Under the Sea 🌊

of course living in rural nebraska, dennis being mute was never an issue- not even in school. his family didn’t mind that he never spoke, his teachers would just shake their head when he would get called on and respond with only wide eyes and a red face, even the children friends and bullies alike would just pass over him, not even tempting to get a reaction out of him.

everyone just knew that dennis won’t speak, so dont try to speak to him. no one cared about how to communicate with him, they’d get a pencil and paper if they actually interested but most of the time they wouldn’t even bother.

it wasn’t until he moved up and out of nebraska for college where he finally took his first asl class. he’d go through every community center he could find just to take extra classes to learn more than the basic baby asl he managed to pick up through the years.

it was his third year of college when he met trinity santos. she had spotted him in the corner of the the library, frustrated to the point of tears over something. she had seen this sad, mousey boy before- around campus and in a few other classes he was probably unaware she was in- but they’ve never spoken to each other. she’s never really seen him speak to anyone, actually.

dennis didn’t notice her coming up to him until she knocked on the desk in front of him, startling him as a broken, weak sound tumbled out of his mouth.

“do you need help?” she had asked him. his face crumpled like he wished he didnt have to decline her, but he just shook his head no.

“you sure? you look like you’re five seconds away from a breakdown… or possibly an explosive diarrhea,” this had made him grin, large white teeth on display.

still, he just sighed and shook his head no. trinity would not let up, almost feeling a gravitational pull towards him and refusing to back down.

“just let me see what you’re working with,” she slid the paper from in front of him over to her as she took a seat, his hands wildly slapping at the table to try to reach it first. “oh, dude, this is what i just finished. we’re in this same class, you know?”

dennis just shrugged and snatched his paper back from her. the two of them stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, trinity edging her head towards him like she’s still waiting for him to speak.

“dude, do you talk? i feel like im speaking to a brick wall with eye bags right now,” his face lit up red, shame crossing his features. trinity kind of sunk back into her seat like she knew she hit a nerve but still waited for his response.

dennis hesitatingly brought his hands up to his face to sign i’m deaf, a universal sign surely everyone would know. her eyes slowly widen as her mouth dropped. it then turned into completely glee as dennis’ shuffled into confusion.

i’m deaf, too! she signed at him. his eyes furrowed further into his face, mouth ajar.

you’re deaf?

born and raised! i have hearing aids now but still rely on sign heavily. sometimes it’s just easier.

dennis nodded, excitement flowing through his veins. i understand that. he hesitated again, looking around with guilt over his face. also, i lied. i’m not deaf.

trinity’s face morphed to mirror his confusion. “then why are you signing? do you literally just not speak?” dennis nodded and shoved his hands into his lap.

“dude, you don’t have to be embarrassed about that, i’ve met plenty of mute people in my life,” he shifted in his seat, still looking away. “listen, let me help you with your coursework. you’re seriously bumming me out sitting over here by yourself in tears. it’s the least i could do,”

After they pull away from their first kiss, standing outside a seedy bar, breathing in each other’s cigarette stained breath, Dennis, leaning up, trying to chase another kiss, will mutter a desperate “Doctor Robby.”

Jack who feels that ache from his leg all the way up into his hip, and how it affects his stance which just lends itself to the pain of his other side from taking on lopsided weight. Where some days he feels fine, and some days he wakes up and everything is a dull ache, something that explodes into something briefly sharper when he tries to move.

Followed by an equally sharp frustration, because damn it, he can smell Dennis cooking breakfast in the other room, can hear the difference in octaves between him and robby speaking and aches with the want to be around his favorite people. For once admitting to himself that he wants it to be easy, he wants to plants his feet on the carpet and stand up with out feeling like he's borrowing gravity from his crutches to stay upright.

Managing to sit up is it's own thing, his frustration following and adding it's own fuel to the fire beginning to catch, that he's done this a million times before now and he knows exactly what worse pain feels like. So does this really even warrant the label? Would it even help if it did?

The resounding answer of no feeling hollow just before he grabs his crutches and manages to his foot. For brief moment squeezing his eyes shut at the pain that shoots all over, a clenching of his jaw before he takes a sharp breath, and another deeper one a second later.

Like at first she’s side eyeing the (hidden) camera when he takes three giant bites in just a few seconds. But then her competitive side comes out and she’s trying her best to keep up, and legit starts fucking choking because there’s just so much and some accidentally ends up down her windpipe. She doesn’t know how the fuck he’s swallowing so damn fast.

After she can fucking breathe again she’s looking up food eating challenges in their area and how many stupid t-shirt prizes she can get him to win.

We have a friend who was an emergency medicine physician for many years. Cute, blonde, teeny. It was unreal to warch her eat. It wasn't gross but like you see her pour syrup on her French toast and she is chatting politely and then boom it is gone in two minutes. So funny!

More of my art @alwaystiredshark

after months of tension, they both finally snap during a random spat, in some supply closet at the pitt.

robby has whitaker pinned against a wall, his large hands on the kid’s hips, as he guides them to grind on the leg he slotted between dennis’ thighs ,and shit- the boy’s not turned on.

fuck, is robby taking advantage of his resident ? he could swore whitaker was into it, he’s grabbing robby’s face with so much force, delicious little whines escaping mouth while his lips are still on robby’s, and he’s pulling the man impossibly closer to himself- but the proof’s right there. or at least, what should be right there isn’t, and that’s proof enough.

dennis panics when dr robby suddenly pulls out, oh no he’s gonna say it was a mistake and he regrets it, no, no, no!, but then, his attending just sighs defeated, and drops his forehead on the wall, right above dennis’ ear.

‘do you even want this kid ? is it- am i doing something wrong ?’

dennis is so confused. he feels so good, his mind is bordering on fuzzy, his eyes started to glaze over, and he’s so so wet, wetter than he’s ever been and oh.

oh. the idiot. the absolute, complete, idiot.

he never did tell robby he was trans, did he.

‘erm, no sir, you were doing everything really right,’ dennis breathes out after a moment, willing his voice not to shake. he knows robby will be cool with it, and he doesn’t wanna make a big deal out of it, but it’s still quite an awkward coming out situation.

‘i wish you could feel how wet i am for you right now, dr robby’

dennis feels robby’s hands tightening in a bruising grip on his hips, then the man picks his head back up. when he finally looks at dennis again, his irises are nearly gone.