“I’m not going to tell him I went flying even though he told me to rest.He’ll think I’m an idiot.I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow.I took the meds he gave me, and I’m not getting off my couch anytime soon.”
“What did Palmer say when he examined you?”
“Just that he wasn’t worried and that I should get better with some rest.”
“So of course you took that as him telling you to go exert yourself.”
“I was bored,” Twig complained.“But I learned my lesson.I’m going to stay here and wait until I feel better to do anything else, I promise.”
“Good.”The last thing Rune wanted was for Twig to get worse, or for someone to say that Palmer was a bad doctor because of it.It wasn’t Palmer’s fault.Twig was stubborn and didn’t think about his health.
“You know, I get the appeal,” Twig said with a hum.“He’s really cute.A little bit too nerdy for me, but the two of you fit right together.”
Rune briefly closed his eyes.Sometimes, he wondered why he so desperately wanted to build a relationship with his siblings.“What are you talking about?”
“Palmer, your doctor.I can see why you’re interested in him.”
“Who said I was interested in him?”
Twig laughed, and while he was interrupted by a bout of coughing, he still sounded amused when he next spoke.“You didn’t have to say anything.It’s kind of obvious.”
Rune wasn’t sure he liked that.“You think it’s obvious to him, too?”
“Ah, so you do admit that you’re interested in him.”
“I’m admitting nothing.I just don’t want him to feel uncomfortable with me since we have to work together.”
“I wouldn’t worry if I were you.I don’t think it’s obvious to anyone else.I was just teasing you, but you do know there’s nothing wrong with you having a crush on the attractive human doctor, right?”
“I don’t have a crush on him.I can’t deny he’s attractive, but that’s all there is to it.”
“If you say so.”
Rune knew better than to insist.Twig would believe what he wanted to believe, and right now, he wanted to believe that Rune had a crush on Palmer.
He wasn’t wrong.
Rune wasn’t about to tell him that, though.Nothing good would come of it, and he didn’t want Twig to blurt it out in front of Palmer or anything like that.He knew his brother wouldn’t do it on purpose, but Twig wasn’t known for being able to keep secrets.“So, what are you going to do tonight since you’re not feeling well?”he asked.
Twig groaned.“I actually have plans.”
Of course he did.“Do you need me to come sit on your back to keep you at home?”
“No, you don’t have to worry.I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
So Twig really wasn’t feeling well.Rune was worried, but he felt a little bit better at the thought that Palmer had looked his brother over.If Palmer didn’t think that Twig had anything to worry about, that meant he didn’t, and neither did Rune.
“Just text me if you need anything,” Rune said.“And actually rest this time.”
“I will, I will.Stop worrying so much.”
“Someone has to,” Rune muttered, but even though he was exasperated, he wouldn’t change his brother even if he could.
After they hung up, Rune set his phone down and tried to focus on his meal, but his thoughts kept drifting back to what Twig had said.Was his crush really that obvious?He’d tried to keep things professional with Palmer, but maybe he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought.
He shook his head.There was no point in worrying about it now.He had work to do, and Twig needed to rest.Everything else could wait.
* * * *
