via

You snorted, remembering when you came home around 3am a few nights ago and Jack was coincidentally up despite having worked a day shift. 

The lights were on as he finished washing dishes in the kitchen, while you took off your shoes and hung your coat, scarf, and bag on the hooks by the door. When he turned around to greet you, his face went through a range of emotions, the last one making it look like he swallowed a frog.

"What?" You had asked, looking down at yourself self-consciously. Did you have a huge stain somewhere?

"You've got something...," he trailed off, pointing vaguely to his right cheek and then gesturing to yours. His lips were pressed into a firm line as he tried not to laugh, but the corner was quirked upward despite his efforts. You turned to the mirror that was hanging by the door, and your jaw dropped in horror as you realized that the keys from your keyboard were imprinted on your face after you fell asleep on them.

"No fucking way," you whispered, both in awe and horrified that you hadn't noticed until now. Jack was chuckling now, while you frantically rubbed at your cheek as if that would make it better.

"I know, you're right," you sighed, leaning forward to drop your head into his shoulder. You felt one of his hands cradle the back of your head, stroking your hair, while the other rested on the small of your back. "But there's no rest for the wicked, so I can't either."

You pulled away to be met with a frown, so you tried to compromise. "I'll leave early tonight and be home for dinner."

"I'm doing a double today," he reminded you.

"Then I'll bring you dinner, and we can hide in the lounge and eat together," this brought the smile back to his face, and you matched it. "See? I'm taking care of us now." Now you earned an eye roll from him, but the smile remained.

"Sure you are," he mused, "Okay, you can go make the world a better place now."

"You too."

Now, five hours later, you were regretting coming in. The stress of your workload was something you had been prepared for, but the stomach cramps that had been plaguing you since you woke up? They had only gotten worse as the day went, and were beginning to seriously impede your work. At first, you thought they were a sign of your upcoming period. Your cramps had always been on the more painful side, sometimes making it difficult for you to stand or even walk, but these felt different.

A knock on your door drew your attention away from the pain, and you mustered a smile as one of the interns stood there with a daunting stack of papers. Usually, you made an effort to learn the names of all the interns you hired during the fall semester through the co-op partnership, but with all the craziness going on you couldn't remember more than their faces and your impression of them.

From what you remembered this girl would be incredible in civil rights law, she just needed a little more confidence in herself to get there.

"Hi, sorry to bother you," she stood awkwardly at the door, struggling to balance the papers in her arms and you waved for her to come in.

"You're not a bother, I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't want to help you," you assured her as she cautiously approached your desk. You eyed the papers in her hand and reached out for them.

"Andrew told me to come to you with any questions had while filling out this application," she explained, "But the information he gave me for this family doesn't really make sense. For example, this form says they have a son, but I've met this woman and she only has two daughters. I think he mixed up two clients?"

Of course he did, you thought darkly. Andrew Sadoun was arguably one of the worst associates at the firm, and it was a miracle he still had a job. Actually, on second thought, it wasn't a miracle--it was nepotism. His father, Elias Sadoun, was one of the partners, and although that was a man you deeply respected, you had no idea how he could spawn such an imbecile for a son.  

"And on whose behalf are you filling this out for?"

"Miriam Arif," you nodded as you continued to skim through the papers, trying to figure out which client had their information mixed in with the Arif files. You had met Miriam and her two daughters when they first came in, and your stomach had twisted slightly when you saw Andrew was doing the intake, but you had faith that he wouldn't mess it up too badly. After all, he couldn't have been a complete idiot and get through law school, right?

"Come on," you said suddenly standing from your desk and gathering the papers, "You're right, good on you for catching this. Now, you get to watch me chew him out." The intern brightened at the compliment and you gave her a pat on the shoulder.

It didn't take long for you to find Andrew. You didn't bother to check his desk because you knew he spent most of his time doing anything but his job. Your first instinct was to check the lounge until you heard his laugh come from one of the conference rooms. You knocked loudly before opening the door, finding him alone and on the phone.

"I'm gonna have to call you back," he said to whoever was on the other end, and set his phone down on the table, "What's up?"

You narrowed your eyes, and tossed the papers onto the table in front of him. He picked up the first page, and looked up confused. "Why am I looking at the Arif application?"

"Oh, so you can read?" you asked, crossing your arms and tilting your head, "You see, I wasn't so sure once I started reading the application. Because none of the information you gave this intern is accurate. Your intake notes say she has a 5 year old son and has been married for 20 years to her husband who's still in Bolivia. Miriam Arif is widowed with two daughters and from Syria."

This made Andrew finally sit up in his seat and go through the papers with more vigor, as if he didn't want to believe you. He was muttering something to himself, as if he couldn't figure out where he went wrong, but you already knew why he went wrong. 

"You mixed up her information with Elysia Condori, the only other intake you've done on your own. This isn't the first time you've made a mistake like this, and I'm not putting up with it anymore. Your lack of discipline and organization makes a mockery of our practice. I might not be able to fire you, but you are never touching an immigration or civil rights case here again. I don't care what field you move into, but it won't be under me."

God, that felt good, was all you could think as you walked out of the conference room, the intern scrambling to keep up with you. You had been wanting to move Andrew out from under you for months, but as a favor to Elias you let him stay in this area of the practice. Sure, you'd have to deal with an upset Elias once he found out, but that was a problem for later.

"I want you to pull the Condori and Arif applications, and redo both of them even if Condori's is correct--I don't trust Andrew--and send them to me when you're done. If you have trouble finding any information because Andrew didn't take it down, ping me and I'll reach out to the families and get them to send over what we need. Think you can do that," your eyes snagged on the name tag on her shirt you hadn;t noticed earlier, "Fallon?"

"Yes! I'll get started now," she said with a smile, taking the papers back from you. 

Right as you handed them off to her, a sharp, burning pain blossomed across your abdomen. You stumbled, clutching at your side as you tried to breathe through it, but there was no use. Suddenly, it was all too much and you collapsed onto the ground, trying your best not to scream as it felt like something was eating away at your insides. 

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Fallon immediately dropped down beside you, but you couldn't answer her question. This time, the next thing out of your mouth was a scream as you finally curled into a ball, clutching at your stomach. "Someone call 911!"

Guess you'll be seeing Jack earlier than you thought.

"So I was thinking," Langdon began, hovering behind Jack. 

"Don't hurt yourself," Jack replied, not bothering to look up from the monitor. 

"Very funny," Langdon mused, "But anyways, I was thinking that--,"

"Incoming trauma, 2 minutes out," Princess announced, leaning over the counter. 

"What is it?"

"Female, late 20s, collapsed at her job from stomach pain. Don't know much else," and then she was gone, leaving just Jack and Langdon. Jack told Langdon he'd meet him in the ambulance bay, and pulled out his phone to send a quick text to you.

Let's get sushi, he wrote out quickly before sliding the phone into the pocket of his scrubs. Just as he was about to head to the ambulance bay, Langdon burst through the doors with the EMTs as they wheeled in the patient.

"What's open?" Langdon called out.

"Trauma 2, I'll be--," his jaw went slack when he saw your face on the stretcher, and watched as your unconscious body was wheeled into the room he just called out. "What's going on?" he demanded, ignoring all the other voices in the Pitt as he raced to you. Just as he was about to step over the threshold, he felt hands on him, forcefully pulling him back and forcing him to stay outside of the room.

"Listen to me," Dana spoke with such conviction that it pulled him out of his spiral and made him focus on her. "She passed out on en route from the pain, her coworkers said one moment she was fine and then she was on the ground screaming and holding her stomach."

His eyes widened to saucers and he tried to spin out of her grasp but she fought against it, keeping him planted just outside. 

"If you go in there, you are helping no one. Not her, not the doctors working on her, and definitely not yourself." They held each others gazes, and once Dana felt that he wouldn't charge in there, he let her go. "Do you want me to stand out here with you?" He nodded, and so she did. 

Occasionally, he'd ask her to look in for him and ask for an update, something he couldn't bring himself to do. If something went wrong in there, and he watched you die on that table, he would never forget that image in his mind. He already knew he wouldn't forget you being wheeled into the ER unconscious and vulnerable, while he stood and watched helplessly.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, Langdon came out of the room searching for him. Once he spotted him with Dana he walked over with a small smile on his face.

"She's gonna be okay," he said softly, and Jack finally took a breath, feeling like a weight had been physically lifted from his chest. "She's stable now, you can go in and see her." He looked back at Dana, and she nodded. 

Ignoring all the chaos around him, he made a beeline for you, positioning himself to be right beside your head. He wasted no time dropping to his knees to be eye level with you, brushing stray pieces of hair out of your face and resting his hand there. 

"Thank God you're okay," he whispered, pressing a kiss to your forehead and closing his eyes. You're okay, you're okay, you're okay, he chanted silently in his head, as if it would stop being true if he didn't believe in it. 

Around twenty minutes later, you woke up. You were disoriented at first, and barely remembered what had happened to you. When you saw Jack at your bedside, you immediately began to panic.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he reassured you, holding your hand tighter and leaning closer. 

"What happened?" your voice was gravelly, and without needing to ask he handed you a cup of water. 

"You brought in for acute abdominal pain from work, and passed out on the way here," he explained, "They were able to quickly stabilize you once you got here, and they ordered a few labs and imaging tests for you."

"Are they back yet? Do you know what's wrong with me?"

"You have a stomach ulcer, and it was made worse by the stress you're under and the NSAIDs you've been taking--,"

"NSAID?"

"Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin or ibuprofen. If you take too much, even though they inhibit inflammation, they also inhibit the chemicals that protect your stomach lining."

"Oh God, there's a hole in my stomach? Am I gonna need surgery? A feeding tube--"

"Take a breath," Jack interrupted, placing both hands on your shoulders, breathing in deeply and motioning for you to follow. "You're okay, it's not perforated, so no hole. It'll heal with treatment and they're gonna prescribe you some medication that'll help, I promise."

You let the information wash over you, leaning back in the bed as you tried to process it all. Jack continued to rub circles on the back of your hand, a motion you found comforting. You felt tears begin to well at your waterline, and though you tried to blink them away, a few escaped and began to stream down your cheeks.

"Hey, come here," Jack said softly, squeezing into the bed with you. He opened his arms for you, and you immediately buried your face in the crook of his neck, continuing to cry softly. He didn't say a word, and did exactly what you needed in this moment: for him to hold you, to be there for you, to soothe your fears.

"I'm sorry," you said when you stopped crying, still laying on him, "I'm sorry for scaring you, for not taking better care of myself. I've been so exhausted and stressed, and I keep telling myself I just have to make it to the end of the week and then I can take a break, but then we get more clients and I'm spread so thin I just...I'm just sorry."

He furrowed his brows and readjusted himself so he could look you in the eyes as he said this:

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I know how much you care about your clients, they're incredibly lucky to have you in their corner fighting for them. I want to be there for you, to take care of you. You're never a burden to me, you are the light of my life and I'd do anything to keep that fire going."

"You are so cheesy," you said, even though your eyes were watering at his words, so he knew you didn't truly mean it.

"For you, anything," he smile and kissed the top of your head. You nestled deeper into his arms as your stomach growled.

"Does this mean I can't eat dinner?" you asked, suddenly terrified you'd be on a nasty liquid diet.

"You can, but it's gonna be very boring. Nothing spicy, no sushi--we're gonna have to keep it plain for a few weeks." You let out a groan when another thought crossed your mind.

"So...how soon can I go back to work?" and now he groaned, running a hand down the side of his face, making you laugh.

"You really are gonna kill me."

-

In all his years of knowing Jack, this was a gesture that was almost unheard of from Abbot. He rarely went out of his way to consider people he barely knew like this, unless it was a praise for their efforts during the work day. Especially not for a resident he only knew in passing, and didn't get the chance to work with often.

"I had no idea you liked these too!" you exclaimed, happily ripping open the bag. Again, like most ER personnel, you never had the time to sit down and enjoy lunch. On a good day, you'd get to eat it while walking, but most days, it sat untouched in the fridge. This bag of chips was a holy grail in between your last meal and the next one, and it was one you greatly appreciated. "Thanks!"

"Well, the machine gave me two and I remembered seeing you with them other day," he lied, focusing intently on opening the bag. Robby watched curiously from his work station, staring intently at his old friend. Jack could feel Robby's eyes burning through him, and downright refused to make eye contact with Robby, knowing he'd see right through him.

In all honesty, he hated this chips. He thought they were one of the most awful things he had ever tasted, but he liked that it gave him an excuse to talk to you, and it was one he gladly took.

As his feelings towards you progress, these acts of affection become slightly more discrete.

II - He memorizes your schedule without meaning to.

After a staff shortage, Jack notices that you take more night shifts. He gets the chance to speak with you more one on one, instead of only knowing you by your medical skills. It felt natural for you, him, and Ellis to sit around at the central desk on a slow night chatting about your plans for the week while teasing Shen every now and then. While Jack didn't always pitch in to the conversation, he never missed an opportunity make fun of Shen. Besides, he liked listening to you speak, and learning more about your life outside of PTMC.

Before he knew it, he started to catch himself scanning the Pitt for you every time he came in, knowing that you would be on the same shift as him. After a few minutes, his eyes snagged on you hanging up your coat in your locker and shoving your backpack in there. You slammed it shut and turned around, making eye contact with him immediately. Your face brightened and you waved at him, and he felt something warm inside of him.

"You're here early," you commented, walking over to him. He shrugged, opening himself to face you more.

"Robby had to take off early, something about dealing with a burst pipe in his basement," he explained. You nodded as you turned your attention to the board of patients, making a mental note of the potential order you'd visit them in. "You've been doing more nights recently?"

"Yeah, I could use the extra money," you replied, peeling your eyes away from the board and turning to face him, "Besides, I hear this is where all the fun happens."

Jack let out a light laugh and agreed. The night shift did tend encounter more eccentric people, with even stranger cases.

But no matter how busy the shift got, he always made it a point to see you before he would head out, something that did not go unnoticed by his coworkers.

III - He lingers at the nurse station until your shift ends, pretending to catch up on charts or talk to other people coming in.

Collins had already called in saying she would be an hour late, and when she walked into The Pitt, the last thing she expected to see was Jack still seated at the nurse station. It wasn't busy in the slightest, and there were already plenty of people on-call to cover for her, but she knew for a fact that Jack wasn't one of them. 

It didn't take long for her to put away her things and jump in, heading straight to Dana to see what she could help with.

"What's Abbot still doing here?" She asked, looking past Dana's shoulder. He was looking at a chart, but to anyone paying attention, it was obvious that he was looking past it, not at it. Just as Dana opened her mouth to answer, you and Robby appeared. The two of you were loudly laughing over something, struggling to contain yourselves.

"You guys have gotta hear this," Robby said between laughs, dropping into his chair at his work station. You launched into a story about how a patient came in after having shoved their partners' phone up their butt, refusing to even admit they did so until it started ringing inside them. Just the thought of the memory made Robby burst out into laughter again, covering his mouth with his hands, but you kept going.

"And the reason why? He said his girlfriend was on her phone too much, and never paid attention to him!" This time, the entire group burst into laughter, Dana shamefully hiding her head behind her clipboard. 

You bid everyone goodbye now that you were finally ready to go home, heading towards your lockers. Collins was about to ask Abbot what made him stay when he stood up suddenly, typing a few things haphazardly into the computer before logging out.

"I'm gonna head out now that I've caught up on my charts," he explained, not waiting for anyone to respond. Collins watched him stroll over to the locker area, grabbing his backpack and then walking over to you. You were still tying your scarf around your neck, but didn't seem surprised by his presence.

The two of you walked off together towards the exit, you talking animatedly with your hands while the corners of Abbot's mouth ticked upwards.

"That's why Abbot is still here," Dana whispered into Heather's ear, the two of them watching the scene unfold before them. 

And yet, even though his feelings were becoming more noticeable to those around him, Jack seemed to still be in denial about it, despite his actions. But, you still infiltrated every part of his being without him realizing.

IV - He memorizes the names of your favorite patients. Even when they're not on his rotation.

You mentioned them in passing, talking about how Ms. Cruz always brought you baked treats whenever she came to PTMC, or how the kid in central reminded you of your younger brother. He internalized the statements, sometimes even swinging by their rooms to check on them himself when they weren't on his rotation.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Cruz? Any discomfort?" he asked, flipping through the ladies chart. Ms. Cruz worked at a nearby elementary school, and typically came in if something happened to one of her students or her children at home. However, today she was here for herself after having taken a nasty fall on a patch of black ice.

"Feeling much better, whatever Dr. L/N gave me is finally kicking in!" she exclaimed, "Where is she? I was hoping to see her before she left, I brought a pumpkin chocolate loaf for her."

"I can let her know to stop in before she leaves if you like," and Ms. Cruz nodded excitedly. The morphine really had kicked in for her.

"You guys are lucky to have someone like her, she's my favorite." Jack gave her a small smile and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we really are lucky to have her."

V - He keeps a note you scribbled on in his locker.

The memory was still fresh in his mind. He had gone up to the roof at the end of his shift, after having spent the past two hours coding a vet. Looking over the city skyline, he didn't hear the door open and slam shut behind him.

"Didn't take you to be a jumper," you admitted, leaning on the railing behind him, "But it would suck if you did. Especially right when my shift is supposed to be ending." 

He let out a light scoff, shaking his head as he looked down at his feet.

"Don't worry, my therapist wouldn't be too happy if I did that."

"They sound competent," and Jack nodded in agreement. A silence fell between the two of you, but it was comfortable. You didn't pressure him to talk, not until he was ready to. Although you had gotten the chance to work more closely with him over the past few months, you didn't know much about his background. However, you knew he had been in the military, so that vet must have hit close to home for him.

"Sometimes, I wonder why I keep coming back," you said suddenly, your words slicing through the silence. "But I know the answer: it's in my blood. I'm hardwired for it, even when there are days that I wish I wasn't. For some strange reason, I think I find comfort in the chaos of it all." You paused, turning to look at him. "I think you do too."

"I've been told I find comfort in the darkness," he admitted, finally turning to face you. Your faces were inches apart, and all it would take is one step to close the distance. His eyes dropped down to your lips, memorizing the curve of your mouth and wondering what it would feel like pressed against his, before trailing back up to your eyes.

"When you're in the darkness for too long, it's easy to get lost in it. Maybe it's time you found comfort in something else. Maybe, you should start looking for the light," you held his gaze, staring at him with the same intensity he always did you. 

Somehow, you gathered enough willpower to look away from him, pushing yourself off the railing and stepping back. Jack cleared his throat, shaking his head before climbing underneath and joining you on the other side.

"Maybe you're right," he said, and started back towards the door with you walking beside him. It was in this moment he realized how he felt about you. 

You were the light in the dark, the thing that slowly but surely led him out.

VI - He looks for you first in every trauma, as there's no one else he'd prefer as his right hand, and he sees you as the smartest one there.

When the mass shooting occurred at Pitt Fest, Robby called a team meeting. Jack had just come in. Even though it was his day off, he had heard about what happened on the police scanner, and was already on his way over when they called him in. Robby was assigning roles as Jack scanned the surroundings looking for you, wondering where you could be.

"Y/N, where are you?" Robby asked aloud, while Jack had been wondering that ever since he stepped through those double doors. Right at that moment you appeared, lightly panting as if you had run all the way here.

"Sorry! Dr. Garcia told me I could assist in a surgery and I--,"

"That's okay," Robby assured you, putting his hands out as if urging you to take a breath, "You are here with me and Dr. Abbot."

At the mention of Jack's name, you instinctively started to look for him. It didn't take long for your eyes to meet, and he gave you a curt nod. In all honesty, he was hoping that you would be assigned to the same section as him, but he knew he didn't need to hope. He was certain you would be.

Even before he knew you well, he had heard whispers about the powerhouse third year that works the day shift from Ellis and Shen. Walsh had even spoke praises about you during a shift the two of your shared, talking about how you were a machine that never hesitated and moved with a certainty that most people didn't exude until they became attendings.

So, of course, Robby would put you in the most critical area. It was well known that you could hold your own, and then some. When Robby finished with directions, the group broke apart. You headed straight for Jack, walking with him as he went to set his bag down.

"Ready?" he asked. You nodded, leaning against the other lockers beside his.

"Do you think we'll get swamped?" Jack shrugged, heading back towards the nurse station to help them prepare supplies and beds for the incoming traumas.

"We'll make do, we always do."

And it was that kind of steadiness and self-assuredness that made your heart grow two sizes, happy to work alongside someone like him.

VII - He lets you cry, holding you as he mutters reassurances and once you ask for silence he remains, a strong, steady force anchoring you to the surface.

You had spent the past three hours coding an 8-year-old girl who had accidentally been shot while playing with a gun her and her younger brother found in the attic. She had been hit twice, one of the bullets going clean through her liver, and the other lodging itself in her shoulder.

By the time you had called it, you had run through every single option possible, but no amount of blood transfusions or other interventions would save this girl. She had been lost the minute she arrived at the Pitt, but you refused to give up on her. What some doctors may have seen as a lost cause, you put your all into it.

"Time of death," you began, finally stepping away from the table she was lying on, "23:16."

You took off your gloves and untied your blood stained gown, dumping them in the bin beside the door before racing out of the room. You went into the bathroom, quickly washing your hands and bracing yourself against the sink. Someone needed to tell her parents, and that someone was you.

When you emerged, you asked for them family to be brought to a private room. You stood outside the door for a few moments before heading in, taking deep breaths before finally going in. The couple was sitting in the chairs silently, tightly grasping one another's hands. Her brother was in a different room playing with Kiara, while you broke the news to the parents. You apologized deeply, expressing how sorry you were for their loss and that you couldn't save her, and they fell apart. You offered them as much support as possible before stepping out to give them space.

"You okay?" Ellis asked, noticing the shuddered breath you just took. You nodded, trying to ignore the lump forming in the back of your throat and the burning in your eyes.

"I just," you hiccuped, "I need a second." 

You didn't wait for her to respond as you left, going for the stairwell at the far side of the Pitt. Taking the steps two at a time, you went all the way to the top landing just before the restricted access door of the roof. You tried opening the door, but for once it was locked.

As you fought against the doorknob, you felt the frustration you felt over this small inconvenience turn into the frustration you felt at yourself for not being able to save that poor girl. That kind of guilt is something her parents would carry for the rest of their lives, that her brother would carry.

Oh God, her brother. He was only three, too young to really understand how permanent death was. But not too young to feel like it was his fault. 

The sobs wracked through your body, your shoulders shaking violently when you felt someone place a hand on one of your shoulder blades.

"Hey," Jack said gently, and finally you gave up the struggle with the door. You turned to face him, opening your mouth to try and talk about it but the words died in your throat. Regardless, he understood. He opened his arms, letting you collapse into them as you bawled, your tears soaking through the front of his scrubs.

He murmured reassurances in your ear, telling you that you were still capable, that this didn't make you any less of a doctor.

"You fought harder than most doctors would have to save her," he said, "It's not your fault."

His words did little to stifle the guilt you felt, but still, you let the words wash over you. It wasn't for another twenty minutes that you stopped crying, but Jack stood there with you the entire time, one arm wrapped tightly around your waist and the other cupping the back of your head.

And somehow, despite it feeling like everything was going wrong, he felt right. He felt safe. And most importantly, he felt like home.

VIII - And then he says it.

Neither of you talked about what happened in the stairwell afterwards, but there seemed to be a subtle shift in your dynamic, as if you were both aware of one another in a new way. After a particularly grueling shift, you accepted Mateo's invite to drink in the park with a few others once you got off. 

You ended up coming late, and everyone had already cracked open a beer and were immersed in conversation. Donnie tossed one over that you struggled to catch, but you managed to stop it from hitting the ground. You popped open the tab and took a sip, ignoring the bitter taste coating your tongue.

"We should start mixing up the drinks," you announced to the group, staring at the can in your hand with a frown, "What if we start bringing in cider?"

"I second that," Princess said, raising her beer can in solidarity. A few others chimed in agreement, and Donnie rolled his eyes.

"Beer is timeless, Y/N," Robby chided, "Besides, you don't even pay for it."

You opened and closed your mouth, realizing the truth of his statement. He laughed at your expression, with a few others joining in. You threw a hand up in defeat before walking over to the benches, sitting on the other side of Jack. He had been quietly sipping his beer, contemplating something in his head.

You nudged his knee with yours, getting him to look over at you. You raised your eyebrows in question, asking if he was okay silently. He nodded and continued to sip, staring at the ground between his feet.

He didn't speak much for the rest of the night, laughing every now and then and tossing out a snide comment. You were engaged in conversation the entire time, despite how exhausted you were. Slowly, people started to head out, until finally, it was just you and Jack left on the bench.

You had finished your beer a long time ago, setting the empty can on the arm of the bench. Jack was silent still, in a way that started to make you nervous. Before you could ask him again if everything was alright, he spoke.

"When I first met you, I was in a dark place, and in denial about it. Then you came along, like this big ball of energy, somehow always on and ready to go for every shift you came to. Even in your third year, you haven't lost that spark for working in the ER. This specialty can beat you down in ways that are hard to come back from, but you don't let it. You're like a force to be reckoned with, and I deeply admire that about you."

"You are one of the most competitive, hard-working, and smartest woman I have ever met. The Pitt is lucky to have you, and I'm lucky to know you. I've worked in trauma for the better part of my life, and I've seen things I'm still learning how to come back from. I've never been an optimist, but I don't need to be. I am steady, I am sure, and I am certain. It makes me good at my job, and it makes me a better friend. But for once in my life, I've started to hope. I hope to be a man deserving of your love, of your kindness, and of your time."

Jack looked up at you now, and noticed the silver in your waterline that you hastily wiped away. He continued.

"I'm in love with you, Y/N, I have been for awhile now, and I'll love you for as long you'll let me."

The words hung in the air, neither of you speaking in the silence. His heart was pounding in his ears as Jack stared at you, the most vulnerable he had been to someone else in a long time now. Just as he was starting to wonder if this was going to end in rejection, you reached for his hand, clasping it tightly.

"I'd like that," you said quietly, reaching with your other hand to cup the side of his face. You moved in closer, inching until your lips were only a breath apart. Finally, you moved to close the gap, your lips moving in tandem as he deepened the kiss. You felt his hands circle your waist, bringing you closer to him, one trailing up your back and cupping the back of your neck. You were the first to pull away, resting your forehead against his, whispering the words back to him, "I love you too."

He smiled, pressing a kiss to the corner of your mouth before pulling you into a hug, happy to finally have the weight of that secret off his chest. And in this moment, with you in his arms, Jack Abbot smiled to himself. He remembered that moments like this was what it was all about. You were the light in the dark for him, and it was more than enough to keep him going.

-

So the first time he caged you between his arms against the wall, his breaths hard and heavy, you could've sworn your heart dropped into your stomach. Your legs turned into jelly, and if it wasn't for the wall's support, you absolutely would've slid to the ground.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

One last chance to say no, to save yourself from the rollercoaster seeing him would be.

"Yes," you said quietly, but not weakly. There was a beat, where the weight of your words hung in the air for the two of for the two of you to contend with.

And then his lips were on yours, and it felt like God himself was smiling down on you. Like the universe was finally rewarding you after every heartbreak, every sleepless night, every time you've ever felt unwanted. His hands found purchase in your hair, one sliding down to your waist and gripping it, pulling you closer to him in the process.

Your hands traveled up his neck, feeling the stubble on his jaws and cheek scrape against them as they cupped the sides of his face, bringing him impossibly closer to you. Your lips moved in sync, a dance that only you two knew, a rhythm that was in your blood. He pulled away slightly, staring at you through lidded eyes before dipping his head and sucking on your neck, biting that sweet spot just below your ear.

An involuntary moan slipped out before you could stop it, a sound that startled and embarrassed you, but seemed to only encourage Jack. He pressed his knee in-between your legs, spreading them apart so he could slot himself in between, his thigh pressing into your crotch.

"You like that?" He whispered, his voice low in your ear as you gripped his biceps, nails digging into them from the pressure. You nodded, your hips jerking and grinding down against his thigh. "Use your words for me."

"Keep going, please," the words tumbled out, leaving you breathless. Your hands went to the hem of his scrub top, fiddling with the hem before pulling it off him. He threw it somewhere behind him, not caring where it went.

For the first time since you've met him, you were seeing Jack come undone. He was finally losing that composure that he worked so hard to keep during all his shifts with you, finally letting you see the hold you've had on him for months now.

His hands dropped to the backs of your thighs before he whispered another command.

"Jump.

You jumped, wrapping your legs around his waist and arms around his neck. He walked backwards and turned, heading into deeper into your apartment about to cross a boundary he hadn't since meeting you.

"First door on the left," you directed him, before attacking his neck again in the same way he did you. You kissed up to his jaw before capturing his mouth into a kiss again.

The door creaked open distantly, and Jack walked you to the bed before gently lowering you onto the mattress, never breaking the kiss. His entire body moved to cover yours, his crotch grinding down against in yours in a way that made the both of you moan. You felt him undo the button to the long sleeve you were in, as you already changed out of your scrubs before leaving PTMC.

He leaned back, giving you the space to sit up and pull your shirt over your head. When you could see again, he was staring at you with a look in his eyes that you couldn't place. If it were anyone else, you would've felt self-conscious, but for some reason, with him you didn't. He reached out, brushing the strap on your shoulder and tracing down to your forearm, before looking back at you.

"Are you sure?" He asked again. Another chance, another way out. You answered by climbing into his lap, grinding down on him and kissing him deeply, your breaths becoming one. He leaned until his back hit the mattress, keeping you securely on top of him. You felt his arms go around you, his hands fiddling with the clasp of your bra until it finally snapped free and you shrugged it off. You dropped to the left, rolling him back on top of you while staying connected through a kiss.

He began to kiss down your chest, kissing over the swell of your breast and swirling your nipple in his mouth. A shudder ran through you at the contact, your back arching off the mattress slightly and he pulled you closer to him, giving each one equal attention. He continued his trail of kisses down your stomach, stopping just before the button of your jeans.

You made quick work of undoing the button and zipper, letting Jack slide both your pants and underwear off you, finally leaving you bare in front of him. He kissed down your inner thigh all the way to your folds, and you felt him rub against them with his hand.

"Already so wet for me," he mused, before sliding one, then two in, pumping slowly. You could feel his eyes on you the entire time, as if daring you to break eye contact first. Finally, he lowered himself to your clit, sucking and swirling as he worked his fingers in and out, the combination driving you over the edge. A coil began to tighten around your lower stomach, and as he quickened his pace and moved with brutal efficiency, you felt it snap and burst and a wave of ecstasy washed over you. He held you the entire way through, one hand wrapped around your thigh anchoring you to the bed.

When you finally came back down and stopped trembling, he rose from his knees and hovered over you again, a soft smile on his face. You reached out to touch his face, your thumb running over his lips as he lowered himself to you again, tasting yourself on his lips. You pulled away, leaning your forehead against his and breathing heavily as you undid the knot of his scrubs, helping him slide them off. He was in briefs, his bulge evident and throbbing as you cupped him them. He let out a low groan as one of your fingers hooked under the hem of the underwear, tugging at it slightly.

"I want it off," you said, and Jack obeyed. He stood, sliding down the briefs and his erection sprung free. He was hard already, precum beading at top and dripping down the side. You rose to your knees to meet him halfway, pulling him into a kiss as you wrapped your hand around him and pumped slowly.

He let out a breathy moan, one that went straight to your core. He was the first to pull away this time, leaning his forehead against yours as the two of you watched you work him slowly. When you moved to lower yourself he stopped, gripping onto your elbows.

"No?" You questioned, and he shook his head. He helped you back up before pushing you gently onto the bed again, moving to cover you with himself again.

"I'm all about you tonight," he said, positioning himself at your entrance. You felt the head prod against you, and you could've sworn you felt a shock. "Ready?"

"Yes."

He kissed you, this time sweet and soft in a way you would have never expected from him. When he finally sunk in you tensed, and he murmured encouraging words into your ear, telling you to relax and that he'd move slow. You listened, letting your body become more pliable as you moved with him, your bodies becoming one. After a few thrusts, he began to pick up the pace, lifting your thigh at an angle so he could get in deeper. When he started to hit that spot that always pushed you over the edge you gasped, throwing your arms around his neck pulling him down to you, your nails digging into his back.

"That's it, that's my girl," he said, continuing his brutal pace, "You're doing so good for me."

It was all too much, every feeling was overwhelming. You wanted more, you wanted all of him, you couldn't get enough. The coil began to tighten again, and this time when it snapped, you didn't hold back in the slightest. You muffled your cries with his shoulder, biting into it as you rode the wave of your second orgasm. His pace quickened until it peaked, his whole body shaking as you felt him reach his peak as well. When he came back down, his thrusts were sloppy until he finally pulled out.

He collapsed on the other side of you, both of you panting and not saying a word. You knew he'd be good, but you didn't expect it to be that good.

And that was the night that started it all, this push and pull between the two of you. Both of you had agreed to keep it private it from the rest of your coworkers, not wanting to be the newest piece of gossip that entertains them during the rare moments of peace in their shift. If Princess and Perlah caught a whiff of this, it'd be over.

"You're in a good mood today," Robby noted as you came out of a patients room after finishing your rounds.

"They finally fixed the leak in my apartment, today is a great day," you explained, giving him a half-truth. That leak was very annoying, and the drip-drip-drip sound was beginning to keep you up at night. Or at least it kept you up when Jack wasn't.

"Repairs always put a smile on my face too," he mused, "But never one that big."

He was gone before you could say anything, and you knitted your eyebrows in confusion. Everyone else behaved normally that day, except for Collins and Mohan, who eyed you a little suspiciously when the three of you had lunch in the lounge later that day. It wasn't until you overheard Princess and Perlah whispering behind you when you were doing a restock of supplies. When you turned to face them, they both stopped and simply smiled, waved, and disappeared immediately.

You got your answers when you cornered Whitaker on his way to make rounds.

"What do you know?"

"What?" He asked, looking more skittish than usual. His eyes scanned the surroundings, as if he was looking for an excuse to get out of this conversation. You blocked his path with your body, smiling in a way that was downright terrifying to him.

"Let me rephrase: what's everyone whispering about?"

He caved almost immediately.

"We're betting on you and Abbot," he rushed out. Your jaw dropped and you backed away, allowing him to take off before you could ask more questions.

How did anyone start to suspect? You wondered. It's not like the two of you were constantly together on shift. Hell, you rarely saw each other shift unless it was to congregate in a small group to chat before everything fell into chaos again. Your dynamic hadn't changed either: he was just as reserved with you as he was everyone else.

One time, you laughed at a joke he made along with everyone else, and out of reflex you touched his arm. As if you were a blazing fire, he immediately withdrew from you, clearing his throat and declaring that he needed to go catch up on charts. At the time, only Dana seemed to notice the way you retreated into yourself afterwards, and that you became slightly more withdrawn for the rest of the shift.

That incident led to another conversation between you and Jack, where you tried to force him to admit his feelings for you. Instead of admitting anything, he drew a boundary: that this needed to be casual, that you couldn't expect anything else from him. You were a bit taken aback at the time, but you didn't blame him. You had only been seeing each other for about three weeks at that point.

But now, it's been almost two months, and the lines are beginning to blur for you. He had slept over this morning, and was still in your bed when you left for the day shift. By now, he was probably awake and in your kitchen making breakfast.

Not very casual of you, you thought, walking back to the board to find a patient.

The breaking point for you didn't come for another week, when you were having an exceptionally terrible shift. You were a good doctor, in fact, you believed you would be great. But, having three patients code on you back to back is enough to make anyone feel like shit, especially when one of them was a long-time patient who you had known for a little over a year at this point.

You sat on the roof, legs dangling off the edge as you stared down at the busy street below. The cars whizzed by, but the pedestrians walked leisurely. It was nice to remind yourself that there was something out there, outside of PTMC, that made it all worth it. But recently, you had been struggling to remember what that thing is. It was hard for you to leave work at the door when you got home when it seemed to be your entire life. Truthfully, there was nothing for you outside of PTMC. All your friends were there.

Was that sad? Maybe. But you had never really minded that until right now, when you wanted nothing more than to take your mind off this shitty night.

"You're in my spot," a voice said from behind you, and your blood ran cold. He was the last person you wanted to speak to right now, especially not in this state.

"Go away," you grumbled, not turning to face him. His footsteps got closer, and you didn't have to look to know that his hands were in his pockets and he had a wide stance. Typical Jack.

"Well, I don't think I can do that. Not when you're half off the ledge. I'd be breaking my oath if I left you right now."

You rolled your eyes, but nonetheless, you got up to your feet, using the railing for support. You turned to face him, an irritated look on your face.

"Happy?"

"Ecstatic." The two of you stood there for a while, the railing separating you, daring the other to be the first to break the silence.

"Ellis said you were up here, tough shift for you," he explained, even though you didn't ask.

"Nice of her to notice," you mused. He chuckled, shifting his weight between both legs.

"It wasn't your—,"

"Fault? I know it wasn't, but it still feels that way. Besides, I don't want to talk about it."

Not with you, you added silently in your head.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing, I want you to go back inside and let me have my roof-time. Alone." He feigned being hurt, but he didn't move. Just stared at you in the intense way he always does.

You didn't look away.

"I'm sorry, have I upset you? If I did, I'm—,"

"What do you think?" He genuinely looked puzzled, and you sighed. Men, they never learn, do they? "What the hell are we doing here?"

"I'm lost," he deadpanned, and you let out an exasperated sigh.

"With us! What is going on? One day, you can't get enough of me and you look at me like I've hung the moon and stars. The next, you act like I killed your cat and made you watch. I can't keep bouncing between these two extremes, it's too confusing." Especially not when the two of you are laying in bed, not even having done anything, but he's holding you so tight it's as if he's scared you're gonna disappear the minute he let's go.

"Y/N," he began, getting that look of pity in his eyes that you've always hated. Like he's realizing for the first time in his life that his actions have consequences, and now he has to take responsibility for them, "I'm sorry. I can't, you know I can't."

He reached for you but you backed away from his touch, narrowing your eyes at him.

"I don't know anything, Jack, because you don't tell me anything. You hold me, and everyone else, at an arm's length. You never let me in. You don't let anyone in. I guess this is my fault, right? You told me casual, and I said yes, and then I was stupid enough to fall for you," you spat, each word making you angrier and angrier.

"You're not stupid," he insisted, stepping closer but careful not to let his arm brush yours as he gripped the railing, "I've never felt this way about someone before. Never."

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with that? Know that you think I'm good enough to fuck, but not date? Thanks, but no thanks."

"I'm not saying that--,"

"Then what are you saying?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it, scared of himself saying words he knew he wouldn't be able to take back. You scoffed, shaking your head and cursing under your breath.

"I don't want to do this anymore," you said finally, swinging yourself under the railing and popping out on the other side, "I hope you're happy."

You rarely spoke or saw Jack for the next couple of weeks, strategically signing up for shifts that had minimal overlap with him. If anyone noticed, no one outright said anything to you, but you wouldn't expect them to. On the bright side, there seemed to be a lot less whispering going on whenever you happened to be alone.

So much for that bet, huh?

In all honesty, you had been sad at first. Sad was generous--you were a wreck in the beginning. But you were certain to not ever let it show at work. Once you got to PTMC, you left your baggage at the door, just like everyone else. You were your same bubbly self, making the same jokes and jabs with McKay and Mohan as if it were any other day. You even still went to the park afterwards, only sometimes drinking a beer to let off steam. Jack would be there as well, watching you with an intensity you refused to acknowledge. Still, you didn't change your behavior towards him, treating him with the indifference you'd treat any other colleague.

Because that's what you were now: colleagues. Not even friends, because your friends would never treat you the way he did.

"Hey, instead of the park some of us were thinking of going to a dive bar after, you in?" Mateo asked, falling into step beside you as you both headed to triage.

"Who's coming?"

"The usual, some people on the night shift took the day off today so they might make an appearance. Ellis, Shen, Abbot--Walsh is a hit or miss though." Your heart stuttered at the mention of Jack's name, but you kept your composure.

"Sounds good, I might be a little late though I have to go home first." Mateo smiled and nodded just as you pushed through the double doors, immediately greeted by the chaos of an ER waiting room. You both called out the names of different patients, ushering them inside efficiently before letting the doors shut behind you.

"I'm surprised he's coming," Samira said, cracking open a cider and sitting on your couch as you finished getting ready. You decided to take a quick shower after your shift once someone threw up you--twice. You passed by your vanity and paused, considering putting some light makeup on. Then you remembered you had no way of taking it off as you ran out of makeup wipes earlier that day, and had no way of taking it off when you came back.

"Who's coming? Whitaker?" Samira laughed, sipping at her cider before continuing.

"You know who I'm talking about, Abbot's coming." Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why would that be weird? Doesn't he always?"

"Definitely not on his day off, when he could be resting or doing whatever it is he does in his free time." You shrugged, opening your fridge to grab a cider for yourself.

"Well, it's not like I care. Or I guess I can't let myself care. He couldn't be what I needed him to, and I can't wait around hoping that one day he'll wake up and be the person I believe he is. I'm too accomplished to wait around on a guy like that," you popped the tab before adding, "You and I both are."

Samira cheered to that and you both took large swigs of the can. You squeezed your eyes shut and made a face, forgetting how tart the citrus flavor usually was. You spent the rest of your two-person pregame debriefing about work and fun cases you got, and also set a deadline for the two of you to start booking flights for Montreal--the vacation you guys were supposed to take two months ago.

Once you guys finished one can, you started the short walk to Ray's. Your apartment was much closer than Mohan's, which is why the two of you decided to meet up first and head over together. It was a Wednesday night, so it was mostly empty. There were a few random strangers playing pool in the corner, one of them catching your eye and lingering for a little too long.

"There they are!" Samira pointed to what you recognized to be the back of Mateo's head, leading the two of you over there. McKay was the first to notice you two, sliding over to make space for you on her side of the booth. On the other side of her sat Collins, Whitaker, and Santos. Across from you was Samira, followed by Mateo, Javadi, Robby, and Jack. You nodded hello at them all, careful not to linger on Jack for too long.

"So, what are we drinking?" you asked, pretending to skim the menu even though you ordered the same thing every time.

"Let's do a round of Bold Rock," Jack answered, putting his menu down and looking straight at you, "First round's on me." The weight of his stare did something funny to your throat, a reaction you weren't expecting to have.

"You know me so well," you teased, playing it cool and refusing to be anything but levelheaded. Samira glanced at you, gauging your reaction, but you just smiled before turning and jumping into conversation. The nine of you ended up getting three rounds, with Collins being the voice of reason to talk you guys out of a fourth round. You pouted, but knew it was for the best: nothing was worse than working a day shift hungover.

About two hours later, everyone remaining was ready to leave. Javadi, Whitaker, Samira, and Santos all left slightly earlier, claiming that they needed to catch the next train or else they'd have to walk. You slid out of the booth and headed towards the bathroom, proud of yourself for not peeing every other minute considering how much you drank. You splashed a bit of water on your face, hoping to wake and sober you up.

When you stepped out of the bathroom, you bumped into a hard mass. The stranger apologized, and when you looked up, you realized it was the guy from the pool table.

"I was hoping I'd run into you tonight," he mused, leaning against the wall and flashing you a dimpled smile. He was cute: the shirt he was wearing hugged his chest and biceps in a very flattering way, his hair curled and styled strategically to frame his face. But still, you didn't want him.

"Thanks, but no thanks," you replied, moving to step around him. He blocked your path with his body, boxing you in between him and the wall.

"Come on, that's no way to treat a friendly stranger, is it?" The politeness drained out of your body, not wanting to let him waste another second of your time.

"Move or I scream," you said flatly. You had done it a million times before, and you weren't afraid to keep doing it.

"What?" he asked, mildly amused by your antics. Before he had the chance to say anything sleazy, you opened your mouth and let out a shrill shriek, one that had him jumping back with his hands up as if to prove his innocence. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I should be asking you that," you shoved past him, leaving the bathroom hallway to return to the main room of the bar. As you reached for the door, it swung open, revealing a panicked Jack, with the others close on his tail.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his breath beginning to even out now that he saw you in one piece.

"Peachy," you replied, stepping around him. He turned and followed you out, puzzled by your calm demeanor.

"Was that you screaming? What happened?" McKay asked immediately, Robby and Mateo flanking her on both sides. You shrugged, walking back to the booth to grab your purse and jacket.

"Nothing, just some asshole. They never seem to believe me when I say I'll scream," you laughed to yourself, reminiscing on all the times you had gone out with friends in college and came up with more and more absurd ways to get guys to stop flirting with you. "Seriously, I'm fine. But I'm getting tired now, so can we go please?"

Together, the group headed out of Ray's. Quickly, you all branched off, all of you living in different parts of Pittsburgh. Notably, Jack seemed to linger until it was just the two of you left.

"What are you doing?" you asked, knowing how this story went. How it seemed to always go.

"I'll walk you," he decided, starting in the direction of your apartment. It was easier to just follow him than waste your time arguing.

The walk back was silent, neither of you eager to be the first to speak. It was a comfortable silence, one that felt too familiar. You glanced over at Jack, but his eyes were trained on the sky as he looked deep in thought. When you rounded the corner and pulled up on your block, you half-expected his steps to slow, for him to watch from a distance as you entered the building.

But no, and just like he used to, he walked you all the way to the door.

"Can we talk?" he asked suddenly as you began to enter the gate code. Your hand dropped, not pressing the final key, and you turned to face him.

"Sure, let's talk." He looked past you, eyeing the door, then back at you.

"Do you want to go inside?"

"Nope, I'm good right here."

You needed to stand your ground. Besides, coming into your apartment was something you let friends do. Samira was a friend. McKay was a friend. Hell, even if Robby was a friend. But Jack lost that privilege.

He blew out a breath, taking his hands out of his pockets and looking up at you. In the entire time you've known him, this was the most vulnerable you've ever seen him look.

"I was scared of you," he admitted, "You were this brilliant, beautiful, bright thing in my life, and I felt like I didn't deserve you. You knew what you wanted and went for it, and I admired that about you. I still do. When we had that first conversation about what we were, I was in denial. I told myself that if we kept it casual, I wouldn't be at risk."

"At risk of what?"

"Losing you."

"Funny how that worked out," you mumbled grudgingly, still not entirely sure where he was going with this. Jack laughed quietly, looking down at his shoes, then back up at you with something shining in his eyes.

"Even now, you still don't falter. You are the strongest woman I have ever met, Y/N. You are also one of the smartest doctors I have ever worked beside, and you never failed to blow me away with every shift we worked together. "

Your breathing turned shallow, and you stood frozen on the doorstep. Jack took a few steps towards, stopping just before the first step.

"You scare me because I want to love you, and I don't know how. I have no idea how to be the man you want me to be, the one you deserve, the one you expect. I thought it was easier to give up altogether, but I was wrong, and I am so, deeply sorry for that Y/N. This past month without you made me realize how engrained in my life you were. I missed your texts, the way you'd always try new recipes that would fail and we'd have to order something for dinner, and how no matter what, you always showed up for the people depending on you. I think the world of you, Y/N, I really do. And I love you. I loved you during that first conversation, but just didn't know it. I loved you when I walked away from you on the roof, and I was scared of it. And I have loved and missed you every second since."

He paused briefly, searching your eyes for an answer. If it wasn't for the fact that you could hear your heart loudly thumping in your ears right now, you would've thought you'd died and gone to heaven.

"I want to be that man for you, Y/N, if you'll let me."

A moment passed, and then another, and another. You opened your mouth to speak, but the words died in your throat before you could get any out. So, you went for the next best thing.

You grabbed him by the collar and crashed your lips against his, one of your hands moving to the side of his neck and the other cradling his jaw. His hands snaked around your waist, somehow pulling you even closer. You were the one to pull away, resting your forehead against his.

"Yes," you answered, a little breathlessly at that. The corners of his mouth lifted, his hand going under your chin and tilting your head up so that he could look at you.

"Yes?" he repeated, still reeling from the shock of the moment. This time you nodded, and the smile spread like wildfire across his face. He pressed a kiss to your nose before wrapping an arm around your shoulder and guiding you both towards the front door.

"I'm not having sex with you tonight," you said, punching in the code to the door. Jack chuckled, pulling you in again.

"I wasn't expecting you too."

"Good. And you need to shower before getting in my bed, no outside clothes," you added, leading him down the hallway to your apartment.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, following you into your apartment once you unlocked it. He swung the door shut behind him as you kicked of your shoes.

"And I believe in second chances, but that's it. If you decide to pull away again, know--,"

"I won't," he reassured you, his fingers sliding into your belt loops and tugging you towards him, "I want you. Only you. All of you."

"I could get used to that," you thought aloud, earning a laugh from the both of you. You leaned into him, closing your eyes and basking in this moment that you thought would never happen.

-

Perlah came next, and by luck McKay and Collins also happened to just finish discharging patients while you were still standing at the desk. Overwhelmed by the joy of seeing your old friends, you almost completely forgot why you even came until one of them asked.

“What brought you back? That shiny teaching job not paying you enough?” McKay leaned back against the desk, propping up her elbows to help hold her weight.

“Swapped lunches with Jack,” you pointed towards the lunch, “And I need my chicken pesto sandwich to get me through my next meeting.”

As if on cue, your husband rounded the corner quickly, his eyebrows knit together as he read a patient chart. Aside from your friends in the Pitt, you missed being able to see Jack at work during the day and spend time with him during the rare moments neither of you were busy.

And frankly, he looked great in scrubs. They hugged his biceps so well that you couldn’t help but ogle, which you did proudly and without shame. Even before the two of you got together you would stare, causing everyone to make fun of you for eyeing him and Jack for getting flustered every time it happened.

“Let’s see how long it takes for him to notice me,” you joked, still staring at his biceps as he turned into the second room on his right. There was what you assumed to be a mother and her son, both of whom listened intently as he spoke. You saw the kid nod and giggle before fist bumping with Jack--he's always been great with kids, where as you tended to be a little more prickly. The mom on the other hand was looking at Jack the way you did.

And that was starting to piss you off.

“Forgot that Abbot was a hot commodity?” Collins teased, taking a seat in front of one of the computer. You rolled your eyes in mild disbelief.

“No,” you mumbled, sounding like a stubborn kid. You continued to watch their interaction, and even felt your eye voluntarily twitch when the mom rested her arm on his shoulder as she thanked him. But, you were willing to give him some credit, as he shrugged off her touch before nodding with a tight smile and saying goodbye to both of them. Still, it wasn’t enough shirk off the irritation you were feeling.

“Wow, I would’ve never pegged you to be the jealous type,” McKay added, “You look like Harrison whenever I’m not giving him enough attention.”

Everyone erupted in laughter, the sound catching Jack’s attention as he left the patients room. Seeing Dana, Collins, McKay, and Perlah all laughing wasn’t unusual, but you standing there off to the side look like you just bit into a lemon was. Still, he smiled as he walked over, as you dropping in unexpected would always be a good thing in his eyes.

“What are you doing here? Penn too boring without me?” He leaned to kiss you on the cheek but you moved out of the way, placing a hand on his chest. His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, and you decided to poke at him for fun.

“Well I was coming to bring you lunch, but maybe I should let your other girlfriend treat you to lunch,” tilting your head in the direction of the room the mother was waiting in.

Dana snorted, covering her face with the clipboard to not laugh as loudly as she wanted to. McKay and Collins pretended to scan the board for patients as they stifled their own laughs, while Perlah left to go check on a patient, chuckling under her breath.

“My what?” A few seconds passed before Jack blinked in surprise, putting it together. “No way, are you actually jealous? And you always make fun of me for it!”

“On second thought, maybe I’ll just eat both lunches and you can starve.” This time Jack laughed, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a hug, a move you didn’t reject this time.

“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” he mused, kissing the top of your head.

“Yeah, yeah,” you muttered, grudgingly wrapping your arm around his waist. After a few moments you pulled away, pushing his lunch into his chest, “But please go get me my sandwich. I have to start driving back soon to beat traffic.”

He nodded and headed off in the direction of the lounge, something you could have easily done yourself but you wanted to spend as much time with everyone before you had to leave. McKay was called over by one of the new medical students for help with triage, and hugged you goodbye before getting back to work.

"If it makes you feel better, everyone knows you've got him wrapped around your finger," Dana noted just as Jack reappeared with your lunch in his hands. You lit up at the thought of your sandwich, but he was intercepted by the mother again, her son clinging to her leg.

"Not everyone," you muttered.

This time, it was a hand gingerly placed on his bicep, something that made you spring into action. Right as you came over, she was handing him a business card that absolutely had her number on it.

"There you are hun!" you exclaimed, ignoring her completely before kissing his cheek and taking your lunch from him, "I would have starved without you."

His eyebrows were raised in surprise, and the smallest smirk began to form on his lips before you turned your attention onto the woman.

"It's been such a busy week for me, getting ready for a research conference and moving into a new home together. I've been all over the place, but Jack here," you patted his chest in a mildly possessive way, "Is always here to save the day, right?"

"Right," he mused, getting more and more entertained by your behavior. Truthfully, in the entire time you guys had been together, he had never seen your jealous side. There were a few times where his came out, which often ended with you teasing him for it. But very rarely did you get jealous, mostly because no one had ever hit on him in front of you.

"Of course," the woman said awkwardly, clearly not feeling as bold as she was before. She was still holding out the card, which you took without a second thought.

"Interior design?" you asked, reading the short blurb about her and her company. More importantly, your eyes caught on the fact that she had personally underlined and circled her personal cellphone number.

"Yes! I was just telling Dr. Abbot that if he ever needed help with anything, he could always give me a call," this time she looked at Jack, but he was too busy admiring you to notice.

"Well we've already decorated, and I tend to be very picky about the details. But if we ever decide to start all over again, we'll think about it," you put her card in your back pocket and smiled widely at her, waiting for her to take the hint and leave.

She gave you both a small smile and thanked Jack for the help, before ushering her son away and out of the ER. Once the two of you were alone, Jack burst into laughter, looping his arm around your waist and pulling you into his side. Grudgingly, you leaned into him as the two of you walked back over to Dana and Collins, who had clearly enjoyed watching every minute of that interaction.

"Not a word," you said immediately, causing them to only grin harder at how territorial you had gotten.

"Didn't say anything," Collins held her hands up in mock defeat, winking at Jack before backing away and going back to triage.

"Green looks good on you," was all Dana said before leaving as well, needing to go give another round of meds to a patient of hers.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your car."

This time, you left through the ambulance bay even though it was further from where you parked. The two of you walked slowly and chatted casually, delaying the inevitable until you had finally reached the parking lot. Jack opened the driver's door for you and you slid inside, dropping the lunch on the passenger seat before starting the car. He shut the door for you as you rolled down the window for him to lean into as he said bye.

"What time will you be home tonight?"

"I'll be back around 6ish, maybe even earlier if I'm lucky," Jack replied. He leaned in further to give kiss you goodbye, pausing in the window before saying, "Dana's right, jealousy looks hot on you."

You scoffed as he laughed, backing away from the car as you flipped him off. You put the car into reverse and began to pull out of the spot, and right as you going to turn and put it in drive, Jack came into view again.

I love you, he mouthed, standing with his hands in his pocket.

I love you too, you mouthed back, before finally driving back to Penn.

-

･ ｡ﾟ★ JJ MAYBANK - OUTERBANKS

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･ ｡ﾟ★ JOEL MILLER - THE LAST OF US

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･ ｡ﾟ★ AZRIEL - COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES

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