Friends-with-benefits/situationship Rabbot who tried to date back in Med School when they first met only for Robby to start his seven-week-itch program and for them to break up.
They followed a trend where Jack would follow Robby's lead when it came to how their relationship(s) played out. Whether it was those months or weeks where Robby didn't want anything from Jack and declared them only best friends because he wanted to date solo or whether it was the two of them messing around with the same man or woman and Robby started feeling the itch and would decided it was time to pull the cord on that relationship. The only exceptions were when Jack was dating someone seriously, in which case Robby would bow out and let the relationship play out while he had his own fun.
Jack's wife being the longest and only exception to the norm, which had Robby stressed the whole start of that relationship because this man has never done well with changes in his personal life and it had his abandonment issues going crazy. After she passed Robby and Jack went back to their old ways and Jack was honestly grateful for Robby's seven-week-itch because it made the "break-up" process so much easier. He didn't want anything serious because he genuinely believed that he had lost his one true chance at love and would take whatever the love of his life would, Robby, would give him and be content with that.
Then they meet Dennis and they both assume that it will be another seven-week three-way situation only for Jack to realize that he has started to fall in love for the sweet, humble, and basically perfect mid-western boy, while Robby starts panicking for that same reason. They go past the seven-week period with him without even realizing because Dennis just fits right into their lives so seamlessly and they are lost in the domestic bliss from the second week of "dating".
It isn't until Jack has a PTSD nightmare and wakes up to Dennis, who had the day off and had been sleeping with Jack, gently assuring him and giving him feather light touches while sitting on Jack's lap to give him a physical pressure and bring him back. Later once Jack is calm and just resting his head on Dennis' should while the former farm boy runs his hand through Jack curls soothingly and he murmurs sweet and calming reassurances, Jack realizes that he has true fallen for Dennis. But that isn't a happy thought because Jack had noticed Robby start to get antsy about being with Dennis after 6 months and he knew Robby was getting ready to cut things off with Dennis in a panicked "fight-or-flight".
When shift change happens hours later Jack is proven right when Robby casually brings it up during their rooftop rendezvous. Just a casual, "I think it's time for this thing with Dennis to end." and Robby doesn't even bother turning to Jack, just assuming that he'll agree like he usually does.
"No." Robby doesn't seem to process the word until a few seconds later and his head swings towards Jack so hard that he's surprised Michael's neck doesn't immediately cramp up.
"What?" Robby looks Jack over, confusion and shock filling his eyes, as he seems to try and find where this sudden disagreement is coming from. This isn't how this goes; Robby says it's time to end things and Jack usually shrugs or makes a quip about timing before nodding along.
"If you wanna end things with Dennis be my guest, brother." Jack stretches his arms out, Robby's gaze catches on the thick muscle that strains under his sleeves with every movement before his gaze snaps back up to Jack when he huffs a quiet laugh and his lips twitch into that damn sexy smirk. "I think I might love the kid." He says it casually as if it is not something world altering. " After Liz, I didn't think I would get chance number three to meet someone to fall in love with again and I was fine with that.'
Jack turns fully towards Robby and his eyes are glowing with a nauseatingly soft look and his smirk has turned into a small smile. "Then you brought the mouse-y, shy, blond intern a drink and invited him and I back to your place and I honestly just expected him to just be another passing face."
Robby winces slightly, his constant non-committal habits are not something they've really addressed, like most of their problems, they brush them aside and buried them to keep the peace and it didn't bother either of them really. When he opens his mouth to defend himself and point out that Jack was more than happy to let him be the asshole in people narratives because he ended the relationships while Jack just started off not being invested in them at all, he is quickly interrupted. "I know. I am equally to blame for being a reason they were just passing faces and I acknowledge that. We were assholes." Jack let out a bitter chuckles and Robby snorted. "But then he stayed, we didn't even mean for it to happen but he just fit right in and we never asked him to leave. I didn't even notice until he left that first time after spending the whole week together and suddenly there was this hole where he should've been."
Michael nods, his eyes unfocussed as he remembered the way he and Jack kept turning to hear Dennis' input on their conversation or just to hear his throaty chuckle whenever Jack cracked a dirty joke. "Didn't think a guy raised in such a religious place would've been so..."
"Kinky." The smirk on Jack's face shows exactly which memories he's replaying in his mind. Robby swats him and Jack plays up the hit with a fake groan and dramatic flinch. "I was going to say informed and creative," his lips twitch. "But yes, kinky is also a very accurate description."
The cheeky look on Jack's face makes Robby want to hit him or kiss him, either one will probably end with them hot and heavy so he refrains. Jack seems to sober up and the previous happiness fades away completely. "You're in love with him too. That's why you want this to end because you run when things get really." It isn't an accusation and said as a statement of fact but it still lands and makes Robby tense and turn away. "And I won't force you to admit anything or even beg you to try and work this out for me or Dennis because I know that will make you panic even worse. I just want to say that if you do break up with him then it'll just be you, man. I wanna see where this goes and to be honest I can genuinely see a future with the kid and I wanna try and make it work. So you're gonna have to go on the bachelor life without me."
Robby is completely still, his fist clenched and his face hidden as he pointedly stares away from Jack. He turns to Jack so suddenly that it makes the other man step back and the blank expression on Robby's face makes Jack more than a little worried and it's only made worse when Robby takes off towards the door fast than Jack can react. Jack follows after him and tries to catch up but by the time he reaches the parking lot Michael passes by on his motorcycle and is on the streets.
20 minutes later, after panicking the whole time and snapping at everyone and everything, Jack get's a text from Dennis.
Our Boy: So you love me? "winky face"
Our Boy: Also Robby's safe. Came home crying and apologizing about being a coward and swearing up and down that he would do better and was so in love with me.
Rabbit: He's really okay?
Our Boy: Yeah, I made him eat some of the Borscht I made for dinner tonight and then laid down with him until he fell asleep on me.
Jack feels such relief that he lets out a broken sound that's half-sigh and half-sob, he's glad he had snuck into the empty , before he takes a deep breath to collect himself right as his phone pings. There on his and Dennis' message thread is a picture of a blotchy faced Robby clinging to Dennis in what looks like a very tight grip.
And for the first time in all of the years that Jack has been with Robby he feels light and comforted because he knows, without a doubt in his mind, that there is someone else watching over Robby that he trusts with his whole life. And he feels almost giddy. and isn't that pathetic a 50-something man being giddy, about the fact that he gets to go home to his boys when his shift is over. He is of course under no delusion that the conversations they have once he gets home are going to be easy but he's content and filled with hope with the knowledge that he might get to have both his boys and a happy future.
Rabbit: Of course I love you. I need to get back to work and we will definitely be talking once i get home, all three of us, but in the meantime you mind taking care of our man?
Our Boy: Obviously not. Don't even worry and be careful at work.
Jack smiled at the messages and washed his face in the sink and got himself oriented before heading back into the chaos happening outside, and it seems like he was right on time because Lena looks like she might beat him bloody with the clipboard she's holding. He pauses at the threshold when his phone chimes again and he glances down.
Our Boy: See you at home!
By the way I love you too
Jack's grin is blinding when he puts his phone away and steps outside. "Move it, lover boy." Lena's dry tone snaps him out of his bliss as she slams a clipboard into his chest and points to the screen filled with patients waiting on him, reminding him of his responsibilities.
The grin doesn't leave his face the whole shift though
This is completely self-indulgent and I do think think I wrote them very OOC but I wanted to write a short fic where Dennis is the one picked and not the one cast aside like usual. Also be nice this is my first fanfic.
