woof.

•Be cute

•Be puppy

•Drink water

•Wash your hands

It startles a laugh out of him before he can even manage to control his volume. He clasps a hand over his mouth, his smile still peeking through it. Everything about the lockscreen is very— infantile to say the least. The reminders, while they could definitely be used as some kind of affirmation throughout the day, it feels more like a hypnotic chant that could force someone into submission.

He could imagine it so perfectly, having handled subs before. Its been a while, but in a previous life he enjoyed it. He loved being the one sending those random texts throughout the day with reminders not unlike the ones layed out on the screen. ‘Did you drink any water today? Oh what a good girl.’ ‘You’re such a cute little thing, you know that?’ ‘Look at you, humping that pillow like a little puppy.’ It all just reminded him of that brief year and a half where he spent what little free time he had learning to dom an ex girlfriend. But while that was more about sex and leather and kinky stuff, this small look into Whitakers personal life seemed more…innocent?

He doesn’t even remember to check the notifications coming through on Dennis’s phone before he flips it back over. He feels like he’s seen enough to satisfy whatever itch he was chasing in the first place. More than enough to keep his nosey ass occupied for a minute. He finds his knee bouncing up and down as he blankly stares at the computer, unsure how he’s going to focus with all the thoughts swarming his head. He wonders if Whitaker likes being dominated like his ex girlfriend did. He wonders if he keeps those reminders on his phone because nobody is there to do it for him. He wonders if Dennis actually takes the rules he’s set for himself seriously. Judging by the lack of an abandoned water bottle anywhere, he assumes not.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Whitaker passes by. He’s frantically patting his pockets, looking around on the top counter of the hub, along with the baseboards of the ED hallway. Robby locks onto him before the kid meets his eyes. But when the blonde finally looks up to meet his gaze, Robby curls his index finger, beckoning the R1 to meet him at the desk. He fights back a smirk as Whitaker trots up to him. The boy does follow orders very well.

“Looking for something?”

Dennis shyly rests his arms on the counter of the nurses hub. “Yeah— um… my phone? Have you seen it?”

Robby grabs the device from the desk, holding it out to the side as opposed to handing it directly to Whitaker. It forces the boy to round the counter and meet him behind the nurses station in order to grab it; which Dennis does happily. He quickly snatches it from Robby’s hands, mumbling a small thank you before attempting to run off. But Robby catches him as he turns a heel. “Ah- Ah-! Stay.”

Freezing in his tracks, Dennis turns back around to face Robby. The boy retracts the single step he’d taken away from the hub, closing the distance between them. Robby can’t help but smirk. The order isn’t any different to the ones he’s given before. But, the newfound knowledge of the residents personal life makes it feel different. The cute ‘deer in headlights’ look that Dennis always got on his face has a whole different meaning now. Its submission. And knowing that its submission sends electrical currents racing through Robby’s nervous system.

He glances around at his desk, eyes landing on his own water bottle that stays put at his station. Its black, with a rubber straw that flips up when you press the button on the side. He grabs it and flicks open the straw in one quick motion, before holding it out to Whitaker. He watches expectantly as the kid stares at him wide eyed. He gives the bottle a little shake. “You look dehydrated. Drink something.”

“W—…Im sorry, what?”

“You heard me.”

Watching the blush rise up the kids neck is intoxicating. “No I know. Just— It’s your water, I don’t wanna—”

“Then waterfall it, if you don’t want to use the straw. But I do brush my teeth. Just so we’re clear on that.” He gives the water bottle another small shake, patiently waiting for Whitaker to process whats happening, and realize that he isn’t going to back down. “Humor me, kid.”

Tentatively, Dennis takes the water bottle. And, despite Robby’s suggestion, he sticks the rubber straw into his mouth, taking two long sips before reaching it back to the attending.

Unsatisfied, Robby shakes his head. “Two more sips, yeah?”

He gets a kick out of watching Dennis’s brain lag in real time. Despite the water he just drank, he can practically see the way the kids mouth goes dry at the insistence. When he just stands there, looking all dumb and lost, Robby cocks an eyebrow at him. That seems to jumpstart his brain again, and he takes another two long sips from the water bottle. He even takes an additional third one. That causes an uncontrollable smile to spread across Robby’s face. What a little over achiever.

He takes the water bottle back, taking a sip from it himself before closing the cap and placing it back in its spot on the desk. When he turns his attention back to his computer, he sees Whitaker still standing there. He quickly scans over his resident. Eyes half lidded, pupils wide, hands neatly folded in front of him.

Suddenly, he realizes what he’s just done. He’s pulled this poor boy into submission. Now he’s waiting on his next order. Or maybe some praise? He did do a very good job drinking water like he’s supposed to. Robby fights back a chuckle. “Good boy. Thank you. Go check on your patients.”

Dennis nods, his head falling to stair directly at the floor as he practically runs out of the nurses hub. Robby can pretend all he wants that he didn’t hear the shaky little breath that escaped Whitakers nose, but he definitely did. Like he finally let out a breath he’d been holding. That poor puppy is BEGGING to submit to someone. And with that context, so much can be explained about Whitakers behavior towards him.