date night gets interesting when robby unknowingly interrupts yours and jackās dinner with a date of his ownāand no one is more nosy than the Abbots.
contents: smut, references to erectile dysfunction (i couldnāt help myself, sorry), being lil judgy and sexy together š«¶, a whole lotta fluff and smut tbh, lighthearted bullying of robby (he deserves it sometimes).
[jack abbot x fem!reader; wc: 6.0k ]
masterlist | other jack abbot fics
The restaurant was crowded for a Tuesday night.
Clinking glasses and consistent chatter, it would have been easy to get lost in the noise but when Jack was in front of you, smiling with those eyes that never seemed to leave you, it was practically impossible to be distracted by anything but him.
āā¦So Henderson came around looking around for an attending and of courseāā Jack gestured to himself proudly and you scoffed over the rim of your glass.
āHow humble of you.ā
āOf course.ā You motioned for him to continue, biting the side of your lip to disguise the effect of his charm.
āHe takes me to this guy, maybe thirty years old, who canāt sit down. The reason? He lost a bet and shoved a piece of wood up his asshole.ā
āJesus, Jack!ā You shushed. Your eyes darted around to the surrounding tables. āWeāre in public!ā
āAnd Iām a doctor,ā he replied casually. āThings happen. I canāt keep them bottled inside or Iāll implode. Besides, this was like⦠a āyou need to know this kindā of thing.ā
You lifted your glass again to wash the taste of his story out of your mouth. āI think I want to be left out of the āneed to knowā from now on. Save that discussion for Dr.āā
Just as you felt the wine hit your tongue enough to muffle his therapistās name, you caught a figure over Jackās shoulder. Tall and unmistakable, the wine shot out from your lips and back into the glass like a waterfall.
āHoly shit,ā you mumbled.
āWhat?ā Jack asked concerned. His hand flashed across the table, clattering with your utensils. āWhatās wrong?ā
āRobby.ā You coughed, āHeās on a date. Here.ā
Jackās neck careened in question as if he didnāt catch your words. You tried not to bring attention to the table, muffling your coughs with a napkin, and Jack took the glass from your hand carefully.
āHe didnāt say anything at rounds this morning.ā
āIām not kidding.ā You put the napkin back down. āHeās literally right there. Did you tell him we were coming here?ā
āNo.ā Jack shook his head. He spared a fraction of a second to glimpse over his shoulder and clock Robby and his date near the host stand at the front of the restaurant.
Goddamn. Perlah was right. The rumors, which he had always taken with a grain of salt, were true.
āI thought he wasnāt dating anymore.ā
Jack shrugged. āEvery time he dumps someone he swears it off. But heās a shit liar and gossip spreads fast whenever he makes eyes at someone.ā
Your face curled in aversion of Robbyās romantic life. Just the thought of him⦠yeah, it made you want to seek out therapy too.
Michael Robinavitch was a serial daterāor, a serial wine, dine, and āleave someone behindā type of guy. Nothing ever worked out for him and you were always glad to give him a list of things to work on when he and Jack watched a Steelerās game in the garage.
Youād seen it hundreds of times. Well, maybe not hundreds of times but enough for you and Jack to both come to the conclusion that Robby was never going to be one to marry. It wasnāt in his cards because he made stupid decisions and you, more than Jack, felt terrible for the women who fell into Robbyās little trap.
But you were a woman. There were some things that even if Jack tried his absolute best to understand, he wouldnāt be able to.
āSo the woman isā¦?ā You asked curiously.
As they stood behind rows of tables and decor, Robby and his date conversed differently than you and Jack did. It was new, a little nervous, and complete with a layer of discomfort anyone with a soul could feel 20 feet away. The uneasiness of their stature didnāt surprise you in the slightest. After a certain age, what people expected out of dating wasnāt the same as if they were young and without commitments. Robby had a million of them, youāre sure the woman did too, and thatās a tricky path to navigate.
āNoelle Hastings,ā Jack said flatly before grabbing a piece of bread from the basket at the center. He ripped it in half and handed you one.
You took it without thought. āWho isā¦? Jack, you gotta be more specific here.ā
āSheās a nurseāmore often a case manager of insurance cases that fall through. Sheās a rain cloud in a suit but works a lot of days so I donāt see her much.ā
āHigh praise,ā you droned and he sighed, chewing hard on the bread.
āOne of the day shift nurses said itās been goinā on for a while.ā
āAnd he didnāt tell you?ā
Jack shook his head. The glass of water in front of him was suddenly more interesting than the conversation and you quirked a brow. His morose imitation of disappointment was cute.
Maybe they werenāt really good friends, he thought disappointedly. Was he really going to be stuck with his friends at the VA, some first responders, and the six elderly women who harassed him, sweetly, at the YMCA?
He didnāt even want to think about the women of your once-a-month book club.
He didnāt need to read about hockey players who fucked and World War II nurses who fell in love with soldiers.
You had a soldier right in front of you. You could just live out those fantasies with him instead.
āAre you upset that he didnāt tell you he was dating again?ā You asked him and Jack pursed his lips in annoyance.
āNo.ā
āYes,ā you corrected with a chuckle.
āI think itās a dick move not to tell your best friend that youāre dating someone.ā
āJust like it was a dick move to not tell him about your little blue pill incident?ā You pried with a smile and he met your eyes in a flash. Jackās finger pointed at you accusingly.
āHey now,ā he warned. āIām drinking water on purpose this time for you.ā
āI didnāt ask you to, honey. Iām only joking.ā
āThatās unconvincing.ā
āOkay, soothsayer.ā You grinned, elbows on the table and chin resting against your locked fingers. āYou think you know everything? Letās play a game then.ā
āBaby, this was supposed to be a nice dinner.ā
āA game wonāt ruin it.ā
Jack breathed in hard. He loved the dramatics; acting like the world was going to fall to pieces if he wasnāt one hundred percent present in the moment. It was a game, not a blindfolded eating contest where heād accidentally eat a bug instead of his steak.
āWhat kind of game?ā He settled instead.
āBetter strangers.ā
āNo.ā
āWhy not?ā
āBecause.ā
āThatās not a why.ā
āI donāt really want to imagine whatever the fuck Robby is talking about just to get into that womanās pants,ā Jack explained but it was choppy and his eyes bounced around the tables behind you rather than look directly at you.
āYouāre so jealous, Mr. Abbot,ā you gave a playful accusation. āTheyāre being satāshould I call them over? Let them join date night instead?ā
Jackās fingers dug into his eyes. āWhy are you such a menace today? After all I do for you?ā His tone lifted. āAnd what happened to Doctor? Iāll also option Staff Sergeant or Professorāfor your choosing, of course.ā
āJack,ā you lamented. āYou worked two doubles and two SWAT shifts this week. Iām allowed to be a pest.ā
He was the one who made the reservation to make up for his absence in the first place. Jack knew, he always did, when he wasnāt being the A+ worthy husband he should be. It was a casualty of his species, or, perhaps just his sanity, but he knew what to do to make you feel wanted when his career shifted things around.
āFine. We can play.ā
āKinky, Dr. Abbot,ā you winked. āJust beware. Theyāre sat in a boothāā you counted the tables with your eyes āāseven tables away.ā
āWell itās not like Iām gonna scream Robbyās fictional conversation across the room.ā
You picked up another piece of bread and repeated what Jack had done before.
āSave the screaming for later. Weāve got a long night ahead of us.ā
āNow who just said that in a public place?ā Jack tipped his head to the side, accepting the air kiss you sent hurling in his direction as a result.
āYou know itās true.ā
āYeah,ā he murmured lowly. Jackās eyes crinkled at their sides, appreciating the light heās caught you in at the moment.
Robbyās presence couldnāt ruin date night. It was an intrusion into your bubble, sure, but Jack would swim through a million Robbyās to reach your shore and he would play a thousand silly games with you to hear you laugh. If you wanted to make shit up about Robby and Noelle? Fuck it. He did too.
āSoā¦ā you tapped your fingers on the table. āWhat do you think they did before they got here?ā
Jack sipped on his water in consideration. āI think Robby worked until 7 but she got off a little earlier or didnāt work today. He showered at work, brought his stupid sweater with him, and picked her up on the way here.ā
āSolid choice.ā
āHow do you think they met?ā He asked you.
āWork, obviously,ā you said, matter-of-fact.
āNo shit, Sherlock,ā Jack snickered. āI meant⦠romantically.ā
āI think someone set them up on a blind date. Maybe someone from her side of the hospitalānot someone from the ED.ā
Jack nodded and caught the server returning to your table with your dinners in hand. Over Jackās shoulder, you watched the back of Robbyās head turn to their own server and order drinks.
You didnāt think for a second that your constant glancing in their direction would be an issue.
With thanks, the server left you both to eat but the questions kept going.
āAlright.ā You halved the portion of hericots verts on your plate and scooped them onto Jackās one-note plate. āWhy do you think theyāre at this same restaurant, right here, right now?ā
Jack ate one of the beans first. āDestiny.ā
āThatās a lame answer.ā
āI thought it was transcendent and thatās your opinion.ā
āYou really think itās destiny? To be at the same place as his very annoying, very married, friends?ā
āHe might have a problem with himself getting married but I donāt think he hates hanging out with us. Itās like a little family of sorts.ā
āAh yes,ā you awed. āThe child I never wanted to have: Michael Robinavitch.ā
āI donāt know,ā Jack replied truthfully this time. āItās a pretty popular place and not far from our work so I think it was probably out of convenience. Do you think heās in love with her?ā
You laughed, audibly, and not quietly. Eyes flicking back to the booth and accidentally catching Noelleās gaze at the same time.
It didnāt change your answer.
āFuck no.ā
āI agree,ā Jack smiled. āFuck no.ā
āBut Iāll give him a chance,ā you admitted, sipping on your drink. āHe deserves to be happy with someone⦠even if itās hard to imagine.ā
Jack cut a piece of his steak and held his fork out to you. āWhat do you think theyāre talking about?ā
āWork.ā You eyed the piece of meat to see if it was cooked enough but you should have known Jack would have cut up his entire dish to find the one piece youād eat.
āBoring,ā Jack heckled.
āWere you not talking about a piece of wood up someoneāsāā you motioned with your fist āāyou know?ā
āThatās different.ā
Your eyes narrowed in a challenge. āNot really, honey. Itās basically the exact same thing.ā
āWell itās different because weāre married. And when youāre married, you can talk about boring stuff.ā
Now your eyes rolled. Jack smirked, cutting up another piece for himself.
āI wish I knew that when you talked about MREs.ā
āYou wound me,ā Jack quipped. He popped the steak into his mouth and chewed when you came back with:
āNoāan IED did that for me.ā
He just about choked.
āCareful,ā you warned him casually. The light glint in your eye didnāt disappear. āYou canāt die on me yet. We have plans later.ā
āWhat the fuck happened to the game?ā He asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin. āWhy am I catching these strays, baby?ā
āCatching strays? Did you learn that from the kids at your work?ā
āTheyāre like twenty-two,ā Jack corrected. āAnd yeah, I did. I think I used it correctly.ā
āMhm,ā you hummed and finished off your wine. āWhat do I think theyāre talking about? My answer hasnāt changed: work.ā
āStill boring.ā
āAgreed.ā You nodded.
A quiet lull met the table as the food became more important. For all the nights you had to eat alone, having Jack present was a gift enough. He silently invaded your space. Filling every nook until shapes of him left indents in places he hadnāt existed beforeāat the kitchen table, on the couch, a second toothbrush in the holder, and a dip on his side of the bed.
As you ate, your gazes would meet across the table for brief moments in time.
No one ever looked at you like Jack did. Whatever he was feeling, you saw it in the curve of his eyes. The lines, as they stretched in pleasure and listened to you animatedly talk about anything, grew in adoration the longer you were together.
You imagined by the time you are old and the wrinkles have overtaken what you looked like in the present, Jack would still see you in the same light.
And not everyone is that lucky.
Jack cleared his throat and reached out his left hand onto the table top. You grabbed it as his thumb ran back and forth over your knuckles.
āSorry about picking up the extra shifts.ā
Two doubles. Two SWAT shifts in one week.
āSometimes I donāt realize that Iām even doing it,ā he admitted.
āI just want my husband home, Jack,ā you squeezed his hand. āI think you need to start putting your schedule on the fridge.ā
āMaybe⦠do you think Robby ever apologizes for not being a great⦠partner?ā
āOh hell no,ā you amused. āHeās never apologized for anything in his life.ā
āNo he has not.ā Jack agreed with a grin. āBut really, sweetheart. Iām sorry about that.ā
Your heart skipped a beat. āI love you, you know that?ā
āI think youāve told me once or twice.ā
āPossibly a few times more.ā
āYeah,ā he hummed. āI love you too.ā
Seven tables away, Noelle Hastings was trying not to overthink on her fourth date with Robby.
Her hands folded over her napkin thrice in two minutes and as they waited for their beverages, she couldnāt help but feel the nerves of dating begin to catch up to her. Robby had been nothing but a gemādifferent from what she had heard and seen around PTMC and unexpected, based on the looks sheād been getting the last few weeks whenever she stepped foot into the ED.
Noelle took in the restaurant. She observed the people in the room to calm herself downāpeople watching, it was easy. She could imagine their lives and not focus so heavily on her own before she spiraled completely.
There was a gaggle of friends in a booth on the opposite side of the room chatting animatedly; an elderly pair of sisters catching up at a table in the center of the room, and then, a pair she couldnāt stop looking at.
The first thing she noticed was the smile on the womanās face. Noelle was never the most confident in her abilities to read exactly what people wanted, but she knew what it was like to be in love and to feel it in every ounce of your body. She knew the ways in which a smile could stretch across a face, blurring your vision during fits of laughter. Noelle knew when a woman leaned across a table to take the hand of her loverās in hersāonly to press a kiss into his palm and bring it back downāwas something only those truly at peace with their adoration did.
And she couldnāt stop staring.
The ring on the womanās finger glinted every time she talked. Occasionally, also with a knife waving around unknowinglyāto which the partner (the assumed husband) would try very hard to make her put down. Noelle glanced down at her own barren finger and wondered if that would ever be her fate if she kept chasing men like Robby.
āYou alright?ā Robby asked her after fifteen minutes of spotty conversation.
Noelle nodded, straining a wry smile. āYeah, fine. Just tired.ā
Robby accepted the excuse. āShifts have been long lately?ā
āVery. It doesnāt make for great conversation though. Iād rather not go over the mountains of Medicare paperwork sitting on my desk right now.ā
āI donāt blame you.ā Robby shook his head, picking up his glass and holding it out to her to toast.
āTo a week done and a⦠weekend free of distractions.ā
Their glasses clinked softly in the space around them. As Noelle drank, her eyes strayed from Robby again and landed back to the table of the married pair but as she looked, the woman caught her eye and lost it in an instant.
āYou know,ā Robby started. āIām not really believing you when you said everything was fine.ā
āIt is. I justānothing. Itās fine. Truly, it is.ā
āThen why do you keep looking everywhere else but at me?ā
Noelle looked at the table again, catching the womanās sight another time before Robby followed the trail. Like a hound on a scent, he turned around, arm perched on the back of his booth seat, and fell on the table of Noelleās attention.
āOh, fuck.ā
Noelleās face dropped. āDo you know her?ā
Robby turned back around and ran a hand over his beard. His head wobbled from side to side before deciding on the easiest way to answer.
āYes, I know her,ā he said slowly.
āOkay,ā she nodded just as deliberately. āAnd is this like an⦠ex-girlfriend situation orā¦ā
āOh no,ā Robby blurted. āHell no. I would neverāsheās,ā he laughed āI would be six feet under if I even had an inkling of a thought about her.ā
āWell she keeps looking over here, so.ā
Robby glanced back over at you and Jack.
āSee the man sheās with?ā Noelle acknowledged it. āThatās her husbandāDr. Abbot, from the night shift.ā
āOh,ā Noelle said. āThe Abbots, then.ā
āMhm. And from where theyāre sitting, theyāre probably just as confused.ā
āConfused about what?ā
āYou see, Jack there, heās a friend. A good friend. Maybe my best friend but I donāt know⦠you know I donāt have a ton of those. I told him that I wasnāt looking for anyone right now because I didnāt want him toāā
āKnow about us?ā She finished for him.
Robby agreed with a bob. āYep.ā He popped the āPā and drew his finger around the lip of his scotch glass.
āIf it makes you feel any better, I havenāt told anyone about us either.ā It did make him feel better.
āDo you mind if I?ā Robby gestured with his thumb to your direction.
āAre you going to ask them to join our dinner?ā Noelle asked jokingly. Robbyās mouth quirked but he ignored it because of course not. The last fucking thing he wanted was for you and Jack to start interrogating him about his love life.
He had married friends. He had married co-workers. But you and Jack? Together? It was like he was handling a live grenade and if it went off, half of it was for the amusement of you both and the other was out of spite for his⦠lackluster history.
āIāll be right back.ā
āShit, Jack,ā you sputtered. āI think Robby saw me.ā
Jack put his fork down and rose his eyebrows. āYou werenāt being very subtle, baby. Every five seconds youāre looking over there.ā
āI was trying to be,ā you explained.
āLet me justāā
From your peripheral, Robby slid out of the booth and straightened out his sweater before pivoting on his feet and walking toward your direction.
āāheās coming over here.ā You gave Jack a giant smile. āDo I have anything in my teeth? Jack.ā He wasnāt looking fast enough. āTeeth?ā
Jack squinted, barely able to see a speck of anything because of the lightingāhe had to pull out his readers to even read the menu. āNo youāre fine.ā
āRobby?ā You feigned innocence, dazzlingly him with a toothy grin. āWhat a small world.ā
āHey!ā Jack played it off too. Fairly well, you thought. He could have been an actor. āWhat are you doinā here?ā
Robbyās eyes bounced between you and Jack. He thought it was slightly hilarious how, even though heād caught you staring, that the niceties and horror-like smiles the two of you were giving were cute.
āOh you know,ā he started, ājust on a date.ā
āReally?ā You gasped, suddenly interested and Jack kicked you under the table with his bionic foot. āYouāre dating again?ā
Robby shrugged. āHere and there.ā
āWell good for you. Really.ā
āI came over here becauseāā he cleared his throat and dipped his head as he stepped closer to the table, āāyouāre being really fucking weird to my date.ā
You scoffed, seeking out Jack who sat back against his chair casually. Your eyes shrunk in distrust that he was going to make you fend for yourself.
āPlease. I was just shocked to see you, thatās all.ā
āAnd you, Jack?ā Robby asked.
āI didnāt even know you were here,ā Jack said and you kissed your teeth.
āAlright, alright.ā Robby didnāt believe either of you. You two were also shitty liars. āActually, Jack, Iāve been meaning to ask you about something anyway. I heard it a few months ago and I just never got around to it.ā
Jack glimpsed at you in caution.
āYeah, brother, whatās up?ā
Robby glanced at you, quirking his head to decide whether or not it was worth it. āYou know what⦠nevermind.ā
āYou sure?ā Jack asked with a critical stare.
Robby thought on the rumors heās heard and the uncontrollable embarrassment that would follow Jack. The man would be mortified to have those words, the idea of him exposed for the sake of Robbyās pettiness.
āItās nothinā that canāt wait until next shift.ā
āThatās in a few days.ā
āStill,ā Robby said. āIt can wait.ā
āSo a co-worker?ā You asked Robby not meaning to be overly judgmental. āAgain.ā
āAnd youād rather see me with one of your reading friends, huh?ā Robby observed dryly.
āNot sure.ā You placed your napkin onto the table beside your finished meal. āI just think that someone outside of the field might give you peace of mind.ā
āWell, maybe if you met her, your perspective might change.ā
Robby looked back over his shoulder at Noelle and gave her a tight smile. Jack shook his head, disbelief washing over him at Robbyās assumption that this one will stick.
āYou gonna let her eat by herself or do you wanna pull up a chair?ā Jack wondered aloud.
āI just want to make sure that our⦠business wonāt be intruded upon.ā
āBusiness?ā You couldnāt help the laugh that came out. āShit, Robby. Do not call her ābusinessā ever. Youāll never get her to come out with you again.ā
āAnd how did Jack get you to go out with him more than once, let alone marry him?ā
Now he was just being petty.
āHave you seen him?ā You feigned trivial spite. āHe could be mute and still have more charisma than you.ā
āI think we see Jack in two different lights.ā
āJack is right here,ā Jack spoke up. āPlease include said man in your conversations. And I bagged her, she didnāt bag me, brother. A good man knows that.ā
Jack sent a wink tumbling into your direction and you felt your cheeks warm.
āYou two are⦠something.ā
āWeāll leave you alone,ā you told Robby. āWeāre almost done here anyway.ā
āThank you,ā Robby said half-heartedly.
āNow go back to her. Sheās probably more bored than she was before,ā Jack waved him off.
Robby retreated back to his table and Noelle gave him a coy face as they settled back into their date and you and Jack made amends with the end of half of yours.
āAnd thatās why we donāt play games at dinner,ā Jack followed Robbyās absence with.
āOh, please,ā you mourned with a flair. āDonāt act like you didnāt like getting to knock him down a peg.ā
āIād much ratherāā
āDonāt finish that sentence, Dr. Abbot.ā You warned.
āI didnāt say anything!ā
āMaybe itās time to leave, huh?ā You pushed your plate further away from the edge. āMove on to somethingā¦new.ā
āYeah?ā Jack said wisely. āGot any ideas?ā
āA few.ā
He dug into the pocket of his dinner jacket and flipped open his wallet before the check had been printed. Jackās mind began to wander to a million different places, impatient to make it to the car and speed home for the sake of his own wants.
āWhat if we just dine and dashed?ā He asked seriously.
āAnd be banned here forever? I can already see the headline: local veteran flees establishment for sex.ā
Your eyebrows lifted in incredulity. āSure, Jack. Whatever helps you sleep at night.ā
āI think we will both sleep very well.ā
āIs that a challenge?ā You asked him, leaning forward on your elbows.
Absentmindedly, Jack rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt and your eyes locked onto his arms immediately. Anyone else there, Robby and his date, be dammed. What the fuck were you thinking? A game to guess whatever Robby was talking about when you had a fucking feast of a husband right in front of you?
Dipshit. You scolded yourself the more time he took rolling the fabric over each crease.
Jack nodded lightly. His head barely moved.
āIāll have you out like a light by ten.ā
You short circuited for a second. A glitch in your matrix running scattered, barely coherent thoughts by your brain.
āWhere the hell is our server?ā
It had taken Jack a long time to love his body after he came home. Though it had been many years and heād come to accept that his memory of self would never be the same, when he was naked beside you, there was nothing to protect him from his thoughts.
And after the many attempts at trying the little blue pill? He performed sporadically and each time was a shot in his armor already scuffed with damage.
Yet you held his face in your hands so gingerly that it paved over the cracks in his facade. It helped build him up, strengthening his conviction that he was still worthy to be the man who pleased you and was able to satisfy you in the end.
A softness in your countenance made the muscles in his back contract. You felt him tense beneath your fingertips, the sides of his torso drawing rigid. You loved so deeply. It poured from every ounce of you but most in the way you looked at Jack. He witnessed you in vulnerability; the sheen of sweat on your forehead a testament to it. Your eyes flicked down between your bodies and he grunted as your reflex made your walls constrict around him.
Your breath hitched. Hands sliding from the sides of Jackās face to his neck, pulling him in closer until one inch more would contort your view. His gaze turned hooded. The side of his mouth pulled, lines forming as he thought about you and nothing but you.
Jackās pace picked up, challenging himself and his position. Leg be dammedāheād deal with the soreness later. He pressed his thumb in the spot behind your ear; the joint of your jaw moving it as your mouth fell open softly, a whine he hadnāt heard in awhile meeting the audible thwop of his cock thrusting into you. It was an obscenity heād welcome time and again so long as it meant he could feel you like this, have you between his hands, and loving him all at once.
āShit,ā you let out a quiet, warm laugh that tickled his face. āHoly shit, Jack.ā
He kissed the side of your mouth and let his lips linger there.
Your chest blossomed with tenderness that nearly hurt. You loved him. You loved the curls on his head and the way his heart burned with empathy; his drive to keep moving forward amidst nights where his memories consumed every bone in his body. Jack was unyielding in his support of you and God, you could feel it in the way he moved.
āKeep breathing, love,ā he whispered.
A hand fell down to grasp his forearm hovering above your chest. Small indents of crescent shaped moons met his graying hairs and defined veins before smoothing out. Your hand was damp with toil, seeking to mark him with remnants of you heād never want to wash away.
His voice was honeyed around words of soft reassurances. Jackās eyes rarely left yours when so vulnerable. Even when your body was arching into his, chasing after a high only he could help you reach, he watched you and your lips and your sighs.
His teeth pulled back on his bottom lip as he drank you in. And before he even realized he had let go, your hand was splayed against his jaw, thumb gliding over the same lip.
Jack leaned forward, pushing his mouth against yours. You opened up for him without him needing to ask. His tongue slipped against yours, pulling a sound from you that the heavens created just for his ears. Jack took the your hand resting against his face and guided it back to the pillow above your head. His fingers slotted between yours as he slowed down his hips, rocking his cock into you as deeply as it could go.
āOh fuck,ā you careened. Eyes fluttering and rolling with your head tipped back against the pillow.
Jackās free hand slinked from your head to between your breasts to your clit where it settled with pressure. He bobbed his head at you, urging you to continue down that path.
āBaby,ā he said lilted. āI got you. I got you.ā
āJaāā you started but he nodded as though he knew what you were going to say. His fingers moved fast and rough with the help of the lube that left its residue around you.
āYouāve got me too, yeah?ā Jack said lowly and it vibrated within your bones.
āOf course,ā you exhaled.
Jackās muscles trembled in an effort to hold himself back because he knew you werenāt there yet. He felt your toes curl in as they brushed the back of his legs. Your left leg dug into the mattress behind the clean line of what existed before and the other into his thick calf.
His voice continued barely above a whisper. āGod, I fucking love you. So much. I love you so fucking much.ā
Maybe it was the tone, or combination of his hands and his unrelenting pace but you groaned, a cry of appreciation, straight into Jackās heart.
āYou almost there, baby?ā He begged. āIām there. Iām there. I wanna feel you. Iām gonna wait for you.ā
You couldnāt remember the last time you finished together. Usually it was half and half. Jack would get you off, then youād fuck and heād come later. Swap it a million different ways but it still didnāt happen together frequently. Except it had been days. Long, tiring days of wishing to be beside one another and finally you were as close as you possibly could be.
And Jack pleaded for you.
He coaxed an orgasm from your body that had been dormant for days. Your shoulders trembled, quivering when you felt the delicate pulsing of his own fill you as his hand in yours nearly crushed the feeling left in it. His fingers removed themselves from your clit and grasped your hip tightly.
Jackās mouth captured yours immediately.
You both chased the electricity that sparked on all nerves. There was no time to allow breaths to catch up. Every second that surpassed as the high faded into a tired relief lingered in a gentle preserve of desire.
You bit down gently on his lip and tugged. Jackās hand loosened its grip on yours but didnāt let go completely.
His eyes stayed closed.
He listened to you recover and felt himself soften against the spasms you had no power over. There was no rush to clean up, to change the sheets, or lay down completely. Jack held you close and reminded himself that his time outside of your union could be reduced for the sake of these moments.
Your hands ran up his back and around his shoulders, pulling him closer. They burrowed into the back of his head and into his hair damp with sweat.
āIām so proud of you,ā you sighed.
For all that heās done, all that heās given, and whatever might come next. A small piece of him rewarded himself on not needing his support in the back of the medicine cabinet for the first time in monthsāa strange, selfish reason to be proud of himself. But you were proud.
And he prided himself in that.
āCome on.ā He rubbed his thumb into your hip. You shook your head, placing your lips to his again.
āI donāt wanna,ā you murmured against his mouth. āFive more minutes.ā
āIf we shower, you can wash my hair,ā Jack suggested as though it would move youāit didnāt. Nevertheless, he still kissed you back.
āLay with me, Jack.ā
Five minutes turned into ten⦠then you got to wash his hair.
And you were asleep by 10:05, just like he promised.
Four days later, Robby arrived in the ED with a newfound pep in his step. Everyday was unpredictable for him lately and the good days were far and few between, so, he took an inch and made it last a mile when the satisfaction rattled through his soul.
Jack was already talking to Dana at a computer about a patient in South 17 when Robby joined them, setting his bag down on the floor where Jackās was already packed and ready to go.
āDid I miss hand offs already?ā Robby asked both of them.
āJack asked me to come in early so he could get a jump start home,ā Dana detailed and Jack logged out.
āIāve got places to be, people to see,ā Jack said causally. Robby scoffed, eyes looking around the hub at his staff.
āYou mean your wife.ā
Jack nodded once. āAnd if I get out of here ināā he glanced down at his watch āāfive minutes I can catch her before she gets out of bed.ā
āIsnāt that sweet,ā Dana cooed. āTake notes, Robinavitch. You might need it someday.ā
āOh, I donāt know about that.ā Robby put his glasses on, dipping them low on his nose. āAbbot might not have the best advice.ā
Jack saddled his bag onto his shoulder. āDid the date not go well?ā His brows lifted in no apology. āIt was quite a fun thing to experience, if I do say so myself.ā
Robby laughed an āuh ohā as though he were being challenged.
āWell, Iād hate to be on the other side of what dates look like.ā
Jack narrowed his eyes, gazing at his friend with speculation before walking out of the hub. Dana backed off as Princess came snooping with an air of gossip waiting to be unleashed.
Robby gave Jack a few steps head start before jogging up to catch him.
āIt actually went very well, if you care,ā Robby said quietly. āWeāre getting drinks after work tonight.ā
Jack stopped. He looked at Robbyās face and knew in an instant that he was being honest. He did like Noelleāeven if he had a strange way of showing it.
āGood for you, brother.ā Jack slapped a hand on his back. āIām happy for you.ā
āThanksā¦ā Robby tilted his head. āIs she?ā
āIs she what?ā Jack asked. āWho?ā
āIs your wife happy?ā
Jackās enjoyment broke. āWhat?ā
āOh, sorry,ā Robby chuckled. He shook off an imaginary thought. āI was gonna talk to you about this, remember? I heard from someone a few months back that there was a little⦠problem? An age related one?ā
āAnāā Jack paused, lightly offended. āWhat the fuck are you on about?ā
āI donāt know⦠just this like⦠little blue pill problem?ā
God. Jackās face lit on fire. Who the fuck blabbed?
āI have no idea what youāre talking about.ā
Who the hell talked? Who told the only person that Jack specifically wished never knew about his Viagra problem?ā
āNo?ā Robbyās mouth quirked into an amused frown. āOkay, so nothingās wrong in that department?ā
āN-no.ā Jack could have slapped himself for the stutter. āBut itās not fucking age related, Robinavitch. And youāre older than me, fucker. So, donāt even go there.ā
āIāve never had a problem.ā Robby shrugged and Jack began walking away before anymore questions could be asked.
āAt least Iām married!ā
āSee ya, Abbot!ā Robby bid easily as Jack threw up his middle finger. āMind your own business next time!ā
āFuck off, Robby!ā
And the ambulance bay doors closed behind him with a swish.
a/n: jack has such vibes that i simply canāt resist him. heās an itch we canāt (donāt want to) scratch.
reblogs, comments, and likes keep writers writing. thank you for reading! plus reblogging is like⦠super cool tbh
and if youāre looking for a little more jack abbot erectile dysfunction lore that can totally be tied in here, check out fic: i got a bad desire
Wishful Thinking, Mindless Dreaming - Steve Harrington
summary: You left Hawkins and all your relationships behind. Five years later, you can barely look at yourself, and at the one person who you never should have left.
pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader
word count: 3.9k
warnings: angst, some fluff, minimal swearing, hopeful ending
a/n: i'm back for the first time in months. sorry for not writing, but i'm feeling a bit better and thought it's about time to put a couple of words on the page.
masterlist
Maybe it was the morning rush of trafficāthe idle hum of wasted fuel as they came to a stand still on the main streetāthat made you feel normal again.
It was familiar. A sound that pulled a chord deep within your soul, suddenly rewinding the past five years of anguish and anomie until you were nothing more than a young, dumb, high school student wandering the main street with your friends.
Window shopping with music you could almost hear and the sickly-sweet smell of pastries from the bakery wafting by on a lone autumn breeze. Eyeing off a new jacket that you knew you couldnāt afford, but your friends egging you to try on, to which you always conceded with a bashful smile as the material settled on your shoulders like it was made for you.
Even now, the jacket still fit, seeming to have molded better than you to the changes from your teenage years to early adulthood.
Some of the shop fronts on either side of the street were still empty, their previous tenants unable to rebuild after the āearthquakeā, but most were showing new life, the power of hope and resilience pushing them on like a lone flower growing on the sidewalk.
Hawkins hadnāt changed all that much since the last time you had been there, and yet, nothing was the same.
It didnāt feel like home anymore, and you didnāt think it ever would again. Not after the way you left. Not after you let it all go on a whim.
You werenāt even sure why you were back. The excuse of your auntās birthday was just thatāan excuse. There had been many raised eyebrows and hushed whispers when youād shown up that morning, going back on your promise to never step foot in the town again.
Youād ignored them, clinging to your glass and any semblance of control with an iron grip as you stood in the corner of the room by yourself, no one having the nerve to side up to you and start a conversation, lest you decided to rip their head off.
An ugly scar on the relationships youād torn apart when you shredded all contact with your past life.
The longer you stood in that stuffy room, the closer the walls drew in, until finally the laughter and music became too loud, too forced, too much, and you slammed the glass down on the nearest surface and fled.
Just like you always did.
Now, the breeze was colder than you remembered, but you couldnāt find it in yourself to care. Not as it worked to cool your heated cheeks and the sweat on the back of your neck.
It was a mistake to come back, you told yourself, head ducked low to avoid the eyes of passers-by. It was a mistake to think that anyone would welcome you back with open arms. It was a mistake to come back and see the life here flourish while you were withering away to nothing.
Once. Then twice. And on the third time, every thought youād had a moment ago descended into an ear-piercing silence.
Your breath hitched, and he seemed just as dumbfounded to see you standing on the precipice of your old life as you were.
He whispered your name, and everything around you came back in screaming colour.
āSteve,ā you choked out, barely able to think anything else, because he was here. He was in front of you.
He swallowed down his shock into something more approachable, but his eyebrows were still pulled together as he took you in.
You wanted to turn your head and shield him from seeing you like this. He had no doubt noticed the bags under your eyes that seemed like a permanent fixture in your life now. Your frown lines that were etched into your face from the sheer amount of time you spent like that. And worst of all, your glassy eyes that had misted the second you laid eyes on him.
āWhat are you doing here?ā he managed after a second.
You fumbled for the reason, the words tumbling around like rocks in your mouth. āIāuhāthereās a party. For my aunt. Now.ā
āOh,ā he said suddenly, and as if realising that he was still in the middle of the doorway, stepped aside and moved to open the door wider for you. āAre you wanting to come in?ā
āNo. No. Iām justā¦ā The sentence wavered out into nothing. What were you doing? What had been your plan aside from coming here to seek refuge?
You could feel Steveās eyes still on you, and you pulled your jacket tighter. It was out of comfort more than anything, but he took it as a defence against the chill.
He cleared his throat and glanced back inside. You could see him vaulting a thought around behind his eyes, trying to work up the courage to ask the question that you desperately hoped he would. āDid you want to get a coffee?ā Together, he didnāt say.
Your answer was instant.
+
The light streaming through the partially closed curtains roused you from sleep. From the way it poured into the room, it had to be mid-morning, the overhead fan already working overtime to fight against the unusually hot spring heat.
You groaned as you blinked the sleep from your eyes, but quietened immediately when the arm slung over you pulled tighter. He was warm, the thin t-shirt barely doing anything to stop the natural warmth he radiated at all times.
It became particularly useful for you in winter, but on hot days like this, it was almost too much.
āSteve,ā you whispered, trying to pull away from him. His grip didnāt let up. āSteve,ā you tried again, this time rolling over to face him.
His hair was a mess, the majority of it falling in a wayward pattern all over his face. It was longer than it ever had been while heād been at high school, and you had to admit that you liked being able to brush your hands through it, just like you did now.
āSteve,ā you murmured, twirling your fingers through the strands around his temple. He hummed, an acknowledgement without actually opening his eyes. āItās your birthday, baby.ā
While the information wasnāt new to him, he still furrowed his eyebrows and heaved in a long breath through his nose before cracking his eyes open. āWhat?ā
You smiled at him. āItās your birthday.ā
āMy birthday?ā he questioned, and if it werenāt for the fact that you knew he struggled to process anything for the first ten minutes he was awake, youād have thought he suffered short-term memory loss while he was asleep.
āYeah,ā you affirmed. āHappy birthday.ā
There was a long moment of silence as he finally understood what you said and his eyes opened fully, revealing the deep chocolate that youād fallen for, and would continue to chase for the rest of your life.
āItās my birthday,ā he said, and after a second added, āIām so old.ā
You scoffed, shuffling as he rolled onto his back. āYouāre not old. Youāre barely 19.ā
āAnd thatās practically 20, which is almost 21. Iāll be 30 before I know it.ā He caught your eyeroll, and you barely had time to prepare yourself before he jabbed his fingers into your side causing you to squeal. āDonāt make fun of me. This is serious.ā
āI never said it wasnāt!ā
āThen why are you laughing at me?ā
āBecause youāre freaking out over nothing. Aging is a part of life, babe. It happens to everyone.ā Despite the thankful smile he threw your way, there was still a subtle sadness behind it.
You knew it was because he felt like his childhood was ending, and that sooner or later he would have to get a proper job working for his dad, and this bubble of weightlessness would burst.
āYou know,ā you said, āIāll still love you. No matter how old we are. No matter what happens, that will always be true.ā
His eyes softened, the tentative smile widening. āI love you,ā he said, and the pebble of truth sent ripples through your soul.
+
When the waitress took your order, you couldnāt help noticing the way her eyes lingered on him just a moment too long.
You couldnāt blame her. Time had done wonders for Steve, fine tuning him into a handsome young man, all broad shoulders and arms that had become toned with the work heād done for the town to help rebuild.
A weird silence settled over the two of you when he looked up from the menu.
You wanted to ask him about how heād been, about anything and everything, but your tongue was cemented to the roof of your mouth, and all you could do was stare at him.
After darting his tongue across his lips, he asked, āHow are you?ā
āIāve been good,ā you lied, used to the bitter taste the words left in your mouth. āHow are you?ā
He nodded his head. āYeah, good. Just working at the Rehabilitation Centre still.ā
Working felt like an understatement. According to the newspapers you read on occasion, Steve Harrington was leading the trauma recovery unit to help people understand and deal with the trauma theyād faced when the town had been ripped apart. Before that, heād been a part of the clean up crew and assisted with rebuilding the town.
And to him, it was just working.
But you couldnāt say that to him. You couldnāt tell him how amazing he was, and what difference he was making to peopleās lives, and just how proud you were of him. Not anymore.
āThatāsā¦good,ā you finished lamely. āHowāre the kids?ā
The kids that you abandoned, a tiny voice in the back of your head whispered.
Steve gave you a quick once over, as if assessing if he was going to tell you. āTheyāre good. Senior year this year. High schoolās been rough for them, you know, with everything, but theyāre doing well. Theyāre nerds, so what can you expect.ā
It was just a joke, but for the first time in five years, you smiled.
He returned it, albeit close-lipped. His guard was still up, an invisible wall that was keeping you at a distance.
It hurt, to be on the receiving end of his coldness.
By nature, he was aloof, carefree in a way that had attracted you to him in the first place.
Now, he was burdened with the shadows of doubt that you had created.
The shame threatened to burn you alive.
+
Steve driving was a common sight.
So common, in fact, that he had been dubbed the taxi service by the kids, the Harrington household receiving numerous calls at all times of day or night begging him to drive them wherever they needed to go.
And despite his groaning and moaning and protesting, Steve Harrington could never say no to taking them across town at two in the morning.
āHenderson, shut up,ā he muttered, turning down the radio that the curly-haired boy had reached through the seats to turn up.
Steve was teetering on the edge of insanity, the lack of sleep combined with the atrociously noisy freshman all squashed up in the back seat of his BMW. His eye twitched, fingers drumming out random patterns on the steering wheel to try and ground himself in the present moment.
You could only watch on with bleary eyes as he tried to keep himself on this side of going to jail for murdering a gaggle of freshman.
āWhat?ā Dustin said, leaning forward to turn it up again. āItās just music.ā
You snapped forward and smacked his hand away. He had the gall to look offended.
āWhatād you do that for?ā he screeched.
āBecause youāre being annoying.ā
āHey, if anyoneās being annoying, itās Max. She wonāt move over, and Iām stuck on the floor.ā The resulting punch he received on the arm was loud enough that you heard it from the front seat.
āI am not,ā she snarked. āYouāre the one who called us all and said it was an emergency.ā
Sleep still clouding his voice, Steve added, āYeah, and if we get to Mikeās and I find out itās not an emergency, youāre dead, Henderson. Got it?ā He yawned, setting off a chain reaction for everyone except Dustin.
āHeās just grumpy heās missing out on his beauty sleep, Dustin,ā you murmured.
Steveās eyeroll was almost audible as he pulled up out the front of the Wheelerās place, Mike vibrating with excitement in the driveway. Will was more subdued beside him, but both their smiles grew tenfold when Lucas, Max, Dustin, and El clambered out of the car.
The doors to the car were slammed shut with little more than a āthank youā from Lucas and El, and they were all practically tripping over each other to get inside the house. The two of you watched after them, ensuring they all got inside safely.
Without the constant chatter of the kids, the car was a hell of a lot quieter, but despite it, your previous exhaustion was creeping away from you.
Glancing over at Steve, you could see his eyes threatening to close, so you reached out and placed a hand on his arm. āYou want me to drive?ā
He looked at you. āNo, Iām fine. I just need to go back to bed,ā he answered as he peeled away from the curb and into the night.
āPretty boy need his beauty sleep?ā you teased.
As you watched him laugh from the passenger side, you couldnāt imagine a better life than this one.
You recognized them as the family who had lived down the street from you as kid. The five years hadnāt been as kind to them, skin sagging as age brought them further from their youth. They had always been kind to you as a kid, a little overbearing, maybe, but constant and kind.
Seeing them now, your stomach soured in an awful way and your eyes averted before they could catch them.
Steve saw it all. The shift in emotion. The way you fiddled with the sleeves of your jacket that he knew mean that you were nervous.
The jacket he had bought for you seven years ago.
When you finally returned your gaze from the linoleum tabletop to his face, his expression had softened a fraction. Anyone else mightnāt have noticed it.
But you did.
So, you took a leap.
+
Everything was wrong.
The silence from the main street that was torn in two. The busker than normally stood on the curb was gone, another victim to Vecna.
The cleanup was still in full force, and your second week of searching for people lost in the rubble had turned into searching for the bodies of the people who you had grown up beside.
Neighbours. Classmates. Teachers. Coworkers.
Vecnaās carnage hadnāt spared anyone. Even though El had stopped him, it hadnāt been enough to stop him from tearing apart your home.
You had failed.
You had failed Max.
You had failed Eddie.
Everyone had depended on you, and you failed them.
The least you could do was try and find them, to try and save them. But even now, you werenāt quick enough, and anyone left beneath it all would be gone.
Those dark thoughts had begun to haunt you. They had you second guessing every move you made, leaving you wondering if youād just tried harder, if youād run faster, if youād thought quicker, would everything be different?
Darkness began to seep into your everyday life, shadowing any joy and light in a cloud of distrust and agony. Because it could all be taken away from you.
Everything you loved had already been tainted by the darkness, and now that darkness was in your head.
It was everywhere.
And it was all your fault.
By the end of the second week of search and rescue, the supervisors called it.
There were no more bodies to be found. The thought should have been a good one. It should have been hopeful.
But as you shed your high-vis vest and kicked off your boots outside your door, failure was the only lonely word tumbling around in your skull.
With shaking hands, you turned the key to your front door, intent on letting yourself fall into the oblivion of sleep as soon as you got inside.
But as you stepped into your house, you froze in the doorway. Because Steve was sitting on your couch, with a bouquet of roses in his hands.
He was still dressed for his shift at the Rehabilitation Centre, nametag emblazoned with his name in giant capital letters followed by: Ask me for help!
Your eyes were laser focused on the flowers in his hands. They were ornate, over the top, and something that you would have kissed him silly for two months ago.
Now, they were a bloodstain against the mess of your house.
āWhat is that?ā you asked, voice shaky.
Steve glanced between the roses and you. āTheyāre flowers. I heard that it was your last shift at search and rescue today.ā
Failure clamped around your heart. āAnd you got me flowers?ā
His brow furrowed, and you saw his start to second-guess himself. āWell, yeah, I just thought that it would be nice, consideringāā
āāconsidering what?ā you seethed. āConsidering that I couldnāt save everyone?ā
He started, taking a step back at the ferocity in you voice. āWhat? No. I thoughtāā
You barked a laugh. A sad, broken sound that reflected just how you felt inside. āāYou thought wrong. I donāt want flowers, Steve. I donāt want you to pretend that everything is OK just because you donāt have to deal with the reality of looking for people every day.ā
It was a low blow. And it wasnāt fair. He did just as much to help Hawkins as you did. But your mind didnāt care about fair.
The flowers in his hands fell to his side. āWhat does that mean?ā
āIt means that I donāt fucking want you to be here sprouting your āEverything is going to be OK!ā shit to me right now.ā
Steveās face dropped, and hurt flashed across his face. āIām notāā
āYou are!ā you spat. āNothing is going to be OK. Nothing is going to be all right. Itās never going to go back to normal, because everything is gone. The people. Our town. Our friends. Itās all gone.ā
He didnāt move, your words pinning him to his spot in your living room. āBaby, things will change. Itās going to take time and effort, but we can do this.ā
āNothing is going to be OK,ā you said after a pause. āItās not. And we canāt do this.ā
He froze. āWhat?ā
āWe canāt do this,ā you repeated, not even looking at him.
His voice shook, but, still, you kept your eyes averted. āWhat are you saying?ā
For a long moment, neither of you said anything. He just looked at you. But then he was angry. āNo,ā he said. āNo. You donāt get to just tap out when things go wrong. Thatās not fair.ā He crossed the room in a few long strides until he was a few feet away. āWe promised we would do this togetherāā
āI donāt want to,ā you cut him off. āI donāt want this.ā
āI donāt believe you. I donāt believe that you want to just give up on us after three years. No. No.ā You werenāt sure if he was trying to convince you or himself.
Either way, it didnāt work. āI do. I canāt do this anymore. I donāt want to do it.ā
āWhere is this coming from? I know that the Upside Down stuff is bad, but weāve done it before, and we can do it again. We just needāā
āSteve,ā you cut in. āI donāt want you.ā
The words sliced through the room, through the world.
They were the final nail in the coffin.
Steve stood opposite you, the heart he had just held out in his hand to you bruised and bloody, all by your own doing.
A tiny voice inside your headāthe reasonable one that you had locked awayāwas screaming. It pounded against the door with all its might, begging you not to let this go, begging you not to let him go.
But you slammed it behind another door, drowning it out with the swirling darkness you had become accustomed to.
When Steve opened his mouth, his voice threatened to break you. āYouā¦You donāt wantā¦me?ā
If you wanted to go back, if you even wanted to try and scramble back to escape the mess you had just made of both your hearts, this was the only chance.
You finally looked up from the ground and into his teary, heartbroken eyes, and you said, āNo.ā
+
āSteve,ā you started, aware of your racing heart and shaking hands. The way he looked at you now, you could see his wariness. You could see the way he readied himself for what you were about to say. And seeing him that way, seeing the way that you had made him, it was enough to swallow your pride. āIām sorry.ā
Whatever he thought you were going to say, it obviously hadnāt been that, because his eyes widened, and his lips parted. āWhat?ā he managed.
āIāIām sorry, for that night. For saying those things to you. ForāFor throwing you away when we needed each other most. Iām sorry.ā As you said the words, you turned the key to the door of the part of yourself that you had kept locked up for five years.
You allowed it out, and god, did it ache at the freedom.
Steve couldnāt tear his eyes from you, the raging internal battle he was having clear on his face. It was ugly, but you were its creator, and you had to face it.
You couldnāt bring yourself to say anymore, so you just waited.
You would wait an eternity for it. For him. You would give him whatever he needed from you. Even if it was to never step foot in Hawkins ever again, you would give that to him.
Whatever he wanted, it was his. Because everything you had ever had, everything you had ever been, it had always belonged to him.
Time stretched, mindless chatter droning out until his voice became the only one you could hear.
GET. AI. OUT. OF. FANDOM. Stop making headcanons with it, stop making fanfic with it, stop making fanart with it. If I see one more "asking chatgpt *blank* about *character/characters in a fandom* I'm going to lose my goddamn mind. Use your own fucking brain, stop asking AI to do everything. You could even ask other real people what they think. Just. Stop. Using. AI. In. Creative. Spaces.