and if i said this is giving michael robinavitch what would you say
he doesn’t like to make a big deal about his age, but when he feels you getting tighter when he jokingly calls himself an “old man,” he uses it to his advantage 🩷
the first night robby comes over and every night after that.
content: michael robinavitch x reader, jack abbott x reader, hint of jack abbott x michael robinavitch, headcanons, throuple, threesome mention, slight nsfw mention, awkward robby, sad robby, happy robby!
when jack approaches robby one night on the roof, he asks him if he has a crush on his girlfriend. robby blanches, of course, and considers how quickly can he leap the makeshift fence and hit the ground.
but jack doesn't chastise or scold. he tells robby it's okay. that they've known for a while. and that he wanted to talk to him about it.
jack invites robby over dinner, saying it's just to "try this whole thing out" and see how it goes.
robby, who pinches himself secretly to see if he's dreaming, thinks about it. he did have a massive crush on you. and he harbored similar feelings for his best friend, too. but he wasn't good enough to earn a spot on your couch, let alone in your bed.
he's been in jack's home plenty of times. knows his way around. but since you've moved in, there's some differences. a new table in the foyer, for instance. a porch swing hanging outside. a comfortable rug in the dining room. he likes the changes.
when robby's in the living room with jack and you, he feels like a dog from the pound, just adopted, trying to learn his owner's routine. you and jack have a playlist you put on while you cook. it echoes through the house for the first hour he's there. you and jack keep your blankets folded in a basket, in case robby gets cold. because you keep the house cold for jack.
he watches as jack effortlessly touches you, grazes along your back, kisses your cheek, caresses your hand when he takes something from you. he watches as you laugh at his jokes, offer tastes of the food you're making, and sips the glass of wine he poured.
as you eat dinner, you're offering robby the slightest touches. fingertips brushing against each other as you pass him the salt. a hand on a shoulder when you're laughing at a joke. feet bumping under the table while you're listening to jack's story.
later, robby's sitting on the back porch with jack, each with a beer in their hand. you have the radio playing softly as you're draped on the patio furniture. robby sits on the long couch with you and every time your feet pat against his thigh, his breath stops.
"so, about all this," jack starts, and robby wants to shit himself. he almost forgot in the peace of the moment that the dinner was had for a reason. jack explains it. explains your conversations. explains your boundaries. you chime in, offering what you can to the discussion.
robby takes it in. processes it. he's offered a moment of reprieve when you get up to use the bathroom and fetch more drinks. jack asks him. man to man.
"you sure about this?" robby asks jack. he knows he's not the most desirable man the two of them could've had in their relationship. he's got baggage. he's got emotional problems that could keep a therapist paid for years to come.
"100% sure," jack answers him. "besides, she gets lonely during the nights when i'm not here." robby laughs. "we want you to come over, have dinner with us, eat breakfast out here in the mornings."
"and what about..." robby didn't have to finish his question before jack chuckled. "look, i'm not a fragile guy. she's open minded. she's got more love to give than just one man. treat her respectfully, keep me in the loop, and i'm happy."
robby nods. "but only her," jack adds. "if you wanna do this, you gotta be loyal, brother." robby nods again.
as the night comes to an end, robby feels a little more comfortable taking up space. your legs are spread across his lap, his hands solid and warm on your ankles. jack's on the other side of you, keeping you propped up against his chest, an arm slung around your torso. there's music playing and you're talking.
like an adopted dog, robby starts to let his guard down. he seems to have found some shelter here.
later, you and jack are in your bed, curled up in the middle despite the amount of room on either side of you. robby opted for a guest bed tonight, saying he didn't wanna intrude so early. but you can't stop thinking about him. alone in that big bed.
"jack?" you whisper, testing the waters. he hums. "will you ask robby to come sleep in here with us? i don't want him left out on the first night." he slides out of bed and pads down the hall to the guest bed. he knocks a few times and cracks the door. robby turns over.
"hey man," jack says, rubbing his eyes. "she wants you to come sleep in our bed. and i wouldn't put up a fight about it." robby looks bewildered, but gets up and follows jack into bed. he carefully climbs in behind you, but doesn't touch you. jack gets back into position in front of you and you lay on his chest. suddenly, your hand shoots behind you, grabs onto one of robby's arms, and you tug on him until his arm is pulled across your midsection, effectively forcing him to spoon you.
with a sigh of contentment, you fall asleep. robby stays up, listening to the breathing and light snores coming from the two of you.
robby comes over nearly every night, especially on nights where jack is gone. you cook him dinner after his long shifts, he sits at the kitchen island and watches. you offer him tastes of the food and he hums and smiles and says it's the best thing he's ever tasted.
eventually, he gets comfortable enough to come up and hug you from behind, peppering your cheek and the top of your head with pecks. you lean back into him happily.
he takes care of you at night, kills the spiders, checks on loud noises, holds you tight. the first few times you and robby had sex, it was with jack. testing the waters. discovering preferences and likes. and now, he helps you unwind every night, using his talents for good.
in the morning, robby leaves with the promise that jack will be home very soon after. when jack comes home, you make him breakfast. he dances with you in the kitchen, asks how your night with robby was, and eventually tempts you back to bed so he can sleep.
robby stays around for a while, for a long time. he considers forever here. thinks about what it may be like to live like this for the rest of his life. he finds himself on the back porch one night while you finish loading the dishwasher. thinks about that first night, about feeling lost, not wanted. then he hears his name from the open sliding door and smiles.
robby and jack together are generous. you had always had access to jack's credit card, despite numerous occasions on which you said you had your own money to fend for yourself. he tells you that he loves that for you, but to keep your money. robby follows suit not long after, adding you as an authorized user to his amex. you're never in want of anything.
jack and robby start using their pto, using their backlogged vacation days to take you on trips. and hotels aren't so expensive when all you need is the one king bed.
the three of you find an odd harmony and balance in life. everyone's figured out one another. you bounce around each other in the kitchen effortlessly. your legs always find purchase in robby's lap while jack's arms wrap around you. robby's shifts go by a little quicker when he knows what he gets to come home to.
p.s. robby and jack eventually kiss after much pestering from you. it sparks something in robby he didn't know existed. two beers later, and he tries again. that night with the two of them was interesting.
he forgot, but i didn't - jack abbott x reader, partial michael robinavitch x reader
↳ it's your birthday. michael robinavitch doesn't remember, but his counterpart does.
↳ angst, forgotten birthday, situationship robby, i'm not trying to slander robby but if the shoe fits, jack is a gentleman, fluff, comfort, i'm sorry if i went too heavy-handed with all the birthday talk, intentional skips in time, canon-typical violence and medical descriptions.
↳ 4.9k (i'm soooo sorry idk what took over me)
5:00 am
there's a loud, incessant beeping coming from your nightstand. it won't turn off, despite all of your internal wishes trying to make it to so. finally, you turn with a groan and slap your hand down on your phone, effectively ending the beeping once and for all.
you pick up your phone, rubbing your eyes with the other hand and look at the onslaught of messages that had come in over night into the morning.
mel: happy birthday y/n! would you want a croissant sandwich this morning? i'm stopping on my way to work.
dana: happy birthday, kid. see you today!
there's even a computer-generated email from the hospital wishing you a happy birthday, thanking you for the work you do in the emergency department. you lay your head back on the pillow and stare up at the ceiling. despite the messages in your phone and the cards you had received through the week, you couldn't help but fixate on the one person who hadn't reached out to you yet. robby.
it wasn't like you expected him to wait around at midnight to text you, but you thought there'd be something. sighing, you click your phone and start to get out of bed, opting to check again when you had a cup of coffee in you and a shower to wake you up.
6:00am
soon, you'd start the bus ride to the hospital, but for now, you sat on your couch, staring at your phone as you waited for a message from him. nothing was coming through, though, even though he had to be awake by now.
and robby wasn't just a friend or a coworker. you had been dating here and there, a few hookups, some passionate make out sessions, some sleepovers in each other's apartment. it was casual, sure, but serious enough to warrant some emotional investment. you thought it had been the same on his side. you thought that, maybe soon, he'd make it official. or at least put in the effort you had been.
but now, there's not even a birthday message from him. no calls, either. you stood up and tucked the phone into the pocket of your jacket and slung your bag over your shoulder. with a final glance back at your apartment, you shut the door and left, beginning the trek to the emergency department.
7:00am
there were no streamers in the break room and no confetti waiting in your locker, but some of your coworkers greeted you with open arms as you came in to the ed. dr. ellis and shen were wrapping up some of their handovers to the interns when they turned and greeted you with a happy birthday. you smiled, thanked them, and continued on to your patient briefings.
there was nothing too hard, just a burn being monitored before a bed opened up, a mild stroke patient waiting for a neurology consult, and a few triage patients sitting in beds in the hallway. mel delivered your croissant sandwich, trinity and dennis brought over a small gift of a new badge reel, and samira had went out of her way to make you a small cake to have during your lunch break. even frank had wished you a happy birthday, opting for a small card with a coffee shop gift card inside.
coasting in just a few minutes before official shift change, robby came in, a carhatt jacket adorning his scrubs and his attention directed to gloria who seemed to be waiting by the front door for him this morning.
you followed him with your eyes as he floated across the ed, shooting every single one of gloria's snide comments about the way he runs his department down. samira watched your eyes follow him around the room while you conferred on a patient together.
"has he said anything yet?" she asked, eyes down on her chart. she was one of the only few people to know, catching an intimate conversation happening in the break room.
you shook your head. "no, but it's still early in the day. he probably had a long night or something and now gloria's on his ass. i'm not stressed about it." but you were.
he should remember, right? you would've remembered. you would've made him dinner and gotten him a coffee in the morning and a gift to unwrap when you got home. he probably would've just thanked you politely and said that you shouldn't have, but you would've anyway. but maybe you and robby were just different like that. and that was okay.
8:00am
you were in the thick of it now. the first hour went as slow as it always does, but now you have two more patients, both of them geriatric, one of them unresponsive but doing well. robby's been in every patient's room at least twice, having to spend most of his shift so far with a biking accident in trauma 1 that cassie picked up.
just about every nurse and doctor you were familiar with enough for them to know what day it was had already come up to you for the day, including garcia and even a quick text from walsh. javadi had suggested that you wear a birthday pin on your scrubs, or even a crown, but that felt inappropriate in a department that loses people every shift.
besides, you had never been one of those people that really needed everyone to know it was your birthday. even in a restaurant, you keep it quiet and order a dessert. you've never cared.
for a quick moment, you stop in the break room, drinking a styrofoam cup of water and enjoying the second half of the sandwich you were unable to eat earlier. the door creaked open shortly after and dana came in, a smile on her face.
"any plans tonight?" she asked, pouring coffee into another styrofoam cup.
you shrugged. "none right now. i think i'll probably get some takeout or something. maybe watch a movie. take a bath."
"nothing with robby?" she asked, glancing out the window to the chief attending who was fielding questions from a student.
you shrugged again. "nothing right now. at least, he hasn't said anything or mentioned plans. but, i mean, it's not like he's my boyfriend. we're just seeing each other."
dana sighed and leaned against the counter. "has he even wished you happy birthday yet?" she asked, her tone slightly humorous. when you didn't respond with anything, she pulled the cup away from her mouth. "you're joking."
"no," you said. "but he's been really busy and we haven't really ran into each other much. i stopped having to present my findings to him a few months ago and we seem to bounce around each other now. but it's okay. please don't make a big deal about it. i'm sure he knows."
dana finished her cup of coffee and threw the cup away. "fine. it's your choice," she said. "but when my husband and i were still casual, he at least took me out to dinner." with that, she opened up the break room door and left, leaving you to your thoughts.
11:00am
a bad car accident made its way into the ed and you were caught up saving lives for a long time. it was multi-victim, multi-car, high-speed. everything that makes it harder for the doctors to get them to pull through. your sterile gear was completely ruined, sweat running down your back and forehead, but your patient was stable and heading to the or for more treatment.
once you were finally free from the room, you leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. to your left, frank appeared.
"hey, that was great in there," he said, bumping your arm with his. "did you say you read an article about using that spinal technique to fix his temporary paralysis?"
you nodded with a small smile. "yeah. in school, i did a lot of research on paralytics and i just happened to remember one about a doctor trying it in military accident victims. it was risky, but i knew it would work."
"that's awesome," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. the two of you glanced around the room, you deciding where to go to next, him you weren't sure why. "robby's looking at you weird over there, you know?"
you followed where his head was pointing, just to see robby look downward at the tablet in his hand. he had been back and forth between the trauma rooms, and had only caught the tail end of your risky procedure, but said nothing about it. whether that was because he trusted you, or another reason, you weren't sure.
"if he needs me, he can find me," you said, shrugging your shoulders and continuing your rounds on your patients.
12:00pm
robby did finally find you. but it wasn't to wish you a happy birthday, or to commend you for the work you did on the patient, or to even scold you for trying something so new on a residency license, but to give you an update on a patient's ct that came in while you were busy with another.
"everything looks normal," he said, handing you a tablet with a scan capture on the screen. "it's probably just a concussion, nothing else."
you nodded, taking the tablet from his hands to look over it. for a brief moment, your hands touched, but robby didn't seem to think about it too hard as he glanced around the room. "yeah, you're right," you said, handing back his tablet. "sorry for not checking on the results myself. i got caught up."
"it's okay," he said. "keep up the good work."
with that, he walked away, but didn't make it far before immediately being dragged to the left by a visit from javadi's mother.
you bit the inside of your cheek, glancing down at your sneakers on the floor. deep inside your stomach, you could feel a pit widening, but you tried not to let it consume you, opting instead to focus on dana calling out another head trauma coming in by ambulance.
you gloved up, stood by the entrance for a second before the doors slid open and the gurney was pushed in. across the hallway, you could feel robby's eyes on you. if you were to turn around and look, you'd see a squint in them, as if he was trying to figure out why something felt off. but eventually he had to walk away and you had to do a neuro exam on your patient on the bed.
2:00pm
you stared at your phone. hard.
a message had come through while you were already in the bathroom and once you sat down on the toilet, you opened it up.
jack: happy birthday, y/n. i hope it's a really special one. i'm ordering lunch for everyone to the ed for you. i have something for you if i can catch you at the end of your shift. i'm glad to know you. you're a great person.
jack abbott. that asshole. he always had a way of making things more complicated than they had to be. it wasn't like he was trying. it wasn't his fault that he was a gentleman, that he was really painfully charming, that you patched him up in a curtained off exam room while he was shirtless, that you might have kissed at a bar before you and robby started seeing each other.
most of the time, you pushed any and all thoughts of him away. it wasn't worth it to entertain when you were content with robby. jack also came with issues and he wasn't ready then for anything.
but now, you sat on the toilet, leg shaking, tears threatening to push from your eyes at his message while robby hadn't said anything all day now. you were sure, too, that word had to have gotten to him at some point. you don't work with gossips like trinity and dennis without word getting out about a birthday.
you sniffled, finished your business, and tucked your phone back into your pocket. there wasn't enough time in the shift to be thinking about stupid stuff like that. your head trauma patient had just come back from an x-ray and you had just recently taken on a sick baby.
there wasn't time to ponder jack abbott and michael robinavitch. so you pushed it aside again.
3:00pm
the food that jack had ordered for everyone arrived. and, of course, it was your favorite that you had mentioned once offhandedly, not thinking anyone would remember something so niche. but there were pans upon pans of food in the break room, the scent leaking out into the hallways.
when you arrived to the break room, trinity, dennis, mel, and cassie had already picked up a plate of the food.
"hey!" cassie said around a mouthful of a side. "did you order this for everyone?"
you shook your head and picked up a small plate. "no, uh, jack did. actually." you started building a plate, unaware to the eyes everyone was giving each other at the table behind you.
"jack? like jack abbott? the night shift attending?" trinity asked. you nodded and turned around. "hmm."
you raised an eyebrow. "why hmm? he's just nice is all. i'm sure he would've done the same for everyone's birthday," you said, sitting down at the only empty chair at their table.
"he didn't do this for shen's birthday a month ago. he didn't do this for dana's birthday in january. he didn't do it for my birthday in february," dennis pointed out.
"it doesn't mean anything," you said, stuffing your face full with food. but you felt like it did. it had to of.
4:00pm
three hours until shift change. three hours till you could go home. three hours you had till you saw jack and could thank him for the food. three hours left for robby to say happy birthday while you're on the clock.
you were able to thankfully discharge two patients, one of them heading to another hospital for a bed in their specialized pediatrics unit and one heading home with some specific care instructions. another had come in by way of waiting room, an issue that first went missed by triage and then become a big deal when they collapsed on the floor in front of everyone. it was an accidental overdose sparked by mixing some medications together, an easy fix procedure wise but one that needed some consistent monitoring. it had kept you busy for a while, but then they stabled out and opted for a nap in the dimly lit exam room while you tracked their vitals.
your feet were killing you by then and there was really no better time to chart than now, so you sat down at the center station, logging in to one of the computers to take notes on your recent care.
in your pocket, your phone buzzed again.
jack: i hope everyone enjoyed the food.
you glanced around before texting up a quick reply, thanking him endlessly and telling him everyone enjoyed it. he gave the message a like and you put your phone away again. just at that time, dennis and trinity came by and stood in front of the station where the computer was.
"dana told us you have no plans," trinity said, resting her cheek on her hand. "would you want to come out to a bar with us? dennis here will even pay for your drinks."
dennis gave trinity a side eye, but looked back at you with hopeful eyes anyway. "please?"
you gave them a polite smile and tilted your head. "thanks guys, but i'm okay. it's like a wednesday night anyway. i have another shift tomorrow and it's not like there'll be deals on any of the drinks. maybe this weekend i'll take you all up on it, though?"
the two nodded and dennis walked one way, trinity the other. at the desk across the station, robby pulled his glasses up on his head and scratched at his forehead. you glanced back, seeing him sigh before continuing to type on the computer.
at that point, you were past waiting for a word.
6:00pm
leave it to the last hour of the pitt to wholly consume you and send you on your way out with nothing short of a bang.
a drug deal gone wrong a few blocks from the hospital had five people being rushed to the ed in ambulances. you cleared space in the trauma rooms, moving the materials aside to make for two beds in each room while opening up an examination room for the less critical patient. gloved up, glasses on, and scrubs covered in the white paper, you watched as the doors slid open and gurneys carrying bleeding gunshot victims burst through them.
immediately, you sprung into action, taking the first victim with robby on the other side. you questioned the patient, examined their responsiveness, and felt for their pulse while robby carefully lifted the gauze over the wound to check the bleeding.
"he's losing a lot of blood. fast," robby called out. "we gotta hurry. get him in trauma 1." you pushed the gurney into the room, moving to the side for dennis to cut down his t-shirt, revealing the blood underneath.
"shit," you hissed out, examining the work you had before you.
"what do you see?" robby asked, pulling over a cart of surgical supplies and bandages. you called out some descriptors, moving to the right side where the opening was. "okay, what are you doing?" you answered his next question effortlessly, detailing a plan of care that involved removing the bullet, checking internal damages, and sewing him up. "no, you're missing a lot, y/n. he could have internal damages that removing the bullet affect. get it together."
you nodded tightly, breathing in and out deeply. "we have to get him scanned first, then. dennis, care to prep the ultrasound?" dennis nodded and started applying the gel to the stick, then moved the machine around the stomach carefully, showing the bullet sitting dangerously close to the patient's organs.
"see, you would've missed that and went in there blind," robby said.
"but it stopped before getting lodged in the organs. careful work and we can get the bullet out with no issues."
"do you trust yourself to do that?" robby asked.
"yes," you proclaimed. you picked up the small, long silver tweezers on the cart and started to carefully follow through procedure. you watched your work on the screen, ensuring your tools didn't near the careful tissue protecting the patient's organs. suddenly, a loud crash came from the next trauma room, sending a jolt down your spine that shook your hand.
"jesus," robby whispered loudly as the patient groaned despite the heavy painkillers flooding his system. "focus. focus. focus." and so you did. despite the shake in your hands, you gripped the bullet and began pulling it out. soon, you heard the metal clink of the bullet falling into the tray that princess was holding to your left.
"you need to be more careful," robby said, looking you directly in the eye. "crashes and loud sounds and booms shouldn't have you sending tweezers into their spleen."
"i know-"
"what would've happened if you damaged him further? you could've killed him. the malpractice suit that comes from that is something you don't want to deal with. are you going to take this more carefully next time or are you planning on fucking around more?"
you looked at him with an incredulous look on your face. "jesus, robby," you breathed out. despite your best efforts, tears blurred your vision which you quickly blinked away. robby walked away, his back opening up the door to the next trauma room while you worked on stabilizing and stitching up your current patient.
some time passed before you were done and finally, you stepped out of the room, free of your sterile gear. with quick steps, you took yourself to an open exam room on the other side of the hallway and shut the curtain behind you. you were free for a moment, before the door clicked and robby entered.
"you could've killed him and you know that," robby said harshly.
you spun around on your heels, eyes burning slightly. "i know that robby. don't you think i do? i'm not a fucking idiot. i'm a human and i made a mistake."
"mistakes cost us everything here," he said, inching closer. "one loud sound shouldn't fuck you up that much."
you ran a hand through your hair, sighing out a loud breath before turning around. "what about that patient you had last week? the one who had an entire heart attack on the floor without you catching the signs early? i knew he was showing signs of myocardial infarction, but you didn't believe me."
"you don't have to bring up my mistakes to validate yours," he said. "and that risky move you did earlier? don't ever do that again without getting approval from me first. just because you're a resident now doesn't mean my license still isn't on the line."
"since when have you ever cared about your license, robby? you let your interns do stupid procedures all the time. why am i getting chewed out? why am i getting belittled on today of all fucking days?"
"what's so special about today anyway, y/n? you've had everyone up your ass all day long, there was a whole spread in the break room, you've been getting smiles all day. jesus, did i miss something? is it mediocre resident appreciation day?"
7:00pm
that was it. the one. the big one. that one that finally made you break after fifteen minutes of being yelled at and belittled in your workplace by not just your boss, but the man you've been fucking for months.
you bit your lip, trying to keep the tears from coming out. you stormed out of the exam room, leaving him behind. in your rush out of the room, you didn't see the crowd of doctors and nurses who had been standing just a few feet away from the room, pretending to be busy but really listening on robby and your's argument.
when robby came out, he made eye contact with everyone who all seemed to have a sour look in their face. there were even some night shift people, including jack, who was also making the same face. in his hand was a delicately put together gift bag that said happy birthday on the front. he noticed then that the cards he had watched you receive were happy birthday cards. everyone talking to you had been wishing you happy birthday. the lunch in the break room. the colorful change in your undershirt.
he looked to the left to see you rush inside of the single occupancy bathroom and he watched the lock close on the outside. to his right, he looked at jack who simply turned around and took the gift bag to the locker room.
robby followed, seeking some kind of guidance or validation.
"i don't know what's happening in here today, man," he called out. jack didn't turn around and kept walking. "hey! what's going on?"
jack didn't turn around until he made it to the locker room, stuffed his belongings inside his locker, and sat the gift bag down on the bench in the middle of the room. "you're wrong for her, you know?" he said. "i don't think you deserve the energy she gives you. i mean, if it was your birthday, you would've been given breakfast. a gift. dinner, man. and you yell at her?"
robby rubbed his neck with both of his hands. "jesus. it's not like i'm perfect. i can't remember when it someone's birthday all the fucking time."
"you didn't even remember it was her birthday, man?" jack asked, looking up at robby with a serious look. robby shrugged. "jesus." jack maneuvered around robby till he was out of the locker room and heading towards the bathroom you ran into.
he knocked softly. "y/n?"
"please don't," you said on the inside, hearing someone's voice on the outside door.
"it's jack," he said, hoping that might convince you to unlock the door. he was right, smiling a little when he heard the lock click. he let himself in slowly and shut the door behind him. "hey. you okay?"
you looked up at him and nodded. "yeah, i guess," you said, returning to lean against the bathroom wall. "i don't know what happened. i guess i just thought today would go a little different."
"how did you want it to go?" he asked, leaning against the other wall of the bathroom. he was effortlessly charming the way his leg propped up against the wall and he easily sat the gift bag down on the sink next to him.
"i don't know. the same, i guess, but...i thought robby would've been more excited to celebrate with me. but he didn't even wish me a happy birthday and then yells at me like that? i don't know. maybe i'm just being too silly about it all." you leaned up and wiped the tears from your eyes.
"hey, that's not too silly," he said. he pushed himself off the wall and came over to your left. "he should've said something. he shouldn't have yelled at you like that. and he should treat you better. i guess."
"i don't know. it's casual so far and neither of us have confirmed anything, but maybe i'm just putting in more than i needed to. i need to rein myself in a little."
jack bumped his shoulder against yours. "you shouldn't have to rein yourself in, you know? you should be able to love the way you want to. you should be wished happy birthday."
"like someone ordering the entire ed food type of happy birthday?"
jack chuckled. "yeah. like that."
a moment of silence passed over the room. "so what's in the gift bag?" you asked.
"oh!" jack said. he grabbed the bag in a hurry and handed it to you. "it's nothing huge. i just wanted to get you something nice."
you took the bag from his hands and opened it carefully, holding the tissue paper in one hand. slowly, more of the gift revealed as you pulled it out. once you pulled out a long, sleek box, you sat the gift bag down. your fingers opened up the box slowly, revealing a new stethoscope on the inside. it was a new one, one that read heart rates for you and timed them so you wouldn't have to do it again. the color was perfect. and on the neck, your initials were embossed on the leather.
"oh my god. jack." you knew it was an expensive gift. you had eyed the same one for weeks when you were buying your first stethoscope, but it was far out of your price range. "this is way too much. i can't."
"no, i want you to," jack said. "you're a great doctor and you deserve great tools too." tears sprung from your eyes again, but these were more positive than the last. these had joy in them. these had the feeling of being seen. seen more than robby had for weeks.
"thank you," you said genuinely before wrapping jack in a tight hug. he accepted it warmly and wrapped you back just as tightly. his arms held you close to him, so close you could feel his heartbeat against your chest.
slowly, jack pulled back. "why don't you go on home? i'll take on your patients. and here," he paused, pulling his wallet out from his pants pocket. he slipped out some cash and put it in your hand. "buy yourself some dinner and enjoy your night, okay? get out of here. you shouldn't have been scheduled on your birthday anyway."
you smiled and accepted the gesture happily. "thank you, jack. thank you. i mean...i feel so much better. you, um...you know me well."
"maybe i can take you out to dinner this friday night if you're free? i can pick you up from your place. dress up nice. the whole thing?" he asked, rubbing his hands together nervously. smiling, you lifted up on your tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.
"yes. please." he nodded and smiled at you.
"i'm gonna get out there and start shift change. i'll text you later, yeah? check in on your night?
"i'd love that," you said. you watched as he left the bathroom, leaving you in there alone, your fingers grazing the rich material of your gift.
8:00pm
on the bus ride home, hands clasping your gift bag and your bookbag sat neatly in the seat next to you, you pull your phone from your pocket and pull up robby's contact.
robby: happy birthday. i'm sorry for everything.
you: i don't think this is going to work anymore. we're just not right together. i'm sorry.
you put your phone in your pocket and smile out the window, feeling a weight lifted from your shoulders. jack would always remember, and that was a kind of freeing feeling.
being a hater is so fun until you see someone who is a hater 80% of the time and then you're like christ i hope i dont sound like that person and you stay on your best behaviour for 3 days
That’s what Dana tells him. That’s what Jack tells him. And none of his residents will say it to his face, but he can see the disappointed judgement in their eyes when you walk away from him, smiling to yourself like a schoolgirl with a crush, while he thinks of the best way to let you down easy.
Your seven weeks were almost up.
And you were amazing. Really, you were. But Robby couldn’t help the feeling in his chest when you start calling him Michael more often or when you look at him like maybe he isn’t all that broken. It’s like a weight in his chest, fluid in his lungs that has to be drained, a tumor that must be resected before it does more damage.
So that was his sign to pull the trigger on what was becoming a lovely relationship, one that Caleb had offhandedly expressed support for. “She’s good for you. Makes you laugh. Doesn’t let you indulge in your self-depreciating tendencies.” Robby would hit him with a fly swatter if he could.
Everything was planned in the back of his head. He’d walk you home after this shift, slowly bring up the topic of “needing to focus on himself” as you apartment building came into view, and viola…he would burn another bridge that was built too close to his heart, where his feelings for you were becoming too big for him to handle.
But those plans disappeared into thin air when an FBI unit showed up to his emergency department in search of an attempted murder victim. More specifically, when you were stitching a minor wound on their unit chief, clearly enamored with his dark hair and his pretty brown eyes and his no nonsense attitude.
At first, Robby tried to ignore it. Who cares if you wanted to flirt with a Quantico suit who looks like he hasn’t smiled in years and has a decent hairlike for his age and doesn’t have crows feet etched around his eyes? Certainly not Robby. But the gossip flourished shortly after Santos overheard the pretty blonde FBI agent whispering to the lanky one with a boyband haircut, “I don’t know the last time I’ve seen Hotch smile.” To which the boyband-haircut FBI agent responded, “Or loosened his shoulders.”
You carefully padded the area around Agent Hotchner’s wound with fresh sterile gauze after tying your last suture, clearing any remnants of blood. “So what does SSA stand for? Super special agent? Secret special agent agent?” You continued light conversation, just for another minute to talk with your tall, dark, and handsome patient.
Hotch chuckled, his eyelids fluttering instinctively when the gauze got too close. Fuck, his eyelashes were pretty, too. “Supervisory special agent.” He replied.
You grinned and pulled out dressing for the stitches. “Oh, that sounds very important.” You hummed.
You knew the man in front of you was an FBI profiler, that if he really didn’t want to play along with your flirty conversation, then he would end it there. But to a man who sold his soul to his job, you were a comfortable break of sunshine through the clouds.
Hotch smiled, not enough for you to call it one, but enough that his nosy team outside had their jaws dropping. Amhad approached them innocently with a pen and notepad, like he was about to interrogate them. “So, what do you think the likelihood of them getting drinks would be?” He asked, like this was definitely not going to influence his wager.
The agent who had already introduced himself as Derek, after Princess conveniently needed something from the top shelf of the supply closet (Jesse was literally standing right next to her), leaned against the high counter of the desk hub. “Honestly? It might happen once we finish up this case.” He admitted.
Amhad scribbled something down on his notepad and nodded. “Does he usually do stuff like that?” He added, hoping to pull more info for his betting board.
Derek laughed, catching the attention of a few nurses and the rest of his team. “‘Stuff like that?’ You mean smiling? Talking?” He questioned, crossing his arms. “We have a pretty strict rule of not profiling each other. But right now…” He trailed off, looking back to the exam room. You were glowing while Hotch commended you for your suture work, holding the mirror just low enough to showcase a rare grin from the man. “I’d say he’s got himself a little crush.”
A little crush.
The words rattled in Robby’s ears as he gripped his iPad so tightly that his thumbs nearly shattered through the screen protector. Dana looked up from her computer monitor just in time to catch the vein threatening to burst across his forehead.
“What’s got ya down, boss?” She asked with feigned ignorance, leaning back in her rolling chair.
Robby peered over his glasses, cutting her an aggravated glance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He grumbled.
Dana smirked and threw her arms behind her to prop up her head. She was too pleased with the situation unraveling in front of her. “Oh yeah? You mean you’re not throwing a hissy fit because someone else is playing with your toys?” She baited.
Robby tossed the iPad on the desk next to her. “She’s not a toy.”
“No? Then why are you treating her like one?” Dana spat back.
That hit him square in the chest. He shook his head, like he was trying to convince himself. “I’m not treating her like-“
Dana took the iPad and stood, ready to walk away from this conversation. “Save your breath, Robby. If the girl wants to flirt with a hot detective and get drinks and, I don’t know, fuck around and move to Quantico, then let her. She’d give you the world, but you’re just using her as a stepping stone to your next seven week itch. Let her be with someone that deserves her.”
Robby stood frozen at the desk hub as Dana headed to the next patient’s room. He knew he didn’t deserve you. He knew this fuckass FBI agent would probably treat you like a princess. He knew that he should still let you down easy tonight.
You came out of the exam room, a giddy smile on your face, that quickly faded when you saw Robby staring at you. “What? What’s wrong?” You asked gently, approaching him slowly.
Robby just smiled, ignoring the ache he felt when your smile vanished just from looking at him, and shook his head. “Nothin’. Thanks for handling that.” He deflected, desperately hoping to see you smile again, but for him this time, not that agent with a sharp jaw that isn’t softening with age and-
“No problem, Doctor Robby.” You fake saluted with the tiniest smile before walking away.
Doctor Robby.
Not Michael.
That dagger sank deep and twisted in his lungs. You were pulling away from him. You were realizing exactly what Robby was trying to protect you from. That he’s no good for you. That he’s only going to drag you down deeper and drown you if he stays.
Robby should be grateful that Agent Hotchner has you checking your hair and straightening your scrub top in the bathroom before returning to his exam room. That would make his plan for tonight flow a lot smoother. But suddenly, the reality of losing you, of giving you up, of handing you to another man, had him sick to his stomach.
He didn’t know how, but Robby was going to win you back. He didn’t have a choice.
imagine jack abbott with an alternative, younger girlfriend. soooo different from him that you've gotten a couple father-daughter comments out in public. his coworkers poke fun at him, saying how out of his league she is, asking her if this "old man" is bothering her. jack takes it all in fun, sometimes.
jack buys her the expensive shoes she wants, the ones that she swears she'll wear all the time. he'll tag along on thrifting trips and cd hunting at local stores. he'll carry her tote bag when it gets too heavy or it gets in the way of her outfit.
and walk with me here...
black nails scratching down jack's back, gripping his face, running through his hair. long nails that leave red lines in their wake. black hair or pink hair or blue hair spread across his pillow. his hands splayed across lacey, gothic lingerie.
the difference between the two, so striking, but both so gorgeous in their own way. jack, the all-american doctor who loves the darkness, falling in love with darkness herself. <3
when i picture you - arthur morgan x reader
synopsis: one quiet evening, you come across arthur sketching near the river.
author's note: yeah i started red dead redemption 2.... basing this mostly off the beginning of the game because that's the only bit i've played. i kinda choked at the ending of this because i wrote this story over the course of a few weeks, but it's okay!
living place to place was the way you liked to live. you didn't like the feeling of being tied down anywhere. the community you found in the little camps you set up with dutch's group was all you needed to keep living.
if you weren't helping grimshaw with making food or passing out medicine or cleaning clothes, you were out in town trying to wrestle some money away from the men who looked at you with no assumptions. or, sometimes you found yourself wondering through the woods, like you did right now.
it was a quiet night out in the wilderness, with little movement as the sun provided an orange haze over everything. in the distance, you could hear the river crashing along the rocks as it flowed down through the valley. your feet took you towards the bank until you stopped a short distance away.
there, leaned against a heavy rock with a smooth surface was arthur morgan, the man that you had still yet to figure out. he was around frequently, had the second biggest tent compared to dutch. he had two horses, spent a lot of time out and about, contributed a bunch to the camp's money. he was trusted, famous almost.
and yet, you hadn't spoken more words that you can count on your finger to him. it's not that you didn't want to. it was more so that you never got the chance to. if anything, he pulled you in. the way dutch trusted him with everything. the way he spoke so confidently in front of a camp full of people. his honor. his looks, even. everything about arthur morgan was something you'd read in a novel found in some boston book store.
and there he was, alone, quiet, pensive, hand moving in slow, yet skilled strokes on a sketchbook. his hat was on the ground to the side of him, his shirt unbuttoned just a few notches. upon hearing your footsteps inch closer to the bank, grass crunching under your feet, he turned quickly.
"i'm sorry," you rushed out. "i didn't mean to startle you."
he shook his head. "no, you didn't. just wasn't expecting any visitors," arthur answered. "i, uh, i need to be heading back anyway."
he seemed bashful there, turning his notebook away from you as if hiding something in its pages. before he could stand up, you stepped closer. "what's in the notebook?" you asked, gesturing your head towards his lap. he glanced down, then back up to you.
"nothing," he said, voice quieter, but still thick with his western accent. deep and rich, you always heard it across camp. "just something i keep notes in."
"i used to draw in a little notebook like that," you said. you were unsure why you were initiating a conversation with arthur, but with nobody around, you felt like you could be closer with him. ask him questions. break the boundaries between male and female conversation. "back when i was a little kid."
from the corner of the page, you could see something more than words on a page. there were shapes, drawings, outlines. you wanted to know more. to see more.
"oh, yeah?" he asked, his eyebrow raised. his lips, the corners of them, seemed to lift in something of a smirk. "what'd you draw?"
you stepped closer, standing near the rock he was leaning against. he closed the notebook a little more the closer you got. "uh, flowers, people, animals. just anything i saw. do you draw?"
arthur cleared his throat. "yeah. yeah. sometimes. animals, plants, mostly."
he seemed like he wasn't telling the full truth. but you didn't want to push. but you swore you saw the shape of hair on the page. the closer you got, the more clear it became that you saw the head of a person. you just wanted to know who. who arthur cared about enough to draw on his private notebook.
"what are you drawing now?" you asked. he could've reprimanded you then. gotten mad. stormed off. left you on the bank all alone in the evening time.
"oh, it's nothing. really," he said, his cheeks changing ever so slightly to a blush tone. "i'm not much of a drawer like i'm sure you are." he stood then, flustered by the question, and left the notebook open in his lap. it fell to the ground, the pencil in it holding open the page he was working on.
there, on the ground, graphite shavings still scattered on the paper, were drawings of you. several filled the page. your side profile, your face, the back of your head. arthur scrambled to pick up the notebook, his usual chivalry thrown aside in his embarassment.
"i'm so sorry," he apologized quickly. he ran a hand down his head, stopping at his neck. "i-uh..."
"are those of me?" you asked, meeting his eyes. "the drawings?"
"damn it," he exhaled. "i'm sorry. i really am. i just..."
"can i see?" you asked. he glanced down at the notebook in his hand and sheepishly handed it over. you took it from him and carefully opened up the pages again. his sketches were really beautiful, more than you ever were able to do as a child. he had several pages like this, all of them well-loved. some of the drawings overlapped each other.
he had been watching you, admiring you for so long, and you had never noticed. never before had you seen yourself in such a beautiful light. somehow arthur morgan had captured you better than a mirror ever did.
"i like drawing you. i don't mean to. every time i go to write, i guess i think about you and all the nice things you do 'round camp. i'm sorry. i oughta just throw this old thing away."
"no!" you said, holding the notebook closer to your chest. "these are...really nice, arthur. i didn't know you were looking at me this much," you added, laughing a little after your words. "could i keep them?"
arthur grappled within himself. he still felt weird for the drawings. he felt bad for staring at you all the time without you knowing. but, on the other hand, what point did the drawings have sitting in his notebook and not in the hands of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen? "sure," he said.
you carefully tore out the pages, folding them neatly and tucking them in the small satchel hanging from your side. "thank you," you said. "you know, you can ask me to pose for you whenever you want. maybe over a drink?"
arthur straightened out his clothes and bent down to pick up the hat he had lazily tossed aside earlier. the time for embarrassment was over. sure, it was painful to have his drawings, the private things he did at night under the glow of a lantern, shown around. but he had been looking for a moment. the right one to ask you out. there would be no better time than the present.
"the saloon in valentine's open for the evening," he said. "wanna ride down there with me?"
i want my boyfriend to have a boyfriend and for that boyfriend to also be my boyfriend and we all kiss and flowers grow beneath our feet and sparkles follow us where we walk
as someone in a graduate program for clinical mental health counseling, i think i have the grounds to write a jack abbot x therapist reader that might break professional expectations just a bit
theartofmadeline
yousharknotpass
2087
snowghoul
tangentwithtanner
germansingergirl
jbbartram-illu
discoholicmusic
prguitarman
annaxmalina
areudirty
