This is my submission for the ADAD2025 event. My character assignment was Robby, color gold, and the phrase "You are the very beating and pulse of my heart." This is a fluff one-shot written in second person, reader's gender is not mentioned.
This amazing event is run by: @letsgobarbs , @clubsoft , @ananonymousaffair
Warning: brief talk of religion (Judaism & Christianity), Robby kissing reader so they shut up, love confession, reader's self-doubt, reader is younger than Robby (no age mentioned), crying/upset reader, verbal degradation, (LMK if I missed anything).
WC: 1,820ish
The Pitt Taglist: @nocturnalro , @mischiefsemimanaged
The first time you see Robby’s Star of David pendant is after he was soaked to the bone thanks to a sudden spring downpour. You shared an on-foot commute. He had forced you to take his slicker when the weather took a turn for the worse two blocks away from PTMC. You were reluctant to the extent that after two minutes of squabbling under an awning in front of a pizza shop, he ended the argument by pulling rank as your chief attending to take the coat. You were now leaning against the wall opposite to the men’s restroom with his phone, keys, and wallet dutifully kept dry in your bag that you were able to squish under his raincoat. While you had always known he wore a gold chain, it was your first time seeing his pendant as he stepped out of the men’s room with it untucked.
He followed your eyeline and tugged it back under the collar of his scrubs.
“Never seen a Magen David before?” he teased, taking back his possessions from your outstretched hands.
“Mag’n?” you questioned. He chuckled at your attempted Hebrew.
“It means Shield of David in Hebrew,” he supplied, once again laughing as your mouth made an ‘O’ shape.
“I’ve only ever heard it called a Star of David.” You explained as you both made your way back to the lockers, “And yes, I’ve seen it before, just not on you.”
“You didn’t know I was Jewish?” he questioned.
“Again, knew you were Jewish and that you always wear a necklace, you just always have it tucked under your collar here.” You defended yourself.
“I like to have it close to my heart,” he shrugged.
“I guess that is a good place as any for a shield,” you replied.
“I’d love to point out you also wear a chain under your scrubs.” He said, glazing over what you said, as he opened the door to the locker room.
“What is this, a ‘you showed me yours, now I show you mine’ kinda deal?” You joked.
“If you wanted it to be,” he replied with a self-assured smile. You playfully roll your eyes as you both finish putting your stuff away. Once you had a free hand, you tugged your gold pendant above your black scrubs.
“Saint pendant?” he asked, peering down at your collarbone.
“Yeah,” you nodded, “St. Luke, I was told he’s the patron saint of doctors.”
“You were told?” he quirked an eyebrow on the way to the hub.
“It was a gift from one of my friends’ family when I graduated from med school. It turned into a good luck charm when I passed my licensing exam. I may not be overtly religious, but it doesn’t hurt to have another person looking out for me, ethereally or not. Plus, it has the caduceus on the back, which feels more secular,” you explain.
“You know I’ll always have your back, right?” While Robby phrased it as a question, it came across more as a statement.
“Duh,” you laughed, hiding the fact that your heart rate had skyrocketed. God, the things this man did to you effortlessly. You bit your inner cheek trying to reel in your emotions enough that you’d be able to focus on anything other than his doe eyes. You knew logically he’d never return your feelings; it’s not that you had low self-esteem or anything, but you were average. You were another attending in the ED; you didn’t think you’d catch his eye; to you, he was extraordinary, and it was improbable that he’d choose to settle for you. Outside of that, you’d reason that if he did have feelings for you, he would have already made a move. You’ve been employed and working in the Pitt for years. You’d met as equals during the height of the pandemic and relied on each other since. Shaking your head, you pulled yourself back to the present as you stood next to Robby, examining the board at the nurse’s hub.
“Ditto, by the way,” you said, not taking your eyes off the board.
“Hmm?” He hummed,
“I got your back to Robinavitch,” you said simply, before he could respond, your attentions were immediately pulled to an incoming GSW, four minutes out. Like countless shifts before, everything begins to blur together as you take on countless patients and aid the students' learning. Nothing out of the ordinary stuck out. That was until it hit 1800, an hour before your night shift relief was to arrive. After doing this job as long as you have, you’d developed thick skin; you’d been called everything in this book twice over. None of that prepared you next patient. She was cruel and pinpoint with her insult; Myrna had nothing on her. After ten minutes of being berated by her as you stitched up the cut on her right hand, you left with a tight-lipped smile, not before hearing her final comment.
“I remember when doctors were worth something, clearly they’ve lowered their standards if a good-for-nothing like you fell through the cracks.”
Fuck if that didn’t shatter your defensives, every trace of self-doubt came to the suffice fast enough to cause whiplash. You took a deep breath, as your feet carried you far away from her, as you could manage without drawing attention. You made the briefest of eye contact with Dana as you impatiently waited for the elevator. You saw her eyebrows furrow as you stepped in, blinking back tears. You forced a smile as the doors of the elevator closed, and you hit the button for the top floor.
By the time you reach the stairs for the roof, your tears are falling freely, and they quickly mixed with the drizzle of rain that hit you once you stepped outside. You attempted to take a deep breath, only for it to be interrupted by a deep sob from your chest. Exhaustion and your deep frustration take over as you stop trying to calm down and lean into your emotions. You let yourself cry and sob out all of your repressed emotions, from fears of not being good enough, to your various insecurities, to the heart of your deepest self-doubt Robb-.
Your train of thought was thrown off track as your name pieced through the consistent beat of the rain.
Fuck
You tried to calm your breath as Robby stood with his back to you; he scanned the ledge of the roof. You had managed to stop crying, but your position leaning against the outside of the stairwell was quickly given away as another sob rocked through you.
Robby whipped around, panic look faded into one of concern.
“Oh, honey,” he said softly as he approached you.
“Don’t,” you said firmly, you couldn’t handle being around him, not now, not when he was a walking reminder of how you’d never be enough. Fuck, maybe you do have self esteem issues, “I’ll be down in a second, I’m fine.”
“You're gonna have to do more than that to convince me to leave you alone on a roof.” He said, standing less than a foot away, arms crossed.
“I’m not Abbot,” you hiccupped, “I’ll be down in a second.”
“Thank god for that, I can barely handle one of him,” he joked, attempting and failing to lighten the mood.
“In all seriousness, I’m not leaving til you do sweetheart,” Robby said firmly.
“They need you down there,” you said, voice beginning to come back to normal, head bowed.
“Night shift arrived already,” he stated, before cupping your face in one of his massive hands, tilting your chin up to force eye contact, “Even if they did need me, you’re my priority.”
God those fucking doe eyes again,
“Robby, I’m fine.” You tried to convince him again; you had finally stopped crying.
“Yeah, ‘cause irritated eyes and a stuffy nose you can’t breathe out of is really convincing.” He replied, brushing his thumb soothingly against your jaw, “What happened?”
“Nothing, it was just a lady being awful to be awful,” You sniffled.
“How awful?” he asked.
“She made Myrna look like a peach,” you responded, taking a deep breath. You hated that your body was fully relaxed at Robby’s contact. You felt hopeless.
“Shit.” He replied without thinking.
“Yeah,” you let out a wet laugh.
“Must have been really shitty to break through, you normally got pretty tough skin, kid” Robby said.
“I guess,” you sighed, finally looking up, “She just confirmed every bit of self-doubt I have.”
“What do you have to be doubtful about?” He asked softly, “’Cause where I’m standing, I’m not seeing anything.”
You gave Robby an unconvinced look, pulling a laugh from him.
“Yeah, cuz everyone wants a doctor who doesn’t feel like they belong, or are remotely qualified for their position, or capable of being remotely competent when it matters. Let alone anyone who would ever want to be with me.” You sighed.
“That’s bullshit,” Robby said firmly, a bite to his tone, “You’re one of the most qualified doctors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. You’re integral to our team; we’re beyond lucky you settled for PTMC. God knows you had better options.”
“You’d say that to anyone in this position,” you scoff.
“Have you ever known me to bullshit anyone?” he said, leaving no room for argument.
“No, but-” you attempted to start to argue again, before Robby cut you off.
“And fuck, anyone would be lucky to have you as a partner.” He started, “You’re smart, kind, and strong. Fuck sweetheart, I’m jealous of the lucky fucker you choose to settle for.”
“Robby,” you replied softly, “I’m average at best, any future partner I’d have would be the one to settle-”
Your eyes widened before snapping shut as Robby cut you off by pulling you in for a fierce kiss. You were overwhelmed by the emotion he poured out as your lips molded against each other. You let out a soft whine as he pulled back, resting his forehead against yours.
“Sweetheart, I love you, but if you keep talking like that, we’re gonna have a fucking problem.” He said, half confession, half threat.
“But-” you started, attempting to take in all of what he was saying.
He loved you
“No, buts,” he started, “You are the very beating and pulse of my heart. Nothing you could do could possibly change that.”
“Robby, I,” you swallowed, “I love you too.”
A grin split his face at your confession before he pulled you in for another emotional kiss. You were about to deepen the kiss when a shiver rocked through you, scrubs now soaked through from the rain.
“We should probably head in, huh?” he laughed. You couldn’t help but smile as you pulled back. You didn’t make it far; your pendant got stuck in the center of his Star of David pendant.
