Jae

When you were hired in the ER as a CMA, everyone took note how you styled your scrubs. Since your scrubs were a blue color, you always chose a fun pattern under scrub top to go with it. Some days you wore ocean themed ones and other days you wore plain colors.

Your Apple Watch band is what started the Whale Shark nickname.

You had went with Shark Clip watch bands because you had gotten back into swimming and figured that band would work best.

“Good morning Whale Shark.” Dana said with a smile as you came in with a seashell claw clip in your hair.

“Good morning Dana.” You said with a smile, “Let me go put my stuff away and then I’ll come figure out my assignments today.”

“Actually.. you are getting floated.” Dana started, “Ortho is down a medical assistant upstairs and I know you have background in taking care of patients and office work.”

“But I don’t have the right scrubs…” You said, “I can’t really change.”

“It’s okay kid, I don’t think Dr. Park will mind.” Dana said with a smile, “Plus you’ll be with your own kind. We call him Shark too.”

“Because he likes sharks?” You asked, excitedly.

You heard Robby snort behind Dana, “No kid, because he eats people alive.” Robby said, “Good luck up there.”

You just stared at Robby, “He’s gonna eat me alive.” You whispered.

Dana smacked Robby with a clipboard. “Get out of here Robinavitch, you are scaring the poor girl.”

Robby giggled and walked away quickly, leaving Dana to turn to you.

“He’s on the third floor, should be already up there.” She explained, “You got this Whale Shark.”

You nod and headed to the elevator, going to the third floor just like Dana said.

Soon you make it to the third floor and head straight to the ortho office, letting yourself into the waiting room. The lighting is dim and you see a fish tank in the corner. You go over to look at the fish who are all thriving in their environment.

“Do I need to call security or are you just a lost student?” A voice snapped, causing you to stand up quickly, “Because it looks like you shouldn’t be here.”

“I was sent by Dana to step in as a Medical Office Assistant.” You explained, “I’m sorry, is now a bad time?”

“No, it’s fine. Sorry, my guys don’t get here normally till 7:45.” He explained, looking down at your name badge, “My name is Brendon Park, call me Dr. Park.”

You nod and shake his head, mentioning your name, “But you can call me Whale Shark.”

“Whale Shark.” He said, testing the name on his tongue, “Did they send you up here for that reason?”

“What?” You asked, confused, “Why would they send me up here for that?”

“Park the Shark. Whale Shark.” He explained.

“Ohhh sorry, I wasn’t even thinking.” You said with a laugh, “Still waking up.”

He actually smiled at that, “Listen Whale Shark, wanna run an errand for me? Go get me my usual from the coffee shop in the lobby.” He said, “Get yourself something too.”

“What about the other medical assistant?” You asked.

“He’ll get his own. Just bring it to my office.” Park said, turning to leave.

“Do I need to put this on my card?” You asked and that earned a laugh from Park.

“No, they have my card on file. Just say it’s for Doctor Park.” He said, “Now I might not be up here when you come back, so just leave it in my office.”

You nodded and dropped your bag off by the front desk and headed down to the coffee shop in the lobby. As you ordered, you found out his usual was just a black coffee and an egg sandwich. Meanwhile, you had chosen a cookie butter cold foam cold brew with a sandwich as well. As you headed back to the third floor you couldn’t help but think,

Why was everyone so nervous around Park? He seemed like a genuinely nice guy to you.

You soon stepped back into the ortho office and made it first to the front desk area. You set down your drinks by the open computer and then headed over to where his office was.

You knocked on the door and heard a strained “Come in.” from the other side.

You pushed open the door and the sight you saw was insane.

Park was doing push ups, shirtless.

“Oh hey, just set it on my desk. Thank you.” He grumbled.

You just nodded and put it on his desk before scrambling out of there.

Because you were not expecting to see the ortho surgeon you were working under today shirtless and insanely ripped.

———————————————————————————

“So how do you like working here so far?” Mauricio asked as he sipped his protein coffee.

Working under Dr. Park wasn’t too bad. His patients were nice enough. The only complaint you had was it felt like working for two gym bros who were constantly flexing.

“It’s not too bad. It’s weirdly peaceful.” You said, sipping your cold brew.

“You’ll like the NP who comes in when Dr. Park does surgeries. His name is Chris, he’s super chill.”

“Is it only men who work in this office?” You asked, confused.

Mauricio nodded, “Yea, Park likes it that way. But he’s working on adding more women to his team.”

“So he’s a little sexist, noted.” You mumbled as you processed a patient’s insurance.

“I did not say that!” Mauricio argued.

“You implied it.” You said with a laugh.

Right on cue, Dr. Park came into the little office area. “What do you guys want for lunch?”

“I don’t care.” Mauricio said simply, looking to you.

“Oh, I’m good with my protein bar.” You explained and Park looked at you like you personally insulated him.

“Jesus, do they not feed you guys down there?” Park scoffed.

“I’m just surprised we get a lunch.” You admitted, “Primanti Bros sounds really good.”

“Sounds like a plan, I’ll order it.” He said, typing in his phone.

“What’s your Venmo?” You offered and Park shook his head and laughed.

“I’ll pay for it.” He said, “I buy lunch for you guys twice a week.”

“I-I can’t in good conscience let you do that.” You admitted and he shook his head.

“I am single with a surgeons salary. Let me do this.” Park assured.

“Okay.” You said with a smile, “I can allow that.”

Maybe working up here wasn’t so bad.

———————————————————————————

You had spent the rest of the week up there and honestly? You preferred it to the ER. You weren’t being constantly undermined and nobody questioned your answers. It wasn’t like the ER was bad, Dr. Park’s office just made you feel a little more at home.

After your week up there, you came back to the ER for your 12 hour shift again and that’s when you saw Dr. Park’s talking to Dr. Robby, his eyes drifting to yours.

“Am I getting fired?” You whispered to Dana, who was looking down at the IPad.

“No, Dr. Park wants you in his office full time.” Dana said, not looking up.

“What? Why?” You asked, “He had already has two CMA workers.”

“One of them quit. He wants you specifically in his office.” Dana said with a laugh, “I don’t know what you did kid, but he loves you.”

You slowly nod, “Wow okay.” You said, “Any idea when I transfer?”

“Today.” Dana said, finally looking up, “We’ll miss you Whale Shark.”

“Yea, I’ll miss you guys too.” You said with a smile.

“Wait what’s going on?” Antoine asked, Larry following him.

“Today is my last day.” You said with a weak smile, “I’m moving to Ortho.”

“What? No!” Larry said, “We loved you down here!”

“You loved her because you two could slack off.” Dana said, shooing them away.

They both pulled you into a hug, “We’ll miss you Whale Shark.”

“Stop it.” You said, trying not to cry, “I actually might cry.”

“Don’t cry, because I’ll start crying.” Larry said.

“Me too!” Antoine started, hugging you tighter.

“I am literally just moving to the third floor.” You said with a small laugh.

“I know, but still.” Larry said, moving away. Antoine did the same.

“Anyone else you wanna give a tearful goodbye to?” Dana asked, then shook her head, “Forget it kid, I need a hug.”

You and Dana hugged, “God I remember when you were just a front desk worker. Now look at you.” Dana said with a smile, “Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be a nurse.”

“I strive to be like you Dana.” You said with a smile, “And I hope to be a great nurse like you.”

“That’s it, you aren’t allowed to leave.” Dana said with a laugh, “I won’t allow it.”

“Dana!” You said with a laugh, just as Robby and Park walked up.

“If you can’t tell, we are losing a good CMA.” Robby said with a chuckle, “She’s been with us since I believe right after high school graduation right?”

“I have.” You said with a smile as Dana let you go.

You looked up at Robby with a smile, “I bet you won’t miss me.”

“Ha, you are like my adopted daughter. You are absolutely a thorn in my side, but at the end of the day? You are a good kid.” Robby said with a smile.

He pulled you into another hug and Park clapped his hands.

“Let’s go, we got patients today Whale Shark.” Park said.

You pulled away from Robby and took one last glance back at the ER before following Park up the elevator.

“Don’t think Robby’s too happy I’m stealing you.” Park said with a laugh, “He said you belonged with your own pack. You might not be a great white, but you are a shark in my eyes.”

You tried not to blush as you entered the elevator with him, “Thanks Dr. Park.”

“Of course Whale Shark.” He said with a smile, pressing the button.

The two of you soon headed to the third floor together.

And for some reason, you didn’t feel like blood in the water with Park. You felt a mutual respect between you two.

———————————————————————————

The first month was a breeze working with Dr. Park and Mauricio. Everything felt like it clicked.

You noticed Dr. Park was more relaxed with clothing choices so you chose quarter zips to wear to work and better fitting shirts instead of scrubs that didn’t flatter you.

You didn’t notice however Park looking at you in a new light. He noticed that you had blossomed into a new person and had a new sense of confidence. You looked happier here and you felt more free.

Every Friday, the team had an ongoing joke of wearing Shark shirts that read ‘Shark’s Team.’

Everything felt right, but why did you feel like Park started to watch you like a predator? You felt like his eyes were on you constantly. They didn’t feel judgmental, yet you knew it meant something. You just couldn’t put your finger on it.

Late, one Friday night you had stayed late since Mauricio had left early for a concert to make sure the office was organized and put together for Monday. Dr. Park was still there but you two mostly stayed out of each others way.

But for some reason, him watching you just sat in the Pitt of your stomach. It kept telling you to confront him, so you did. What’s the worse that could happen?

You knocked quietly on his door, “Dr. Park?”

He looked up from his computer, “Hey Whale Shark? What’s going on?”

“Can I ask you like a weird question?” You asked, not letting him answer, “Am I doing something wrong or is it just your personality?”

“What do you mean?” He asked, maintaining eye contact with you. You were sure he didn’t mean to look predatory, but right now he was watching you like you were his next meal.

“You watch me. A lot. Is it because I’m a woman? Are you questioning me? Because if you have a second of doubt that I can’t do my job, then I don’t think I’m a good fit for this job.” You said, not meaning to come out as angry as you were.

He didn’t say a word, just slowly stood up.

“I know I am just a CMA and it isn’t considered hard, but I will not be belittled by a doctor. Never ever will I let a man decide how I feel. I’ll go back down working in the ER, but I don’t appreciate being watched like I am prey!” You snapped.

You were too angry to realize how close he was to you right now.

“Whale Sharks might be considered passive predators, but that does not mean I will allow myself to be threatened by Doctor Park the Great White Shark.” You snapped.

He suddenly cupped your face and kissed you, his hands moving to your waist. You didn’t kiss back at first, but soon melted into the kiss. You pressed yourself closer to him, arms wrapping around his neck.

In that moment you realized, he was never looking at you like prey. His eyes the entire time were filled with lust and need, yet you were too paranoid to even notice.

“I would never threaten you.” He whispered against your mouth, “I would never doubt your intelligence for a second.”

He grabbed your ass and with ease, picked you up. Your legs wrapped around him as you carried you to his desk.

“Now, let me spell it out with my tongue how great of a CMA you are.” He said, laying you down on his desk and dropping to his knees.

That night changed everything between you two in the best way possible.

It was rare and far between that Whale Sharks and Great whites co existed together, but not impossible. And after that night?

The Whale Shark had tamed the Great White Shark.

———————————————————————————

Your date with Andrew ended up being better than you expected. You weren't expecting to be bad–Andrew was always a joy to have around–but you weren't expecting him to take you to one of the fanciest restaurants in town.

You had heard of the place, it was all over social media, but you never entertained the idea of going there because even if you made enough to live comfortably, it was way out of your price range.

Your eyes widened the second they scanned over the prices, and you tried to hide how uncomfortable you felt at the thought of Andrew spending that much on you. He already spent enough at the bakery with the huge tips he gave you. But Andrew saw right through you and reassured you that he could and wanted to spoil you.

“What do you even do to afford places like this one?” You asked once the waiter had taken your orders. You didn't mention it but he had also picked you up in a big, black truck with leather seats that just smelled expensive.

Andrew knew the question was going to come up at one point. He knew he couldn't date you and expect you to never ask about his job. He didn't want to lie to you but it was for a greater good so he just went with the lie his family had been telling other people for years. “My family and I run a business.”

“Oh.” Your eyebrows perked slightly. “What type of business?”

“Property management. I mostly take care of fixing stuff. I don't know-if something floods or doesn't work. That's why I don't work normal hours. They just call me whenever they need me"

Now you were back at your apartment complex. Andrew held the car door open for you and took your hand as you got off. 

“I had fun tonight.” You said as Andrew closed the car door. You leaned into him, letting your chest brush against his. 

“You did?” He asked softly. 

“You're great company, Andy.” You rested your hand on his chest, your fingers traced the buttons of his shirt.

His lips curved upwards. No one other than his sister had ever described him as a good company. He liked that he wasn't ‘Pope’ to you, that's who he was to his family. 

Pope represented the most dark, violent side of him. You had no idea of that, to you he was just a sweet man who walked into your bakery one day. He planned to keep it like that for as long as he could.

“Do you want to come up with me? I don't know if I want to let you go just yet.” 

Your words pulled him from his thoughts, and he didn't hesitate to nod. “I'd like that.”

You intertwined your fingers with his. Pope used his free hand to press the car key’s button to lock the car. 

He let himself be led into the building and into the elevator. The two of you settled into a comfortable silence until you reached your door, where you fumbled with your purse to search for the keys.

“I forgot to ask but you aren't allergic to cats, are you?” 

“You have a cat?” 

Finally you pulled out your keys from your purse and you looked at him over your shoulder as you unlocked the door. “Yeah. I can't believe I didn't mention it before, I usually talk about her all the time.”

“I'm not allergic.” He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

You kicked off your heels, letting out a sigh of relief. “You can take your shoes off if you want.”  

Andrew crouched down to untie his shoe laces and from the corner of his eye he noticed a black fur ball darting to the living room from the kitchen.

“Aw. There she is.” The cat meowed and you bent down to pick her up. You held her to your chest, scratching her behind her ears.

Andrew neatly placed his shoes by the door and walked up to you. “What's her name?”

“Frankie.”

Andrew raised his hand close to the cat's face, letting her sniff him. “She 's cute.”

Frankie rubbed her face against his hand and Andrew carefully scratched her head. “I've never had a pet.”

“Really?” 

He nodded. “One of my brothers has dogs now but I don't really like them. They're messy and loud, they're like him to be honest.”

You chuckled. “Well they do say that pets take after their owners.”

You set her down on the floor once she started squirming in your arms. She darted towards your room, probably off to sleep again.

Andrew let his eyes wander through your living room. It wasn't big or flashy, but it was cozy. There were throw pillows and a fluffy blanket on the couch, pictures hanging on your wall with friends and family and one with your cat. On your coffee table there was a fresh bouquet of flowers, which made him furrow his eyebrows. Were you seeing other men while going out with him?

“Who got you those?” He asked, trying not to sound too harsh.

“No one.” You answered simply. “I just like flowers and the smell so I always buy them for myself.”

His shoulders relaxed almost immediately. You felt warmth spread through your chest at the thought of him feeling a little bit of jealousy.

“I'm not seeing anyone else. I don't date much.” You reassured him, the couch cushions dipping under your weight when you sat down. “I've been single for a long time actually.”

Andrew sat next to you. “Me too.” Actually I've never had a serious relationship before he thought to himself, but he felt that sharing that was too pathetic.

You scooted closer, leaving no space between your bodies. You leaned against his chest, draping an arm over his waist, your thighs pressed against his. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah.” He wrapped his arm around your shoulders. 

You could hear Andrew's heart softly thudding against his chest. You looked up and just like you were expecting Andrew’s eyes were already fixed on your form. “You have a staring problem, you know?” You teased.

“Does it bother you?” 

You shook your head. “As long as you don't stare at other women.”

“I don't.” He said quickly, like what you were suggesting was something ridiculous. It drew a short laugh from you.

“You’re cute, Andy."

The third date was at your place. 

Something small and simple after you told him you didn't have the energy to go out on your only day off after the week you had at the bakery. 

He was supposed to go to your place for lunch, but he called you at the last minute to tell you he had an emergency to take care of. The emergency being planning the next job they were doing.

But you didn't need to know that.

You'd told him he could go for dinner so now here he was, watching you move around your kitchen. You were making some lasagna. By the time he arrived you had almost everything ready, just needed to assemble it and throw it into the oven.

 “You staying the night today?”

“If you want me to.”

You playfully rolled your eyes. “Of course I do. I was just asking because I have to get up really early to set everything up so I was gonna give you a spare key so you don't have to wake up with me.”

Andrew shook his head. “I'll go with you.”

“You don't have to.” You stood between his legs, your hands finding his chest. “I mean it ,you can sleep in and then lock when you leave. You'll give me the key back when you come into the bakery.”

Andrew was always in awe of how trusting you seemed to be with him. Third date and you already trusted him enough to leave him by himself in your apartment. 

“I'm going with you.”

You smiled softly. “I mean it, you don't have to. I get up way too early. You should sleep for a little longer.”

“I don't want you going alone. It's dangerous for you to walk alone when it's still dark.” 

You chuckled. “I do it every day and I'm still here.”

Oh if only you knew…

“Still.” He insisted, coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist while you poured the filling between the pasta sheets. “I don't mind getting up early.”

You looked over your shoulder, searching his face for any sign of hesitation. “Ok, then.” You playfully glared at him. “But I better not hear you complain to me later.”

“I won't.”

You sat down for dinner at your living room table. Andrew sat across from you, smoke from the warm food curling between you. 

“Smells good.” He reached for his fork.

“Thanks. It's one of the first things my mom taught me how to make.” You cut a small piece, blowing on it softly before bringing it to your mouth.

“Did you get everything fixed?” You asked, making him furrow his eyebrows.

“What?” His fork stopped mid-air.

“You said something about a leak in one of the properties.” You added.

Andrew's stomach tightened.

Right.

“Oh, yeah.” He answered simply as he cut another piece of food. “A pipe burst and the entire house was flooded. It took some time but I sorted it out."

You winced. “Sounds stressful. I remember when I bought the shop I had to make all sorts of changes because the whole plumbing system was a mess.”

You were right about the stressful part.

Planning stuff with his family was always stressful, especially now that Smurf didn't seem to want to listen to him anymore, that Baz had taken over the spot that used to be his.

Besides now that he had you he was even more worried about things going south and landing in prison again. He already didn't want to go back after all the abuse he endured during his time there, but now he worries about losing this too, losing the peace you brought to his life.

He didn't want to disappear on you on a random day, leaving you to wonder if you did something to push him away. Didn't want to have you turn on the TV only to see him getting arrested for robbing money from a military base, and with his record he knew there was no way he would get a short sentence.

“It’s okay. It wasn't that bad."

 “I don’t know how you do it. I love my parents but if I had to work with them I think I’d lose it.”

“I don’t really have a choice.” He muttered. “My mom just threw me and my brothers into it as soon as she could.”

“Sounds rough.”

“It is what it is.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to ruin the mood by talking about this.”

You shook your head and leaned in, taking his hand. “You’re not ruining anything. I like hearing about you.” 

“What would you have done if you got to choose?”

Andrew went quiet again. He never stopped to think about it. He remembered being a kid and wanting to be a superhero, but as he grew up Smurf started to shape his life and thoughts the way she wanted. He never got to consider going away to college, build a career,a life outside of being his family's guard dog.

“I don’t know... I'm good at fixing stuff, so maybe I would do that but on my own. I would have my own repair shop.”.

You brushed your thumb over his hand. “That sounds nice. You still have time to do it if you decide to leave the family business one day. I bet you’d be really good at it.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“I know. But it would be worth it in the end. No more listening to anyone but you telling you what to do.”

“What about you? Did you ever want something different from the bakery?” He asked, wanting to turn away from how your words were ringing in his head.

“I wanted to be a vet.” You laughed softly. “Which is probably what every little girl says she wants to do. I’ve always loved animals-I had tons of pets growing up- but then I realised I would have to watch animals suffer constantly and I’m not built for that. I just stuck to watching animal planet.” 

“I like that channel. They had a documentary on sharks the other day. I watched it when I couldn’t sleep.”

“I think I’ve seen it. I watched one about penguins the other day. They’re so fascinating to me. I love the way they waddle around.” Your face lit up all of a sudden. “You know what we should do next time? We should go to the aquarium.”

“They have this huge tank where all the fishes swim over your head. And there's the hammerhead sharks. I love those. I like jellyfish too, I got stung by one once and it hurt like a bitch but they're so pretty to look at.”

Andrew smiled at your enthusiasm. “I'd like that.”

You and Andrew got in bed after he washed the dishes. You had insisted on helping, but he shoved you into a stool and told you to just sit and look pretty.

Your laptop sat over his lap, playing a nature show he had picked. You were laying your head on his chest, one arm placed over his stomach and one of your legs rested over his lap.

Andrew was shirtless, only wearing a pair of shorts you had from a friend that forgot them after staying over. 

“You sure you're okay with those?” 

“They're a bit tight but I'm okay.” He pulled on the fabric like he was trying to stretch them.

“When I go shopping I'll get you some shorts your size that you can keep here.” 

“You're assuming you're gonna keep allowing me to stay the night.” 

“As long as you don't snore too loud I don't see why not.” 

You propped yourself up with one of your elbows, bringing your face closer to his until your lips touched. “I don't know why you don't seem to believe me when I say I like spending time with you.” You said between kisses.

Andrew’s lips moved slowly against yours. He could taste the fresh mint flavor from your mouthwash. He reached for your waist first, running his hands over the fabric of your soft cotton pajamas.

You ran your hands down his chest, letting your fingers feel all the hard muscle. Andrew shifted sideways, grabbing the laptop and placing it on your night. He squeezed your waist and tugged you closer to his body. You hummed against his lips. His hand inched lower until it rested against the curve of your ass.

Without breaking apart you pushed him down until his back hit the pillows. He helped you into his lap, making you straddle him.

“You're so beautiful.” He whispered, breathing heavy and resting his forehead against his.

Andrew was silently pleading his dick would work. He wanted you so bad and he was lucky enough that you had invited him into your apartment for a second time and were kind enough to make him a dinner where he didn't need to worry about meds being slippped into his plate.

Andrew had barely caught his breath when you were pulling him in again. He responded immediately despite the turmoil on his head, lips slowly moving against yours. 

He had his free hand sprawled on your lower back, butchering the fabric of your top. He could feel the heat coming off from you, the spot between your legs getting warmer as he explored your mouth with his tongue. Still, none of the blood from his body seemed to want to go to his dick.

He could feel himself starting to get frustrated. He hadn't had an erection in years. He couldn't even get a semi when he saw you wearing that bikini on the beach, or when you kissed him in the water. What type of man doesn't get hard when kissing a beautiful woman wearing little clothing? 

He couldn't stomach the thought of you being dissapointed in him for not being able to perform, surely you expected something from him after he canceled your plans today.

You broke the kiss and moved your mouth to his neck. You felt his entire body tense at your actions, which immediately made you pull back. “You okay?”

Andrew nodded, trying to play it off. “Yeah, yeah. Don't worry.”

He chased your lips again, but you grabbed his face to stop him. “You went all tense on me. Is this too much?” You began moving to get off his lap, but he held you in place.

“Stay.”

“Okay, I'll stay here. But I wanna know if you're okay.”

Andrew went quiet. His face scrunched up, and for a short second he looked away from you. “I don't think we can- I can't get an erection. I can't remember the last time I did.”

You tilted his head towards you again. “That 's okay. It's normal, things like that happen–”

“It's embarrassing." He muttered, gesturing with his hands to you. “You look like this and I can't even– I don't want you to think I don't want you.”

“I promise you that's the last thing I'm thinking.” You caressed his face with your thumbs. “Like I said, it's normal. You don't have to beat yourself up for it. It's okay.”

“But you've been so good to me. I want to be good to you too"

“You're being good to me” You reassured him gently. “I'm sorry if I was too pushy kissing you like that.”

“You weren't.” His hands returned to your waist. “I wanted to kiss you. I still do.”

“Okay.” You pecked the side of his neck before kissing his jawline. “Then we can kiss as much as you want,” a kiss to his right cheek, then one to his left, “and nothing else has to happen.”

“Yeah?” He breathed, his body melting again under your touch. 

You hummed, kissing the corner of his mouth. “We don't have to rush into anything. We'll go slow.”

Andrew leaned in and burried his face in your neck, squeezing you agaisnt his hard body. "I do want you." He repeated, like he needed you to know. "So bad."

That night Andrew slept more than he had since being released from prison after kissing you so much his lips hurt.