What Dat Mean

He likes being able to give, to make the people he loves feel cared for and safe, like nothing bad could happen if he was around, not to them, absolutely not. He’s not naturally a fighter but growing up with three rowdy older brothers teaches you how to dodge pretty good, and punch even better.

Fixing the broken things in Trinity’s place felt right. It felt good. She was doing him a huge favor, and he knows no matter what he does it’ll never make up for how much this means to him, but fixing the hinges on the broken cabinet door and the slow draining in the bathroom sink and shower was another step closer to however that looks. He’s not an amazing cook, but he can work a stove and follow a recipe just fine. He tries to let her know that whatever she needs, he’s there—a friend, a brother, a live in nurse, a goddamn maid, whatever.—he’s here, happy and willing.

She tells him it’s a bad trait. He disagrees.

She tells him “people are going to take advantage of you that way,” and he responds with, “how’s it taking advantage if I want to?”

He understands her perspective, and her worries are very appreciated, but they’re baseless. Right now he has very little. It feels like he’s never had anything in his life, actually, so the things he can give? Kindness, love, safety, healing, care, protection, help? Yeah. He’s going all in. Dennis Whitaker doesn’t do a single fucking thing half-assed. It’s how he made it to Pennsylvania in the first place.

So, taking a punch for her was nothing. Getting into a fight was not that big of a deal. It wasn’t fun, by any means, but it felt right. It felt good. The guy was massive but not very coordinated, and Dennis can eat heavy blows like a champ, so he’s fine.

Trinity, however, must think he’s dying.

“Oh my God, Dennis—what the fuck, what did you do, what the fuck did you do!? Let me see your head, stupid, are you bleeding?”

He can’t help but chuckle even if it hurts a little to laugh. There’s blood running down his nose, he thinks it might be broken, and his eyes definitely don’t feel great. His face feels heavy.

“He shouldn’t have pushed you.” He slurs, turns his head to spit some blood out. “I definitely won, right?”

She’s not even smiling. She actually looks close to tears.

“We need to go to the hospital.” She sniffs, pulls out her phone to call Victoria who said she’d be willing to pick them up. “Your head looks fine, but obviously you know-“

“Yeah, yeah,” he waves his hand and lays down on the dirty concrete behind the bar they just got kicked out of. He tries not to think about how many people have probably pissed and vomited and bled on this same spot. Huh.

Trinity glares at him. “We’re talking about this tomorrow-"

“I work tomorrow.”

“Not like this, you’re not.”

He doesn’t argue. He thinks she won’t take it well.

“We’re talking about this, and how your savior complex is going to kill you.” Her words are kind, but her voice is hard.

“He was going to hit you,” he defends, “what’d you want me to do, let him?”

“I would have deserved it, I provoked him!” She argues and it’s his turn to be in disbelief, to scoff and feel the slowly simmering heat start to grow in his chest. “You can’t go around taking the brunt of consequences that aren’t for you, Dennis. My mouth has gotten me in trouble before.”

“Yeah well, you didn’t have me before.” He huffs out like it means something.

She looks at him for a long, quiet minute. And then her phone vibrates with a text from Vic saying she’s out front.

“I’m glad you were here tonight.” She finally admits like it kills her, because enablement is the last thing Dennis’ behavior needs, “but no more fighting. I’m serious.”

“Yes ma’am.” Dennis salutes, and takes Trinity’s hand when she stands and reaches out to help him up. She carries his weight like it’s nothing. Dennis leans in further, emotional suddenly. She would never let him fall. Not alone.

(Victoria’s reaction to seeing him is a little hilarious.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was bleeding?” Her eyes wide, mouth hanging open. “That looks really bad.”

“I didn’t want you to worry about blood in your car.” Trinity shrugs, like Javadi would’ve ever refused her. “He’s still arguing with me, so he’s fine…ish.”

- trinity let dennis drive to work once and never again ("you act like you're afraid of the other cars" "i am!" "oh my god.")

- they watch a lot of dumb reality tv -- dennis is partial to home renovation shows and trinity loves survivor. they are certified dating show haters, which is why they've seen every season of love is blind

- dennis isn't even making avocado toast. he steals them to put in salads. trinity thinks this should be a felony

- he trims her hair for her. she returns the favor by insisting he go to a real barbershop, because his mom shaved his head at home until he left, then he kept cutting it himself until she made him stop

- every time they get sunday off they make cinnamon rolls from scratch (once they wake up at noon)

- they are MASTERS of the "we'll talk later" stare. princess & perlah get in a fight in tagalog? robby makes a weird remark to mckay? patient comments about javadi checking out a new nurse? they have locked eyes. doesn't matter if they're three rooms away from each other. they are communicating telepathically

- their place has like. two tiny windows. it's a dark little cave and dennis tries to grow herbs on the windowsills anyway. trinity thinks it's stupid until he starts making homemade pasta sauce with his tiny basil harvests. she keeps telling him it's dumb but sometimes comes home with new planters. she likes how gently he handles the roots when he pulls them up to repot.

oh my gosh yes, absolutely. oh he's so husband ohhhh i'm sick!! i especially love this with ditzy, bimbo!reader <3 i got a little carried away but it's andrew so it fits! :)

everyone's at the house waiting for dinner to be made, just standing around and chatting. it's hot, bordering on nauseating humidity, and all andrew wants to do is see his pretty wife before dinner. he needs alone time, quiet time in his old room to just sit and gaze at you as you chatter.

but now? andrew's engaged in a mindless conversation with craig, hearing him drone on about his latest hook-up while he stands with his hands on his hips nervously. you're due at smurf's house at any minute, a promise you made as you laid out on the beachfront of your home, waving at andrew as he got in his truck to meet up with the boys earlier that day.

he couldn't stop himself from kissing you. he was 15 minutes late. big fuckin' deal. andrew's family knew he needed his "you time".

deran's cooking tonight, much to pope's chagrin, and the cody's are all a bit anxious to eat the food. "oh no i literally have the pizza place down the block on speed dial" j expresses in between sips of his beer, before deran angrily chimes in from inside the house "jokes on you, dickhead, i catered."

baz sits on a lounger with cath, holding her to his side as he talks to j about an upcoming job. she's sticky with bar-soda stains and exhausted with the sheer movement of a work ethic. staring down at her ring, she runs her thumb over the diamond, wondering how life could've been different. her eyes flicker over to the oldest cody, and she can remember a time when she'd always find him looking back at her. but that hasn't happened in a long time. her shoulders crack with resignation and envy.

a horn honking, a happy squeal from the driveway, and andrew's straightening up his miserable stance. the thick gummy sole of his jordans rub against the concrete as he, quite literally, walks away from craig mid conversation. "bro-" craig shrugs, turning to look at baz in confusion as baz smiles "his girls home bro, you lost him the second the tires pulled in the driveway." craig stomps into the house, but he's not really angry, never could be at pope, "fucker has super hearing, man"

andrew walks to the driveway, shoulders losing their hunch the closer he gets to your bubblegum pop music and toothy smile. it's hard for andrew to smile, he'd often tell you, late in the dark of your bedroom, "'it's like it hurts a bit. hurts my face, i guess" but right now? his smile is beaming; crooked, endearing teeth on display with a light flush. it's probably because his brothers are inside, he never liked smiling with his teeth before you.

"andy!!" you cheer, wide smile and bouncing in lightly between your left and right foot. andrew doesn't even slow his steps, just keeps trudging towards you until you're in his arms. one big hand hooked behind your head for a long, sloppy kiss. waaaay too much of a display for normal public settings. his breath hitches as your hands drag under his t-shirt, nails lightly scraping his sides.

breathing in through his nose, andrew pulls back to look down his nose at you, "missed you. where you been? how was shopping?" "good! really good andy, wanna see?" "later. lemme get a feel for you. missed you so much" with more kisses to your cheeks as he pushes the hair away from your eyes <3

when you go into the yard, you're smiling and waving at the cody's as you hang onto andrew's arm. your ring glistening in the reflection of the pool, cath can't help but swallow bitterly. andrew trails next to you, head fully turned to listen to you rant and rave about the latest sales and the cute clothing you bought for yourself and him. he looks like he could and would eat you whole at the nearest convenience. it's been years, and he still looks at you the same way.

at dinner, you sit on andrew's lap, legs swinging as you bring the fork to his mouth. craig can barely look but deran smiles into his food; it's nice to see pope happy (even if it is gross to witness at dinner). when his iced tea needs to be refilled, you lean forward over the table, his hand resting on the side of your ass to stabilize you. he's not comfy until the weight of his pretty wife is resting on his thighs.

later that night, when you are all cozy and chatting on the couch, you lift your feet into andrew's lap. he doesn't even bat an eye, moving like it's routine.... because it is. slipping off your lil platform flip flops, starting with a massage at your ankle, andrew massages your foot lovingly as he watches the conversations around him. "'s that good?" he speaks lowly to you, and you nod excitedly.

dana, who loves and respects robby, who robby clearly loves and respects right back, who robby can't fathom running the hospital without, but even through all that mutual adoration and affection there is still a final mile between them, a wall dana simply can’t breakthrough, one that robby is stubborn and steadfast about maintaining. whether that’s because of some kind of internalized bias or some misguided sense of responsibility or just sheer stubborness on robby’s end, who knows, but the cracks dana sees in robby are in spite of his effort, things robby is trying and failing to hide, rather than because robby lets her in to see him. robby trusts dana so much, but clearly still needs her to see him a certain way, to be the fearless leader, her partner in crime, someone who’s strong, the carer and never the one who needs care. if i had to guess i'd say at least toward the end of s2 he’s self aware enough to know dana has seen past that smokescreen, but even still at no point does robby ever let himself open up to her. he resists up until the very end and what he does reveals is reactive, almost out of his control, never meant to be shared except the veil is too thin and he is too tired to hide behind it.

with jack, robby still gnashes his teeth, but he’s doesn’t lie to him. it almost feels like he can’t, that he doesn't want to. oh he'll try to distract him, try to deflect so he doesn't have to give in, or he'll avoid him so he doesn't have to confront it, but when jack really really steps up to the plate and confronts robby directly it's almost like it's the secret code for robby's brain to shut up and listen. when jack point blank asks, robby answers. he hears him, even if he doesn't always believe him, even if he can't, and as far as we've seen on screen, it works. jack knows robby doesn't like to to listen because this is a song and a dance they've done before. when no one else can make robby even begin to listen, they look to jack to cross that line because it's a line he's been able to cross before.