you knew coming on this night out was a bad idea. you had been perfectly content with the notion of spending your friday night in front of the tv, nursing a glass of wine and rotting your brain with random sitcom episodes and maybe a movie or two.
mckay had talked you into it, which was a recipe for disaster. mckay, who barely has her own social life, convincing you to come out with the day shift after work. this is how youâve found yourself at some random karaoke bar, listening to strangers butcher chart classics and the smell of twelve different types of beer overwhelming your senses.
and to top it all off, youâve just seen robby kiss noelle in a bar full of your coworkers.
itâs like the entire room goes silent. as soon as you see him capture her lips, itâs like your world bursts into flames. you canât make out what cassie is saying and when she follows your eyeline, realisation crosses her features.
âhey, drink up!â santos thrusts a shot of something you canât decipher into your hand, and youâre too late to close your fingers around it because it hits the floor.
âoh shit, are you okay?â whitaker asks, but everythingâs a blur as you make your way through the crowd of people and into the cold pittsburgh night air.
you lean back against the wall, reaching into your pocket for the vape garcia offered you earlier that youâd turned down on the basis you were quitting. sheâd forgotten to take it back, and youâre grateful as you take a hit and let the tears fall.
the worst part is you hate yourself for even feeling this way about him. this frustrating man who canât let anyone in and is the most emotionally unavailable person youâve ever met. who cares about his staff and will defend them to the end of the earth, who laughs and it lights up a room. who makes you feel⌠who you love and have for a long time.
â(y/n), i didnât know he was gonna bring herââ cassie rushes outside, and you wave her off with a forced smile.
âitâs okay. i need to get over it sooner rather than later. maybe this was the wake up call i needed. heâs never gonna want me, cass.â
âi wouldnâtâŚâ she looks like she wants to say something, but changes her mind at the last second. âheâs a good guy, heâs just⌠look, no matter what i say it isnât gonna help. are you gonna be okay out here? do you want me to get an uber with you?â
âno, youâre having fun,â you take another drag of the vape in your hand. âand you deserve to have a good night. iâll be fine, iâm gonna hang out here for a while and then get going. iâll see you next shift?â
she nods, giving you a warm smile, âtext me when you get home, okay?â
you nod as she squeezes your shoulder before making her way back inside the chaos of the bar.
you lean your head back against the wall and sigh.
âlong night?â
you freeze at the sound of the familiar voice. when you look over at the door, you find robby with a cigarette hanging between his lips and a lighter in his hand.
âi thought you quit.â you say.
âi thought you did too.â he nods to the vape and you shrug.
âold habits die hard, i guess.â
robby chuckles and when he struggles to light the cigarette, you cup your hands around it to shield it from the cold as he ignites it.
âthanks.â he says, and the two of you stand in silence for a while.
âwhat are you doing out here? shouldnât you be inside making sure your girlfriend isnât lecturing the staff about our bed problem?â you try not to sound bitter, but it seeps into your tone.
robby chuckles, âso you like her.â
you hum, âsheâs actually very nice.â
âshe is.â
you take another hit of the vape and try to act like your heart isnât cracking into two in real time.
robby flicks his cigarette and looks at the ground, âyou know, we havenât had a chance to talk aboutââ
âi donât wanna talk about it.â youâre aware you sound childish, but the thought of talking to robby about this on this night makes you feel nauseous.
âwe need to talk about it sooner rather than later.â
âno, we donât,â you move away from the wall. âhave a good night. iâm going home.â
â(y/n)ââ
âno!â you exclaim, pocketing the vape and trying not to look him in the eye. âit doesnât even matter. i accepted another job anyway.â
robby looks at you like youâve grown two heads.
âwhat?â he sounds wounded.
âthere was a position going in the OR. park offered me the job this morning and i accepted.â
âyouâre going to work for him?â
âhe has it together a whole lot more than you do.â
âouch,â robby takes a drag of his cigarette, looking up at the night sky. âguess i deserve that one.â
âlook, robby, it isnât personalââ
âit is,â robby nods, more to himself than to you. âi know it is. but thatâs okay.â
âis it?â
âit has to be.â
you nod, rapidly blinking away the tears welling in your eyes, âitâs late. iâm gonna get going.â
âiâll wait with you for your uber.â
âi think iâm gonna walk.â
â(y/n), itâs late, iâm coming with youââ
âno,â you put your hand out to stop him. âi just want to be alone.â
you take off. robby knows he should go back inside to noelle and the rest of his team, but his feet feel glued to the ground.








