day thirty-one: midnight kiss (jack abbot x reader)
summary: you and jack ring in the new year
pairing: jack abbot x wife!reader
words: 550
tags: fluff, marital bliss
authors note: aaand pittcember is over! thank you so much to everyone who has read, reblogged, and commented, i see you and appreciate you so much!!! this took longer to complete than i'd anticipated but i'm really proud that i've finished it
Jack made the rounds again at the New Years Eve party you and him had thrown for the Pitt crew, his eyes scanning the crowd for you as he circled through the party. He'd searched the whole first floor of the house, weaving between co-workers and distributing glasses of champagne and sparkling cider as the clock ticked closer to midnight. When you were nowhere to be found, Jack passed the champagne duty off to Javadi and Whitaker as Jack disappeared upstairs to look for you, a glass of champagne in each hand.
Jack found you in the shared ensuite bathroom, all dolled up in your silver party dress and sparkling jewelry like a beautiful vision, but you were leaning over, bracing yourself on the edge of the counter top, staring down at the sink. Jack followed your gaze down to what you were looking at and he stopped dead in the doorway when he registered what was sitting next to the sink, his stomach flipping.
It was a pregnancy test.
"I'm not going to be able to drink that." You said without looking up, referencing the glass of champagne in Jacks hand. Jack stepped into the room, setting the glasses down on the counter while closing the door behind him with his foot. Jack moved to stand next to you, his arm coming around your waist in a gesture of comfort as he looked down.
The test was positive.
Jacks heart seized in his chest, a million emotions swirling around his body. Surprise, excitement, apprehension, concern, joy. This hadn't been something you and Jack had been trying for - you discussed it, but it was something totally different when it was real. Jack could feel the unbridled joy rising in him, the excitement that this was actually happening and you two were going to be parents, but he needed to check in with you first.
"Honey?" Jack prompted, hoping to get a reaction out of you. You swallowed hard, the sound audible to Jack, and pushed off the counter to straighten up. When you turned to face him, your eyes were wet with tears. Jack tugged you closer immediately, his arms pulling you into his embrace, chest to chest. You rested your hands on his shoulders, grounding yourself.
"What are you thinking?" Jack asked.
"I'm thinking about how this is going to be a scary nine months." You said with a heavy sigh. "I'm thinking about all the symptoms and complications you and I both know can happen in pregnancy and during birth. I'm thinking about how because we know so much we're also more prepared. I'm thinking about how I'm going to be a mom and you're going to be a dad and how I can't wait to meet our baby." Your voice broke, the swell of happy emotions pushing up your throat. Jack smiled at you and you smiled back, a wet, elated laugh bursting out of you. Jack drew you into a firm hug, one hand pressing on your back and the other cupping your head. Your arms wrapped around his neck and you both clung to each other as the party downstairs began to loudly count down from ten.
"Hell of a way to start the year." Jack said against your shoulder and you pulled back to look at your husband, seeing his eyes shining with unshed tears of joy.
"Happy New Year Jack." You whispered, your hands cupping his face.
"Happy New Year my love." He said back, kissing you soundly as the party goers downstairs erupted into a chorus of 'Happy New Year!' as the clock struck midnight.
tags: fluff, jack is down bad, you're his whole world
You were in the midst of unpacking the boxes you'd moved into Jacks house, setting some of your belongings onto shelves and putting your clothes in drawers, when a small piece of paper fluttered off Jacks bookshelf and onto the floor. You picked it up without a second thought and unfolded it to see where it might belong but you found its contents puzzling. It ended up being a checklist with most of the items ticked off. Your eyebrows came together in confusion as your eyes scanned over the list, your name popping up a lot.
Some of the items on the list included taking you on a vacation, and moving in with you, both of which had happened this year. There were other simpler items that had been checked off too, like telling you that he loved you, and opening up and talking to you after his nightmares rather than closing himself off. The items on the list didn't make much sense to you, since they were small and large in value, mundane and complex, with no rhyme or reason to them.
You abandoned your task of unpacking and left the home office to find Jack. He was in the kitchen, going through one of your boxes and making note of the kitchen utensils that the two of you had double of now that you'd moved in. You paused in the doorway and when Jack looked over at you, you lifted the paper for him to see.
"Accidentally found this while I was unpacking, what is it?" You asked carefully. Jack could easily tell what it was from where he was standing. Unbeknownst to you, it was a list that Jack looked at frequently.
"It's my new years resolutions. It was an activity my therapist had me do back in January." Jack said, his face neutral.
"This is a list of everything you wanted to accomplish this year? All of these are about me." You asked, lifting the paper higher. Jacks expression didn't change, his eyes still intense and steadfast.
"You're the most important thing in my life, when I had to think of things I wanted to achieve this year, moments with you were the only thing that came to mind." He replied sincerely. Butterflies erupted in your stomach at his words. Of all the things he could have chosen to write down to accomplish this year - read 20 books, visit a new country, take on a research project at work - the only topic he could think of was you. Every item was about you and your relationship with him, different milestones to strengthen and further your relationship.
You were his sole focus.
You looked down at the paper in your hands, your heart singing with joy. You felt so seen, so wanted, so loved. You didn't have to worry about Jack possibly having doubts about your relationship, this list made it clear that he was all in.
"What about this last point?" You asked, a smile tugging on your lips. The final unchecked item on the list was underlined twice - ask you to marry him.
"That's a hope of mine, but I think I was being a little overeager. Moving in together is a big enough goal for the year. We can save an engagement for next year, or the year after, or whenever you're ready." Jack explained as he crossed the kitchen to stand in front of you, his hands cupping your elbows.
day twenty-nine: family traditions (jack abbot x reader)
summary: jack includes you in his family traditions
pairing: jack abbot x gf!reader
words: 800
tags: fluff, jack loves you a lot
authors note: this family tradition is based off one my family has :) also can you tell i'm in the middle of a graduate program?
It was December 24th and you were spending your Christmas Eve with Jack and his extended family, meaning his sisters, their spouses, and all of Jacks nieces and nephews. All of his sisters lived close to each other but Jack was the only sibling who lived out of state, which meant you two were the only ones who needed to stay over in a guest room. Jacks youngest sister Elaine, who was hosting Christmas, had gathered everyone into the living room to each open one gift.
Jack had explained that this was a tradition started by his parents, who had commissioned a family friend who was an artist to paint Christmas ornaments for Jack and his siblings every year. The ornaments were round and wooden, and the family friend would paint something specific for each child that reflected something that happened that year. When the family friend passed, her daughter took over. She now made ornaments for the whole extended family, with parents deciding what should be painted for the kids, and spouses deciding for each other, to make it a surprise. The ornaments were the only gifts they opened before Christmas morning.
Everyone got settled around the room in various chairs and couches as the young kids started distributing the small white boxes to each of the family members. You watched contently from your place next to Jack, tucked comfortably against his side. When one of the nephews put a box in your lap, you were stunned. You hadn't expected to receive one of the ornaments, it was your first Christmas with Jack. You looked over at him in surprise and he just shrugged silently, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
When Elaine gave the go ahead, everyone opened their boxes. The room was filled with noises and exclamations of surprise and joy, every one showing their ornament to the people they were sitting beside and thanking whoever had decided what would go on the ornament. You opened your box carefully and lifted the ornament out with delicate fingers.
You were stunned by what you saw.
You'd graduated this year from a graduate program you'd taken part time while also still working full time, which had been a feat of dedication and hard work. Jack had supported you through this last year of the program, helping you study and making sure you remembered to eat and got enough sleep. The Christmas ornament was painted in your schools colours and had the logo of the school alongside a graduation cap.
"You deserve to have your accomplishment celebrated at every opportunity." Jack whispered into your ear as your eyes swam with tears at the loving gesture. "I'm so proud of you baby." Jack pressed a kiss to your cheek and you turned in your seat to throw yourself at him, your arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders. He laughed a little under his breath as his strong arms banded around you to hug you back. You pulled back and pressed a quick but firm kiss to his lips, before sitting back to look at your gift again. You wiped the tears from your cheeks and thanked him over and over again.
"Do you not like it?" Jacks ten year old niece Amy asked from her spot next to you. You shook your head at her.
"No, I'm really happy. These are happy tears." You explained as you continued to wipe your cheeks while you smiled. You suddenly became aware of the family watching you and you got up from the couch, excusing yourself to grab a tissue. Elaine followed you out of the room and into the kitchen. She leaned her hip against the kitchen counter, her arms crossed, and spoke up as you dried your tears.
"He really loves you, ya know." Elaine stated like it wasn't a question or something up for discussion. You looked over at her, curious.
"I've met a few of Jackies girlfriends over the years, before he met his wife, and he never asked that an ornament be made for any of them. Hell, he didn't include Mary in this tradition until after he proposed." Your mouth opened slightly in shock at the realization that Jack really was serious about your relationship and that he saw a future with you.
"My brother is head over heels for you. Don't let him mess it up." Elaine finished with a wink before turning around and heading back to the living room, passing Jack on the way.
"You okay honey?" Jack asked as he came to stand next to you, his hand running up and down your arm affectionately.
"Yeah," You said, still smiling. "I'm perfect. Everything is perfect."
day twenty-eight: ice skating (jack abbot x reader)
summary: you give jack a surprise christmas gift
pairing: jack abbot x gf!reader
words: 700
tags: fluff (like tooth rotting), you really love jack, jack is down bad for you
authors note: to everyone who has encouraged me to finish this series and that you're all still interested even though it isn't december - i love youuuu
"Honey, I-" Jack faltered, unsure of what to say.
"Do you like it?" You asked, your eyes shining with excitement. Jack looked back down at the present in his lap, completely stunned by the thoughtfulness of the gift. You'd conspired with Jacks prosthetist to create a foot attachment for Jacks leg that had a skate blade on the bottom. Jack had mentioned during your first winter as a couple that he hadn't been skating in years because his prosthetic foot wasn't compatible with ice skates. He told you stories about how he used to play hockey, and the memories he had of skating with his sisters on the pond at his grandparents home.
The memories were happy but you'd picked up on the quiet melancholy in his recounts and you'd wanted to do something to bring back the joy. So you'd arranged a date night at a outdoor ice rink and presented Jack with the gift once you arrived. Jack currently sat on the bench, still looking dumbfounded at the wonderful gesture. This was one of the nicest things that anyone had ever done for him.
"Baby this is too much." Jack started to say. He didn't even want to imagine how much this had cost you. "I love it but the cost-"
"I have saved a lot of money dating you. I don't know if you've noticed but you're a gentleman through and through Jack Abbot and I haven't had to pay for pretty much anything beyond rent and food for the last two years. If you want, this can be your Christmas and birthday gift, but it's non-refundable." You said smugly, bending over at the waist to be face to face with Jack. You took his face in your gloved hands and kissed him sweetly.
"You're worth it Jack." You whispered quietly to him when you pulled back. He stared at you, his eyes wide with awe and gratitude. You smiled back at him, your thumbs rubbing affectionately over his cheeks.
"I love you." Jack said, his voice steadfast. He craned his neck forward to kiss you again, catching your lips in a strong and adoring kiss. You could feel his appreciation in the kiss, in the way one of his hands lifted to gently cup the back of your neck and keep you secured to him. When he finally pulled back, the two of you got to work getting his snow boot and prosthetic foot off to get the skate on. Once you both had your skates on, you walked hand in hand to the edge of the ice.
You got onto the ice easily, pushing off and turning around with ease to face Jack. You didn't offer any help, you knew he'd ask for it if he needed it. It had been well over ten years since he lost his foot and likely longer since he'd had the opportunity to go skating so he was possibly out of practice. Jack surprised you both by stepping onto the ice with minimal difficultly. He took a few experimental pushes forward, one foot pushing off while he remained balanced on the opposite foot. He kept his gaze on his feet as he got used to the feeling of being on the ice, his muscle memory taking over.
You watched as he moved away from the boards and went around you in a large arc before coming back to face you. Jack looked up at you, a bright, brilliant smile lighting his face up as he skated steadily towards you. You beamed back at him, the joy on his face too infectious to fight off. Jack slid up to you easily, stopping himself from colliding with you by grabbing you by the hips and pulling you against him. He kissed you again, full of passion and love so strong that it had you melting into him. His happiness radiated off of him, making you laugh against his lips when he kissed you again after you broke apart to breathe. Jack pulled back finally, his grin still big and wide.
day twenty-seven: gingerbread houses (jack abbot x reader)
summary: you and jack are on opposite sides of his family's annual gingerbread house making competition
pairing: jack abbot x gf!reader
words: 800
tags: humour, teasing, jack is down bad for you, abbot family shenanigans
authors note: i know it's the end of january, i am going to finish this series no matter what
"Uncle Jack, your new girlfriend is on our team this year." Jacks niece Lily announced as the whole family was setting up the dining table with bowls of icing and candy. You'd learned from Jack that his family had a gingerbread house making competition every year and that it was extremely competitive. When Jack had told you about it, he'd been so serious you'd wanted to laugh but got the impression that wouldn't be appropriate. It seemed like a very cutthroat tradition.
For time efficiency and creativity they used graham crackers to build wild creations, and they worked in teams. You'd assumed you'd be on Jacks team but it looked like the nieces and nephews were calling dibs on you.
"That's against the rules." Jack protested. "Couples compete together."
"No," Lily rebutted. "Spouses compete together, she's your girlfriend. You don't need any more advantage Uncle Jack."
Lily dragged you over to the dining room before you or Jack could protest more and you were quickly corralled into a team huddle with Lily and the other five kids old enough to participate. You all wrapped your arms around each other and ducked your heads down like you were a football team discussing the next play. You had to try really hard to not laugh at the determination on the faces of the children, especially the youngest girl who was only six.
"Okay, we have a blueprint to follow and no time for messing around. If I catch you eating our decorations, I'm going to publicly shame you in front of the whole extended family. Everyone knows there jobs?" The kids nodded at Lily's question. She looked over at you. "We have a special job for you. We need you to distract Uncle Jack."
"Distract him?" You asked.
"Uncle Jack wins all the time, we need every advantage we can get. We're counting on you to play dirty." Jacks nephew Liam said with an intensity you didn't expect from a ten year old. You sobered up really fast, realizing this was no laughing matter. You nodded somberly at the kids and gave them an Abbot signature double thumbs up.
The team broke and started to gather supplies from the kitchen. You followed them there and found Jack mixing coloured icing. You slid up behind him and wrapped your arms around his middle, pressing yourself against his back.
"Hi handsome, preparing for the fight?" You joked lightly as you pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade.
"We're enemies it seems." Jack said back, never stopping his task of mixing the colour in. He didn't look back at you or really acknowledge your presence so you started to pepper kisses across his shoulders to get his attention. You knew it was working when he rolled his shoulders and stared pointedly at the bowl of icing. You pushed up on your toes and kissed the warm skin of his neck which jolted Jack out of his fake animosity. He snatched your hands off of him and spun around to face you.
"Careful honey." Jack said, his voice low. "I know what you're doing." You looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about." You said with a sly smile as you wound your arms around his neck. "Can't I just kiss my boyfriend before he tries to destroy me in a gingerbread house making competition?" Jacks mouth flattened in an unimpressed look.
"You're trying to distract me." Jack stated. You hummed noncommittally before pushing up onto your toes to kiss his scowling lips. You almost laughed at how Jack instantaneously softened under your touch, the press of your lips to his ridding his body of tension. Despite trying to put up a front that you two were on opposite sides for this competition, Jack leaned into your kiss, his hands holding your hips as yours lifted to cup his face.
While Jack was thoroughly distracted, his seven year old niece Lindsey took the opportunity to reach over the other side of the kitchen island and steal the bowl of icing Jack had been mixing. She stuck her tongue out in concentration as she stretched her arms as far as they would go to lift the bowl carefully without making a sound. She quickly scurried over to the dining room table once she'd secured the spoils and received a high five from her brother.
You pulled back from your kiss, smiling as Jack tried to chase you with his lips. You patted his his chest triumphantly and grinned up at him as his eyes opened.
"All's fair in love and war baby." You whispered slyly before walking back to your team, leaving Jack confused in the kitchen. Just as you were rejoining your group, Jack called out your name in frustration, obviously realizing his icing had been stolen. All the kids broke out into giggles and laughter and you joined in, realizing this afternoon was going to be so much fun.
day twenty-six: snowball fight (jack abbot x reader)
summary: jack gets caught in a post shift snowball fight
pairing: jack abbot x med student!reader
words: 700
tags: fluff, jack having fun and being playful, jack being smitten
Jack was completely caught off guard by the snowball that hit him square in the chest. Unprepared for the impact, Jack stumbled back a step as he looked down lamely at the spot the snowball had struck.
"Oh my god, Dr. Abbot I'm so sorry!" Jack looked back up to see you standing a few feet away, your mittened hands clasped over your mouth in shock. Jack surveyed the rest of the park and saw Santos, Whitaker, Mel, Javadi, and Mohan staring at him with equally worried expressions. It seemed they'd started an impromptu snowball fight in the park across from the Pitt after they'd finished the day shift and Jack had been caught in the middle of it on his way into work.
"Interns vs residents?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, noting how they stood in two groups separated by the path cutting through the park.
"Yeah?" You confirmed, a little uncertain as to why he was asking. He hummed in understanding and nodded his head as he removed his backpack and set it down on the park bench.
"So I guess that means I'm on the resident team." Jack said with a smile as he moved to stand next to Mel. Santos threw her hands in the air and whooped in excitement while you, Javadi, and Whitaker gaped at your attending in disbelief.
"What? That's not fair!" You exclaimed as Jack crouched down to scoop up a handful of snow. He gave you a devious smile and a shrug as he stood back up, his hands molding the snow into a ball until it was ready to be thrown.
"Consider it payback." Jack said, wasting no more time and throwing the snowball at you with deadly accuracy. You let out a playful scream as your body twisted away from him, your arms coming up to cover your head as the snowball hit you on the shoulder.
Jacks first strike got the snowball fight going again, the group bending to grab fistfuls of snow and shaping them into haphazard balls before throwing them at their opponents. The park filled with laughter and the occasional scream as the fight continued. Santos threw a snowball so hard it had Whitaker falling over, whereas Javadi managed to nail Mohan right in the chest, just below her neck, which caused some of the cold snow to explode in Mohans face. Mel had Mohans back however and managed to get hit Javadi in the stomach.
Jack on the other hand, seemed solely focused on you. The two of you chased each other around the park benches, grabbing snow and tossing it as best you could. Jack had great aim but you were good at dodging, going as far as diving behind the park bench for cover. You were both smiling and laughing as you threw snowballs back and forth and Jack felt a lightness in his chest that he hadn't felt in a long time.
Eventually he managed to tackle you into a snowbank, both of you laughing breathlessly as you wordlessly agreed that the fight was over for the two of you. You both laid there for a moment, your heaving breaths filling the air above you in visible puffs as you stared up at the night sky.
Well, you looked at the sky - Jack was looking at you. He loved the happiness that was clear on your face and the way your eyes shined with joy. It distracted him so much that he didn’t register the wet cold that was seeping into his pants as he laid in the snow. Jack was distracted by you all the time and he realized that he surprisingly didn’t mind. This was your second year as a med student at the Pitt and Jack found himself hoping you'd join their staff full time once you graduated.
Eventually you looked over at him, catching him staring. He wasn't staring like he did at work - collected and pointedly - there was a softness to his face this time. His eyes were just as intense as always but his gaze was kind and relaxed.
"Don't you have a shift to get to?" You asked gently, not wanting this moment to end but also feeling compelled to remind Dr. Abbot he was expected elsewhere. If you also looked deeper at your motives, you were noticing things in his gaze that had your heart thumping and you wanted to give him an ‘out’ if you were misreading things.
He didn’t take it.
"Robby can hold the fort down for a few more minutes, I'm having too much fun right where I am."
day twenty-five: christmas past (jack abbot x reader)
summary: jack is plagued by memories on christmas eve
pairing: jack abbot x gf!reader
words: 1.4k
tags: grief, light angst, happy ending
authors note: i'm really proud of this one i hope you all like it. nic i'm tagging you because i think you'll like this one @ovaryacted
You were unsure what woke you in the middle of the night, but when you rolled over in bed to snuggle closer to Jack, you found the other side of the bed empty and cold. You sat up confused and looked blurry-eyed at the digital clock on your bedside table. The glowing green numbers let you know it was just past two in the morning, meaning it was officially Christmas Day. You glanced around the room, trying to figure out where your boyfriend disappeared to, and you noticed light coming in from under the closed bedroom door.
You climbed out of your warm bed and headed towards the living room, grabbing a blanket on your way out of the bedroom to wrap around your shoulders. You shuffled into the living room, the colourful lights on the Christmas tree illuminating your path with a red-ish pink glow. You found Jack in the living room, sitting on the couch and staring blankly at the Christmas tree. There was a wet sheen to his eyes that had your stomach twisting in concern. You moved into his field of vision and he finally registered your presence, blinking rapidly as he was taken out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Jacks voice was low and apologetic. You gave him a soft smile as you shook your head.
"No. Can I join you?" Jack blinked some more and shook his head quickly like he was trying to shake away his thoughts.
"Of course." He said as he shifted over to make room for you. You crossed the carpet and around the coffee table to sit on the couch. You pulled your legs up onto the cushions, folding yourself against Jacks side and leaning on him. He put a warm hand on your knee, his thumb rubbing absentmindedly over your kneecap.
"What's got you awake at this hour?" You asked. Jack didn't answer right away, his eyes still fixed on the tree. You could tell whatever he'd been thinking about was still weighing on him. You placed your hand over his and tilted your head to be in his eye line.
"Jack, you know you can talk to me. Something is clearly bothering you." Jack looked over at you, his eyes holding a quiet sorrow. You raised your other hand and ran it down the side of his face in a gesture of comfort, Jacks eyes closing and his head turning to press his face against your palm. When he opened his eyes again, he looked a little less upset.
"Christmas was Marys favourite holiday." The mention of his late wife made your mouth part in understanding of what was weighing on him. You squeezed his hand in comfort and he continued as the hand on his face dropped to rest on his shoulder.
"She loved everything about it. The lights, putting up decorations, wrapping gifts, baking treats. She used to cook a huge Christmas day meal with six different side dishes, even if it was just the two of us. We'd have leftovers for almost two weeks." The memory brought a ghost of a smile to the corners of Jacks mouth.
"That's an impressive accomplishment."
"She went all out for the holiday. Her favourite part was the Christmas village she collected over the years. The houses are taking up one and a half of the bins I have in storage. Most of the storage bins are her decorations." Jack said, his voice sounding a little lighter and happier as he talked about his wife.
"We had a Christmas village when I was little, only it was just the school house, vets office, and flower shop. We moved around a few times when I was young and it was always hard to find a place to put them in the living room that was also close to an outlet so we could plug them in." You added to the conversation, giving Jack an anecdote from your past.
"Oh, Mary had the set that you lit with candles. She'd line them up in our old house on the fireplace mantle above the stockings she made for us and would put the other buildings wherever she could find the space. I used to joke that it was a fire hazard just to push her buttons a bit but at night when all the lights were off except for the Christmas tree and the little village, it made the house look magical." Jack stopped talking as his voice got thick with emotion, the memory of Christmas past with his wife clogging his throat and making his gaze drop. You chewed on your bottom lip as a thought came into your head and you knew you'd need to tread lightly. The last thing you wanted to do was offend the memory of Mary.
"If you wanted," You started slowly. "We could get the village out of storage." Jacks eyes snapped up to yours, his expression unreadable. You pushed ahead. "If you don't want to because they're Marys and it doesn't feel right to you or it'll make you sad than that's okay, but if you're not using her decorations because you think I'd have a problem with it, I don't. I think it'd be a nice way to honour her by having the village she loved so much out on display."
Jack stared at you for a long moment, his thoughts swirling over what you said. You watched as his eyes filled again with tears, the glow of the Christmas lights making his eyes shine. Your heart seized with worry that you'd over stepped as a single tear escaped, rolling down his cheek.
"I love you." He said quietly and sincerely. Relief flooded through you at his words. You smiled gently at him and raised your hand to brush the tear away.
"I love you too." You whispered back. You both stared at each other for a long moment, Jacks heart full of love for you. He still loved his wife, still wore his wedding ring as a reminder of his devotion to her, but he loved you too. He'd spent so many years by himself after Marys death, too wrapped up in his grief to even imagine being in a relationship. Then, after he met you, he became worried that his memories and remaining love for Mary would drive you away, that you might feel like you were competing with a ghost for Jacks love.
But you weren't put off by his mentions of Mary or his reminisces of his marriage. Jack always thought his grief would hang like a guillotine over his relationship with you, the blade coming down and tearing the two of you apart. Jack had snuck out to the living room tonight because he was drowning in his memories and his grief. He hadn't wanted to bother you, instead choosing to sit alone in the dark and let the memories of Christmas past grip his throat and heart in a vice.
Jack had been spiraling in his own head when you appeared in the room like a soothing balm to his soul. You sat down with him and proved that all of his assumptions about you were wrong. You weren't afraid of his grief, you knew it was there and you made Jack feel like he didn't have to hide it and suffer in silence.
He felt lighter and more free than he had in years. You made him feel like his memories of Mary weren't something that would weigh him down and were instead something for him to hold close and cradle between his palms. With you he felt like he could cry or smile at the memories of Mary and that he didn't need to feel guilty about how he felt.
You made it safe for him to feel.
You stood from the couch, the blanket still wrapped around you, and extended your hand out to Jack. His eyebrows pinched together in confusion.
"C'mon, those boxes in storage downstairs aren't going to unpack themselves." Jack smiled for the first time that night and took your outstretched hand, his heart feeling light and free knowing that Marys memory was safe with you.
summary: during a quiet night in the pitt, you and jack play cards
pairing: jack abbot x nurse!reader
words: 500
tags: fluff, flirting
authors note: i love euchre and I hope that you can understand what’s happening even if you don’t know the game
Jack watched you carefully over the last remaining card in his hand. This was the last hand of Euchre, both teams had nine points and had each won two of the rounds in this hand. You had won the last round so it was up to you to lay down your last card and decide what suit was trump for this last round. All the cards in the suit called as trump at the start of the hand had been used, this last round was all luck. Jack had an ace of spades, if you put down a spade, Jack would win the round, the hand, and the game for him and his partner, Shen.
There was a snowstorm raging outside the walls of the hospital and since it was also Christmas Eve, the ER was pretty quiet. When you'd started feeling stir crazy, you'd suggested a nice game of cards. The game had quickly devolved into playful name calling and biting quips.
You narrowed your eyes at Jack, staring at him carefully. You knew there was nothing you could do to change the outcome of the cards, it was just a game of suspense now. You had a queen in your hand, which meant that if Jack or Shen had the king or ace in the same suit as you, you and Perlah would lose. But you couldn't help antagonizing Jack and dragging out the last round. You’d enjoyed spending time with him on night shifts these past few months and you knew he liked you because you were the nurse he preferred in a trauma. You’d gotten comfortable enough with him to joke around and tease him when you had the chance.
You two stared each other down, your cards each lifted up, ready to slap down on the table. You put the queen of clubs face up on the counter at the Hub and both Shen and Jack groaned as they threw their cards down in defeat, the jack of clubs and ace of spades. Perlah cheered along with you as she dropped her ace of hearts on Hub, throwing her hands in the air. You and Perlah were grinning in triumph as you leaned forward to give her a double high five in victory.
"I'm done playing cards." Shen said with a sigh as he backed away from the nursing station. Perlah waved her fingers at him as he retreated in defeat.
"Next time we'll wager with snacks." She called after him, before another nurse called Perlah over for a hand. You turned your attention back to Jack who was shaking his head at the cards.
"How does it feel to be a loser Dr. Abbot?" You asked teasingly. He looked over at you in an expression of scandalization.
"You're mean when you want to be." You gave him a shrug and a smile.
"Us nurses need to knock you doctors down a peg or two every once and a while." You rounded the Hub to the side where Dr. Abbot was. "You and I should play poker some time, I'm terrible at it." Dr. Abbots eyebrows pinched together in confusion as you passed behind him, heading out to check on the few patients you had.
"Why would you want to play poker with me if you'd lose?"
"Because I only play strip poker." You said with a wink at the dashing attending before you rounded the corner out of his sight. It took Jack a moment to comprehend that you, a pretty young nurse, was in fact, flirting with him. An unexpected smile broke out over his face at your boldness.
Maybe he'd take you up on playing another card game.
