All of those excuses leave his mind the second the phone starts ringing. The empty beer bottles on the stand next to him stare at Robby as if judging. He shushes them as the phone keeps ringing.

"Robby?" Dennis says once the ringing stops. A smile spreads across Robby's face at the sound of his voice. It's stupid, how much he's missed Pittsburgh. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Robby says, "Just fine."

"Oh. Um, well, your plants are doing great! If that's why you were calling."

"Just calling to say hi." There's silence on the other end and Robby frowns. He wants Dennis to keep talking, tell him about his day. Then again, they don't call. Not really. They called once at the start of his sabbatical three weeks ago. That had been a video call because Dennis wanted to move his plants around. According to him, he had them set up all wrong and was burning some of his plants while depriving others of the proper light.

A video call actually would have been nicer. Then Robby could see Dennis' face.

"In that case," Dennis says, "Hi. How's the sabbatical?"

"Made it to Head-Smashed in," Robby sighs. He shifts on the bed so he can lean against the headboard. He left Canada a few days ago. Now he's somewhere in Washington in a shitty motel. "Didn't like the view."

"Really?" Dennis sounds like he's laughing or trying not to, "Are you still there or...?"

"Nah. Went to the beach. Found a couple of shells. Hey, Duke said you two started talking?"

"I wouldn't say anything like that. More like he kicks my ass on Words With Friends." Robby chuckles at that. When Duke first mentioned having started talking with Dennis, there had been an odd flair of something in Robby's chest. He ignored it and told Duke a lot of the same when the two met in the ER. Dennis was a good man.

"Right, right."

"Robby, are you." Dennis stops and chokes and Robby opens his eyes in worry. "Are you drunk?"

"Mm, nah. Think I'd need at least another beer."

"Ah. My mistake." Dennis sounds like he's smiling and Robby wishes he could see it. He pulls his phone away from his ear and turns on speaker mode as he glares at the phone. "Robby?"

"Hang on," Robby tells him, "I'm trying... Fuck." Robby stares at the buttons. He's sure he knows how to do this, but he's never liked his new phone.

"Everything okay?" Dennis sounds worried and Robby shushes him.

"I'm trying to... How do you a facetime?" Dennis snorts on the other end and Robby glares harder at the screen. How dare his phone not let him see Dennis' face?

There's a new banner across his screen. It's Dennis! But, he's still talking to Dennis.

"Click the notification, Robby," Dennis says. Robby hums and clicks it. It ends the call. Then, Dennis' face is on his screen. His boy is definitely smiling and his face looks a little flushed. He's bitting his bottom lip. It looks like he's in Robby's living room. "Hi."

"Hi." Robby sighs.

"You're not wearing your glasses. No wonder you couldn't figure it out."

"Oof. Low blow, Whitaker."

"Uh-huh." Dennis is shaking his head before he looks over the phone. Robby frowns and tilts his head as if it will give him view of what Dennis is looking at. Robby knows what's on the other side of his living room. Just his TV. He wonders if he interrupted Dennis' late-night binging. "Hey, you said no babies."

"I really hope that doesn't mean there's a baby in my house," Robby says. Not that he would actually be that mad. Jealous, maybe. It wasn't all Robby trying to make sure Dennis wasn't extending his empathy more than necessary.

"No," Dennis laughs and Robby smiles at the way his whole face lights up, "No. Um, Trinity wanted to know if there were more rules. She wants to have a game night? I don't know what her plan is."

"Yeah, that's fine," Robby says, "Just no babies."

"I promise there will be no babies during game night. Scouts honor."

"Were you a boy scout?"

"Nah. I think my dad was? Didn't get passed down to me or my brother's though."

They keep talking. Robby doesn't pay attention to the time, and Dennis never seems to get annoyed. It's nice. Robby had been trying to keep Dennis at arm's length. At the hospital, there's more than a little gossip about Robby's exploits. It's something he wanted to keep away from Dennis. Those rumors can ruin a person's career.

It doesn't mean Robby's ignoring how he feels about Dennis.

Their conversation lasts until Robby's answers start becoming hums more than real words. He can feel his hand lowering and opens his eyes to bring it back up. Dennis is watching him with a smile.

"You're tired," he says, "What time is it over there?" Robby hums and glances at the alarm clock hidden behind the beer bottles.

"Almost eleven." Robby says. His brain does sluggish math and he groans. "Which means it's almost two for you. Shit. I didn't mean to--"

"If I wanted to hang up, I would have told you," Dennis says. His voice is soft. Robby smiles.

"Still."

"I'm fine. You're closing your eyes again."

"Nooo, I'm not." Dennis laughs again.

"Goodnight, Doctor Robby."

Dennis would’ve reasoned that Abbot used Dr. Robby’s personal email, but Robby’s wide eyes guiltily snap to him, giving away his secret.

He manages to corner Robby about it and ask if he received every email. When it’s confirmed that he did, Dennis turns bright red, remembering the drunken one he sent talking through some very explicit ideas he had involving his boss.

But instead of firing him like Dennis expects, Robby lays a hand on his shoulder and asks, “Did you mean any of it?”

And Dennis throws caution to the wind and answers, “Every word.”

Robby smiles to himself, nodding while scratching the back of his neck. Eventually he works up the courage to say, “Well, I liked the idea you had in one email about us getting dinner together to get to know each other better. Would you still like to do that?”

Dennis immediately answers yes, and they schedule a date for immediately after their shift.

During their date, Robby shows him all his unsent drafts in response to each and every one of his emails. And Dennis makes him promise that anytime he sends an email in the future, he’ll send a response.

Robby agrees as long as Dennis promises to continue emailing him. Which he does.

Eventually, when Robby retires, they do officially deactivate his email account. But they’ve long since stopped using their work emails. Instead, they use their new Mr and Mister Robinavitch personal emails

John’s eyes, quite unfortunately, land on Dennis. His smile grows as he says, “Dennis?” He moves past the group to clap a hand on his shoulder, much like Robby would. “Hey, I thought we had a good time the other night, but you disappeared in the morning. Did I do something wrong?”

Dennis feels all the blood leave his face as he sees a look of realization and horror cross over Trinity’s features that spreads throughout the group, including Dr. Robby.

He's so screwed.

John glances over his shoulder to where Dennis is staring, and flushes as the same realization hits him. “Oh.” He looks between the two of them, and awkwardly says, “So, it was a you thing, not a me thing. Or a… him thing.”

“John,” Robby grunts, desperate to get him to stop talking.

“Sorry.”

Dennis doesn’t know what to do other than pass out on the spot, try to flee to the Canadian border, or hope for divine intervention to strike him down.

Robby beats him to a solution and carefully guides his brother away from him. “Let’s… catch up in the staff lounge.”

“Yes, please.” As they walk away, John tries to quietly add on, “Sorry for sleeping with your coworker. I feel like I ruined this family reunion.” But with the eerie silence of the place, the words travel, confirming what everyone already assumes.

Robby pats his shoulder. “Not a coworker. A student.”

Dennis wants to throw up as John groans, “Shit.”

The rest of the conversation is lost as they make their way to the staff lounge.

Everyone stares at Dennis.

“So,” Princess says, breaking the silence. “What was it like sleeping with the new and improved Dr. Robby?”

Dennis runs his hands over his face and turns away from the group, looking at him way too expectantly. “We are not discussing this. Ever. Or I’ll pay someone to do another cyber attack.”

As he walks off to whatever patient isn’t near the group, he overhears Princess explain, “That means it was unbelievable.”

The rest of the day, Dennis is given teasing remarks and learns, against his will, that John is also a doctor. But he’s from Chicago, where Dennis will hopefully never see him again. As for Dr. Robby… maybe Dennis can be switched to night shift.

He hardly runs into the man as the day goes on, but John does approach him when he’s leaving. He gives him a cute smile and a kiss on the cheek before whispering, “Good luck. If it doesn’t work out, let me know when you’re in Chicago.”

Dennis laughs half heartedly, watching the all too familiar brown eyes scan his face one last time before he leaves.

Trinity immediately makes her presence known, nudging him as she joins in watching the man leave. “Remind me to never doubt you again.”

“Will do.”

He turns around to go to the board and locks eyes with Robby, who looks half amused and half like he wants to crawl out of his skin. Dennis ducks his head as he passes him, ready to never confront what the man knows.

Robby takes the cue for the rest of the day, not bothering the man besides giving him a helping hand or well-deserved praise here and there. It dwindles after Dr. Robby comments, “Great work, Dr. Whitaker.” And Langdon makes the ill-advised joke, “Is that how Dr. Carter sounded the other night?”

He’s sent to triage for the rest of the shift.

Lucky for Dennis, that’s when all the other jokes start dying down, and he feels like he might actually be able to move past this.

That is, until the shift ends, and he finds Dr. Robby leaning against his locker, long after everyone from day shift has left. Dennis had stayed with a patient and thought that if he waited long enough, no one could corner him outside of work for details.

Apparently, he was wrong.

He shoots off a text to Trinity, letting her know that she shouldn’t wait for him. He figures that as much as he’d like this conversation to end after two sentences, it’s going to take much longer.

Dennis slowly approaches his locker, rocking on his heels when Robby doesn’t move. “You’re blocking my locker.”

“Sorry,” Robby says, shifting to the side but lingering.

He enters his combination with shaky hands, pulling on his jacket quickly, then throwing his backpack over his shoulder. He closes the door and mutters, “Bye,” before turning around and practically sprinting away.

He’s stopped by a hand on his shoulder and a singsonged, “Uh uh uh.”

Dennis huffs and turns to the older man. “Yes, I had sex with your brother without knowing you were half related. Yes, I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. Yes, it won’t happen again. And yes, I can be professional and put this past us.”

Robby shakes his head and chuckles. He claps a hand on his shoulder and guides Dennis out of the ER. “I think you’re getting a bit ahead of yourself, Whitaker.”

“I would like nothing more than for this to be a bad dream, but it isn’t. So, I’m trying to skip the worst part.”

“The worst part wasn’t sleeping with the younger version of me?” Robby asks as they make their way to the ambulance bay.

“God, no,” Dennis says a little too quickly. He flushes red and reaches up to tug at his stethoscope, which he realizes is no longer around his neck. “Uh, that’s not…” he clears his throat and tugs at his backpack strap instead. “What I mean is, I’d really like if we could put this past us as soon as possible.”

“I’m not sure we can.”

Dennis glances up at Robby, his stomach flipping as he practically begs, “Please, I really need this residency. I love PTMC, and I’d do anything-”

Robby holds up his hands, cutting him off. “No, that’s not what I meant. I just need you to be honest with me, and then we’ll be able to move past this.”

Dennis holds his breath as he waits for whatever Robby is hyping himself up to say.

The older man shakes his head as he stares at the ground, his hands coming up to settle on the back of his neck as he looks up at Dennis. “Is there a reason you slept with my brother?”

“Huh?” Dennis asks, the question not fully sinking in.

Robby stares at him, his hands clasping together as he repeats, “Is there a reason you slept with someone who looks nearly identical to me? I need you to answer this with full honesty, so I know how to proceed.”

Every part of Dennis screams at him to lie. To tell Robby that it was dark at the bar and entirely a coincidence. That he had too much to drink. That John mistook him for someone else, and he just didn’t say that he had the wrong guy. Instead, he answers, “Because I knew I’d never get a chance with you, and I took the opportunity when I found the next best thing.”

Robby’s eyes widen at Dennis’ honesty, and Dennis tries not to take it all back. After all, this is what Robby asked of him.

The longer Robby wordlessly stares at him, the more he overthinks his response.

He nearly admits defeat and leaves until Robby finally unfreezes and says, “John was right. You’re much bolder than I anticipated.”

Dennis blushes and glances down at his shoes.

“I can assure you the next best thing is better than the real thing,” Robby says quietly.

Dennis shakes his head and mutters, “I wouldn’t know.”

“Dennis…”

He glances up at Robby, seeing the conflicted look in his eyes. “How do we proceed from here?”

The older man lets out a deep breath and shrugs. “We put this past us, and we eventually forget that this day ever happened.”

Dennis nods, letting it sink in. He starts to take a step away when Robby adds, “Or…”

He can’t help but let his hopes rise as Robby takes a step closer to him. “We figure out if you prefer this version of me. The old and cynical one that has almost nothing to offer.”

“Robby, the only thing John offered to me was your face. You’re already everything I want you to be. Old and cynical, yes, but also too empathic for your own good, smarter than anyone I’ve ever met, and so frustratingly touchy I measure how well my shift went by the number of times you made contact with me. So, no, I’m not going to figure out if I prefer you over your damn half-brother when I already know he’ll never compare.”

Robby’s eyes crinkle as he stares down at him, looking so fond it almost hurts. “You done?”

“For now.”

“Good,” Robby says, ducking down and pulling him into a kiss that’s already one hundred times better than any kiss he's ever had.

He groans as Robby pulls him closer, gasping against his mouth when the man works a hand into his hair, tugging lightly. He uses the chance to deepen the kiss, and Dennis’ knees nearly buckle. When they eventually pull away for air, Robby pants against his cheek, “Better than John?”

“Better than anyone, but if you compare yourself to your brother one more time, I’m moving to night shift.”

Robby chuckles as he pulls Dennis against him, circling his arms around him as he presses a kiss against the top of his head. “Should we send him a thank-you card?”

“Probably.” Dennis sighs as he rests his head against his chest. “Any future family get-togethers are going to be so weird.”

“You should’ve thought about that before sleeping with him.” Dennis shoves at him, and Robby laughs while intertwining their hands. “Come on, let me take you out to dinner.”

“You're already one step ahead of him.”

“I thought we weren’t doing comparisons.”

Dennis squeezes his hand. “I couldn’t resist, but that's the last one.”

They make their way to Robby’s car, discussing restaurants in the area when Robby suddenly asks, “Do you have any brothers who look like you?”

Dennis lightly nudges him. “Please, don’t tell me you’re implying what I think you are.”

“Just wouldn’t want to make the same mistake,” he teases.

Dennis rolls his eyes and turns to him. “You think there’s a better version of me out there?”

“Absolutely not.” He gives him a quick kiss before they continue on their way. “Although I am curious about what an older, graying version of you would look like.”

“Robby," Dennis groans.

The older man chuckles. “Hopefully I’ll be able to find out.”

“You will,” Dennis promises, pressing a kiss against his hand.

"Luckily, between the Pitt and me, I'm sure you'll start graying early."

Dennis laughs and leans against his side. "I'd be okay with that."

Robby's phone dings, and he digs it out of his pocket. He pulls on his glasses, laughing when he reads the notification. "How does dinner at the Italian place down the road sound?"

"Sounds amazing."

"Great, we're meeting John there."

Dennis freezes in place. "You're not serious."

"I am," Robby says with a chuckle. "Let's show him how much you like this version of me, hm?"

"You're going to seriously give me a reason to start graying early."

"What'd I tell you?" Robby plants another kiss on his head as they approach his car.

Dinner is less awkward than Dennis expected, but he still imagines he grows a few grays when John also asks if he has any single brothers.

Afterward, before Robby can say anything, Dennis pulls him into a kiss and confirms, "I definitely prefer this version of you."

"Want to see if you prefer all of it?"

"God, yes."

Dennis is very happy to report that, as great as John Carter was, nothing will ever compare to Michael Robinavitch.