“I don’t have a best friend.” —Dr. Robby, ep 1 of the Pitt.
How would Abbot react after hearing about this? Let’s explore.
“Why am I hearing about one Dr.Robinovitch not having a best friend, huh?” Jack drawled, nudging his shoulder into Robby’s. “Care to explain?”
They were standing by the ambulance bay, taking a breath of fresh air together after stabilizing the last four patients and sending them up to the OR. It had been quite a day so far, which made Jack bring up something he had wanted to ask Robby, a lighter topic for a change.
Bemusement flashed across Robby’s face for just a second before it eased into a faint smile, the crinkles by his eyes deepened as fondness flowed through.
“I didn’t know you cared that much.” He quipped, eyes looking down the ambulance bay, always vigilant.
“Well I do, so use your words and talk to me.” Jack was well familiar with Robby’s ways of diverting a conversation with a witty remark of sorts, but he was not going to let him get away with it.
“What’s going on in that big brain of yours to think that I’m not your best friend?”
He ducked his head so that his eyes found Robby’s, those brown pupils glinting in the sunlight. The way his eyelashes fluttered made Jack’s heart swell, like tiny butterflies brushing against the most tender parts of him.
“I don’t know, Jack…that’s not what we—” Robby attempted, his hand finding the nape of his own neck, a Robby-exclusive telltale that he was struggling to talk about his feelings. Jack could practically hear the gears turning in Robby’s head, working hard to come up with something that made sense to him.
He waited. If Robby needed a few seconds to gather his thoughts, hell, he had minutes, hours, that he was willing to offer in a lifetime.
“That’s not what we are.” Another pause. “That’s not what YOU are to me.” The words coming out faster now, “You are more than a best friend to me, you know that.”
Jack felt a rush of affection upon hearing these words — proud of Robby for opening up about his feelings, moved by how genuine Robby sounded and how much weight these words carried. Something warm and soft unfurled within him, and he desperately wished that Robby could see how much he meant to him.
“But I AM your best friend.” Jack’s hand found Robby’s shoulder and gave it the lightest squeeze, then progressed to move up and down his back, soothing Robby. He could feel Robby’s frame relax into his touch, the tension leaving his body through the softest hum. A part of him wanted kiss Robby then and there, to nuzzle his head against his cheek and feel the familiar tickle of Robby’s beard. But again, they were only taking a breather outside of the ER, and an ambulance could come at any moment, bearing people in need of aid.
“I am your best friend, just like how I am your brother, your family, your partner.” Jack said, infusing his words with a bit of authority so that Robby knew to take it in without trying to fight. “I am all of them, and everything in between that you need me to be.”
He watched Robby’s face, his eyes blinking as if trying to make sense of what he just heard. But he heard it alright, Jack knew, and it went through his barriers, based on the way Robby’s eyes looked — dazed with layers of disbelief, of endearment and devotion.
Jack did a quick sweep around where they were standing, noting that the few people there were now far away enough to not pay attention to them. He leaned in and sneaked a kiss at the edge of Robby’s lips, and as quickly as the peck was, he turned on his heels and started walking towards those sliding doors leading back into the chaos.
He knew from the lack of footsteps behind him that Robby was still standing in the same spot he left him in, probably going over Jack’s words and overthinking them in every which way while trying not to look flustered by the kiss. Just as Jack had expected, no matter how often he peppered Robby with affectionate kisses, this man always acted like it was his first time being touched. Probably the reason why Jack swore to never stop.
Jack grinned at the thought of it all. They normally never show intimacy at work for obvious reasons, but then again, he decided that those words deserved a kiss for them to be sealed in and remembered. He reached into his pocket and tossed something back at Robby, betting on the fact that his person would always maintain some sort of awareness of him. And indeed, Robby caught it by reflex — a granola bar. Jack didn’t have to ask if Robby had eaten or not — he had learned early on to carry an additional snack for him at all times.
“Eat. And drink some water too.” Jack called without looking back, “And the next time someone asks who your best friend is, I’ll expect you to know the correct answer now, big guy.”
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