When the other lifted his ankle slightly, Elias let out a soft gasp, suddenly feeling a flare of pain. It was a reminder from his body that he shouldn't be standing right now, yet here he was.
He let out a small sigh, trying his best to pretend he was fine, that his ankle wasn't an issue, before shifting his weight onto the crutch, because his ankle was really, really hurting. "It's fine, I did. It's not broken."
Raphael's eyes scanned Elias's figure, trying to detect any hint of deceit or lies. He was suspicious, and he was damn certain that Elias was in pain right now, trying to ignore it. Obviously.
He scoffed. "Oh, yes. You look perfectly fine. Absolutely fine. 'Run for the Olympics and win' level of fine."
That made Elias click his tongue, his cheeks heating up in humiliation. He hated how fast Raphael picked up on things; it was like the other could see right through him. He huffed back, "Shut up."
Raphael chuckled at the almost childish reaction. His smirk widened as he took in Elias's flushed face—he loved how cute Elias looked when he got flustered like this. But also, he knew how stubborn the man was. His eyes roamed over the bandages on Elias's hand. "No, I will not 'shut up.' You look like you're about to fall over. And you probably live alone. How will you manage?"
Elias rolled his eyes at the response and the subsequent question. He didn't miss the little jab: 'You probably live alone'. Well, he did, but the other didn't need to guess that with so much conviction! And he could manage by himself well enough, thank you very much. He replied, "It's fine. I have a housekeeper, and a friend offered to help me out. You don't need to worry."
Raphael's eyes darkened a little at that response. A friend? Offering to help? Helping Elias? He didn't know why, but the mere idea of someone other than him helping Elias made him irritated- no, scratch that, extremely annoyed. Why the hell was someone else- someone he didn't even know- offering to help Elias? His eyes scanned the other man as he gritted his teeth slightly. "... And who is this... friend?"
Elias sighed. Of course Raphael had to ask. "... Jaehyun. I'm assuming you've heard of him."
Raphael's expression dropped as soon as he heard the name. That man was a goddamn walking disease. A menace. He could literally picture that man, and picture him causing chaos and havoc in various supply closets. He'd heard enough gossip during his stay here and knew exactly who this Jaehyun Park was. He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief, "Oh, I have. I've definitely heard of him. You really picked the most reliable person to help you out, haven't you?"
At that moment, Jaehyun happened to walk by in the hallway, and, being a nosy little shit he was, heard his own name and chimed in, "Hm? I heard my name?"
Elias cursed under his breath, wishing he had never mentioned Jaehyun's name. He silently hoped that the other hadn't heard the entire conversation, though he knew it was useless- Jaehyun could hear like a bat. He'd also hoped the other would go on his merry, horny way. But that obviously wasn't happening now.
Jaehyun smirked in a knowing way, "I couldn't help but overhear your not-so-secret conversation."
Raphael rolled his eyes, the annoyed expression deepening as he heard the other surgeon's voice. Jaehyun was the most annoying person he'd ever known, not to mention the fact that the man made out with practically everyone within a hundred feet. Though he hasn't made moves on his Elias yet, you never know.
Jaehyun grinned upon seeing both Raphael and Elias turn to him and strolled closer to them. He glanced at the bouquet and the chocolates knowingly, and then turned to Elias, "And here I thought you disliked treating work as Tinder and there was absolutely nothing going on with your hot, rich ex. Why, I must say... I suddenly have a very important thing to take care of, so I won't be able to help you, Elias."
"Hm... If only a certain brown-haired lawyer would step up..." He trailed off, smiling gleefully. Hey, he might be a walking STD and a horny little shit, but he was rooting for them.
Elias clicked his tongue, knowing damn well that Jaehyun knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to play matchmaker in the most irritating way possible. Raphael, though, despite the smile plastered across his face, was also annoyed by the other- but he wasn't one to say no to free lunch.
"Of course I can. I can help Elias. It's only right I return the favor."
Jaehyun smirked at the lawyer's response and just chuckled, amused. He then turned and patted Elias's shoulder, his smile widening. "There. You've got yourself a helping hand now, huh? Well, my shift starts soon. I've gotta go. Have fun!" He winked before jogging off toward his own office, a wide smile plastered on his face.
Elias sighed, resisting the urge to throw the nearest throwable thing at Jaehyun's head and give him brain damage. He spoke up, a little taken aback by the almost... excited look in Raphael's eyes. "You don't need to, I can't possibly trouble you..."
Raphael scoffed as if the other had just said something utterly ridiculous. He reached for Elias's hand, gently grabbing it and intertwining their fingers, looking at the blonde pointedly. "Don't. I don't like it when you try to act all tough and refuse help. Especially MY help."
He continued quietly, almost in a whisper, his voice gentle but firm. "Let me help you. It's not up for debate. I'm not letting you worsen your injuries because you're too stubborn to notice your own pain. How much do you have to do here before you can leave?"
"I-" Elias wanted to deny or reassure Raphael that he could manage by himself, but all those words died on his tongue when he saw the look in Raphael's eyes. He knew the other wasn't having it.
In the end, he just nodded and replied, "Just some more things. And I need to see Louis. He should be waking up soon."