Lottie

Marvel

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Top Gun (and TG: Maverick)

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The Pitt

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Outer Range

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Criminal Minds

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Multiperson Imagines

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Spencer Reid

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Michael "Robby" Robinavitch

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Robert "Bob" Floyd

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Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

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Natasha "Phoenix" Trace

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Jake "Hangman" Seresin

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Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia

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Joaquin Torres

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Sam Wilson

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If you were honest, how people would react to you and Jack officially dating wasn't even something you had thought about. You were just happy that you had finally found someone who loved you. But after you woke up the next day after the confession, you had reality thrown in your face.

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Robby:

Jack had to go to the convention later in the day, but you were invited as his plus one. It was the only reason Jack was still going even though you all he wanted was to spend his day alone with you.

You were adding the final touches on your makeup when Jack walked over to the desk where you were sitting. You smiled when Jack leaned down and pressed a kiss to your head, smiling against your hair. "Are you almost ready?" Jack checked his watch as he asked.

You nodded, adding your earrings, slipping on your bracelets, sliding your rings securely on your fingers, and adding an extra necklace to layer with your everyday one before you stood. "I'm ready now," you told him.

Jack smiled, grabbing your hand and walking out the room and to the elevator. "You look gorgeous," he told you, giving you a small kiss. You smiled into it, making sure to wipe his lips clean of your lipstick.

Robby was waiting in the lobby for you two, his eyes shooting down to where Jack had his arm wrapped around your waist. "Good morning, Robby," you smiled, pulling away from Jack, much to his dismay, to give Robby a side hug in greeting.

"Morning," he raised his eyebrows at you as you went back to Jack's side. "I'm guessing there was a talk that happened last night after Jack practically dragged you away from that boy," he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips. You laughed a little, nodding as you three started walking. The convention wasn't in the rentable space of the hotel like the gala was, it was a 5 minute drive away. "Don't worry," Robby started speaking, letting you climb into the car they sent for you three first. "Your secret's safe with me," he winked as Jack settled into the seat next to you.

"Thank you, Robby," you told him earnestly, you weren't ready to tell the world just yet.

"Yeah, thanks, brother," Jack gave Robby a small nod, before the conversation swapped to another topic.

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The media:

You waited until after you and Jack made it back home from the weekend in New York to announce your relationship. You posted a picture of you two, Jack kissing your temple as you both sat in a movie theater waiting for the movie to start. You captioned the photo with "I make more than him, yet he insists on paying for everything. I love you @/drjackabbot ❤️". You turned your phone off once you hit post and you made sure it actually posted, not caring about what anyone is going to say.

When you powered your phone back on in Jack's truck, your eyebrows shot up to see you were trending on almost everything. New outlets had posted article after article about your post. You read a few headlines, sharing them with Jack as he drove.

New age jazz sensation, y/n, just hard launched her relationship with man 20 years older than her!

Y/n dating a doctor? Here's what you wouldn't know by their looks alone!

Cradle robber or grave robber? Who's in the wrong in y/n's new relationship?

America's sweetheart, y/n, receives backlash over dating a man she previously said was only her friend. Here's 10 reasons why we love them together!

Should the man or woman pay for the date, here's what y/n says about her and her boyfriend.

Yet, your favorite headline. Y/n says her boyfriend insists on paying for their dates. If you need a role model for a healthy relationship, may we suggest you look at her and her boyfriend?

Jack had rolled his eyes at a few more you read, all taking jabs at the age gap between you two. You and Jack had both talked about it, it didn't bother either of you. It's not like you had met before you were already in your late 20s, and it's not that big of a deal to you two. Sure, you had to explain some newer slang to him and he liked to watch documentaries you had no interest in, but it wasn't like you two were 30 or 40 years apart. The overall reaction seemed to be a little bit of judging, but still an overwhelming amount of support for you two.

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Your fans:

Your comment section was completely different from the media headlines. All your fans were so happy for you, claiming that they had all known there was some love there and had been rooting for you two. You guessed that spending Christmas together wasn't the most only friend thing you two could do. They also said they'd never believe any other celebrity that friendzones someone right away again.

Jack liked your comment section better than the media, laughing when there was an overwhelming amount of people lamenting about how you were no longer single and that they had no chance anymore. Yeah, Jack was that assured in you two that he didn't care there were people out there that would date you if given the chance.

You laughed at a few comments, posting on your story that you were thankful for all their love and support. But that was all that happened there, you were fortunate enough to have an understanding fanbase that knew you liked to keep some things hidden.

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Jack was left standing at the entrance of PTMC, annoyance thrumming through him. Gloria told him that he had to go to the gala out in New York, one he couldn't even push off onto Robby since he also had to be there. He was told he could bring someone and Jack knew he was going to ask you if you wanted to go. "Hey," you answered the phone.

"Hey, I wanted to know if you wanted to go to a gala with me this weekend," Jack got straight to the point.

The sound you made was amusing to Jake. "Seriously?" you questioned, hope tinging your voice.

Jack huffed a laugh, a small smile tugging at his lips as he walked to his truck. "Yeah, I am," he assured you.

You laughed, a joyful thing that made Jack smile as his truck started up. "I'd love to go!"

"Ok," Jack felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. "I'll tell you about it when I get to your house," Jack told you, a small reminder that he was coming over for breakfast.

"Ok, breakfast is done and waiting for you," you told him, your smile evident in your voice.

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Your house was always cool in temperature but felt warm to Jack, it felt like home. "You're here!" you called, walking right over to him for a hug.

Jack smiled, his eyes crinkling at the action. "I am, it smells good in here," he told you. And you didn't know, but he was talking about you. But, yeah, the breakfast smelt good too. You smiled at Jack, leading him into your dining room where you had breakfast waiting. "The gala is next weekend," Jack told you, starting the conversation before he could lose his nerve. "We'll have to share a room but there should be two beds and it's a black tie event."

You nodded softly, you had already eaten and Jack realized it when you were only sipping your drink. "That's ok, I think I have a dress what will work," you told him.

"So there's no need to go shopping," Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If there is I can go whenever," you shrugged.

"And if I want to buy whatever you need?"

"Jack, I probably have more money than you," you deadpanned, your face flat. "You don't have to buy me things."

"What if I want to buy you things?"

"You don't have to."

"But I want to."

There was a moment where you both were ready to keep going, but there was just something you caught in his expression that made you back down. "Ok, if there's something I need then I'll let you buy it," you relented.

Jack felt an odd sense of satisfaction at you letting him buy you things as he finished his breakfast. "Then I better not hear you saying anything about you buying things for yourself," Jack stood and went to wash your dishes as you watching him with furrowed brows.

"You know I have a dishwasher," you told him.

Jack looked at you, an eyebrow raised. "I know, but it's my single plate and fork. I'll clean it," he muttered. You walked over and leaned against the counter, crossing your arms as you watched him.

"Are you staying for the day?" you muttered, taking the clean plate from him to dry it.

Jack wanted to say yes, but he knew he couldn't. "I've got to do laundry," he answered and you pursed your lips before nodding.

"Text me when-"

"I get home, when I wake up, and when I get to work safely?"

Your laugh was a little self deprecating as you raised your hand to tuck your hair behind your ear, the bracelet Jack got you for Christmas glinting in the morning sun. "You make it sound like I'm a crazed girlfriend," you told him with pinched brows.

Jack stepped closer, raising his hand to run his thumb between your brows to smooth out the creases. "More like one who's worried for my safety," he responded, easing the tension in your shoulders.

Neither of you brought up how you both ignored the fact that you called yourself Jack's girlfriend, and the fact that he said nothing about it. "But you will?"

"Yes, don't worry," he told you, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your temple before he started walking to your door.

You stood there for a moment before you followed him to the door. "I'll talk to you later," you told him, a smile on your face.

"I'll text you later," Jack promised, leaving for his truck as you watched him leave.

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You were humming along with the radio as Jack drove you two into to the city, both of your bags in the backseat. You had chosen a dress you already had but Jack had convinced you to let him buy you new shoes. You were actively wearing them, trying to break them in before you had to wear them to the gala that night. Jack had been annoyed when he learned it was a weekend convention, but you promised you would be there the whole time.

The summer air was blowing when you stepped out of the car, your heels mostly hidden by the long pants you were wearing. You looked up at the hotel as Jack gave the valet the keys and the other worker put your stuff on the little rolling cart. "Come on," Jack led you inside with a hand on your lower back.

The air inside was a welcome relief and the mostly empty lobby echoed your footsteps. "He wasn't lying," Robby smiled, greeting you with a small side hug as Jack went to check in.

"What wasn't he lying about?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

Robby smiled a little conspiratorially. "That you were coming, I thought he was just saying it so we didn't have to share a room," Robby winked.

You laughed, loud and unguarded. "He asked, I said yes, and now you get your own room," you teased, nudging him with your elbow.

"Well thank you for that."

Jack walked over and handed you one of the key cards. "Room 349," Jack let you know, looking between you and Robby.

"Cool," you nodded, putting the keycard into your purse. "We'll see you later," you told Robby, already starting the walk to the elevator.

Jack was able to forget you were famous quite a bit of the time, but it was moments like the one in the elevator that reminded him. You and Jack were just standing in the elevator when it stopped on the second floor and a girl walked in. "Oh my god," the girl muttered looking at you for a moment before looking at the floor.

You smiled, huffing a small laugh. "Would you like a photo?" you asked, already knowing where it was headed.

"If you don't mind, I know you're probably on vacation," she answered, opening her camera app.

"I don't mind, promise," you told her, a scrunch to your nose. You stood next to her and let her take a photo before the doors opened again. "It was nice to meet you," you promised her, leaving the elevator with a wave.

Jack walked with you, his smile soft. "How do you do it?" Jack asked.

"Do what?"

"Always be willing to take a photo?"

You paused at the door, letting Jack scan his keycard. "I just love my fans. It's less about wanting to always take a photo, and more that I know those interactions, no matter how short, can make their day," you shrugged.

The room was gorgeous, and the bathtub looked perfect for soaking in. "That's…" Jack trailed off, and you made your way out of the bathroom to him to see what happened.

There in the middle of the room, was the one and only bed. "Oh," you muttered, eyes wide. "Ok, um," you were just trying to figure out what to say.

"I can go talk to the front desk," Jack offered.

You blinked, unable to do anything but hum and nod as you sat down on the couch. Jack left you in the room, telling you he'd be back as soon as possible. You were already testing out how comfortable the couch was, trying to figure out if you could comfortably sleep there. You were preparing just in case there was no other rooms. "What did they say?" you asked as you heard the door open again.

Jack came in and you could tell the answer before he even said it. "There's no other rooms," he sighed.

"That's alright, I can sleep on the couch," you told him, already shifting to lay your legs on it.

"Are you sure? I can sleep there," he offered.

"Mm, one of us are in their late 20s and the other is in their late 40s," you told him, smiling over at him. "I'll be fine here," you assured him.

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The gala room was cold, but it felt nice against your heated skin. You and Jack had lied to the people there and said you two were dating, and only because someone was making you uncomfortable. You were standing next to Jack with his hand on your lower back, absolutely using you, and the drink in his other hand, as an excuse not to shake hands with anyone. At some point, the drink you were sipping on was gone and you made the decision to go get another. "I'm headed up to the bar, do you need anything?" you asked Jack, mumbling it into his ear when everyone else was listening to another one of the men talk.

Jack looked over at you, shaking his head. "I'm ok, thanks, baby," he answered, kissing your cheek before you left. Your heels clicked against the floor and you were thankful you had the forethought to break them in.

You were sitting at the bar, waiting for your drink, when a guy walked up. "You're that singer, right?" he asked, sitting down in front of you. Practically shouting your name when he remembered it.

"I am," you nodded, a small smile on your face as you talked. "Are you a fan?"

He laughed, shaking his head a little. "My sister is and I recognized your face from when she made me watch all your music videos," he told you. "Oh, I'm Peter," he introduced himself.

You shook his hand with a small laugh. "Well, hello," you greeted him. The event coordinator called everyone to their tables for the dinner and panel, so you stood and grabbed your drink as the bartender sat it down. "It was nice to meet you, Peter," you nodded, leaving to find Jack before finding your seats.

"Who was that?" Jack asked, pulling your seat out for you.

You looked over your shoulder to see Peter sitting a few tables away. "Peter," you responded. "His sister's a fan," you added.

"Ah, was he nice to you?"

"Yes," you laughed, setting a hand on his arm as Robby sat down on the other side of you. "No need to go all solider on him," you teased.

Robby laughed, leaning back against the back of his seat. "Are you talking about that boy you were talking to?" Robby asked, smirking at Jack.

"Yeah, Peter, he was nice," you responded, unaware of the glaring from Jack to Robby.

The dinner was boring and you found yourself just staring at the speaker as you zoned out. Jack's hand landed on your thigh at one point and you ignored the fluttery feeling you got from it. Robby had started folding the wrapper of his straw instead of listening and you were watching him before you got an idea. You reached forward and grabbed the small strip of paper from the back of someone's name tag and started folding it into a little ring. You slipped the ring onto your finger before realizing it was too big and slipped it onto Jack's finger. Jack let you, even if he looked at you weird for putting a paper ring on his pointer finger.

By the time the speaker was done, you were ready to walk around again with how bored he had made you. Jack and Robby got stuck talking to the speaker when he walked over, so you walked off with a smile towards the speaker and made your way off to the side. You could still see Jack and you could tell he could still see you.

You weren't alone for long before Peter walked back over, talking with you. It only took one random brush of your arm for you to realize Peter was hitting on you. So you smiled softly and stepped a little farther away from him. You looked over to Jack and saw a look you hadn't seen before, but the hopeful part of you wanted to say he was jealous. But you threw that thought aside, reminding yourself that Jack didn't like you like that.

The second time Peter had touched your, an innocent grab of your hand to show you how his sister used to smoothly swap the rings between her fingers, Jack was by your side. "I'm headed back to the room," Jack told you, ignoring Peter completely. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," you nodded, looking back to Peter. "It was nice meeting you," you progressively got a little louder as Jack was leading you away. Your heels were the only noise as you walked, other than the clinking of the bracelet from Jack against the one your mom got you for your birthday. "Why are we walking so fast?" you asked, trying to keep up with his fast pace as he led you to the elevator. Jack didn't answer, just watching the numbers of the elevator climb until it reached the third floor. "Jack?"

You had never seen Jack like this as he shoved the hotel room door opened, but still let you walk in first and never crowding your space in an uncomfortable way. "That killed me," he told you, almost out of breath like he was trying to not yell.

"What did?" Jack stepped closer to you, looking down at you as his eyes bounced between yours.

"Watching that boy flirt with you," Jack admitted. "It killed me to watch because I love you, I'm in love with you, and I know he's your age so why would you want some old man like me?"

Your eyes roamed Jack's face in a way that made him a little nervous. "You're an idiot," you muttered, pulling Jack down to kiss him. It was a kiss that conveyed every emotion you two could muster, love and fear. "You think I'm not in love with you?" you asked, a little out of breath. "You think I didn't fall for the one person who's never once looked at me like I'm more than just me? That I didn't fall for you after you've proven time and time again that you'll never expect more than I am? You think I didn't fall months ago?"

Jack listened to you talk. "Honey-"

You cut Jack off, pulling him in a little closer. "No, you don't get to say you're too old for me. Not when you just admitted you love me, not when I just told you that I love you," you firmly said.

And, for once, Jack didn't argue further before conceding. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

Jack watched you freeze for a moment. "That day I called you and Dana answered?" you started, pulling away from Jack. "I got spooked because I thought you had a girlfriend at first, and by the time you could clarify, I had thought my way through a spiral that landed on that you'd never like me like that," you admitted. "That if you did love me, then it would be the me on stage, the one who preforms for a crowd.

You looked back to Jack when he scoffed. "I fell in love with the you that cries at sad dog movies and yells at the protagonists in horror movies when they do something stupid," Jack closed the space again. "Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever had the pleasure of doing." When Jack kissed you that time, it was soft and loving. The exact thing that could heal souls and ease tension.

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You had asked Jack if he wanted to spend some time with you, but he told you had had some errands to run. So you told him you'd run them with him, if he was ok with Oliver following you two around town. You promised Jack that Oliver would stay in the car unless absolutely necessary. Jack told you that it was ok, which led to now. You were walking through a mall, holding Jack's hand because it was very crowded and you almost got lost in a crowd more than once.

Jack had led you into multiple stores, the last stop being the scrub store. He told you a pair of his pants ripped and the sleeves of his older ones were starting to give out. Both pieces of information made you look at his ass and biceps respectively, sneakily so you weren't caught. Jack caught you anyway, he just didn't say anything about it.

The worker barely glanced at you two when he welcomed you in, more interested in whatever he was reading on his phone. You followed Jack around, standing right next to him and holding some of the options he picked up. You hadn't even realized there was a scrub store in the mall, but you guessed it made sense with how close it was to PTMC.

Jack led you up to the counter and paid for his scrubs before taking your hand back in his. "Are you ready to leave?" Jack asked, both of you walking back towards the other side of the mall where Jack was parked.

You nodded, stepping closer to him as you past a group of teenage boys. "Yeah, this was fun," you told him.

"Fun? You just followed me around as I ran errands," he muttered, giving you a look like you were insane.

"I know, but spending time with you is always fun," you answered, smiling as he rolled his eyes but the small smile tugging at his lips gave away his amusement. "Just admit it, you like spending time with me too."

Jack stay silent for a while as you nagged him to just admit it. "Ok, fine," Jack sighed as you two walked out into the parking garage. "I like spending my free time with you, do you feel better?" Jack listened as you said yes before laughing. What you didn't know was that since he met you, since you had given him something to do with his free time, he stopped volunteering for SWAT. He stopped putting himself out in the dangerous situation and started trying to learn how to play the piano.

You were just so impressive to him and he wanted to be able to impress you, he wanted to be able to play one of your songs on the piano just so you'd compliment him on how well he did and would give him another one of your hugs.

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Jack pulled into your driveway, Oliver had driven behind you two and stayed until the gate closed before going home. "Thanks for letting me hang out today," you told him.

"It's not a big deal," he promised. "And I'll tell you when I get to work safely, don't worry," he added before you could even ask.

You smiled, standing in the open door for a moment. "Thanks for not making me seem weird for wanting to know when you get there," you muttered.

Jack gave you a wink, but you could see the seriousness in his eyes. "Never, I'll talk to you later, honey."

"I'll see you later," you smiled, closing the door and walking up to your front door. Jack waited until you had the door open and waved to him before pulling away. You slid down your door until you were sitting down on the ground, holding your head in your hands.

You hated that you liked for Jack, you knew how bad it could be to fall for a friend. Yet here you were, spending the day with Jack doing nothing but being with him and you feel like the world was brighter.

With a sigh, you stood and made your way to your piano but grabbed your notebook from the top instead. You jotted down some ideas that might work, but quickly stood and put the notebook back down. You felt restless, you had come to the realization and now you didn't know what to do other than think.

All you could do was walk around your house and think over how Jack made sure you were right there before just grabbing your hand. There wasn't even a moment of hesitation from him when he made the decision, he just firmly grabbed your hand like you were always meant to hold his.

You paused suddenly because you didn't like Jack, no, you were in love with Jack. You chewed on your nail for a moment before shaking your head, remembering you can't be doing that. You started pacing again, should you tell Jack or should you just keep it to yourself. You weren't even sure if Jack liked you like that.

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You were still anxious when you woke up the next morning, your mind racing. The clock read 7:10 and you laid in bed for a moment. You were suddenly hit with the memory of Jack at the end of your charity concert, about how he said there was someone who loved you for you. Was it him? Did Jack love you too?

Your phone was next to you, you could call Jack. He had texted you about three minutes ago that he was off work and to call him when you woke up. You steeled your nerves and picked up your phone, hitting the call button before you could chicken out. "Hello?" a woman's voice answered and you almost sobbed.

"Oh, hi, is Jack there?" you asked, your lips pursed.

"He's preoccupied, hun," the voice sounded disinterested and you nodded even though she couldn't see you.

"Can you tell him I called?"

"I could take a message," she offered.

"No, that's ok," you shook your head. "Just tell Jack that I called?"

"Of course," she said and you hung up before you could say anything that gave away how you were feeling. You rolled over and pushed your face into your pillow, screaming in frustration. Did you just fucking rooster it?

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Jack's protective apron was covered in blood and his brows were pinched together. He practically ripped his apron off, not even waiting for someone to untie it and just ripping the fabric where the ties were holding onto it. Jack grabbed his bag from where he dropped it at the front desk, snatching his phone up from the surface. "Some girl called," Dana told him, her eyes on the tablet in her hands.

Jack automatically thought of you, you would be the only woman calling his phone that wasn't already in the ED. "Did she say what she wanted?" Jack asked.

Dana looked up over her glasses, narrowing her eyes at Jack for a moment. "No, she just asked that told you that she called," Dana said. "That wouldn't happen to be that singer that came in almost a year ago, would it?"

"It is," Jack answered, calling a goodbye over his shoulder as he left. Jack checked his texts, you normally would send him a text if he didn't answer telling him if you were ok or not. There wasn't one this time and Jack cursed to himself as he sped up towards his truck. "Come on, answer," Jack muttered, hitting the call button.

"Hello?" your voice was soft, like you were trying to keep from being loud.

"Hey, honey, Dana said you called," Jack pulled out of his parking space.

"Oh," it sounded like relief was mixed into that single syllable. "Yeah, uh," you cleared your throat and Jack furrowed his brows again.

"Are you sick?"

"No," you assured him. "I was just calling because I wanted to ask you a question," you told him.

"And what question is that?"

"Do you think penguins know about warm temperatures and get sad that they'll never be able to experience them?"

Jack blinked as he sat at a red light, processing what you just said. "Honey, you called me to ask about penguins?"

You laughed lightly and Jack found himself smiling at the sound filling his truck. "Well, yeah," you stated like it was obvious. "You told me to call you when I got up, you never specified what I had to call you about," you said.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, you're right," he mused, flipping on his blinker.

Jack was about to explain that he got sucked into a trauma when you spoke. "I'm gonna go, I'm headed to the studio today," you told him.

"Ok, I'll call you later, honey."

"Bye, Jack," you answered, ending the call and surrounding Jack with silence.

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You didn't like lying to Jack, but you needed time to process the emotional rollercoaster you went on. From thinking you lost your chance with Jack to being told it was only Dana that answered, your nerves were fried and you needed a little to recoup.

You stood from your bed with the decision to not tell Jack that you loved him, you could pretend you didn't and that whatever he said to you at your concert never happened. You could do that, you could pretend it never happened because you needed it to never have happened. You couldn't have these feelings for him, you needed to just keep your feelings to yourself lest you forget that he's your only actual friend.

You could do it, that's all you could tell yourself as you went about your day. You had even managed to drag yourself to the studio and try to record, just like you had said you were. It may not have been up to your standards, but it was at least something. Something to keep your mind off of what you almost said you were in love with Jack.

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The stage was cold as you sat there, the band practicing while you listened to the stage manager tell you some things. Jack's supposed to be there soon, you had told him that he was invited free of charge and would be watching it from the sidelines instead of being out in the crowd. You weren't touring, but you were doing a show at the PPG Paints Arena.

You had decided to do the concert and then donate all proceeds to Saint Jude, just something you considered easy to do that could rack up a lot of money for them. Your niece had gone there for her cancer treatment and you felt like you owed them at least a huge donation, adding some of your own money to the donation when all is said and done.

The stage manager, Matthew, pointed out a light. "That one's been buggy recently," he told you. "It should work, but if it doesn't we'll compensate," he explained.

"That's fine," you smiled, tapping the stage with your fingernail. Just as you said that, you saw Jack walking up the stage stairs. You made sure that was all the stage manager had to say before you stood up and walked to hug him. "You made it!"

Jack hugged you back, a small chuckle rumbling through his chest. "I did, wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied. You were going to say something but Jack asked you another question. "Where's Mark?"

You physically recoiled at the name of your recent ex, so recent you hadn't had time to tell Jack about it. "We, uh, broke up," you whispered. You and Mark had only been together for a few months, since February and it was now May.

"When?" Jack's hand were on your hips and his thumbs were swiping little half moons over your shirt.

"This morning," you muttered. "I already wrote a song and I'm debuting it tonight," you added on.

Jack smiled at you softly, giving you another hug. One that lingered this time. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just," you paused, pulling away and softly shaking your head. "I'll tell you later," you smiled, leading him to where he would be all night. "So, you can stand here but I also had them bring this chair just in case your legs bothers you," you told him. Jack glanced at the chair, you had been very accommodating to his leg since you learned about it. You had even gone as far as buying a shower chair for him for your guest bathroom since it didn't have a bench, and you had apologized that you didn't have one for him the first time he stayed over.

"Thank you," Jack muttered, the rest of his sentence being cut off by Matthew calling you back over to run mic check.

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Jack was standing off to the side, watching you sit in the middle of the stage with the lights making you look angelic. You were singing Slow Down, the crowd swaying in time with you as people took photos and videos. You looked in your element, like you were always meant to be there in front of everyone and loved so much.

By the end of the song, the lights dimmed just a little more. The music came to an end and you waited a moment to let people clap and cheer. "This next song I wrote this morning. It's called Goddess, and I hope you all like it," you told the crowd, standing up and putting the microphone into the stand by by the piano. Your deep breath was caught as you sat down and settled into the seat.

Jack listened to you sing Goddess, knowing who it was about. It made Jack mad that you went through it but a part of him relieved. Jack had spent the last few months watching your relationship and silently wishing it was him.

The crowd was silent as well, listening to the song for the first time. But there was a collective gasp when the beat drop happened after a moment of you hit playing the piano. An even bigger gasp sounded out when you sang out "I'm not your fucking goddess." Jack smiled at the end, clapping loud for you.

You listened to everyone cheer, but Jack's whistle caught your attention. You looked over at him in the wing, a smile spreading across your face when you saw him standing there and clapping or you.

You took the mic into your hand when you stood again, making sure to smooth out your dress before facing the crowd fully. "Thank you for coming!" you told them all, smiling and giving a small bow as they cheered. You walked off stage and directly to Jack, throwing your arms around his neck and handing the microphone off to a stage hand.

Jack held you tight, pride seeping out of him. "You did so good, honey," he told you, letting you go when you started to pull away.

"Thank you," you smiled, leading him off to your dressing room. Jack watched how your smile faded once the door was closed, how you practically fell onto the couch.

"What's wrong?" Jack sat down next to you, his brows furrowed but no other indicator of his emotions on his face.

You sighed, leaning your head back against the couch. "It's just," you paused, trying to put it into words. "I never realized how hard it is to be famous until I started dating. It just feels like everyone only cares about who I am on stage and not who I am when I'm not performing," you muttered. "Hell, I even wrote a song about it and I guarantee you people are still only going to want to date me because of who I am on stage."

Jack listened to everything you said, deciding on whether you want help or to rant. "There is someone who loves the real you," he muttered softly, watching as you faced him with a curious expression. "Someone who loves you for you and not because you're love by millions."

You furrowed your brows at him. "How can you be so sure?"

You really were oblivious, or you just didn't want to believe that Jack liked you like you liked him. "Honey-" Jack was cut off by his phone ringing. "I'm sorry," he pulled a face and you knew what that meant.

"Go, they need you to save lives," you mumbled, standing up with him. "Just," you paused and threw your arms around him again. "Tell me when you get there safe," you told him.

"I will," Jack pulled away and started walking, but paused at the dressing room door. "I'll see you tomorrow for brunch, right?"

You smiled at him, it was weak but there. "Yeah, you will," you nodded, watching Jack leave. You sighed and sat back down on the couch, your hands shaking. You didn't think singing about Matthew would effect you that much, especially since you hadn't had big feelings about it in general. But watching Jack leave felt like watching the perfectly crafted armor you had around your heart give way, leaving you exposed for everyone to see and judge.

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Masterlist | Requests If you want to be added to the tag list, follow the directions on my masterlist

You were sitting in the studio listening back to what you just recorded. Sandra had convinced you to do covers of Christmas songs and you even wrote one of your own. It was warmer in the studio than normal, but it was needed to combat the cold from the snow outside. Your phone went off as Christmas Magic ended, your attention diverting to it. The screen was lit up with the photo of Jack you made his contact photo. "Hey, Jack," you answered, a smile on your face.

"Hey, do you need a ride home? It's late and real snowy," he offered.

Your chest warmed at the offer, your mind thinking over how you got here. "That'd be great actually," you told him, leaning back into your chair. "How long until you get here?"

The sound of Jack's blinker was all you heard for a moment. "About 15 minutes," he told you.

You laughed a little. "You were already headed this way before you called, weren't you?"

Jack hesitated for a moment and you laughed even harder. "Yeah, I was," he finally admitted and you practically snorted. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he said and you could practically hear him roll his eyes.

"Thank you for coming to get me though, you didn't have to," you acknowledged his effort. "Especially since it's your night off," you added.

"It's no big deal," he promised, his blinker going off again.

"I'm going to hang up on you now, I want to try and get this last song done before you get here," you told him.

"Alright, I'll see you soon, honey," Jack told you.

"See ya, Jack," you smiled and hung up. You weren't sure when Jack started calling you honey, but you liked it too much to bring it up in fear he'd stop. You didn't focus on it too much before popping your neck and standing, heading back into the recording booth to record the last song you had to do.

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Jack's truck was warm and the snowflakes on your jacket almost instantly melted once you were in it. You tucked your purse on the floor by your feet and quickly shoved your hands in front of the air vents. "It's freezing," you told him, moving your hands away from the vents to rub them together.

Jack chuckled, turning the fan up a little more. "Kinda has to be so it can snow," he teased.

You rolled your eyes, shoving his shoulder a little as he shifted into drive. "Jerk," you muttered, a good natured smile on your face. You were watching the road as Jack drove, a smile as you saw a group of kids making snowmen in front of a corner store. "When was the last time you played in the snow?"

Jack looked over at you for a moment, his brows furrowed. "Uh, it's probably been a good decade or two," he said and you looked over at him with raised eyebrows.

"Unbelievable," you muttered with a shake of your head.

"When was the last time you did?"

You paused for a moment, pursing your lips. "Fair enough," you muttered, scrunching your nose at him in faux annoyance. You had given Jack the code to your front gate a few days ago when the snow first fell and he drove you home, it made it easy for him to unlock it before it slid open. Jack pulled into your driveway, waited until the gate closed, and then drove up to your house.

Jack and you jumped out of his truck and you bent down before he could question you to make a snowball and throw it at him. "Honey, what are you doing?" he asked, watching as it flew past him.

"Ok, my aim is off, don't move," you tried again, nailing him in the chest. "Yes!"

Jack bent down slowly and your eyes widened as you slowly started to back away. "Oh, no you don't," Jack threw the snowball and it hit you in the stomach before you turned around and started running. "Honey!"

You were laughing as you ran, joy filling the air as you looked over your shoulder only to realize Jack was hot on your heels. "Ah!" you shouted, laughing as you tried to run faster only for Jack to catch up to you.

The warmth radiating off Jack chased off the cold that cling to you as he wrapped you into his arms. "You started this," he muttered and you playfully tried to get away.

"What are you…" you trailed off when you noticed he was leading you to the pile of snow that whoever shoveled your driveway made. "No, no, Jack!" you laughed as Jack fell into the pile with you in his arms. "It's freezing!"

"It's snow, what did you expect?" Jack was standing before offering you his hand. You let him help you up before you both rushed inside, Jack making a pitt stop at his truck to lock the doors and grab your purse.

You shivered as you stripped off your coat, hanging it by your front door. "Do you want something warm to drink?"

Jack hung his jacket with yours and made sure to put your purse on the entryway table, he had been in your house once before but it still baffled him that you just causally had a grand piano. "What are you offering?"

"I have teas, hot chocolate, I can make a pot of coffee," you listed some off, looking at your tea cabinet.

"If you don't tell anyone, I'll have a hot chocolate."

You gasped before looking at him, faux shock all over your face. "Jack Abbot is breaking his health streak? I've gotta tell the press!"

"Alright, ok," Jack rolled his eyes, watching as you hummed to yourself with a pleased smile while you moved around to make the hot chocolate.

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You were sitting on your couch when your Christmas album dropped, a satisfying feeling over the positive opinions that you saw. You had been nervous, they weren't exact copies of the original songs, you did add a bit of your jazz-pop sound to them. You were worried how Christmas Magic would go over, but you smiled at some of the people saying they didn't even realize it wasn't a nostalgic Christmas song at first. You had rejected every interview about the album, it was straight forward and you felt no need to explain that you just decided to do it when Sandra brought it up.

You never realized how lonely you felt until you had met Jack, and you were really feeling it now. You had some other friends who were famous, but you they were also busy this time of year and you didn't want to just bother them. Which left you at an awkward crossroad, Christmas was in two weeks and your parents were headed out Cabo for the season. You were facing the fact that you were going to be lone for Christmas this year, something that weighed heavy on your heart.

A part of you wanted to ask Jack if he had Christmas plans, but you were worried that he'd be working. There was something oddly sad about you not having Christmas plans, but you refused to complain about it to anyone or anywhere.

With a sigh, you stood and walked to your kitchen. You already had a small list of things to get for Christmas, mostly food since you were still going to make yourself a meal. But there was one on the list that haunted you, you still had to get Jack a present. You were having trouble with that one, he refused to tell you anything he'd like because "you don't need to spend money on me" he says.

You were still going to get him something, you just didn't know what to get him exactly. For a few days, you thought about defaulting to what you normally got people but you realized you didn't know Jack's size in clothing. You sighed and grabbed your purse, already knowing what you were going to get Jack. You had asked him once why he never wears jewelry other than his wedding ring, he told you that he just didn't have a necklace he could wear in the ER and bracelets weren't allowed.

The drive to the jewelry store truly was just filled with you jamming out to Michael Jackson and navigating the snow covered ground. The inside of the jewelry store was already playing your new album and you smiled as you walked up to the counter. "Hi, how can I help you today?" the older lady behind the counter asked.

You smiled at her. "I'm looking for a plain silver chain that's not too long but can be tucked into a shirt," you explained. "Preferably white gold so it lasts," you added.

The lady nodded, Sandy as you read from her name tag. "Are you looking to add something to it?"

"No, this is for a friend. Just a chain that he can wear," you clarified, a smile still on your face.

"Follow me, I'll get you into one of the private rooms and bring you some options," she told you, leading you towards the back.

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By the time you got home, you had Jack's present and a roll of wrapping paper you found with little stethoscopes on it. It made you giggle when you thought about giving it to Jack, a warm feeling towards Christmas coming back.

You were humming Love To Keep Me Warm as you finished wrapping Jack's present and your doorbell rang. There was three options on who it could be: Sandra, Oliver, or Jack. You were still humming when you opened the door, a smile spreading across your face. "I wondered if you hummed while alone," Jack mused, stepping inside when you let him in.

"Only when I'm happy," you told him, walking back to the mess you had after wrapping his present. You were just glad you already put away the bag you got when you got up earlier to find tape.

Jack took one look at the wrapping paper and chuckled, crossing his arms at you. "Please tell me that's not for me."

You spun around before bounding over to your trash can, dropping all the scraps into it before walking over to Jack. "Would you rather it be for Robby?" you teased.

Pulling you into a hug, Jack grumbled out his sentence. "You better not have spent too much money on me."

"There's no such thing," you told him, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "I've got more money than I know what to do with."

"You could pay to get a new back fence, yours is falling apart."

You rolled your eyes, gently shoving Jack's shoulder as he smiled at you. "This entire property is fenced in, why do I even need to fix the one that denotes what's my backyard?"

Jack sighed, walking over to sit on your couch. "Fair. Hey, where's your tree and decorations?"

You sat down on your couch slowly, shame burning in your veins. "I, uh, felt no need to put them up," you mumbled, messing with your hands. "I have no plans for Christmas and it felt a little sad to decorate if I was the only one here for it," you shrugged.

"Why didn't you say anything? I've got no plans for Christmas too," Jack asked, sounding genuinely sad that you didn't tell him. "We can do something."

You lit up, looking at him. "Really?" You jumped up from your seat. "I need to decorate!" Jack watched as you practically ran to your garage before you came back with a box, taking a few more trips before you had everything.

Jack stood and walked over, helping you unload. "Just tell me what to do," he told you with a nod. You nodded, handing him a little snowman figure.

"This goes on the fireplace mantle," you told him, grabbing the other one to place on the mantle yourself.

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Jack came over bright and early on Christmas Eve, holding a neatly wrapped present. You eyed it as he went to place it under your tree, but he beat you to questions. "Why is there more presents under here?" Jack asked, placing his overnight bag down on your couch.

You had laughed when you offered to let him stay the night, calling it a sleepover. "Because I got us matching pjs as Christmas Eve presents," you told him, a small smile on your face.

"Christmas Eve presents?"

"My parents would do it for us," you explained, handing him the coffee mug you were holding. It was exactly how he liked it, plain with a little bit of sugar to help curb the bitterness. "It was either pjs or some years they let us open our stockings early. It was just so we had on cute Christmas pajamas for pictures in the morning."

"Isn't you telling me ruining the present?"

"Nope, not since we always knew what it was. They were just wrapped to hide the pattern, that's the surprise." Jack watched as you pulled the last waffle out of the waffle maker before setting the plate of food down on the table. "Breakfast is done," you smiled.

Jack sat down with you, both of you eating in silence before you both cleaned up and moved to the couch. You already had Frosty the Snowman pulled up when you both sat down. "Starting with a classic," Jack mused, watching you press play.

You smiled at him for a moment as the TV buffered. "The best Christmas movie to start with if you ask me," you shrugged, scrunching your nose.

"Why's that?"

"It's low stakes, has great songs, and is a feel good movie," you explained.

Jack nodded slowly, turning his attention to the TV. "How can I argue with that logic?"

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Elf was playing in the background but the sound of your laughter was louder. You and Jack had finished letting the gingerbread men cool and were now decorating them. Only, you had frosting on your nose from where Jack put it there and he had some smeared across his cheek from when you tried to gey him back and he swerved at the last moment.

You threw a gingerbread at Jack, an undecorated one, and watched it break against his shoulder before it fell to the ground. "Did you just throw a gingerbread man at me?" Jack asked, grabbing one himself.

"Maybe," you giggled, watching him to try and escape his throw. Only for you to fail because his aim was better than you thought and you didn't move fast enough. "You know what?" you asked, scooping some icing into your hand before bolting towards him.

Jack grabbed your wrist, stole some of the icing, and smeared it across the expose skin of your chest, dangerously close to your boobs. You gasped, a little in shock and a little in arousal, before smearing the rest against the side of Jack's neck. "Do you feel accomplished?" Jack asked, eyes darting down to your lips.

You licked your lips for a moment, stalling for your brain to work. "Possibly," you breathed out, both of you leaning closer. Only for Jack's phone to go off at the last moment and he pulled away, going to answer it.

"Abbot," Jack answered, eyes on you. "I'm not working tonight, ask Robby," he said to whoever was on the phone. "Yeah, I'll see you later," Jack muttered, hanging up as you cleared your throat.

"We should probably get cleaned up," you mumbled, looking at anything but Jack. Jack nodded, the tension still crackling between you two. "We can clean this up later," you motioned to the mess of your kitchen before you turned and left for your room.

The quiet of the bathroom was a stark contrast to the loud joy from earlier, from when you were about to kiss Jack. You should have, you shouldn't have chickened out and pulled away like you did. But you've seen how the media can destroy a relationship before, you didn't want to lose Jack. And if that meant you were breaking your heart in the process, you could handle that.

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You woke up with your alarm going off, an 8:30 am wake up call. But you had told Jack you'd follow his family tradition of waking up and opening presents at 8:30. You yawned as you padded down the hallway, your pajamas a little rumpled from you just rolling out of bed. "Good morning," Jack announced, handing you coffee. "I'll make breakfast after presents," he smiled, leading you over to the tree.

A smile spread across your face at the sight of your matching pajamas, you had chosen them with great care. "You're very serious about this," you muttered, sipping your coffee; which was made exactly how you liked it.

Jack nodded, sitting you down on the couch before bringing over the two presents. You'd be the first to admit that it was a little bit of a sad Christmas, but all that mattered was that you two were together. "You open yours first," he gestured to your present sitting in front of you.

You reached out to place your mug down and grabbed the present. You eyed Jack cautiously, you hadn't told him what you wanted but he said that he knew what he was getting you anyway. "Jack," you mumbled when you saw the Cartier logo on the box. "These are so expensive," you shook your head gently but opened it anyway. Inside was a gold bracelet, Etincelle De Cartier Bracelet, the half paved one.

"You said you wanted one but knew you wouldn't wear it because you tend to only wear jewelry that hold significant meaning to you. I hoped that since I bought it, it would have a meaning," he shrugged, the expression on his face irritatingly neutral.

You blinked away the tears, slipping the bracelet on. "I love it," you whispered, wiping away a stray tear. "Open yours," you told him.

Jack was one of the people who unfolded the wrapping paper instead of ripping into it. "You just told me that your bracelet was expensive and you bough me something from David Yurman?"

You laughed, shaking your head a little. "I'm rich," you muttered, motioning him to keep going. With an eyeroll, Jack opened the box and faltered at the sight. "You told me that you don't have any necklaces that you can wear at work and tuck under your shirt," you spun your new bracelet as you spoke. "I figured I could fix it. That's white gold so it'll last and I got it in 20 inches so it should be just long enough to tuck but short enough to not get in the way," you explained.

Jack smiled as he clipped his necklace on, both of you wearing your new jewelry with pride. "I guess we had the same idea, huh?"

"I guess we did," you smiled before moving to sit with him, snapping a photo of you two with your presents on display for your Instagram. You just had to brag how much of a good friend you had.

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Masterlist | Requests If you want to be added to the tag list, follow the directions on my masterlist

From The Start | You rolled your ankle while practicing for a concert and meet Jack Abbot, the one person who looks at you like you're a person and not just a star

Christmas Magic | You and Jack spend Christmas together

Goddess | Jack almost confesses at your charity concert, but PTMC's ED stops for no one

Lover Girl | A shopping trip forces you to confront your feelings head on

Lovesick | Watching you get hit on made Jack finally confront his feelings, leading to the confession you both had been waiting for

The room was cold and smelt like a mixture of heavy duty cleaner and the weird powdery smell of gloves. You didn't want to be there, you were pretty sure you only rolled your ankle, but your manager practically forced you to go. Sandra, your manager, was pacing across the floor on the phone. "Tell them we will sue," she hissed.

"No we won't," you called over, exhaustion lacing every syllable you uttered. You were waiting on the X-ray results but you were very sure you were correct since you could move your ankle with very little pain now.

Sandra looked towards you, muttering into the phone before hanging up. "Babes, you fell over-"

You cut her off with a sigh. "Exactly, I fell over because I wasn't paying attention while I was wearing heels. It was my fault," you told her. Sandra looked unconvinced, but she didn't get to say anything before a new doctor was walking in.

"Hi, I'm doctor Jack Abbot," he introduced himself, not even faltering at the sight of you as he slipped on the blue gloves. It was nice, the other doctors all seemed way too nervous about you being famous. "Good news, your X-ray came back clean. You only managed to roll your ankle," he told you, unrolling the ACE bandage as he sat down on the rolling stool. "I'm going to wrap your ankle, you should wear this for the next 48 hours, ice your ankle for about 15 to 20 minutes every three hours but make sure you don't put ice directly against your ankle," Jack's hands were warm, even through the gloves. when he gently took your ankle in his hand to rest on his thigh, wrapping the ankle with the precision and care of someone who had done it a thousand times. "Try and stay off your ankle as much as possible for the next 48 hours and elevate it above your heart to help with drainage of excess fluid." You watched as he finished wrapping you ankle, securing it with the two little metal pieces to keep it where it was. "Any questions?"

"When you say stay off it, do you mean completely or can she still perform?" Sandra asked and you closed your eyes with a sigh.

"Ignore her, I'll stay off of it," you told Jack before he could say anything to Sandra.

"You can't just-"

"Refund the tickets or offer them spots at the other shows, we can push the tour back a few days," you told Sandra, waving her out of the room.

Jack stayed on the stool, watching Sandra leave. "Do you have any questions?" Jack asked, looking back at you.

You hummed for a moment. "Only 48 hours?" you questioned.

"Yep, unless it gets worse then only 48 hours and you should feel better," he nodded, taking the gloves off.

You nodded slowly, reaching into your bag as he watched you. "Here," you handed him the two tickets you carried on you just in case. "It's for my second to last show here in Pittsburgh before I'm off. Either come or give it away to people who you think would like it more," you shrugged.

Jack looked over the tickets, his face revealing nothing as he read them over. "VIP?"

"Yeah," you shrugged. "You can come back stage afterwards and say hi to me and the band for a few minutes," you added.

"Thanks," he nodded once, turning to leave but pausing at the door. "A nurse will be by with your discharge papers," he added, leaving you with a weird fluttery feeling in your chest.

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Your adrenaline was pumping but you were smiling, your concert a success and no pain in your ankle. You had no clue if doctor Jack Abbot came to your show, but you hoped he did. You were in the middle of downing your water bottle when the door opened and the stage hand was standing there. "Your VIP ticket holders are out here in the hallway," he let you know.

"Oh, let them in," you told him, a smile on your face. You watched as Jack and another man, a taller man, walked in. "Doctor Abbot, hi," you smiled at him. You held your hand out for the other man and introduced yourself.

"Michael Robinavitch, you can call me Robby," he told you, a smile on his face. "You're good," he added.

You laughed, a light little sound that eased any awkwardness. "Thanks," you smiled wide at him. "I hoped you enjoyed it too," you looked towards Jack.

"I did," he nodded, crossing his arms. "I'll be honest, I'd never listened to you before tonight though," he admitted.

Your laugh was a little more solid this time, as if you really found it amusing he didn't know who you were. "I figured as much when Sandra forced the nurses to find a doctor who didn't know who I was," you mused, you sat down on the chair as they sat on the couch. "You two don't do this, do you?"

"That obvious?" Robby asked.

"Yeah, most people are freaking out so much Oliver stands behind me," you gestured to the man who had followed them into the room.

"Is he your bodyguard?" Jack looked Oliver over.

"Yeah, a good one too. He'll go get me food when I'm in the studio if I ask," you smiled with a small laugh.

"Do you live here in Pittsburgh? I looked over your tour dates and it says you're starting out here," Robby leaned forward.

"Yeah, I do," you nodded, sipping your second water bottle. "I like how little paparazzi there is, I feel like I can breathe here," you admitted softly. The three of you talked, and by the end, they swore you had two more fans. You waved them goodbye and watched as they left, your stomach doing a small flip as you saw Jack's smile.

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By the last concert of your tour, another in Pittsburgh, you hadn't been able to get Jack out of your head. You thought about him more than you'd admit to anyone around you, but there was just something about him. You were hiding in the back of a bookstore, looking through some books while you waited out some paparazzi outside. "I guess you're the reason there's paparazzi outside," you knew that voice, it was Jack.

You spun to look at him, your smile wide. "Yeah, I guess I jinxed myself with saying there's a little here," you joked.

Jack huffed a small laugh, his arms crossed. "How was your tour then?"

"It was good, met a lot of fans and had some fun," you told him, shifting your weight.

"Some fun?" Jack asked, looking you over and narrowing in on the brace on your knee.

"Yeah," you saw him staring at your brace and gave him a shy smile. "Tour is hell," you whispered. "It's hard on the body and emotionally draining," you admitted.

Jack nodded with a look you couldn't read. "Why do you do it then?"

"Because I love my fans more than I dislike touring," you told him with a shrug. "I'm just waiting for the paparazzi to leave so I can reach the parking garage down the street."

"Do you want help getting out of here?" Jack asked with a head tilt.

You paused, watching him with a raised eyebrow. "How do you propose we manage that?"

Jack shrugged off his jacket, and gently placed it over your head. "Come on," he said softly.

You held the jacket over your head the whole way, Jack using his body to help shield you from the flashes. The headlines would be crazy, but you knew you could get ahead of it once you reached your car. You only removed the jacket once you were in the elevator, handing it back to Jack. "Thank you," you sighed, pulling out your phone. "Do you have Instagram?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "One of my coworkers made me one," he added.

"What's your handle?" you questioned.

Jack looked at you oddly. "Why?"

You only smiled at him for a moment. "Because I' m going to get ahead of the headlines and post you on my Instagram so no one gets the wrong idea," you told him. "Can't be scaring you away with fake dating allegations," you teased.

Jack actually chuckled this time, something tightening in your chest at the sound. "Sounds intense," he mused, handing you his phone as the doors opened. You opened his Instagram and followed yourself on it before handing it back and going to follow him back.

The sound of your shoes clicking against the floor was the only sound for a moment. "Wait, pause for a moment," you told him.

"Is something wrong?" Jack immediately looked towards your knee.

"No, we just need to take a photo," you told him, stepping closer to him and holding the phone up for a selfie. Jack lifted the corner of his lips into a smile as you beamed at your phone, taking the photo. "Perfect," you smiled, tapping away on your phone until you had it ready to be posted. "And there we go," you told him, showing him your screen as it posted.

Jack liked your post off his phone before you both reached your car. "Did you just publicly say we're friends?"

"I did, no take backs," you teased. "This is me though," you said, a little sadder than you meant it. "Thanks for everything you've done."

Jack shrugged, watching you open your car. "It's not a big deal, can't leave my friend hanging out in a book store alone," he joked, softly smiling when you laughed.

"Oh wait," you handed him your phone. "I need your number."

Jack chuckled, putting his phone number into your contacts. "There," he handed it back and leaned down against your car to be more eye to eye with you. "I'll see you around," he muttered.

You smiled at him, scrunching your nose a little. "Yeah, I'll see you around," you told him. "And thank you for seeing me, not just the star," you told him.

"Star or not, I'm glad to be your friend," he told you, letting you close your door and pull out. Jack stood there, watching you drive away with a weird feeling in his chest he hadn't felt since his wife died.

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There was an air around Robby's sabbatical, something left unsaid, but there wasn't a single person who stopped him. Whether because they wanted to be wrong or because they knew he wouldn't listen. You weren't standing on Robby's front porch because you wanted to stop him from going on his sabbatical, but because you wanted to tell him how you felt before he left.

Robby was standing there, his eyes on you and his mouth slightly parted. "You don't have to say it back. I mean, I want nothing more than you to, but you don't have to. You don't have to feel the same way, I just couldn't let you leave without you knowing," you told him, wringing your hands together.

The moon was lighting you up from behind, casting a shadow on Robby's legs as you stood there. "Sweet-" you cringed at Robby cutting off the moniker you were given by The Pitt. "I don't-"

It was your turn to cut him off. "I know, I just had to tell you," you whispered, turning around to leave. Robby gently reached out, grabbing onto your elbow for a moment before dropping it.

"Wait here a moment," he told you, turning into his house. You took a deep breath, your mind racing over where this was going. "Here," Robby had returned with his blue zip up, the one he's been wearing more often.

There was a hesitation to you that Robby had never seen before, like you weren't trusting your own eyes for the first time since you two met. "I can't, you'll need that," you shook your head softly.

Robby placed it over your shoulders, the scent of his cologne and the lingering bite of sterile air and powered gloves enveloping you. "Not for a while, take it and give it back to me when you see me again," he shrugged, like it meant nothing despite the fact your heart was racing.

A shaky laugh tumbled out of your lips, your hands shaking as you gripped his forearms. "Tell me you'll came back, tell me I'll talk to you again or I'm calling Abbot and Dana and everyone else and getting your ass in an involuntary psych hold," you told him, your eyes burning with unshed tears.

"You'll see me again, I promise," he whispered. You just nodded, bid him goodnight, told him that you hoped his sabbatical was refreshing, and left.

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Two months, two whole months in the ED without Michael Robinavitch. You managed, everyone managed. Even as you wore his jacket and only cried a little when you washed and it no longer smelt like him. It had the bite of the ED, sterile air and powered gloves, but it was missing the woodsy scent of Robby's cologne and lingering musk that was so distinctly him.

Throughout the two months, you've gone from the day shift, to the night shift, back to day shift, back to night shift, back to day shift, and now back to night shift. So to say your sleep schedule was shit, was an understatement. Though you were wondering how insane you actually were going while staring at Robby outside your apartment. "I wasn't going to come back," Robby told you, watching as you processed the fact that he's in front of you. "I didn't plan to come back at all, but I couldn't stop thinking about how you told me that you love me."

You stepped aside and let Robby in, your eyes tracking every step he took. "So you came back early?" you asked, your brows furrowed.

Robby sighed, taking in you wearing his jacket and how you were in scrubs. "I came back for you," he admitted and you froze, your phone going off.

"I'm sorry, hold on please," you pulled your phone out of the jacket pocket. "Hey, Shen." Robby watched as you looked at your shoes and gently tapped the floor with your toe box. "Oh, you're just using me for Dunkin' points?" you were teasing the attending and something in Robby's chest stirred with jealousy. "If you get me an iced coffee with caramel and extra sweet then I guess you can keep using me for more points," you huffed a laugh before saying goodbye.

"You're working night shift?" Robby was watching you with a look you hadn't seen before.

"Yeah, I've kinda just been jumping between the two lately."

"Day shift no longer good enough for you?" Robby asked, more insecurity showing than teasing.

"Not without you," you admitted softly. "Why did you come back for me?"

"Because I love you too, I know I didn't say it back but I wasn't planning on coming back alive when I left," Robby told you.

You pursed your lips at him, your mind racing but the alarm on your watch going off. "Can we talk after my shift? I have to leave," you slipped your backpack on as you asked. Robby nodded as you dug around in the bowl on your entryway table. "Here's a key, you can stay to take a nap or stay the night if you want to," you dropped the extra key into Robby's hand before leaving, locking the door behind you.

Robby stared at the key in his hand before walking down the hallway, he was tired. You always seemed to know when he was tired. Robby peeked into your room while trying to find the guest room and smiled at the photo you had hung on your wall by your floor mirror. It was from one of the nights the entire day shift, and a few of the night shift, went to a bar. You and Mel had gotten everyone to pose for a photo and Robby threw his arm around your shoulders, hugging you close as you laughed into his shoulder and he looked down at you with a soft smile. There was a second photo where you were all smiling at the camera instead of the chaos of the first one, but the liked that you hung up the first one instead.

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It wasn't like you to not be there before Shen, Jack never, but Shen? You were always one of the first ones there. Today, you walked in with barely any moments to spare, barely getting handoff done in time. "What's up with you?" Jack asked, watching as you started going over all the things you were left with.

You looked at Jack, your eyes bouncing around to make sure no one else was listening. "Robby's at my apartment," you whispered. "He said he came back for me."

Jack's eyebrows practically hit his hairline, a low whistle following the action. "Wow," Jack nodded, waiting for you to tell him more.

"He said he loved me too," you muttered, walking off to check in on a patient. The woman was asleep, but you only had to check on the machines, so you didn't wake her.

"He finally told you?" Jack asked, his eyebrows raised.

"You've known?" you hissed, whipping around to look at him.

Jack raised his hands a little, watching as you finished checking over the patient. "I didn't tell him that you loved him," Jack defended. "I was just stuck in the middle of you two."

You harshly sighed, walking to go sit at a computer. "Jack, I'm going to chart. Leave me alone," you waved him off.

"You have nothing to chart," Jack pointed out.

"I'll fake one," you deadpanned, pointing away from you. The computer was open but you really had nothing to chart at the moment, just staring at the screen as your thoughts ran wild.

It was a normal day, busy but normal, when you figured out you were in love with Robby. He had just casually put his hand on the corner of a desk when you bent down to grab your dropped pen in case you hit the corner with your head. You spent the rest of your shift overthinking everything that's ever happened between you two.

Your eyes were on Robby when Jack walked up, smiling at the obvious heart eyes. "You know, we should really check you for a head injury," Jack teased, leaning against the counter.

You shot your eyes over at Jack. "What? Why? I haven't hit my head. Why are you even here?" you defended.

"Got here early, was bored, but I don't think it's healthy to have heart shaped eyes," Jack told you, watching as you rolled your eyes but ducked your head to hide your smile.

"Shut it," you muttered, your nose wrinkled when you looked at him again. "I do not have heart eyes."

Dana picked the perfect time to walk up to you two. "What about heart eyes?" she asked, her look knowing.

"Sweetheart here was giving our chief attending heart eyes while he was talking to a patient," Jack told Dana while you tried to look busy with charting.

"Old news," Dana teased, her hand landing on your shoulder for a moment. "Sweetheart's been staring at Robby that way for years," Dana revealed.

"No, I haven't," you defended. "I haven't liked him that long," you added.

"How long have you liked him then?" Jack leaned in, like he didn't believe you.

You mumbled, embarrassed. "Just today, when he held the corner of the desk just in case I hit my head."

"Sweetheart, that's just what opened your eyes. You've been in love with that man for years," Jack raised an eyebrow. Both him and Dana walking away before you could argue again.

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Jack watched you all day, you weren't off but you were a little distracted. There was a way to you that seemed like you were thinking about something big. "Sweetheart, walk with me," he told you, taking you away from where you were debating with Shen on if another Dunkin' run was needed. You were a good nurse, he knew that and that's why he wanted to know what was wrong. Not just because he was nosy and wanted to know what you were thinking. "What's going on with you tonight?"

You pursed your lips for a moment, unsure if you should be talking about this with Robby's best friend. "Robby's seven week itch," you whispered, your eyes on the ground.

Jack paused and watched you take three steps before pausing too. "Sweetheart, let me tell you this, Robby's liked you a hell of a lot longer than seven weeks. He's never liked someone this much before. You've got nothing to worry about," he told you, watching as you thought it over.

"I have to talk to him when I get home, I know I do," you admitted.

"Then make sure to talk about it with him if you don't believe me, but that man's in love with you," Jack assured you.

"Thanks, Jack," you nodded, walking off. Jack watched you leave, his mind on when Robby admitted he liked you.

Jack walked into PTMC early, the sun still up but slowly setting. Robby had been standing at The Hub, his eyes on you. "Are you ever going to make a move?" Jack joked, more truth behind his words than teasing.

Robby looked towards his friend, his lips in a thin line. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Robby deflected, even as his eyes cut back to where you were laughing with Dennis over both of you ending up needing a scrub change.

Jack hummed, his lips quirked up into a smirk. "Sure you don't. Because you're definitely not staring at Sweetheart all love sick," Jack rolled his eyes.

Robby sighed, looking back towards Jack. "I am not."

"Mhm, if you're so sure. Then you won't care that apparently Whitaker has a thing for her," Jack lied, watching as Robby's eyes shot back to where the two of you were walking off towards the scrub exchanger.

"Seriously?" Robby's voice was tight, barely contained jealousy under his tone.

"Nope, just wanted to see how you'd respond," Jack laughed.

"Ok, maybe I like her, so what? I'm her attending, Gloria would have a field day with that one."

"Like you've ever cared about what Gloria's liked," Jack raised his eyebrow before realizing this wasn't doing anything. "Look, I'm pretty sure that Sweetheart likes you too."

Dana cut in, her voice knowing. "Robinavitch here is in love with her, I'm pretty sure that Sweetheart possibly liking him isn't the comfort you think it is," her smile was all sweet but still sharp at the edges, like she'd fuck them up for suggesting she was wrong. "But if it's any consolation, I overheard her talking to Whitaker and Santos about having a very vivid wet dream about a certain daytime attending," she added as she walked off, her smile turning into a smirk.

Both attendings watched as the charge nurse walked off before looking back to each other. "I can't just tell her that I love her. Because, yeah, I don't give a shit about what Gloria thinks, but I don't want to make anything harder for her. I'll just have to wait until she tells me," Robby told Jack, the latter only nodding before walking off to reach the locker rooms.

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Robby was making breakfast when you got back to your apartment, you watched him for a moment. He was wearing different clothing and you wondered if he had gone back to his place or if it was something he had in his bag. "I don't know if my pancake mix is kosher," you told him, grabbing your water bottle and noting that it was full when you knew you had left it empty on the counter that morning.

Robby turned around to face you after taking a pancake out of the pan. "I have no clue, it was expired," Robby told you and you pointedly looked at the pancakes behind him with a raised brow. "I made it," he shrugged.

"You made pancake mix?"

"My grandmother taught me how," he responded and you slowly nodded.

"Did you stay the whole day?" you asked, looking at the cleaner state of your apartment.

"Mostly, I went home to do my laundry and change," he admitted softly, like he was ashamed despite the fact you had given him a key for that reason.

You hummed, grabbing the plates and silverware and following Robby to your table. You didn't even realize Robby had found the pack of turkey bacon you bought a week ago when you were making breakfast sandwiches for your neighbor. "I talked to Jack today," you said softly. "We talked about you," you added, looking down at your plate.

Robby looked up at you, a mix of panic and hope on his face. "What did he say?"

"Nothing bad," you assured him, the sound of your fork clicking against the plate when it cut through the pancake ringing out in your silence. "Or at least not from him."

"What did I do to you then? What do I need to fix?" he questioned, rushing to ask before his fear made him shut you out.

"You did nothing to me," you gently shook your head. "Someone mentioned your seven week itch," you were ashamed of bringing it up and Robby could see that. "I just," you looked up from your plate at the man across from you, "I can't just do seven weeks, Robby."

Robby abandoned his breakfast to reach you, rounding your table and, even though he was getting older, knelt on the ground at your feet. "This isn't an itch, baby," he muttered, searching your face and finding that disbelief he knew you had. "I've loved you for a hell of a lot longer than seven weeks, and finally getting to call you my girlfriend isn't going to change that," he assured you.

There was still a soft hesitation to you when he finished speaking, your eyes reflecting it. "But what if you realize being with me is nothing like you thought it would be?"

Robby hadn't even thought about you being scared that he wouldn't want you. He just assumed you'd be so sure of yourself in a relationship. "I promise, the version of you in my head will not effect how I feel about you."

You looked his in his eyes, some type of yearning in them that made him just admire you. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because she isn't you, and I love you. Not the version of you that you think I have," he muttered, watching as you slowly started to come to the realization that he does love you.

Robby didn't have time to process you removing your hands from his before you were wrapping him into a hug. "I love you," you muttered against his shoulder where you were hiding your face. "Thank you for coming back," you added softly.

You felt Robby move his head so his face was pressed into your neck, the world didn't need to see either of you. You were in each other's arms, the world could wait for you two until the hug was over. "Thank you for being my reason to come back."

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