I have a hucklerabbot soulmate idea with lots of angst and repression on all sides.
Essentially, Dennis was born into a religious sect that believed soulmates shouldn’t be of the same gender. Also, it’s only “pure” to have one soulmate. If someone is born with more than one soulmate, or a soulmate with a gender-specific name that matches the one the baby has? They’re burned off.
Dennis grows up with two scars, a long one along his collarbone and one across his hip. He learned long ago to not grieve what he’d never find. Even if he doesn’t believe what that sect believes anymore, he also has no hope of finding his soulmates.
Cue Robby and Jack who are both shocked to hear their second soulmates name come out of this little MS4 who looks like if he misses one meal, he’ll fall apart. There’s no reaction from him when they say their names and they don’t want to pressure him so they decide to keep a low profile and let him come to them.
Lots of miscommunication in this idea, btw. Mostly because Jack and Robby are trying to give Dennis the space to come to them and Dennis doesn’t even know they’re his soulmates until several months to a year in.
Pondering on what route I want to take my fic based on this post by @puppydogwhitaker and
what if i wrote Robby taking Dennis back home after Dennis' first Pride and them just talking before Robby gets Dennis in his bed. it's Dennis' first time with a man and Robby tells him it's fine, he'll still get them both off and then later he'll tell Dennis how to prep and take care of himself properly so he can take Robby's cock. except Dennis, who just came out to himself and feels a little delirious and lightheaded asks Robby if he's prepped and ready to take someone.
Robby's silence is answer enough.
Dennis begging to get to fuck Robby. he's not a virgin. he understands the basic principle. please? can i please fuck you? just talk me through it. i'll be good, i promise. i'm not an idiot i can do it. please?
When that doesn't work, Dennis flips them and is growling in Robby's ear to let him fuck Robby. It'll be good. He promises.
Something something Dennis grew up learning that he had to pay people back no matter what.
Even as a kid his parents were counting how much he owed them. Not for necessities, but for toys they thought he didn’t need. Foods or snacks he really liked that weren’t in the budget. Things that, to him, made sense.
The first doctor’s visit where he had to get real medical care was scary. The doctors and nurses were very nice as they explained he just needed to get sewn up, like mom would do with his socks when they got holes. And they made it so it didn’t hurt and he even got a lollie after that was free!
Then his parents sat him down and told him what he did was reckless. If he hadn’t climbed up the hay like that, they wouldn’t have to go to the doctor. They showed him a spreadsheet they had for him and his brothers and told him the doctor’s visit would go on there. His eyes bugged as he looked at all the stuff his brothers still needed to pay off. It would take a very long time.
But his parents were nice, you see. No interest! They explained that some people would make him pay extra on his debts, but since they were family, Dennis didn’t need to do that for them.
After his chores were done, Dennis started going over to the neighbors and asking if there was anything he could do for a few dollars or even quarters. It got harder when school started. His parents never reminded him of the debt unless he asked for something he wanted. They would make sure he knew it was going to be added on and then get it for him. It was just being smart to make sure he knew how much he owed.
One day, he got hurt at his neighbors. A similar injury to what happened to first time, and all that debt flashed in his mind. He couldn't risk that again, so Dennis did his best to hide it. He made sure to finish the chore first, wrapping up the cut with some scraps he found.
When Dennis got home, he made sure to clean it out and throw away the scraps so no one knew what happened. Good thing he had a few old shirts he could rip up and wrap around his leg to keep it closed.
It didn't last, though. Something happened two days in. Dennis got all sweaty and feverish and his parents couldn't tell what happened. Going to the doctor became inevitable but not before they tried to break his fever with a cold bath. Dennis had tried to fight against it, but he was too weak and his parents too determined.
The ride to the hospital was silent. The nurses asked how this happened and Dennis told them. They asked why he hid it for so long and Dennis couldn't look up from the ground. It was impolite to talk about your debts or ask someone else about theirs, his parents had told him. So Dennis lied and said going to the doctor was scary.
He got two lollies on the way out.
They didn't help when he saw how much more he owed.
At least Dennis learned the lesson early: if he got hurt, he shouldn't wait to tell his parents. It would only make the bills higher and Dennis owe more.
Eventually, he got into a rhythm. Everything he made went straight to his parents. The cut on his leg became a nasty scar, a reminder. It helped him be more careful and the few times Dennis thought to hide an injury, he just had to look down to see the results of it.
Most of his debt came from things around the house. A vase broken here, a window shattered there. Once, a tractor broke down while Dennis had been driving it. The repairs were extensive and it was what made the debt he owed crawl into the five figure range.
It never hit the six figure range, though. Dennis could be proud of that. Even as he started college and gained more debt with interest, Dennis didn't ask his parents for anything more.
There were odd jobs Dennis managed to do to send a few dollars back home here and there. Most of that money went to Dennis himself, though. A few scholarships helped, but those went towards housing. Having the small jobs were for his groceries.
If Dennis missed payments for too long, his parents would ask after them. For the first time since he'd been indebted to them, they asked for the money. Every time, Dennis would send what he could. They were never more than fifty dollars and often under twenty, but his parents were pleased with it.
Dennis took extra care not to get into debt with anyone else. His roommates were always nice, but when he started to get worried about money, when they offered to pay his portion of rent, Dennis shook his head. He lied and told them he had somewhere he could stay. Better than dealing with anymore debt.
At least he found the abandoned hall he could hide in. It worked for a long time before Trinity found him and took him in. That whole situation had been... difficult. Trinity told him over and over that he didn't owe her anything. She never planned on having a roommate when she moved in, so she had a good financial plan. Still, any money Dennis managed to get while making his way through the rest of his rotations and graduation went to savings for Trinity and all the kindness she showed him.
There were setbacks, as always, but once he started making money, Dennis was able to take care of himself, pay off his debt to his parents, and start paying off his student loans. It was a lot to balance, but after a while, Dennis got the hang of it. He even managed to have a bit of savings. (So maybe he dipped into it too often and it never broke a thousand, but he was proud.)
Getting into a relationship in the middle of it all hadn't been Dennis' plan. Especially not with the married day and night attendings. Those were men Dennis thought were off limits. They were his superiors. Besides, two attendings salary? Dennis didn't have a dream of keeping up when it would come to dates.
Except, they said, Dennis didn't owe them anything. Which would have computed in his head. Dennis never made note of when people were indebted to him. Not only did it rarely happen, but he didn't like being in debt. He saw no reason to put other people in debt. He needed to pay off his own anyway.
There were restaurants with fancy looking names and menus without prices next to him. There were extravagant days and nights out and plans hidden from Dennis with the receipts just as. He managed to find them all and add Jack and Robby to the spreadsheet he made.
There were little things Dennis tried to do so he could chip away at the debt. Things he didn't do with Trinity, but he figured it would be forgiven since they were his partners. He made sure to have a section just for those little things in case it caused problems later on.
Robby and Jack never mentioned his debt. They only talked about how Dennis shouldn't worry about picking up the bill or the times he bought them stuff that he didn't have to. They knew how much medical school indebted someone. They told him to focus on that instead.
So Dennis listened. He made sure to put his efforts into the debt he earned for his degree and finishing off the debt from his parents. It took a while, but halfway through residency, Dennis had cleared what he had with his parents. Sent them the last payment and even called them for the first time in years to see their reaction.
(It had been more underwhelming than Dennis thought. They hummed as the transfer came through and then showed him as they input the last of his debt. His sat at zero while the rest of his brothers still had more to pay off. It made a pit grow in his stomach and he'd been off all day, though refused to tell his partners about it. At least they were kind enough to just hold him and let him relax without need for an explanation.)
With his debt to his parents out of the way, Dennis turned his attention to Jack and Robby. There was some savings Dennis could use and he really wanted to show how much he appreciated the men for letting him take care of previous debts first.
Maybe not a lot in their eyes, Dennis realized, after he transferred the two hundred and had both men in the living room. They had been in their separate offices, working on emails and paperwork. Well, Robby had been. Jack had admitted to Dennis he mostly played solitaire.
They must have talked at the top of the stairs. Dennis had heard them and sat up a little more normal on the couch rather than spread over it. The TV got muted when he heard them come down, and he shut his computer when they actually walked into the space. His parents always told him it was impolite to be fidgeting or distracted when they discussed his debt.
Neither of the men in front of Dennis sat down.
"You sent us both two hundred dollars?" Robby said. Dennis nodded up at him. He wanted to smile, but Robby only looked confused. Jack had his arms crossed and narrowed eyes. It looked intimidating but Dennis just knew it meant he was thinking hard.
"Yeah!" Dennis said. "I paid off some other debt and--"
"You couldn't have paid of your student loans that fast," Jack interrupted, "And what does 'other' mean? You're not indebted to us." Dennis snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Sorry," he said, "I know it's not nice to talk about debt with people, but we're all adults."
"What are you talking about?" Robby asked. Dennis reached forward and grabbed his computer. When he showed them, they'd understand. And they seemed to know what he was getting at because they sat on either side of him; Jack on his left and Robby on his right.
It took some time for the spreadsheet to load, but once it did, Jack went still and Robby leaned in. There were maybe ten names on his spreadsheet, including his parents. Just because he was out of debt with them now didn't mean he wouldn't get into more debt later.
Dennis pointed out where the men's names were and where he'd taken money out for some of the things he paid for.
"If what I sent isn't enough, then I can give you more," he said, "And. Um. I pulled some money out whenever I got us stuff, but I know that doesn't really count, so I can add it back in and--"
"Dennis, what the fuck?" Jack breathed it all out in one go. He took the computer as Dennis' face grew red. Maybe they just weren't indebted to as many people as him. Was ten a lot of people? Dennis didn't know. They were the first people he ever showed this to.
"It's just to keep track," he mumbled. He thought about the easiest way to ask Trinity to pick him up for the weekend. After seeing all the debt Dennis had, he wondered if Robby and Jack would even want to keep him around. "Uh, Trin doesn't seem to mind waiting. She's never said anything about it so..."
"Jesus Christ," Robby leaned back, arm over the couch, as he tried to crane his head around Dennis to get a look at the screen, "Baby, why are tracking this?"
That made no sense. Unless they were tracking it for him (God, what if they wanted him to pay interest?), he just needed a way to keep everything in one place. Everyone was in debt. It was just different amounts.
"It's easier than guessing," he sniffed, "I mean, my parents taught me how to keep track of it for them, so I figured--"
"Your parents?" Jack cut Dennis off again.
"Honey, let him talk," Robby said. Dennis could feel Robby's arm shift behind him. He knew the man had gripped his husbands shoulder to help steady him.
"Yeah, they taught me about debt and to make sure I always pay it off," Dennis blinked to keep from crying as he stared down at his hands. He was fidgeting. "I just thought you guys were waiting until I started paying to bring it up. I like to keep some money in savings but if you want more, I can send you more."
The warm bodies on either side of him curled closer. They were still quiet as Dennis waited for a response. After enough time, Dennis huffed and took the computer back. This was what they wanted. They wanted him to do it without being prompted. His parents hated reminding Dennis about his debt because he should have been thinking about it all the time.
When he opened his bank, though, Robby took the computer back from him.
"Dennis, you don't owe us anything," he said. Dennis glared at him for the lie, "Okay. How about this. I see a lot of people on there that you owe money to. What about the people who owe you money?"
Dennis rolled his eyes and scrubbed away the tears. That was a ridiculous question. Didn't they know him by now?
"I don't like being in debt," he said, "I don't want to do that to someone."
"Right. And if we had someone come into the ER who said their partner was holding their finances and preventing them from leaving a dangerous situation?"
Something in Dennis' mind clicked. Still, he shook his head. Refused to see the picture Robby was painting. It wasn't the same. It really wasn't. Dennis had left. His parents had kept him in Broken Bow. They just told him it would be a mistake and...
Strong arms wrapped around Dennis' waist and he gripped Jack as he pulled Dennis back into a sturdy hold. He stared up at Robby with an open mouth as the man closed the computer and set it aside.
"It's not the same," Dennis tried to argue. His voice broke and tears flowed freely down his face. "It's really not. I... Because, um, my parents they were just..."
"It's okay." Jack pressed a kiss to his temple. "We can just lay here, yeah?" Dennis nodded and squeezed his eyes closed as he let the men swing his legs onto the couch. He leaned against Jack as Robby laid over his legs and rest his head against Dennis' stomach.
Dennis couldn't remember how long they were like that as Dennis cried, desperately clinging to Jack behind him and Robby in front of him.
He didn't even know what he was mourning. A childhood he never had? Money he'd lost? How much had he sacrificed because his parents demanded him to pay for existing?
There were hands running up and down his sides. Fingers in his hair and thumbs swiping the tears as they came.
By the end of it, Dennis had a headache. He had the hiccups and he still had Robby and Jack. They had made it clear before they weren't going anywhere. This only helped solidify it in Dennis' mind. It melted something in his chest.
"Water?" Robby asked. The sound rumbled through Dennis. He nodded and the weight lifted off him. Jack held him tighter as Robby disappeared. Dennis still didn't open his eyes until Robby pressed the glass into his hand. When he opened them and finished drinking, Robby held out tissues.
"I just thought it was normal," Dennis whispered.
"Everyone does," Jack said, "When it's happening to them." Dennis choked. He didn't want to start crying again. He really didn't.
"Alright." Robby grunted as he got onto the couch. This time, he rested Dennis feet in his lap instead of laying over him. "What should we do with those four hundred dollars, hm?"
"Wh'do you mean?" Dennis said into the tissue. He blew his nose and Jack poked his side. "I'm snotty! Leave me alone."
"Don't bully him." Robby flicked Jack's toes. "You sent us both two hundred. So, what are you going to do with it?"
"It's not... I sent it to you so..."
"Okay," Jack nuzzled himself closer to Dennis, pressing his lips into Dennis' neck. He relaxed further into the hold as he felt Jack's lips move, "Baby steps."
Dennis always knew he would die. It was just a fact of life. He’d become used to the idea of mortality at a much younger age than the average person, sure, but he never found the thought unhealthy. Being exposed to death so young only made him that much more aware.
It was just… Dennis hoped he would die having accomplished more in his life. Not a theology degree and almost a doctor. Everything had to go downhill for him during his second-to-last rotation. He didn’t even have a place to call home which should hurt more than Dennis thought. The thing he really regretted, though, was not making more amends.
None of that mattered. What mattered was him staring down into the backpack that looked exactly like his, but instead of finding clothes and textbooks and his computer, he found bricks of drugs.
“Oh.” Dennis said meekly. The two men in front of him only laughed. Of course they did. They probably dealt with stuff like this all the time. Some random person messing up their trade. And now Dennis would have to pay for it.
“You cost us a pretty penny for…” the one on the left started. He had the gray hair, though the one on the right had flecks of white in his beard. “Shit, a couple of textbooks? Nothing that interesting… a few clothes, too.” Dennis failed to hold back the tears that were blurring his view of the bricks in the bag. It wouldn’t do anything.
“Yeah,” Dennis croaked. He didn’t know why he said anything, but he’d be dead soon anyway. It didn’t matter. “I don’t have anywhere to go so… it’s all in there.”
“Hm.” the man continued. “Aw. How cute, a sketchbook too. Basic anatomy book right next to the ratty thing. What, you an artist?”
“No.” Dennis said, voice flat even as more tears fell. He reached his hand in the bag and poked at the bricks. It was probably worth more than Dennis ever had. Enough to pay off his parent’s debt, maybe. “I wanted to be a doctor. I was gonna save lives or something.”
The sound of more of his belongings being pulled made Dennis glance up. Most of the stuff he really cared about had been left behind. Everything in that bag wasn't important. Well, they were, but Dennis didn't think trying to fight for any of the items to hold onto was worth it. He wiped his palm across his cheek.
The textbooks hit the desk first, then the laptop. They were all placed on the desk that stood between him and the men. Being dragged through the place had scared Dennis. In another life, he would have been in awe. He had been in awe. There had still been too much fear to properly appreciate the architecture. All he really processed was how much it must have cost.
When his clothes got thrown on the desk, Dennis choked. It sucked to see his whole life just laid out like that. Everything he owned fit in one bag with nothing to show for it but a steaming pile of debt. There would be no one to bury his body. He didn't have an emergency contact and it wasn't like his family would go looking for him.
"Only two pairs of scrubs?" the man on the right asked. Dennis nodded. If he spoke now, it would only turn into sobs. Might as well try to keep some of his dignity. "You don't even have night clothes in here."
"They--" Dennis sucked in a breath as more tears ran down his face and the sob broke free. It took a few more seconds to compose himself properly. If Dennis was delusional, he would have thought both the men seemed to pity him. "--They took up too much space. I sold them so I could have dinner."
Silence.
Nothing from either men was worse than them saying anything. Dennis curled around the backpack in his lap, sobbing into the thing. Of course it wasn't his. This backpack actually held up to being used as a stuffed animal. Dennis' would've ripped or made the already existing hole bigger as his nails dug into it. He didn't care about the nice cushion on the chair as he curled his legs up, too. If he could have at least one thing before he died, he would let himself have the comfort of finally crying.
Something scraped across the table and Dennis gasped as he looked up with wide eyes. He blinked fast and hard to see what the men had set down and--
Water. A glass of water. Dennis stared at it and heaved a deep breath.
"Small sips," Right said, "Came from this." He held up a fancy looking bottle of water. Dennis sniffed and looked between the glass the man held and the one in front of him. He reached forward with a shaking hand and listened. "Where are you doing your rotations?" Dennis took a few sips as he tried to get his breathing under control.
"The PTMC," he said. He set the water back on the desk. He had better control of his breathing now, if not the tears that were still pouring down his face. It probably looked pathetic to the two men, eyes red and puffy with his whole life in one bag. Dennis wished he had anything he could even beg for. "It's my emergency rotation. I don't... Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you that." Left hummed. Dennis sniffed and wiped under his nose with the back of his hand. He kept his gaze firmly away from their faces. If he looked this pathetic, he didn't want to see the disgust they held.
"Oh, um," Dennis sniffled again as he started unwrapping from the backpack. It took more effort than he'd like to admit to heft the thing onto the desk and shove it in the men's direction. "Sorry."
Another bout of silence before the two men started conversing. Dennis couldn't understand them. It took him a few seconds to recognize the language, not that it helped any. Hebrew. He had a theology professor who insisted they learn at least one prayer: The Shema. It was important to know someone's faith in order to best help them with their journey, his professor said.
"Not everyone you come across needing help will be of your faith. You must respect that." Dennis smiled at the memory. He muttered the prayer under his breath, brows furrowed together as he focused on the pronunciation. He didn't even hear the two men falter than stop as he spoke. When he finished, his tears were slower.
"You're Jewish?" Right asked. Dennis jumped, not expecting the question. He shook his head and pulled his legs back onto the chair. He still shivered despite his attempt to stop.
"I grew up Christian," he said, "I don't know what I am anymore."
"Huh." Left said. Then, there was the sound of the chairs scraping. Dennis squeezed his eyes shut and pulled himself into a tighter ball. "We'll be right back. We need to discuss something. Just stay right there, pup." A hand land in his curls and Dennis didn't know whether to pull away from the dangerous hand or press into the last soft touch he might ever receive. The sound of the door closing and locking came soon after.
Being left in the room meant Dennis could walk around. He thought he probably should. Give in to the short lived freedom he earned but he was just... so tired. How bad was this, really? Just because he didn't have anything to show for in life didn't mean finally resting would be all that bad. Dennis had hoped he would die of old age. That must not have been how he was meant to live.
Dennis stayed curled up on the chair, although he loosened a little. Let himself drift and sleep before the eternal slumber. He could do whatever he wanted and there would be no real consequence, so why not waste his last few hours napping?
The door opened again with a loud click and whoosh. Dennis didn't even bother opening his eyes. They could just deal with him here. Dennis didn't care anymore.
"Alright, here's the plan," Left said, "You're going into emergency medicine." Dennis' head whipped up at that. It hurt his neck a little, how fast he moved. The crust in his eyes from crying so much made it hard to see, but when he wiped it away, standing just behind the two men was Jesse van Horn. Dennis knew Jesse. Jesse worked at the hospital as a nurse.
"What..." Dennis rubbed one eye just to be sure. Still Jesse.
"Jesse will be your bodyguard," Right said, "And you won't say a word about any of this to anyone."
"Aren't you going to kill me?" Dennis blurted out. Not the best thing to say but it was all Dennis could think. He was supposed to be dead or on his way to being dead. Not... being assigned a nurse he talked to almost every day as his bodyguard.
"That was the plan," Left said, "New plan. You're our partner."
"I don't want to sell drugs." Dennis said. Dumb. Idiotic.
"No, not in that way."
"You're moved in, effective immediately," Right said, "Welcome home, motek."
Anyway, I was listening to Telephone by Lady Gaga and it got me thinking about HuckleAbbot meeting at a club or dive bar. A little HuckleRobby, too. Like, Dennis going to the bar after Robby told him they're just "being casual" and Dennis gets mad and is feeling a little self-destructive. If they're just "being casual" then Dennis can go out and hook up or make-out with whoever he wants, right? He just didn't expect the night shift attending to be there, too and...
It's a dark corner in a seedy place and Dennis kissed two other men before he saw Abbot. At first, he panicked. A few drinks and some fun on the dance floor should be fine. It's his life. He can do whatever he wants, but he also knows doctor's are meant to be reputable. It's stupid because they should get a life too.
The panic only grew when Abbot approached him and pulled him away from the third guy Dennis only kind of wanted to make-out with. Dennis didn't argue, a million excuses on his tongue, ready to explain that it wasn't cheating if Robby didn't even want to be exclusive. Dennis is a grown man. He can do what he wants with who he wants and--
And Abbot's arm is around his waist and Dennis is pressed up against a wall.
"Here I was thinking someone had a claim on you," Abbot mutters. His face is right against Dennis' neck and he cranes his chin up to let Abbot have more access. His breath is hot and Dennis kind of wants to taste whatever he may have ordered from the bar. The last few guys made fun of the fruity drink Dennis had bought, but he had enough beers in his youth with his brothers to know he didn't like them.
"No one claims me," Dennis grumbles, "I'm an adult."
"Oh, I'm sure," Abbot says, licking against the sweat at Dennis' collar and Dennis shivers. His voice a condescending tone and Dennis kind of likes it. "If you weren't one, you wouldn't be buying your own drinks." Dennis flushes because... well, he'd maybe gotten the last two guys to buy his drinks and with the way Abbot laughs, he knows.
Dennis isn't able to respond, because Abbot has an open mouth against his neck, and Dennis' knees go weak and then there's a thigh between his legs. Dennis lets it happen, moans a little at how good it feels. Someone with more experience than the wandering hands that seemed to stutter at his waist and hips that were different than they seemed to expect.
There's a buzzing in his back pocket and Dennis huffs as Abbot continues to kiss and suck and grind his thigh up which his only becoming harder to pretend to ignore.
The phone stops ringing and Dennis hums in delight, deciding it might just be a one time thing. Maybe it's not even Robby.
It starts again and this time, Dennis manages to fishes the phone out before it goes to voicemail.
"I don't mind," Abbot says, nipping at his earlobe, "Kinda having fun playing with you like this, anyway." Dennis snorts and meets his eyes.
"Like what?" he says.
"You're not very receptive. Just letting me do what I want... kinda like a doll." Dennis grows hotter at that. He answers the phone and Abbot grins before paying attention to the other side of Dennis' neck and he doesn't mean to outright moan into the receiver, but Abbot found this place closer to the nape of his neck at the same time his hands went under his shirt--
"Where are you?" Robby asks. His voice is strained.
"Why?" Dennis says. Abbot's hands are squeezing and pinching. Dennis let's his head fully fall back against the wall and sighs.
"Why... I thought we talked about you coming over tonight?"
"Yeah, but I decided I don't want to." Abbot pulls back to snort at Dennis' answer. Dennis is sure he can't hear Robby over the music and everything else happening. It doesn't matter because Dennis outright giggles at the laugh from Abbot. It's something he doesn't do anymore, not after how much he got teased about being girly, but right now he likes it. Plus, Abbot's stubble kinda tickles when he just nuzzles against Dennis' neck like that.
He forgets Robby's on the phone until he talks again several seconds later.
"Are you with someone?" he asks. If Dennis were more sober, he might've heard the small hurt in his voice. Right now, though, he's focused on his free hand grabbing at Abbot's bicep and feeling it up a little. It's only fair.
"Kinda," Dennis says, "'M at... Honestly it might be a gay bar."
"You don't know where you are?" Dennis scoffs then grins as Abbot pumps his bicep for Dennis to press harder into. One of his nails scrapes just under his nipple and Dennis stifles a moan.
"'Course I know where I am," he says, "I'm with Jack."
"You're with--!"
"I gotta go." He pulls the phone away from his ear and doesn't look as he (hopefully) hangs up and shoves his phone back into his pocket. It's much easier to pull Abbot into a proper kiss without it.
Dennis had been awake since four in the morning. There were a lot of things on his mind, but they had several days off in a row, and Dennis didn't want to wake Robby early. He needed the sleep just as much as he deserved it. Instead, Dennis occupied himself for several hours by reading one of the books on the shelves in the living room. He couldn't say what the title was or half of anything from the last twenty or so pages. It didn't matter how many times Dennis reread the lines.
Back home, Dennis would have been called a slacker for not doing anything for such a long time. Four in the morning was a normal time to wake up then. Especially during the summer. Dennis wasn't sure if it was habit that woke him, or the nightmare he'd been having.
Calling it a nightmare seemed a little ridiculous. Dennis could barely remember it, but in the recesses of his mind, he knew it had been about his family. They were joking about something that had happened to Dream Dennis but not Real Dennis. Still something that had occurred before in real life.
Like the time one of the cows they had kicked his thigh and he'd cried for hours. His brothers ignored him and when they came in, his father slapped him on the shoulder and said it was "character building". Even his mother, normally soft on him, had turned a blind eye to the ridicule.
Enough time had passed Dennis didn't feel bad about standing to putter around the kitchen. The last few days had been breakfast whenever and without the other. But if Dennis knew Robby's circadian rhythm, the older man would be waking up soon. It also meant Robby would be looking for him.
Dennis got the griddle out and pulled everything out for pancakes. Just like he suspected, as he started mixing the batter, the sound of Robby's footsteps made their way from their room and towards the stairs. Dennis remembered he'd left the windows open. It would be hot later in the day and it had always been what his mother had done in the mornings.
It didn't seem to matter. Moments later, Dennis heard the sound of them closing throughout the house.
As Dennis finished the batter and grabbed a few eggs from the fridge, the sound of Robby talking to himself filled the home. Dennis smiled to himself. He knew exactly what the man was doing, could picture Robby bent at the waist as he flicked through the choices.
Some song Dennis didn't know filtered through the air. Smooth, slow, and slowly growing louder and quieter as Robby found a volume he enjoyed. It reached and equilibrium as Dennis cracked the eggs and whisked them together. As Robby puttered around the living room a bit more, he poured them onto the griddle, careful to make sure they stayed to one side.
"Morning," Dennis said as he heard Robby enter the threshold, "Can you grab the syrup?"
"Mhm," Robby yawned. Soft footsteps grew closer. Dennis yelped and laughed as Robby wrapped his arms around Dennis' middle and pressed up close. He rested his chin on Dennis' shoulder, swaying lightly with the music.
"Robby!" Dennis laughed. He pressed his cheek against the man's beard. Robby only responding by humming along to the music. It vibrated against his throat and into Dennis' skin. Dennis' eyes fluttered. Not shut, he still needed to not burn any of their food.
Spatula in hand, Robby grabbed Dennis' wrist and easily spun him in time with the song. Dennis laughed again, wanting to fall into the easy embrace. The eggs might be running into where Dennis still needed to pour the pancake batter.
Dennis settled with a quick peck on the lips. Robby kissed him one more time, for good measure, before stretching and walking away. Dennis shook his head with a smile. The scrambled eggs were still in their proper places. Dennis poured the pancake batter to the sound of Robby grabbing plates and cutlery.
They needed more days like this, Dennis decided. Even if this morning had been entirely unprompted, he enjoyed it. The soft music, the warmth, the ease of it all. How full he felt being with Robby.
Not just in their relationship, but... like this. Domestic and soft edges with nothing trying to rough them up. They could just take it slow and be lazy. Have a few nice moments to themselves compared to the speed and brutality of the ER.
"Here," Robby patted Dennis' hip, grabbing the spatula from him, "Go sit down. Let me finish."
"Are you sure?" Dennis didn't try to argue. His question was answered by Robby kissing Dennis' temple and ushering him out of the way of the griddle. Dennis smiled up at him.
The table had been set with plates and forks and knives. There was syrup and powered sugar for both of them. Neither of them were able to lose their sweet tooth even if they knew they should. Cutting back did nothing to help. They both just found clever ways to hide their foods somewhere they thought the other wouldn't find it.
Dennis watched Robby's back as he finished the pancakes. The eggs had been moved onto a plate by the time Dennis got comfortable. Robby sang softly along to the music, dancing a little as he did.
A lot more smiles were present on Dennis' face in the last long time since they got to together. Dennis would like to say it wasn't all the relationship he had with Robby. He knew, even if him and Robby hadn't gotten together, he would still be much happier than he had been. It didn't mean Robby wasn't the reason for most of the smiles on Dennis face.
Robby shut off the griddle and set the pancakes on the half of the plate not consumed by the eggs. Dennis sat up straighter. He held his hands out, ready to take the plate from Robby so he could sit and get comfortable while Dennis served his own plate. Instead, Robby flicked one of his hands, reached for Dennis' fork, and carefully scraped half of the eggs onto his plate.
"How many pancakes?" Robby asked with the soft voice Dennis loved to hear.
"Two for now," Dennis said.
"Syrup? Sugar?"
"Hm... just syrup." Robby nodded and moved two pancakes over. He still the plate down next to where he'd be sitting and opened the lid for the syrup, pouring it over Dennis' pancakes. "Thank you."
"Of course." Dennis waited until Robby started piling his food onto his plate to eat. They were quiet, the record still going, though Dennis actually knew the song playing now. It was one of Robby's favorites.
When they finished, Dennis stood, ready to collect everything and put it away. Instead, Robby waved him away with his fork. He still had half of his pancakes left. There were leftovers that needed to be put in the fridge.
"No, no," Robby shook his head, "Go sit in the living room. I'll be there in a minute. I've got this."
"Are you sure?" Dennis hesitated for a moment. He should help, it had been how he grew up.
"Positive. You did all this work for us. Go rest." Dennis smiled. He walked over to Robby and kissed the top of his head. He closed his eyes as he breathed in Robby's shampoo and just stood there for a moment.
It's a bad idea, Robby knows. There's a very small, logical part of his brain still trying to kick into drive and tell him to stop. It's not winning out as Robby scrolls through his contacts. A couple of excuses run through his mind. Checking on his plants, making sure the mail is getting run-in and he's not missing anything important, maybe even a worry about his bills being paid on time. He could make up a lie about how he may have been late on one of them.
All of those excuses leave his mind the second the phone starts ringing. The empty beer bottles on the stand next to him stare at Robby as if judging. He shushes them as the phone keeps ringing.
"Robby?" Dennis says once the ringing stops. A smile spreads across Robby's face at the sound of his voice. It's stupid, how much he's missed Pittsburgh. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," Robby says, "Just fine."
"Oh. Um, well, your plants are doing great! If that's why you were calling."
"Just calling to say hi." There's silence on the other end and Robby frowns. He wants Dennis to keep talking, tell him about his day. Then again, they don't call. Not really. They called once at the start of his sabbatical three weeks ago. That had been a video call because Dennis wanted to move his plants around. According to him, he had them set up all wrong and was burning some of his plants while depriving others of the proper light.
A video call actually would have been nicer. Then Robby could see Dennis' face.
"In that case," Dennis says, "Hi. How's the sabbatical?"
"Made it to Head-Smashed in," Robby sighs. He shifts on the bed so he can lean against the headboard. He left Canada a few days ago. Now he's somewhere in Washington in a shitty motel. "Didn't like the view."
"Really?" Dennis sounds like he's laughing or trying not to, "Are you still there or...?"
"Nah. Went to the beach. Found a couple of shells. Hey, Duke said you two started talking?"
"I wouldn't say anything like that. More like he kicks my ass on Words With Friends." Robby chuckles at that. When Duke first mentioned having started talking with Dennis, there had been an odd flair of something in Robby's chest. He ignored it and told Duke a lot of the same when the two met in the ER. Dennis was a good man.
"Right, right."
"Robby, are you." Dennis stops and chokes and Robby opens his eyes in worry. "Are you drunk?"
"Mm, nah. Think I'd need at least another beer."
"Ah. My mistake." Dennis sounds like he's smiling and Robby wishes he could see it. He pulls his phone away from his ear and turns on speaker mode as he glares at the phone. "Robby?"
"Hang on," Robby tells him, "I'm trying... Fuck." Robby stares at the buttons. He's sure he knows how to do this, but he's never liked his new phone.
"Everything okay?" Dennis sounds worried and Robby shushes him.
"I'm trying to... How do you a facetime?" Dennis snorts on the other end and Robby glares harder at the screen. How dare his phone not let him see Dennis' face?
There's a new banner across his screen. It's Dennis! But, he's still talking to Dennis.
"Click the notification, Robby," Dennis says. Robby hums and clicks it. It ends the call. Then, Dennis' face is on his screen. His boy is definitely smiling and his face looks a little flushed. He's bitting his bottom lip. It looks like he's in Robby's living room. "Hi."
"Hi." Robby sighs.
"You're not wearing your glasses. No wonder you couldn't figure it out."
"Oof. Low blow, Whitaker."
"Uh-huh." Dennis is shaking his head before he looks over the phone. Robby frowns and tilts his head as if it will give him view of what Dennis is looking at. Robby knows what's on the other side of his living room. Just his TV. He wonders if he interrupted Dennis' late-night binging. "Hey, you said no babies."
"I really hope that doesn't mean there's a baby in my house," Robby says. Not that he would actually be that mad. Jealous, maybe. It wasn't all Robby trying to make sure Dennis wasn't extending his empathy more than necessary.
"No," Dennis laughs and Robby smiles at the way his whole face lights up, "No. Um, Trinity wanted to know if there were more rules. She wants to have a game night? I don't know what her plan is."
"Yeah, that's fine," Robby says, "Just no babies."
"I promise there will be no babies during game night. Scouts honor."
"Were you a boy scout?"
"Nah. I think my dad was? Didn't get passed down to me or my brother's though."
They keep talking. Robby doesn't pay attention to the time, and Dennis never seems to get annoyed. It's nice. Robby had been trying to keep Dennis at arm's length. At the hospital, there's more than a little gossip about Robby's exploits. It's something he wanted to keep away from Dennis. Those rumors can ruin a person's career.
It doesn't mean Robby's ignoring how he feels about Dennis.
Their conversation lasts until Robby's answers start becoming hums more than real words. He can feel his hand lowering and opens his eyes to bring it back up. Dennis is watching him with a smile.
"You're tired," he says, "What time is it over there?" Robby hums and glances at the alarm clock hidden behind the beer bottles.
"Almost eleven." Robby says. His brain does sluggish math and he groans. "Which means it's almost two for you. Shit. I didn't mean to--"
"If I wanted to hang up, I would have told you," Dennis says. His voice is soft. Robby smiles.
More mob AU who cheered? I have no idea how often I'll write for this. It will likely be more sporadic than my fics over on AO3, but someone mentioned a tag list? IDK if that's something people would be interested in. I have never done that before. Frankly, this is the first fandom I've really interacted in, so I am learning as I go.
Anyway, enjoy Dennis being kinda willingly kidnapped!
WC ~1400
***
There were winding halls and Dennis didn't where they'd come from much less where they were going. The utter shock of not being killed kept him from saying anything. His skin buzzed and he thought he might pass out. He knew the symptoms and kept an eye out for them, just in case. Then he could warn the men in front of him just so they didn't turn to see a heap of him on the floor. That would be impolite. Probably. Dennis' mother always said he had the worst manners.
They came to a stop in front of a door and pushed it open for him. Dennis noticed there was no lock on it. The men stood on either side of the door. Dennis swallowed as he stepped in, then froze.
The room was huge. Dennis didn't know rooms could be that big. Straight in front of the door was a king bed with a damn canopy over it, the curtains pulled back. He gawked at it before clicking his teeth closed and stuttering a turn to look at the windows on his right. They opened to a balcony and had a gorgeous view of the city. Nothing that beat out the fields he used to know, but still nothing to sneeze at.
(Dennis still didn't know if he even wanted to ever see those fields again. Probably not, given the circumstances in which he left them.)
Against the wall to his right, there was a dresser. It was a bit odd, because Dennis was pretty sure the door across the room from it and on the beds right side was a closet. The door on the opposite side of the was open to an en suite. Across from that door was a vanity. They both had dark wood. It seemed to be a theme.
"What is this?" Dennis croaked.
"Your room," the man with the beard said. Dennis shook his head. This was insane. "Yes."
"Ours is across the hall." the other man said. "If you need anything, don't bother knocking."
"I don't..." Dennis took in a shuddering breath. The bag on his back got tugged on and Dennis held it tighter on instinct. The man with silver hair shushed him and the bag got pulled on again. Dennis let it go. Better to not argue, he guessed. His heart still thumped in his chest.
"Jesse will clean your clothes," the bearded man said, "You can take a shower. There are a few clothes in the dresser of varying sizes. Pick out whatever's comfortable."
When Dennis didn't move, Left rested his hand on his back and slowly ushered him inside. Dennis turned around and watched as Jesse took the bag from the man and walked down the hall. Dennis peaked his head out to watch him leave and turn. It looked like a maze.
He looked between the older men on either side of the doorway. Then, he looked to the dresser. He raised a hand to point at it. Left chuckled and nodded. Dennis nodded back and walked over to it. He winced when he realized he still had his shoes on. Walking on carpet. Nice carpet.
"Sorry," Dennis muttered before dropping to pull the shoes off. He hesitated, trying to find a place to set them.
"You can just set them on the dresser," Right said. Dennis nodded.
He rummaged through the drawers and pulled out clothes that were his size. They were so soft and clean looking. It had been a long time since Dennis wore new, clean clothes. He looked at the tags. They were fucking silk.
"Shower," Right said. Dennis nodded, feet moving as he still stared at the tags.
Showers were hard to come by. Baby wipes were Dennis' go to. Figuring out the shower had been the real issue. He considered asking one of the men how the thing worked but decided against it. Best to not push his luck here. He made sure to take his time and get himself clean. He also kept the water cold. Even in a place like this, Dennis assumed hot water would run out eventually. Being a bad guest, even an unwilling one, wasn't in Dennis' plan.
There were a plethora of soaps and hair products in the shower. Dennis didn't know there were more options than shampoo and conditioner. He stuck with the basics. Except the soap. He found a scent he liked and used it as he shivered.
When he left, still shivering, Dennis expected the empty doorway. He chewed on his lip as he walked to it. The door across from his room was open. Left was lounging in the bed there, a mirror to his own. Although, even with the limited view, Dennis knew that room was larger.
Left caught him staring.
"Come on," he said, setting the book aside. Dennis listened. He wasn't sure he had another choice. He stopped at the foot of the bed and looked around the room wide-eyed. It was much like his, though with darker paint and tones. This one was accented with lighter furniture. Opposite his own with the light paint and dark wood. It was more lived in, as well.
Their en suite shower was running.
"How was your shower?" Left asked.
"Good," Dennis' teeth clicked together.
"You're shivering."
"Oh, I didn't want to waste the hot water." Dennis dropped his gaze to meet Left. The man looked upset. Dennis shuffled on his feet. "Did I take too long?"
"No, no," Left said. He reached a hand out. "C'mere?" Dennis swallowed down his fear and listened. The second he was within reach, Left grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto the bed. Dennis yelped. He got shushed as he squeezed his eyes closed and let the man manhandle him into the bed.
Dennis expected wandering hands. Instead, he got an instruction to sit up a little more as the covers were pulled down. Then, they were pulled over him and Left adjusted the pillows under his head and tucked the blankets close.
"There, pup," Left murmured, "Warm?" Dennis opened one eye to stare up at him. He looked... softer in this light. No hard lines and the glare he'd had from the office was gone. Melted with fondness. Dennis blinked and nodded. A hand patted his head.
The shower shut off. The door opened. Dennis shivered not from the cold.
"You put the stray in our bed," Right said.
"The stray is awake," Left bit back.
"Sorry, Dennis." They kept talking over him, Right moving around the room presumably getting dressed. As they spoke, Dennis closed his eyes and listened. It was normal conversations a couple had before bed. Things he heard his parents say and things he said once in college before that relationship ended.
"I don't know your names," Dennis yawned, "Should I know your names?"
"Probably," Left said, hand in Dennis' hair again, "I'm Jack."
"Michael." Right said. Dennis' nose scrunched and Jack laughed at the look.
"That's my brother's name," he explained.
"You can call me Robby." the man said with a slight chuckle. Dennis nodded.
The blankets behind him lifted up. Dennis shifted, ready to leave. A hand landed on his hip to keep him in place. Jack shushed him and he shifted as well. Before Dennis knew what was happening, Robby had an arm slung over his waist, pulling him close. His chin rest on Dennis' head and the scent of the floral soap Robby used engulfed Dennis.
"Prick," Jack grumbled as he got comfortable. Dennis felt his hand twine with Robby's.
"You could've done it," Robby said and Dennis felt the words vibrate against his back.
This was wrong. Dennis knew this was wrong. There were so many reasons he shouldn't be between the two men. The main being they had admitted they wanted to kill him at the start of the evening.
Except... Dennis couldn't remember the last time someone had been so gentle with him. They were soft and holding him and he was warm on a comfortable bed. Dennis buried his face in the pillow as tears formed in his eyes. He wasn't sure what for: the comfort or the fear.
Jack made a soft sound and let go of Robby's hand to cup his cheek and turn his face. Dennis choked and shook his head, trying to pull away. Robby shushed him and held him tighter as Jack wiped the tears away.
"It's alright," Jack murmured, "You're okay. Get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."
