ve sworn he heard Dr. Tally mutter “Lucky.”

Once he was out of the sterile lab, Elliot took a deep breath. He didn’t understand how the scientists could work in that building day after day– it made Elliot feel like he was in an asylum. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and fired off a message to Owen.

Elliot sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket. He rolled his shoulders, which felt incredibly tense. He ought to check on Dr. Wu, but would that be appropriate?

Elliot rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He would be checking on Dr. Wu as a coworker concerned for his well-being following a dangerous incident. He would be checking on Dr. Wu as Mr. Baker, not as Elliot. It was professional, and any personal feelings Elliot may hold towards the serious geneticist would not be in play. It was fine, and it would give Elliot piece of mind. He would check on Dr. Wu.

By the time Elliot had reached Dr. Wu’s door, however, his resolve had crumbled somewhat. He stood outside the door for a few minutes, pacing across the hall. Finally, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Elliot raised his hand to knock again, but before his hand came into contact with the door, it opened.

Elliot froze at the sight of Dr. Wu, his fist still raised. He quickly dropped it and cleared his throat. “Ahem, excuse me. I noticed you left rather quickly, I just wanted to make sure you’re, well, alright.”

Dr. Wu raised his eyebrows. “I’m fine,” he said slowly.

Elliot suddenly became very aware of how awkward the situation was, and all of his social ability left him as he stumbled over his words. “Right. Good. Well, that is, that answers my question. Not–” he gave up, “I have no idea what I’m saying.”

Dr. Wu huffed out a laugh, “You came to check on me, but are you alright, Mr. Baker?”

His tone was a bit teasing, and Elliot felt himself turn a bit red. “I’m fine, perfectly. And please, call me Elliot.” So much for going as Mr. Baker...

“Of course… Are you sure? After all, that was your first encounter, however briefly, with a loose dinosaur. I’ve been there, done that.”

The way Dr. Wu said the phrase with a slight bite to his words made Elliot think there was more to it than “been there, done that,” but he didn’t want to press. “I’m sure, I’ve encountered more frightening things than an unconscious dinosaur. I’ll admit I was worried the Dilophosaur would hurt someone, but it didn’t come to that.”

“Yes,” Dr. Wu gave a wan smile and leaned his shoulder against his doorframe, “All things considered, it could’ve been much worse.”

“Yes…” Elliot furrowed his brow and frowned, fixing his gaze where the wall met the floor. Given that his social aptitude was nonexistent, he didn’t trust himself to be able to meet Dr. Wu’s piercing gaze. He lost focus and had no idea how long he stared until Dr. Wu spoke.

“Have you eaten?”

Elliot looked up with a bit of a jolt. “Um. No, I haven’t.”

Dr. Wu had stopped leaning against the doorframe and was resting one hand on the door. Elliot noticed his other hand was fidgeting; his fingers were tapping against his thumb one after another. A sign of nervousness?

“Would you like to come in? I was just in the middle of cooking.”

Of all the things Elliot thought Dr. Wu might say, being invited in was the very last on the list. Even Dr. Wu looked surprised at what he said.

“I wouldn’t want to be an imposition.” A good response in Elliot’s book– it gave Dr. Wu an easy out if he had only invited him in out of politeness, but if he had meant his invitation Dr. Wu could easily repeat it.

“Not at all,” was Dr. Wu’s reply as he stepped back, allowing Elliot to step into his apartment.

Dr. Wu’s apartment was very minimalist, and had Elliot not known better he might have called it sparse. At the very least, it wasn’t very “lived in.” Elliot had already assumed that Dr. Wu practically lived in the lab, but the sight of his apartment only solidified the assumption. Light came through half-closed windows on the other side of the apartment, and the light fixtures that hung over the kitchen counter were the only lights on. It made the apartment quite dark, but in a cozy way– contradicting the emptiness of the apartment.

Elliot went only far enough to allow Dr. Wu to close the door, then looked down. There was a pair of black shoes set neatly to the side, so Elliot toed his boots off and set them next to them.

Dr. Wu had walked over to his kitchen– it was separated from the rest of his open-plan apartment by a peninsula, which had a few stools for people to sit. Elliot idly thought that they likely didn’t get much use. He chose the middle one to sit on, quickly taking in the apartment as we went.

There was little decoration, a book here and there, and very few pictures. One that Elliot could see as he sat was one of a younger-looking Dr. Wu wearing a black gown and graduation cap, an older man and woman at his side– most likely his parents, judging by the resemblance.

Dr. Wu’s voice once again snapped him back to the present, “Do you have any allergies?”

“Oh, no. Allergy free.”

Dr. Wu nodded, then began moving about his kitchen. Elliot noticed he was suddenly avoiding eye contact– unusual for a man who usually held eye contact to the point of discomfort. He had said that he was fine, but the way he was acting reminded Elliot of himself at certain points in his life. Not to mention how out-of-character he seemed. The doctor was not fine.

Elliot decided to push it.

“Are you sure you’re alright, doctor?”

Wu paused and looked up at Elliot. “Yes. I’m sure.”

“Truly? Because you seem a little stressed.”

Dr. Wu put his hand down on his counter with force. “How many times do I have to say I’m fine?” he snapped. Immediately, his eyes widened and he took a step back from the counter. He ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Alright, perhaps I’m not completely fine. Excuse me, I didn’t mean to snap.”

“That’s fine.”

“Is it though?” Dr. Wu stepped back to the counter and leaned a hip against it. “You were merely concerned about my wellbeing, which is very touching, and I responded poorly. I apologize for that.”

Elliot smiled, “Apology very much accepted, doctor. I’m here if you need an ear.” Touching? I’m not crossing a line, then.

Dr. Wu gave a weak smile and looked away. “I’m sure, but I’m also sure you don’t want to hear it.”

Elliot furrowed his brow, thinking. An idea came to him: he should kickstart the conversation. While the idea was good, his execution ended up being less than stellar. “I was attacked by my neighbors dogs when I was thirteen, and I freeze up whenever I’m around any big dog. I can’t even stand the little ones.”

Dr. Wu stared at him, saying nothing.

“I- that is,” Elliot fumbled over his words, losing his momentum. He took a deep breath, “What I’m trying to say is that I’ve seen some shit. If you’re willing to share, I’m willing to listen, and you’d be hard pressed to make me uncomfortable, with whatever it is.”

“I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Elliot thought for a moment. “From the beginning.”

“Right.” Dr. Wu began to bustle around his kitchen again, but after a moment he began to speak.

“We were in Ian Malcolm’s room. He was delirious from pain and morphine, which made him the worst to be around in a crisis. Grant needed to turn on the generator, but the velociraptors were in the way. Malcolm, the crazy bastard, said someone should go distract them– stick their hand through the fence. I offered to go, but with Arnold gone I was the only one who could do anything with the damned computer. Harding said he could, but he was the only one with medical expertise, so he needed to stay with Malcolm. Out of everyone, Muldoon was the most qualified– if his ankle wasn’t shot. Or sober. For once.”

He stopped as he set a cutting board down, tapping his fingers on the wood. Working and moving around seemed to help him think. “Sometimes I wonder if I should’ve gone. If it would’ve made any difference…” Wu shook his head. “It doesn’t really matter now– I can’t change the past. It was Dr. Sattler who went. For a while, it was fine. I went into the hallway and talked Dr. Grant through starting the generator, before his radio died. Then Harding came out and said the raptors that had been at the skylight in Malcolms room were gone.”

Dr. Wu swallowed thickly. He didn’t continue, so Elliot prompted him. “And Dr. Sattler was still outside, wasn’t she?”

“Yes,” Dr. Wu nodded slowly, “She was outside and had no idea two of the raptors were heading her way. I ran to the door and told her to get inside, but in doing so I made myself a target.”

Elliot felt like he knew where this was going, so he stayed as still and quiet as possible. He didn’t want to disturb Dr. Wu.

“One of the raptors from the roof jumped down and pulled me away from the door. I wish I could say I don’t remember anything past that point, but I do. With horrible clarity.”

Elliot understood. He wished he didn’t know what dogs looked like when they sunk their teeth in, but he did.

Dr. Wu continued.

“They tore open practically my entire torso– if Dr. Sattler hadn’t been more interesting they would’ve done more. When they were gone, Harding dragged me back inside. He had to stuff my intestines back in. It–” Wu screwed his eyes shut. “I’ll never forget the feeling.”

Dr. Wu started cutting vegetables.
Other than the sound of the knife on the cutting board, there was silence.

And more silence.

“When the Dilophosaur came through that doorway, I thought it was happening again.”

Elliot grimaced. “I see… So, the velociraptors–”

“I despise them. The ones we have currently aren’t as good as the last ones, they’re better . Smarter. Worse .”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry.”

“Out of anyone, you have the least reason to apologize. You listened, and you care.”

“Of course I care. You’re human, aren’t you?”

Dr. Wu stopped cutting, frozen as he looked at Elliot. “I- yes. I am human.” He said it as if it was a realization.

“Only human.”

Dr. Wu set the knife down. He shook his head. “I don’t often act like it.”

Elliot scoffed. “Oh, please. Because you don’t show emotion? Because you are short with people and have a low tolerance for error? Those behaviours are reflective of your experiences, and that is human.”

Dr. Wu finally met his eyes again. Now that Elliot wasn’t as intimidated by him as he had been previously, he took the time to look , rather than simply see . His eyes were dark, nearly black, but where the light hit them Elliot could see that they were a dark brown. Wu was fidgeting, tapping his fingers on the cutting board, but his eyes were still locked with Elliot’s. His jaw was set, and his eyebrows were drawn in slightly as he stared at Elliot. After what felt like a century, but could have only been a few seconds, he whispered, “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Reading was usually a good way for Dr. Wu to calm down, but it did nothing to stop the unwanted voices tormenting him. Cooking, on the other hand, was the perfect escape. It required focus, and while it wasn’t as precise as baking, there was still a good amount of science and order to it. Wu had always cooked for himself since he had moved out of his parent's home, and he only didn’t cook during holidays when he visited or work dinners. Over the years, he would say that he had gotten pretty good. Not at a professional level, by any means, but good.

He usually got himself in a sort of flow state, so he jolted when he was interrupted by knocking in the middle of cutting a vegetable. Who was knocking on his door? Wu was tempted to ignore it and continue cooking, but his insatiable curiosity won, and he went to the door.

He opened it to see Elliot, hand raised to knock.  He quickly dropped his hand and cleared his throat. “Ahem, excuse me. I noticed you left rather quickly, I just wanted to make sure you’re, well, alright.”

Wu raised his eyebrows. “I’m fine,” he said slowly. A visitor alone was odd, but to check on him ?

“Right. Good. Well, that is, that answers my question. Not–” Elliot grimaced and gave a slight shrug, “I have no idea what I’m saying.”

Dr. Wu huffed out a laugh, “You came to check on me, but are you alright, Mr. Baker?”

Wu allowed himself a bit of teasing– the situation was already strange, he might as well get a laugh out of it. Elliot turned a bit red, starting with his ears. Wu couldn’t help but find it incredibly endearing.

“I’m fine, perfectly. And please, call me Elliot.”

“Of course… Are you sure? After all, that was your first encounter, however briefly, with a loose dinosaur. I’ve been there, done that.” Unfortunately .

“I’m sure, I’ve encountered more frightening things than an unconscious dinosaur. I’ll admit I was worried the Dilophosaur would hurt someone, but it didn’t come to that.”

“Yes,”  Wu smiled stiffly and leaned his shoulder against his doorframe, “All things considered, it could’ve been much worse.”

[You would know, wouldn’t you, Henry?]

“Yes…” Elliot furrowed his brow and frowned, fixing his gaze down and off to the side. He looked rather like a lost puppy or a deer in headlights– his gaze was unfocused. Elliot stuck his hands in his pockets and stood still.

Dr. Harwood does the same thing, she said it was her ADHD; she “zones out.” I wonder… I ought to snap him out of it.

Dr. Wu said the first thing that came to mind and immediately cursed his Midwest upbringing. “Have you eaten?”

Elliot looked up with a bit of a jolt. “Um. No, I haven’t.”

Wu stopped leaning against the doorframe and rested one hand on the door.

[Why did you do that? You hate company.]

It was a reaction.

[Are you going to invite the man you’ve been dreaming about into your home? Cook for him?]

I haven’t dreamed about him. Don’t be ridiculous.

Rather than keep thinking about it, Wu simply said: “Would you like to come in? I was just in the middle of cooking.”

“I wouldn’t want to be an imposition.”

[There’s your easy out, Henry. Take it.]

“Not at all,” was Dr. Wu’s reply as he stepped back, allowing Elliot to step into his apartment.

I don’t do things the easy way. Besides, Elliot is one of the few people whose company I actually enjoy.

[Idiot. Do you think a man this charming is single? I bet he’s got a wife and just doesn’t wear a ring because it’s a safety hazard with his job. Fucking look . At . Him .]

I can have friends, can’t I?

[You?]

The voice laughed.

[Friends?]

Elliot stepped into his apartment, and promptly took off his shoes– for that Wu was grateful. 

 “Do you have any allergies?”

“Oh, no. Allergy free.”

Wu busied himself in the kitchen, avoiding looking at his guest, as if not acknowledging his presence would make him disappear.
“Are you sure you’re alright, doctor?”

Wu paused and looked up at Elliot. “Yes. I’m sure.”

“Truly? Because you seem a little stressed.”

Dr. Wu put his hand down on his counter with force. “How many times do I have to say I’m fine?” he snapped. Immediately, he was horrified at his reaction. He ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Alright, perhaps I’m not completely fine. Excuse me, I didn’t mean to snap.”

“That’s fine.”

“Is it though?” Dr. Wu stepped back to the counter and leaned a hip against it. “You were merely concerned about my wellbeing, which is very touching, and I responded poorly. I apologize for that.”

Elliot smiled, his crow’s feet crinkling, “Apology very much accepted, doctor. I’m here if you need an ear.”

Wu gave a wan smile and looked away. “I’m sure, but I’m also sure you don’t want to hear it.”

Elliot furrowed his brow, and he was quiet for a moment. Then, he blurted out: “I was attacked by my neighbors dogs when I was thirteen, and I freeze up whenever I’m around any big dog. I can’t even stand the little ones.”

Wu stared at him, saying nothing. What?

“I- that is,” Elliot clenched his jaw. He took a deep breath, “What I’m trying to say is that I’ve seen some shit. If you’re willing to share, I’m willing to listen, and you’d be hard pressed to make me uncomfortable, with whatever it is.”

[You’ve never told anyone about this. Why start now?]
“I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Elliot paused for a moment. “From the beginning.”

[There’s no need to tell him anything he doesn’t already know.]

He’s the first person who’s willing to listen , he offered an ear, doesn’t he deserve the whole truth?

[Fair. Besides, he ought to know everything, it’ll be a good way to see if he actually cares...]

“Right,” he said, more to the voice in his head than Elliot. Wu began to bustle around his kitchen again, but after a moment he began to speak.

And he told the whole tale.

All the gritty, gorey bits.

There was no way to express the terror and pain in words— words were never his strong suit anyway.

Wu started cutting vegetables.
Other than the sound of the knife on the cutting board, there was silence.

And more silence.

But he wasn’t done.
“When the Dilophosaur came through that doorway, I thought it was happening again.”

Elliot grimaced. “I see… So, the velociraptors–”

“I despise them. The ones we have currently aren’t as good as the last ones, they’re better . Smarter. Worse .”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry.”
It’s more than anyone else has ever done.

“Out of anyone, you have the least reason to apologize. You listened, and you care.”

“Of course I care. You’re human, aren’t you?”

Wu stopped cutting, frozen as he looked at Elliot. He had never really thought about it that way. “I- yes. I am human.”

“ Only human.”

Wu set the knife down and shook his head. “I don’t often act like it.”

Elliot scoffed. “Oh, please. Because you don’t show emotion? Because you are short with people and have a low tolerance for error?”

Yes!
“Those behaviours are reflective of your experiences, and that is human.”

Wu finally met his eyes again. His jaw was set, and his eyebrows were drawn in slightly as he stared at Elliot. It was incredible to him: how easily this man made him feel at ease, seen without feeling watched . He worried that he would ruin a good thing with the way he felt about Elliot. At some point his attraction had shifted to be something more than purely physical, and it was frightening. Not the attraction, although that was so unusual for Wu that he almost didn’t recognize it, but the fact that he might drive Elliot away with the attraction. The way he cared scared him. Henry Wu hadn’t cared about anyone in a long time, and no one had cared for him either.

For now, though, he was across from Elliot Baker, for whom he was cooking in his own home (his only safe space). And he cared.
“Thank you,” he whispered.

Elliot smiled and tilted his head, reminding Wu of a curious bird. “Of course.”

The silence was slightly awkward, so Wu started cooking again (luckily nothing had started burning). As he worked, the silence became easier. Elliot watched what he was doing with quiet fascination, and after a few minutes, he said, “You’re quite a good cook. Where did you learn?”

“You haven’t tasted anything, so I don’t think you can judge my cooking in any way just yet.”

“Fair, but you at the very least seem to know what you’re doing.”

“Hmm. To answer your question, I learned some from my mother, but I’m mostly self-taught. She taught me a few traditional recipes, and I took it from there. I’ve always liked cooking. It’s very scientific, but unlike baking it leaves a lot of room for experimentation and creativity.”

“It’s like genetics in that way, yes? I would think that there are definitely rules, but they surely aren’t as rigid as the laws of physics, so you can experiment?”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Wu felt a burst of confidence, “Speaking of my work, what got you interested in anthropology? You said you taught for fifteen years, yes? Cambridge?”

“Yes. My alma mater . I worked with my old professor for a few years before he retired. I’m sure it was a nightmare, I was a bit of a terror. I mellowed out with age, you see.”

“If John Hammond hadn’t approached me to work on Jurassic Park, I likely would have done the same.”

“That is the curse of certain fields— the best job is teaching your field of study to the newer generation. At least I could’ve been a grant researcher instead of a professor. There’s a degree called “Egyptology,” and the only thing you can do with it is become an Egyptology professor. It’s an academic pyramid scheme.”

Wu laughed. “Really? How on earth is that still a thing, then?”

“Many people are fascinated by ancient Egypt. I’ll grant them this: there’s a lot to cover. As for why I studied anthropology… I was initially going to become a social worker, but I switched to anthropology and human behaviours after I— oh dear.”

Elliot stopped and turned red. He tugged at his collar, “It’s… an interesting story.”

Wu smiled. Embarrassed Elliot was rather cute. He reached up onto a shelf. “Wine?”

Elliot grinned. “Ah, plying me with alcohol? Yes, I’ll take some, but if you want it to act as “liquid courage” you’ll need something stronger.”

Wu shook his head, smiling. “I’m not trying to get you drunk.”

“No? What a shame,” Elliot said with a teasing tone and a grin. “Well, I might as well just say it. I noticed how differently I was treated— special favors and polite behaviour— when I… crossdressed.”

Wu coughed just as he raised his wine glass to his lips, and the red liquid splattered. “Oh, shit, I wasn’t expecting that.”

Elliot laughed as he rounded the peninsula, joining Wu in the kitchen. He grabbed some paper towels and offered them to Wu, who took them and began cleaning the mess. “Thank you.”

“You can see why I was hesitant about saying that— I usually get a negative oo explosive response.”

“I would like to clarify that I have nothing against you crossdressing, it only caught me off guard.” Oh God, Elliot in a dress? He had to stop thinking about it, Wu could feel his face growing warm at the prospect.

“Ah, that’s good,” Elliot replied as he returned to the counter, “I don’t mean to have an awkward conversation, but I am a very opinionated and politically active person, so I have to ask— what are your views of the LGBTQ community?”

“They should have the same rights as everyone else. Not only is it not unnatural, as certain animals have exhibited certain behaviors, but I also don’t believe in God, and thus there is no reason for me to consider it a “sin.”

Elliot sighed, “Oh, good. I also don’t believe in God, ex-catholic here, and I usually check. I organized a lot of pro-LGBTQ rights protests at Cambridge, being a member of the community myself. I only tried crossdressing once, though. Wasn’t for me.”

If Elliot could have heard what was going on in Wu’s head, he would’ve heard klaxon horns, sirens, and alarm bells. Oh fuck. He’s gay. He is gay .

He had to be careful not to give himself false hope.

“You’re a member of the community outwardly , I assume?”

“Oh, very,” Elliot said, grinning, “I’m quite proud of it.” His eyes twinkled mischievously, and Henry mused that he would play an excellent Pan in Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“As you should be.”

Elliot leaned his elbows on the counter. “You?”

Henry swallowed thickly. He had been honest with Elliot so far, so he figured he might as well continue the trend. “I’m not entirely sure.”

Chapter Text

The whispered “Thank you” nearly broke Elliot’s heart. It was so quiet, and the man who said it was one Elliot didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Dr. Wu, renowned geneticist; it was Henry, a man who hadn’t been awarded enough human kindness. “Of course,” Elliot replied.

After a short silence, Wu began to cook again. Neither spoke, so Elliot focused on what Wu was actually doing. Everything looked very practiced and efficient, it reminded him of chefs on cooking shows his nephew made him watch.
“You’re quite a good cook. Where did you learn?” he asked.

Wu raised an eyebrow at him. “You haven’t tasted anything, so I don’t think you can judge my cooking in any way just yet.”

“Fair, but you at the very least seem to know what you’re doing.”

“Hmm,” Wu pursed his lips, “To answer your question, I learned some from my mother, but I’m mostly self-taught. She taught me a few traditional recipes, and I took it from there. I’ve always liked cooking. It’s very scientific, but unlike baking it leaves a lot of room for experimentation and creativity.”

“It’s like genetics in that way, yes? I would think that there are definitely rules, but they surely aren’t as rigid as the laws of physics, so you can experiment?”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Wu acquiesced. He paused for a moment, then spoke again. “Speaking of my work, what got you interested in anthropology? You said you taught for fifteen years, yes? Cambridge?”

“Yes,” Elliot replied, smiling at the fond memory, “My alma mater . I worked with my old professor for a few years before he retired. I’m sure it was a nightmare, I was a bit of a terror. I mellowed out with age, you see.”

“If John Hammond hadn’t approached me to work on Jurassic Park, I likely would have done the same.” His words struck Elliot to the core. If Wu hadn’t been hired straight out of college, he would never have had to go through all that he did. On the other hand, the brilliant man might have been bored to death by the monotony of teaching the same course year after year. He was made for progress and discovery, thinking about him stuck in a cycle of sameness seemed criminal.

“That is the curse of certain fields— the best job is teaching your field of study to the newer generation. At least I could’ve been a grant researcher instead of a professor. There’s a degree called “Egyptology,” and the only thing you can do with it is become an Egyptology professor. It’s an academic pyramid scheme.”

Wu laughed, his whole face lighting up. He looked happy. Elliot wanted to see him smile all the time. Where did that come from? “Really?” Wu asked,  “How on earth is that still a thing, then?”
“Many people are fascinated by ancient Egypt. I’ll grant them this: there’s a lot to cover. As for why I studied anthropology… I was initially going to become a social worker, but I switched to anthropology and human behaviours after I— oh dear.”

Elliot stopped. He tugged at his collar, feeling hot at the realization of what he nearly said. It wasn’t that he was ashamed, but it was certainly embarrassing. “It’s… an interesting story.”

Wu smirked and reached up onto a shelf. “Wine?”

Elliot grinned. “Ah, plying me with alcohol? Yes, I’ll take some, but if you want it to act as “liquid courage” you’ll need something stronger.” He was an Englishman, after all.

Wu shook his head, smiling. “I’m not trying to get you drunk.”

“No? What a shame,” Elliot said teasingly, “Well, I might as well just say it. I noticed how differently I was treated— special favors and polite behaviour— when I…” he steeled himself, “crossdressed.”
Wu spluttered into his wine glass, and the red liquid splattered. “Oh, shit, I wasn’t expecting that.”

Elliot laughed, it was the first time he had heard the geneticist swear and lose his composure. He stood and rounded the peninsula, joining Wu in the kitchen. He grabbed some paper towels and offered them to Wu, who took them and began cleaning the mess. “Thank you,” he said, a smile ghosting his lips.

“You can see why I was hesitant about saying that— I usually get a negative oo explosive response.”

“I would like to clarify that I have nothing against you crossdressing, it only caught me off guard.” That was certainly a relief to hear. It would’ve hurt if the man he was so enamored with had expressed distaste or disgust.

Enamored with? Where did that come from? Oh fuck. Nonono. We work together! I don’t even know if he’s gay…

Elliot got an idea— he could bring it into conversation quite easily now. “Ah, that’s good,” Elliot replied as he returned to the counter, “I don’t mean to have an awkward conversation, but I am a very opinionated and politically active person,” which was 100% the truth, “so I have to ask— what are your views of the LGBTQ community?”

Wu glanced up at Elliot. “They should have the same rights as everyone else. Not only is it not unnatural, as certain animals have exhibited certain behaviors, but I also don’t believe in God, and thus there is no reason for me to consider it a “sin.” 

Alright, that’s step one: he’s at least an ally.

“Oh, good. I also don’t believe in God, ex-catholic here,” Let’s not get into that quite yet, “and I usually check. I organized a lot of pro-LGBTQ rights protests at Cambridge, being a member of the community myself. I only tried crossdressing once, though. Wasn’t for me.”
“You’re a member outwardly, I assume?”

“Oh, very,” Elliot said, grinning, “I’m quite proud of it.” I’m gay! Are you? Oh, please don’t say no. Please.
“As you should be.”

Elliot leaned his elbows on the counter and popped the question he had been dying to ask. “You?”

Wu looked a bit like a deer in headlights, and it took a good few seconds before he answered, “I’m not entirely sure.”
“Oh, I see,” Elliot responded, trying not to sound disappointed at the ambiguity. It was better than a flat-out “no,” but a “maybe” wasn’t the “yes” he wanted to hear.

“I know it’s odd— I’m nearly fifty, after all, but I’m not exactly the most social person.”

“Not terribly odd, I would think. That does make sense. I’m just very concrete in my sexuality, I have been for… oh, dear, thrity years now. Makes me feel old.”

“Thirty? You’re quite brave, the seventies and eighties weren’t known for being very tolerant,” Wu said as he set a plate in front of Elliot.

“Well, I’m afraid I didn’t have much of a choice.”

Wu furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Elliot cringed. He shouldn’t have said that. “It’s a story for another time,” he deflected.

“I see,” Wu responded. Elliot was surprised he didn’t push, but also quite glad.

“Well,” Wu said, “I think we’ve had enough depressing talk for one day. Thank you again, for listening to me. Should we change the subject?”

“I’m always here to listen. I agree, let’s move on to a lighter subject.”

Elliot shut his door behind him with a groan and ran his hand over his face. “I’m so fucked,” he said to his empty and cluttered flat. He flicked on the light as he kicked off his shoes, making his way to his bathroom. He had stayed and talked with Wu about nothing in particular for hours. Their late lunch had drawn out until after Elliot normally would have had supper, but he didn’t mind. He had been right, Wu was an excellent cook.

He focused more on the chef than the food, though.

Good god, he had it bad.

He should call his brother, he always had good advice. Percy was more level-headed than Elliot ever was or ever would be. He also had a healthy and loving relationship with his lovely wife, so Elliot always turned to him for relationship advice.

Not that he and Wu were in a relationship.

Yet. Hopefully, “yet” was the key here.

Elliot splashed water on his face, looking at his expression in the mirror. Right.

He made his way to his couch and flopped down, pulling out his phone. He checked his watch and did some simple math to make sure he wouldn’t be calling his brother in the middle of the night. He had learned to be conscious of time zone differences. His phone rang twice before Percy picked up.

Percy Magnus Yorke was not Elliot’s brother. Technically, they were cousins. However, as neither of them had actual brothers, and they were so close, they simply called each other “brother.” Just how Percy’s three children called Elliot “uncle,” even though he technically wasn’t.

“Yes, Elliot?”

“Mate, I’m fucked.”

Elliot heard his brother sigh on the other side of the phone, and he could picture the tired expression on Percy’s face. “What happened?”

“I’m in love with a coworker.” Saying it out loud made it so much more real. He was in love with Dr. Wu. Shit. I really am, aren’t I? Fallen fast and hard, I have.

“I see,” Percy said, “and are your feelings reciprocated?”

“Well, I don’t know. He’s very withdrawn. He’s opened up to me a bit though…”

“Great,” Percy drawled. Elliot heard rustling from his side, and Elliot knew his brother had begun pacing back and forth, as he always did when faced with a difficult situation. “So,” he continued, “is he gay, at least?”

“He doesn’t know.”

“Ugh. Of course.”

“What do you mean by that ?”

Percy clicked his tongue. “Well, Elliot, you have a habit of falling for people you can’t have. How many straight men have you had a crush on?”

“Oh, don’t call it a “crush.” That makes it sound so juvenile. We’re in our forties, for goodness sakes.”

“Yes, but your emotional maturity is juvenile, so a “crush” it is.”

“Ouch.”

“When you ask for advice, I’m going to be honest. You know I don’t mince words.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. And you know I appreciate it, really.”

“Hmm. Alright, tell me the whole thing, then I’ll give you my two cents.”

Elliot took a deep breath. “Okay. So, we both speak Latin, he’s got a lovely sense of humour, he’s wicked smart— Doctorate, groundbreaking research, all that.” Elliot heard a keyboard from Percy’s end, but continued. “He doesn’t really socialize, he’s a bit blunt, but he also really cares about people. Today a dinosaur got loose in the lab— I really shouldn’t be saying that… Oh, well. Anyway, he shot it with a tranquilizer before it could hurt anyone, risking getting hurt himself. Not to mention he’s totally my type. When he smiles …” Elliot trailed off, thinking about Dr. Wu’s smile. He was in so deep.

Percy’s voice pulled him back. “Alright, that’s how you feel about him. How about how he interacts with you?”

“He complimented me, but apparently he never does that. He’s told me some pretty personal stuff I don’t think he’s told a lot of people, if anyone. Sometimes I almost think he’s flirting with me, but I’m not sure!”

“Hmm. Quick question, is he asian?”

“Wha- yes, how is that relevant?”

“Dr. Henry Wu?”

Elliot frowned. “How the fuck did you figure that out?”

“I’m a detective. You said doctorate and groundbreaking reseach, so I put together a list of possible people from the Jurassic World staff directory. There were three possible people, him being one of them. He cloned the first ever dinosaur? Christ, no wonder you two get along. Smart bastards.”

“Says the man who figured out who I was talking about by two rather general descriptions.”

“Three, because I knew he was a he . That rules out half of the entire population.”

“Oh, whatever. Can I have my advice, now? You’ve done enough snooping.”

“That’s quite literally my job.”

“Yes, well, curiosity killed the cat. Advice?”

“Ask him on a date.”

Elliot froze. “What if he says no? I don’t want to ruin a friendship.”

“If he says no, you two can get over it like fucking adults. Listen, mate, I’ve been listening to your relationship problems for years , and I know closure will make you feel better. Think about it.”

“I will. Thanks, mate.”

“Anytime. Oh, while I’ve got you, are you coming for Christmas this year? It’s in a few weeks, so if you are you ought to get plane tickets right away.”

“I don’t think so, not this year. There’s a staff party, so I’ll go to that to fufil my civic duty of celebrating Christmas. I’ll send the kids their presents.”

Percy chuckled. “You hate Christmas too much. Alright, then, I ought to get going, Victoria’s been calling me for the past couple minutes, if I don’t go downstairs soon I’ll be sleeping on the couch.”

“Alright, mate. Talk to you later.” Elliot knew Percy would never be sent to the couch— he and his wife never went to bed angry.

He had a few ideas now. Elliot always found that it was easier to do difficult things at events. Knowing he would do something at a specific time and date made him more determined to do it, and being surrounded by a quiet buzz of conversation meant that any awkward silence wouldn’t be complete silence. Given that the staff Holiday party was coming up… There were a few staff parties throughout the year; New Year's, Valentine's, Halloween, and “Christmas.” He was sure that Dr. Wu would be at the “Christmas” party, and for Elliot that was the perfect time for a potentially awkward conversation. Now all he had to do was figure out what he was going to say.

Chapter Text

“I’m not entirely sure,” He choked out. He had never said anything about his sexuality out loud. It was a strange feeling. Wu wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.
“Oh, I see,” Elliot responded, sounding a bit off.

“I know it’s odd— I’m nearly fifty, after all, but I’m not exactly the most social person.”

“Not terribly odd, I would think. That does make sense. I’m just very concrete in my sexuality, I have been for… oh, dear, thirty years now. Makes me feel old.”

“Thirty? You’re quite brave, the seventies and eighties weren’t known for being very tolerant,” Wu said as he set a plate in front of Elliot.

“Well, I’m afraid I didn’t have much of a choice.”

Wu furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “What do you mean?”

Elliot made a bit of a face and froze momentarily before saying, “It’s a story for another time,” quickly..

“I see,” Wu responded. It was glaringly obvious it was something Elliot didn’t want to talk about, so he didn’t push. This time.

“Well,” Wu said, “I think we’ve had enough depressing talk for one day. Thank you again, for listening to me. Should we change the subject?”

“I’m always here to listen. I agree, let’s move on to a lighter subject.” Elliot sounded relieved.

It was hours later that Elliot left, and as the door clicked shut behind him, Wu realized just how quiet his apartment was with just him. Shit.

He thought about his conversation with the former professor, and he couldn’t help wondering what Elliot really meant when he said he “didn’t have much of a choice.” The swiftness and eagerness with which he changed the subject made it abundantly clear that whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Wu didn’t blame him for not sharing, though. He himself had shared about Jurassic Park, but Elliot had mentioned being attacked by dogs. Besides, they didn’t need to share equal amounts of trauma, that was just foolish.

[Perhaps. Still, he knows a lot about you now. It’s no wonder he didn’t want to share about himself.]

Don’t be ridiculous, he treated me like a human, not a monster or a strict supervisor. If he had a problem with what I said he wouldn't have been so kind.

[I suppose it has been a long time… You think that he was being kind? Oh, please, he was being polite. That, mixed with a bit of horror he was trying to hide.]

Fuck off.

[Good God, Henry, if there was a competition for denial you would win. You didn’t even have the guts to say you’re gay.]

I’m not sure, though.

[Because you don’t talk to anyone. Coward. Have you ever fantasized about a woman? No. Certainly not like you’ve fantasized about Elliot Baker.]

I’m not thinking about this anymore. Goodbye.

[Oh, you can’t get rid of me that easily, Henry. You know what you did to those people. The worker who got attacked and died, even before the incident. Ian Malcolm. John Hammond. Jay Arnold. Think about Tim and Lex— how much therapy have they had, do you reckon? You’re stuck with me.]

Be quiet.

[For now. I’ll leave you to think of a certain professor, shall I?]

Wu leaned on his kitchen counter with a groan. He never should’ve invited Elliot into his apartment; he had only dug his hole deeper. And oh, was he deep.

As much as he tried to deny it to his inner conscious, he did think about him more often than he would like to admit. It wasn’t ideal, but at the moment there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Besides, it wasn’t as if Elliot was unpleasant. Quite the opposite. When it came to conversation he was witty and intelligent; Wu enjoyed speaking with him, which was a rarity. It might have to do with his lack of inane small talk. Appearance-wise as well, he was quite pleasant.

[It’s the tattoos. How many times have you wondered where that snake on his back goes? Or where else he has ink…]

For once, I agree. It makes me wonder, as well. Tattoos are painful, but he has a whole sleeve, plus others.

[Well, he’s implied his life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Many people use tattoos as a coping mechanism. Perhaps you should get one!]

Fuck off.

[Hmm. No. If you’re not going to get one yourself, you could use his as a conversation starter. Ask about them…]

Many people’s tattoos are very personal.

[And?]

I suppose it’s not like we’re strangers anymore.

[Yes. Look at you, you made a friend. How long has it been?]

Wu frowned as began washing dishes. It had been a long time since he had had anyone he would call a “friend.”

[Since Jurassic Park, if you can’t remember. Jay was a friend. Was.]

Wu didn’t grace the needling voice with a response. Instead, he continued cleaning his kitchen, and the voice stayed silent.

When he had finished, the silence remained, and rather than a comforting absence of unwanted thoughts, it was stifling. He needed to find something to fill the air.

Reading. That’s what he could do.

Of course the first book he saw was Humanity’s Behaviours. No matter, it was good, and it was interesting.

Wu cursed himself. He had fallen asleep reading on his couch, something he hadn’t done since college, when studying for exams. However, he was in his twenties before. Now, he was pushing fifty, and he body wasn’t as young as it used to be. Everything felt awful, and he had to resist throwing his phone across the room as he silenced his alarm. He almost felt bad for his coworkers— they would be subject to his dark mood all day— but not quite.

Once he had hauled himself up, Wu headed immediately to his bathroom. Sleeping in his clothes made him feel icky, and he needed to get rid of the feeling as soon as possible. As he undressed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His gaze lingered on the scars across his torso, a reminder of his past. As the years had gone by, he had become used to the scars to the point that they were as familiar to him as the back of his own hand.

Talking about Jurassic Park, however, had brought those old memories to the surface, and the scars stuck out. He gathered the effort to ignore them— it wasn’t as if they were going anywhere— and finished undressing. Today was going to be utterly awful.

Luckily, his coworkers sensed his foul mood, likely equating it to the incident the day prior, and avoided him. Wu busied himself with a mountain of paperwork that had been delivered regarding the Dilophosaur incident, including a form about being responsible for anything happening to the dinosaur due to the tranquilizer he had shot it with. He threw that one in the trash. If the Dilophosaur died, he would simply make a new one.

It was around noon that Claire Dearing came to his office.

Ms. Dearing was very young to be running such a big and complicated park such as this one, but her age didn’t bother Wu. She was efficient and competent, and Wu got along well with her. They shared a distaste for incompetence, laziness, etc. Ms. Dearing had a bit of hubris, but she was young and hadn’t experienced something like the Jurassic Park incident, so Wu let it slide. At least she was confident.

Wu stood. “Ms. Dearing, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I’m not here officially.”

Wu sank back down into his chair, trying not to wince, “I see. Well, what can I help with?”

Dearing closed his door behind her and took the chair on the other side of his desk. “Do you think that the park would benefit from a behavior specialist? Someone who looks at the dinosaur’s patterns and other behaviors to ensure they are healthy, and also to make sure they don’t pull anything like the Dilophosaur. It has a clean bill of health, by the way. Nothing was wrong with its leg. I’m sure the report was sent to you.”

“I’m sure it was,” Wu replied, “buried in this mountain of paper. Sidenote: why haven’t we fully switched to digital? Every employee has some sort of park-issued device. Such a waste of paper.”

“They’re supposed to be making the change, but it’s slow coming. I agree, it is a waste.”

“I see. Well, to answer your question, I think it could certainly benefit. At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt.”

“Hmm. I do think you’re right. I have a candidate in mind, he already works here, I’m sure you’ve met him. Elliot Baker? He was a professor at Cambridge, taught behavior and other anthropology courses.”

Wu froze for a moment at the mention of Elliot, before replying, “Yes, I’ve met him. He certainly know’s what he’s talking about. I’ve read his book— one of them, at least. He’s working with Owen Grady on the Velociraptor project. If anyone on staff was to be the park’s behavior expert, it would probably be him. Of course, you might want to explore options outside of our current staff.”

“I would rather not— having someone who already works here means they know the ins and outs, and we can trust them with more sensitive information right away.”

Wu frowned. “I see… Is there some sort of rush to get someone to analyze behavior?”

“Getting a behavior specialist has been an idea of mine for a few months now, the incident yesterday has made me work on realizing the idea on an accellerated timeline. I want that escape to be a one-off as well as a lesson for us.”

“Of course, of course. I completely understand. Have you approached Mr. Baker with this idea yet?”

“Not yet. I’d like to get some things settled first.”

“I see. Well, if you need another opinion I know Dr. Tally has met Mr. Baker as well, so she ought to have a good opinion of him.”

“Wonderful,” Claire said as she stood, “Thank you for your insight, Dr. Wu. I’ll speak to Dr. Tally before I leave.”

Wu stood with her, gritting his teeth at the pain of the action. He cursed himself again for falling asleep in such an awkward position. “Anytime, Ms. Dearing. I’m sure you’ll find Mr. Baker to be up to the task.”

“I do hope so. If he’s what I’m looking for it will save an unimaginable amount of time. Oh, will you be attending the Holiday party in a few weeks?”

“Yes, I will.”

“I think I’ll speak to him then, I may call upon you if I need help convincing him.”

“It would be my pleasure.” [I’m sure.]

“Thank you, Dr. Wu. I will see you then.”

“Good day, Ms. Dearing.”

Dearing left, closing the door behind her. Wu sat back down with a small groan. He really was far too old for stupid things like falling asleep on a couch. He wondered where Elliot would end up if he became the behavior specialist for the park. Would he constantly be travelling the park? Would he have an office? Would he work in the lab?

[You would like that, wouldn’t you?]

No. I wouldn’t.

[Oh?]

Having him so close all the time would be torture, and I wouldn’t get anything done.

Wu fished through his stack of papers until he found the Dilophosaur report that had indeed been sent to him. Buried. He flipped through it, trying to distract himself. He was done thinking about Elliot Baker.

For now.

Chapter Text

Elliot hadn’t spoken to Dr. Wu in two weeks. He had been caught up with Owen’s dangerous rigorous training of the raptors, and had been collapsing into his bed every night— he had no energy for anything else. His nerves were shot. However, it was the day of the staff Holiday party, so a tired Elliot was changing into a suit rather than flopping into bed.

Speaking of shot nerves, Elliot was still sticking by his plan to ask Dr. Wu on a date. He fumbled over the buttons of his dress shirt, and then the buttons of his vest. Even though he had worn a similar outfit to work every day for fifteen years, he was nervous and out-of-practice, so getting dressed took far longer than usual. At the very least, he remembered how to tie a bowtie.

Percy always teased him for his penchant for bow ties. He said that Elliot, with his vests, glasses and bow ties played into the “old academic” aesthetic too much. Elliot didn’t particularly care, he knew there was no venom behind his brother’s teasing. He didn’t like ties— they flapped about and often got in the way. Besides, who ever heard of a tartan tie? No, bow ties were simply better. And yes, he loved tartan. Why not?

Tonight, for example, he had picked a red and yellow tartan. He may not have been a huge fan of Christmas, but he would at least be on theme. He adjusted his sleeves before putting on a pair of matching button cufflinks, a gift from his brother (He had said he died a little buying tartan anything, even as a gift. Elliot had gotten him a bow tie in return, which Percy “hated,” but his wife loved). They were a nice touch, though Elliot didn’t often wear cufflinks as he had a habit of rolling up his sleeves as soon as he got the chance. Tonight was a black tie event, however, so he knew it would be fine, especially as he would be wearing a jacket.

He wondered what Dr. Wu would be wearing, and decided it would probably involve a turtlensck. He had never seen the man without one, and they suited him. Very well. Elliot shook the thought from his head before he could start replaying every time he had seen the handsome geneticist. In the rain. In his office. In his kitchen, with his sleeves rolled up over his forearms…

Elliot turned on the faucet and splashed some water on his face. He rubbed his wet hands on the back of his neck, trying to dispel the heat that had gathered. Looking up into the mirror, he saw that his ears were red. Fuck me, I’m like a blushing schoolgirl.

He needed to get control of himself.

Elliot had attended the staff Halloween party two weeks after he had started working at Jurassic Park. It was there he learned that Dr. Wu only attended the Holiday party every year (it was required for certain staff members to go to at least one event a year— “teambuilding” reasons) as Valentines was off-limits, Halloween was a costume party, and New Years involved heavy drinking. It was also there that he learned about Owen’s little crush on the ever-exact Ms. Dearing. If things went awry tonight, he could at least entertain himself with torturing the raptor wrangler. Hopefully it didn’t come to that.

As he approached the room (the ballroom, even though it wasn’t called that, was most certainly a ballroom.) the buzz of conversation became louder. Elliot felt excitement flood his body; he was a social butterfly and adored conversation.

The bright overhead lights blinded him when he crossed the threshold, and he resisted the urge to curse. His eyes were already shot as they were, he didn’t need to be fully blind. The horrid modern chandeliers made him cringe. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he began to scan the crowd. He didn’t see Dr. Wu, he would probably show up as late as possible and leave at the first opportunity. Instead, his eyes landed on Owen, who was semi-hiding by a wall. With a grin, Elliot made his way over to him. “Hiding, Owen?” he teased.

“Shut up,” was Owen’s reply. The taller man looked him up and down. “Are you wearing a three piece suit and a bow tie?”

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “Why, yes, I am. Problem?”

“And is your bow tie plaid?” he said in disbelief.

“Tartan,” was Elliot’s short reply.

“Isn’t that Scottish? You’re British.”

Elliot rolled his eyes. “At least you know there’s a difference between an Englishman and a Scot.”

“I learned the difference between all the different people that live in the UK after you nearly tore my ear off for calling Cillian Murphy British.”

“Yes, because he’s…?”

“Irish, of course. His last name’s Murphy.”

“Very good.”

Elliot noticed a table with champagne flutes, and gestured at it. “Alcohol?”

“Please,” Owen replied.

Elliot chuckled and shook his head as he quickly walked over and grabbed two flutes. As he returned and handed one to Owen he teased with a smirk, “Doing all right, Owen? Nervous about something?” As if he didn’t feel like he would explode with anticipation himself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Owen’s eyes darted to the side as his face grew red, and Elliot felt a sinister grin spread across his face. “Really?” he turned his head to look where Owen had glanced and saw a very recognizeable red head. “Not going to talk to Ms. Dearing, Owen?”

“Absolutely not!” Owen looked at Elliot as if he had gone mad.

Elliot took a sip of his champagne. “Coward.”

“I had my fair share of bravery as a SEAL. I get my fair share of bravery by going into a pen with big lizards that could kill me and feeding them dead rats.”

“Owen, dear, that’s not bravery; that’s stupidity. You really ought to learn the difference.”

“Whatever.”

Wu

Wu despised social events. He was able to get away with going to the Christmas party only, which he was thankful for. It was the only normal event. For New Year’s everyone was drunk and drinking, and Wu disliked being around drunk people. Halloween was a costume party every year, and Wu would rather die. Then there was Valentines… absolutely not. He never had anyone to go with, anyway.

He pushed his stray thoughts down hurriedly.

There was no use in thinking about that. Wu straightened the sleeves of his blazer with distaste. Underneath he wore his usual turtleneck, which fit a black tie event well enough. He despised buttoned shirts— it was the way they felt against his skin. And scars. Overall, he wasn’t dressed much differently from his usual day-to-day; it was only a step up in formality. He wondered briefly what that said about him, but swiftly decided he didn’t care. The opinions of others were overrated.

Unless it came from someone who mattered.

Wu shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about that. It was going to be a struggle to get through the night as it was.

Bright light was the first thing Wu saw, and the sound of the crowd was nearly deafening. His skin was crawling as he made his way through the crowd, saying inane greetings as he went. He found a wall as quickly as possible and stood next to it, the flat blank surface a comforting respite from the chaos he was surrounded with.

Scanning the crowd, (for what could he do but observe?) Wu noticed Claire Dearing, her red hair easy to pick out of the sea of people. She was making her way over to Elliot, who was walking in his direction. As Dearing stopped him, Elliot turned with a smile that seemed ingenuine. There was also something about the way he was turned slightly away, as if to flee, that was odd. Elliot had always come across as a very sociable person. If there was anyone Wu would’ve expected to enjoy a social event, it would be him. Elliot’s shoulders were tensed, similar to how a cat would raise its hackles.

“Hello, Dr. Wu,” came Dr. Tally’s voice, pulling him away from the scene he had been watching unfold, “How are you enjoying the party? Have you found the champagne table yet? It’s not really champagne— it’s prosecco— but it’s good nonetheless.”

Dr. Tally was wearing a suit, (which came to the surprise of no one, he was sure) with the easy confidence that many admired and few could master. It suited Dr. Tally to a “T.”

“Well enough, and no. I might, though.” Champagne, prosecco; any alcohol sounded great at that moment.

“I see. Mind if I join you? You’ve found a nice little place of solitude and one of the electricians has been hitting on me all night.”

Wu wasn’t surprised, despite the silver hair Dr. Tally was still a very beautiful woman, so he couldn’t blame the electrician.

[Then why don’t you hit on her?]

She’s not my type.

[Oh, yes, I forgot. Your type is brunette, glasses, tattoos.]

Wu ignored the voice and responded to Tally. “Of course, you can join me. Not your type, this electrician?”

Dr. Tally scoffed into her “champagne” flute. “No. The one standing next to him, on the other hand… Well, I thought that the suit would be enough of a hint. If he had stopped flirting with me for two seconds I could’ve asked her if she liked “girl in red.” Oh, well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’ll have another chance, I’m sure.”

Tally hummed in agreement as Wu turned back to look at where Ms. Dearing was talking to Elliot to see Elliot talking animatedly, gesturing with his hands. The two had moved slightly, and Wu could see them more clearly. Oh shit.

Elliot was wearing a three-piece suit and a bow tie. God, he looked good. He seemed less uncomfortable with the situation, and even from across the room Wu thought he was absolutely charming.

He had to go.

He had only just arrived, so it was too early to leave, but as soon as he could, Wu was going to leave.

Dr. Tally quickly left him to his own devices, which people took as a sign that Wu was open to conversation. This resulted in him being stuck in a conversation about Norway’s environmental practices for nearly half an hour. By the time he had extracted himself, he had spoken with enough people and been present for enough time that he deemed it acceptable to leave. He did enjoy a good Irish Goodbye.

Elliot

Dr. Wu arrived as late as could be permissed, which didn’t surprise Elliot. The man wasn’t the most sociable. He spotted him right away, and began to make his way toward the austere geneticist. Elliot was almost immediately stopped by Claire Dearing, however. “Hello! Mr. Baker, yes?”

Annoyed at the interruption, he turned to her with faux politeness.

“Yes, that would be me, Miss Dearing.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Baker. I’ve heard many things.”

That made Elliot raise an eyebrow. “All good, I hope,” he replied.

“Yes, very. Even Dr. Wu was singing your praises, so I know just how qualified you are.”

Even Dr. Wu was singing your praises. Oh, Elliot would be playing that phrase over in his head for weeks. He tried (and mostly failed) not to think about Dr. Wu “singing” in a… different way than Ms. Dearing meant.

Don’t think about that, Elliot, you’re in public.

“Qualified? Why do I have a feeling you’re not talking about my work with Mr. Grady.”

“Well,” Claire glanced at where Owen was standing, engaged in an animated conversation, “The raptors are getting older. Better trained. It is of popular opinion that Mr. Grady can handle them without someone looking over him at all times. Of course, that isn’t to say he will be left alone— quite the opposite— there will be other staff to watch him.”

“I see,” was Elliot’s response. He was growing annoyed with how long this conversation was going. He had to get to Dr. Wu at some point.

“All of this isn’t to say we are going to get rid of you; if you accept, that is.”

“Accept?” Elliot’s interest was piqued.

“I would like to offer you a position as the park’s behavior specialist. It will suit your qualifications much better than your current job.”

“I’m interested. Would I be looking at the behaviour of the dinosaurs or the guests?”

“The dinosaurs. Our guests are left to the human resources and media teams. You would be looking at the patterns and behaviors of all our species to ensure safety and proper care.”

Elliot took a thoughtful sip of champagne. “I assume the incident with the Dilophosaur has something to do with this?”

“Yes. It proved that we need someone who can recognize issues, so we’ve expedited getting the position made and filled. The Dilophosaur wasn’t injured—it was faking. Had we known that the incident wouldn’t have happened.”

It was more the intern’s fault for changing the dose, but oh, well. The bigger issue is that the Dilophosaur was intelligent enough to fake an injury…

Elliot was interested; he felt a thrill he hadn’t experienced in years. It was the the excitement of learning and diving deep that had died away the longer he taught. Now it was back, and Elliot didn’t intend to let it go.

“Give me all the details, Ms. Dearing. I’m listening.”

The conversation was lengthy and informative, but eventually Elliot was able to steer Claire Dearing over to Owen, leaving him to look for Dr. Wu. He had decided to accept the offer, which meant he would be seeing much more of the scientist, which had been one of the things that had endeared him to the idea of being a behaviour specialist (not that he would say it out loud).

Elliot was having no luck finding Wu, however.

Shitshitshitshitshit. Where is he? In his distracted state, Elliot nearly ran into Dr. Tally.

She was wearing a suit, which looked more natural on her than most of the men in the room. “Oh, hey there, Elliot. In a rush?”

“Hello, Dr. Tally. Have you seen Dr. Wu anywhere? I was hoping to catch him…”

Dr. Tally nodded, likely assuming that there was a minor work detail Elliot needed to discuss. “I see. I ran into him right when he showed up, but then I think he got involved in some tedious conversation with a couple of the guys from Data Analysis. He left after that, sorry.”

Shit.

“Oh, I see. Thank you, anyway.” Elliot forced a smile he knew didn’t reach his eyes.

For the first time in his life, Elliot had grown tired of a social event.

Chapter Text

Wu listened to the gravel crunching beneath his feet as he approached the Velociraptor enclosure. This time, at least, it wasn’t pouring. The metal of the steps and catwalk clanged and echoed as he ascended. Sun beat down, and Wu was glad he had left his labcoat in his office. Owen Grady had the raptors lined up, a stark contrast to the events of his previous visit.

Another difference was the lack of company. Wu stood alone on the catwalk, with no one gripping a tranquilizer and cursing under their breath as raindrops fell. He shook the thought from his head.

Wu ought to have waited and spoken to Elliot at the holiday party a few days prior, especially considering the new position he was taking on at Ms. Dearing’s behest, but he didn’t. Despite himself, Wu found himself missing the former professor’s presence.

Enough of that. Focus.

He did. Focusing on the scene below kept his mind free of the bespectacled man that haunted him. Wu picked apart every little detail and interaction he saw, mentally compiling the details into a report he would go over with Grady when the session was over. Every tiny piece of information was cataloged and organized, nice and neat. It was comforting to have the order, and it made Wu realize how disorganized, distracted, and disoriented he had been for weeks.

He just needed to keep busy, to shake off the distractions.

He had walked too close to the sun, and he had been burned.

He was reeling himself in, finally.

________________

That was what he told himself on the hot catwalk, but as he stood in the air-conditioned lab, he wondered if the heat had been messing with his head. Elliot was all smiles and charm as he shook the hands of the geneticists, the image of perfect courtesy and sociability. Most of the people he was greeting had seen him during the Dilophosaur incident, but only Dr. Tally and himself had been properly introduced to Elliot.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

He was wearing a dark t-shirt tucked into dress slacks, and a park-issue windbreaker dangled from one hand, his other was tucked into a pocket. He contrasted sharply with the white of the lab. It was the first time Wu had seen Elliot in dark colors, and he was enjoying what he was seeing. Elliot certainly filled out the shirt well, and the short sleeves granted Wu the sight of Elliot’s tattoos. The tattooed sleeve on his left arm stood out vividly, and Wu saw other tattoos on Elliot’s right arm as well— one poked out from underneath his sleeve, and the other appeared to be words on his forearm.

Knock it off.

Thinking about Elliot’s tattoos never ended well, and it was certainly not an activity Wu should participate in at work.

Wu hauled himself back to reality.

“I look forward to working with you all. It looks like I’ll only be here half of the time,” Elliot was saying, “as I’ll mostly be running around, but I’ll see the most out of you lot,” he finished with a wink and a rakish grin. Was it possible for someone to be this charismatic?

[He’s certainly charismatic, but I think you’re hallucinating half of it… feelings do that to a person.]

Wu ignored that.

Instead, he focused on something he found odd. Elliot had only accepted the job a few days prior, not even a full week, and yet he was in his new position already. It made Wu uneasy how expidited the whole thing was. It was if something else was going on that he hadn’t been informed of. He disliked that.

Wu made up his mind to bring it up to Ms. Dearing at the meeting they would be attending next week. Perhaps at the end, though; Wu didn’t feel like discussing it in front of Vic Hoskins or the other department heads.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear was apparently true, because the man himself came blusterously through the door. “So, this is the new behaviour guy?” Hoskins directed toward Elliot.

“Yes, that would be me. Elliot Baker.” He held out his hand to Hoskins, who took it roughly.

Hoskins chuckled as he shook Elliot’s hand, oblivious to the wince the other man was sporting. “Well, you’ve got your work cut out for you. We barely have anything for you to start off with— unless you want response protocols. Vic Hoskins, by the way. ACU.”

“Actually,” Elliot said somewhat icily as he took his hand back, flexing it, “I would love those. I’m intrigued as to why the incident a few weeks ago was handled not by the ACU, whose job it is to handle such situations, but was instead handled by the Head Geneticist. It isn’t in Dr. Wu’s job description or requirements to subdue escaped dinosaurs, unless,” he turned toward Wu with his eyebrows raised, palms upturned, and he looked between Hoskins and Wu, “ I… missed something?” he said with faux innocence.

“No, Mr. Baker,” Wu said as he fought to keep his amusement hidden, “It is not in my job description.”

Elliot clapped his hands together and turned back to Hoskins, who looked thunderous. “Well then,” Elliot said, grinning impishly, “I’ll have a copy of those protocols. I would say as soon as you can, but that seems to be far to late to do anything… so, within the week? I hope you can manage that.”

The other scientists were struggling to contain their laughter, and a few even let a snort or giggle slip. Wu even felt himself smiling, feeling rather satisfied. Seeing Hoskins get what was coming for him put Wu in a good mood that would last for a long time.

“Yes,” Hoskins gritted out, “I think that can be arranged. In fact, I’ll take care of that now. Good luck, Mr. Baker.” It almost sounded threatening, but Wu knew that Hoskins would likely forget or ignore most of the encounter.

“Now that introductions are out of the way, might I have a word with you, Dr. Wu?”

“Of course, Mr. Baker,” Wu replied, glad that his voice gave no hint that his heart rate had spiked merely from Elliot saying his name. Fuck, he needed to calm down.

The two stepped into his office. Wu decided to speak first. “Don’t worry about Hoskins, he threatens people all the time, but never follows up. I’m sure HR hates him.”

“Oh,” Elliot laughed, almost sinister, “I’m not worried about him. I’ve dealt with worse, and anything he can threaten me with won’t have any effect.”

There was a glint in his eye and an underlying promise to his words, and Wu nearly hoped Hoskins would do something, purely so he could see the outcome.

“Well, that’s good. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Ah, yes.” Elliot cleared his throat. “I was wondering where I ought to have anything sent. As of now I don’t exactly have an office or set space. As far as I’m aware, that is.”

“I believe you can have it sent to the front desk of the lab, Mavis will have a space for anything addressed to you. Of course, anything digital will be sent to your inbox…”

Elliot winced. “Of course. Most things will be digital, yes?” He seemed apprehensive.

“Yes.”

“Hmm. I’m afraid I’m rather rubbish with technology,” Elliot said as his foot began to tap, practically metronomic, “I’ll manage, I’m sure. Thank you, doctor. I’ll be around, but I ought to start running about.” His foot stopped tapping as he slipped out of the office, leaving Wu alone, once again all too aware of the lack of sound he was surrounded by.

There was no use dwelling.

Elliot

“Here goes nothing” was Elliot’s motto for the day. He was making a return (sort of) to the world of academia, and he only hoped that the excitement he had been feeling wouldn’t peter out too quickly. Stepping into the sterile interior of the John Hammond lab, Elliot directed a fake smile in the receptionist’s direction as he scanned himself in with his new access key.

His new job had certain perks, one of which was being able to go practically anywhere in the park. He would be taking full advantage of that, he was sure. Elliot had met with Ms. Dearing earlier that morning to discuss the duties and privileges he was going to receive at his new job, but now he actually had to go out and do his job, which included greeting his new coworkers and being close to Dr. Wu.

The sterility of the lab was stifling, and Elliot found himself missing the old stone halls of Cambridge. The historied walls had always been infinitely fascinating to him. Though, he supposed, there was a certain level of history to the island itself he was on. Best not to dwell on that.

Elliot rounded a corner and came to the main lab, in the middle of which Dr. Wu stood. He looked completely in his element, moving around the lab with well-practiced ease and precision. His dark hair and turtleneck made him stand out from the white lab and lab coats. A beacon, Elliot thought. Although, a beacon of what, he wasn’t sure.

I am a ship, and he's a bloody lighthouse.

He wasn’t given a chance to think more about it though, as he was spotted by Dr. Tally, who began waving him over. It was clear she was intent on making his introduction to the rest of the scientists.

With a sigh, Elliot walked over to her. He smiled, trying his best to keep his eyes off  Dr. Wu. It was difficult.

“Hey, everyone, we have a new coworker today!” Dr. Tally began his introduction cheerfully.

Heads turned. “Hello, I’m sure most of you recognize me from the Dilophosaur incident a few weeks ago, but I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself then. I’m Elliot Baker, I was working alongside Owen Grady for a few months, but now I’m in charge of studying the behavior of the various creatures on this island.”

He caught Wu’s gaze and shifted on his feet, willing the heat gathering on his face to disappear. From a look? A glance? Get a hold of yourself, man.

“I look forward to working with you all,” Elliot continued, “It looks like I’ll only be here half of the time, as I’ll mostly be running around, but I’ll see the most out of you lot,” he finished with a wink and a smile; putting on the charm never hurt. Besides, it helped to hide what was going on internally.

Elliot heard loud footsteps behind him and turned to see a large balding man about his age approaching him.

 “So, this is the new behavior guy?” The man said, loudly. Elliot found his voice grating.

“Yes, that would be me. Elliot Baker.” He held out his hand to the man, who took it roughly. Elliot winced at the tight grip.

“Well, you’ve got your work cut out for you. We barely have anything for you to start off with— unless you want response protocols. Vic Hoskins, by the way. ACU.”

“Actually,” Elliot said as he took his hand back, flexing it to make sure it still worked, “I would love those.”  He had been wondering who ran the (apparently incompetent) ACU and felt a malicious glee at finally meeting the poor bastard. “I’m intrigued as to why the incident a few weeks ago was handled not by the ACU, whose job it is to handle such situations, but was instead handled by the Head Geneticist. It isn’t in Dr. Wu’s job description or requirements to subdue escaped dinosaurs. Unless,” he turned toward Wu with his eyebrows raised, palms upturned, and he looked between Hoskins and Wu, “ I… missed something?” he said with faux innocence. Hoskins looked livid.

“No, Mr. Baker,” Wu said, “It is not in my job description.” He seemed amused, and a smile ghosted his lips.

Elliot clapped his hands together and turned back to Hoskins, ignoring how the near smile made his heart race. “Well then,” Elliot said, grinning, “I’ll have a copy of those protocols. I would say as soon as you can, but that seems to be far to late to do anything… so, within the week? I hope you can manage that.”

The other scientists were struggling to contain their laughter, and a few even let a snort or giggle slip. “Yes,” Hoskins gritted out, “I think that can be arranged. In fact, I’ll take care of that now. Good luck, Mr. Baker.” It sounded threatening, and Elliot hoped that it was. He’d love to go toe to toe with Hoskins— for some reason, he couldn’t find a single thing to like about the man. That in itself was unusual; Elliot considered himself an optimist.

Elliot turned around, and his heart beat faster than before. Wu was smiling. It was a small one, to be sure, but the smile was there nonetheless. Elliot swallowed thickly before addressing the man in question.

“Now that introductions are out of the way, might I have a word with you, Dr. Wu?”

“Of course, Mr. Baker,” Wu replied. At least, Elliot reasoned as Wu led him to his office, he doesn’t know what he’s doing to me. I might die if he were to find out how much I think about him.

“Don’t worry about Hoskins,” Wu said as he closed the door behind him, “he threatens people all the time, but never follows up. I’m sure HR hates him.”

“Oh,” Elliot laughed, “I’m not worried about him. I’ve dealt with worse, and anything he can threaten me with won’t have any effect.”

“Well, that’s good,” Wu replied, “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Ah, yes.” Elliot cleared his throat. “I was wondering where I ought to have anything sent. As of now I don’t exactly have an office or set space. As far as I’m aware, that is.”

“I believe you can have it sent to the front desk of the lab, Mavis will have a space for anything addressed to you. Of course, anything digital will be sent to your inbox…”

Elliot winced. “Of course. Most things will be digital, yes?” He hoped the answer was no.

“Yes.”

“Hmm. I’m afraid I’m rather rubbish with technology. I’ll manage, I’m sure.” Shit. This isn’t going to end well. I don’t get along well with computers. I’m going to be constantly inconveniencing people with my tech problems. 

He suddenly felt very awkward and out of place, and the urge to say what he wanted to at the Christmas party was strong. He had to go. Saying that would be completely unprofessional and inappropriate. They were going to be working much more closely together now, and the coworker label applied more than before. Elliot had a personal policy not to date coworkers; he preferred to keep his work relationships separate from his romantic ones; not to mention the HR nightmare it would surely cause.

“Thank you, doctor. I’ll be around, but I ought to start running about.”

What a pathetic excuse, Elliot thought as he all but ran out of the office, I ought to start running about? Christ. Every time I’m around him all of my social skills go out the bloody window.

I need to get a hold of myself.

Chapter Text

A week after Elliot had begun working as the park’s behavior specialist, Wu found himself sitting at a table, waiting for a meeting to begin. He had been looking forward to the meeting eagerly, as he was itching to question Ms. Dearing on her rush to have Elliot begin his work.

Of course, however, he was early, as always, as Wu could not abide tardiness. Ms. Dearing had entered not long after he sat down; she shared his dislike of tardiness. They had sat in silence as the other people began filtering in. Last to appear, as always, was Hoskins.

Immediately, Wu remembered why he usually did not look forward to these meetings. They were extraordinarily boring. He almost felt bad for the others there when it came time to present his data from the previous quarter. Ms. Dearing seemed interested enough, but he knew no one understood what he was saying. He didn’t blame them, they weren’t geneticists, but he wished that they stopped having him present what no one understood. Including a copy in the quarterly report should’ve been enough.

Although, he did love presenting, even with the lack of interest. Wu sometimes wondered if he would’ve liked teaching— that was his career plan before John Hammond had changed everything.

Soon, but not soon enough, the meeting was over, and everyone began gathering the papers that had been spread across the table. “Ms. Dearing,” Wu addressed the woman across from him, “Might I have a word with you?”

“Of course, Doctor. Actually, I need to speak with both you and Hoskins. Hoskins,” she turned to the man, who was already halfway out the door, “we have something to discuss, remember?”

Wu always enjoyed how Ms. Dearing spoke to Hoskins as if he were a child. He was, in a way— a man-child. “Oh,” Hoskins replied, strained, “right.”

“We spoke, and we have an idea for how the park can progress. We would love your input— and if it is possible this would be your project, with nearly complete control.”

Oh, Wu was interested. Very interested. As long as Hoskins’ and Dearing’s idea of “complete control” wasn’t the same as Hammond’s. “You’ll have full control over everything, Henry,” Hammond had said, but that control was never complete, even from the beginning, and by the end, Wu’s input was completely ignored. He was still bitter.

“I’m listening.”

“We have approval for this project from Mr. Masrani, so we can start right away on—”

Hoskins abruptly interrupted Dearing, excitement radiating off of his large person. “Hybrids! A combination of multiple dinosaurs, all rolled up into one!”

Wu was stunned. He had briefly, and privately, entertained the idea of such a thing, but not enough to genuinely consider it. With support, however, he found himself considering it. He knew he was silent for a long time while he thought, but neither Dearing nor Hoskins interrupted his thoughts.

After what he knew was a long pause, he came to his conclusion. “It’s possible, hybrids have been made genetically, the only new part would be what we’re hybridizing. It will take months, if not years, but it could happen.”

“Excellent,” Dearing replied quickly as Hoskins opened his mouth, “Then we can begin the project. This is to stay between us, for now, as I’m sure you would’ve guessed.”

“Of course.”

“Well,” Hoskins laughed, “That was easier than I thought! Claire and I had a whole little speech to get you on board.”

The way Dearing subtly cringed at his words made Wu think that the speech was entirely Hoskins’ idea. Hoskins obviously didn’t know a damn thing about Wu if he thought that Wu would hesitate to be involved in something groundbreaking.

“Yes, well,” Ms. Dearing deflected, “What was it you wanted to ask me, Dr. Wu?”

Wu hesitated. Honestly, he didn’t need the answer. “My question has been answered already, Ms. Dearing. Now, if you’ll excuse me I ought to return to the lab.”

Wu understood the rush behind hiring Elliot now. Hybrids were known to be unstable, and they were, essentially, new species. They would have their own behaviors. Hiring Elliot so quickly was obviously done for two reasons— the first, to ensure that by the time a hybrid was successfully created, Elliot would have the behaviors of the other dinosaurs cataloged, and examining the hybrid would be that much easier. The second reason was to get Wu on board with the hybrid project. Having someone ready who specialized in behavior was an added safety measure, and Wu had always been very vocal about the need for security (Luckily no one ever questioned him, not even Hoskins. It was difficult to tell the person who had survived a collapsed Jurassic Park he was wrong about what a dinosaur could do.).

This hybrid project excited Wu. He hadn’t realized how monotonous his work had become until he felt the rush of adrenaline the prospect of innovation gave him. It had been too long since he had experienced it. The velociraptors, with their specific genetics, had given him a short respite from monotony when he had worked on them, but he received no pleasure from recreating what he knew to be a clever and vicious creature to be even more clever and even more vicious.

Now, he was feeling like he had, fresh out of college. Still getting used to being called “Doctor,” analyzing genetic code late into the night, often falling asleep at his desk until Muldoon woke him up by stomping by or Arnold came and shook him awake. He felt nearly giddy with the feeling, but the wisdom he had gained with age and experience prevented him from enjoying it too much.

He wondered who among the other geneticists was trustworthy enough to be involved in the project. Dr. Tally, while they often disagreed, was at the top of the list. There was a younger geneticist who was better than most of her seniors, Dr. Whitman; she was on the list, too. Dr. Hargrave followed Dr. Tally and Wu around like a lost puppy, but he was more than competent. A couple of others Wu included on his mental list, but he was more uncertain about them. For sure, though, Doctors Tally, Whitman, and Hargrave would be included in the project. Later.

Wu was already thinking of possible combinations. Dinosaurs with common ancestors or similar descendants would likely go together easiest. He could even, theoretically, hybridize dinosaurs with modern creatures. He had an idea.

Wu hated velociraptors. One of the reasons was that they weren’t accurate . For some reason, the gaps in the gene code rendered it impossible for the velociraptors to have feathers, no matter how much avian DNA he used to patch the gaps. If he was creating hybrids, he might be able to finally create a dinosaur with feathers.

Create.

The word sent a rush through Wu. Create . That was what he would be doing. Making something completely new .

A knock at the door interrupted Wu’s thoughts. “Enter,” he called, and Claire Dearing strode in. “Dr. Wu, I’d like to discuss the project with you, one on one.”

Wu raised an eyebrow. “Without interruptions?”

Dearing rolled her eyes as she closed the door. “Yes. Hoskins will be involved due to security needs, but other than that he will largely be out of the picture.”

“Small mercies.”

“There’s nothing small about Hoskins,” Ms. Dearing said with unexpected venom.

Wu raised an eyebrow. “Really? What did he do to get on your bad side?”

“When we were discussing the project I felt like ripping my hair out. At one point I was wondering if he was being purposefully dense, or just naturally .”

Wu shook his head, a smile on his lips. “A commonly shared sentiment, I’m afraid. I know that I much prefer being in your good graces.”

“And I in yours. Now,” Dearing came closer to Wu’s desk, but didn’t yet sit, “The project.”

“Yes. Have a seat, I have a feeling we will be here for a while.”

Finally, Dearing sat, smoothing her sharp pencil skirt into place, ever exact. “Perhaps. Let’s start with accommodations.”

That night as he sat in his empty apartment, Wu was still buzzing with excitement. He felt like a young man, fresh out of college, knowing he was going to do something no one else could or had.

[Look how that turned out.]

Wu ignored the voice. It seemed quieter now, so it was easy. It nagged at the back of his mind, but he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him from making progress. Certainly not himself.

Wu reached for the book on his coffee table, one of the books Elliot had brought him, but stopped. He didn’t feel like reading. Quickly, as if the feeling would disappear if he went too slowly, he went to his bookshelf and pulled a spiral-bound notebook off the bottom shelf, grimacing at the dust that covered it. He flipped it open, looking at familiar sketches of skeletons, birds, and dinosaurs. At least, what he wanted the dinosaurs to look like. It was incredibly nostalgic, looking back on his thoughts from over a decade ago.

He gently closed it and made his way to his home office. Out of a drawer in his small desk, he pulled a pencil. He couldn’t remember the last time he used a pencil. So much was digital, and whenever he had papers he marked or signed them in pen.

Wu reopened his old sketchbook as he sat at his desk. Slowly, he paged through it until he came across an empty page, about two-thirds of the way through.

The first sketches looked out of place. He was out of practice, and the skill shown in previous pages was not reflected in the fresh drawings. The more he drew, however, he felt himself re-familiarizing himself with the feeling of a pencil in his hand. It didn’t take long for the sketches to look the way he wanted.

Creativity was flowing through his veins, and he felt nearly feverish. What would an ankylosaur hybridized with a triceratops look like? A compy with a chameleon? His 2D creations darted and ran across his pages, soon accompanied by tightly-spaced notes on how he might make the graphite creatures flesh and blood. He paused, leaning back in his chair, and regarded the pages of sketches.

Slowly, he returned to drawing. This time, however, rather than dinosaurs darting and snarling on the page, birds flitted and perched. Wu could still remember the birds he had grown up seeing in the Midwest; chickadees and cardinals, house sparrows and cooper’s hawks, goldfinches and woodpeckers.

They were familiar and comforting, and he knew the feathers like the back of his hand. Somewhere in his parents’ house, he knew, sat a box with sketchbooks filled with birds and reptiles. There was one filled with insects and arachnids and one with his neighbors’ cats and dogs, but most pages were covered in feathers and scales. In college, his anatomy classes were the easiest he had ever taken. Wu’s memory was good , so he always remembered the names of bones and muscles, and his drawn assignments were given full marks every time. He treated them more like art classes, and his sketches grew more accurate and precise as he learned how the inside of a creature worked. If he struggled (as if), he could always reference his pages of skeletons.

Wu glanced at the clock. 2:13 AM . Shit . He needed to get to bed, otherwise the morning was going to be hell. He decided that he could finish the sketch he was on; he hated leaving them unfinished.

He looked down at his final sketch of the night and jolted.

He had gotten into a rhythm, and on autopilot, he hadn’t realized what he had been drawing.

From birds, he had transitioned into reptiles. From there, he drew a couple of snakes, but the next thing he apparently had thought of was a human. Wu had a couple of drawings of people, although they weren’t his favorite, so didn’t understand how he had made his way there . As he looked at the sketches, though, he realized how he had subconsciously moved on to a person.

The page was filled with assorted parts, no complete face, but they were instantly recognizable. Eyes filled with mirth, hands splayed on a table, fingers curled around the handle of a mug. A dimpled smile, the back of a neck.

With a snake tattoo.

“Fuck.”

Wu unceremoniously slammed the cover of the sketchbook shut and stood, pushing his chair back as he did. It made a piercing sound, and Wu winced. His face felt hot, as did his neck. It was like he was on fire. There was no way Wu was going to finish the sketch. Unconsciously, he had started drawing Elliot, and it irritated Wu just how much the man was in his thoughts. He was going to sleep. Immediately.

Sleep, however, eluded him. By the time Wu was awoken by his morning alarm, he had slept two hours, and that was generous. Sluggishly, Wu went through his morning routine. It was good it never changed; he doubted he would be able to put himself together if it wasn’t muscle memory at that point.

5:30 AM. Get up.

Go to the bathroom, take a shower, brush his teeth.

Return to his room, get dressed.

By 6:00, go to the kitchen, make a cup of black tea and breakfast; two eggs, and a slice of toast. Clean the pan.

Gather anything he had brought home from work, put on his shoes, and head off to the lab by about 6:30, and get there around 6:45.

Wu got there by 7:15, half an hour later than usual, but not bad, all things considered. Usually, he was the first one in the lab, so he received a few sideways glances from his coworkers who were already there. Seeing Wu walk in was a rarity, to say the least. Dr. Tally once said, “you are more likely to see a unicorn than see Dr. Wu walk into work.”

She was a bit dramatic, in Wu’s opinion.

Not long after Wu arrived, the bane of his existence waltzed in.

“Morning!” Elliot said all too cheerfully. Wu didn’t peg him as a morning person, so it was surprising how bright he sounded. Wu was a morning person, but this morning he was feeling a headache come on, and he wished he had drank something stronger than tea. Coffee, perhaps. Or maybe something alcoholic, to help him forget about Elliot for a few hours. He glanced down at the mug of tea he had made himself immediately upon arriving at work, silently willing it to become more potent.

“Good morning, Mr. Baker,” Wu replied as he looked back up from his tea, knowing he sounded as if it was not , in fact, a good morning. Probably because it wasn’t.

Elliot tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow. “Are you alright, Doctor?”

“Perfectly.”

Elliot a noncommittal hum. “I see.” Then, with a smirk, he teased, “Late night?”

“Yes,” was Wu’s curt response.

Elliot, for all his social aptitude, didn’t seem to take the hint that Wu was not in a talking mood.

“I mean no offence, but you sound miserable . Do you want some coffee, or…?”

Elliot was wearing a black button-down with the sleeves rolled up over his forearms, and the tattoo on his right arm caught Wu’s eye. “What does your tattoo say?” Wu asked. Instantly, he realized two things: one, that he was more tired than he had been in over a decade, and two, that he really wanted a drink. Never mind that Wu wasn’t a drinker and it was only 7:30 in the morning.

Upon hearing the question, however, Elliot’s eyes lit up. He had a childish excitement, and it was far too endearing. Wu’s heart ached. “It’s a quote! My favorite. Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn’t have had it painfully and permanently put onto my skin,” Elliot declared with a grin. He turned his forearm so Wu had a clear view of the tattoo. The ink was more blue than black, and it was slightly blurry from age, but Wu could read it well enough.

“If the account given in Genesis is really true,

ought we not, after all, to thank this serpent?

He was the first schoolmaster, the first advocate of learning,

the first enemy of ignorance, the first to whisper

in human ears the sacred word liberty,

the creator of ambition, the author of modesty, of inquiry,

of doubt, of investigation, of progress and of civilization.”

― Robert Ingersoll

“I have the odd feeling that you might like snakes,” Wu quipped.

Elliot barked a laugh. “Oh, really? I have no idea where you got such a strange notion from.”

“Why snakes?” Wu asked, curious. Elliot seemed like someone who would like dogs, rather than snakes.

“I suppose they resonate with me. I’ve always felt a sort of kinship with snakes. Lots of symbolism, too. All my tattoos are steeped in symbolism. I adore it.”

The way the word “adore” rolled off Elliot’s tongue made Wu feel a fluttering sensation. He brushed it off.

[As usual]

“I see.” Wu looked at Elliot’s left arm, and although most was still hidden under his shirt, Wu could see Elliot’s tattoo there clearly. “If you don’t mind my asking, why pomegranates then? A fan of Greek mythology?”

Elliot grinned, Cheshire-like and mildly menacing. “Not exactly. First, the fruit Adam and Eve ate in the Bible wasn’t an apple, it was most likely either a fig or a pomegranate.”

“So, original sin? Ties in with all the snakes.”

“Precisely. And, well, the second thing…” Elliot’s voice lowered, and he leaned slightly in, “Pomegranates are a literary aphrodisiac.” He let his mouth fall open slightly as he clicked the "c" in aphrodisiac. He was close, and the whole scene was so intimate and, honestly, mildly erotic (in a literary sort of way). Between the proximity, the statement about pomegranates, and the way Elliot was eyeing him the way one would look at a plate of food, Wu felt himself grow warm. For fuck’s sake, Henry, it’s 7:30!

[I may be your biggest skeptic, Henry, but there’s no way that wasn’t flirting.]

For once, Wu hoped the voice was right.

Chapter Text

Elliot strode into the John Hammond lab feeling unusually well-rested. He was much more jovial than he usually was in the morning, and he had woken up much earlier than usual as well, so he went for a run before getting ready for the rest of his day.

The first thing he noticed as he immersed himself in the white void that was the genetics lab (for it was a void, a pop of color would really do the place some good) was the Head Geneticist himself. Dr. Wu stood next to the door of his office, glaring at the mug he was holding as if he was willing it to explode. “Morning!” Elliot greeted the stiff scientist.

“Good morning, Mr. Baker,” Wu responded. He sounded as if was not having a “good morning.”

“Are you alright, Doctor?”

“Perfectly.” Elliot could tell that was a lie.

“I see.” Then, with a smirk, he teased, “Late night?”

“Yes,” was Wu’s curt response.

“I mean no offence, but you sound miserable . Do you want some coffee, or…?” Elliot glanced at the contents of Wu’s mug, now that he was close. Tea. He filed the information away for later, although when “later” was, he wasn’t sure.

Rather than answer Elliot’s question, Wu asked one of his own. “What does your tattoo say?”

Elliot grinned. He loved yammering on about his tattoos to anyone who asked or would listen. Not to mention they were all deeply personal, for one reason or another.

 “It’s a quote! My favorite. Obviously. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had it painfully and permanently put onto my skin,” he joked. He turned his arm so Wu could read the quote there.

The tattoo itself was a bit faded, and Elliot had been thinking about getting it touched up or even completely redone. It was, after all, his first tattoo, and was almost 30 years old. Elliot watched Wu’s face as he read the quote, how the scientist’s eyes quickly darted across each line. He was done reading it in less than 10 seconds, but Elliot could tell he had read it.

“I have the odd feeling that you might like snakes,” Wu remarked, and Elliot found himself laughing at his dry humor.

“Oh, really? I have no idea where you got such a strange notion from,” he shot back.

“Why snakes?” Wu asked, eyeing Elliot’s sleeve.

“I suppose they resonate with me. I’ve always felt a sort of kinship with snakes. Lots of symbolism, too. All my tattoos are steeped in symbolism. I adore it.”

“I see. If you don’t mind my asking, why pomegranates then? A fan of Greek mythology?”

“Not exactly. First, the fruit Adam and Eve ate in the Bible wasn’t an apple, it was most likely either a fig or a pomegranate.”

“So, original sin? Ties in with all the snakes.”

“Precisely. And, well, the second thing…” Elliot lowered his voice and leaned slightly in. He looked at Wu’s eyes, and said, “Pomegranates are a literary aphrodisiac.”

If Elliot were any farther away, he would have thought that Wu had no reaction to his statement, but having leaned closer, he saw how the pupils of Wu’s dark eyes widened and heard how his breath caught in his throat. Elliot had to resist the urge to grin.

“Well,” Wu said with a bit of a waver in his voice, “That’s certainly very interesting.”

He’s adorable. Fuck.

“I’m glad you think so.”

Anything further that could have been said was interrupted by Dr. Jensen, a younger member of the genetics department, calling out from the hall.

“Mr. Baker, would you come open the door for me? I’ve got my hands full.”

Elliot sighed, “Be right there.” He offered an apologetic smile to Wu before trotting over to the door and pushing it open. Almost immediately, Elliot was doused with ice-cold water. He yelped, caught completely unaware. As he held his arms out, dripping and feeling like a drowned rat, there was no doubt in his mind who was behind such a juvenile prank.

He and Hoskins had been going at each other for the past week. There were “The Office”-inspired pranks (putting things in Jell-O), locking each other in rooms, and more. This, however, took the cake. The sun was barely in the sky, and now Elliot was wet and cold.

He took off his glasses with a sigh and tried, unsuccessfully, to dry them. As everything he had was wet, it was futile and only succeeded in spreading water.

“I feel rather betrayed, Jensen.”

“Sorry, Mr. Baker, Hoskins approached me and the opportunity was too good to pass up.”

He heard light laughter behind him, and turned, squinting as his glasses were still in his hand.

“Here,” he heard as someone took his glasses. Elliot hated it when people touched his glasses. He was blind as a bat without them, so he tended to be defensive about them.

“Who the hell—”

“Is your vision really that poor? I’m standing right in front of you.” It was Dr. Wu’s voice.

A moment later, his glasses were placed back on his head. Clean.

Elliot blinked, readjusting his vision. Dr. Wu stood in front of him with a smile, holding a microfiber hand towel. “Oh, thank you, Doctor. And yes, my vision is that poor.”

Does he know what he’s doing? Surely he must. I don’t let anyone touch my glasses, especially if they don’t wear them themselves, I’m nearly blind without them… Not to mention the thoughtfulness of his cleaning them for me.

I never should have taken this job. It’s going to be the death of me.

With a grin, Wu held out the small microfiber towel. “You look a little wet.”

Wu’s smile momentarily struck Elliot dumb. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners, how he looked so sweet; nothing like his usual cold demeanor (Not that Elliot had a problem with that …). Happiness looked damned good on him.

Elliot quickly recovered.“I’m glad you find amusement at my current state,” He quipped. He did take the offered towel, although he knew it would do little good. It managed to dry his face and some of his hair, but quickly became far too saturated to be of any further use.

Wu appraised him. “Perhaps you ought to go change into something dry.”

Elliot looked down and saw that a puddle had formed at his feet. He shook his head, laughing. “No kidding. I’m going to have to get Hoskins back for this now, too.”

“Oh? What, are you two in some sort of ‘prank war?’”

“Pretty much. Although, after this… This is the first time other people have been involved, so I might do the same. As for my response, he’ll soon find out why it’s a horrible idea to go toe-to-toe with someone who has studied human behaviour for years.” Elliot grinned.

Wu tilted his head to the side. “I look forward to seeing how that will turn out.” Elliot was seized by an intense feeling of want . It wasn’t even eight, but it was already too much. How was he supposed to work like this. A quick exit was called for.

“So do I, Doctor. Now— I’m going to go change so I stop dripping all over the lab. I’ll see you around.” Elliot didn’t wait for a response, he simply turned tail and ran.

Despite being drenched in water, Elliot felt the need for a shower. The hot water ran over his cold skin, warming him and making him feel a bit more calm. Usually he showered in the evening, and he was glad it was part of his evening routine— it wound him down. He ran his hands though his hair with a sigh, and looked down at his chest. More specifically, the tattoos there.

Four four-pointed stars were on the right side, and a moth within a triangle was on the other. Like all his tattoos, they had meaning. He wondered what Wu would think of them.

No no no, stop that. You should not be thinking about that— about him .

He ran a hand over the back of his neck, and was reminded of the tattoo that ran down his spine.

It was unique amongst all his tattoos; it was the only one that wasn’t for himself. First of all, he couldn’t see it, and second… Well, he had received plenty of appreciative comments from his various partners over the years.

He wondered what Wu would say.

Shit. Don’t think about that! He’s your coworker , almost your boss! You should not be thinking of him as a partner .

But, oh, he wanted to.

(99%)Non-graphic Sexual Thoughts/Actions (skip from here)

He couldn’t help but wonder what was hidden under those dark turtlenecks. He knew part of it— Wu had told him what had happened during the fall of Jurassic Park; there was sure to be a scar across his chest. He would trail his hands and lips across it, starting at the highest point, until he came to the bottom. Wu’s breath would be shaky and—

Fuck.

Elliot debated turning the shower to cold, but being drenched in cold water once was enough for the day. He would just have to take care of the throbbing between his legs the old-fashioned way. Elliot took himself in hand with a hiss and slowly began pumping his hand up and down. He closed his eyes and continued where he had left off.

Wu’s breath would be shaky. He would break down the walls the cold geneticist had, and see him, raw and trembling. He would hear his name on Wu’s lips, again and again. Elliot would place his lips, his mouth, wherever he could, kissing, nipping, biting . Feeling and tasting Wu, sinking his teeth into flesh like a starving man. He would eat his fill, knowing Wu in every sense. Sight, smell, hearing, feel, taste; he wanted to know Wu.

See him, bare and flushed beneath him.

Smell him; bury his face in his neck and breathe him in.

Hear the sweet noises he would pull out of him.

Feel him, run his hands over his skin, map it with his fingers.

Taste him– his skin, his mouth, his–

Elliot came with a groan and leaned an arm of the wall of the shower as his other worked him through his release. When he came down from the high, he watched his spend swirl down the shower drain, overcome with guilt.

Holy fuck, did I really just do that? It’s– whatever time it is now, it’s certainly before 10.

How was he supposed to face Wu after this? Look him in the eyes after he had imagined him–

He needed to stop thinking about it. If he didn’t he would just get worked up again, and considering his age, that wasn’t a good idea. Not to say that Elliot was old, he was 45 and quite fit, but he knew he wasn’t as young as he used to be. His days of wild sexual exploits were decades past, and he wasn’t going to get hard again so soon, so he would only end up frustrated.

End of sexual content

He was just going to have to avoid Wu. It shouldn’t prove to be too difficult– they were both so busy, and Elliot didn’t need to be in the John Hammond lab for the rest of the day. He barely needed to be there in general, so he could avoid him as long as he wanted. Elliot sighed and turned off the shower– he had been in there for far too long. He quickly dried himself off and rubbed the towel over his hair, leaving it damp. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went to get dressed, shivering as he stepped out of the steamy bathroom and into the cool air of the rest of his flat.

He dressed quickly, trying to get out of his apartment as soon as possible. What was usually cozy had become stuffy, and he couldn’t wait to get some fresh air and distract himself with work. Of course, that wouldn’t be thrilling, his plan for the day was to watch the ankylosaurus paddock and take notes on the behaviours he saw.

He was going to think about dinosaurs. His work, which he had always been passionate about. Not Wu.

It was easy enough to say he wasn’t going to think about Wu, but putting it into practice was another matter. He had picked easily the most boring dinosaur to try and distract himself. He had taken just a few lines of notes in the past three hours. When he first arrived, the ankylosaurs were grazing, and he observed a few herd behaviours, but within an hour they went to sleep. Half of them stayed awake, keeping watch, but there was yet to be a switch.

He sighed and looked down at his atrocious handwriting, the pen slightly smudged from where his hand had gone over it. He easily read around it– being left-handed all his life meant he had plenty of practice.

Herd instincts, grazers–matriarchal? (similarity to elephants).

Young are kept in the center (protection) Some sort of

Communication (bellowing???)

He smiled sadly. He still flipped his ‘b’s and ‘d’s as well as his ‘p’s and ‘q’s. It was a habit from his youth he had never grown out of. It didn’t help that his teachers didn’t much care to teach him to write left-handed. He supposed it was better than trying to force him to write with his right hand.

Fuck, he was bored. At least the little ones are cute, he mused. He was itching for them to wake up so he could observe their behaviours.

“Mr. Baker, how are you settling in?”

Elliot looked up at the door, from which Ms. Dearing was emerging.

“Oh, well enough, Ms. Dearing. I’m stuck twiddling my thumbs at the moment.” He gestured at the paddock filled with sleeping ankylosaurs.

She nodded. “I see. Have you received the list detailing the feeding schedule?”

“Ah, no. I haven’t.”

“It was sent to the John Hammond lab this morning.”

“I may have been gone by that point– Hoskins recruited one of the geneticists to his side in our little exchange, and I ended up doused in ice water, so I had to go change into something dry.”

Dearing shook her head. “I’ve heard about your little prank war with Hoskins… as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work or the safety of the park, carry on.”

“Wonderful! I’ll be knocking Hoskins down a peg or two. Goodness knows he needs it.” In his boredom, Elliot had come up with a plan to finish the little back and forth he had going on with Hoskins: Psychological warfare. He had done this particular thing before, and the principal was textbook. All he had to do was visit Owen to pick up some of the clickers he had for training the Velociraptors, and recruit a few people to help him. By the end of the week, Hoskins was going to be flinching at every click.

Dearing raised her eyebrows. “I see… Well, it’s good to see you’re settling in. I’ll check in later this week as well.”

“I’ll look forward to it, Ms. Dearing.”

Back to the most boring dinosaur on the planet.

Chapter Text

“Well,” Wu said, willing his voice to stay steady, “That’s certainly very interesting.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Mr. Baker, would you come open the door for me? I’ve got my hands full.”

Elliot sighed, “Be right there.”

Wu watched as Elliot went to open the door for Dr. Jensen, using the respite to let out the breath he had been holding. It’s seven-thirty, I should not be getting all… Worked up because of this.

[Perhaps it’s Elliot’s fault, for being so flirtatious and attractive. Then again, maybe it’s because you’re weak-willed.]

Before Wu could respond to the voice, he watched as Elliot opened the door and was subsequently doused with water. He yelped, freezing at the surprise. Wu slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Elliot slowly raised his arms, dripping water, with a scowl.

While Wu knew there was no way Elliot was comfortable or pleased with his current state, Wu couldn’t help but admire the way the water made Elliot’s clothes cling to him.

[If I had a nickel for every time you ogled at a drenched Elliot Baker, I would have two nickels.]

Wu looked away from the planes of Elliot’s back, trying to ignore how defined they were even through the clothes. Elliot took off his glasses with a sigh and tried, unsuccessfully, to dry them with the hem of his soaked shirt.

“I feel rather betrayed, Jensen.”

“Sorry, Mr. Baker, Hoskins approached me and the opportunity was too good to pass up.”

Wu laughed softly at Elliot’s predicament as he came closer, picking up a microfiber cloth someone had left on a counter—probably from polishing the incubators. Elliot turned, his glasses still in his hand. He squinted.

“Here,” Wu said as he took Elliot’s glasses and began to dry them.

Elliot startled, his brow furrowing, “Who the hell—”

“Is your vision really that poor? I’m standing right in front of you.” Elliot relaxed, and Wu pushed down the fluttery feeling that came with it. Elliot was defensive about his glasses, probably because he apparently couldn’t see without them, but he relaxed when he recognized Wu’s voice; he trusted him with something so delicate and essential. Shit .

Wu placed Elliot’s now dry glasses back on his head, and Elliot blinked owlishly.

“Oh, thank you, Doctor. And yes, my vision is that poor.”

An unusual burst of confidence came over him, and Wu held out the small microfiber towel. “You look a little wet.”

It was worth it to see Elliot shake his head and grin, showing off his dimples.

“I’m glad you find amusement at my current state.” He took the towel from Wu, drying his face and some of his hair. He was still dripping wet, a puddle starting to form where he stood.

“Perhaps you ought to go change into something dry,” Wu advised.

Elliot looked down at the puddle that had formed at his feet. He shook his head, laughing. “No kidding. I’m going to have to get Hoskins back for this now, too.”

“Oh? What, are you two in some sort of ‘prank war?’” Wu replied, joking, but apparently, he was right.

“Pretty much. Although, after this… This is the first time other people have been involved, so I might do the same. As for my response, he’ll soon find out why it’s a horrible idea to go toe-to-toe with someone who has studied human behaviour for years.” Elliot grinned menacingly.

Wu almost felt bad for what was going to happen to Hoskins. Almost. “I look forward to seeing how that will turn out.”

“So do I, Doctor. Now— I’m going to go change so I stop dripping all over the lab. I’ll see you around.”

Wu nodded as Elliot left. He stepped around the puddle and stuck his head into the hallway. Jensen was holding the bucket that had fallen on Elliot. Upon seeing Wu, his face fell.

“Oh, hello, Dr. Wu.” 

Oh, that was right. Jensen wasn’t just one of the younger geneticists, he was one of the younger geneticists who were terrified of Wu. “Dr. Jensen, can you go get a mop?”

“W-what?”

“A mop. A bundle of string on a stick used for cleaning up liquid.”

“Why?”

“Since, because of you, there is a pool of water. And, because you caused it, you get the honor of cleaning it.”

“O-oh. Right. Yes, I’ll get that cleaned up.” He seemed relieved that Wu hadn’t told him off, too badly, that is, and Wu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was as if they thought he was some evil overlord.

[It might help if you were nice once in a while. Smile, or give some show of emotion to prove you’re human like them.]

They don’t have to like me, and I don’t want to be their friend.

[Some friends would do you some good.]

And what good is that?

[Someone to talk to. Rant, even. Ask for advice.]

I’ve provided that for myself perfectly well.]

[But you can’t advise yourself. Wouldn’t advice be nice? Someone giving you ideas about what to do about… Mr. Baker ?]

Silence.

Wu successfully silenced the voice tormenting him; at least, he thought he did.

[It’s practically sinful the way his tattoos move as his muscles tense. What would it be like to look up at that?]

Wu retreated to his office, forcing himself to be calm. His hands shook as he closed and locked his door, and it was only once he flipped the switch that frosted the glass windows of his office that he slumped into his chair.

Fuck. It was getting harder and harder to ignore Elliot, and considering that Wu had drawn him last night… it was getting bad.

Wu needed to find something to distract himself. There were some folders on his desk with papers he needed to sign, and he added that to his mental list of things he needed to do. However, they wouldn’t take long, so he would be left with his thoughts without another activity.

He couldn’t allow himself to think about Elliot. His tattoos. The dimples that showed when he smiled. His expressive brown eyes…

He shook his head. I’m not thinking about that.

He was too tired– his self-restraint was waning. With a groan and popping joints– When did I get so old? –Wu stood, determined to get himself a cup of coffee. The thought made him grimace, he hadn’t drank coffee in years. Overconsumption of the drink in college made it taste disgusting to him; it was a reminder of late-night studying and the few hangovers he’d had.

Dr. Whitman, one of the geneticists Wu was sure he could trust with the hybrid project, was in the break room, holding a mug of coffee and talking to some other scientists Wu didn’t particularly care for. He gave her a nod in greeting before going to the coffee machine. As Wu poured himself a cup of coffee, he heard the conversation suddenly stop. He turned around to see the other scientists staring at him. “Yes…?”

“Did you just pour yourself a cup of coffee?” one asked.

Whitman looked embarrassed to be sitting with the other scientists.

Wu felt a headache coming on. “Yes. Why?”

“But… you never drink coffee. Are you okay?”

Wu almost laughed at how ridiculous the situation was. “I’m tired, and I need something caffeinated. Am I not allowed to drink coffee?”

“Well, yeah, but… it’s just kinda out-of-character.”

Wu was starting to get annoyed. They didn’t even know him, what right did they have to judge him for drinking coffee?

“Out-of-character,” Wu deadpanned, “Right.”

Whitman cleared her throat, sending a few glares in the others’ directions. “The creamer is in the fridge, in the door.”

“Thank you, Dr. Whitman.” At least someone had sense.

[She has sense, but not you. You’re tired because you stayed up late and drew Mr. Baker , and then you asked him about his personal tattoos, cleaned his glasses for him, and ogled .]

Shut up.

[Dr. Whitman is a sensible woman, and, normally, you’re a sensible man. As soon as a pair of glasses and a pretty face walks in, though…]

Wu was distracted and had added too much creamer to the coffee; it was now far lighter than he would have liked. He took a sip and grimaced at how sickly sweet it was. Even despite the sweetness, there was still an underlying bitterness from the bad coffee. Wu felt ill. There was a reason he didn’t drink coffee anymore.

Chapter Text

Getting to Hoskins was proving to be hilariously easy. For the better part of a month, ever since he had been doused, Elliot had been recruiting various people to help him torture Hoskins. They would click a clicker, and Elliot would cause Hoskins to trip, or have something fall on him, or startle him, or some other inconvenience or calamity. Now, however, it was time for the final test. Every single click up to this point had been accompanied by a negative event, so now Elliot had to see if he had successfully conditioned Hoskins.

He just needed someone who he hadn’t involved yet. Unfortunately, his options were limited. Most of the people he hadn’t asked to help wouldn’t have been up to the task. The few who were… There were only two: Dr. Wu and Ms. Dearing. Ms. Dearing was solidly off the table– she obviously valued her strict and upright demeanor, and she would never agree to help with a prank. That left Dr. Wu.

Elliot had been, for the most part, successfully avoiding Wu since the… incident in his shower. It didn’t help that it had seemed to open a dam in his mind– Wu entered his thoughts unbidden far too often (even more often than before). Between their two schedules, however, he and Wu had only seen each other about eight times that month, and only briefly.

Unfortunately, however, while that meant he was successfully avoiding Wu, that also meant that his goddamned longing had only grown stronger. Asking Wu to help with the final part of his plan was going to be torture.

As he entered the lab, he was greeted by a few of the geneticists, as he had been spending a decent amount of time in the lab (once he realized that Wu was often elsewhere) and had gotten quite friendly with them. That was normal for Elliot. He enjoyed talking to people and making friends, and his ability to file away personal information (Name, family members, pet names, etc) made it easy. That, and he just liked talking.

Wu was in his office, for once. Apparently, he was working on some side project most of the time, and Elliot was glad he had caught him in his office. The door to the office was open, and Elliot knocked on it while standing in the doorway. Wu looked up from his computer and leaned back in his chair a bit. “Mr. Baker, how can I help you?”

Elliot entered the room and closed the door gently behind him. “It’s a… personal matter, Doctor. Or, at the very least, not technically work-related.”

Wu only raised an eyebrow, and Elliot continued. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Hoskins and I have been going at each other–”

“I did see you doused with water. That’s still going on?”

“Yes, but I think I can end it with what I’ve been working on for the past month. I’ve been conditioning him with one of Owen’s clickers,” I held one up and clicked it for emphasis, “So, if I’ve done it right, he should be properly conditioned by now. All I need to do is test it. That's… where you come in.”

Wu leaned toward his desk, resting his elbows on it and clasping his hands. “Me?”

Even though Elliot was standing, and Wu was sitting, Wu’s presence was undeniable. Elliot hadn’t felt it since they had met that fateful rainy day, but he still remembered it. And it still gave him chills. How such a small and quiet man could loom was beyond Elliot. The way Wu easily controlled situations and intimidated people with his mere presence was… attractive.

No no no, don’t think about that right now. I can’t start thinking about that.

After a heartbeat, Elliot cleared his throat and responded. “Yes. For this, I can’t use anyone I’ve used previously to help me, and I’ve used… most of all the competent people. All that’s left is you and Ms. Dearing, and…”

“Ms. Dearing would never .”

Elliot nodded. “Exactly.”

“So, you want me to do… what, exactly?”

“I would give you a clicker, and then when Hoskins comes in today, just click it behind your back at random points in your conversation with him. Also, it would be preferable to do so where people can see Hoskins– I’d like to make sure he’s reacting.”

“I see.” Wu was silent for a moment. When he spoke, it was colored with amusement. “Very well, give me the clicker. Hoskins is supposed to show up in five minutes, so he’ll be here in twenty. Is here alright for the test, since the walls are glass?”

Elliot nodded, relieved that Wu had agreed without needing much convincing. “Yes, this will be fine. Here,” Elliot crossed the room to stand on the other side of Wu’s desk and held out a clicker. Wu took it, and their hands brushed.

Elliot wanted to die.

Why was such a tiny and brief contact capable of sending shivers along his spine, and why was his heart beating so fast? He was a forty-five-year-old man, for goodness’ sake, he should be able to control himself!

“You should leave,” Wu said, oblivious to the whirlwind of thoughts racing through Elliot’s mind, “So Hoskins doesn’t see you in here. I’m sure it would ruin the test if he had any suspicion of us working together.”

“O-oh, right. Yes. Probably right. I’ll just… be out in the lab, then. Distract a few people from their jobs, you know, the usual.” With a smile that was far more confident than Elliot felt, he turned away from Wu and left the office.

He cursed himself, how he had stumbled over his words and barely covered up his flustered state with a humorous comment. All because their hands brushed against each other.

Surely I’m not that pathetic? No, I’m just that desperate. I’m like a dog drooling over scraps. Fuck.

His only solace was that Hoskins was going to be there soon, and he would get to see a month’s worth of planning pay off. That would show Hoskins not to have water dumped on him at eight in the morning.

Wu’s subtle comment about Hoskins’ timeliness proved to be true; twenty minutes later, he appeared. Elliot ducked into the break room as Hoskins entered the lab, and waited for him to enter Wu’s office. When the coast was clear, Elliot stepped back into the lab and settled into an office chair, ready to watch the scene.

Hoskins and Wu were standing around something on a table, their backs to Elliot. He could see the clicker in Wu’s hands, hidden behind the austere geneticist’s back. He saw the button of the clicker press, and his eyes flicked up just in time to see Hoskins flinch. The larger man looked around cautiously when nothing happened, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Elliot saw Wu tilt his head slightly and look at Hoskins with a confused look, and Elliot was sure he was saying something along the lines of “is something wrong?” If Elliot hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought Wu was genuinely concerned and confused by Hoskins’ behaviour. Oh, he was good.

There was something about Wu’s natural acting that was so alluring. 

No, stop that. Focus.

The clicker was pressed again, and Hoskins ducked, looking around with slightly crazed eyes. From where he was watching, Elliot could see Wu take a half-step close, probably offering fake words of concern. Hoskins didn’t have a clue, and this was gold. Wu put one of his hands on Hoskin’s shoulder while the other held the clicker concealed behind his back. He gently led Hoskins from the office and into the main lab, so now Elliot could hear what was being said.

“Really, Hoskins,” Wu was saying in an almost fatherly tone, “If you just tell me what’s wrong, perhaps I can help.”

“N-no,” Hoskins replied. His tone was fearful, and far more quiet than his usual boisterous voice.

A click sounded, and Hoskins flinched again, bumping into a table. “Hoskins, what is going on?” Wu asked, sounding slightly exasperated. If Elliot hadn't known that Wu was in on this, he would have thought that he was being genuine. He was so collected and perfect at playing the part. It was impressive– just another thing that Elliot could add to the list of what he admired about him.

Quit. That.

“It’s that fucking Baker– he’s going to do something to me at any second, I swear! I know it…”

Wu raised an eyebrow, and as Hoskins looked away, Wu’s eyes met Elliot’s. He winked.

Fuck.

“Hoskins, Mr. Baker was here earlier, but he left to go to the Triceratops paddock– on the other side of the island. He isn’t here, and hasn’t been for some time.” Wu made a click.

Hoskins shook his head, his voice becoming frantic. “No, you don’t get it, he’s here , and–”

Before Hoskins could finish, Elliot stepped out of the break room. Hoskins yelped and dove under a table. Elliot grinned while suppressing the urge to laugh, and Wu disguised a laugh with a cough. He was smiling. Properly smiling.

Oh, no.

He looked so sweet, which was antithetical to the very thought of Dr. Wu, but it looked right. He looked so warm and inviting, and Elliot felt a bit weak. The things I would do to make him smile… No– stop that! You’re not supposed to be thinking about him.

“Alright there, Hoskins?” Wu asked innocently. Elliot felt like dropping to his knees in front of him– this beautiful, intelligent, wonderful man… He had no idea how much Elliot wanted him, how he adored him. And he wasn’t going to know.

“W-what the fuck is going on?!” Hoskins demanded, not coming out from under the table.

Elliot regained some of his composure, snapping back to reality. He cleared his throat, “Ahem, well, Hoskins, this is a lesson– not to douse me with ice-cold water first thing in the morning, and not to go toe-to-toe with someone who specializes in studying human behaviour.”

Hoskins looked at him with disbelief and confusion, slowly coming out from under the table. “What…?”

Wu brought the clicker out from behind his back and held it up. “You’ve been conditioned.” He clicked it again for good measure, causing Hoskins to flinch again.

“I was going to wait for a few more clicks to reveal myself,” Elliot snickered, “But you reacted so dramatically, and I was brought up, so I thought it best to reveal myself early. And yes, Dr. Wu is correct. You’ve been conditioned.”

“Funny how easy it is, isn’t it?” Wu said, smirking as he pressed the clicker again. Even though Hoskins looked at him as he pressed it, and was expecting it, he still flinched.

“God– fine, you win, Baker. Jesus… you’re crazy. You conditioned me to flinch from a click?”

“Yes.”

Hoskins narrowed his eyes. “That seems unethical. Experimenting on humans, without any sort of– I don’t know, paperwork?”

Elliot shrugged, and Wu snorted. Stopstopstopstopstopstopstopstop. Don’t think about him, don’t even look at him. But Elliot did. There was a slight flush to Wu’s face from the amusement and laughter, and Elliot already knew that the color was going to appear in his fantasies.

Stop. No. That’s wrong. Don’t think about him like that! He’s your coworker– basically your boss– and he never asked for this! Thinking about him like this is wrong, it’s immoral…

“Well, Hoskins,” Wu said matter-of-factly, “This wasn’t a proper experiment. If Mr. Baker wanted to publish his findings, or he was doing this as part of an organization, rather than this being a personal project, yes, he would have to have you sign paperwork and provide disclosures. As this wasn’t anything professional, however, there is no need for that. Granted, it’s not exactly ethical , but it’s not illegal by any means.”

Hoskins looked mildly horrified. “Right… that’s not concerning at all…”

Elliot shook himself out of his thoughts of Wu and back into the present. “Well, I think this was a success– I got my revenge and you, Hoskins, did say I won .”

Hoskins scoffed. “Competitive much?”

“Quite. Now, I do actually have somewhere to be, so while this has been heaps of fun, I’ve got to get going. Thank you for your help, Doctor, I’ll be seeing you around. And you too, Hoskins. I suppose.”

As he passed them on his way to the door out, Hoskins shrunk away from him, and Wu held out the clicker, which Elliot took. Their hands brushed again, and Elliot knew any hope of getting anything done that day was out the door. A single touch shouldn’t be affecting me this much! I’m a grown man, for fuck’s sake! I’m 45, not 15.

“Thank you,” Elliot said softly.

In return, Wu’s lips quirked up in a smile, and Elliot wondered what they would feel like against his own. “You’re welcome, Mr. Baker.” The spell was broken. It was hard to think about Wu like that when he was calling him “Mr. Baker.” Elliot had told him to call him by his first name, but Wu was apparently too professional to do so. It was odd, though, because Elliot was so used to being called “Elliot,” “Baker,” or “Professor Baker.” In his mind, he always associated “Mr. Baker” with his father.

Of course, he could ask to be called “Professor,” but considering that he no longer worked at a university, that just seemed pretentious. He sighed as he walked through the sterile white halls of the John Hammond lab. Even without his awkward position with Dr. Wu (despite it being one-sided, it was still an awkward position...), he disliked being in the building. It was too clean, and always left him feeling slightly unsettled. As soon as Elliot made it out, he took a deep breath of the slightly humid outside air. He had his revenge on Hoskins, and he had (mostly) successfully navigated an interaction with Dr. Wu. All in all, it was a good day.

At least, that's what he told himself.

Chapter Text

For the past month, the hybrid project had been making significant progress. They were almost through the theoretical part of the genetics, and would be getting to conducting actual tests soon– trying to create hybrids. He was sure it would take months before the hybrids lived past the embryonic stage. It had taken a long time when he had been working with dinosaurs, but combining multiple creatures like this was certainly more difficult. A knock at the door interrupted Wu’s thoughts. He looked up from his computer and leaned back in his chair as he saw who was standing in the doorway. “Mr. Baker, how can I help you?”

Elliot entered the room and closed the door gently behind him. “It’s a… personal matter, Doctor. Or, at the very least, not technically work-related.”

Wu raised an eyebrow, intrigued as to what a “personal matter” was, and Elliot continued. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Hoskins and I have been going at each other–”

Wu was well aware. “I did see you doused with water. That’s still going on?”

“Yes, but I think I can end it with what I’ve been working on for the past month. I’ve been conditioning him with one of Owen’s clickers,” Elliot held up a clicker and clicked it with a smug look on his face, “So, if I’ve done it right, he should be properly conditioned by now. All I need to do is test it. That's… where you come in.”

Wu leaned toward his desk, resting his elbows on it and clasping his hands. This was all very strange, but interesting. Besides, he didn’t like Hoskins. “Me?”

Elliot cleared his throat and responded. “Yes. For this, I can’t use anyone I’ve used previously to help me, and I’ve used… most of all the competent people. All that’s left is you and Ms. Dearing, and…”

Wu knew what he was getting at. “Ms. Dearing would never .”

Elliot nodded. “Exactly.”

“So, you want me to do… what, exactly?”

“I would give you a clicker, and then when Hoskins comes in today, just click it behind your back at random points in your conversation with him. Also, it would be preferable to do so where people can see Hoskins– I’d like to make sure he’s reacting.”

“I see.” Wu was silent. This might actually be… fun . He had been working practically nonstop for the past month, he could afford to take a short break. 

[Dropping everything to help him, I see. At his beck and call like a loyal dog.]

Shut up.

“Very well, give me the clicker. Hoskins is supposed to show up in five minutes, so he’ll be here in twenty. Is here alright for the test, since the walls are glass?”

Elliot nodded, looking somewhat relieved. “Yes, this will be fine. Here,” Elliot held out the clicker, which Wu took. Their hands brushed. Wu noticed Elliot’s hand was warm, and there were calluses on his knuckles. Interesting. Perhaps he should ask about that sometime? No. No, that wasn’t a good idea. It was too personal. Personal questions were dangerous, and they led to personal connections.

[God forbid you have a normal interaction with a human being.]

Wu tried to ignore the voice, but he realized that it would probably be best to get Elliot out of his office. “You should leave, so Hoskins doesn’t see you in here. I’m sure it would ruin the test if he had any suspicion of us working together.” It was a bit blunt, but it seemed to do the job.

“Oh, right. Yes. Probably right. I’ll just… be out in the lab, then. Distract a few people from their jobs, you know, the usual.” Elliot smiled, speaking with his usual air of easy confidence. Wu almost felt jealous of him. He certainly had far more social aptitude than Wu did. It was also frustrating how charming he was– it made it difficult to focus at times.

After twenty minutes of trying and failing to focus on his work, Hoskins walked into Wu’s office– late as usual. Wu stood. “Hoskins, there you are. Shall we finally begin our discussion?” Wu said with thinly-veiled annoyance. He disliked tardiness. “Yeah, yeah, let’s get to it,” Hoskins said dismissively. Wu resisted the urge to roll his eyes and walked over to a table. “Well, to cut to the chase, I believe we need to join forces at the meeting next week in regards to the new construction to ensure it’s up to the specifications we need– for safety purposes.”

Hoskins snickered, “Sure– I bet they’ll listen to me.” He left “but not to you” unspoken. Wu was well aware that despite how intimidated of him the other geneticists were, Hoskins saw him as harmless– possibly even weak. It was irritating to no end– and Wu pushed the button on the clicker. He had to hold back a smile when Hoskins immediately flinched. The larger man looked around cautiously when nothing happened, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. With faux concern, Wu tilted his head slightly. “Everything alright, Hoskins?”

“Yes, yes, I’m… fine.”

Wu pressed the clicker again and Hoskins ducked, looking around with slightly crazed eyes. “Are you sure everything is fine, Hoskins? Have you checked your temperature lately?” Hoskins shook his head as Wu put one of his hands on Hoskin’s shoulder, keeping the one with the clicker held behind his back. “No, no… everything is fine, ignore me. Let’s get back to the conversation at hand…”

He gently led Hoskins from the office and into the main lab, and in the corner of his eye he saw Elliot get out of a chair and duck back into the breakroom. They stopped at a table. “Really, Hoskins,” Wu said, trying to seem caring, “If you just tell me what’s wrong, perhaps I can help.”

“N-no, I’m fine,” Hoskins replied. His tone was fearful, and far more quiet than his usual boisterous voice. Wu was thankful that Elliot had roped him into this. This was gold .

He pressed the clicker and Hoskins flinched again, bumping into a table. “Hoskins, what is going on?” Wu asked with fake exasperation.

“It’s that fucking Baker–” Hoskins cursed as he looked around, paranoid, “he’s going to do something to me at any second, I swear! I know it…”

Wu raised an eyebrow, and as Hoskins looked away, Wu’s eyes met Elliot’s. Without thinking, he winked. Wu watched in fascination as Elliot’s face turned red– did he really have that much of an effect on Elliot? It was a flattering and worryingly endearing thought. Wu quickly turned back to Hoskins, trying to focus on the matter at hand, rather than the man he thought far too much about.

“Hoskins, Mr. Baker was here earlier, but he left to go to the Triceratops paddock– on the other side of the island. He isn’t here, and hasn’t been for some time.” Wu made a click.

Hoskins shook his head, his voice becoming frantic. “No, you don’t get it, he’s here , and–”

Before Hoskins could finish, Elliot stepped out of the break room. Hoskins yelped and dove under a table. Wu disguised a laugh with a cough, and Elliot looked like the cat who caught the canary, with a mischievous Cheshire grin. He looked positively devilish .

“Alright there, Hoskins?” Wu asked innocently.

“W-what the fuck is going on?!” Hoskins demanded, not coming out from under the table.

Elliot cleared his throat, “Ahem, well, Hoskins, this is a lesson– not to douse me with ice-cold water first thing in the morning, and not to go toe-to-toe with someone who specializes in studying human behaviour.”

Hoskins looked at him with disbelief and confusion, slowly coming out from under the table. “What…?” Oh, this was too good.

Wu brought the clicker out from behind his back and held it up. “You’ve been conditioned.” He clicked it again for good measure, causing Hoskins to flinch again. He couldn’t help it– this was all too funny.

“I was going to wait for a few more clicks to reveal myself,” Elliot snickered, “But you reacted so dramatically, and I was brought up, so I thought it best to reveal myself early. And yes, Dr. Wu is correct. You’ve been conditioned.”

“Funny how easy it is, isn’t it?” Wu said as he pressed the clicker again. Even though Hoskins looked at him as he pressed it, and was expecting it, he still flinched. Wu felt a sadistic pleasure in seeing Hoskins so fearful– serves the ass right. Wu had put up with his boorishness and idiocy for years . This was practically therapeutic.

“God– fine, you win, Baker. Jesus… you’re crazy. You conditioned me to flinch from a click?”

“Yes,” Elliot replied shortly, sounding pleased with himself.

Hoskins narrowed his eyes. “That seems unethical. Experimentation on humans, without any sort of– I don’t know, paperwork?”

Elliot shrugged, and Wu snorted– Hoskins didn’t have a clue how things worked. “Well, Hoskins,” Wu said matter-of-factly, with a hint of annoyance, “This wasn’t a proper experiment. If Mr. Baker wanted to publish his findings, or he was doing this as part of an organization, rather than this being a personal project, yes, he would have to have you sign paperwork and provide disclosures. As this wasn’t anything professional, however, there is no need for that. Granted, it’s not exactly ethical , but it’s not illegal by any means.”

Hoskins looked mildly horrified. “Right… that’s not concerning at all…” Perhaps Wu should see if Hoskins could be forced to take an ethics class. He obviously didn’t know how the nuances worked in regard to the law.

Wu shook himself out of his thoughts and back into the present as Elliot spoke. “Well, I think this was a success– I got my revenge, and you, Hoskins, did say I won .”

Hoskins scoffed. “Competitive much?”

“Quite,” Elliot said crisply, “Now, I do actually have somewhere to be, so while this has been heaps of fun, I’ve got to get going. Thank you for your help, Doctor, I’ll be seeing you around. And you too, Hoskins. I suppose.”

As he passed them on his way to the door, Hoskins shrunk away from Elliot, and Wu held out the clicker for him to take. Their hands brushed again, and once again, Wu noticed how warm Elliot’s hands were, especially in comparison to his own.

“Thank you,” Elliot said softly. For all his extroversion and confident nature, it seemed that Elliot was able to be soft .

Wu felt himself smile, just a bit. “You’re welcome, Mr. Baker.”

Chapter Text

Three weeks after the clicker incident, Wu’s day was going perfectly well and his focus was unbroken. That is, until he heard Hoskins’ voice coming from the break room. He couldn’t make out what he was saying, but as soon as Hoskins went quiet, Elliot’s voice took its place, his normally cheery tone replaced by one with unexpected venom. “And you believe that? You’re ridiculous, and this conversation is over.” Soon after, Elliot stalked out of the break room with a dark expression, Hoskins following him. “I’m not ridiculous, and you can’t just walk away! I’m right, you’re wrong.”

Elliot suddenly stopped and spun around, making Hoskins nearly run into him. Wu watched in fascination as the normally amiable and pleasant Elliot Baker got in Hoskins's face.

His voice was dangerously low, “I may be a pacifist, Hoskins, but if you keep talking I'm going to punch you, so shut the fuck up."

Everyone in the lab stopped at that and turned to watch the incoming confrontation, shocked faces turning to stare. Hoskins was taken aback. “No, I don't think I will. What are you getting all worked up about?"

“I don't particularly appreciate you going on about conversion therapy, and why it's oh, so great. I am one of the worst people to talk to about this. I don’t want to hear your bigoted opinion." Elliot turned away from Hoskins with a snarl and began to walk away.

“Why? Are you gay? Oh, I didn't know I was working with a fa—” Hoskins put his hand on Elliot's shoulder, and whatever noxious word Hoskins was about to say was cut short by Elliot whirling around, knocking Hoskins' hand off, and grabbing Hoskins by the collar of his shirt with both hands. He advanced on Hoskins, causing the larger man to stumble back a few paces. "With a what, Hoskins? Go on, finish your sentence."

Hoskins' eyes darted from Elliot to the standers-by. “I-”

Elliot sneered at him, and the muscles in his arms tensed as he gave a tug on Hoskin’s collar, making Hoskins look at him. "You were all full of bravado a second ago. What, frightened of little old me? Scared I’ll turn you gay?"

Hoskins scoffed, "Of course not," he replied, but he sounded as if even he didn't believe himself.

"Well, then," Elliot said with a scoff of disappointment and disgust as he released his grip on Hoskins, "I, at least, have a job to do. You do as well, allegedly. Perhaps rather than spewing homophobic rhetoric, you could do it. I know that's a lot to ask, so at the very least, read a book.” Elliot smiled, sickly sweet. He wiped his hands on his pants– as if he had dirtied them by touching Hoskins.

Hoskins needed no further instruction; he all but ran away.

Elliot turned to face the stunned scientists with a contrite look. "Forgive me, I lost my temper."

A geneticist snorted, then began laughing. She was quickly joined by others. "No need to apologize, Mr. Baker! I've been hoping someone would put him in his place for years, and you've sent him running off with his tail between his legs. God, that's refreshing. I've learned to tune out his bull, it's been going on so long, I’m glad someone finally had enough."

"Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance, then," Elliot replied with a smirk, "Hopefully he's learned he ought to keep his mouth shut sometimes."

Another geneticist piped up. "And his hands to himself!"

Elliot grimaced. "Not that I was a good example there."

"Ah, no one gives a damn about that," Dr. Tally said as she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, "Besides, he grabbed you first."

"I suppose you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Dr. Tally replied.

"You know," Dr. Hargrave chimed in, "we could have a little get-together after work to celebrate!"

"Oh," Dr. Tally turned to him with a grin, "that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Not at all."

"I can host," Hargrave replied, beaming at Tally's praise.

Quickly, those who had initially gathered to watch Elliot tear into Hoskins began discussing their after-work plan. Wu tuned them out; the conversation was no longer interesting to him.

A few minutes later, however, Dr. Tally was leaning on the table he was working on. "You're coming, right?"

Wu looked up, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"To Hargrave's, after work. C'mon, you can't say no. You were there just like the rest of us— attendance is mandatory."

Wu sighed. "I really don't have a choice?"

"Absolutely not," Tally grinned, "If you try to opt out I'll go drag you out of your apartment."

Wu grimaced. He knew Tally meant it.

"Fine, then. When?"

Tally clapped her hands together with a smile. "Eight! I'll see you there, Doc."

That was how Wu found himself walking to Dr. Hargrave's apartment at 8:30, hoping he could leave before 9:00. If his coworker's hangovers after such "get-togethers" were anything to judge by, he knew that everyone was going to be drinking copious amounts of alcohol. He disliked being around drunk people. They had no restraint or inhibitions, and they smelled.

Even though it was only half an hour into the party, everyone looked as if they were on their second or third drinks. Tally found him immediately. "You showed up! I was getting worried I would have to track you down."

"That would be a whole ordeal both of us would rather avoid— of course I came."

“Great!” Tally said as she put an amber-colored drink in his hand.

"What—" before Wu could ask her what it was, she had disappeared. Ugh. Wu quickly made his way to a corner, out of the bubble of conversation.

The whole apartment was dimly lit by various lamps, but the corner was darker and a bit quieter. It was almost the right level of stimulation, but was still a bit too much. What was odd about the corner, however, was the fact that it was currently inhabited by Elliot, the social butterfly who was the entire reason for the party, accompanied by three empty glasses.

"Hiding?" Wu found himself asking, although it was a bit hypocritical: he was hiding, too.

"Hmm. So are you, it seems. Is that scotch?" Elliot asked him, pointing at the drink in his hand.

"No clue. Dr. Tally gave this to me without an explanation."

Elliot held out his hand, and Wu happily handed off his glass. Elliot brought it to his face, smelling and examining the alcohol with a laser focus.

"Scotch; final answer."

Wu made a face and Elliot chuckled. "Not a fan?"

"No. It's too strong and tastes like dirt."

"Technically, it tastes like peat."

"I'm not exactly a fan of alcohol in general.” Elliot raised the glass and Wu shook his head, “Be my guest, I won't be drinking it."

Elliot smirked as he brought the glass to his lips. "Your loss, my dear," he purred.

Oh. Oh. That did things. "My dear" was almost too much for Wu to handle. The phrase was affectionate and possessive, and Wu forced himself to say it was only because Elliot had likely had a few drinks. No other reason. He couldn't hope.

Elliot pulled the glass away, licking the drink off his lips. Fuck. He needed to drag his eyes away from Elliot’s lips before he did something stupid.

"Not bad. Definitely scotch."

Wu and Elliot settled into a surprisingly easy silence. Wu took the time to appraise Elliot. He seemed almost melancholy, different from his usual cheery self. Not to mention how quiet and isolated he was.

"Why are you hiding over here, rather than socializing? This is in your honor, after all."

Elliot scoffed with surprising disdain. "Yes. My honor. Losing my temper isn't exactly something I want to celebrate. It’s certainly not honorable."

"What Hoskins was saying; that's something you feel strongly about, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is. If I still believed in such things, I would say conversion "therapy" is straight from hell. Most of the time, it's just abuse, and no child deserves to be told they need to change. No child deserves people trying to "fix" them. I—"

Elliot stopped himself with a grimace and took another sip of scotch. He spoke about conversion therapy as if he was familiar with it. Personally.

"If you don't mind my asking, were you in conversion therapy?" Wu asked tentatively, not wanting to cross a line, but needing to sate his curiosity.

"No,” he replied with a thoughtful look, “My mother, though... Did I ever tell you I have six sisters?"

Wu raised his eyebrows at the apparently unrelated comment. "No. Six? You're one of seven? That must've been quite the chaotic childhood."

"Yes, well," Elliot smiled sadly, "as my mother's only son... She expected things from me. One of which was to be normal. When she found out I was gay, it didn't go so well. There were attempts to... fix me. Make me a ‘normal’ man; woman-loving and God-fearing." Elliot shook his head. "There's no excuse for me losing my temper, though. As I said to Hoskins— I'm a pacifist."

Oh. Shit. I had no idea his childhood was that bad. That explains a few things— why he likes snakes so much, for one. A villainized creature that is harmless when left alone…

"No one is perfect. What was it you said to me? ‘Behaviors are reflective of your experiences, and that is human.’”

Elliot smiled. "Thank you, but... I wasn't always a pacifist, and that's why I take it so seriously. It's my way of atoning for my wrongs. A habit from confession, I suppose."

"You speak as if you're a bad person."

"I am," Elliot insisted.

"I severely doubt that."

Elliot turned his body to face Wu, and his voice lowered dangerously. "That's because you don't know my past. I am not a good person. I may not be proud of some of the things I've done, but I don't regret them, and if given the choice I would do it again.”

Wu nearly shivered from the weight Elliot’s words had. He filed the information away for later, intending to ask about it when Elliot was in a better mood. “Is that your definition of a bad person? Someone who has done bad things, and doesn't regret them, whether or not they're proud?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Yes," he replied cautiously.

Wu smiled. "Then I suppose I am a bad person as well; I'm merely keeping similar company."

Elliot scoffed, "Doctor, you're not a bad person—"

"But I fit your description of one,” Wu cut him off, “Or does that only apply to you? Seems rather unfair to you."

Elliot softened, and quietly regarded Wu. "You're right," He said, resigned, "although, unfortunately, I don't like to admit it…. Thank you," he added.

"Of course," Wu replied softly, "Anytime."

Elliot took the final sip left of his scotch, and when he looked back at Wu something in his gaze had changed.

It was a look Wu hadn't seen. It was similar to the hungry way Elliot had looked at him when speaking about his tattoos, but with a sort of sadness around it. The word came unbidden to him: "Longing."

Elliot smiled sadly and set down the now empty glass of scotch.

"I'm sorry, I'm an idiot and far too drunk," he said, and before Wu could react, or even register what was happening, Elliot's lips were on his, his hands cupping Wu’s face gently.

Oh.

Chapter Text

Elliot’s day was going great. That is, until, Hoskins cornered him in the break room.

At first, the conversation was mildly pleasant, which was odd considering their less-than-friendly interaction three weeks prior with the clicker, but it soon turned to politics. Elliot immediately wanted to leave. He and Hoskins obviously had very different views, and Elliot wasn’t in the mood for a political argument, least of all with Hoskins. Then, however, it somehow came to talking about the LGBTQ community, and Elliot found himself getting more frustrated by the second.

Hoskins thought that children should be sheltered from drag, gay people shouldn’t have the right to marry or adopt, and transgender people were brainwashed. At that moment, he was praising conversion therapy.

And that hit a little too close to home.

Unwanted and unwelcome memories of his mother resurfaced– he had to get out of here.

Elliot shook his head when Hoskins stopped, practically snarling , “And you believe that? You’re ridiculous, and this conversation is over.” He turned on his heel and began to walk away, intent on maintaining his peace, but Hoskins had other ideas, and followed him. “I’m not ridiculous, and you can’t just walk away! I’m right, you’re wrong.”

Elliot suddenly stopped and spun around, making Hoskins nearly run into him. He got in Hoskin’s face, feeling anger that he rarely ever felt. It was odd, and exhilarating . It had been so long since he had been angry .

When he spoke, his voice was dangerously low, “I may be a pacifist, Hoskins, but if you keep talking I'm going to punch you, so shut the fuck up."

Elliot noticed the whole lab went silent, except for Hoskins. “No, I don't think I will. What are you getting all worked up about?”

Elliot scoffed. “I don't particularly appreciate you going on about conversion therapy, and why it's oh, so great . I am one of the worst people to talk to about this. I don’t want to hear your bigoted opinion." Elliot turned away from Hoskins again and began to walk away.

“Why? Are you gay ?” Hoskins said mockingly, “Oh, I didn't know I was working with a fa—” Elliot knew what Hoskins was about to say– he had heard the word enough in his life. He wasn’t going to lie down and take it, and he certainly wasn’t going to let Hoskins just grab him. Hoskins was cut short by Elliot whirling around, knocking Hoskins' hand off, and grabbing Hoskins by the collar of his shirt with both hands. He advanced on Hoskins, causing the larger man to stumble back a few paces. Hoskins’ eyes were wide with shock and a little bit of fear. "With a what , Hoskins?” Elliot snarled, challenging him, “Go on, finish your sentence."

Hoskins' eyes darted from Elliot to the standers-by. “I-”

Elliot sneered at him and he gave a tug on Hoskin’s collar, making Hoskins look at him. "You were all full of bravado a second ago. What, frightened of little old me? Scared I’ll turn you gay?"

Hoskins scoffed, "Of course not," he replied, but he sounded unconvinced.

"Well, then," Elliot said, scoffing with disappointment and disgust as he released his grip on Hoskins, "I, at least, have a job to do. You do as well, allegedly . Perhaps rather than spewing homophobic rhetoric, you could do it. I know that's a lot to ask, so at the very least, read a book.” Elliot smiled, sickly sweet. He wiped his hands on his pants– he felt dirty, having touched Hoskins.

Hoskins needed no further instruction; he all but ran away. Coward . He had probably wanted to get some revenge for Elliot’s conditioning prank, but all he had managed to do was make himself look like an utter fool, and make Elliot angry.

Elliot took some deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He hated being angry, hated how he sometimes liked it. It made him feel wrong .

"Forgive me,” he said calmly as he turned to the geneticists that had watched the whole encounter, “I lost my temper."

A geneticist snorted, then began laughing. She was quickly joined by others. "No need to apologize, Mr. Baker! I've been hoping someone would put him in his place for years , and you've sent him running off with his tail between his legs. God, that's refreshing. I've learned to tune out his bull, it's been going on so long, I’m glad someone finally had enough."

"Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance, then," Elliot replied with a smile, feeling a little less horrible about his outburst, "Hopefully he's learned he ought to keep his mouth shut sometimes."

Another geneticist piped up. "And his hands to himself!"

Elliot grimaced. The implications of that sentence weren’t great. "Not that I was a good example there." He had been this close to punching Hoskins, after all…

"Ah, no one gives a damn about that," Dr. Tally said as she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, "Besides, he grabbed you first."

"I suppose you're right." He had grabbed Elliot first, but it wasn’t an excuse for violence, or threats of.

"Of course I'm right," Dr. Tally responded.

"You know," Dr. Hargrave chimed in, as he always had to around Tally, "we could have a little get-together after work to celebrate!"

"Oh," Dr. Tally turned to him with a grin, "that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Not at all."

"I can host," Hargrave replied, beaming at Tally's praise like a puppy that had been called a “good boy.” Elliot off-handedly wondered if he saw Tally as a maternal figure or if he was attracted to her. Elliot grimaced when he realized it could be both . It was best not to dwell on the inner workings of the human mind. The others began to make plans, and Elliot started to back away, but Tally stopped him. “You’ll be there, right? Guest of honor?”

“Yes, of course,” Elliot gritted out. He would much rather nurse a few drinks on his couch, at home. He would have liked time to be alone and wallow in his self-pity (and loathing).

He wasn’t a violent man. He didn’t want to hurt Hoskins. He just lost his temper.

“What time?” he asked Tally with a fake smile.

“Eight,” she said cheerily, “See you there!” She walked off, presumably to go invite someone else, or maybe to go do her job.

He wasn’t a violent man. He was a pacifist.

That was how he ended up in a corner of Dr. Hargrave’s apartment, relishing the darkness of it, and the relief from having to talk to anyone. He had a few glasses of water, waiting to drink. He would have loved to get hammered and forget about his temper, but he knew he wasn’t as young as he once was. Unfortunately, the most he was going to allow himself tonight was a light buzz, which would probably result in him crying on his couch after this. Ugh.

He wasn’t a violent man. He was better now.

The last person he expected to approach him, however, broke his solitude. Dr. Wu, holding what appeared to be scotch, made his way to Elliot’s corner.

"Hiding?" Wu asked with a small smile. He must have just arrived.

"Hmm. So are you, it seems. Is that scotch?" Elliot asked him, pointing at the drink in his hand.

"No clue. Dr. Tally gave this to me without an explanation."

Elliot held out his hand, and Wu quickly handed off his glass, obviously eager to be rid of it. Elliot brought it to his face, smelling and examining the alcohol with a laser focus.

"Scotch; final answer."

Wu made a face and Elliot chuckled at his disgusted expression. "Not a fan?"

"No. It's too strong and tastes like dirt."

Elliot smirked, "Technically, it tastes like peat."

"I'm not exactly a fan of alcohol in general.” Elliot raised the glass and Wu shook his head, “Be my guest, I won't be drinking it."

Elliot brought the glass to his lips. "Your loss, my dear," he said in a much more sultry tone than he should have. He was being too liberal with his flirting.

The scotch was actually quite good. It appeared that Hargrave had some taste.

"Not bad. Definitely scotch."

They were silent for a while as Elliot took a few more sips. Then, Wu spoke. "Why are you hiding over here, rather than socializing? This is in your honor , after all."

Elliot scoffed with disdain. "Yes. My honor . Losing my temper isn't exactly something I want to celebrate. It’s certainly not honorable ."

He was not a violent man. He wasn’t .

"What Hoskins was saying; that's something you feel strongly about, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is. If I still believed in such things, I would say conversion "therapy" is straight from hell . Most of the time, it's just abuse, and no child deserves to be told they need to change. No child deserves people trying to "fix" them. I—"

Elliot stopped himself with a grimace and took another sip of scotch. The thought of conversion therapy always hit a bit too close to home. It dragged up too many memories, memories he would rather stay buried. Memories of his mother.

"If you don't mind my asking, were you in conversion therapy?" Wu asked with surprising gentleness. It was if he didn’t want to scare Elliot off or make him uncomfortable, and it was touching.

"No,” he replied, thinking, “My mother, though... Did I ever tell you I have six sisters?"

Mary. Laura. Janine. Kelly. Eleanor… Lily .

Wu raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No. Six ? You're one of seven ? That must've been quite the chaotic childhood."

"Yes, well," Elliot smiled sadly, "as my mother's only son... She expected things from me. One of which was to be normal . When she found out I was gay, it didn't go so well. There were attempts to... fix me. Make me a ‘normal’ man; woman-loving and God-fearing." Elliot shook his head, as if trying to shake the thoughts away. "There's no excuse for me losing my temper, though. As I said to Hoskins— I'm a pacifist."

Mother was wrong. I’m not “woman-loving and God-fearing,” and I’m not even a good man.

He was not a violent man. He wasn’t. He wasn’t.

"No one is perfect. What was it you said to me? ‘Behaviors are reflective of your experiences, and that is human.’”

Elliot smiled at hearing Wu use his own words against him. "Thank you, but... I wasn't always a pacifist, and that's why I take it so seriously. It's my way of atoning for my wrongs– a habit from confession, I suppose."

"You speak as if you're a bad person."

"I am," Elliot insisted. He was.

"I severely doubt that."

He doesn’t know. I can’t tell him .

He turned his body towards Wu, determined to make him understand. "That's because you don't know my past. I am not a good person. I may not be proud of some of the things I've done, but I don't regret them, and if given the choice I would do it again .”

“Is that your definition of a bad person? Someone who has done bad things, and doesn't regret them, whether or not they're proud?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes at that. "Yes," he replied cautiously.

Wu smiled. "Then I suppose I am a bad person as well; I'm merely keeping similar company."

Elliot scoffed, "Doctor, you're not a bad person—"

"But I fit your description of one,” Wu cut him off, “Or does that only apply to you? Seems rather unfair to you." He was right. Elliot only applied his logic to himself . He still felt the need to atone . It had been nearly thirty years since he had stepped inside a confession booth– thirty years since he had been in a church . And yet, he was still atoning . It was a habit he couldn’t break. “ Confess and atone for your sins ” was something that had been so deeply ingrained into the very fiber of his being… 

He was not a violent man.

But Wu was right, and he was right there , and he was so… kind . It was as if his piercing gaze could see right through Elliot, and reassure the deeply ingrained doubts and self-loathing he had. Elliot was being unfair .

"You're right," He said, resigned, "although, unfortunately, I don't like to admit it…. Thank you," he added.

I am not a violent man.

"Of course," Wu replied softly, "Anytime."

Elliot felt like he was going to die– perhaps he already had. How was this wonderful man real?

Elliot took the final sip left of his scotch, and when he looked back at Wu, something snapped in him.

I want him so badly…

Elliot smiled sadly and set down the now empty glass of scotch.

"I'm sorry, I'm an idiot and far too drunk," he lied as an idea came to him, a horrible, stupid idea, and before he could talk himself out of it, Elliot leaned forward to kiss him, his hands cupping Wu’s face gently.

Chapter Text

Wu froze in shock, and Elliot quickly pulled away, looking anywhere but at Wu.

" Fuck ,” he cursed, “I'm sorry. That was— fuck. I shouldn't have done that."

"W-why did— why did you do that?" Wu forced himself to say, overcome with the storm of emotion the kiss had caused. If he were a religious man, he would’ve sent up a prayer: Please don’t let this be nothing more than a drunken whim .

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you— Did you want to kiss me because you're drunk, or did you kiss me because you're drunk?"

"I don't understand."

Wu took a steadying breath. "If you weren't drunk, would you still want to kiss me?"

Please, please, please…

Elliot's eyes darted over his face, searching for something. Apparently, he found it.

"Yes," he said so softly that Wu practically had to read his lips.

Relief flooded Wu, and he leaned forward and placed his lips upon Elliot's. The reaction was immediate.

Elliot’s hands came up to gently hold Wu's face again, and he stepped closer, so they were chest to chest. Elliot tasted like the scotch, which was normally something Wu would have shrank away from, but the taste of it on Elliot’s lips was rich and intoxicating, and he wanted more. Wu could hear his heartbeat in his ears as one of Elliot's hands left his jaw and trailed down his side before sliding to the small of his back. Wu let one hand rest on the side of Elliot's neck, the other on his chest. It had been so long since he had kissed anyone, even longer since he had kissed someone like this ; if he ever had.

It wasn't as if he had a lot of source material to go off.

It was soft and passionate, and Elliot practically cradled him in his arms, holding him gently as if he feared Wu would break or startle. 

Elliot pulled away, breathing deeply, his pupils so wide they almost eclipsed his whole iris. His face was flushed and some hair hung in his face. Wu suspected he was much the same. Elliot moved both of his hands so they rested at either side of Wu's waist. His glasses had slid down a bit, and Wu resisted the urge to push them up.

"Henry..." Elliot said lowly, and the sound of his first name made Wu's face warm. "Yes?" he replied quietly.

"Is this alright?"

Wu laughed breathily, smiling. "Elliot,” he replied, loving the feel of the name on his tongue as he finally allowed himself to use Elliot’s first name, “I kissed you, didn't I?"

"Fair," Elliot smiled, then, softer, he said, "Do you want to go somewhere quieter?"

"You want to leave?" Wu's heart was racing, his thoughts going a mile a minute, "Last I checked, you're the reason everyone's here."

Elliot shook his head with a smile. "I doubt they'll notice my absence. They'll keep drinking whether or not I'm here."

He certainly wasn't wrong.

"In that case, yes. Let's go."

"Irish goodbye?" Elliot asked with a smirk and tilt of his head.

"I think with how much everyone's going to drink, they wouldn't remember us leaving anyway."

With a smile, Elliot pulled away from Wu so they could make their way to the door. The sudden lack of contact left Wu feeling cold, but as they began to walk Elliot ended up close at his side. Quietly, they slipped out of the front door. Wu winced at the bright lights of the hallway, having grown accustomed to the dimly lit corner. Elliot did the same, blinking.

"So, where to?" Wu asked as Elliot adjusted his glasses.

With a smile, Elliot stepped closer to him, snaking an arm around his waist. "Can I be honest?"

"Of course."

Elliot grinned. "That scotch was the only drink I had tonight. And I am far from a lightweight."

" What ? But-"

"Water."

"Could've fooled me," Wu said as he turned to face Elliot.

"What can I say? I'm a good actor." Elliot winked.

Wu became very aware of how close their faces were. Elliot was only an inch or two taller, so the distance between them was small. As if he could read his mind, Elliot closed the distance to capture his lips in a short kiss. When he pulled away, Wu glared at him in mock annoyance. “So you pretended to be drunk so that if I didn’t feel the same way when you kissed me, you could blame it on alcohol?”

Elliot looked at him sheepishly, and the tips of his ears turned a bit red. Wu found it wonderfully endearing. “Maybe… I’ll admit it; I can be a coward sometimes.”

“A coward? I doubt that.”

“You  know, I was planning on saying something at Christmas, but…”

Wu shook his head. “I left too soon.”

Elliot nodded. “Yes. Well, Ms. Dearing did trap me in a rather long conversation. I’ll admit I was quite disappointed. You looked very handsome in that lighting, you know.”

Wu felt himself warm up. “Thank you… You did as well. Although, I have to ask, was your bowtie really tartan ?”

Elliot chuckled, pulling Wu closer. “Yes, it was.” He leaned down to kiss Wu again.

Wu hummed when he pulled away. “You’re fascinating.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Fascinating? Are you going to examine me, Doctor?”

Wu squirmed slightly– Elliot was so close, and he wasn’t used to such brazen flirting. It had been years since anyone he was actually interested in had flirted with him (interns hoping for special treatment didn’t count– he reported them to HR for sexual harassment).

Elliot relaxed his hold on Wu, shifting slightly away to give him some space. The gesture was so considerate and sweet, Wu smiled. In return, Elliot beamed, deepening his dimples. “I do love when you smile, you know. You look much… softer than usual.”

Wu raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean, soft ?”

Elliot grinned, “You’re so cold and harsh all the time, with your… frowns and curt responses. When you smile, you seem less like Dr. Wu and more like Henry … If that makes sense.”

Wu felt fluttery. Elliot was good at this, he had to admit. He felt a little inept in comparison. “So, smiling makes me look more human , is that what you’re saying?” He teased.

Elliot chuckled, and with how close they were Wu could feel him shaking with his mirth. “More… approachable, let’s say.”

Before Wu could respond, the door to Hargrave’s apartment opened, and Wu swiftly pulled away from Elliot in a panic.

Dr. Tally poked her head out. “Leaving so soon, Wu? Oh, Elliot, are you going too?”

Elliot glanced at Wu before responding. “I’m tired, I’m afraid. I’m going to go home and nurse some scotch– Hargrave has decent taste, but mine’s better.”

Tally laughed and shook her head. “You would be pretentious about alcohol. Wu, you don’t need to explain yourself– it’s probably best you leave, I think we’re playing spin-the-bottle in a minute… I think it would be awkward to get our boss involved in that, goodnight!” Dr. Tally slammed the door in her enthusiasm.

“Well,” Elliot said as he turned to Wu, “That was interesting. Let’s get out of the hallway, shall we?”

Wu nodded. He was a little shaken from how Tally nearly saw them. He didn’t exactly want his sexuality broadcasted… Fuck. I can’t say that I’m gay– or at least interested in men. I never have! I haven’t even told my parents, and I feel like I should tell them before my colleagues… Elliot knows, obviously, so do my college roommates, but…

[You’re scared.]

Yes. He hated whenever he was forced to agree with the damned voice.

Elliot went to his side, but kept his hands to himself. “It’s a nice night, fancy a walk?”

Some cool, fresh air and a chance to calm down was exactly what Wu needed. “Yes, that sounds nice.”

Oh, shit, he thinks I’m ashamed because I pulled away from him like that, doesn’t he?… Fuck.

[Nice work.]

Elliot was quiet as they made their way outside, which was a bit worrisome. He usually never had a lack of things to say. When they made it to the cool night outside, Wu relaxed. It was dark and quiet except for the sounds of crickets, which was a relief after the noise of the party and then the bright lights of the hallway. They began walking, gravel crunching under their feet as the gentle sounds of the night surrounded them, and stars looked down.

After a few minutes of companionable silence, Elliot cleared his throat. “So… about–”

“It wasn’t because of you,” Wu answered quickly, feeling the need to clear the air.

Elliot huffed a laugh, “I didn’t think so, but it’s still a relief to hear.”

“I– well, as I mentioned a while back, I’m not entirely sure where I stand, and I don’t go around shouting it…”

Elliot nodded. “I understand, really, I do. I’m very much ‘out’ – I’ve said as much– but my initial coming out wasn’t… great. You have every right to keep it private. You owe no one .”

“Thank you. But– well, as you said you are out. Is that… going to be a problem?”

Elliot laughed, shaking his head. “Of course not. Just because I’m very public about my sexuality doesn’t mean you have to be.”

Wu was filled with gratitude. Worry about what Elliot would say about this had been eating at him since they had left the party, but it appeared his fears were unfounded. Tentatively, Elliot put his arm around Wu. Wu leaned into his touch. “Is this alright?” Elliot asked.

“Yes.” Wu was enjoying how considerate Elliot was being. He didn’t usually like being touched, but the arm around him was comforting. They fell into an easy silence, the only sound being crickets and crunching gravel. It was calm and comfortable, and it was just the right amount of noise so Wu wasn’t overstimulated by excess noise or unsettled by a lack of it.

Suddenly, they walked into a cloud of insects, and they both flinched and ducked away, floundering. Once clear of the cloud, they looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Wu latched on to Elliot as they doubled over, laughing. As their laughter subsided, fading into sighs, Elliot wrapped his arms around Wu, shaking his head.

“I suppose we are on a jungle island– we should’ve known better than to take a walk at prime insect hour.”

Wu allowed himself a small smile, savoring the feeling of Elliot holding him. “Perhaps.”

Elliot looked at him, and his dimples softened as his wide smile faded into something sweeter. “Henry…”

“Yes?” Wu asked, still getting used to the feeling of Elliot using his first name.

“Is this… something you want? You and me?”

Wu knew the answer was yes, but the question was odd all the same. “What do you mean?”

“I– well, I just mean to say…” Elliot trailed off, stumbling over his words, which was incredibly endearing for such a well-spoken man, “I just mean to say that you’ve never shown any interest, really, before this, but–”

Wu cut him off, grinning with an eyebrow raised. “I’m not exactly known for wearing my heart on my sleeve, am I? Just because I haven’t shown interest doesn’t mean the interest isn’t there…”

Elliot chuckled, and from how close they were Wu could feel the force of Elliot’s mirth. It was strange, being close enough to a person that he could feel them.

[Being close in general is strange to you. You have a habit of keeping everyone and everything at arm’s length. When was the last time you called your parents?]

Wu ignored the voice. He was currently far too happy to pay it any heed.

“Yes, I suppose you have a point,” Elliot said with a lopsided grin, “You don’t really show a lot of emotion… I was quite intimidated by you when I first met you, you know. You can be quite cold.”

“Intimidated?” Wu thought back to their first encounter, “You were holding a gun–which you pointed at me, I might add, but you were intimidated by me ?”

“Yes, is that so hard to fathom?” Elliot said with a smirk, “When I stepped in for Owen, the way you looked at me gave me chills . I was on the stairs above you, looking down, but somehow you managed to loom .”

Wu shook his head, incredulous. “Really. I loomed ?”

“Yes. Which is quite impressive, given…” Elliot trailed off and looked him up and down, and realization of what he was saying sunk in.

Wu narrowed his eyes. “Are you calling me short ?”

“Well…” Elliot trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

“You’re, what, two inches taller than me? You have no room to be calling me short . You are too.”

Elliot chuckled, wrapping his arms around Wu again. “I was going for small , but fair point.”

Wu, feeling indignant, pushed himself as far away from Elliot as he could, with Elliot’s arms still holding him, and glared at him. “ Small ?! You’re calling me small ? Really?”

Elliot tugged him closer, causing Wu’s heart to flutter. Oh, come on, I’m nearly 50, such a small action shouldn’t have me getting flustered like a schoolgirl .

[A schoolgirl has more dating experience than you, you hermit.]

“Do you deny it?” Elliot said with a devilish grin, practically purring the words.

Wu momentarily fumbled over his words at the tone Elliot used, but quickly recovered. “I– yes, I do. I do deny it.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow at him, grinning Cheshire-like. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

With a grin that promised mischief, Elliot released him, and Wu felt colder without his presence, before Elliot ducked down, tucked one arm behind his knees and the other rested at his back, swiftly pulling Wu up so Elliot held him bridal-style. It was nearly aggravating how pleased Elliot looked with himself, and Wu spluttered, feeling his face get warm. “What the…! Elliot!”

Eliot grinned, laughing, “I said you were small,” he teased, holding Wu easily, going as far as to give him a small toss.

A realization came to Wu as he made a small noise of surprise at finding himself momentarily in the air. Oh. Oh , that’s… Fuck, that’s… hot.

“Well… you’re a menace,” Wu managed to reply weakly.

Elliot set him back down with a chuckle, and Wu felt a mild disappointment, which soon dissipated as Elliot wrapped his arms around him again. It was a lot of touching. Wu wasn’t used to any contact, and suddenly he felt every graze of Elliot’s touch with nearly uncomfortable intensity.

“I suppose I can be… are– are you alright? Was that too much?” Elliot looked at him with such sweet and genuine concern, Wu’s heart melted a bit.

[It melts because it’s frozen ,]

Hush.

“No, it wasn’t too much.” he responded. It was mostly the truth.

This was another reason he had avoided relationships; all the touching that was expected was daunting to a man like him, one who liked his personal space, and was overwhelmed easily by too much stimulation… He already had an active mind, thinking a mile a second, and adding external stimuli was often too much. He could handle anything in moderation , certainly, but…

“If you’re sure, then. Let me know if that changes,” Elliot responded, his tone implying that he knew there was more than Wu was saying, but he thankfully didn’t press. There was already so much going on, that Wu didn’t feel like getting into his touch-aversion.

“I will.”

Chapter Text

He felt Wu freeze, and he pulled away from the kiss quickly.

"Fuck,” he cursed, “I'm sorry. That was— fuck. I shouldn't have done that."

Why did I do that? I just fucked everything up.

"W-why did— why did you do that?" Wu stammered, his normally collected demeanor long gone. If Elliot wasn’t so worried about ruining the friendship he had with Wu, he would think it was adorable.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you— Did you want to kiss me because you're drunk, or did you kiss me because you're drunk?"

Elliot was confused. "I don't understand."

Wu took a deep breath. "If you weren't drunk, would you still want to kiss me?"

Elliot searched Wu’s face, looking for any indication of what he was thinking. The only emotion that he could see was… hope.

"Yes," he said softly.

Wu leaned forward and placed his lips upon Elliot's. Immediately, Elliot brought his hands up to gently hold Wu's face again, and he stepped closer, so they were chest to chest. Then Elliot's hands left his jaw and trailed down his side before sliding to the small of his back. Wu let one hand rest on the side of Elliot's neck, the other on his chest. Elliot wanted to consume him. They were close, but simply not close enough . He wanted him so badly. He felt relieved– he hadn’t gone too far, after all, and now he was finally getting relief for the want that had plagued him for months.

He held Wu gently, not wanting to push him too far– if he pushed him away now , when he was finally getting what he had been craving for months, Elliot was sure he would never forgive himself.

Elliot pulled away, breathing deeply. Wu’s face was a bit red, and god, that was so lovely. Elliot moved both of his hands so they rested at either side of Wu's waist. His glasses had slid down a bit, but he didn’t want to remove his hands to push them up.

"Henry..." Elliot said lowly, trying out the sound of Wu’s first name. 

"Yes?" Wu replied quietly.

"Is this alright?"

Wu laughed breathily, smiling. He looked so much softer when he smiled. "Elliot, I kissed you, didn't I?"

"Fair," Elliot smiled, relieved. Then, softer, he asked, "Do you want to go somewhere quieter?"

"You want to leave?" Wu looked at him mildly confused, "Last I checked, you're the reason everyone's here."

Elliot shook his head with a smile. "I doubt they'll notice my absence. They'll keep drinking whether or not I'm here."

Wu smiled slightly. "In that case, yes. Let's go."

"Irish goodbye?" Elliot asked with a smirk and tilt of his head.

"I think with how much everyone's going to drink, they wouldn't remember us leaving anyway."

With a smile, Elliot pulled away from Wu so they could make their way to the door. It was torture, suddenly not feeling him, but felt a bit of relief as he ended up at Wu’s side. Fuck, I’m in deep . Quietly, they slipped out of the front door. Elliot blinked, readjusting his eyes to the harsh light of the hallway, and Wu winced at the visual onslaught.

"So, where to?" Wu asked as Elliot adjusted his glasses.

With a smile, Elliot stepped closer to him, snaking an arm around his waist. "Can I be honest?"

"Of course."

Elliot grinned. "That scotch was the only drink I had tonight. And I am far from a lightweight."

The look on Wu’s face was priceless. " What ? But-"

"Water."

"Could've fooled me," Wu said as he turned to face Elliot.

"What can I say? I'm a good actor." Elliot winked.

Their faces were very close. Elliot was only an inch or two taller than Wu, so the distance between them was small. Elliot closed the distance to capture his lips in a short kiss. When he pulled away, Wu glared at him, but without any real venom.“So you pretended to be drunk so that if I didn’t feel the same way when you kissed me, you could blame it on alcohol?”

Elliot felt a bit sheepish, and his ears got warm, like they did whenever he had been caught. “Maybe… I’ll admit it; I can be a coward sometimes.”

Wu scoffed lightly. “A coward? I doubt that.”

“You  know, I was planning on saying something at Christmas, but…”

Wu shook his head with a wistful smile. “I left too soon.”

Elliot nodded. “Yes. Well, Ms. Dearing did trap me in a rather long conversation. I’ll admit I was quite disappointed. You looked very handsome in that lighting, you know.”

Wu’s face got a bit red. Oh, he’s so lovely . “Thank you… You did as well. Although, I have to ask, was your bowtie really tartan ?”

Elliot chuckled, pulling Wu closer. “Yes, it was.” He leaned down to kiss Wu again.

Wu hummed when he pulled away. “You’re fascinating.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow at the comment with a smirk. “Fascinating? Are you going to examine me, Doctor?”

Wu squirmed slightly, looking a bit flustered at the suggestive comment. Elliot relaxed his hold on Wu, shifting slightly away to give him some space. Wu smiled, and in return Elliot beamed. “I do love when you smile, you know. You look much… softer than usual.”

Wu raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean, soft ?”

Elliot grinned, “You’re so cold and harsh all the time, with your frowns and curt responses. When you smile, you seem less like Dr. Wu and more like Henry … If that makes sense.”

“So, smiling makes me look more human , is that what you’re saying?” He said with a teasing tone.

Elliot chuckled, “More… approachable, let’s say.”

Before Wu could respond, the door to Hargrave’s apartment opened, and Wu swiftly pulled away from Elliot, standing a few paces away. What…? Oh, that’s right, he’s not public about his sexuality. Still, it did sting, despite what Elliot knew. He couldn’t help it.

Dr. Tally poked her head out. “Leaving so soon, Wu? Oh, Elliot, are you going too?”

Elliot glanced at Wu, and decided he should make the excuse (he always was a good liar). “I’m tired, I’m afraid. I’m going to go home and nurse some scotch– Hargrave has decent taste, but mine’s better.”

Tally laughed and shook her head. “You would be pretentious about alcohol. Wu, you don’t need to explain yourself– it’s probably best you leave, I think we’re playing spin-the-bottle in a minute… I think it would be awkward to get our boss involved in that, goodnight!” Dr. Tally slammed the door in her enthusiasm.

“Well,” Elliot said as he turned to Wu, “That was interesting. Let’s get out of the hallway, shall we?” Our coworkers play spin the bottle? What the hell…?

Wu nodded. Elliot went to his side, but kept his hands to himself, not wanting to push his luck. “It’s a nice night, fancy a walk?”

“Yes, that sounds nice.” Wu sounded relieved, and that made some of the tension Elliot had dissipate, although not completely.

Elliot was quiet as they made their way outside, thinking. His feelings were obviously reciprocated, but it seemed to be a very delicate situation, and Wu was practically skittish . Elliot didn’t want to scare him away or cross a boundary.

Outside, it was dark and quiet except for the sounds of crickets. Elliot looked up at the stars, which were bright. There wasn’t a lot of light pollution on the island, and sometimes he would go outside in the middle of the night to look at the constellations. They were foreign to him; he had grown up in London, and then lived in Cambridge. He rarely saw stars, except occasionally when he was traveling, and here, on Isla Nublar.

They began walking, gravel crunching under their feet as the gentle sounds of the night surrounded them, and stars looked down.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Elliot cleared his throat. “So… about–”

“It wasn’t because of you,” Wu answered quickly.

Elliot huffed a laugh, feeling incredibly relieved. “I didn’t think so, but it’s still a relief to hear.”

“I– well, as I mentioned a while back, I’m not entirely sure where I stand, and I don’t go around shouting it…”

Elliot nodded. “I understand, really, I do. I’m very much ‘out’ – I’ve said as much– but my initial coming out wasn’t… great. You have every right to keep it private. You owe no one.”

“Thank you. But– well, as you said you are out. Is that… going to be a problem?”

Elliot shook his head. What a silly idea. “Of course not. Just because I’m very public about my sexuality doesn’t mean you have to be.”

Wu seemed more relaxed, so, tentatively, Elliot put his arm around him. Wu leaned into his touch. “Is this alright?” Elliot asked, feeling slightly elated that Wu had leaned into his touch. It was such an innocent and juvenile reaction to such a simple action, but Elliot didn’t care.

“Yes,” Wu responded. They fell into silence, the only sound being crickets and crunching gravel.

Suddenly, they walked into a cloud of insects, and they both flinched and ducked away, floundering. Once clear of the cloud, they looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Elliot felt Wu hold onto him for stability as they doubled over, laughing. As their laughter subsided, fading into sighs, Elliot wrapped his arms around Wu, shaking his head and grinning.

“I suppose we are on a jungle island– we should’ve known better than to take a walk at prime insect hour.”

Wu gave a small smile. “Perhaps.”

Elliot looked at him, and his wide grin fell into a gentle smile. “Henry…” He was still so unsure of everything , which was ridiculous– goodness knew he had lots of partners in the past. Some romantic, most sexual. He had experience, and this shouldn’t have been affecting him so much.

“Yes?” Wu asked, obviously still getting used to the feeling of Elliot using his first name.

“Is this… something you want? You and me?”

“What do you mean?” Wu asked, confused.

“I– well, I just mean to say…” Elliot trailed off, stumbling over his words, internally cursing himself for not being able to formulate a proper sentence. “I just mean to say that you’ve never shown any interest, really, before this, but–”

Wu cut him off, grinning with an eyebrow raised. “I’m not exactly known for wearing my heart on my sleeve, am I? Just because I haven’t shown interest doesn’t mean the interest isn’t there…”

Elliot chuckled, Wu was right– if anyone wore their heart on their sleeve it would be Elliot, not Wu.

“Yes, I suppose you have a point,” Elliot said with a lopsided grin, “You don’t really show a lot of emotion… I was quite intimidated by you when I first met you, you know. You can be quite cold.”

“Intimidated?” Wu said incredulously, “You were holding a gun–which you pointed at me, I might add, but you were intimidated by me ?”

“Yes, is that so hard to fathom?” Elliot said with a smirk, “When I stepped in for Owen, the way you looked at me gave me chills . I was on the stairs above you, looking down, but somehow you managed to loom .” Even when he was terrifying, he was still so handsome…

Wu shook his head in disbelief. “Really. I loomed ?”

“Yes. Which is quite impressive, given…” Elliot trailed off and looked him up and down, alluding to Wu’s smaller stature.

Wu narrowed his eyes as he realized what Elliot was saying. “Are you calling me short ?”

“Well…” Elliot trailed off, running a hand through his hair. Yes .

“You’re, what, two inches taller than me? You have no room to be calling me short . You are too.”

Elliot chuckled, finding Wu’s defensiveness endearing, and wrapped his arms around Wu again. “I was going for small , but fair point.”

Wu pushed himself as far away from Elliot as he could, with Elliot still holding him close, and glared at him. His irritation was adorable. “ Small ?! You’re calling me small ? Really?”

Elliot tugged him closer with a devilish grin, speaking in a low voice. “Do you deny it?”

Elliot’s grin widened as he watched Wu momentarily become flustered before recovering. “I– yes, I do. I do deny it.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow at Wu as an idea came to him, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

Elliot released him and stepped back, before ducking down, tucking one arm behind Wu’s knees and the other behind his at his back, and swiftly pulling Wu up so Elliot held him bridal-style. It was easy and Elliot felt very pleased with himself as Wu’s face turned a bit red, I wonder how red I could get him , and Wu spluttered at suddenly finding himself held aloft. “What the…! Elliot!”

Eliot grinned at the protest, laughing, “I said you were small,” he teased, holding Wu easily, going as far as to give him a small toss.

Wu made a squeaky little yelp as he was tossed a few inches into the air, obviously not expecting it. Oh, fuck , he’s absolutely adorable. So this is what he hides under that cold exterior…

“Well… you’re a menace,” Wu replied weakly.

Elliot set Wu back down with a chuckle, and wrapped his arms around him again.

“I suppose I can be… are– are you alright? Was that too much?” Elliot said as he noticed a bit of a drawn expression on Wu’s face.

“No, it wasn’t too much.” he responded, not seeming completely honest.

Elliot wasn’t really buying what Wu was saying, but he didn’t want to press. He didn’t want to pressure him, after all. He already felt like he was pushing his luck. “If you’re sure, then. Let me know if that changes.”

“I will.”

Chapter Text

Their silence was companionable and comfortable. Wu was used to silence– but usually he was alone . It felt… nice to share the silence. It wasn’t pure silence, of course, merely an absence of words. The insects of the island were still singing, the gravel was still crunching underfoot, and Elliot’s breathing was a soft rhythmic beat to accompany the insectile chorus. The sound of silence , Wu mused.

“I–” Elliot began, “I suppose we ought to figure out what this means. For us, work…”

The slight giddiness Wu had been feeling evaporated. Elliot was right, of course– they needed to talk about what was going to happen moving forward, but it was a conversation Wu was dreading.

“Yes, of course,” was all he replied.

“InGen has a uhhh… dating policy , I’m sure,” Elliot said, more awkward than Wu had ever seen. It was endearing– he was nervous .

“Yes, there’s a policy. I believe it states that if you’re in a relationship with a coworker, it has to be reported to HR.”

Elliot nodded. “That checks out, yeah. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of HR departments…” He trailed off, pulling his gaze away from where they were walking and looking at Wu. Wu was confused at his statement for a moment, before he thought about it and realized why Elliot had said it. He was giving Wu the option to not report their relationship. To keep it private.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to subject you to dealing with HR.”

“How kind of you,” Elliot said with a teasing grin.

Wu gave a tight smile. He still felt uncomfortable talking about their new relationship . He prided himself on being intelligent and always knowing , but this was uncharted territory for him. He had a brief fling in college, and had held a certain appreciation for Muldoon– who was somewhat similar to Elliot, now he thought about it– but as far as an actual relationship went, he was going in blind.

“I’m not often called kind,” Wu finally responded quietly.

“Possibly because you don’t interact much with people outside of work?  I would think that your professionalism is too strong to allow for silly things such as feelings,” Elliot said lightly.

“I don’t think that friendliness has a place at work,” Wu said shortly, not particularly enjoying Elliot’s joke at that moment.

“You prove my point, then,” Elliot said with a sly grin, taking Wu’s short answer in stride, “and it’s good for me that we aren’t at work at the moment.”

“But we will be, come Monday. And what then?” Wu replied a bit snappishly.

[Yes, that’s right, Henry– lash out at the person who likes you.]

Elliot raised an eyebrow at Wu, stone-faced. “I’m sorry, is this a touchy subject for you?” he said dryly. Elliot’s cheerfulness was gone.

Wu felt his face heat up from shame. His snappish behavior was uncalled for, he realized a moment too late. He attempted to backtrack, “Well, I–”

“We cannot simply not talk about this. It’s uncomfortable for me too, believe it or not. Once we get it over with, though, it’s done .”

Elliot was right, and Wu was quiet as he thought of how to respond. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… I’ll be honest with you, I have no idea what I’m doing, and–” As Wu spoke, he started to speak faster and faster until Elliot cut him off with a kiss.

It was a bit more aggressive than the previous four kisses (Had it already been that many?) and had something akin to a sort of desperation in the movement and force with which Elliot kissed him. He let out a small sound of surprise as Elliot’s lips all but crashed into his, and he felt a calloused hand on the back of his neck. Elliot’s fingers tangled in his hair as Wu relaxed from the initial shock. When Elliot pulled away, some hair had fallen into his face, and his glasses were crooked again. This time, Wu gave into the urge to reach up and put them back into place.

Elliot smiled, his eyes crinkling with well-worn crow’s feet at the corners. “Thank you,” he chuckled as he brushed his hair out of his face.

“What was that for?”

“You say you have no idea what you’re doing as if that’s unique.”

Wu raised an eyebrow, feeling confused. “What do you mean?”

“I have had… many relationships, I’ll admit. And yet– I don’t know any more than you do. I have no idea what I’m doing either.”

Wu studied Elliot’s earnest face for a moment before replying, “Bullshit.”

Elliot barked a laugh. “Oh, really? Why’s that?”

“You may not know exactly what you’re doing, but you have an idea of what to do at the very least.”

Elliot sighed good-naturedly. “Alright, I suppose that’s fair, yes– I’ve got experience enough to have ideas . But, by that logic, you have ideas also.”

Wu felt his face fall a little– he let it– and he shifted uncomfortably. “No, not really.” He felt Elliot’s hold loosen as the other man tilted his head.

“No? Do you mean to tell me that–”

“Is it that surprising? I’m anti-social and devote almost all my waking hours to work.”

“But, surely, in college, or even recently –”

“I figured out I was… that I liked men in college, but never really anything more than that.”

“But surely you’ve had offers , or experience with being flirted with. I mean…”

“You mean what ?” Wu asked, confused. Elliot wasn’t entirely wrong, he had been flirted with a few times before…

Elliot blinked at him as if he had grown a third head. “I– you– well, you’re stunning . And intelligent, as anyone would be able to tell after talking to you for 30 seconds, or by pure reputation.”

Elliot said it as if it ought to be common knowledge, and Wu felt his face warming at the compliment. Was that really how Elliot saw him? “You’re… very flattering.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s honest. You do realize that you’re incredibly handsome, right?”

Wu was sure his face was turning red by now. “I– well, I don’t think that’s a common sentiment. I’ve been flirted with, sure, but not as much as you seem to think I have.”
“Are you sure about that? Because I’ve flirted with you multiple times in the time I’ve known you, and I’m guessing you didn’t realize.”

Oh. Shit . Wu hadn’t realized, and he immediately searched his memory for anything remotely flirtatious in their interactions. He came up blank. “Alright, perhaps I’m not the best at recognizing such things…” Wu’s curiosity got the better of him. “When did you flirt with me?”

“When we were talking about my tattoos was probably the big one, but in all honesty, I’ve ended up being at least somewhat flirtatious in nearly every conversation we’ve ever had.”

Every time? Shit– am I really that bad at recognizing it? I only knew the tattoo one. “I… well, I see what you mean. Your point?” he replied a bit defensively, feeling a bit embarrassed to find out how inept he was when it came to a basic human interaction.

“Well, that means you’ve probably been flirted with much more than you think,” Elliot said with a bit of drawl in his voice.

“Perhaps I didn’t recognize it because it never actually happened.”

“I don’t believe that for a second. You’re handsome and intelligent, and yes, a bit closed-off, but that doesn’t deter as many people as you might think.”

“Really? And how would you know? Not personal experience, surely. You are the opposite of closed off.”

Elliot chuckled and nodded. “You’re quite right, but my brother is even more closed-off than you are, and I’ve seen him flirted with a lot . Oh, and my final piece of evidence is that despite having frown lines before 30 , he has a wife and 3 kids.”

Wu mulled over the information. So, Elliot has a brother, and he’s an uncle. That… makes sense, for some reason. It’s also hard to argue with evidence like that.“I suppose you have a point,” he replied after a moment had passed, “But I’m sure your brother’s virtues outweigh his faults.”
Elliot had said he had 6 sisters earlier, but hadn’t mentioned a brother. In fact, he had confirmed that he was one of seven– so who was this brother? The numbers didn’t add up… Wu decided that it was best to file that away for a later date.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you have more faults than virtues?” His challenging tone reminded Wu of college professors when a student asked a stupid question. It made sense, considering that Elliot had been a professor himself for 15 years. It made Wu think of his response carefully. “Perhaps,” he replied carefully.

“And what, pray tell, would those be?”

[Here we go, tell him all your faults. That’s sure to drive him off for good.]

Shut up. He’s been more understanding than anyone I’ve ever known. I told him what happened at Jurassic Park, for fuck’s sake!

[But he doesn’t know everything , does he?]

Go away.

“I– well, I’ve been called arrogant and I care more for my work than my coworkers. Or people’s feelings in general– for starters. I can go on and on.”

Elliot tilted his head and regarded Wu with a look he hadn’t seen before. Elliot’s usually warm brown eyes were sharp and analyzing, and his gaze had an intensity that Wu hadn’t seen before.

“So?” Elliot said, still looking at Wu as if he was attempting to stare into his soul, and maybe he was.

“So? So: I am a deeply flawed person.”

Elliot scoffed. “You’re not that flawed if you can admit it, and it’s not as if I am without flaws, either… I have many regrets.”

“Surely you don’t have that many flaws. It’s hard to imagine.”

Elliot clicked his tongue. “The sentiment goes both ways, my dear.”

Wu swallowed thickly, fighting the unfamiliar fluttery feeling he got whenever Elliot called him one of those damn terms of endearment. The lascivious way they rolled off of Elliot’s tongue with ease, and the “ my. ” The possessive words he added on were positively thrilling , and Elliot seemed to do it naturally, without thinking.

“You certainly have a way with words,” Wu finally responded.

“ Verba sunt amici mei, columba¹ . ” [Words are my friends, darling¹.]

Wu felt himself smiling at the Latin. He had almost forgotten that Elliot spoke the language– but he should’ve known better. After all, the man knew an incredible number of languages. “ Manifestum est. Facile ad te veniunt ,” [Obviously. They come to you so easily.] he replied.

“ Impossibilis es. ” [You are impossible.]

“Oh? Quid est ?” [Why is that?]

“ Accipere laudatio permittere es, scis .” [You are allowed to accept compliments, you know.]

“ Non soleo accipiens laudationem .” [I am not used to receiving praise.]

“ Verus? Ah, id dolet. Id mutare necesse erit, ita ?” [Really? Ah, that’s a shame. I shall have to change that, yes?]

Wu huffed softly. “ Spero te id non futurum esse consuetudinem .” [I hope you’re not going to make it a habit.]

Elliot chuckled in response, shaking his head. “ Non est- oh, it’s too late for me to think this much, I’m switching back to English. That’s not what I mean, it’s just that if you’re that devoid of compliments, I’m more than happy to fill the gap. Are you telling me that a brilliant man like you truly isn’t used to praise?”

Wu laughed softly about Elliot returning to English and his comment about the time. Wu didn’t have a watch, but it was likely past 9 at this point. “I’m… well, what I said is that I’m not used to accepting praise. The devil’s in the details.”

“Well, you said accipiens . That could mean accepting or receiving. It isn’t my fault that the word has two different meanings.”

“It would be so much simpler if everything only meant one thing,” Wu agreed enthusiastically, “It’s so difficult to know what to say and do when it can be interpreted a hundred different ways.”

Elliot paused and scrutinized him, tilting his head. “...you’re not talking about Latin anymore, are you?”

“I–” Elliot was right. “No, I suppose I’m not, although the statement still stands.”

“As does mine.”

Elliot and Wu Art

Chapter Text

“As does mine.”

There wasn’t much more to say than that, and they fell into a companionable silence once more. It seemed to be a recurring theme with them, Elliot noticed, and he felt surprised that he didn’t feel the need to fill the air with words, as he often did when faced with silence. Being present was enough.

By now they were quite far away from the staff housing complex, and were near the Velociraptor cages. Elliot had headed in the direction automatically, he supposed, and Wu had simply gone along with it.

“It’s so much different in the dark, isn’t it?” Elliot asked.

“What do you mean?”

The dark trees seemed to loom, which didn’t scare Elliot, although it always made him feel unsettled. Wu’s presence at his side was a welcome distraction. “In the light, it’s so bright and… vivacious , but now that everything’s dark it all looks so much more sinister, don’t you think?”

Wu hummed in agreement, eyeing the jungle around them with distaste. “Certainly.”

They had now reached the clearing where the Velociraptor enclosure dominated the middle of the space, lit with harsh floodlights. They stopped, and without the crunching of the gravel the air was filled with buzzing insects and the hum of the lights– there was an unspoken tension in the air, a feeling of foreboding anticipation. Elliot could faintly smell the metallic tang of dried blood from the Velociraptors’ meals. It smelled like death.

“Why here?” Wu asked, slight tension in his voice.

“Habit, I suppose. Owen always wanted to train before the sun was up, so I would always walk here in the dark.”

“I see.”

Elliot shifted closer to Wu and gingerly wrapped his arm around the other man’s waist. “We can always leave.”

Wu turned his head toward Elliot with a raised eyebrow, but he leaned into the touch. “I think I’ll live. I’ve been here enough, and it’s not as if the raptors are running around– they’re in their cages, likely sleeping.”

“Alright, alright.”

They were quiet for a few minutes, looking at the harshly-lit concrete building, and the softly-twinkling stars beyond.

With a sigh, Elliot remembered how rare it had been for him to see so many stars.“I always thought that you needed a special telescope or camera to see the stars growing up. You could always see Polaris, and Ursa Major if it was a particularly clear night, but it wasn’t until I started travelling that I found out just how bright the night sky really is.”

Elliot felt Wu shift behind him, and then Wu was pointing to the sky, directing Elliot’s gaze. “That one is the Herdsman, the brightest star is Arcturus– it’s a red giant that is best seen in the spring.”

“It’s Greek, isn’t it?” Elliot responded as he felt a surge of affection. He loved the stars, and Wu was pointing out constellations without even asking.

“Yes, if my memory serves me right. Boōtēs in Latin or Arctophylax in Greek.”

“ Arctophylax ? Oh, it’s Arcas’s constellation. Bear-watcher.”

“Arcas? I’m not familiar. Then again, I’m not well-versed in mythology.”

“Arcas is the son of Calliope, Ursa Major.”

Wu raised an eyebrow. “He’s the son of a bear ?”

“Well,” Elliot said with a chuckle, “She wasn’t always a bear. She was a nymph. Zeus violated her, and with her virginity gone, Diana banished her; then Hera turned her into a bear to punish her for Zeus’ infidelity–”

“She what ? But if Calliope wasn’t even willing in the first place–”

“Hera didn’t really care, unfortunately. But before Calliope was changed, she gave birth to Arcas, who grew up to be a huntsman. Eventually, Arcas hunted her , not knowing that the bear he chased was his mother. Zeus put them both into the sky as constellations.”

“As what? Penance for his crime?”

Elliot chuckled at the slightly outraged and indignant tone in Wu’s voice. “He certainly thought so, although plenty would care to disagree. At the end of the day, Calliope was a mortal, and the gods always won in the myths. Or religion for that matter.”

“You don’t have a high opinion of higher powers, I would assume?”

“No.” Elliot looked away from the sky and back at Wu. The way the bright night sky and the distant floodlights cast a faint glow on his face was enchanting, and Elliot could see the stars faintly reflected in Wu’s dark eyes. He wouldn’t be able to get any words out if he kept looking at Wu, so Elliot looked back to the sky. “I would like to think that I’m in charge of my own destiny and actions. I want to be a good person because it’s right, not because I’m scared of Hell after death. All those stars are proof that we are but tiny specks in a nearly infinite universe. If a god or gods exist, they only rule Earth, so, really, what power would they even have in the grand scheme of things?”

“You’re quite the philosopher. Don’t you think that faith can be a good thing? I don’t believe in a higher power either, but I have found myself trusting fate or luck from time to time.”

“Fair enough. I suppose I could make room for a little fate or luck,” Elliot turned back to Wu, and this time their eyes met. “I do have evidence for it, after all, Henry.”

Elliot watched with rapt fascination as Wu’s pupils dilated and his cheeks took on a faint red blush, feeling a burst of excitement that was only increased when Wu said, “Kiss me.”

“Gladly,” was Elliot’s reply. Elliot kept his arm around Wu’s waist as Elliot’s other hand came up to cradle Wu’s face. Their lips brushed against each other, so light and gentle it could barely be called a kiss. It was tender; soft as the light from the moon and stars above them. It was more of a mingling of breath than a joining of lips, a release of unspoken long-harbored tension.

This time, it was Wu who deepened the kiss. He leaned forward slightly, and Elliot followed his example, pulling Wu closer as he felt their lips connect with soft passion. The weariness of the day– work, Hoskin’s goading, Elliot’s personal guilt, a meaningless party– melted away, because it didn’t matter in this moment. He had the object of his long-denied and hopeless desires in his arms, what did the rest matter?

However much he wanted it to, it couldn’t last forever. Wu pulled away just as Elliot started to feel a twinge in his neck. I really am getting old, aren’t I?

“I don’t want this to bleed into our professional lives,” Wu said, abruptly pulling Elliot out of his haze of romanticism and affection.

“Of course. I have enough self-control to keep my hands and words to myself.”

“Good,” Wu said with a decisive nod, shifting slightly away from Elliot. The sudden change in demeanor was a bit shocking, like being doused with ice water (a feeling with which Elliot was well-acquainted). Or am I overthinking this? I could’ve easily overstepped a boundary or come on too strong– goodness knows I have a habit of being too much… No, I’m not going to think like that.

“It’s getting late,” Elliot said with a glance at his watch, “perhaps we should start making our way back?”

“Yes, that’s probably for the best.” They turned their backs on the brightly-lit Velociraptor enclosure and began walking back the way they came, the gravel under their feet filling the silence more than before now that the insects of the night had settled down. Despite Wu’s suddenly cold attitude, he walked at Elliot’s side, letting Elliot keep his arm around the other man’s waist. The silence from both of them was comfortable, although the silence of their surroundings was a bit off-putting.

It wasn’t long before they made it back to the tall concrete structure that was the staff housing complex. Elliot scanned his keycard to unlock the front door, and they both stepped inside. The overhead lighting was dimmed, as it was past 10 PM, but it was still far more harsh than the soft light from the night sky. Still, that wasn’t where they would part– they had found out they were neighbors, after all.

They stepped into an elevator, and Elliot felt his face flush, as if he was one of Pavlov’s dogs. He was instantly reminded of the (many) occasions which he and his partner at the time had enjoyed the privacy of an elevator and the rush of the time constraint and risk. No. No, no, no– it’s too early to pounce on him like that. Fuck … another time, when he’s not so skittish – what is wrong with me? Goddamn it, Elliot, keep it in your pants.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Elliot was thankful for the reprieve from his fantasies, which he really needed to get a better hold of. The walk to their doors was slow, as if it was finally settling in that they were about to leave each other’s presence.

They stopped, having reached their doors, and they pulled apart, standing facing each other. Wu still looked as put-together as ever, and Elliot wanted to resent him for it. Elliot had unbuttoned part of his shirt while they had walked in the humid jungle night air, but Wu looked perfectly comfortable and unfazed in his turtleneck.

Elliot wanted to turn him into a mess.

Wu stepped forward and adjusted Elliot’s slightly crooked collar. Elliot felt like a dog pulling at his leash, inches from lunging at Wu. He was so close . Elliot could just reach out and grab him, kiss him– but that wasn’t right. Wu deserved better than to be subjected to Elliot’s simple-minded lust. No, Elliot was going to take it slow. It was going to be torture, but he wasn’t going to rush Wu, he was going to play it safe.

“Thank you.” Elliot choked out.

“Of course,” Wu replied softly.

There was nothing soft about Dr. Wu.

This was Henry, and he was far out of his depth.

The thought calmed Elliot, it helped him reel himself in. He was the one with the experience and the knowledge; he needed to be careful and not push too far or abuse the power he had been given by his promiscuous history, or he risked losing what he had sought for so many months.

Elliot reached up and took Henry’s hand as he began to pull it away from where it had lingered at the tips of his collar. He brought the hand up to his lips, placing a chaste kiss against skin soft from years of working in a lab and at a desk, the precise skill Henry had from over a decade of his work apparent in the structure of his hands. It was an old-fashioned gesture, nearly comical in reality, but as he met Henry’s eyes, it was clear that there were no objections.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Elliot said with a grin.

“Yes. Yes, I suppose you will.”

Chapter Text

Professor Elliot Baker stood behind a lectern, glancing at his notes as his students trickled in for his lecture. He impatiently tapped his pen against his hand– class hadn’t yet begun, but he was never good at waiting. Finally, nearly all his students were there, and class began.

“Good morning, everyone,” Elliot boomed after lightly clearing his throat. He was met with a disjointed chorus of “good morning” and “good morning, Professor.” Smiling, he launched into his lecture. “I won’t waste your time or mince words. Those of you who actually take notes, go on and get yourselves ready. I’m going to be throwing a lot of terms and concepts at you today.”

There were a few quiet chuckles at Elliot’s dig at the lack of note taking, and the soft rustle as a few students pulled out pens and notebooks. When everything had settled, Elliot continued speaking. “Excellent. Now: today’s focus is the role of women in society, and the effects they provide depending on their empowerment and active voice. I’ll have you all notice how many women are in here today, and I’ll save you the trouble of doing the math. This class is 34% female, and my classes as a whole have 39% female attendance. Now, considering that women, here in the UK, at least, as we haven’t had any policies to cause an imbalance like in China, make up 50% of the population–”

Elliot was interrupted by the door opening. He turned to give the latecomer a teasing remark about tardiness, but was met not with a student, but with a man holding a file. His dark hair was neatly swept back, and a dark turtleneck and dark slacks gave him a somewhat severe impression. A visitor’s pass was clipped to his pocket, and he looked slightly mortified at having obviously interrupted a lecture.

“Hello, can I help you?” Elliot asked.

“Ah, yes,” said the man with an American accent, likely a guest speaker. “I’m afraid I have no idea where anything is.” Elliot noticed his vowels had a slight emphasis that was distinctly midwestern, although subtle.

“Of course, the older the building, the more maze-like it is, and this place is a few hundred years old. What room are you looking for?”

“I’m supposed to be guest lecturing at Professor Westley’s room,” the man glanced at a paper in his file, “Room T59.”

Elliot grimaced. “Professor Westley is in the Science department– this is the Anthropology and Language building. You need to be on the other side of campus.”

“Oh, for– it’s a good thing I’m an hour and a half early, then.”

“Ah,” Elliot said, relaxing slightly. At least this guest speaker wasn’t going to be late. “In that case, why don’t you have a seat? I don’t have another lecture after this, so I can walk you there. I have about 45 minutes left.”

The man looked relieved and nodded. “That would be wonderful, thank you.” He took an empty seat in the corner, and Elliot adjusted his bowtie as he glanced at his notes on the lectern to remind himself where he was. As he cleared his throat and began speaking again, he rolled his sleeves up, as he always did during class. “Well, then– women! If you think we don’t need them, you’re about to learn a thing or two.”

“...and that’s all we have time for. If you need notes, ask your classmates who actually write things down; I’ve got nothing for you. Remember that your miniature study on campus behaviours is due this Thursday! I’m not accepting this one late, with the exceptions of deaths and medical emergencies.” Students trickled out, chatting and laughing amongst each other. Some looked like they had questions, but knowing that Elliot was going to show the guest speaker where to go, they refrained from asking. When the lecture hall was empty, the guest stood and held his hand out to Elliot. “I must apologize for not introducing myself earlier. Dr. Henry Wu, geneticist.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow as he took Dr. Wu’s hand and shook it. “Dr. Wu? Don’t tell me you’re the man who cloned dinosaurs.”

Wu looked mildly surprised that he was recognized. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Professor Westley wouldn’t shut up about it when you did it, even if I didn’t read a million articles on it. I bet he’s hounded you for a guest lecture.”

“He did, actually, and I didn’t think an anthropologist would find my work interesting.”

“I may not completely understand it, but it’s absolutely fascinating! I hope you don’t mind if I pry you with a couple questions on the way to Westley’s room?”

“Not at all.” Wu seemed a bit reluctant, but Elliot’s interest was intriguing.

“Feel free to stop me if I don’t shut up– I have a habit of rambling,” Elliot said as he led them out the door.

“Well, I just watched you talk about a single topic while being completely informed and without breaks for 45 minutes, and you didn’t seem to even be finished, so I believe that.”

Elliot laughed. “Well, you’re right there– I wasn’t finished. But, alas, there’s only so much I can say in such a short period of time.”

“Your students were far more engaged than I remember any of my classmates being in college.”

Elliot grinned, “I’ll take that as a compliment. I think they find me a bit more relatable than some of their other professors because of my age and lack of strictness.”

“You’re certainly more engaging and enjoyable to listen to than the decrepit fossils I remember being lectured by. You mentioned your age– how old are you?”

“I’m 34, so I’m a bit closer in age to my students than some other professors.”

“You’re quite young to be a college professor– at Cambridge, no less.”

“I suppose so, but I put in a lot of work for this job,” Elliot said, shrugging as they stepped through the main doors of the building and into the outside.

Wu nodded. “I’m sure you have. Do you just teach Anthropology, or do you have other classes?”

“I have a Greek and a Latin course, and I’ll sub in for the other language professors as needed.”

“Oh, you speak Latin?”

“ Certe, amicus meus. ” [Certainly, my friend.]

Dr. Wu seemed to perk up at that. “ Non locutus sum in tempore longo, sed audire Latinam semper est voluptas, ” [I haven’t spoken in a long time, but hearing Latin is always a pleasure,] he replied. His pronunciation was good, and his grammar was excellent, although there was a slight hesitation for some of the words.

“ Ah !” Elliot said, grinning widely, “ Dicis Latinam! Quam pulchrum. ” [You speak Latin! How lovely.] Elliot resisted the urge to add “ similis tui. ” [Like you.] Dr. Wu was lovely, but it wouldn’t do to say that. He had no idea what sort of person he was, and he’d likely never see him again. Besides, Percy had scolded him for flirting with anyone who breathed, and he was trying to prove his brother wrong.

“ Non pulcrum est– male sono .” [It isn’t lovely– I sound awful.]

“ Ridiculus est! Fortasse non multus Latine loqueris, sed loqueris multo bene. ” [That’s ridiculous! Perhaps you do not speak Latin much, but you speak very well.]

“ Gratias tibi ago, praeceptor. ” [Thank you, Professor.] Dr. Wu said with a soft chuckle, “Your Latin is flawless— which is to be expected if you teach it at a collegiate level. And you mentioned Greek– ancient, I assume?”

“Yes. I have an interest in etymology, if it wasn’t obvious.”

Dr. Wu raised an eyebrow. “You learned two ancient languages because you have an ‘interest’ in etymology?”

“Yes, and because learning those two has made it much easier for me to learn others.”
“Others? How many languages do you speak?”

“27.”

Dr. Wu looked at him incredulously, “... 27.”

“Yes. I speak 27 languages.”

“That has to be some kind of record,” Wu replied, shaking his head.

“I don’t even know half as many as the world-record holder. He knows 58.”

“I— well, still, 27 languages is damn impressive. I only know four.”

“Four is still impressive itself, which languages do you speak?”

“English, Latin, Cantonese, and Spanish.”

“Oh, how interesting– one dead language and three of the most common languages in the world.”

“I’m assuming you know them as well?”

“I do,” Elliot admitted, feeling a bit sheepish, although he couldn’t deny the small swell of pride.

“You must have a photographic memory,” Dr. Wu replied jokingly, unwittingly hitting the nail on the head.

Elliot grinned as he responded, “I have an eidetic memory.”

“Ah–” Dr. Wu’s eyebrows raised, and there was a spark of interest in his eyes, “I was joking, but that certainly makes sense. So you can remember things just by seeing them once?”

“That’s right, and I can near instantly commit them to memory almost indefinitely. I wouldn’t say I have a fully eidetic memory, because some things I can’t seem to remember for some reason, but for most things…” Elliot turned his head towards Wu, keeping the same pace. Wu noticed the movement and looked at Elliot.

“There,” Elliot said, looking back at where they were walking once their eyes had met. “Committed.”

Wu said nothing, but in his peripheral, Elliot could see that his face was slightly pink.

Gotcha.
Wait.
Shit.
So much for proving Percy wrong.

“You’re a bit of a flirt, aren’t you, Professor?” Dr. Wu said matter-of-factly after a moment of silence.

“So I’ve heard.” A student with his head in a book, hurrying along the pavement, nearly ran into Wu, but Elliot grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way.

“Look at your surroundings, Jacob!” Elliot called after the student. He quickly realized that he was still holding Wu’s arm, so he quickly released him and smoothed out the sleeve. “Sorry about that.”

“I was in his position once; running around from class to class with my head in a book.”

“I can believe it,” Elliot said with a chuckle, “I’m sure that was only a few years ago.”

Wu raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t been in school for about 10 years.”

“ Ten ?”

“Is that surprising?”

“I thought it would be less. Ten years… that would make you, what, 40?”

“I’m 38. I started college when I was 17, and it took 11 years for me to get my PhD. So I started a year early and finished a year early.”

“I would have thought you were my age or younger, but that’s just based on appearances. I did something similar for my degree, and I think it aged me.”

Dr. Wu snickered, “That makes sense. Give yourself a large classload?”

“Yes, and it was hell. I did my Bachelor’s in two and a half years, rather than four. So, in total, my degree took five years.”

“You have a Master’s, then? I’m surprised you didn’t go for a PhD. You seem like the sort of person who would collect degrees like Pokemon cards.”

Elliot laughed, “You’re not entirely wrong, I am the sort of person to do that, but I collect languages rather than degrees– and don’t ask me why, because I’ll rant for hours about the issues with the education system.”

“You seem very passionate about the subjects you’re educated on,” Wu replied with a soft smile.

“I think of myself as a very passionate person,” Elliot said as he led Henry off the main path and up some stairs to the door of a large, somewhat modern building (it was old, but compared to the rest of the campus, it was practically new), and held open the door. “And I have the feeling you’re passionate about your subjects as well– you wouldn’t have come here to guest lecture if you weren’t.”

“I suppose you’re right. I doubt I come off as passionate, although I am, really.”

“I’ll have to see how much truth that statement holds,” Elliot said with a wink. Wu’s face turned slightly pink at the implication of the statement.

“How so?”

“Well, I don’t have any lectures left today, so I’m going to stay for yours. I walked all the way across campus, I might as well.”

“Oh–” Elliot could have sworn he heard excitement in Wu’s voice before the other man stopped himself, and he let himself hope (just a little).

“Ah, here we are,” Elliot said, clearing his throat awkwardly and holding open the door to Professor Westley’s room.

“Thank you– I doubt I ever would have found it on my own.”

“Anytime.”

Professor Westley, a tall, thin man who always reminded Elliot of an Italian Greyhound, scurried up and shook Dr. Wu’s hand vigorously. Dr. Wu, who hadn’t even extended his hand for a handshake, had a strained expression. “Dr. Wu, it’s a pleasure. I’m so glad you could come today. Oh, hello, Baker, you’re far from home.”

“Hello, Westley, I was just helping the Doctor find your room. I’m going to find a seat; it looks like they’re filling up.” Elliot excused himself and went up a few rows to the first open seat, as the front ones were all filled. Sitting down, he watched as Westley ushered Dr. Wu over to the lectern. They then fiddled with a presentation, or, rather, Westley fiddled with it while Dr. Wu hovered impatiently, looking as if he could probably be more efficient.

Once the presentation was up on the large projector, Westley cleared his throat at the lectern as the lights dimmed over the seats, and the hall, which was almost completely full, fell silent. “I’d like to thank you all for coming, as well as extending those thanks to Dr. Wu for coming and speaking today. Judging by how full this room is, I assume he needs no introduction. With that, I will hand the rest of the time over to him.”

Dr. Wu shook Westley’s hand as they traded places and adjusted the microphone, tilting it down slightly. Elliot had to resist the urge to snicker. “Thank you for the introduction, Professor. I’m sure that everyone in here is eager for the prelude to be over, so I’ll jump right into it.”

The following hour and a half had Elliot on the edge of his seat.

He barely understood half of what Wu was saying, but damn , was it interesting.

Perhaps he was more interested in the passionate way Dr. Wu was speaking.

When Dr. Wu finished and opened up the rest of the time for questions, almost a third of the people in the room raised their hands.

“Ah, I’m not going to have time to answer everyone’s questions, but I’ll go as quickly as I can… Fifth row center, with the red sweater.”

“Have you ever considered the creation of hybrid fauna, considering the existence of hybrid flora?”

“Yes, although that possibility is likely many years in the future due to the complexity of such an undertaking, and the more complicated nature of fauna compared to flora. It would also require many tests, possibly hundreds, which would take years on its own. Second row right, in the Cambridge shirt.”

It went on like that, with Dr. Wu rapid-fire taking question after question, taking as many as he could, for the next half hour. Eventually, Westley tapped his wrist, signalling that the time was up. There were still 20 or so hands in the air, and they reluctantly lowered when Wu said, “I believe that’s all I have time for, I apologize for any unanswered questions. Thank you again for coming.”

Students began filing out, quietly chatting amongst themselves. Elliot got up as well, but only because he was at the end of a row. He leisurely made his way down to the floor, where Wu was fielding a last-minute question.

“My field, specifically, is based on the whims of archaeological discovery. Without archaeologists, there are no DNA samples or an idea of what a specific species is related to. We need their discoveries to determine what modern DNA is viable to splice with the fragments we are given.”

The student thanked him and hurried off to join her waiting friends. Before Elliot could go up to Wu, however, Westley jumped in. “Thank you so much, again, for coming today! There was a fantastic turnout. I haven’t seen a guest speaker this popular in years. I’d be honored to have you again, anytime!”

“That’s high praise, Professor,” Wu said politely, although Elliot could tell that it was a strained veneer over discomfort. “I’ll confess that another lecture is unlikely; I’m not in the habit of giving them, and my work keeps me occupied.”

“Of course, of course; but should you be available…”

“I’ll keep Cambridge in mind.”

Westley seemed pleased with that and beamed before excusing himself to prepare for his next class, which was already starting to fill in. Finally, Elliot had the opportunity to speak to Wu. “That was excellent, Doctor, and it appears that despite saying otherwise, you do come off as passionate.”

“Thank you, Professor… I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting to be so ‘popular.’”

“Of course you were, even I knew who you were from your name, and we’re in entirely different fields. You’re practically a celebrity in academia.”

“Ironic, considering that I have my job to escape academia.”
“I assume you would have worked at a college if not for InGen?”

“Absolutely; I could always have worked for a pharmaceutical or agriculture company with my academic credentials, but I think I would have bored myself to death making wheat .”

Elliot chuckled, “Yes, that seems dreadfully dull for someone as interesting as you.”

Dr. Wu gave a light scoff. “Interesting? My work is interesting, not me.”

“Oh, I’d beg to differ,” Elliot said with a grin, “I think you’re very interesting. So interesting, in fact, that I’m wondering if you’re free for dinner tonight,” he finished, adding a wink.

“I– excuse me?” Dr. Wu said, out of surprise rather than outrage. That was a good sign.

“Are you free for dinner tonight?” Elliot repeated, “I’ll make myself clear– my intentions are not friendly , per se.”

Dr. Wu’s face was red. “So… you’re asking me out on a date?”

“I am.”

Wu was quiet for a moment, staring at Elliot like a deer in headlights, before hesitantly responding, “I’m free.”

Elliot fanart by dragonboy

Chapter Text

As Henry closed the door behind him, he couldn’t help but shudder.

There was no erasing the look in Elliot’s eyes from his memory as he had adjusted Elliot’s collar. The two inches Elliot had on Henry wasn’t much, but in such close proximity, it had made him a presence . His eyes were dark, like a shark who had scented blood. Henry had noticed his hands flex in a seemingly involuntary action, as if he were a tight coil of energy, waiting to pounce. It was thrilling how Elliot reacted like that to him . The fact that he was the reason for Elliot’s dilated pupils and hungry stare was flattering and daunting.

Henry never wanted to see him angry.

The incident earlier that day was a “loss of temper,” but Henry felt it wasn’t genuine anger. Elliot was kind and passionate, but that passion could easily fuel destruction that his hands were surely capable of. Elliot wasn’t that much larger than he was, but there was just something about the bespectacled man that screamed explosive and brutal. However, it was also obvious that Elliot had a very long fuse– there was no reason to fear him. Henry would have to go out of his way to insult and needle the docile man to elicit any reaction.

Henry was obsessed. Elliot was absolutely fascinating , and Henry couldn’t help but want to examine him and figure out how he worked.

The way the stars had reflected off the lenses of Elliot’s glasses as he spoke about them in an awed tone was hook, line, and sinker. Henry was in too deep to just back out now.

[No escape plan? You’re leaving a lot up to chance. Or, should I say, up to Elliot. Do you really trust him that much? Do you trust him with yourself? Perhaps I should wonder if he can trust you .]

Henry clenched his jaw. Shut up.

[Are you not going to counter me? You know I’m right.]

You’re not. I can trust Elliot, and the trust is mutual.

[Really, now... He lied to you, though. If he’s one of 7 and has 6 sisters, how does he have a brother?]

He just hasn’t said the whole truth, and it’s obvious his family is a sore subject. It could be a half-brother or a step-brother.

[Still, it’s strange, isn’t it?]

It’s not that serious.

Henry woke up dreading the day. As lovely as it would be to see Elliot, the barrier of work would make it stilted, and his thoughts the night before would provide a one-sided awkwardness that couldn’t be resolved in the professional setting Henry had insisted their personal lives stay out of. Not to mention, all their coworkers were going to be hungover.

Henry put himself together much faster than usual, ready to head to the lab at 6:17, rather than his usual 6:30. He opened his front door, only to see Elliot about to enter his apartment on the other side of the hall. Elliot looked away from the keypad next to his door and smirked. “Good morning, Henry.”

Henry blinked. “I wasn’t aware you woke this early.”

“Oh, I wake up at about 5:30. I just go for a run first-thing. I’ve never seen you in the morning, so I assume you’re a bit ahead of schedule?”

The mention of a run caused Henry to pay more attention to Elliot’s state. He wore gym clothes, which clung to him from sweat and the dampness of early morning, and his light brown hair was slightly wind-blown.

“Ah– yes, I usually leave my apartment around 6:30.”

“No wonder you’re always the first one to the lab.”

“I like to get a head-start.”

“I’m sure,” Elliot said, crossing his arms and leaning his hip against the wall. “Trying to get in a few minutes of precious silence, I suppose?”

“Precisely, although with how early I am, and how hungover our dear colleagues are sure to be, I’m sure it’ll be more like an hour.”

Elliot chuckled. “Quite right– I should let you get on with your morning, and I should go take a shower.” He pushed himself off the wall and took the step that was needed to cross the width of the hallway. Elliot leaned in and pecked Henry on the cheek before stepping back and unlocking his door. “I’ll see you at work, darling.”

Elliot disappeared into his apartment, and Henry stood there with his face burning. It was such a simple and chaste action, but the domesticity of it was almost too much to bear. Hoping that the air outside was still somewhat cool, Henry quickly made his way out of the housing complex.

The air was lukewarm, and the humidity made it thick. While the air didn’t cool him off, Henry’s burning face had faded back to normal by the time he had walked to the John Hammond genetics lab.

His routine was simple: unlock the doors the night crew locked and turn on the lights. Today, Henry made sure only to turn the lights to 75%. Irritated, hungover colleagues were a nightmare he would rather avoid. All of that only took about 10 minutes, so Henry settled into his office to get some work done. A few minutes later, at 7, a few geneticists trickled in; those who had opted out of the party or had drunk lightly. They stayed quiet, and Henry flew through the work he had been distracted from the day prior.

The rest of the geneticists started to arrive at 7:30, and it wasn’t until almost 8:15 that everyone had shown up. Elliot wasn’t there. He was likely running around the park as usual, scribbling notes. Henry had seen him transcribing his written notes into a digital version, and it was endearing that Elliot insisted on handwritten notes, even if he only typed them up later.

Most of the time, however, Henry was in the secure lab he had been given for the hybrid project. He was still early into the project, so only Hoskins and Dearing had access besides himself. Henry was ready to bring more people into the project because he was in the splicing and fertilization stage, which was tedious. More hands would help speed it up, and it would provide steadier surveillance on the future embryo's progression. However, the project was so hush-hush that Henry had to wait on NDAs to be written up.

So he was stuck on his own. Not that he minded all that much. Sure, it was slower, but after years of soloing the process of cloning new dinosaur species at Jurassic Park, it didn’t faze him.

Masrani had finally sent him a memo about his expectations for the project– he had been “too busy” to show up to the meeting, or even express his thoughts to Henry until now, which Henry thought was ridiculous. Billionaires always had more money than sense, and in Masrani’s case, more money than time. Even the memo Masrani had sent was short and ticked Henry off. Masrani wanted dinosaurs with more exaggerated predator features– scarier dinosaurs. Henry had planned on focusing on getting a dinosaur with feathers rather than making it “scary,” but, as always, he was at the mercy of the funding. Masrani was just John Hammond part 2.

Another benefit of having a lab all to himself was that it was perfectly organized the way he wanted. Everything was in its precise place, where it should be, and it was always tidy. It was a balm compared to the semi-constant clutter of the main lab. In reality, the main lab wasn’t “cluttered,” but having the work of dozens of geneticists all in one room took up a lot of space on the counters.

Henry gently put the sample he had been working with back in its container and flexed his hands, gently massaging away the twinge he had gained from the tiny controlled movements he had been making. He glanced at the clock. 12:26. He sighed. He hadn’t realized so much time had passed, but that tended to happen when he got into a flow. He knew he should eat, otherwise his hands would get shaky from low blood sugar.

Henry checked that the door locked behind him, and then made his way to the break room. Elliot was leaning against the counter there, mug in hand, chatting with the other occupants of the room.

“...of course, my brother isn’t the sort of man who lets that sort of thing slide.”

“And this was his coworker ?” Dr. Tally asked with a look of mild disgust.

“Yes– you would expect better behaviour from a member of law-enforcement, wouldn’t you? But in all seriousness, you don’t hit on your supervisor’s wife and not face consequences. Not that he did anything at work , Percy’s far too professional for that.”

“Of course, of course. Oh, hello Dr. Wu,” Dr. Tally said, noticing Henry’s presence.

“Dr. Tally. Mr. Baker.” Henry said, nodding to each of them.

“Elliot was just telling us about his brother Percy– he’s a detective with Scotland Yard.”

Elliot’s brother. The sibling who didn’t seem to fit into Elliot’s brief description of his family. Henry had to restrain himself from questioning Elliot about him. He wasn’t going to do that in the presence of others.

“He was a DCI at the time of this incident, although he’s a DSU now.”

Tally raised an eyebrow. “In American, please?”

“Detective Chief Inspector and Detective Superintendent.”

“He’s been at Scotland Yard for a long time, then?” Henry asked as he turned on the electric kettle that sat on the counter.

“23 years, as of this year– half of his life. He went to Cambridge with me, for law, because he wanted to be a lawyer, but he decided that he would rather bring the criminals to the court, rather than send them to prison from behind a desk.”

That would make Percy the same age as Elliot. But if they were brothers… Was he a twin? “That’s a very noble reason for becoming a cop.”

“He’s practically a saint– of the non-religious sort.”

Tally finished her lunch and stood. “Your polar opposite, then?” she said with a snicker, “I’m going back to the grind.”

“Ha, ha,” Elliot said to Tally as she left the room, leaving him and Elliot alone.

“Your brother’s 46?”

“45, but he turns 46 next month.”

So they had to be twins. Their age was too close not to be. Henry tried to picture a second Elliot, but failed.

“Oh, so you’re a twin?”

Elliot frowned, but then a look of realization crossed his face. “Ah. No, I’m not a twin, because my brother isn’t my brother . He’s actually my cousin.”

“Your… cousin?”

“Yes, but we’re so close that we call each other ‘brother.’”

“I see… I’ll admit that I was confused. You had mentioned that you were one of seven, with six sisters, so when you said you also had a brother the math didn’t add up, plus your ages…”

“Oh, yes– the absolute clusterfuck that is my family.”

“It is very confusing, yes. And large, as you had said.”

Elliot shook his head, “Don’t worry about that. I don’t talk to most of them, so my family ends up being relatively small. It’s just my brother, one of my sisters, and their kids.”

Oh, that’s right– he doesn’t get along with his mother. Apparently, his father and most of his sisters as well. Can it be purely from homophobia? Somehow, that seems unlikely.

“I see.”

Elliot took a sip from his mug and made a small face. “Christ, this is strong. Never let hungover people make the break room coffee, I guess.”

Henry chuckled softly as he pulled a mug out of a cupboard. “I suppose I’m having tea, then.”

“A man after my own heart,” Elliot said with a grin. He swirled his mug, took a deep breath, and threw the contents back. He made a disgusted face. “Oh, yeah. That’s bad.”

Henry raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t have to drink it, you know.”

“ Au contraire, mon amour ,” Elliot said, the syllables dripping off his tongue with a decadence that couldn’t be anything other than completely purposeful. “If I don’t have caffeine, I’m going to fall asleep while I’m trying to observe the hadrosaurs’ herd sleep patterns.”

“Late night?” Henry asked, knowing that they had returned to the staff housing just after 10, which wasn’t that late.

“You could say that,” Elliot muttered, fiddling with the coffee machine. With a fond sigh, Henry reached over and pressed the latch that opened the top. “Ah, thank you.” Elliot leaned towards Henry slightly, his eyes trained on Henry’s face, but he stopped himself with a small grimace and went back to making a new pot of coffee.

Elliot had wanted to kiss him.

This wasn’t going to work.

They were only one day in, and Elliot was already struggling with not being able to show affection. He was going to slip up, he was going to forget that Henry wasn’t out, he was going to change his mind and decide that it wasn’t worth it–

“ Mea culpa, colomba. Me oblitus sum. ” [Forgive me, darling. I forgot myself.]

“ Intellego. Noli sollicita. ” [I understand. Don’t worry.]

Why was he worrying so much?

{You’re intimidated by him.}

No, I’m not. I know he’s not a violent man, he’s kind–

{Not in that way. You’re intimidated by his experience. Any man who looks and acts like that is sure to have had plenty of partners. A hermit like you , on the other hand… How many have you had, Henry ?}

…none.

{None. Are you sure you want to take it slow? You turn 50 this year. Do you want to enter your fifth decade of life as a virgin?}
Shut the fuck up. It doesn’t matter to me– never has.

{Sure. Whatever you say, Doc. Have fun explaining that you’re so sterile you’ve lasted fifty years without–}

Shut. Up.

{Touchy.}

Henry was brought out of his thoughts by the beep of the electric kettle, and he poured water over his tea bag while Elliot stared at the coffee machine with a frown, impatiently tapping his foot with metronomic steadiness.

“What are you drinking?” he asked, turning his head slightly towards Henry, but not taking his eyes off the coffee.

Henry glanced down at the tea bag. “English Breakfast.”

Elliot pulled his eyes away to look at Henry’s mug, and he raised an eyebrow. “I was under the impression you were more of a green and white tea person.”

He noticed?

“Oh, I am. I just need a bit of caffeine, and I can’t stand coffee.”

“Ah, I see.” The coffee machine beeped, and Elliot sighed. “Finally.”

“Are you really that tired?” Henry asked, swirling his tea bag around.

“ Exhausted .” Elliot took a sip of coffee and closed his eyes with a pleased hum. “Ah, I can feel my motivation returning.”

Henry laughed softly. “So dramatic.”

“I am a performer at heart,” Elliot said with a grin.

“I didn’t mean a performer, more of a ‘drama queen.’”

“Well, according to you, I’m dramatic, but I don’t think I’m enough of a flamboyant gay to be a ‘queen’.”

Henry choked on his first sip of tea. “Excuse me?”

Elliot raised an eyebrow again, smirking. Smug bastard .

“‘Queen’ is a gay term, didn’t you know? It’s a bit of an older one, and I’ve noticed that the younger generation isn’t as fond of it, but–”

“I don’t think anyone could call you a ‘queen’ in that regard. You’re practically the opposite.”

Elliot turned his body towards Henry, leaning on the counter as he took a sip of coffee.

“Elaborate.” He seemed genuinely curious, rather than upset.

Henry stirred some sugar into his tea. He wasn’t used to the bitterness of black tea, and it reminded him too much of coffee. “Until you told me that you were gay the day of the dilophosaur incident, I had no idea.”

Elliot’s eyes shot up toward his hairline. “ What ? Wait, did you think I was straight ?”

“Well…” Henry paused. “Yes.”

“I… wow.” Elliot set his coffee down on the counter, looking slightly dazed. “I thought it was painfully obvious. I try to be obvious about it.”

“Perhaps I’m simply bad at noticing things like that, but you don’t… I don’t know, you just didn’t seem gay.”

“Wh–”

“Except for the Christmas party. It was pretty obvious then.”

Elliot crossed his arms. “You didn’t even talk to me, but I ‘seemed gay’ then ?”

“Elliot, you were wearing a bowtie. And it was tartan .”

“...that’s fair.”

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe this,” Elliot said after a pause, shaking his head. “You really thought I was straight?”

Henry nodded cautiously. “Yes.”

Elliot ran a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. “How did I let this happen?” he muttered. It was inconceivable to him that he was viewed as straight. The door of the break room opened, and Dr. Tally walked back in. “Forgot my–”
“What do you think my sexual orientation is?” Elliot quickly asked.

Tally looked taken aback and worried. “Uhm… this seems like a trick question.”

“Just… answer it, please?” Elliot knew he was putting Tally on the spot with a seemingly loaded question, but he needed an answer.

“Well, I think you’re straight…?”

Elliot threw up his hands in exasperation. “Oh for fuck’s sake!”

Tally looked at Henry, who shrugged.

“I know I’m not flamboyant or anything, but I was under the impression that it was obvious! I can’t believe this.”

“So… you’re gay?” Tally asked cautiously.

“Very.”

Tally furrowed her brows like she was deep in thought, and then her face softened. “Oh, that explains the tartan bow tie.”

“That’s what I thought,” Henry added, unhelpfully in Elliot's opinion.

“That’s it, I’m getting that carnation tattoo.”

Henry looked slightly startled at the seemingly sudden decision, and Tally raised an eyebrow. “Carnation? The flower?” she asked.

“Oscar Wilde turned it into a symbol for gay men. I’ll be damned if it’s not bloody obvious I’m gay. I’m proud, goddamnit!”

Henry continued quietly sipping his tea, looking a bit uncomfortable with the conversation, and Tally nodded in agreement. “I’m straight passing…” Elliot said desolately. How could this happen?
“Wow, you’re really upset about this,” Tally said cautiously, although failing to conceal her amusement.

“I am!” Elliot said, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “I’ve been outwardly gay for three decades. I never had an issue at Cambridge– granted, I was dressed a bit more formally– but I come off as straight now ? Please tell me that you two are outliers…”

“Well, considering what happened yesterday, I’m sure most people think you’re gay.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow, confused. “What happened yesterday?”

“With Hoskins? He almost called you the F-slur. Your reaction wasn’t really the reaction of a straight guy.”

“True, true, I see what you mean. Well, at least something came out of that whole fiasco. I’m still getting a new tattoo.”

“Why do I feel like you’ve just been waiting for an excuse?”

She was right. “No comment,” Elliot replied, grinning.

Tally waved him off, “You’re ridiculous. Go back to work.” She walked out of the breakroom, shaking her head in amusement. Henry turned toward Elliot once she had left. “Are you actually going to get a tattoo?”

“Another one? Yes. Where do you think I should get it? Somewhere visible, I think, or it defeats the purpose.”

Henry looked like a deer caught in headlights. “You’re asking me?”

“Yes, why not? I always like a little input.”

“So you’re actually going to get another tattoo?”

“Yes,” Elliot said with a chuckle, “I am. It’s been a while, why not? I can get my quote touched up while I’m at it– it’s nearly 30 years old, and it’s starting to get a little blurry.”

“It’s still reasonably legible. You would be willing to sit through getting that tattoo again ?”

“Yes, of course. It’s my first, and, honestly, my favorite.”

“Surely it’s painful, though?”

Elliot smiled. “A little pain doesn’t frighten me. I have a full sleeve— a little touch-up is nothing. Have you never considered getting a tattoo, or is the pain too daunting?”

“I’m not in the practice of subjecting myself to uneccesary discomfort.”

Henry’s serious, almost deadpan, delivery made Elliot chuckle. “I shouldn’t be surprised. Tattoos wouldn’t suit you anyway, I think. They’d be uncharacteristically frivolous on you.”

“You make me sound so serious.”

“Aren’t you?”

“... fair enough.”

Elliot’s phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket with a roll of his eyes. It was Owen. “I should take this.”

Henry nodded as Elliot excused himself from the room, stepping into the hallway to take Owen’s call. “Yes, Owen?”

“You’re supposed to drop by for my report on the raptors today, right?” Owen immediately asked, sounding a bit harried.

“Yes… why do I have a feeling you don’t want that to happen?”

“I may have… shredded it.”

“Shredded? The raptor paddock doesn’t have a shred—- the raptors ate it.”

“...yeah.”

“Your dog ate your homework?” Elliot said, exasperated, running a hand over his face.

“Maybe.”

“How did they even get it? And do you not have a digital copy you can use to just print off a new one?”

“It was windy, and it was my first draft.”

“First draft? So you weren’t even done with the report that is due by today?”

“I was planning on finishing it, okay?” Owen said defensively.

“...I’ll find something else to do. I can’t put off getting it any longer than tomorrow, though, so you’d better have it then.”

“Thanks, man, I owe you one!” Owen hung up.

Elliot shook his head. “Good grief.” He went back into the breakroom. Henry was gone. Elliot picked up his coffee off the counter and suddenly frowned. Henry had come into the breakroom during lunchtime, made tea, and left– tea, and nothing else.

Interesting.

After work, Elliot sat in his apartment, leafing through one of his books that he hadn’t read in a while, looking for a section he remembered that touched on pack dynamics, when there was a knock at his door. He set the book down and stood before crossing the room to see who it was.

It was Henry, holding a stack of books. “I thought I should return these to you,” he said, holding out the books.

“Finished already?” Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow as he took the books off Henry’s hands.

“It’s only half the books you loaned me,” Henry defended himself, an adorable little crease forming between his eyebrows, “and there’s still that list of books you didn’t give me.” He looked a bit offended at Elliot’s mention of his reading speed.

Elliot shifted the books to one arm and placed his other on the doorframe, leaning in slightly. “I’m only teasing, darling, and it’s honestly impressive how quickly you’ve read these. I can’t imagine you give yourself much free time for reading.”

“I– well, you’re right there.”

In an attempt to break the slightly awkward silence, Elliot shifted himself to one side of the doorway. “Would you like to come inside?”

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, because Henry’s jaw clenched and his eyes looked slightly startled. “Ah, no, thank you. I have some paperwork I need to finish,” he said quickly.

What a weak excuse.

Elliot clenched his jaw in a mirror of Henry’s as he felt a small wave of cold irritation wash over him.

“Of course, don’t let me keep you,” he replied simply, smiling so that his face betrayed none of the emotion he felt.

“You’re not,” Henry responded, and he quickly leaned in to peck Elliot on the cheek. All of Elliot’s irritation drained out of him, replaced with warm affection.

He was just overthinking things.

“Goodnight,” he called as Henry walked over to his door and unlocked it. Before he stepped inside his own apartment, Henry turned and replied, “Goodnight.”

Elliot turned and went back into his apartment, setting the books down on his already crowded coffee table. He had no intention of putting the books back on the shelves just yet, but there was one that caught his eye.

Elliot pulled an unfamiliar, unmarked book out of the stack, looking curiously at the plain black cover. He turned it over in his hands as he stood by the table and flipped the cover open. Elliot’s eyebrows raised. The inside wasn’t covered with words.

It was covered with sketches.

This was a sketchbook.

And it belonged to Henry.

He knew he should close the cover, walk across the hall, and give it back, but curiosity killed the cat, and Elliot was a man of singular attentions. He continued to flip through the pages, in slight awe of the obvious skill Henry had. Judging by the intensity of the pencil, these sketches were older. Near the middle, though, the sketches became far more recent. Feathered dinosaurs piqued Elliot’s interest– he knew that modern archaeology had determined true dinosaurs had most likely once had feathers, but to see Henry’s sketches of them was a different matter. Feathered dinosaurs melted into birds, and the cute little songbirds flitting across the page made Elliot smile. He didn’t recognize the birds, but Henry obviously knew them by heart. Birds gave way to reptiles and snakes, and then–

Oh.

Oh, fuck.

FUCK.

A tattoo.

A snake tattoo on the back of a neck.

Hands that were as familiar to Elliot as his own– because they were his own.

The familiar crease at the corner of an eye that Elliot saw whenever he looked in the mirror.

Fuck.

Start of NSFW

Elliot set the book down reverently, and he flopped back onto his couch.

“Well, fuck me,” he said out loud. He ran a hand through his hair and took off his glasses, polishing them on his shirt as if a speck of dust had somehow altered what he had seen before, again looking at the open sketchbook in front of him. He had seen correctly.

Elliot shifted his position, but– no, his pants were still tighter than they had been before.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” He cursed.

This isn’t– I’m not– I can control myself, goddamnit. I still feel fucking awful about that day in the shower, I can’t…

But this time was different. This wasn’t a one-sided moment of weakness regarding a coworker. This wasn’t about Dr. Wu, this was about Henry. The man who had sketches of Elliot next to his birds and dinosaurs. Elliot looked down at his hands.

So he’s thinking of me. But these are just drawings, they’re innocent, it isn’t any indication that he’s thinking of me in the same way I’m thinking of him. What right do I have?

It was too real to resist. Before, he had only his imagination, but now that he knew the feeling of Henry’s lips against his own, now that he had threaded his fingers through that impeccable dark hair, there was a feeling of tangibility. The spectre that had haunted him before was starting to gain shape, and it was harder to ignore.

As was the growing heat spreading from Elliot’s face down his chest, all the way to——

Stop it.

He looked up, and that was a mistake, because all he saw was the sketchbook in front of him.

Fuck it.

Elliot tossed his glasses on the coffee table, and they skidded slightly, hitting the stack of books with more force than Elliot had intended. On any other occasion, he would have worried, but he wasn’t thinking about his glasses. His hands deftly undid his belt with the practiced ease that came from years of experience.

That, too, he tossed off to the side. He took himself in hand, groaning at the relief the touch gave him, as well as the knowledge that he had started– there was no stopping now. Precum had already beaded at his tip, enough so that spreading it across his length provided enough lubrication so that the calluses on his hands didn’t chafe against the softer, sensitive skin of his cock.

He threw his head back, eyes closed, as he began to stroke up and down, muttering curses as a certain dark-haired geneticist came, unbidden, into his thoughts. He tried, in vain, to convince himself that the increased pace of his hand was unrelated. He leaned forward slightly, propping himself up with his free hand as he opened his eyes, and the image disappeared. However, he was looking directly at the sketchbook. “Oh, fuck, ” he moaned, and threw his head back once more, falling back against the couch cushions.

His thoughts were bad enough, but now that he knew what it felt like to kiss Henry, to have his arms around him, Elliot was hopeless.

He came with a curse and a strangled whine, and he slouched on the couch. His chest was heaving slightly from the exertion of his actions and the force of his orgasm, and he ran his clean hand across his face. “Fuck.”

Did I really just do that? Again? I can’t believe this…