You Can't Kill Weeds

--

jack hated mornings like this, it broke his heart to see robby so upset every time he had to take his collar off. they'd tried day collars before but robby didn't like wearing something metal around his neck on top of his Magen David necklace, so they'd had to settle on no collars at all at work.

but jack still wanted to find a solution, something that would keep his pup settled when he was at work and away from jack.

--

when jack arrived at ptmc to pick robby up, he saw him standing at the nurses' station with his hands on his stethoscope, tugging on it slightly to dig softly into the back of his neck. jack's eyes lit up with an idea.

--

it was a couple weeks later and jack and robby were coming to the end of a few shared days off. robby was curled up on the couch, his collar worn proudly on his neck as he laid his head in jack's lap.

"mikey?" jack asked softly, fingers scratching soothingly at robby's scalp.

"mmm?" robby hummed in response, enjoying the floaty headspace he'd gotten to indulge in over the past few days.

"i got a present for you, pup," jack said, "do you want to see it?"

robby perked up at that, sitting up so he could kneel next to jack on the couch. his eyes were big as he looked at jack and spoke, "present? f'me?"

jack smiled, reaching to scratch at robby's beard, "yeah, baby. all for you. think you can be a good boy and wait here while i go get it?"

robby nodded excitedly as jack stood up and went to retrieve it.

when jack walked back into the living room he found robby kneeling on a cushion at the foot of the couch, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"sweet boy, waiting so prettily for me, huh?" jack said as he sat down and ruffled robby's hair. "do you want to see what's in the bag, pup?"

robby moved to kneel in between jack's legs, "please?"

jack smiled and reached into the bag, he pulled out robby's stethoscope.

robby's brow furrowed in confusion when he saw it, how was this his present?

jack pet robby's hair softly as he spoke, "let me explain, okay, pup? i know how much you love wearing your collar," he said as he ran his fingers reverently across the leather adorning robby's throat, "but we can't have you wearing it at work. so, i had something special done to your stethoscope instead." jack held out the chest piece in front of robby.

robby leaned forward to take a closer look and, oh, the bell now read J.A. in the same script that was inscribed on the inside of his collar. robby didn't notice the tears welling in his eyes until he felt jack's thumb brushing them away.

"oh, puppy, do you like it?" jack cooed, hand still cupping robby's face.

robby nuzzled into jack's palm before whispering out, "thank you. love it."

"come here, mikey," jack said as he placed the stethoscope off to the side and pulled robby onto the couch with him. jack brushed robby's hair out of his face and kissed him softly, "now i'll always be with you, baby."

robby nuzzled into jack's neck, kissing at whatever skin he could reach, "love you, jack."