Long before the introduction of color film, a Russian chemist and photographer named Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky used an innovative technique. He took three individual black and white photos, each through a colored filter (red, green, and blue), to create fully colored, high-quality pictures. The photo of this woman, taken by him, is around 107 years old!
size difference kink but in the “i grew up being made fun of for being chubby so now the idea of a giant of a man being able to toss me around and tower over me without making my weight a problem makes me really horny” way, you get what im saying?
Warnings: age gap (reader is in her 20s), cursing, nothing too spicy - my man just wants to kiss his girl, sex toy mentioned lmao
Notes: y’all this man has me in a chokehold. He may be a little ooc but idc. This is kind of set before the first episode. I literally don’t know any about social workers so please ignore. It’s been soooooo long since I’ve written something so please be gentle. Also when you read it you can totally tell I listened to I Can See You by Taylor Swift writing this.
———————————————
Being a social worker at the Pitt has been interesting to say the least. You never know what’s going to come through those doors. The days are long and the shifts are difficult but the people and families you’ve helped regardless of the situations have made it worth it.
You started as an intern a few years ago, working directly with Kiara. You’ve become a tight knit family in the Pitt in a short amount of time.
You obviously cared for some co-workers more than others. Kiara was like your mom in and out of hospital. Dana was your work mom, Langdon was like your annoying brother, Collins and McKay felt like older sisters. Robby was different.
At first it started as a silly work crush. Blushing every time he said your name. It had to be how he looks in scrubs. That’s what you told yourself anyways. That was until you both saw each other outside of work at a local coffee shop.
You walked into the coffee shop down the street from your apartment, half asleep even though it’s after 2pm on your day off. Lifting your sunglasses to the top of your head, you scan the restaurant. You take an earbud out and stare at the menu debating on trying something new.
You feel someone stand next to you. Not ready to order, you turn to the person, “Oh I’m not ready yet, you can…Robby?”
He looks down in surprise, almost not recognizing you in casual clothes. His eyes travel down to your leggings and an old band tee with your hair in a lazy ponytail. You wanted to cringe, immediately regretting the lazy outfit.
He gives you a smile, “Fancy seeing you here.”
Your cheeks warm from his smile. “Just needed an afternoon pick me up.. well technically morning.”
He lets out a chuckle, “Just woke up too? I think I rolled out of bed like an hour ago.” Lies. He barely slept.
You nod with a smile, noting the lie you can see in his eyes. He feels like you see right through him.
He looks down at you, “Do you come here often?”
You purse your lips, not trying to laugh, “Was that supposed to be a pick up line?”
Robby feels himself grow red. He didn’t mean it like that. At least he thought. He opens his mouth to respond but the barista interrupts him. “Dr. Robby! You want your usual?”
Robby slowly nods in response and takes a step towards the register. You let your eyes finally take him in. Off shift Robby. He was wearing sweats and a hoodie. God he’s hot in regular clothes too. You find yourself thinking he looks a little too good in sweatpants. Get a hold of yourself.
Robby clears his throat. You’re caught red handed. Your eyes meet his. “Let me buy your coffee.”
“You really don’t need to do that.” You stutter out embarrassed. Is he being nice or flirting?
He gives you a look. “Too late. Order.” He motions you over, “C’mon, before I change my mind.”
“Yes, Sir,” you mumble before taking a step towards the barista with a smile. You can feel Robby’s eyes on you. His mind is racing with a million thoughts. He hopes you can’t hear his heart beating out his chest.
As you’re ordering, Robby pulls out his wallet. His eyes can’t help but wander over your ass. He catches himself and pulls himself back when he hears the barista’s voice. He feels like a dirty old man. He meets the eyes of the employee already looking at him. The barista repeats the amount due. Robby quickly hands the cash over.
You both walk to a table. “Thank you for the coffee. I really appreciate it.”
The smile he gives you almost weakens your knees.
“Anything for my favorite social worker.”
You let out a laugh, “Yeah, when Kiara’s not at work. She’s the best. ”
He shakes his head, “Give yourself some credit, kid.” You feel yourself deflate at the name but shake it off. “You’re fantastic at your job.”
“Says you, Dr. Robinavitch.” He makes a face at the praise and shakes his head.
It’s quiet between the two of you. You can see him thinking. Taking a sip of your coffee, you joke quietly, “One of these days, Michael.” His brown eyes meet yours with furrowed eyebrows in response, “You’ll tell me what’s going on in that brain of yours.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the coffee shop, you found yourself watching how he carried himself around patients, around his coworkers, those he thought of as friends, and you. How he cares more about others than himself. The way he smirks when jokes around, the way he smiles when he sees his residents working hard. Your heart begins to beat faster whenever he catches your eye.
You began to feel Robby’s eyes on you more. The lingering touches when he brushes past you to get to another patient. The two of you ignoring what you’re both feeling.
Langdon even noticed the tension. He thinks it’s funny to gag whenever he catches you two looking at each other. It normally ends in a hard shove and a wince.
You don’t realize you’re spacing out in front of the computer until Collins repeats your name for the third time and McKay is snapping her fingers in your face. You blink a few times before looking at her. “Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Collins hums, “Any particular reason?”
You shrug and take a sip of your coffee. “I guess I have a lot on my mind recently.”
McKay frowns at you, “Are you taking your medication? You really…”
You stop listening to her as you see Robby walk through the door. His eyes find yours and gives you a smile with tired eyes.
McKay stops talking, following your eyes. She scoffs as Collins and Mohan both snicker.
“How does that song go?” Mohan begins to sing, “‘Daddy’s home, home for meee.”
Collins lets out a loud laugh before joining, “You know your daddy’s home. It’s time to playyyy”
“You guys are mean.” “It’s too early for this” You and McKay say at the same time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had only been about two hours into the shift and you had already talked to families about tough situations. A miscarriage, death, postpartum mental health, addiction. You had lost count already.
Sighing as the low battery message popped up on the tablet you were using, you walked over to the desk to get a new one. Langdon, Mateo, and Mohan were deep in conversation about a patient you assume.
“Listen, all I’m saying is, the majority of the people who use toys like that aren’t getting laid.” Langdon said as if it proved a point.
You turn to the trio in shock, “What the fuck did I just walk in to?”
Mohan greeted you with a smile, “Patient‘s penis got stuck in one of those hands free strokers.”
You blanched at the thought. “That’s rough.”
Mateo nods in response before joking, “It was a sticky situation.”
A snort escapes you, Mohan stifles a giggle, and Langdon groans at the bad joke.
“Alright tea party’s over.” Robby interrupts the group, “Gloria is already up my ass today. I don’t need her seeing this.”
The doctors go in separate directions, each going to check on patients. Robby sits down at a computer with a sigh. He puts his readers on. You glance at him with a smirk as you work on paperwork for a recent patient, “Is today the day?”
He lets out a snarky laugh, “To talk about my feelings? In your dreams.”
“You always are, Dr. Robinavitch. You wouldn’t believe half the things I dream about,” You cheekily respond. He shakes his head at you. A real laugh escapes him.
Kiara comes up to you with a smile and you greet her. She looks between you and Robby. Noting the smiles on your faces. “What’d I miss?”
You hear McKay call you over to a patient. Picking up a new tablet you begin to walk away. You turn your head and joke, “Dr. Robby just mentioned to me he was finally interested in talking to you about what’s going on in that brain of his!”
Kiara looks at Robby with a hopeful smile, “Really?”
“No.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later in the day, you found yourself at the counter again working on a patient file. Langdon noticed you and looked away from Dr. Robby, “What about you, (Y/N), what’s your take on dogs and kids?”
Glancing up from your tablet, “I’m actually more of a cat person myself. Had one growing up and I have one now.” You answer with a shrug.
Langdon scoffed, “You’re basically an old cat lady.”
You send a glare his way.
“You have a cat and haven’t gotten laid in like a year.”
Your face turns red in embarrassment. You confessed to Langdon that it’s been over a year since you’ve had sex when you went out drinking with him and his girlfriend not too long ago. You could almost hear the way the couple let out a sad oh in response now. Could this get anymore embarrassing?
Thankfully you don’t notice Dr. Robby’s eyes widened after hearing Langdon. Surely a young woman like yourself didn’t spend most nights alone. He finds you attractive, he wouldn’t deny that. He remembers hearing you mention Leo a few times in passing. Does this mean you don’t have a boyfriend? He shakes his head, ignoring his thoughts. He could be your dad for Christ’s sake.
“And you’re a swiftie.” Dana added.
You gape at her. “How did you even know that?”
The charge nurse chuckled, “I saw you crying in your car at All Too Well a couple months ago. The 10 minute version if I recall.”
The two doctors raise their eyebrows at Dana, surprised to know her knowledge of the song.
Robby slides his glasses down to look at the charge nurse with a smirk, “Kinda sounds like you’re a swiftie, Dana.”
Your eyes find his and you try not to smile at his way to try to change the conversation. Robby’s smirk turns into a soft smile at you. Langdon looks between the two of you and keeps his mouth shut this time.
She puts her hands up in defense, “Blame my daughters.”
“They have great taste!” You defend her daughters. Ignoring the urge to cringe knowing Dana had caught you crying over a silly guy who broke your heart.
Langdon turned his attention back to you. Pointing his pen at you, he smirks, “Officially an old cat lady…just in a 20 something year old’s body.”
Dana puts her hand on your arm, “Sweetie, you’re too young to turn into a cat lady. You can’t be spending your nights off with your cat.” she says with a light laugh.
“For your information, Leo is great company.”
Robby looks up from the computer, “Leo’s your cat?” Langdon and Dana let out a laugh at his comment.
You pick up your tablet with an eye roll. You mumble, “You guys suck.” You begin walking away before you look back, “You guys remember this next time you need me for a patient!”
Robby found himself standing up and following you. As he got closer to you he began to regret his decision. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his hoodie with a sigh.
Now in step with you, his elbow bumps your shoulder.
“That last part didn’t include me, right? Because I-..” A laugh from you interrupts him. He lets out a chuckle too.
“No Robby, I’m all yours.” You stop, eyes wide after realizing what you said. “I mean like - you don’t suck,” Robby’s grin grows causing you to turn red. “..I’m going to stop talking now.”
“Oh no, please keep going.” He teases.
You try to joke, “Is this karma for earlier?”
Your smiles wipe off you when you see Gloria standing with an unimpressed look on her face. She’s looking at Robby. You slowly turn to look at him, placing your hand on his bicep. You purse your lips and lie, “I’ll um… go talk to that patient in 103 that you mentioned,” you lean in whispering, “Good luck.”
He gives you a tight lipped smile.
Collins stops you on your way to speak to one of her patients about counseling. You walk into the patient's room with a calming smile.
As you’re discussing what services will be covered by their insurance, you get interrupted by Robby’s annoyed voice yelling, “I can only tell you so many times that this wouldn’t be happening if you hired more help! It’s fucking ridiculous. We are doing all we can down here while upstairs is empty.”
Your eyes widen and your patient lets out a laugh. You apologize for the language before casually peeking out the door to see what happened. You only see an irked Gloria and a group of nurses and doctors looking at each other awkwardly. No Robby to be seen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After finishing up your conversation with the patient you excuse yourself. Dana looks up from the computer to see you at the desk signing some paperwork.
“You talk to Robby?” She questions.
You meet her gaze and shake your head. She sighs and you look around the room, still not seeing him. “I was going to ask you that. Where did he disappear to?” You get a shrug in response. Nodding, you put away your tablet and decide to look for the stressed doctor.
You end up finding Robby leaning up against the wall in a quiet hallway. His head against the wall with his eyes closed. You watch him for a minute, debating if you should leave him alone.
You decide to join him. Leaning on the wall, your arms brush. It’s quiet.
You rest your head back and close your eyes as you enjoy the moment of peace.
Robby’s voice fills the air, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
You hum, “I know.”
He turns his head to look at you. Feeling his stare, you peek at him with one eye. You can’t decipher the look he’s giving you. “Stop looking at me like that.”
He lets out a chuckle and turns away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You laugh.
The two of you stand in comfortable silence. The loud noise from down the hall drowns out the loudness of your beating hearts.
“Does it bother you that I’m twice your age?”
The question takes you by surprise. This time you turn your head to look at him.
“I find it sexy.” You tease and he lets out a huffed laugh.
It's quiet again. You sigh, “No, it doesn’t bother me. It never did,” you pause almost hesitant, “Does it bother you that I’m young?”
Robby let’s out a tired sigh, “It would be a whole lot fucking easier if it did but it doesn’t.” He runs his hands over his face. “Everything would be a lot easier if I didn’t feel this way about you.”
You nudge his shoulder. You push yourself off the wall and face him, “Tell me about it. I’ve had the hots for you since I started here,” you begin to take a step backward to create some space and laugh, “I tried to convince myself it was purely a work crush and next then I knew is - you’re all I could think about. Day and night.”
Robby reaches for your waist and pulls you in close.Your hands rest on his chest.“Remember when you blushed every time I said your name?” You roll your eyes, “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
He turns serious again, “You take one look at me and I feel like you see right through me and it’s fucking scary. Yet every time you smile at me I suddenly feel like a teenager again.” His thumbs grazing your hips he holds you and jokes, “More like a dirty old perv actually.”
You scrunch your face, “We all have our quirks. Me with my attraction to sexy older men and being a cat lady - ”
“You’re ridiculous,” He cuts you off with a shake of his head and a smirk. “And one sexy cat lady.”
You let out a giggle.
The two of you look into each other's eyes. Robby’s eyes occasionally glancing down at your lips. His head dips down and you lift head up to meet his lips. Your lips brush against each other and you mumble, “Michael, if don’t you don’t kiss me soon I think I might pass away.”
You feel the rumble of his chest as he chuckles, “Always so dramatic.” His lips finally meet yours for a slow, gentle kiss.
You eagerly kiss him back. His hands trail up your body and cup your face, kissing you harder. You both deepen the kiss and find yourself unzipping his sweatshirt and taking it off him. He pulls his hands away from your face for a second to help take it off, your lips never parting. It falls to the ground. Your hands travel up his biceps and back to his chest. After a few seconds, you both pull away with cheesy smiles on your faces, breathless. His hands fall back to your waist and gives you a squeeze.
Your hands wrap around his neck, “That was really nice.”
He lets out a snicker before pulling you into another passionate kiss. His lips begin to travel to your jaw and down your neck. You let out a breathy sigh, “This is even better.”
Your breath hitches as he begins to suck at your neck. This couldn’t keep going farther. It'll only be a matter of time before someone catches the two of you. You let out a moan, “You've had me hot and bothered since you told Gloria off.” He groans before he nips at your shoulder in response and pinches your sides.
You squeak, “And as much as I would love to jump your old man bones right now,” another pinch, “We should really get back before she comes looking for you.” You gently pull his face back up to yours.
He nods. “You’re right.” The look in his brown eyes says otherwise. He shrugs with a teasing smile, “Maybe just one more.”
You roll your eyes before pulling him into another kiss.
It was only a matter of time until Dana found the two of you, “Hey! We don’t have time for this! Get your asses back to work.”
You jump away from each other embarrassed, blushing like two teenagers who got caught by their parent.
Get the all new The Pitt trading cards! Available at all stores. Swap them with your friends to create the best ER team ever! Nurse and Night Shift Pack sold separately.
TV Appreciation Week: Day 2 (22 July): Newest tv obsession: The Pitt
Sorry about the rant I'm just SO sick of this "we have to be on all the time never look away if you aren't upset about politics and traumatizing yourself watching people die on Twitter you're wrong and complicit and evil" like I know things are fucked and we need to stay angry but we can do that while also taking a minute to crack open a cold one with the boys or have gay sex or get tipsy at the line dance, we HAVE to have joy to remember why the fuck we're refusing to give up in the first place. Fight like hell for your loved ones and then also go home with them to smoke weed and drink sweet tea and make biscuits covered in honey and butter please, please don't deprive yourself of joy, you're allowed to be happy BEFORE the work is done. You're allowed to be happy.
The lady I used to live with was adamant that there be a party at any opportunity. They weren't always big, but if there was an occasion in the slightest, there was something done to celebrate it. Sometimes she literally would just say, "this deserves a Diet Coke!" And she would pass me a can from her stash in the closet.
It's important context that she had a very hard life into adulthood. Very poor family. Abusive father. Mentally ill mother. She often had to miss school as a teenager because she had to go find her mother, who would wander off for days into the woods. She also made sure her other siblings were fed, clothed, and at school while she herself was missing out on them.
I once asked her why she did so much celebrating.
She told me that people can choose to celebrate the small stuff if they want to, or not, but life was hard enough and the celebrations, no matter how small, made the other hard things easier. "If two people lead hard lives, and one of them celebrates and the other doesn't, which do you think will survive longer? Get more done? Make it farther?"
Your despondence and self-flagellation doesn't help anyone. Your passion and drive do. So you need to do things that ignite your passions and keep them ignited. Recognize that there is pain and awful suffering in the world. Do what you can to change that. Then do what you need to do to make sure you can keep doing it.
take a break pt. 2 — michael "robby" robinavitch x fem!reader
Months after Bali, you're finally back in the US, staying with your sister in Pittsburgh. You just have no idea who lives there, too.
take a break pt. 1
warnings: cursing, inaccuracies of how the ER works, angst, misunderstanding trope, reader has a sister named Jenna—who gets mildly hurt, not proofread, mentions of miscarriage (not the reader), minors go away, 5.2K words
masterlist
I am overwhelmed with joy at how the first part of this got so much love, thank you all, I'm so glad you liked it ❤️
"You’re telling me," your sister says, blinking like she’s trying to process it while trying not to get angry, "you spent an entire week with a complete stranger??"
You sigh. Of course she’s going to lose her mind.
"Jenna—"
"What were you thinking???" She’s pacing now.
You roll your eyes. "Look, I know how it sounds, okay? But it wasn’t like that."
She stops, arms crossed, and gives you a pointed look.
"I’m serious. What happened in Bali… it was different. I’ve never met anyone like him."
Jenna takes a deep breath a few times and sits beside you. The sharp voice softens. "I just don’t want you to get hurt again."
"Too late," you murmur with a bitter smile.
She sighs and pulls you into a hug. "Of course it is."
For a moment, neither of you say anything. Your phone sits on the table, still open from showing her a photo of you and Robby, sun-kissed and smiling. Jenna squints at it.
"Well," she says, "he is stupid handsome. Those sad-boy eyes? Come on."
You let out a laugh, some of the tension slipping from your shoulders.
"And he’s a doctor?" she adds, scoffing. "Girl."
You roll your eyes, but your smile betrays you. She’s trying.
After months of traveling, your lease ended, so you're staying at her place in Pittsburgh for now, just until you find a new apartment. Your sister's been your rock since you were kids. If anyone bullied you, or if you needed any help with friends, math, you name it, and she'll be there for you. She's the most reliable big sister you could ever have, so you don't blame her for trying to protect you.
She's also trying to balance being the protective sister, and the fun one. It doesn't always work.
"So what’s stopping you from looking him up?" Jenna asks suddenly.
You hesitate.
"He’s one Google search away," she nudges. "Don’t even lie."
You suck in a breath. "I know. I just… what if I find out he’s moved on? What if it really was just a vacation fling for him? And what if he lives in New York or something? I mean, we didn't reveal our hometowns for a reason. We could've easily shared our phone numbers, but we didn't."
Jenna frowns. "Okay, first of all? If everything you told me is true—and judging by those photos and the way you talk about him—it wasn’t just a fling. And second, so what if he’s in New York? That’s like a 90-minute flight. You work remotely. Things could actually work out."
You don’t say anything right away. You just look down at your hands and bite your cheek, the way you do when you’re unsure. Jenna bumps your shoulder gently.
She adds, "Look, I’m not saying go camp outside his hospital with huge cards, Love Actually style. But you should at least give yourself the chance to find out. What if he’s been thinking the same thing all this time?"
You barely say anything before Jenna snatches your phone off the coffee table.
"Wait—Jenna, no!"
She's already typing.
"Just a little digging," she says, her fingers working fast on your phone.
You lunge for the phone, but she twists away, standing up. "Give it back!"
"Nope, you had your chance and you blew it. Plus, you know you won't actually do this. I'm doing you a favor."
"Jenna, I’m serious—"
"Aha!" She exclaims, stopping in her tracks. "Michael Robinavitch, MD. Trauma Attending at—"
Your eyes are wide as you stare at Jenna. Her face shifts. Something unreadable—then disbelief. She scoffs and meets your eyes. "You're not gonna believe me."
Robby sighs as he slides through the ER doors once again. Like yesterday, like the day before, like how it will be for the rest of his life, probably. Dana's already at the nurse's station, looking at the board, phone in hand.
"You know, every day you walk in here, and you look even more like shit." Dana frowns. "I thought you just had a vacation, you’re supposed to look refreshed, not like you got dumped in the ocean and left for dead."
Robby huffs. "Well, good morning to you, too, Dana."
And then something in Dana clicks. "Oh my God. You got dumped in Bali."
He lets out a dry laugh. "I didn't get dumped in Bali. I just…"
"Wait, did you dump someone in Bali?"
"Can we not do this here?"
"I mean… I just expected you to come back tanned and smug, not pining like some sad indie drama lead." Dana lets out a little laugh at her own joke.
Robby exhales slowly, a tight smile on his lips. "It was a vacation. Nothing more."
Oh but it was so so much more. He hasn’t stopped thinking about you. Let’s just get that out of the way. Your laugh, your perfume, the way you fell asleep on his chest like you were meant to be there. He swears he still smells you sometimes, and it’s driving him insane. He’s off his game at work, can’t sleep at home, can’t eat without thinking of the dinners you shared by candlelight and crashing waves. So yeah—he looks like shit. Forgive the middle-aged man for wearing his heartbreak on his face.
"What's her full name?"
Robby pauses. "What?"
Jack shrugs like it’s the most casual thing in the world. "I know you keep checking the board for any new incoming traumas to see if it could be her." Jack continues, "You feel guilty for it, but you're still doing it. So tell me her name—I’ll keep an eye out on nights."
Jack knows it's a way to ease Robby, even just for a little bit.
Robby presses his palms to his eyes, just for a second. Long enough to see your face behind his lids, then mutters your name. He doesn’t want to see you on a stretcher. God, no. He doesn’t want to see you bleeding, unconscious, coding. He hopes you never have a reason to come through those ER injured, ever.
But the truth is, the ER is where estranged people meet. And though he hates himself for it, a small part of him still hopes one day you’ll walk through that door again—alive, healthy, maybe even smiling.
"Okay." Jack nods, then smirks. "How about a picture?"
"Jack." Robby warns.
"Backing down, backing down," Jack raises his hands in surrender, "Just testing the waters."
"She must've been something, huh?" He adds, "You haven't stopped thinking about her, and it's been months. You might be really screwed, brother."
Robby doesn't say anything. He knows.
[flashback]
You're both soaked.
It started with a walk along the beach. Then a splash. Then a challenge. Now you're standing in the shallows, dripping wet, and Robby is grinning like an idiot because he 'won'.
"You cheated! You said you wouldn’t grab me!"
He shrugs. "I said I wouldn’t splash you. Technically, dragging you into the water doesn’t count."
"You’re impossible."
"You're slow."
You gasp and lunge toward him, but he takes off running down the beach like a damn teenager. You chase after him, heart pounding, laughing so hard it burns. Eventually, he slows just enough for you to catch him, and you both tumble into the sand.
"I should’ve let the jellyfish have you," You pant.
"I think you'd miss me too much."
You roll your eyes. "You’re so full of yourself."
His voice drops just enough to make your pulse skip. "Am I wrong?"
Then he leans in and kisses you, slow and smiling, like he knows he’s already won. When you finally pull away, you rest your forehead against his.
"You're the worst."
"Then you've got terrible taste."
[present day]
You linger outside the sliding glass doors for longer than you’d like to admit.
You'd gotten the same rosé you both shared in Bali, with a nice bow wrapped around the neck, and a letter you'd hand-written. It's very cliché, but it felt necessary. And now you feel stupid.
Fuck it.
Part of you is excited to see him, see his reaction, would he run to you? Hold you in his arms? Kiss you right there in front of everyone?
You're smiling nervously now as you walk past the doors. The emergency room at PTMC is busier than you expected, the front desk doesn’t pay you much attention, which is good, they're probably thinking you're visiting with what you have in hand. You’re not sure what you would’ve said anyway.
You ask quietly where to find him. They point you toward the consult rooms, and you murmur a quick thank-you, the gift bag tucked at your side.
You spot him almost immediately through the narrow strip of glass in the door to Consult Room A.
Your heart stops.
Robby is inside. He’s really here. Still tall, still impossibly handsome, and especially in his scrubs, exhaustion clinging to the curve of his shoulders. You almost burst through the door—when you realize he's not alone.
Another doctor is sitting on the exam bed, bent slightly forward, elbows on her knees, one hand cradling her stomach. Her eyes are red. Robby kneels beside her, not quite touching her at first—then gently, cautiously, he places his hand on her knee. She covers it with her own.
He says something you can’t hear. She nods. And then, quietly, she leans forward and presses her forehead to his, smiling, tears in her eyes.
You freeze.
All the warmth in your limbs rushes away. You feel like someone's just completely taken your lungs away and you can't breathe.
You recognize her—Dr. Collins. You’ve seen her on the PTMC staff page, probably one of the first names you found when you searched for Robby.
You take a step back, slowly, like you might disturb the moment if you're not careful. Then another.
It seems like Robby has moved on.
You're not sure what to do. You feel fucking stupid. Of course, he has moved on. It was just a fling, nothing more. Tears blur your vision as you take short breaths, the rosé now clutched tightly to your chest, and you hurrily walk back down the hall. You don't want him to see you. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Collins exhales shakily, then squeezes his hand one last time before standing.
"I'll be fine." she says, voice hoarse but steady.
"You sure?"
She gives him a small smile. "Yeah. Go save someone who’s actually dying."
He watches her walk out, her back straight even though her world just cracked in half. They’ve been through a lot, he and Collins. It was never romantic—not really—but there were late nights and shared griefs. A handful of near-misses. People who endure together sometimes blur lines. But whatever they were, that part’s long behind them.
A nurse knocks gently on the doorframe. "Dr. Robby?"
"Yeah?"
"There was someone here asking for you," she says, "I told her you'd be out in a minute but I think she left. She didn't leave a name, she had a gift bag with her though."
Robby blinks. "Okay, thanks."
People drop off things sometimes. A patient’s family, a resident trying to get on his good side, a pharmaceutical rep hoping to buy his time. He doesn’t think too hard about it. He heads back out into the chaos of the ER, unaware of the gift that nearly reached him—or the woman who had.
[flashback]
"So what happens after you leave?"
Robby doesn't answer right away. He drags a finger through the sand. "Get on a plane, go home, back to work."
"You know that's not what I mean."
He sighs. "I know."
You wait and Robby finally meets your eyes. "I don't want to ruin this."
"This." You repeat. "This… fantasy? Or us?"
His jaw shifts slightly, he’s trying to choose his words carefully. "I mean the part where I don’t have to think about how complicated this would get if we tried to keep it going."
You nod, lips tight. "Right." Complicated.
"I'm not saying I don't want this. Us." He says quickly, "I just... I don’t know how."
You know he's right. It just hurts to hear it. "Yeah… me neither."
You glance up, and there’s a long, quiet look between you. "So, let’s not make promises we can’t keep?"
Robby nods, but his hand finds yours in the sand. And he doesn't let go.
[present day]
You've been sitting in your parked car for ten minutes after leaving the entrance.
Your hands still tremble a little.
You’d come here with hope burning in your chest, you ignored all of the doubts because you wanted to believe what you had with Robby was real. Because maybe despite not sharing phone numbers, there was something there. You hoped he also regretted not continuing what you had. But seeing Robby with her, the way he touched her, the softness in his expression… it had knocked the wind out of you.
Still, you can’t bring yourself to throw the gift away—or bring it home. Or the letter. So you decide to rewrite the letter. As a goodbye. You slip it inside the gift bag and get out of the car.
This time, you don’t go to the front entrance. You spot a woman smoking near the ambulance bay, leaning against the wall like she’s on break.
You approach her quietly.
"Hi. Sorry to bother you—do you work in the ER?"
She squints through the smoke, "Yeah, why?"
"I, uh, could you give this to Dr. Robby? I…have an errand to run, so, I can't give it to him myself." You offer her the gift bag.
She eyes the gift bag warily. "You trying to sell him something?"
"No, no, nothing like that. I just want to thank him. For everything he's done for me." You hesitate. "You can tell him it's from Ove."
She hesitates, then shrugs, taking the gift bag. "Yeah, sure."
You just offer a small, grateful smile. "Thanks."
Robby's sitting on his desk, busy charting, when Dana drops a gift bag in front of him.
"And this is…?"
"Rosé delivery, apparently." Dana chuckles. "Someone wanted to thank you, so she told me to give you this. Said it's from 'Ove'."
His heart stops. He snatches the bag like it might vanish, scanning the pink-gold bottle, the smooth ribbon, the familiar handwriting he could recognize anywhere.
You were here.
He bolts.
"Wait—" Dana calls behind him, "There's—!"
But Robby’s already sprinting down the hallway, dodging a gurney, ignoring the startled nurse who calls his name.
He jogs a little down the street, scanning every face. A couple arguing near the bus stop. A woman in scrubs checking her phone. But not you. His breath fogs in the cold air, and something in his chest twists painfully.
He missed you.
"Fuck." He keeps repeating, "FUCK!"
"Robby!"
He turns at Dana’s voice.
She’s outside now, waving something in her hand. "She left a letter."
Hi Robby,
I'm sorry I didn't give you this letter and gift myself. I know it probably seems cowardly to leave a letter like this instead of talking to you face to face, but honestly… I don’t think I could’ve done that without crying. Or jumping into your arms. Or kissing you… Or all of it.
There’s so much I wanted to say, but maybe this will have to be enough.
I’m happy you’ve found someone who makes you happy. I really am.
I hope she’s good to you. I hope she sees what I see in you—your terrible jokes, your gentleness, the way you care too much and try to hide it.
I hope she knows how lucky she is.
Take care of yourself, doc. And thank you for all the memories.
You deserve someone who makes coming home feel like peace.
– Ove
Robby reads the letter once. Then again.
He’s standing in the hallway outside the break room, half-shielded by the open door, fingers curling around the page like it might explain itself differently on the third read.
You were here.
At the hospital.
He missed you.
His eyes skim the line again—the one about how you couldn’t face him without crying, or kissing him. Jumping into his arms. His heart clenches. It’s so you. Honest. Brave and terrified at once.
Then he hits the sentence that makes him stop cold.
I’m happy that you’ve found someone who can make you happy.
His brow furrows. Found someone?
He glances up like the hallway might have an answer. What are you talking about? There’s no one. There hasn’t been anyone. Not really. Just that moment with Collins—but even that... that wasn’t what you think.
His chest tightens. You thought he was with someone. That he moved on.
You thought he was happy.
He leans back against the wall, one hand dragging down his face. A deep exhale pushes from his lungs, but it doesn’t take the ache with it.
"Ove," he says aloud, the name barely a breath.
He lets out a quiet laugh, one that almost breaks halfway through. Of course you'd sign it like that.
Now you're leaving him rosé and a goodbye that read like a love letter sealed in regret.
His chest tightens. There's a stinging behind his eyes he doesn't want to name.
Dana watches him from the nurses’ station, saying nothing. She doesn’t need to. Robby just shakes his head, pressing his lips together.
"She was here," he says again, like he still doesn’t believe it.
"Yeah," Dana replies softly, looking at him sympathetically. "She was."
The letter is still in his hand. He folds it carefully, like it's something sacred. Then he tucks it into his jacket pocket and takes a breath.
He should have been faster.
He should have found you.
But now… now all he can do is stand here, holding the words you couldn't say out loud.
A few days after that, you're back to apartment hunting. Somewhere outside of Pittsburgh. You haven't told your sister, but you have a feeling she knows. She's been quiet in that careful way, watching you drift through nights of old movies and whiskey. Not rosé—never rosé. That would taste too much like him.
You're on the couch, laptop warming your thighs, when you suddenly hear a scream from the kitchen.
"Jenna!" You scramble.
Jenna had bought one of those aesthetic looking pots made of glass, and of course it shattered. Another sound—glass crunching, followed by a strangled yelp. You race in to find her on the floor, clutching her arm, shards of her new glass pot glittering across the tile. She must’ve slipped. Her forearm is red, swelling fast.
"I'm okay—" She groans and winces, "Okay, OW OW OW—No, I'm not okay."
You turn off the stove, moving quickly to help her up, careful not to step on the glass. "Let's get you to the hospital. I'll get a cab."
She’s quiet in the ride over, cradling her arm, the towel now damp from melted ice.
"I'm so stupid." She hisses. "It's not even that bad, it just hurts."
"You're not stupid," You say, "But it looks pretty bad. The glass shattered everywhere. You're lucky it didn't cut you anywhere else."
She lets out a breath that sounds more like a groan, then presses her head back against the seat.
"Are you sure you want to come?" She asks after a beat, always worrying about you first. "We're going to that ER. After everything that happened…"
You glance out the window, swallowing down the familiar ache that tightens in your chest at just the mention of it.
"Jenna." You cut her off gently. "None of that matters right now. You’re hurt. We’re going."
She bites her cheek, clearly reading more in your silence than you want her to. But she just nods. "Okay."
It's not that late yet, and the ER is still as busy as ever. Due to the level of Jenna's injury, you get in fast. You push through the double doors with Jenna leaning on your side, her towel-wrapped arm clutched to her chest. You follow the nurse down the familiar hall, heart tightening with every step, and help Jenna settle into a curtained bay. She gives you a strained smile, trying to act tough, but she looks worried.
"I'll go get a doctor for you, it'll be quick." the nurse says.
You sit on the edge of the plastic chair, elbows on your knees, trying not to breathe too deep.
Then the curtain rustles. "Okay, let's see who we have here."
You look up and freeze—just for a second—until you realize it’s not Robby. You exhale quietly, chest unclenching. "You're Jenna?" the doctor asks, flipping through the chart.
Your sister nods.
The doctor nods back, "I'm Dr. Abbot, and this is…" He motions to you.
"My sister," Jenna says, giving your name.
That’s when you see it—Dr. Abbot's face changes. He repeats your full name under his breath, eyes narrowing like he’s connecting dots in real time.
Something clicks in his head. Then, without another word, he steps back. "I'll be right back." He’s gone before either of you can ask anything.
"What the fuck was that?"
"Robby!"
Jack whisper-screams down the hall, catching Robby just as he’s about to exit through the staff doors. Robby slows, eyebrows raised in surprise as Jack jogs up to him.
"Jack, I really just—"
"She's here."
Robby stops mid-step.
"She was," he corrects slowly, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "a few days ago. I couldn't catch her—"
"No, Robby." Jack cuts in, breathless. "She's here now. With her sister. Bay 5."
Robby's eyes go wide. "…A-are you sure? Wait, is she okay??"
"Well I mean you wouldn't show me a picture of her so—"
"Jack—"
"Right." Jack says, "She’s fine, she’s accompanying her sister. Just stay in the consult room. I'll bring her over, tell her she can wait there."
Robby feels like his world is spinning again. He doesn't want to get his hopes up. He still has your letter tucked in his jacket pocket.
He nods nervously. "Okay."
You’re still staring at the curtain, blinking like maybe it’ll open again and explain whatever just happened. But it stays closed. Jenna glances at you, then at her arm, and mutters, "Well, that was weird."
"Yeah." You frown.
You’re still thinking about the way the doctor said your name like he recognized it—like it meant something. Before you can say anything else, the curtain swishes again. Dr. Abbot reappears, breathless, like he’s jogged half the ER to get back. "Um, do you mind waiting in the consult room? There's… not a lot of space here, so…"
It's an odd request, but Jenna says she's okay, so you reluctantly go with the nurse who'll show you where the consult room is.
As soon as you’re gone, Jenna raises an eyebrow at Dr. Abbot. He’s still standing there, watching the curtain fall closed behind you like it just told him a secret.
"…Do you know something?" She asks. Vague, suggesting.
Dr. Abbot turns slowly and squints at her. "I don't know. Do you know something?"
Jenna tilts her head. "I might."
He tilts his head back at her. "Then I might too."
The nurse doesn’t say much. Just a polite smile and a gentle hand on your back as she guides you down the hallway.
You pass a few curtain bays, a trauma room, and then she stops at a door with Consult Room B printed in small white letters.
"Just wait in here," she says gently.
"Wait for—"
"—OK." But the door closes before you can finish the question. You blink. Turn. And that’s when you see him.
Robby.
He’s standing at the far end of the room, one hand braced on the counter like he might be holding himself up. He's still in his scrubs, navy jacket with his sleeves rolled up, and he looks like he’s seen a ghost.
You freeze. He sees you.
For a second, neither of you speak. Neither of you even breathe.
Robby braves himself to step closer to you.
"Robby," you finally say, voice barely more than a whisper. You swallow, shifting your weight, arms folded like a shield. "I didn't know—the nurse just told me to—"
You break eye contact and step back as he steps closer. You can't look in his eyes, because you know you'll break. You're already fighting the tears that are about to fall.
He watches you for a moment, trying to find his voice. "You okay?"
You nod. "Jenna—my sister—she burned her arm. Slipped on glass. I just… went into autopilot."
He steps closer again, slower this time. "Is she alright?"
"Yeah. She’ll be fine." You bite your lip, still not looking at him.
"You left me a bottle of rosé," he says, gently, still stepping closer. "And a name."
You try to smile. "I thought you’d figure it out."
"I did," he says, now only inches away from you, "and then I read the letter."
Your breath hitches, just slightly. There’s a pause as you nod, your hands tighten over your elbows, fingers pressing into your sleeves. "Right."
"Are you ever going to look at me?"
You try to hide the sob escaping you and back away a little, but Robby reaches out, placing both hands gently to cup your face, brushing away your tears. You finally meet his eyes, and the sight wrecks you.
Why is he crying?
He steps closer, trapping you within his frame, and leans in. His lips press gently to yours, careful—as if asking permission, checking if you still want this, if you still want him. Your hands clutch his scrubs, holding on like a lifeline.
You pull away first. "This is wrong." You whisper.
Robby’s brows knit together in confusion until he sees the guilt in your eyes. You think he's with Collins.
"You…" You sniff, "You're happy, Robby. You—You can't ruin it."
"Look at me," His voice is firm, "Do I look happy to you?"
"I—"
"I'm not with Collins."
You look at him. "What?"
"The woman you saw with me a few days go," Robby says carefully, "she had a miscarriage. I was just… trying to be there for her."
You stare at him, breath caught. Your lips part, but nothing comes out. Then, quietly, "Oh."
You look down, heart thudding, face hot with shame. You want to disappear into the floor, you feel even more stupid now.
He asks, a little broken. "You really thought I'd move on that fast?"
You shake your head, blinking fast. "I didn't know what to think. I thought maybe it wasn’t as real for you as it was for me."
"And what? Were you just going to leave?" He frowns. "You weren't even gonna let me say goodbye. Not even one last look at you."
You shake your head, eyes glossy. "I thought it would be easier on you," you whisper. "Like Bali."
Robby's expression shatters. "That was not easy on me."
"You left before I woke up."
"I thought you wanted me to." His voice catches. "You were quiet that whole last day. I figured you didn’t want me to make it harder."
"Because I didn't want to say goodbye!" You cry out, "I didn't want it to end. But I got scared, because what if you don't like the version of me outside of Bali? Because Bali was good, so good, and back here—" you sob, "—back here I'm not as confident. I'm nobody. I'm a mess."
Robby's heart breaks a little. He sees you, truly sees you, and realizes the irony: that’s exactly how he feels.
"You think I don’t get that? You think Bali wasn’t the first time in years I felt like myself again?" He swallows hard. "I was afraid, too. Afraid I’d already messed it up. Afraid if I said goodbye, it would feel real. Final."
You close your eyes, a tear slipping down your cheek.
"You’re not nobody," he says, softer now. "You're the person who saw me when I was at my lowest. Who laughed so hard on that motorbike I thought I'd crash us into a rice field. Who made me believe I could want more than just work and sleep and going through the motions. Whose letter I still keep in my pocket. You're the person who lent me your book."
You chuckle at that, still sniffing.
He cups your cheek again, thumb brushing away the tears you’ve stopped trying to hide.
"And you don’t have to be confident all the time," he murmurs. "You don’t have to be the Bali version of you. I want you. All versions of you."
You try not to cry again, nodding your head. "…I want you, too."
He exhales—like he’s been holding his breath for days—and his forehead presses to yours, gentle and grounding. "I'm no picnic, either. I overthink everything. I push people away when I should let them in. I’ve spent most of my life trying to act like nothing gets to me."
"But you do." His thumb brushes under your eye. "You got to me."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"The worst." He smiles a little.
"Then you've got horrible taste."
He chuckles. "I believe what I said was 'terrible' not 'horrible'."
You share a laugh and there's a long, quiet pause. You’re both holding your breath, holding each other like the other person could disappear, like this might be a dream.
"Robby…" you murmur.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to make promises this time?" You ask, hopeful once again. "Ones we'll try our best to keep?"
He smiles. "Yeah. I do."
He leans in again, brushing his lips over yours. Your fingers tangle in the navy fabric of his hoodie, like you're scared he’ll vanish. But he doesn’t. He just holds you tighter, steadier. And it’s everything you’ve been aching for. No longer a memory of Bali. No longer a what-if. Just you and him.
You take Robby’s hand gently and guide him towards where Jenna is to introduce them. You thought she'd be asleep, but you hear chatter from behind the curtain. When you swing it open—you see her and Jack, gossiping like two teenagers, her wounds wrapped up long ago.
"Oh hey~ We were just talking about you two," Jenna smirks, "So, Dr. Abbot, how long did you say Dr. Robby here has been broody?"
"Well, I think since birth, really, but he became worse after leaving Bali."
You roll your eyes and glance at Robby, who's blushing like a tomato now. You try to soothe him, while Jack and Jenna share a subtle fist bump, quietly whispering to each other.
"We did that."
"Hell yeah we did."
--
hope you guys like it! side note, lowkey loving Jack and Jenna's interaction
and thank you to all of you in the taglist for being so excited for this 🥰 ily, and im so sorry if i missed anyone, it is really not on purpose. I hope you enjoyed!
Robby notices Jack's drink getting low and silently gets up to get him a refill before he can finish it, sliding it to him without a word. Jack accepts with a wink of thanks without breaking his conversation.
Jack splits his concentration during hand-off with Robby between focusing on what he is saying and simultaneously ordering Robby an Uber to get him home. He doesn't ask, but he sees the exhaustion in Robby's posture.
Robby sees Jack rubbing his bare arms as they stand outside amongst a group in the smoking area, so he wordlessly takes off his jacket and hangs it on Jack's shoulders, the conversation around them continuing as normal.
Silent conversations happen through facial expressions and decades spent sharing experiences.
"You okay?" expressed through questioning eyes, and a short nod answers back to reassure.
"Don't you dare" said through the tilt of a head when a shared memory is sparked by a comment from the kids, only kind eyes and an amused smile answer back.
Without breaking his pace or indicating that anything is wrong, Jack diverts them from walking around the Pitt to ducking inside an empty room, closing the curtain behind them. He sits Robby down on the bed in front of him, takes Robby's hand and places it on his own chest. Exaggerating his own intakes, he waits until Robby's breathing matches his before wiping away the few stray tears that made their way down Robby's face. They stay there in silence, Jack's hand on Robby's, moving his thumb softly back and forth across his skin until Robby finally takes a deeper breath, nods, and stands up ready to go.
walk with me here... what if robby and jack knew each other and hooked up way back in med school, then found their way back to each other twenty years later ಥ‿ಥ
love you softly. love you wholly. love you passionately. love you hopefully. love you compassionately. love you excitedly. love you vigorously. love you genuinely. love you unconditionally. love you fearlessly.
The scene where Bob is beating the shit out of the dark version of himself and Yelena risks it all to run across the room to hold him, the others following suit shortly after, is easily one of the most powerful scenes in a marvel movie literally ever like it’s so important
"To be old and wise you must be young and stupid" @supahzerooo - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
