Star Anise Tea

Star Anise Tea
(Tea Lovers Association)
December 2016
Anchorage, AK, United States
It's nearly a month before Raleigh sees the doctor again and this time the poor man is slumped on his workstation, sound asleep.
"Doctor?"
„Nein, Hasi, fünf Minuten ....“
The German's a welcome surprise but he's not here for that.
"Doc, it's Raleigh." He gently shakes the lanky man before frowning at the dark circles under Hermann's eyes. "Aww, hell, why does it have to be me waking the guy up? Doctor Gottlieb!"
Hermann shoots up off his desk and wipes the drool from the corner of his mouth in a flurry of movement that's actually sort of impressive.
"Hey. You fell asleep at your desk and Tendo's looking for you."
"Mr. Choi is looking for me?"
The amount of professionalism in the tone startles him a little. "Yeah. Something about a prediction equation that only you could follow." Raleigh puts down the note Tendo had pressed into his hand.
"Good god, they're all idiots," Hermann grumbles after only five minutes with the paper. "The extrapolation is wrong. In conjunction with the Breach equation, it solves to be open for only three months. It's been open for a full four years. Whoever wrote this is obviously not a mathematician."
"Tendo said correct what you could and then get some rest." Raleigh relays what the LOCCENT trainee had ordered him to do, even if it meant forcing Hermann to eat. "I was hoping for another match or maybe just some tea. I have a new flavor I want to try; no one's even close to a tea afficionado like you." He's fully prepared for the busy mathematician to brush off his offer, knowing the rumor mill says the man's a virtual loner.
"What kind?" Hermann asks genially.
He blows out a relieved breath at the friendly response. "Star anise." Raleigh lets the easy-going grin he gets with his friends to come forward. "I've even got raspberry-filled wafers if you don't want Tendo breathing down your neck."
"That sounds delightful, Mr. Becket." Hermann levers himself away from the desk with his hand and the brittle cane that Raleigh frowns at with a thoughtful expression. He's got the idea for it but he's not sure if Hermann will accept it from him just yet. Something tells him to wait a bit. "Have I said something?"
"Just 'Raleigh.' 'Mister Becket' reminds me of my dad," he hums instead of asking for Hermann's measurements like he wants to do. Maybe he'll get them off the pretty receptionist in HR if Yancy hasn't already charmed her. "Been pretty busy?"
"I have. The Kaiju have reached a new category already and well ahead of my possibilities model," the doctor murmurs as he grabs the tablet on the desk and tucks it under his arm.
"Modify it," Raleigh mutters, his mind flicking over the numbers and tactical advantages to upping the size of the invading Kaiju. "Expand the parameters for the equation and add another dimension."
"Excuse me?" Hermann's voice is astonished.
"Sorry. I'm thinking out loud again. I do that when I don't have something to do with my hands and Yan's borrowing my knife again, the bastard," Raleigh says quietly as he digs around in his pockets for the rolled up paper squares, which are his back-up of the back-up. He doesn't find any so he distracts himself with the conversation.
"Your brother is here?" Hermann asks as they walk along the salted paths because Raleigh doesn't want the slimmer man tripping. The last time they'd met, the crunch hadn't sounded so good so he was glad to see Hermann up and about.
"Yeah. Yan and I enrolled in the Jaeger Academy program together. I can't believe we're acing everything they throw at us. Never expected to get anywhere, y'know, what with my problem. Yan's not exactly a model citizen either." It's nice to talk out everything that he can't share with Tendo or Yancy. "If I talk too much just tell me to shut up, okay? I do that a lot."
"I do not mind your chatter nor your opinion." The way Hermann says it is a bit stilted and Raleigh realizes that he might've struck a sensitive point for the other man.
"Thanks. What was I saying?"
"Your brother is not a model citizen," Hermann prompts as they weave around the cadets looking at the leaderboard.
"Right, so what we are good at is fighting. It's like ... the simulator is where I can let all of my rambling thoughts go and focus. I mean really focus, like a heat-seeking missile." Raleigh gestures with his hands to illustrate the size of the missile. "The controls take up all of my tangents and use them. It's great. Yan's a little more understanding when I wanna go somewhere by myself cause now he gets it." He kicks the crusted up snow off his boots and shows Hermann where he can let his much thinner shoes dry properly. "Kick 'em off. Wet shoes suck in Anchorage and we've got spare slippers for guests." Raleigh toes off his own boots, tosses the socks onto the crappy heater and scuffs his feet into his own slippers.
Hermann slowly peels off the thick socks, peering at the pristine slippers still in the package.
"C'mon, they won't bite and those are yours from now on."
"You are generous," Hermann observes calmly as he put on the slippers one by one.
"Nah. Just want you to be comfortable. Take Yan's chair again. He won't be back for at least an hour." Raleigh insists as he pulls down the new box of tea. "Just came in fresh and I snagged about three before the dummies took the rest."
"That is a higher-quality tea." Hermann sounds vaguely impressed.
"I ordered it through the 'Dome rationing and they only got a few but it was definitely worth the paperwork." He makes a face at mentioning the evil paperwork but continues explaining. "There's star anise, peppermint, and chai straight from India. Knowing people in the supply section is great for stuff like this."
"You seem to have quite the influence."
"Nah. I just like talking to people and sometimes I listen when they need an ear that's not involved. I'm not much for gossip but the tidbits of truth are worth the trouble of the super-chatterboxes." Raleigh shrugs as he waits for the water to boil. "I'm taking over the conversation again."
"Please, go on."
"'m not bothering you?" he mumbles as he shifts in his chair to sit on his foot again.
"Hardly. I would let you know of you were, Raleigh," Hermann snorts dryly as he sets his cane on the side of the chair. The smile he normally saved for his brother was flashed unconsciously at the mathematician.
"You're a sight better than most people then," he hums warmly as the water starts steaming. Raleigh sets up the same way as last time, barely hesitating as he sits back down and reaches for the wafer he wants. He watches as Hermann pours in cream and twists the lemon wedge with a flick of his wrist that has most of the juice in the tea. Raleigh nibbles on his handful of wafers as Hermann absently works on his portable tablet and eats at the same time.
"It seems your standard for people is low." There's something else under that tone but he leaves it be for now.
"Or you're just a compassionate person who indulges the inane rambles of someone barely out of their teens," he counters as he lolls over the back of his low chair. "It's hard to find someone who'll actually listen."
"You tend to do that rather well," Hermann responds as he sets down the tablet to yawn loudly. "Oh my."
"It sounds like you need a nap." Raleigh yawns right after the mathematician, glancing over at the patched couch bed with a thoughtful hum. "We've got a couch bed if you want it. You'll crick your neck if you fall asleep in Yan's chair."
Hermann starts at the mention of a bed and color flushes his cheeks a bright pink. "I think it is better that I sleep in my own quarters."
"Okay." Raleigh waits until the man sways forward to catch him at the shoulders. "You sure about that?"
"No. The couch bed sounds wonderful."
He gently pushes the mathematician back down and pulls out the couch bed and comforter. Hermann's long, thin feet are encased in a clean set of Raleigh's thickest socks and the poor man covered. He fusses at the covers for a moment, unsure of his welcome into the now sleepy Hermann's space.
"'s'nice. You're nice."
"I'm glad you think so Doc." Raleigh gives in to his mother-henning urge and tucks the comforter around the slimmer man. "Sleep well." The mumble makes him chuckle softly as it's not even intelligible enough to garner a response. He clears away the dishes, smiling at the pile of crumbs that used to be raspberry-filled wafers. Maybe with his and Tendo's efforts, Hermann would eventually fill out beyond the delicate thinness he seemed to hold onto like a bird of prey.
A few hours later finds Raleigh shushing his brother as the latter stomps through the door. "Shh. We've got a guest and he really needs his sleep." Raleigh waves his hands in a bit of a flailing manner but Yancy gets the point.
"Oh my god, you took in another stray. We really need to figure out a way to keep them out of ... oh. For once, I think your mother-henning will do some good," Yancy scolds until he sees Hermann's lax face amongst the fluffy covers and pillow. "That guy looks like he needs it."
"It's the math guy who transferred in November. Y'know, the one who plays a mean chess match? His name's Hermann," Raleigh says as he shoos Yancy into the kitchen and takes back his knife. "What'd you need it for anyway?"
"This." Yancy pulls out a block of Alaskan diamond willow that makes Raleigh's brightest smile come out.
"Where'd you get this, Yan? This is amazing." He runs his hands over the dual-colored wood as he turns it around to see where the grain starts. "Do they supply long pieces? I'm thinking about carving something for Hermann."
Yancy blinks at his question and then frowns as he answers, "Not that I could see but they do have a nice mahogany stick that's perfect."
"Thanks." Raleigh hugs his brother, inhaling the scent of a wood carving shop. "Now do I wake up Hermann with music or you?"
"Rals, no. I'm the prettier face but you're the one with the intuition. Listen to it some times, bro." Yancy holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"He still needs some sleep. Go get some food." He shoves his brother good-naturedly and gets a noogie in return. They quietly bicker until Yancy hugs him again. "'S up with the hugs and present?" Raleigh hums as he's pressed against Yancy's broader chest.
"Couldn't celebrate your birthday, remember? We had a shit-ton of tests that day." His brother's voice rumbles up from his chest where Raleigh's close and he gives an amused hum.
"Oh. You're the best Yan."
Yancy ruffles his hair and gives him a nudge back towards their sleeping guest.
Raleigh turns up the radio to an alternative station of pre-Breach songs that he likes, washing the dishes and occasionally looking back at a sleeping Hermann.
The mathematician wakes slowly for someone who takes everyone around him in but always so wary. Hermann blinks, pulls the covers away with a slender hand and looks up to see Raleigh glancing at him. "How long did I sleep?" the sleep-roughened voice makes him want to coo at the older man but refrains{ from it}.
"Only three hours. The star anise did its job," he comments lightly. "Yan, this is Doctor Hermann Gottlieb. Doc, this is my brother Yancy. He's gonna go get our food from the chow hall. That is, if you're not too busy." Raleigh looks at the man hopefully with the expression that Yancy said could stop a rhino in its tracks from the amount of cute in it.
Hermann chuckles quietly from the bed at the face. "You remind me of my younger brother."
"Hey something else we share. Rals is—" Yancy's got the evil older brother glint in his eyes.
"Ahaha ... he doesn't need to know that." Raleigh claps a hand over Yancy's mouth and shoves him out the door. "He's an asshole sometimes."
"You have an interesting dynamic." The groomed eyebrow goes up.
"'s just us and Jazzy now," he admits sheepishly. "Yan's the oldest."
"I meant your manner of showing affection."
"Oh, that. We're fine with snark. He gave me a hug before you woke up. Yan's not big on PDA but he's pretty good about it." Raleigh leans on the doorjamb with a faint smile tugging on his lips. "Lemme guess, not all that big on affection either?"
"They are affectionate enough. I am ... rather ...."
"Thin-skinned? Tendo says he sees you eat like a regular person but you're always so skinny. 's'okay. I'm sure you're not doing it on purpose. Metabolism or just naturally thin?" he finishes for Hermann as he fights his own yawn.
"Both." The relieved look is a little odd.
Raleigh shoves it to the side, knowing he'll connect the dots eventually when there's enough info. "I guess I'm gonna have to mother-hen you then," he teases as he folds the comforter after Hermann sits in Yancy's chair.
"I have enough of that from Tendo."
"Clearly not. He missed your sleeping on the desk thing," Raleigh tells the mathematician.
"I just don't understand why you would care for a virtual stranger," Hermann remarks as he wiggles his toes in the socks.
"Uh, well—"
"Rals has a habit of picking up strays, whether they're animal or person. It's a remnant of our days traveling with our parents," Yancy interrupts with dinner which actually smells great.
"Aww, c'mon, Yan! He didn't need to know that either," Raleigh complains as Yancy sets down the trays carefully.
"It's the duty of the older brother to embarrass the younger. It's Older Bro 101. Duh." Yancy pokes him then clasps his shoulder to touch foreheads. It means he's just teasing Raleigh and that they love each other.
Raleigh shoves at Yancy but tempers it with a nudge as they pick out utensils. Glancing back at Hermann, he sees the slimmer man relax at the show of brotherly love. "You're a stolto," he snorts as they bring the cups for tea back and out comes the chipped tea pot from Japan pre-Breach.
"Proud of it, piccolo fratello."
Hermann's looking back and forth between them as they trade insults in Italian.
"Stronzo," he coughs and Yancy groans.
"Okay, that's just mean, bro."
"What's mean is you hitting on the receptionist when I clearly had my eye on her. You know I don't ... I can't communicate with you hovering in on my spot. You're prettier and you take advantage of that fact," he fires back as they sit down properly.
Yancy doesn't make Hermann move from his chair and snags the one that's normally for guests.
"Does that happen often?" Hermann asks in confusion.
"The part where he swoops in to flirt with a girl that I clearly saw first? Yeah. But I get him back by acing the sims and getting the numbers in the first place," Raleigh absently replies as he steals Yancy's toast off his brother's tray.
"Hey! I fought the J-techs for that ...," Yan whines as he reaches to take it back.
Raleigh slaps his brother's hand away and cuts it into little cubes with his steak knife. "Too bad bro. I'm building a food tower." Raleigh swears he hears the smallest laugh from Hermann as he builds a tiny log cabin to eat later.
"Seriously?"
"I'm having a magnificent garden party and you're not invited," he says with a straight face, knowing Yancy will get the reference.
His brother stares for all of three seconds before he almost sprays his tea by laughing so hard. "You did not just say that."
"All your base are belong to us."
Yancy just shakes with laughter as he eats his lasagna.
"I could do this all day, Yan."
"Stop or you'll have to fish noodle out of my nose, Rals."
"Okay, okay." They eat in relative silence for a while before the urge to be mischievous strikes again. "Snape, Snape, Severus Snape-"
"Dumbledore!" They laugh and both of them turn when they hear the scratchy (probably disused) laughter of Hermann as he waves away their concern.
"That was awesome."
"It kinda was." Raleigh grins at the moment, knowing with his memory that this one will be remembered in crystal clarity.Category:Ficlet
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