The Crimson Glow: Chapter 2
Tag list: @nocturnalrorobin , @silas-aeiou , @mischiefsemimanaged , @wolfbc97 , @pocket-of-possibilities
A/N: So sorry this update took so long, but I'm finally done with the semester and am home free for the summer. This chapter has some mature themes, but nothing explicit yet. This chapter has a decent amount of filler; the reader will be in the Pitt in the next chapter. I'm gonna attempt to update weekly while I can.
Word count: ~4,680 (it kinda got away from me lol)
(Most future chapters will be closer to 3,000 words, I know over 4,000 is a commitment for one sitting)
Warning: Food, mentions of past cheating, and unspecified threats of violence, suggestive dialog (Jack calls the reader a good girl twice). (Let me know if I missed anything. This took over an hour to format/edit. I'm craving sleep.)
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Your breath caught in your throat as you made eye contact with your soulmates. You found yourself looking up automatically, before the door was even fully pulled back, like your body knew. Like this was the final puzzle piece sliding into place to fill the void you had long been ignoring. Your eyes darted between them, lagging to take everything in. They both had lovely brown eyes. The shorter of the two had firm, dark brown eyes; they were steady and made you feel secure. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed in a rush. He was supporting himself on forearm crutches, wearing a pair of shorts and slides, a t-shirt thrown over his shoulder. You felt your face warm as you took in his toned bare chest. The glare of his dog tags was a blessed distraction. His hair was still flattened on one side, red creases still present on his face from the imprint of his pillow.
He had to have been the string across the Atlantic. The one who almost died.
Glancing higher, you were met with soft brown eyes; the kind that makes you feel warmth. There was another emotion there, one you couldn’t put words to, at least not yet. He was dressed in scrubs, with a lightweight hoodie on over them, a gold chain peeking out of his shirt collar. Your eyes locked on an ID badge still clipped to him. He was a doctor, a doctor at the same hospital that had hired you, PMTC. Somehow, that information had grounded you, pulling you out of the initial shock of your strings forming a glowing triangle.
“Um, hi?” you said hesitantly, trying not to immediately embarrass yourself, your face already warming under their combined gaze. Fuck, you knew you’d find your soulmates attractive, people rarely didn’t, but at a glance they were the definition of your type. From the stubble and grey curls of the veteran to the slight greying of the beard on the doctor, and his size compared to yours. It all, it all made you feel something. You tried to ignore the spark in your core from being near them. While it was perfectly normal for a soulmate greeting, it still made you feel a rush of embarrassment on the back of your neck.
“Hey,” the doctor exhaled, like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He gazes down at you with a warm smile, misty-eyed. His smile lines and crow’s feet widened your smile. You had always found creases that represented a life lived beautiful. When you glanced to your left, the soldier was already looking at you, seemingly done sizing you up.
“I’m Jack,” he quipped before nodding to his left, “He’s Robby.”
It took you a second to process what he was saying, too caught up trying to quell your nerves. You quickly supplied your name, stumbling through it.
There was a beat of silence before your anxiety spiked again.
“Do you want to come in?” You asked, always a nervous talker. You stepped aside; they glanced at each other fleetingly before moving into your apartment.
“Sorry about the mess, I’ve only been in the city for-”
“Three hours?” The doctor, no, Robby supplied. “I noticed Jack and your strings overlapped at around 3ish.”
“Is that why you got off your shift on time?” Jack asked, quirking a brow.
“Yeah, but I was discreet, no one noticed outside of Dana,” Robby replied.
“You mean Dana was the only one to call you out?” Jack said, telling more than asking.
“I-Yeah, no that,” he sighed, running a hand down his face and took a breath, “That’s probably more accurate,”
“What department do you work in?” you asked.
“We both work in the emergency department.” Jack answered, “Attendings.”
You nodded, trying to school your face, as you debated if it was a good idea to tell them now that you’d be in the same hospital for work. You knew as soon as you told them your occupation that it’d click anyway. Their hospital was the closest to this apartment building, and this apartment building was the most affordable option in the immediate vicinity.
“What do you do for work?” Robby asked, segueing away from what, based on their tone, seemed to be a touchy subject.
“Oh, I’m an art therapist.” You answered, “I actually start PMTC on Monday.”
They shared a look that you couldn’t quite nail down. Hopefully it wasn’t anything bad.
“What department will you work in?” Jack asked.
“From what was explained to me, I would be flexing in different departments based on patient needs. Primarily, I’d be in the behavioral unit, inpatient rehabilitation, and pediatrics.” You answered. “While I start on Monday, I’m actually going to be going in tomorrow to get a tour and orientation so that I can hit the ground running on my first official day.”
“Okay,” Jack said, Robby and Jack shared another look, before letting out a breath/sigh. Normally, you wouldn’t pry, but the combination of your nervous mouth and quick observations had you blurting out your conclusion before entirely thinking it through.
“They don’t know about you two being soulmates, do they?” You asked. They shared yet another look, “Okay, you two need to knock it off with the looks.” You sighed, slightly frustrated, “I know we literally just met, and you don’t know me, but I’m not one to judge. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me into what’s going on so we can form a plan and set healthy boundaries.”
“Okay,” Robby replied, while Jack just nodded. Despite your age gap, it seemed like you were on equal footing, that being you were all equally at a loss.
“Are either of you hungry?” You offered, hoping that a mild distraction would help make the talk go smoother.
“Have you already gone shopping?” Robby asked, confused.
“Oh, no, I just got way too much Thai takeout. I actually got so much to justify not going shopping til I’m unpacked.” You confessed with a laugh. Robby smiled in return, while Jack’s lip twitched, like he wasn’t all the way there yet to commit to fully taking off his mask. You smiled despite that. If your career had taught you anything, it was not to rush it. You could meet him where he’s at, at least for now. They both followed to the kitchen, not straying farther than an arm’s length away. You made quick work of unpacking the food. You were happy you got a soda and water bottles on the side to make packing it tomorrow easier. You heard a faint huff of a laugh behind you as you pulled out the third entrée.
“What?” you asked, giving Jack side-eye,
“Nothing, I just didn’t figure that you’d be feeding yourself and a small army.” He said, a smirk pulling at his lips.
“I may have been a little hungry when I was ordering.” You admitted pulling out an appetizer of dumplings and finally some Thai spring rolls, causing both of them to laugh, “Okay, maybe very hungry.” You said in your defense.
“I can see that,” Jack replied, smirk now fully present.
“Shut up,” you said, before he could comment as you pulled out five sets of plastic cutlery.
“Yes, Ma’am,” he answered, teasingly causing you to now be the flustered one.
“Are you ever gonna put on your shirt?” you said, trying to segue into something less embarrassing.
“Are you?” he shot back, causing you to pause and look down at your outfit.
“I’m wearing a shirt,” you said with a quirked brow, gesturing down at your crop top.
“Yeah, but it’s missing the other 60%,” he responded, taking a seat at your kitchen table, before sliding his shirt on.
You jokingly over dramatically rolled your eyes, before tossing him a water bottle and making a plate for him that he dictated from his spot, leaning his crutches against the table.
“Did you build all of this?” Robby asked, gesturing to your couch, coffee table, and TV.
“Oh, no, I just used a handyman that my friend Cleo knows. He was like half the rate of the guy the building manager suggested. Technically, my move-in date was last weekend, so he was able to assemble all the furniture over the past week, and he also helped me set up the TV and Wi-Fi. Which I’m grateful for because I’m terrible when it comes to tech stuff.” You answered, settling up next to Jack at the table.
“And all the plastic boxes?” Jack asked as Robby sat down across the table from you.
“Oh, since I was moving across the state from Philly, I hired movers. They use reusable boxes as a motivator to unpack everything. You pay a flat rate for two weeks, and then there’s a fine that gets added for every day you’re over. Which I definitely need. I was still finding boxes from the last time I moved when I was packing my apartment up.” You answered.
“Next time we move, you’re in charge,” Robby declared, before taking a large bite of one of the spring rolls. Only to stop mid-bite after realizing the implications of what he just said.
“I-I mean-” he tries to get out around the large bite, causing you to laugh.
“It’s okay, I know what you meant,” you said with a light smile. Jack bumps his shoulder into yours, drawing your attention.
“Next time let him sweat more,” Jack comments with a smirk, “He’s pretty when he blushes.”
“He could’ve choked,” you pointed out as Robby finally swallows his bite and takes a large swig of water.
“Never said he wouldn’t,” Jack paused to take a sip of his own water, “but for the record, he’s equally pretty when he chokes. You’ll never hear me complain about the sounds he makes.”
Robby choked on his water at the implication, causing a whine to pull from his throat, before he started coughing. Jack’s smirk widened. Your face heats up at how casual Jack is with it, especially considering they weren’t even out at work. But then again, you are their soulmate. Normally, you were apprehensive when men cop an attitude like that; it almost always felt like they were overcompensating. But Jack felt different, his personal brand of cockiness seemed earned; like he could back up his smugness in an instant. You wish he’d reel it in, though, as a flourish of warmth sparked in your core. It didn’t help that you were practically touching, to the point that you could feel the heat radiating off of him. You cleared your throat and took a beat to build up the courage to continue your talk, heart palpitating.
“So, does anyone else you know aware that you’re romantic soulmates?” you asked.
“Only Dana and Jack’s therapist,” Robby said, glancing at Jack for confirmation. he nodded in response.
“Whose Dana?” you asked.
“She’s the charge nurse on day shifts.” Robby started, “She’s also our friend, but even if she wasn’t, she’s smart enough to figure it out.”
“Do you both work day shifts?” you asked.
“No, I’m on nights. I just have today off, normally I’m Robby’s relief.” Jack replied.
“Is that on purpose to keep up appearances?” you asked.
“It doesn’t hurt, but I’ve always preferred nights, and he prefers days. If there’s short staffing or an emergency, we normally work together.” Jack explained, and you nodded as you took another bite, trying to process everything to set up the best system. While you still yearned to be close to them, to the extent that Robby across the table from you felt too far, you didn’t want them to out themselves at work if they weren’t ready.
“So, if I’m ever in the emergency department, I should act like I don’t know either of you?” you asked, causing a silent pause to wash over the table. This time, you let go of them, glancing at each other before responding. It was a loaded question. You shifted nervously in your seat at the lack of response, before giving them reassurance.
“I’m okay with it for now if that’s what you’re worried about.” You said, “I just met both of you, but I know the dynamics of working in an environment like an emergency department is crucial to best serve people. Throwing off that rhythm can cost lives. I just want us to nail down a plan now so we’re all on the same page.”
“Jesus,” Robby exhales the breath, a look of admiration on his face as he meets your eyes, “How are you only 33?”
You tilt your head slightly, confusion clear on your face. Prompting Robby to continue.
“I could never dream of being that emotionally intelligent at your age,” he clarified, “Fuck, not to date myself, but with a 13-year head start I only pull that off half the time.”
Jack hummed in agreement, a small absent-minded smile gracing his lips when he looked at you.
“How do you know how old I am?” you asked, confused.
“That’s when the second sting appeared,” Robby answered, before continuing, “I was at temple for Yom Kippur, September 18th, 1991. It felt fitting on the day of atonement to receive another motivation to better myself.”
“It was a Wednesday, around 3, I had just been dismissed from school for the day and was in the locker room changing for football practice. When I held my helmet in my hands, I only had one string, and then after putting it on and adjusting it, I had two.” Jack added, mirroring Robby’s look.
“Oh,” you answered, slightly embarrassed. Of course, since you were the youngest, the strings have always been there for you.
“I’m only two years older than Jack, so I don’t remember a time when his string wasn’t there.” Robby explained, “It makes sense for you not to think about that if they’ve always been standard for you.”
Jack nodded in agreement, but that didn’t help the heart palpitations from your nervousness.
“So,” you said, attempting to get the conversation back on track, “We’re going with the plan that we act like we don’t know each other?”
“Maybe we can go with that, you’re our new neighbor?” Jack said, “It’d be an easy excuse if we wanted to walk you home, or why we know you at a base level.”
“Do they know you two moved in together?” You asked, curious about what was and was not known to the ED.
“They think we just moved in together since we have opposite schedules to save on rent,” Robby explained.
“Oh, so you have two bedrooms set up?” you asked, knowing that your one bedroom on the corner of the building was cheaper than other units.
“Yeah, don’t use it, but it’s there.” Jack nodded.
“Okay.” You nodded to yourself, “So no soulmate talk, other than to Dana if she asks?”
“Yeah,” Robby said. Jack nodded in agreement.
“K, outside of my brother Ben, and my friend Cleo, no one I currently know knows I have 2-strings. My parents ingrained it in me to only say I have 1.” You added.
“You have a brother?” Robby asked.
“Yeah, he’s my twin. He lives in London with my brother-in-law Dante, and their five-month-old son named Atlas.” You clarified. “Do either of you have siblings?”
“No,” Jack answered, before adding, “We both aren’t close to either of our remaining family members.
“I am close with my ex-girlfriend’s son, Jake. Her name is Janey. While we were dating, Jake and I got close to the extent that we agreed it’d be detrimental to him to cut me out when we split. He’s not close with his bio-dad.”
“Oh, so you filled that role?” you asked, with a smile. Robby found himself also smiling in return. Your tone was neutral and judgment-free, and you genuinely wanted to learn about him. Despite the importance of your conversation, talking to you was easy. He knew you were soulmates, but your warmth filled a part of him he wasn’t aware he needed. It was like his heart had expanded more to now be fully filled with the love blossoming in his chest. He hadn’t felt this sensation since meeting Jack. He was only pulled back to reality by the tilt of your head, waiting for a response.
“Y-yeah, I guess I did.” He nodded bashfully. Your smile widened at the blush developing on his face. Jack was right, he was pretty when he blushed.
“Jake’s a good kid,” Jack added. Your heart rate sped up again as he rested his arm on the back of your chair. Not touching, but close enough to satisfy the urge to hold you.
“Are you close with any family outside of Ben?” Jack asked.
“Oh, no, actually Ben and I went no contact almost a decade ago with our parents. They weren’t on board with his ‘lifestyle choices’; they blamed Dante for putting ideas in his head.” You sighed.
“That’s terrible, at least you had each other,” Robby said. Jack nodded, his jaw clenched and unclenched.
“I mean, yeah, it did at first, but in retrospect, we had been dealing with our parents’ discriminatory mindset our whole lives. It was just time to move on. The fucked-up part is that our parents actually expected me to be on their side.” You started, “I mean, I shared an egg with the guy, how could I not love him unconditionally?”
“You shared an egg with him?” Robby asked, confusion clear in his voice as he attempted to process what you were saying.
“Yeah, we’re identical twins.” You clarified, “Ben’s trans.”
A look of realization flashed on both of their faces at your omission.
“So, your parents weren’t okay with him being trans?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, they never cared about our soulmate(s) gender, you can’t control that. But they did believe that Ben being trans was his choice.” You explained, taking a deep breath to quell the negative emotions that began to well up inside you. You were jerked out of your headspace when Robby lightly gripped your hand and began to rub his thumb soothingly over your knuckles. A small smile graced your lips.
“Ben doesn’t care whether or not people know he’s trans. His biggest goal in life was to become a dad. He sacrificed a lot to achieve that. He had some fertility issues, which in turn meant putting off his own comfort of being able to transition. Atlas is the only reason he hasn’t medically transitioned yet. He’s waiting until he’s done weaning to take that step.” You explained.
“He’s lucky he has a sister like you,” Jack said, leaning his weight against your chair, face inches away from yours. Warmth filled your chest at his opinion.
“I think it’s the opposite, you can thank him for giving me the push to move across the state." You spoke.
“Was that the only reason you moved?” Robby asked.
“There were a few factors. I had a bad breakup twoish months ago, but I’ve wanted to get out of the city for longer. I applied for jobs across the northeast; I was actually between a job here and in Boston. I only ended up here because my friend Cleo lives here.” You explained.
“How bad was the breakup?” Jack asked.
“Pretty bad. She had been cheating on me for the majority of our close to two-year relationship, before I caught her and her ‘platonic’ soulmate in the act. Apparently, that’s just a fucked-up routine they have to ‘spice up’ their sex life. On top of that, she rubbed salt in the wound by saying she was only with me out of pity, because I was too old not to have found my soulmate yet.” You answered. Robby’s grip tightened in your hand, and Jack had inadvertently pulled your chair closer, knuckles white from his grip on your chair.
“And what was her name?” Jack asked.
“And address,” Robby tacked on.
“Social security wouldn’t hurt,” Jack said, jaw clenched.
You began to smile thinking they were joking around, until making eye contact with Robby he looked pissed. Your smile dropped.
Oh, they were serious.
“As much as I appreciate the gesture. I’m more of a forgive-but-remember kind of person. I was just happy I found out before I moved in with her.” You started, “I was also glad Ben was in England, he’s always been overprotective. I just want to be done with it, hence moving here.”
Neither of them seemed satisfied with your dismissal.
“When did you guys move in?” you asked, trying to dodge another bomb in this minefield of a conversation.
“Last weekend,” Robby answered, in an attempted neutral tone, his anger still shining through.
“Are you still in the unpacking phase?” you asked.
“No,” a ghost of a smile on Robby’s face, “took Jack two days to build and organize everything. We’re so efficient that we even had our first argument since moving in.”
“What was it about?” you asked.
“Apparently, I can’t fold clothing,” Robby replied.
“I never said you couldn’t fold clothing. Your attempt at crumpling a t-shirt into a ball was spot on.” Jack responded, and Robby rolled his eyes at him.
“You told me to ranger roll it, and it was a ball. I completed the task.” Robby argued.
“What’s a ranger roll?” you asked.
“It’s a folding technique so the clothing takes up the least amount of space. It’s how I fold clothing for my work bag.” Jack explained, “I use the pinch technique for my clothing going into the dresser.”
“What is a pinch technique?” you asked at a loss.
“Exactly,” Robby said exasperated.
“If you get me a shirt, I can show you,” Jack replied.
“K,” you said, standing up, “Do you want a full shirt or a 40%-er”
A small laugh escaped Jack. “Surprise me.”
You walked to your bedroom, unaware of the two sets of eyes locked on you.
“Fuck,” Robby exhaled.
“She’s better than anything I could have dreamt up,” Jack agreed, “She might be too nice though.”
Robby hummed in agreement. Their quick assessment mirrors their speed and accuracy at work.
“We’ll have to keep an eye on that. I don’t know what I’d do if someone tried to take advantage of her.” Jack said, clenching and unclenching his fist.
“I think we both know what would happen if her ex were here,” Robby commented as you reemerged from your bedroom.
“Agreed,” Jack said, turning to face you. You tossed him an oversized T-shirt. He quirked at the size.
“It’s a sleep shirt,” you answered the unasked question.
“So, your shirts are either normal, 150% too big, or only 40% there?” Jack asked.
“For the most part, I got a few that are less than 15%, but they’re just for going out.” You joked. You laughed at Jack's ‘Are you serious’ face.
“So, how do you do a pinch technique?” you asked. You watched him do it a few times before getting it down. You took a seat as Robby attempted and failed to fold the shirt right.
“Is this what older people do for fun?” you joked. Robby immediately dropped the shirt in a heap, ironically his best attempt yet, before snapping his head up.
“Oh, sweetheart, I know you did not just call us old,” Robby said.
“I know you didn’t call me old.” Jack tacked on, while his tone was stern, he had an amused look in his eyes.
“And if I did?” you asked, teasingly.
“I can think of a few ways we could address it; Jack’s got no patience for brats,” Robby said, straightening up from his leaning position over the table.
“Probably let you off with a warning,” Jack started, smug look returning, “Wouldn’t want a good girl like you to be punished while figuring out your boundaries.”
You bit your inner cheek, trying your hardest to school your face, and not give away the warmth rushing to your face. You weren’t sure if it was just being called a good girl or Jack’s tone, but you could feel the spark in your core returning. Before you could respond, a yawn cut through you. Your eyes widened as you took in the time; what had felt like only minutes with your soulmates had been hours.
“Tired?” Robby asked.
“A bit,” you replied sheepishly, covering your mouth as you let out another yawn.
“When do you go in tomorrow?" Jack asked.
“I’m expected at 0700, I was planning on heading out around 0615 in case I get lost.” You explained.
“I can walk you in if you want. Unless I’m called in earlier, I normally start at 0700 too.” Robby offered.
“That’d be great,” you smiled, fatigue from your cross-state drive finally catching up with you, your eyes beginning to droop.
“Not to be presumptuous, but would you like to sleep over at ours?” Robby asked. You waited for a beat as you internally argued whether it’d be too clingy to want that.
“If it’s okay with both of you, I’d love that,” you replied.
“Of course that’s okay, fuck I think we’d both prefer it,” Robby said, glancing at Jack, who nodded.
“I don’t think I’d be able to sleep without having eyes on you,” Jack answered honestly.
“K, I’m just gonna brush my teeth and change clothing.” You said, pushing yourself back from the table. In what felt like seconds, you found yourself standing pensively at the foot of their king-sized bed. Jack was finishing up his nightly routine when you entered the bedroom. Would it be too presumptuous to think you were sharing the bed? Did they want something more, or were you just going to sleep? Before you could fully spiral, Robby interrupted your internal argument.
“Com’ere,” he said, pulling back the covers, “Do you have a side you prefer sleeping on?”
“Um, would it-would it be okay if I were in the middle?” you asked, looking up at Robby. His brown eyes softened, and a smile bloomed on his face.
“Of course, Honey.” He answered, fully folding back the covers so you could slip in. While you were getting situated, Robby stripped down to his boxers and passed Jack as he disappeared into their bathroom. Jack greeted you with a soft smile as he sat down and leaned his crutches in a nook between the bed and his bedside table. He slipped out of his shirt before maneuvering himself under the covers to face you.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his minty breath washing over your face. You nodded in response.
“Baby, when I ask you a question, I want a verbal answer.” He said gently, but firmly.
“Um, yeah,” you nodded, you could feel his eyes rake over you.
“Are you sure?” he asked again, and you broke eye contact.
“Could we cuddle?” you asked nervously. Jack gently cupped your face, forcing eye contact.
“Of course we can cuddle,” he said with a small smile, before pecking your forehead. Still flustered by the whole conversation, you rolled over facing Robby’s side. Jack’s arm snaked around your waist, pulling you back flush against his warm chest.
“Is this alright?” he asked into your ear. His hot breath fanned out onto the back of your neck. You contained a shiver, before nodding your head.
“Yeah,” you answered quickly, forgetting about the expectation he had just told you.
“Good girl,” he whispered into your ear. Causing your breath to hitch, face heating up once more, these men would be the death of you. A smile spread across Robby’s face when he took you and Jack in as he circled around to his side and slid under the covers.
“Is this okay?” he asked, front flush with yours, one of his long arms wrapped around Jack’s waist behind you.
“Yeah,” you replied quietly. You hid your face in his chest, not to give away how okay you were with it.
“Night,” he said, pecking the crown of your head.
“Night,” you and Jack echoed contently.
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A/N: Thank you so much for taking the time to read ^-^
Very excited to write about the reader's first time in the Pitt in the next chapter. I'm hyped for them to meet Dana. Hope you're doing well wherever you're at 💛
I will have a master list for this blog made tomorrow, I just need to sleep first lol
Chapter 3: here
