that ask put chubby!robby on my mind again (gn!reader)
Robby who is aware that he's a big guy, and while he tries not to beat himself up about it too much, he can't help it. He's in his fifties now, and with his age comes the knowledge that he just won't ever drop this stubborn belly of his.
Which is fine. He's fine about it. He doesn't get insecure or a little envious when a patient asks Jack about his workout routine. And he definitely doesn't blame his singleness on the softness that clings to his figure at every angle. Robby does none of those things because he's fine being a little fat.
So, maybe he's a little surprised when you, his sweet neighbor from two doors down, come knocking on his door one evening with an empty measuring cup and a nervous smile.
Flour, you claimed to have needed, but when Robby invites you inside, the measuring cup is quickly abandoned in favor of talking his ear off. Even when Robby's provided your fill of flour, you stay, leaning against the counter as you ask questions and then questions about his answers.
Finally, though, when you ask his opinion on thermonuclear reactors, Robby puts his foot down. As politely as he can, Robby explains that he has work in the morning and really must insist that you return home.
It's then that you blurt out, "Would you be interested in dinner with me? A date?"
A stunned silence falls between you two. Robby is only to shake himself out of pure shock to answer when he sees your eyes widen in panic.
"Yes," Robby says, because any other answer would be stupid. You're kind, interesting, and attractive. Apparently, you're also enough of a sucker to think that Robby of all people is a catch.
But, surprisingly, Robby isn't thinking too much about that as he watches your short walk home. Rather, his mind is kind to him, floundering on only one thought.
robby’s favourite time of the week is lazy weekend mornings with his girls- nothing has ever compared
he ignores the throb in his lower back as he lifts his daughter onto the kitchen counter- her pyjamas still warm from the duvet cocoon she crawled from to wake her dad up. robby is trying to shush her giggles so you can sleep in whilst he makes breakfast for the three of you
still trying to sound out words properly, your daughter loves to babble and robby is fluent in her language. an outsider would never know what the random babbles shes proclaiming would mean but of course, her dad understands perfectly ❤️
“oh, you want pancakes this morning?”
she nods delighted at robby’s excited tone, wriggling to get closer to him and making grabby hands at his beard. his smile is bright as he presses kisses to her soft hands and face, still slightly puffy with sleep. she whines at robby to hold her
“i’ll hold you baby but when uncle jack is mad at daddy for being sore at work- it’s your fault okay?” robby mutters at he hauls his sleepy girl onto his hip
give him to me :( and talk to me more about robby!!!
Summary- Robby decides to cut things off ahead of his sabbatical. He makes it a month until the regret is unbearable.
Contains- 18+ SMUT MDNI, unprotected p in v, age gap relationship (20s-50s), nurse/attending relationship, they're kind of toxic but kind of working on it?? angst to smut to fluff, idiots in love, very lightly proofread :)
A/N- divider from @batsydividers!
Every step you take is laden with stone, the blinding overhead lights of the E.R. pierce through your pounding skull. Your eyelids are heavy as you twist your lock, the sleeve of your favorite sweatshirt gathers at your wrist- it's gray, worn in, and smells of a certain, woody cologne that sends you spiraling with every inhale.
You take a moment to rest your forehead against your locker, eyes squeezing shut to will the tears away. You drift back to the night before- you were criss crossed on your bed with a bowl of ramen, desperate to keep your eyes open as the T.V. droned the same, tired sitcom.
Then, your phone had lit up, a single buzz that blew your eyes wide and stopped your heart. Three words flooded your screen, from the man you hadn't heard from in one whole month.
I miss you.
You pick your head up, slamming your locker door shut, whipping your body around, throwing yourself into the chaos of the E.R.
I miss you, you think, shaking your head as you shove up your sleeves, donning plastic gloves as you get straight to work.
He had the nerve, the gall, to text you at 7 pm on a Thursday to tell you he misses you. The thought burns hot in your chest, a brand to your heart.
You don't have much time to dwell on it though, as you're prepped for your first patient by Dana, who's eyes linger on your sweatshirt a moment too long. Your cheeks heat under her gaze.
It's only forty minutes into your shift when your phone vibrates for the first time. You stop briefly in your tracks, your hand pausing on the blood pressure pump at the ticklish buzz.
You shake your head, a shiver running down your spine at the expectant looks from the patient and Dana alike. "Sorry," you mutter, squeezing your eyes shut.
Tears prick behind your lids, your stomach a tornado of emotion. After a deep inhale and a sharp exhale, you snap your head up, eyes finding the numbers labeled on the tiny screen. You read them off nonchalantly, burying yourself behind the charting station to buy a brief moment of privacy. You swipe away the stray tear that's fallen from your eye and keep typing.
The second call happens right after lunch time. You're finishing up a bandaging of a gracious older gentlemen when you feel it. It rattles in your scrubs, and you nearly jump at the sensation.
You struggle to keep your best smile as you see him back to chairs, before you scurry into the corner, using the briefest moment of reprieve to open your phone. You knew what to expect when you pulled it out, but it really didn't prepare you to really see it.
Michael
It flashes on your screen like a warning, your heart sinking at the confirmation. You bite your lip, glancing around before swiping your thumb across the screen, turning your back to the rest of the E.R.
"What?" You grit out through clenched teeth.
"Oh!" Is the first thing you hear. It's a surprised noise, like he can't believe you picked up. You roll your eyes.
"Shouldn't you be working?" Is the next thing that comes out of his mouth, and the stupidity of it weighs heavy through the line.
"Are you fucking kidding me, Robinavitch?" You hiss, rage flowing like lava in your veins.
"Right, right. You're not working because I keep contacting you. I'm sorry," he says, your lashes fluttering against your cheeks as you strive not to break your resolve.
"What do you want?" You murmur, patience running thinner by the minute.
"I just- I want to talk to you, and I just couldn't wait, and I know this is a bad idea because you're in the middle of your work day, and now I regret this-"
"Really? Now you regret it?" You snap, not even waiting for a response before hanging up on him.
You whip around, strutting back into the department with a force that nearly knocks Dana over. Embarrassment burns through you as you reach your arms out to steady her, sputtering out an apology.
"Hey, it's not a big deal, sweetheart," she says, putting her hands out to calm you.
You take a step back, taking a deep breath. You let it flow out through your lips, a brush of air that has her brow quirking.
"You alright, kid? You've seemed off all day," she crosses her arms over her chest, her eyes flitting to the sweatshirt now tied around your waist.
"I'm fine," you lie through your teeth, forcing a smile that doesn't reach your eyes.
"Good," she says, turning slowly on her heel, her gaze training on the gray piece of fabric you've clung to for almost two weeks.
The third call comes in around 4 pm. You'd just finished a physically debilitating CPR on a patient, ultimately losing her on the table. It stops you in your tracks for the third time that day, and at this point, your patience has run out.
You storm into the ambulance bay, tucking yourself behind a shrub, foolishly answering his call once again.
"What?" you grit out, spitting venom through your teeth.
"I'm so sorry. I know you're rightfully furious with me, I just- please let me talk," he blurts out.
You audibly exhale, popping a hand on your hip and rolling your eyes.
"What the hell do you want?" You mutter, completely monotone this time.
The line is silent then, and you can just barely make out the little shocked gasp that falls from his mouth. You make a show of checking a pretend watch, even if he's not here to see it. If he were, he'd tell you to 'quit it with the dramatics, pretty one.' The thought of his low, gravely voice makes your tummy twist.
You close your eyes, trying to assemble at least a fraction of your composure, squeezing your legs tight together to bury the burn blooming between them.
"I'm gonna hang up, Michael," you say, annoyance lacing your tone as you pull your phone away from your face.
Before you can hit the little red button, you hear him shout out, "Wait, wait wait!"
You close your eyes again, inhaling sharply, pressing your phone to your ear all the same.
"What, Michael? Seriously, I'm getting pissed off. This is affecting my job. Which is just as important as yours," you grumble that last part, a bitter callback to your conversation a month and a day ago.
You can practically feel his wince over the line, "I know, I'm sorry s-"
You hear him stop himself, a delicate 'sweetheart' hanging off the tip of his tongue.
"I'm sorry," he starts again, accompanied by a heavy sigh. "I just have to tell you how sorry I am."
"What," you scoff, "it only took you a month to completely heal, no therapist, and realize how big of a dick you are?"
A sardonic chuckle rolls off his tongue on the other end, and you can practically hear his fingers running through his hair. It was his go to move in those last few weeks, before he left.
"No, I-" he stops himself halfway through the frustration, and this gives you some pause.
Before he left, he so quickly leaned into his frustration, allowing it to take over. He clears his throat, and your heart skips a beat.
"I'm better here," he starts. "I feel better, I'm eating, I'm sleeping. I'm thinking a lot. It's not all bad for the first time in a long time."
Your heart beats rapidly, a galactic rush of rage and love swirling through you. Your brain floods with any and every response, I'm sorry, I love you, I can't stand you, I want to kill you, I want to kiss you. They swirl around your head like little birds in a cartoon.
"Would you like a round of applause?" You spit out, the only thought you could verbalize. I can't stand you won this time.
"Yes, actually. Standing ovation, perhaps," he quips, and it startles a chuckle out of you. All of a sudden, it feels so normal again., laughing with him. I love you creeps in then. But then it clicks, and you zip your lips tight.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry. I know that's not enough, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry, and I'm trying again. That's where I'm at right now," he says, and you have to remind yourself to breathe.
Your stomach clutches at his words, a mascara laden tear trickling down your face. You're not sure what to do with this. I want to kiss you. I want to kill you.
"Okay, Robby," you croak, "I don't know if I forgive you. There's where I'm at right now."
"Okay," he says after a long, dreadful pause. It's broken, and rattles around in your hollow chest like a pinball. "I understand," he adds. "I just wanted you to know. Take the time you need. I'm sorry, again."
It's the last thing he says before he hangs up, and your resolve finally cracks.
You practically fall back onto the ledge supporting the bush you're hiding behind, the privacy allowing you the space to just cry. You bite your lip, focusing on the ground beneath you to will them away.
You focus on the little dots your tears make in the sidewalk, watching how they spread out around each other like snowflakes. Your bottom lip trembles, your heart twists inside you- a wet rag being wrung out to dry.
Your arms wrap around yourself, desperate for any kind of comfort as you try and regulate. You have patients in there that need you, you have colleagues in there that need you. There's a man in Alberta who seems to need you too, though it didn't seem like it a month ago. The thought of it makes you sick.
You flinch at the soft schliff of a pack of cigarettes opening, and you turn to find Dana, an already lit one in her mouth, offering you one of your own. You shake your head, a small smile on your face as you sit up taller.
"Had a feeling. 'S why I brought ya this," she reveals an energy drink in her other hand, and this has you perking up the rest of the way.
You roll your shoulders back, shimmying out the sadness. It's a strategy she taught you your first year as a nurse at PTMC. Oftentimes our burdens at this job feel physical. Shimmy them off, and you realize it's just mental. You wish it worked for matters of the heart, but you're not so lucky.
She smiles with pride nonetheless, and it helps pick you up just a little. You crack the drink, the fizzy, fruity taste dancing on your tongue.
"Thank you, Dana," you mutter, still not ready to meet her gaze.
You guys take a moment, feeling the fresh breeze, relishing in the chaos of the ambulance bay. The silence turns heavy when you feel her gaze fall onto you, her pointed glare burning a hole through your head.
"It's too much," you mutter, shaking your head, gaze fixating on the horizon. "Him being gone, I can't handle it."
"Thought I recognized that hoodie," she says, a light chuckle spilling from her lips. You hang your head between your knees at that comment, embarrassment creeping up your neck like a spider.
"He left me," you say, and you can hear her neck snap as she whips her head towards you. "Before he left. He called it off."
"That fucking prick…" she scoffs, taking a long drag of her cigarette.
She fishes around in her pocket next, handing you something else, a small card tucked between her fingers.
You take it, brows knit together. A small white Airbnb card reflects an etched illustration of a cabin next to an adress you've never seen before. One thing does stick out, though: Alberta, Canada.
It's your turn to whip your head up, eyes wide and desperate to communicate everything on your mind- is this what I think it is? Why are you doing this? How long do I have to go see him?
She nods, jerking her head toward the parking lot. "Go."
-
The flight is long. After a grueling seven hours sandwiched between stops and layovers, you're finally rolling your suitcase up a narrow walkway. It leads to a cabin, identical to the one on the card Dana gave you. You pull it out of your pocket, making sure for good measure, and knock on the door.
You hear rumbling behind the door, the shuffling of slippered feet. Your heart aches at the thought of him in there, cozy and sleep mussed hair, and hopefully at peace, even just a little bit.
The door swings open, and nothing could have prepared you for seeing him again. He's different. Calmer, the storm inside him weathered ever so slightly. His tired eyes seem to glimmer just a bit, a soft sigh leaving his lips at the sight of you.
It's quiet for a long, tedious moment as you take each other in. Your heart pounds against your ribcage, face burning as he studies you. It hurts at first, taking in all the little differences that you'd missed out on- deeper lines decorating his eyes, even more gray littering his beard.
What gets you the most is his soft, peaceful smile, a certain warmth back in his eyes. They pierce through you- adoration and regret and nerves swirling through his honey brown gaze.
"Hi," you whisper, the word puffing out into the air before you. You swallow thickly, mouth dry with anticipation.
"Hi," he responds.
Your eyes move lower, then, registering the soft robe hanging off his frame, his white t-shirt and loose sweatpants. They hang low on his hips, and your body moves before your brain.
You step over the threshold, grip his face in your hands, and kiss him.
The taste of his lips is intoxicating, flooding through you like a tsunami. He brings you in close with one hand, shutting the door with the other. The flat of his palm against your back weakens your knees, and you fall into him further.
He grips both of his big arms underneath your thighs, hoisting you up to wrap your legs around his waist.
There's no talking, just soft smacks and whimpers and whines. They fall from your lips, they always have when you're with him.
Your stomach swirls with the heat of his touch, liquid and thick. Your nails scrape the back of his neck, and he shivers against you. The movement startles you, a small gasp leaving your lips.
You part slightly, your eyes catching each other for the first time since you'd crossed his front door. Michael rears his head back just slightly, resting his forehead against yours. He smooths his palm through your hair, pressing kisses along your cheeks, the bridge of your nose, finally finding your lips again.
"Michael-" you groan out, writhing against him.
"I know, baby. I know," he responds, following it up with one, two, three sweet kisses to your puckered lips.
"What do you need? How can I give it to you?" He asks, hands skimming up and down your back, lips sliding over your face.
Your heart stops at his questions, asked with a gentleness he's never before reserved for you. You freeze in his arms, resting your weight against him. Your hands grip his biceps as you try to process this new version of Robby- kind and calm and gentle. There's no rush, no shame, no self loathing. It's disarming.
"What is it? Are you okay?" His eyes search frantically for any sign of harm.
"Yeah, honey. Yeah, I'm okay," you say, snapping out of your pause. "I just-" you cut yourself off with a wry chuckle. "You're different already."
"Different?" He asks, a brow shooting up toward his hairline.
"It's good. You seem at peace," you whisper, inching your face slightly closer.
"Maybe just a little," he replies bashfully. "I told you I've been sleeping."
He seeps his fingers into your hair at this, pulling you closer and kissing you again.
This one is deep, intense, and paired with a journey to his bedroom. He's carrying you in his big arms, dark eyes watching you intently as he lays you down on the bed.
You snuggle into the white sheets, feeling at home beneath him. He kisses the tip of your nose, pinching the plump skin on your side in affection. You giggle, and he kisses you again.
"How'd you get even more beautiful?" He asks, his large hand reaching beneath your sweatshirt. Goosebumps bloom in the wake of his fingertips, and you shiver as they grace your ribcage.
"I missed you," you whisper, your kisses growing frantic, desperate the more he touches you. "I missed this. So fucking much."
"I know, baby," he says, sliding your top off, then his. "You don't even know how many times I've touched myself, pretending it was you."
"Yeah?" You whine, fiddling with the waist band of his sweatpants. He nods, and you lean forward to kiss him gently.
"Yeah," he whispers against your lips. "Never as good as you, though."
This unleashes butterflies loose in your stomach- the thought of him here, all alone, touching his cock and thinking of you has you nearly delirious.
"Same here," you admit, batting your lashes at him. "Could never reach as far inside of me as you can. Couldn't make myself cum like you can."
The last of his resolve crumbles at this, and he hoists your hips up, peeling your leggings off your lower frame. He stands on his knees to take you in- your bare chest heaving up and down, the thick of your thighs touching as you attempt to hide the damp spot on your panties.
His gaze ignites your belly, his eyes burning a path into your skin as he studies you. He bites his lip, shaking his head incredulously.
"You're so fucking beautiful," he leans his weight over you, taking his lips in yours again. "Fucking perfect. Needed this so bad, I'm so fucking sorry."
His mouth is moving ahead of his mind, you can tell by the unbridled truth spilling out. You don't mind, though. You will later, mentally bookmarking the conversation you need to have in the morning. Right now, though, the only thing you can think of is the hard weight in his boxers.
Your nails scrape a trail down his hips as you pull them down. He lurches into you at the touch, a groan ripping from his chest with a force that has you gasping, lifting your legs around his waist, and pulling him as close to you as you can.
He falls gracelessly, lips sloppily sliding against yours. His fingers reach down to your center, rubbing you with ease. The familiar burning churns in your stomach, rumbling like the beginning of a storm.
He slides in a finger, cooing at your whine, pressing a kiss to your temple. You whimper, clenching down on him as he works you open.
"Jesus," he breathes, pressing kiss after kiss on your temple, your cheek, your jaw. "You're so fucking tight. This is only one finger, you poor thing," his thumb rubs your clit and you keen into his touch.
He slides in another finger, and you whine. He laughs sardonically, and kisses your lips. Your back arches, your breasts flattening under the weight of his chest.
"Feels good," you mutter, eyes falling closed. He kisses the apples of your cheeks, where your lashes meet them.
"Good," he remarks, a smirk taking over his lips. His fingers press in relentlessly, hitting your most sensitive spots over and over.
You flop back onto the bed when your orgasm hits, and he wrings it out of you with such delicate precision. Your eyes squeeze shut, a long moan falling from your lips.
He kisses you as he continues to work his fingers, thumb still circling your clit. You shiver, burying your face in his neck.
"Good job," he coos, pressing kisses to the sweaty skin of your neck. "You're so good, missed you so much."
You whine at his words, clawing at his chest. "I missed you too," you nearly wail, lips forming into a sweet pout. He kisses it off.
He stands up on his knees then, lining himself up with your entrance. Your legs are open wide, your right lifting to rest your foot on the bed. His hand grips the skin of your inner thigh, hitching it against his hip as he slides in.
You throw your head back at the intrusion, rocking your hips to get more of him.
"Careful," he whispers, "don't want it to hurt."
"I don't care," you wail. "I want it all. It's been too long, I need it so much."
He pins your thrashing hips down, using the leverage to sink in further. He reaches the hilt, and the fullness leaves you delirious. Your head is spinning, heat radiating through your stomach.
"Oh God, Michael," a sob rips out of your chest as you claw at him. You rake your nails up and down his back, over his shoulders, down his chest and stomach.
He shivers the lower you get, jerking his hips even further into you. Your eyes roll to the back of your head, pleasure swimming deep in your belly. You wrap your arms around his neck, pressing a firm kiss to his lips as he moves in and out, in and out.
The coil in your stomach winds tighter, and tighter, and tighter. You let him know, whimpering a small 'gonna come' against his neck.
"Go ahead, sweet girl," he coos, linking your fingers together. He lets out a hiss as you tighten around him. "You can come."
You kiss him deeply then, scraping your nails through his scalp.
"God," he shivers, "you're insane, baby." He shakes his head, chuckling incredulously. "Perfect body, you feel so fucking good. I'm so lucky, y'know that? So fucking lucky that you give me this gorgeous pussy."
You gasp, covering your face with your hands at his words. They swirl deep within you, flurrying like snowflakes. He hits a spot, deep within you, and the band finally snaps.
Your back arches as you come undone, your own release triggering his. You can feel him twitch inside you, a long groan ripping from his chest as he falls into you.
The feeling of his weight is intoxicating, you wrap your legs around him to keep him as close as possible. You shake and writhe against each other as you come down, chests breathing heavy together.
He presses his nose against yours, kissing you once, twice, three times before pulling out. You wince at the sudden emptiness, and he leans down to place a kiss on your aching clit.
You jump at the contact, a sharp pang of pleasure racing through you. He stands, reaching for his boxers and sliding them over his hips. You pout at his covering up, and he rolls his eyes, a reluctant smile on his lips.
He retreats to his bathroom, the water running behind the half cracked door. You twist in his white sheets, curling into the plush bed. You like Alberta Robby. You like him a lot.
He returns with a warm, wet washcloth, wiping you clean and pressing kisses to your thighs. He crawls up the length of your body, slotting his legs between yours again, kissing you, again,
"I love you," he murmurs against your lips.
You freeze, your heart stopping and dropping, deep into your stomach.
"What?" You breathe out, feeling like you've dropped on a roller coaster.
"I love you," he repeats, big brown eyes determined. "I know we have a lot to talk about. I have a lot to say, I'm sure you do, too. But for tonight, this is all I want to say."
You're breathless, and he becomes glossy above you. Your heart swells like a symphony, and you press a small kiss to his lips.
"I love you, too," you whisper, and he releases a strained breath. "I'm ready to talk, too. How's tomorrow over coffee sound?" You ask as he rolls off of you.
You flip on your side, wrapping your arm around his middle. You study his face, a smile widening on yours.
"Let me guess, I'm making the coffee?" He asks, a wry smile on his face.
"You're the best at it!" You insist, and he chuckles. "I don't know what you do, but it's perfect."
His chest shakes with his own laughter, and he presses a kiss to your head.
"Get some sleep, beautiful. You're probably exhausted. I love you," he punctuates this with a kiss, and turns the light off.
I saw someone talking about how we should discuss impotence as something that could happen when we're talking about old men in fanfiction, and I decided to write about it. It's not medically accurate. But it's with Robby lol
The first time it happens, it's… very embarrassing.
You're in a mating press position, fingers tangled in Robby’s hair, anticipation humming in your veins. You're ready and horny. But you're also waiting for a while for something to happen.
Robby exhales sharply, forehead dropping briefly against your shoulder. “C’mon, c’mon… don’t leave me hanging like this,” he mutters, half-groan, half-nervous laugh — like he’s trying to will his body into cooperation.
You feel the frustration in the way his hands tighten briefly at your hips.
He isn't old, not even close, but he isn't twenty-five either. The long shifts. The constant pressure. The anxiety meds he pretends don't affect him. It all builds quietly, invisibly—until moments like this.
And today, of course, it chooses now.
He pulls back slightly, jaw tight. “Jesus,” he mutters under his breath, forgetting even that he's Jewish. Robby looks down, and there it is; still, unresponsive. Not reacting to the fact that you’re in his lap, flushed and wanting, your hands still resting on him like you don’t know whether to comfort or retreat.
He swallows hard, shoulders tense. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly. And that’s worse than the swearing, because Robby doesn’t apologize easily.
You shift back slightly, giving him space without making it feel like rejection. “Don’t,” you say gently.
He runs a hand over his face, frustration written all over him. “This is ridiculous. I have you right here.”
“And? We both know that the human body doesn't work like this. It’s okay.”
He huffs. “Yeah. Super okay.” You almost smile, because the grumpiness is so very him. But there’s vulnerability underneath it — the kind he hates showing.
So you shift closer instead of away.
“You’ve been working fourteen-hour shifts all week,” you murmur. “You barely slept last night. And you took your meds late.”
“Then I become fifty-four and suddenly I have impotence,” Robby scoffed.
You cup his face gently, forcing him to look at you.
“At fifty-four?” you repeat, one eyebrow lifting. “Robby, you’re exhausted. That’s not the same thing.”
He rolls his eyes, but the tension in his jaw softens just a fraction. “Feels the same.”
“It’s not.” Your thumb brushes along his cheek. “You’re stressed. You’ve been running on caffeine and four hours of sleep. And those meds? They absolutely can mess with this.”
He exhales through his nose. “Great. So now I get anxious about not being able to go to bed with my hot girlfriend because of my anxiety meds.”
You can’t help it — you laugh softly, leaning your forehead against his. “You are impossible.”
He grumbles something under his breath, but his hands settle more naturally at your waist now. Less desperate. Less tight.
“This doesn’t make you broken,” you say quietly. “It makes you human.”
There’s a pause. His eyes flicker down, then back up to you. Vulnerability sits there, uncomfortable but honest.
“It’s just—” He swallows. “I hate disappointing you.”
Your expression softens immediately. “You’re not.”
Silence lingers between you, but it’s warmer now. Less sharp.
You press a slow kiss to his shoulder instead of trying to force momentum back into the moment. “We don’t have to prove anything right now,” you murmur. “We can just be here.”
He studies you like he’s trying to decide whether to believe that.
“…You’re really not mad?”
“Not even a little.”
Another beat — and then some of that familiar stubborn humor creeps back in.
“Good,” he says dryly. “Because I was about to blame capitalism.”
You snort. “Of course you were.”
He finally smiles properly — small, but real — and pulls you in, not with urgency this time, just closeness. The kind that doesn’t require performance.
And sometimes, that’s more intimate than anything else.
Your legs relax around him. His hands rest warm and steady at your waist. The charged edge of the moment dissolves into something softer, something steadier.
After a minute, he exhales. “I hate that my body doesn’t always listen to me.”
You brush your fingers through his hair again, slower now. “Your body isn’t your subordinate, Robby. It’s your partner. And lately, you’ve been treating it like an intern on a double shift.”
That earns you a faint huff of laughter.
“I’m serious,” you add gently. “You push it. You ignore it. You drown it in caffeine and stress and expect it to perform on command.”
He tilts his head slightly, studying you. “Are you always this bossy in bed?”
“Only when necessary.”
You lean down and press a soft kiss to his mouth — unhurried, unpressured. He responds easily this time, because there’s nothing to prove in it. No scoreboard. No expectation.
His hands slide up your back, slow and grounding. “You’re not… secretly disappointed?”
You pull back just enough to look at him properly. “Robby. If the only thing that mattered to me was whether you could perform on command, we wouldn’t be here.”
You feel it in the way his shoulders drop, in the way his grip shifts from frustrated to affectionate.
"Next time," you whisper, brushing your nose against his, "we plan it. Sleep. No double shifts. Maybe a weekend where you're not saving the city.”
A collection of scenes while you and your boyfriend, Dr. Robby, are on different shifts.
*****
Shift One
You unlock the door quietly, toeing off your shoes the second you’re inside.
The first thing you notice is the smell.
Coffee.
Strong. Fresh. Comforting.
You follow it into the kitchen, where Robby is already halfway dressed for his day shift, jacket draped over the back of a chair, travel mug in hand. He looks tired, but when he sees you, his whole face softens.
“There you are,” he says, smiling. “I thought Jack was doing handoff.”
“He is,” you say, dropping your bag by the door. “I just… couldn’t wait. I needed a shower before I fell over.”
He steps closer, then pauses, nose wrinkling just slightly.
You sigh. “Yeah. That’s me.”
He laughs quietly. “Rough night?”
“You could say that,” you say. “I got thrown up on three times.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Three?”
“Three,” you confirm. “Peds. GI bug. Absolute nightmare.”
He shakes his head, already moving toward you. “Come here.”
You back up, holding your hands out. “No, no. I’m gross. Do not come any closer.”
He ignores you completely.
Robby steps into your space anyway, close enough that you can feel his warmth, close enough that exhaustion and comfort and missing him all blur together.
“You didn’t throw up, though,” he says softly, lips just a breath away from yours. "Right?"
“No,” you whisper.
That’s all he needs.
He kisses you, gentle, familiar, grounding. The kind of kiss that says I’ve got you more than anything else.
When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against yours for a second.
“Go,” he says softly. “Get that shower. I’ll see you in twelve hours.”
You smile, tired and warm and a little lighter just from seeing him.
“Twelve hours,” you repeat.
It’s not enough.
*****
Shift Three
You open the front door just as Robby is about to slide his key into the lock.
For a second, you just look at him.
Red-rimmed eyes. Shoulders tight. That hollow, exhausted look that tells you this wasn’t just a long shift, it was a hard one.
“Hey, baby,” you say softly.
It’s immediate. His shoulders drop just an inch. Like he didn’t even realize how tightly he was holding himself together until he heard your voice.
“You’re late,” he mutters. “Or… gonna be.”
“Jack won’t mind,” you say gently as the two of you automatically trade places in the doorway. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Robby snaps, too fast, too sharp.
You frown.
Before he can turn away, you catch his chin, forcing him to look at you.
“Robby…”
He exhales through his nose, jaw tight. “My mess will still be there when you get there,” he says. “I’m sure Jack is cursing my name right now.”
Your hand drops to his chest. You feel his heart under your palm. It's fast, heavy, tired.
You want to stay. You want to pull him in, make him sit, make him talk, make it better.
But the pager on your hip is a reminder.
You’re needed.
“Get a shower,” you say softly. “I left a plate for you in the fridge. Eat something. Get some rest.”
He nods, eyes softening just a little. “Yeah.”
You lean in and press a quick kiss to his cheek, not enough, never enough.
“I’ll see you later,” you say.
He watches you go, and for a moment, it feels like the hardest part of the shift isn’t the patients.
It’s walking past each other like this, loving each other in doorways.
*****
Shift Six
Your phone buzzes against the counter.
Robby: You okay?
You glance at the clock. Way too late for him. Way too early for you to be anything but tired.
You: You should be asleep.
Robby: I was. Then I wasn’t.
You smile softly, thumbs moving.
You: That’s not how sleep works, doctor.
Robby: It is when you’re not in my bed.
You bite your lip.
You: Robby. Go to sleep.
Three dots appear. Disappear. Then reappear.
Robby: I miss you.
Your chest tightens.
That’s what does it.
You slip out into the ambulance bay, the cool night air wrapping around you as you hit call.
He answers on the second ring.
“Hey,” he says, voice low, tired.
"Hi," you whisper back.
“Do I sound as pathetic as I feel?” he asks quietly.
You laugh softly, even though your throat feels thick. “No. You sound like someone who loves his girlfriend.”
There’s a pause.
“I love you,” you say. “And I am never doing night shift again.”
That earns a small, tired chuckle. “Noted.”
You take a moment to breathe in the air.
“Jack says you’re the best resident he’s had,” Robby adds.
“I don’t sleep with Jack,” you shoot back. “And I miss the man I’m supposed to sleep next to.”
Robby goes quiet.
Not awkward quiet.
Heavy quiet.
Finally, he exhales. “One more week.”
“One more week,” you agree.
In the distance, you hear it, the wail of an incoming ambulance.
Your shoulders tense.
“I have to go,” you say softly. “Please try to sleep.”
“I will,” he promises. “Be safe.”
“Always,” you say. “I love you.”
“I love you,” he says back.
You hang up, heart full and aching at the same time.
One more week.
*****
Shift Nine
The door barely clicks shut before Robby’s hands are on you.
He pulls you in, backing you up against the door, kissing you like he’s been holding it together all night and finally ran out of restraint. It’s desperate and familiar all at once. The kind of kiss that says I missed you more than anything else.
You melt into it for half a second before reality cuts in.
“Robby,” you mumble against his mouth. “I probably smell like antiseptic and coffee.”
“I don’t care,” he says, kissing you again anyway.
And honestly? You don’t either.
A week of passing each other in doorways, of texts and quick pecks and missed sleep, you’re both touch-starved. His hands are warm, grounding, holding you like he needs to remind himself you’re real.
But your brain does the math.
“Hand-off in ten,” you say softly, pulling back just enough to look at him. “And it’s a fifteen-minute walk.”
He groans quietly, dropping his forehead to yours.
“Fuck,” he breathes.
You wrap your arms around his neck anyway, holding him there for one more second. One more stolen moment.
“Have a good shift,” you say, kissing his chin, soft and lingering. “Save lives. Be brilliant.”
He squeezes you once, like he’s trying to memorize the feel of you.
“Always,” he says.
Robby grabs his bag, opens the door, then pauses, looking back at you like he’s already counting down the hours until he gets back.
You stand there, watching him go.
Three more nights.
*****
Your last night shift finally ends.
You make it back to Robby’s apartment on pure muscle memory, having seen him briefly at PTMC. You shower, eat ice cream straight from the carton, then collapse into bed without even setting an alarm.
For the first time in two weeks, there’s no countdown.
No timer.
No pager.
Just sleep.
When you wake, there’s a warm body next to you.
It takes a second to register that it’s nine at night and that Robby is home.
He smells clean, freshly showered, familiar in the way that makes your chest ache a little. You lean in and kiss his cheek, then his jaw, soft and slow until he stirs.
“M’trying to sleep, woman,” he mumbles, voice thick with exhaustion.
You smile, pushing him gently onto his back and settling over him, playful and warm and finally unrushed.
“Are you off tomorrow?” you ask.
He groans quietly but his hands come to your hips automatically, grounding, familiar.
“Yeah,” he says, blinking his eyes open.
“Me too,” you say, smiling. Then, softer, sweeter: “And I’m back on day shift.”
His hands tighten just a little.
“Where you fucking belong,” he says.
“Jack’s sad,” you smirk.
Robby huffs out a tired laugh and pulls you closer, tucking you back under him.
“Like you said,” he murmurs. “You’re not sleeping with Jack.”
You settle into him, warmth and relief and finally being on the same schedule again washing over you.
Summary - After a bad case and Robby ignoring you, you set the tone for what you want from him as an apology.
Masterlist
******
You find Robby the way you always do when things fall apart, by instinct.
Your hands are still shaking. There’s dried blood under one fingernail you missed scrubbing out. The patient’s face keeps flashing in your mind, the sound they made when the monitor flatlined looping no matter how hard you try to breathe through it.
Robby’s at the desk, charting. Jaw tight. Eyes distant.
You step closer. “Robby?”
He doesn’t look up. “Not now.”
It’s not sharp. Not cruel. Just… absent.
Something in your chest cracks anyway.
“I just—” Your voice falters. You swallow. “I had a rough one.”
He exhales, rubbing his temple. “I can’t do this right now. I’ve got Gloria in my head and—”
That’s it.
That’s all.
You nod once. Professional. Controlled. The way you’ve learned to be.
“Okay,” you say quietly.
And you walk away before he can see your face fall apart.
Dana doesn’t miss a damn thing.
She watches you disappear down the hall. Watches Robby go back to charting like nothing happened.
Then she steps in front of him.
“What the hell was that?” she asks.
Robby blinks. “What?”
“That woman just came to you looking like she was holding herself together with duct tape,” Dana says flatly. “And you blew her off.”
His shoulders tense. “I didn’t mean—”
“I don’t care what you meant,” she cuts in. “I care what you did.”
Something in her tone finally gets through.
“She needed you,” Dana says more softly. “And if you don’t go fix that? You’re an idiot.”
Robby’s stomach drops.
“Oh shit.”
******
You’re in a quiet room with Joy when he finds you later. Teaching her a simple stitch on a practice pad. Your voice is calm. Steady. Like nothing’s wrong.
Robby stops just inside the doorway.
“Hey,” he says. “How’s it going in here?”
You don’t look up. “Joy, keep your tension even. Don’t rush it.”
Joy glances between you two. “Am I… interrupting?”
“No,” you say immediately. Too quickly. “You’re doing great.”
Robby shifts, clearly wanting to say more, but the room isn’t the place. He nods once.
“Can I see you for a moment?” Robby asks and you know it’s directed at you.
“Busy, can it wait?” You ask, your eyes not leaving Joy’s fingers.
Robby didn’t say anything. You knew he probably was masking his hurt but you didn’t care at the moment. His eyes would make you cave. Wanting to comfort him would make you cave.
Robby cleared his throat.
“I’ll, uh. Catch you later.”
You don’t respond.
And that hurts worse than if you had.
******
It’s dark by the time you leave. Cold. Quiet.
You’re halfway to your car when you hear footsteps.
“Hey.”
You turn. Robby’s there, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, eyes searching your face like he’s been holding his breath all evening.
“I’m sorry,” he says immediately. “I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
You shrug, exhaustion heavy in your bones. “I’m just tired.”
He steps closer. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”
You finally look at him. Really look.
“I already forgave you,” you say softly.
“You…did?” Robby seemed to relax his shoulders slightly.
You nod. “I love you. I know you were in your head.”
That almost makes it worse.
Robby exhales shakily. “What can I do?”
You think for half a second.
“I want pizza,” you say.
“Consider it ordered.” Robby already had his phone out.
“I want a shower.” Biting your lip.
“I’m sure we both stick,” he muttered as he finished the order.
“And honestly?”
Robby looked back into your eyes.
“I’d really appreciate it if you fucked me to where I couldn’t walk straight,” you whispered but didn’t let your voice shake.
The silence between you is thick. Charged.
He nods once. “I can do that.”
“You sure?” You ask.
Robby stepped next to you, making you lean your head back to look at his face.
“Be a honor,” he smirked.
You barked out a laugh and shook your head, pushing him gently against his chest. Robby grabbed your arms and pulled you into a hug. His lips found your forehead.
“I love you,” he mumbled against your skin.
You hug him tight. His hands roamed over your back soothingly.
“You wanna talk about it?” He asked.
“No,” you sigh. “I told you what I wanted.”
“You know what I mean,” Robby reaches up and makes you look at him. “You okay?”
Your eyes got teary as you thought about your day. Mix that with Robby holding you and it was a lot. But the day was over and he was here and agreed to your wants.
Robby was standing in the driveway, hands on his hips and glaring at the useless motorcycle that sputtered its last few breaths a few minutes ago.
“Oh no. It’s not working,” you said in the most I-don’t-give-a-fuck voice you could muster.
“Anyway,” you lifted the thermos in your hand to sip hot tea as Robby turned his head slowly to squint at your nonchalant behavior. “Ah. That’s damn good tea.”
“What did you do?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He shook his head and gritted his teeth as you walked away from him, pointing your keys at your car to unlock it, the beep! mocking him in his head.
“We have security cameras! I can check what you did last night!” He yelled at your retreating form, rubbing the back of his neck in distress.
“Happy to see you at work if you wanna walk instead, Robinavitch! Some low impact cardio will be good for you!”
robby looks soooooooo husband this season. thinking dad!robby thoughts again with his lil baby. and he spends his sabbatical with his lil family instead of killing himself taking baby on her first vacation to the beach putting her lil feet in ocean dressing her in a cute little matching swimsuit and big ol sun hat. seeing him actually relaxed for once.
She’d picked up the shift because someone called out. “It’ll be fine,” she’d said that morning, kissing Robby quickly before heading out. “Half day. Easy.”
It was not easy.
Robby was halfway through folding laundry when his phone buzzed.
Jack.
He frowned immediately. Jack didn’t call him unless something was wrong—or hilarious.
He answered. “What happened?”
There was a sigh on the other end. “She’s finishing up charting. Don’t tell her I called.”
Robby’s chest tightened.
“What happened?” he repeated, quieter now.
Jack lowered his voice. “Peds code. Didn’t make it. She was primary. Parents were…” He trailed off. “It was bad, Rob.”
Silence.
“She’s holding it together,” Jack continued gently. “But you know that look she gets? The ‘I’m fine’ one?”
Robby closed his eyes. He knew it.
Too well.
“Thanks for telling me,” he said.
“Yeah. Just… maybe don’t let her cook tonight. Or think. Or exist too much.”
“I won’t.”
By the time she pulled into the driveway, the porch light was already on.
She sat in the car for a minute.
Just breathing.
Her hands were still shaking slightly, like her body hadn’t realized it was safe to stop yet.
When she finally walked in, the house smelled like garlic and rosemary. Soft music was playing. The lights were dim—not dark, just warm.
Robby was in the kitchen.
He looked up immediately.
And that was it.
That was all it took.
Her chin wobbled.
He didn’t ask a single question. Didn’t say how was your shift? Didn’t say are you okay?
He just walked to her.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like she might shatter.
“Hi,” he said softly.
That did it.
Her bag slid off her shoulder and hit the floor as she folded into him.
He caught her instantly, arms wrapping tight around her, one hand cradling the back of her head, pressing her face into his chest.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured into her hair.
She didn’t even realize she was crying until she felt his shirt damp under her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered automatically.
“For what?” His voice sharpened just slightly. Protective. “You don’t apologize for having a heart.”
She swallowed hard.
“I couldn’t—” Her voice broke. “I couldn’t fix it.”
He exhaled slowly, steadying himself. He’d had those days. Too many of them.
“I know,” he said quietly. “I know.”
He didn’t offer platitudes. Didn’t say you did your best. Didn’t say it wasn’t your fault.
He just held her.
Because sometimes that was the only thing that helped.
A few minutes later, he gently guided her to the couch.
“Shoes,” he said softly, kneeling in front of her.
She blinked at him. “Robby—”
“Shh.”
He untied them carefully, sliding them off, then peeled her socks away like she’d just run a marathon. His hands were warm and steady and grounding.
“You eat today?” he asked quietly.
She hesitated.
He raised an eyebrow.
“…half a granola bar.”
He sighed, but there was no frustration in it. Just care.
“Okay.”
He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a bowl already made—pasta, something simple, something warm. A glass of water. He sat beside her instead of across from her.
“Small bites,” he said gently.
She obeyed without thinking, because she was too tired not to.
Halfway through, her hand started trembling again.
He noticed immediately.
He always did.
He set the bowl aside and turned toward her fully.
“Come here.”
She shifted, curling into him this time on the couch. He pulled a blanket over her legs and wrapped both arms around her, anchoring her against his chest.
His hand rubbed slow circles on her back.
“You don’t have to be strong here,” he murmured into her hair.
Her breath hitched.
“I know you can be,” he continued softly. “I know you are. But you don’t have to be with me.”
Her fingers curled into his shirt.
“I keep seeing their faces,” she whispered.
He tightened his hold just slightly.
“I know,” he said. “It’ll fade. Not all the way. But enough.”
She buried her face into his chest again, breathing him in. Laundry detergent. Rosemary. Him.
After a while, her crying slowed. Then stopped.
Her body went heavy against him.
He kept rubbing her back long after she fell asleep.
When she stirred an hour later, disoriented, she found herself tucked into their bed.
Robby was beside her, propped up against the headboard, reading.
It usually was—but tonight felt louder somehow. Monitors beeping, stretchers rolling, someone shouting for respiratory. You were at the nurses’ station, charting quickly before heading back into a trauma bay.
You wore your hearing aids at work. You always did. They didn’t make everything perfect—but they helped. Enough to catch your name being called. Enough to feel steady in the storm.
You were mid-sentence with a resident when it happened.
The sound thinned.
Not gradually.
Just—gone.
The faint background hum you’d grown used to disappeared. The resident’s mouth was still moving, but the rhythm was off. Wrong. Like a movie playing on mute.
Your stomach dropped.
No. No, no—
You tapped behind your ear discreetly. Nothing. You pressed the little button.
Dead.
Across the station, Robby looked up.
He’d been pretending to review labs. In reality, he’d been watching you the way he always did—subtle, careful, protective without being suffocating. Years together had trained him to notice the smallest shift in you.
And you had shifted.
You went still. Too still.
He was at your side in seconds.
“Hey,” he said, but you didn’t react.
His heart lurched.
You looked up at him, and he saw it—the flicker of panic you tried to hide. Your hand moved slightly toward your ear.
Oh.
Oh.
His expression softened immediately.
Without hesitation, he stepped into your line of sight and gently touched your wrist—not to startle you, just to anchor you. When you focused on him, he began signing.
Battery?
Your shoulders sagged in relief. You nodded.
Dead.
He nodded once. Calm. Steady. The same way he was during codes.
Okay. I’ve got you.
The tension in your chest loosened.
He switched fully into ASL without thinking, his hands fluid and sure. He’d learned for you years ago—not because you’d asked, but because he wanted to be part of your world completely. Late nights at the kitchen table. Flashcards stuck to the fridge. Practicing in the mirror.
He had once told you, “I never want you to feel alone in a room I’m standing in.”
Now he signed:
Stay with me. We’ll get batteries.
You signed back, a little flustered:
I have patients.
He gave you that look. The one that said I know you. I know your stubborn streak.
Two minutes. Jack can cover.
As if summoned, Jack wandered over. “Why do you two look intense? Is this a lovers’ quarrel or—”
Robby didn’t even turn. He just signed to you:
I’ll explain to him.
Then he finally looked at Jack. “Her hearing aid battery died. I need you to cover Bay Three for five.”
Jack blinked. “Oh. Oh! Yeah. Yeah, obviously.”
Robby was already signing again.
Okay?
You hesitated, then nodded.
He guided you gently—not grabbing, not pushing—just a warm hand at your lower back so you could follow the direction. The world felt disorienting without sound. Smaller. Further away.
He noticed.
He always noticed.
Once you were in the staff room, he crouched slightly so you could see him clearly, signing slower now.
You’re safe. It’s just the battery.
You exhaled shakily.
He reached into his locker—because of course he had extras. He always carried extras. In his bag. In his locker. In the glove compartment of his car.
You’d teased him about it once.
He’d shrugged and said, “Preparedness is attractive.”
Now he handed you the small pack like it was the most precious thing in the world.
Your fingers brushed his. You signed softly:
Thank you.
His expression softened in a way that still made your heart flip, even after years.
Always.
You swapped the battery out carefully. There was a tiny click.
Then—
Sound rushed back in. Faint at first. The hum of the ventilation. Distant footsteps. Robby’s quiet breath.
You looked up at him.
“Better?” he asked aloud, but he signed it too.
You smiled. “Yeah. Better.”
Relief washed over his face so openly it made your chest ache.
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead gently to yours. “You scared me for a second.”
You laughed softly. “You realized fast.”
He gave you a small shrug. “You went quiet.”
You raised an eyebrow. “I’m deaf, Robby.”
He huffed a quiet laugh. “You know what I mean. You went still. You always go still when something’s wrong.”
You looked at him for a long moment.
Years together. Years of him learning your cues. Years of him stepping into your line of sight instead of calling your name. Years of him signing “I love you” across crowded rooms.
You signed it now.
I love you.
He didn’t even hesitate.
I love you more.
Then, because he was him, he added aloud, “And I’m still putting battery checks on our shared calendar.”
You groaned. “You are not.”
He grinned. “Already did.”
You rolled your eyes—but you were smiling as he took your hand and led you back into the noise of the ER.
Hiii love how open you are to writing about certain things!! I would like to request for Robby can you do where reader is a nurse and kinda the same story a Dana where a patient attacks her. Robby and reader are married if possible thank you!!
A/N: hi! Thank you so much. This is my very first request. I hope I did it justice!
Warnings: none!
Summary: Amid the chaos of the ER, you’re the one injured — and Robby, both your husband and your fellow coworker, drops everything to stabilize you before anyone else can.
The shift had been too quiet.
You should have known that meant something was coming.
You were restocking a crash cart just outside Trauma Two, half-listening to the distant hum of monitors and the squeak of gurney wheels on tile. The ER always had a rhythm chaotic, loud, alive but this was different. Tight. Coiled.
“Hey,” Robby murmured as he passed behind you, his hand brushing the small of your back in a way that was quick but familiar. Grounding. “You eat yet?”
You snorted softly. “It’s 2:30, Robby.”
“So that’s a no.”
You didn’t look at him, but you felt him linger anyway. That was the thing about being married and working the same floor you learned how to communicate in glances, in touches, in the weight of silence. He squeezed your shoulder once before being pulled away by a paramedic calling his name.
You watched him go for half a second longer than you should have.
Then the shouting started.
It came from Room Seven sharp, jagged, wrong.
You were already moving before you registered the words.
“I’m not staying here! Get off me!”
The patient, mid-thirties, intoxicated, brought in for a head laceration was halfway off the bed when you entered. One wrist still loosely strapped, IV tugging dangerously at his arm.
“Hey, hey,” you said calmly, palms open. “You’ve got a concussion. You need to lie back—”
His eyes locked onto you.
And something shifted.
“I said don’t touch me!”
You barely saw the swing.
Just the flash of movement. The crack of impact. The taste of copper.
The room tilted.
The floor was suddenly too close. Cold against your cheek. Your vision fractured into pieces, shoes, fluorescent lights, the dangling pull of the IV line still swinging.
Copper flooded your mouth.
You tried to push up, but your arms didn’t listen.
“Get him down!” someone barked.
A crash. A grunt. The patient shouting again angrier now, feral.
Hands were on you.
“Don’t move her.”
“Did he hit her head on the rail?”
“She’s bleeding—”
No. That was you.
You blinked, and Robby was there, dropping to his knees so hard you heard them hit tile.
“Hey. Hey, look at me.” His hands hovered just short of touching your face, like he was afraid you’d break.
You tried to roll your eyes at him. You thought you did.
“I’m fine,” you meant to say.
It came out slurred. “’m f—”
His jaw tightened.
“Don’t,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a request.
Behind him, security swarmed the patient. The fight was still happening bodies, orders, restraints snapping into place but it felt far away. Like you were underwater.
His hands finally moved.
Someone slid in on your other side. Fingers steadied your head. The world stopped swaying quite so violently.
“Easy,” Robby murmured, one palm braced gently along your temple, the other supporting your jaw. “I’ve got you.”
You felt the shift in him. husband disappearing, trauma doctor taking over.
“Pupils,” he said.
“Equal. Reactive.”
He nodded once. Good. Then his fingers moved carefully over your scalp, parting your hair, searching.
“Any neck pain?” he asked you.
You blinked at him.
“Stay with me. Can you hear me?”
You managed the smallest nod.
“Okay. Don’t move.”
His thumbs traced along your orbital bones, deliberate and firm. Under your eyes. Across your cheekbones. You flinched when he pressed near your left cheek.
“There?” he asked immediately.
You swallowed. “Y—yeah.”
His jaw flexed.
He palpated again, slower this time, feeling for step-offs, instability, asymmetry. His touch was clinical, but his eyes gave him away, scanning your face like he was memorizing it, like he needed proof it was still intact.
“No crepitus,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “No obvious deformity.”
His fingers moved to your nose. Gentle pressure. You hissed.
“Bleeding’s from the lip,” someone said, dabbing again with gauze.
“Teeth?” Robby asked.
You tapped one cautiously with your tongue. Tender. Not loose.
He noticed the movement. “Don’t do that.”
Despite everything, something like relief flickered through his features.
“Jaw,” he said. “Open your mouth for me.”
You tried. It worked. Pain shot up the side of your face, but nothing shifted the way it shouldn’t.
“Good,” he breathed. It was barely audible.
Behind him, security finished restraining the patient. The shouting dulled into background noise. The room was coming back into focus, but you were still anchored to the steady pressure of Robby’s hands.
“BP?” he asked.
“Climbing. Probably adrenaline.”
“Yeah,” he replied quietly. “Mine too.”
He brushed his thumb carefully along the swelling already forming on your cheekbone.
“No obvious fractures,” he said, more firmly now. “We’ll get imaging. But structurally… you’re okay.”
Structurally.
Like you were a building he’d just inspected for damage.
His forehead hovered close to yours, not quite touching.
“You scared the hell out of me,” he said, voice low enough that only you could hear it.
the way i eat up every tiny bit of new information about robby like it’s a revelation. like what do you MEAN he can’t stand being alone to the point that he sleeps with the tv on???? this lore
Reader is a pediatric doctor at ptmc and is deaf, she has been with robby for years to the point were people just brush off the way they act around eachother ( very goofy and flirty) but when the new med students come in they are confused and bewildered by it.
One day readers hearing aid battery dies midshift and she doesnt have a spare one, but remembering robby does she goes down to the pitt, only to be met by an over eager med student who doesnt understand boundaries, reader tries to get away from them which only agitas the med student more, Dana sees reader and finally shoos away the med student, Dana goes and finds robby who gives her the battery and all is well and it ends fluffy and cute
A/N: hi! This was such a cutie request. I hope I did a good job. 
Warnings: Ogilvie (yes, he deserves a warning)
Summary: Deaf!Reader’s hearing aids cut out mid-shift, and as always, Dr. Robinavitch is ready with a spare battery before she even has to ask.
By week two, the new med students had learned three things about PTMC:
1. The Pitt ran on caffeine and controlled panic.
2. Dana was the scariest person in the building and she didn’t even have to raise her voice.
3. Dr. Robinavitch and Dr. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) were… something.
No one ever clarified what that something was.
They just existed in each other’s orbit like it was law.
They shared a desk drawer. Robby kept protein bars in it “for emergencies,” which meant for her when she forgot to eat. She reorganized his charts when he got sloppy. He automatically adjusted the height of any chair she was about to sit in. She stole his coffee and he pretended not to notice even though he absolutely noticed.
It had been years.
Long enough that no one commented anymore.
Except the new kids.
Six hours into shift, your hearing aid gave the familiar warning chirp.
You froze mid-chart.
No.
Not today.
You tapped behind your ear. Another weak chirp.
Then silence.
The world cut out like someone had flipped a switch.
You inhaled slowly. You could work like this, you had before. But it made everything heavier. More concentration. More lip reading. More strain.
You reached into your coat pocket.
Empty.
Other pocket.
Nothing.
You closed your eyes briefly.
Of course.
You finished giving instructions to a nurse by sight and gesture, steady and composed. No one around you would’ve known anything changed.
But you knew.
And there was exactly one person in the building who carried spare batteries like they were trauma supplies.
Robby.
Because three years ago, when this had happened mid-code, he’d watched you push through it until your hands shook after.
The next day he’d shown up with a bulk order and quietly said, “I’m carrying backups. Don’t argue.”
You hadn’t.
You headed for the Pitt.
“Dr. (Y/L/N)!”
You turned.
Ogilvie.
Bright-eyed. Over-eager. Chronically ten steps behind socially.
He jogged toward you, already talking. You couldn’t hear him, but you could see the enthusiasm pouring off him.
You tapped behind your ear and shook your head slightly.
His expression flickered with understanding.
Good.
Then he leaned in.
Too close.
He started over-enunciating, lips moving dramatically.
You caught pieces.
“…presentation… thought maybe… walk me through…”
You signed clearly: Battery died. Can’t hear. Later.
Blank look.
You tried again, slower.
He stepped into your path.
You shifted to move around him. He adjusted with you.
Then, unbelievably, he touched your elbow.
Not hard.
But enough.
Your shoulders went rigid instantly.
You pulled back, expression cooling.
He started talking faster, flustered now. Agitated that you weren’t engaging. His brows drew together like you were the confusing variable here.
Across the ER, Dana looked up from the central desk.
Her hair was twisted up in a claw clip, reading glasses perched low on her nose as she reviewed something on a tablet. She clocked the body language immediately.
She didn’t rush.
She just walked over with the calm authority of someone who had absolutely ended careers with less effort.
“What’s going on?” she asked Ogilvie evenly.
He launched into an explanation.
Dana didn’t look at him.
She looked at you.
“Battery?”
You nodded once.
She sighed like a tired older sister. “Of course it is.”
Ogilvie kept talking.
Dana finally turned to him. “Dr. (Y/L/N) indicated she can’t hear you. When someone does that, you give them space. You do not block them. You do not grab them.”
“I was just trying to—”
“I don’t care what you were trying to do.”
Her tone never rose. It didn’t need to.
“You will shadow from a respectful distance. Understood?”
Ogilvie swallowed. “Yes.”
“Good.”
She jerked her chin toward the trauma bays. “Go inventory something.”
He fled.
Dana looked back at you, expression softening immediately.
You huffed a silent laugh.
“Robby’s in three,” she added.
He was mid-sentence when he saw you.
He stopped talking.
Just stopped.
The resident he’d been speaking to trailed off awkwardly as Robby’s entire focus shifted.
It wasn’t dramatic.
It was automatic.
He crossed the floor in long strides and stopped right in front of you, close enough that your knees almost brushed.
His hands came up without thinking.
“You okay?” he signed, careful, practiced. Not perfect, but fluent in you.
You mimed a tiny explosion near your ear.
His face immediately softened.
“Battery?” he mouthed.
You nodded.
He didn’t tease you.
Didn’t sigh.
Didn’t say I told you so.
He just reached into his coat.
Left pocket.
Right pocket.
Inside pocket.
You crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow.
He shot you a look. “I have them.”
You tilted your head like do you though?
He finally pulled out the small plastic case and held it up between you like a peace offering.
You smiled, small and private.
He stepped even closer, lowering his voice out of habit even though you still couldn’t hear him.
His fingers brushed yours as he handed over the battery.
Not an accident.
Never an accident.
You replaced it quickly.
The click settled in.
Sound rushed back.
Monitors. Footsteps. Someone arguing about bed assignments.
And Robby’s voice, warm and right there.
“—don’t give me that look.”
You blinked at him. “What look?”
“The one where you pretend you weren’t about to come steal mine.”
“I was not stealing.”
He folded his arms. “You were absolutely stealing.”
“You carry extras for me.”
“I carry extras because you’re stubborn.”
You stepped closer, lowering your voice. “You carry extras because you love me.”
He didn’t miss a beat.
“Yes.”
It wasn’t dramatic.
It wasn’t whispered like a confession.
It was simple. Certain.
Like stating his blood type.
Behind him, two med students were openly staring again.
One whispered, “Are they married?”
The other whispered, “I think so?”
Robby glanced back at them, then leaned in just slightly.
“You good?” he asked quietly.
You nodded.
His thumb brushed over your wrist where Ogilvie had grabbed you.
He didn’t ask.
He didn’t make a scene.
Just a subtle check.
You squeezed his hand once in reassurance.
“I had it handled,” you said.
“I know,” he replied immediately.
And he did.
That was the thing.
He’d never doubted you for a second.
Dana walked past, giving Robby a pointed look. “Control your interns.”
“They’re not mine,” he said.
“They’re yours now.”
She kept walking.
You smiled. “You’re scary when you’re territorial.”
He huffed. “I’m not territorial.”
“You carry hearing aid batteries like trauma supplies.”
He leaned in just enough that his shoulder pressed against yours.
“That’s preparedness.”
“Uh-huh.”
His hand found the small of your back briefly as someone rushed past.
Grounding.
Automatic.
Years of it.
Across the ER, Ogilvie watched in open confusion as Robby absentmindedly fixed the collar of your coat and you adjusted his badge back into place without looking.
Like you’d done it a hundred times.
Because you had.
“You know,” you said lightly, “one day they’re going to figure it out.”
“Figure what out?”
“That we’ve basically been married for years.”
He pretended to consider it.
Then leaned down slightly, voice warm against your ear.
“Good,” he murmured. “Took them long enough.”
And then he stole your pen and walked away like nothing had happened.
You stared after him.
“Unbelievable,” you muttered.
But you were smiling.
And across the Pitt, everyone else just carried on.
Michael Robinavitch with erectile dysfunction with a partner who fully accepts (and loves) it.
You've clearly had a rough day, if the way you slam the front door is any indication. Robby quickly turns the volume down on the game he’s watching to call out, “Baby, you okay?”
No response. Instead, Robby is met with a torrent of angry footsteps. You step into the living room with a scowl. “Take off your pants,” you grunt.
“What?”
You pull your scrub top off over your head and shuck your pants off as you stomp over. “Take off your fucking pants, Michael. Underwear, too.”
“I didn’t take anything. I can't get-"
“I don’t give a fuck.”
You drop to your knees in front of him, making quick work of unbuttoning his pants and fishing his soft cock out of the confines of his boxers.
"What are you doing?" Robby asks, squirming at the feeling of your hand around his flaccid cock.
"Stress relief, baby. I need this," You bring his tip to your mouth, "Keep watching your game."
And then, you suck his soft length into your mouth. It takes a great deal of effort for him not to buck his hips into your face. Instead, he settles on gasping out, "Oh- hah -okay baby. That's- wow -okay."
You shut your eyes and hum around him. The vibrations feel like utter heaven, and as Robby looks down at you, a pretty young thing on your knees for him, he has but one thought-
“this is dr. michael robinavitch, i am the chief of emergency medicine at PTMC. if you fire her, she will sue you and i will testify on her behalf.”
robby hangs up the patient’s phone and hands it back to her with a gentle smile.
“okay. don’t worry about it, we got you.”
you hide your growing smile behind the monitor you’re working at.
it’s later on when you manage to catch robby, grabbing his hand and leading him into an empty hallway. you pull him into a searing kiss, his back landing against the wall as he laughs against your lips.
“what’s got you so needy, honey?”
“you,” you say in between kisses. “what you said to that patient’s boss, it was so hot. even dr. al-hashimi looked like she wanted to jump your bones.”
“there’s only one person i want jumping my bones.”
you gasp as he spins the two of you around so he has you pinned against the wall, lips immediately finding home on yours.
“and the long sleeves,” you add. “they’re working for you.”
“yeah?” he presses soft kisses against your jawline. “tell me more.”
“i’d rather show you tonight.” you press yourself against him, a groan escaping him.
“i’m leaving tonight.” robby presses his forehead to yours.
you try to ignore the sinking feeling in your stomach, “i know. leave an hour later.”
he doesn’t respond, capturing your lips again.
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