#female reader

pairing: Michael Olise x smaller!fem!reader

synopsis: you two have been dating but have never been properly intimate before until tonight

cw: sexting

a/n: quick little brain dump :]

The Nichols

Tom Nichols x f!Reader x Judy Nichols

- Reptile, 2023.

Hello, this is Aren. English is not my first language, so im sorry for any grammar mistakes or spelling. Please enjoy reading and don't hesitate to drop critics or review.

Summary: glimpse of your childhood as the only child

Word count: 1,799

Content warning: affectionate parents

Extra: Reader is blonde like Judy. Reader was born by the end of 2005.

Note: making mood board is harder than i thought it would be, no wonder people are getting paid a lot just to make one, and honestly i respect that.

| Masterlist |

FANDOM: Love and Deepspace

PAIRING: Valko/Fem!Reader/MC

RATING: Teen

WARNING(S): Polyamory, fluff, lots of physical touch, scenting, mildly suggestive

Notes: Finally, the original suggestion! Hope you enjoy this!

Taglist: @kingraspberry12-blog @a-short-ass-disappointment

Loss Of My Life Part Two

Read Part One Here!

Pairing: Jack Abbot x You

Summary: You don’t take the breakup with Jack Abbot well. You find yourself walking aimlessly around the city, until you stumble upon a bar that you always used to go to with him. You end up drinking too much and making phone calls that you definitely shouldn’t be making.

Note: The reader in my story is named Reid!

Word count: 4590

Your apartment was empty.

You hadn’t realized how accustomed you had grown to the noises and chaos of the Pitt. In the Pitt there was always someone yelling, someone complaining, someone screaming. There were always sounds of monitors blaring, orders being yelled, people calling for help.

But your apartment was empty.

The emptiness pressed in, making the silence almost painful.

After everything you’d been through over the last few days you knew that you should have felt relieved to be home.

But you didn’t.

You just felt empty.

You checked your phone.

7:47 AM

No notifications.

You were so tired the numbers on the screen blurred together, but you knew you had to shower first. You had to erase this day from your body.

But you didn’t move away from the window for a long while.

Like you were waiting for something.

Or someone to come back.

But no one came.

And you were alone.

———

The water spraying from your old shower head was hot enough to burn. But you didn’t care. You stepped underneath anyway, letting the water assault your body.

The steam quickly filled the bathroom, and you closed your eyes.

But as you did, you remembered another shower room, another time, with Jack keeping you company. You remembered how he had gotten down on his knees. How he had-

Abbot, you reminded yourself.

Your stomach clenched.

He wasn’t Jack to you anymore.

He wasn’t your Jack anymore.

He wasn’t there to tease you, or wink at you, or dance with you.

He wasn’t there to calm your nerves or call you sweetheart.

You finished with your shower as quickly as you could after that.

———-

Your stomach grumbled painfully when you emerged from your shower.

God, when was the last time you’d eaten?

You remembered the protein bars that Jack would slip you mid shift. They seemed to always taste better when they came from him.

You opened your cupboard absentmindedly, eyes scanning over the meagre ingredients. Your eyes skipped over the box of protein bars. You purposefully ignored the pringles.

You settled on a quick sandwich.

The food tasted like ash in your mouth.

Halfway through chewing, you pulled your phone out.

9:01 AM

Mel 8:42 AM: Oh my god I wish you were here today!! I’ve got to work on a fractured tibia and fibula!! And I saw a compound fracture of the femur!! Different guys. It was awesome.

Trinity 8:53 AM: I will never understand the stupidity of men. You should see the state of these brothers after they decided to wrestle. The prize was the last chocolate bar in their fridge. And get this: it was expired.

Trinity 8:54 AM: in 2017

Huffing a small laugh at the juxtaposition of the two messages, you quickly replied back to your friends.

Still no messages from Jack though. Abbot.

You mentally berated yourself for the slip.

There was no messages from Jack and there wasn’t going to be any more from him.

You finished your sandwich in silence.

————

You tried to sleep.

You really did.

You pulled your curtains closed, tucked your blanket to your chin and closed your eyes.

But no matter how long you laid there, you couldn’t get the image of sad green eyes out of your mind.

You couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation in the truck.

You couldn’t stop thinking about the way Robby’s dark eyes had widened when he’d caught you.

You couldn’t stop thinking about Jack’s hands.

Or his mouth.

You just couldn’t stop thinking.

You tossed and turned until you were motion sick.

By two in the afternoon, you’d completely given up on the idea of sleep and decided to get outside and go for a walk.

Maybe that would quiet your mind.

Exercise was meant to be good for you, right?

Certainly better for you than laying in bed thinking about men you could never have.

You quickly changed and made your way outside. The air was warm, seeing as it was just after the middle of the day, but you enjoyed the feeling of the sun on your face.

You walked around your block, passing people walking dogs. You had almost congratulated yourself for not thinking about him for five minutes, when a dark truck headed your way, driving down the street next to you.

You turned to watch the truck, unable to help yourself. You stumbled to the side of the road in an attempt to catch a better glimpse of the driver.

Your heart lurched as you noticed that the model was the same, the color identical. But then the truck came close enough for you to notice the driver and your heart dropped.

It wasn’t him.

It was a young woman, and she honked at you when you got too close to the road, almost stepping right in front of the truck.

You jumped back reflexively, your heart in your throat as the truck drove right over where you’d been standing.

What the hell had you been thinking?

Getting that close to the road?

It was like you’d had a death wish or something.

If Jack had been here to see this, he would have killed you himself.

Some small part of you revelled in that. The idea that he would lose it if you got hurt.

But then another thought hit you.

Would he even care?

Would he care if you were hurt?

If you were…worse?

He clearly didn’t care about you if he could so easily dump you like he did.

But then you remembered the devastated look on his face when he’d seen your tears. The way he’d tried to reach for you. The way he’d leaned into your touch. The crack in his voice when he’d told you it would never happen between the two of you.

You decided to walk as far away from the road as you could, lest you get any stupid ideas.

—————

You didn’t know how long you walked for. What you did know was how many notifications you had accumulated on your walk. Exactly zero.

By the time your feet started to really hurt, the sun was beginning to set, casting the city in a golden glow.

You’d walked a lot farther than you’d intended. One block had turned into two. Two had then become eight, and you were now somewhere you didn’t really recognise.

You wondered what Jack was doing right now. Was he walking aimlessly around the city too? Was he checking his phone as much as you were? Had he eaten? Slept? You hated how much you cared.

Then you wondered what Robby was doing. Was he smug over the fact that he had ruined one of the best things in your life? Was he happy that he had made you consider walking into traffic?

You hoped he was. Maybe it would make your pain more bearable. Because right now? Right now, you hurt. It was like your insides had been taken out, twisted up, and put back into the wrong spot. You simultaneously wanted to scream and cry. But you could do neither of those things, so you walked. And walked. And walked.

———

You finally stopped walking when your thirst became unbearable. Night had fallen, the sky dark and moonless. The glowing neon sign ahead caught your interest. The glowing pink lettering stood out starkly against the dark sky, and you felt like a moth to a flame as you made your way towards the bar's entrance.

Sonny’s Tavern the sign read.

A barrage of memories assaulted you. The Pitt crew all making their way down to the bar after a long shift. Jack’s front pressed to your back as he’d played pool with you. Betting on darts with Whitaker, Mel and Trinity. Dancing with Jack. The way he’d looked at you, holding you close to him as you’d swayed. How warm his hand had felt pressed on your back. How he’d made you smile harder than you had in years.

The way Robby had watched the two of you, like he’d already suspected something going on.

But for some reason, it wasn’t the thought of Robby or Whitaker that made you step into the bar. No, it was the pain in your chest that throbbed every time you thought of the way Jack had smiled when you’d danced. The way he’d looked at you. You wondered if you’d ever see it again.

This was a bad idea. You knew it was. You knew it was, and yet you couldn’t stop yourself.

You had never been much of a drinker.

But you were just so lonely.

And you hurt.

————

The tavern was pretty tame when you entered, all things considered. People danced and laughed, chatted and played games, but you took no notice of them as you made your way to the most far away bar stool at the end of the counter.

You placed your hands on the counter, this feeling completely foreign to you.

You weren’t the type to drink. You’d never really drank much in college or med school, always too worried about studying. And you were always too much of a good girl to even think about drinking in highschool.

So as you sat at that bar stool in that familiar tavern, you felt lost.

Luckily, the bartender wandered over to you, noting your curious look.

He was holding a glass, polishing it with a hand. He looked only a few years older than you, with dark hair and an easy smile.

“What can I get you, gorgeous?” He asked politely.

“I…don’t really know.” You answered, hesitating, eyeing the shelves behind him.

“Rough day?”

“You could say that.” You laughed.

“What do you normally drink?”

“I don’t.” You said simply.

“So what brings you to this bar?” He asked with a raised brow.

You looked down at the bar counter. “I… my thoughts are too loud.”

He just nodded knowingly before reaching for a glass.

“I usually go with whiskey when my head is too loud. You a whiskey girl?” He sounded earnest.

You’d only had whiskey once or twice, and your memory of it was hazy.

“I guess we’re about to find out.” You shrugged.

He quickly prepared the drink and set it in front of you. The ice in the glass clinked quietly.

You took a tentative sip, wincing at the burn.

The bartender laughed. “I’ll take that as a no.”

You eyed him, then downed the entire glass until there was nothing left but ice.

“Keep em coming.” Was all you said in response.

He prepared another. “I’ll make this one neat.”

“You’re a fast learner.” You praised, the liquid already warming your insides.

He placed the next glass in front of you.

“Just got dumped?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“I know that look. The look of someone who’s just had their heart ripped out.”

You laughed humourlessly. “You’re good.”

“It’s almost like it’s my job,” he grinned.

You took a sip of your second drink. You already felt lightheaded, your stomach and throat warm.

“I-I lost something…something good. And I kind of lost it before it ever really became something beautiful, you know?”

The bartender was quiet for a moment.

“I find losing the potential of what could have been hurts more than anything else.” He admitted quietly.

Your eyes burned.

He didn’t ask any more questions.

He just handed you another drink.

You thanked him with a nod, downing your second drink.

You turned in your chair when he served another customer.

You watched the couple at the end of the bar. Your stomach churned when you watched the man reach out to hold the woman’s hand.

You watched another couple at the pool table. You watched the way the guy cheesily leaned over the girl to help her with her grip.

Your throat closed up when you watched a couple on the dance floor, the way the woman’s eyes positively glittered when her date spun her.

Your throat closed up.

People laughed, people shouted, people smiled.

You were surrounded by people, and yet you had never felt so alone.

———

The fourth drink didn’t burn. It went down smoothly as you felt your body relax. For the first time in hours, your head was beginning to quiet. Your thoughts had slowed down, like they were wading through mud.

As you sipped your drink, you noticed that you could hear the music. You could hear the laughter and jokes too, but they didn’t bother you as much as they had earlier.

A group of girls on the other end of the bar were telling a story, and when all the girls laughed, you noticed that you’d missed the joke.

You must be further gone than you’d thought.

You didn’t care.

You were just glad to hear anything other than your raging thoughts.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Your head was slow to catch up to the source of the voice.

A sandy haired man around your age smiled sweetly at you.

His hair was tousled prettily and his jaw was sharp, his cheekbones high. He was handsome. But he wasn’t your type.

You stared at him a few seconds longer than was socially acceptable.

“Me?” You pointed at your chest.

“Of course you.”

You giggled.

“I see you’ve already had a few.” He said, eyeing your empty glasses.

You squinted at him, then laughed.

Not because you thought that what he’d said was funny.

It was either you laughed, or you cried.

“I’ve got-got more than enough men to-to worry about.” You got out between giggles.

He smiled a roguish grin. “Oh really? How many?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” You shot back.

“Oh yeah? Try me.” He said.

“Okay, but you asked for it.” You warned.

You laughed, forcing your hand to hold up three fingers.

His eyes widened.

You counted them off on your fingers.

“One, I just see as just a friend.”

Whitaker.

“One of them thinks I’m a whore.”

Robby.

“And one of them thinks I’m stupid and naive. Oh, and he also thinks I’m after him because he has a big flashy job. And did I tell you that he thinks he manipulated me into bed?”

Jack.

Abbot.

Whatever.

You laughed without any humor.

The man’s smile dropped.

He said nothing for a moment, then he spoke.

“Oh.”

You snorted, poking at the ice from your first drink with a straw.

“Yeah, oh.”

“So… it was nice meeting you and everything, but I’m just gonna-“ he jabbed a finger behind him.

You snorted again.

“I’m just gonna let you enjoy your drink.”

“Another fast learner!” You cheered.

He quickly backed away from you like you were a bomb about to explode.

Maybe you were.

You downed the last of your drink.

You didn’t care.

He sure didn’t.

—————

Your phone felt heavy in your pocket. The urge to check it for the millionth time won out, and you unlocked it, squinting as the numbers of your passcode danced.

The words blurred as you registered no notifications. Not a single call or text. Not even a damn spam email.

You let out another sad laugh.

He wasn’t thinking about you.

He didn’t miss you.

He didn’t care about you.

Maybe he never had.

Maybe you needed to call him and ask him if he ever did. You just wanted to know. You told yourself that you would be okay with the answer either way. You just needed to know.

You needed to know if you meant as much to him as he meant to you.

But then you had a better idea.

An idea that might hurt more, but might be more satisfying.

You needed to tell him how you felt.

Before you could think about it, you were opening your contacts.

Your thumb scrolled past your contacts. Dana, Dennis, all the way past Jack to who you really wanted to talk to right now.

Robby.

To your drunk brain, this made a lot of sense.

You hit call.

It rang one. Twice. Three times before he picked up.

“This is Doctor Robinavich.” Cold, neutral words.

You said nothing.

“Hello?”

You swallowed.

“Anyone there? Who is this?”

Guess that answers the question of if he had your number saved.

“Robby.” You breathed.

A moment of silence on the other end.

“Reid? Why are you calling me? Is everything okay?”

“I hate you.” Your words were quiet.

The other end was quiet.

“What?” He finally asked.

“I hate you,” you repeated.

“Where are you right now?”

“You ruined everything.” You spat.

“Reid-“

“You ruined- you ruined everything.”

“What’s going on?” He sounded genuinely concerned.

“You made him doubt me. You made him doubt himself.” You snarled into the phone remembering how Jack had thought he- thought he had taken advantage of you. He was so convinced he was the bad guy.

“Who?”

“You know exactly who, Robinavich.”

You heard his breathing stutter.

“Reid-“

“You- you took him away from me.”

“I don’t- come on, be reasonable here. What was I supposed to do?” He sounded almost sad.

“I- I don’t know- not that.”

“You left me no choice.” He said.

The girls down the end of the bar laughed loudly, snapping your gaze to them.

“You know that he wouldn’t even look at me?” You spoke into the phone, anger igniting in your gut.

“Reid-“

“You made him think-“ your breathing hitched. “You made him think that he- he took advantage of me. That he manipulated me. That none of it was real.”

You fought back a sob.

Silence answered you from the other end.

“Have you been drinking?” He asked finally.

“What do you care?”

“Don’t do this. Just answer the question.”

“No,” you lied.

“How many?” He heard your lie.

You looked at the empty glasses, your fifth in your hand.

“Counting the one in my hand?” You asked.

“Sure.”

“Five.”

“Shit,” he swore. “Where are you?”

“Your moms house.” You snorted, thinking you were hilarious.

He swore again. “Where are you?”

“A bar.”

“I gathered. Which bar?”

“I don't know.”

“What does it look like?”

“It looks like… it hurts. There’s couples dancing. And there’s some girls nearby that keep laughing. And there’s a guy playing pool just like- just like Jack and I did.” Your throat closed up.

“Is it- is it Sonny’s?” He asked hesitantly.

“Is that the one that we danced at?” You didn’t need to clarify who ‘we’ referred to. It was you and Jack.

“Yeah.” He said quietly.

You dropped your phone to the bar counter when you took another drink. You only remembered that Robby was still on the line when you heard your name, the voice tiny and high pitched coming from the device.

You picked the phone back up.

“Hello?” You asked.

Hello. That was a funny word. Hell-o. You giggled.

Robby didn’t think you were very funny.

“Reid, listen to me. Are you alone?”

“Huh?”

“Focus. Are you alone?”

You looked around the room. There were people everywhere. Of course you weren’t alone. People were dancing and drinking and flirting and playing.

“Robby, you silly billy. There’s people everywhere! It’s a bar.”

“I know you’re in a bar. But who are you with?”

“Who am I with?”

“Yes.”

“No one. You made sure of that.” You said with a giggle, even though nothing was funny.

He swore again.

You didn’t understand why. This was what he had wanted.

“Okay. Stay where you are.” He instructed.

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

“Why?” You felt like a kid, always asking why.

“Because I’m on my way.”

What?

The words hit you like a bucket of cold water.

“No.” You snapped.

“No?”

“I don’t want you to come.”

“Reid, just listen to me-“

“You’ll just lecture me. Maybe you’ll even ruin me like you ruined him.”

He was silent for another moment.

“I’m not going to lecture you.”

“Well, whatever. I don’t want you here.” You argued.

“I don’t care. You’re drunk. Abbot wouldn’t want you alone like this.”

“Who cares what he would want? He’s gone.”

“Don’t talk like that, Reid. He would want you to be safe. You know that.”

You didn’t speak for a while. When the bartender looked at you with a raised brow, you spoke to him.

“Another one please. Make it a double. Thoughts are getting loud again.” You admitted.

“You got it.” The bartender got to work.

“Reid, stop this right now. Don’t you think you’ve had enough? You’re gonna give yourself fucking alcohol poisoning.”

You laughed. “Maybe then you could treat me.”

Robby didn’t answer that. Instead you heard background noises coming from his end. You heard the jingling of keys and the slamming of what sounded like a door.

“Reid, if you care about Abbot at all, I need you to stay right where you are. Don’t leave, and don’t drink that drink.”

You eyed the drink the bartender dropped in front of you.

“Im on my way.” He told you.

“I don’t want you here.” You argued.

“Don’t care. And I’m calling backup.”

“Backup?”

“Im picking up Abbot on the way. Maybe he’ll know what to do with your drunk ass.”

Wait what?

The words sobered you.

He was going to what?

“Abbot?”

You tried to speak but the call was already disconnected.

The last sound you’d heard was a car starting.

—————

You stared at the phone in your hand.

You couldn’t make sense of what had just happened.

You furrowed your brows as your head swam. Why would he call Jack? You didn’t need him. He didn’t need backup.

You didn’t touch your new drink. You wanted Jack. You wanted to talk to him. You wanted to hear his voice. You wanted him to call you sweetheart again. You wanted to ask what went so wrong.

You scrolled through your contacts again.

Maybe you should just call and ask him.

Your thumb pressed the call button before you could stop yourself. You were just going to tell him not to come. To tell him you didn’t need him. Even if you didn’t believe it.

The phone didn’t even ring once.

“Sweetheart, are you- are you okay? Where are you?” His voice sounded so concerned, so warm.

“There it is.” You sighed.

You could die happy now.

“Robby just text me. He’s on his way to pick me up. What’s going on?” He sounded so panicked, you wanted to just hold him and reassure him.

“I’m at Sonny’s. And I’m a little, teensy, tiny bit drunk.” You giggled.

“Why are you drinking by yourself?”

You hesitated. “Because. Because I hurt. You hurt me, Jack. It hurts. Everything hurts.” You wrapped your arms around yourself.

A beat of silence passed.

“Oh, baby.”

“I just needed- I just needed to stop thinking. Just for two seconds.” You admitted.

Then you heard the sound of a car engine on the other end.

“I get it. My head hasn’t stopped spinning since this morning.” He admitted.

Then you heard the sound of a car door slamming coming from his end.

“Is that her?” You heard what sounded like Robby speaking from his phone.

But that couldn’t be right. It was Jack’s phone.

“Yeah.” Jack answered.

“Tell her to stay put.” Robby ordered.

“Is that Robby?” You asked.

“Yeah, it is. He’s really worried about you, you know.”

Then a thought hit you.

“How can you even stand to be in the same car with him after what he did?” You asked quietly.

He paused. “Because he didn’t do anything wrong. I did.” He answered, and your heart broke apart further.

How could he still think that? After everything?

“You’re wrong.” You snapped.

“You always did love to argue with me.”

“I hate him.” You spat.

“You don’t.”

“I do. I hate him.”

“I know you think you do.”

“I do.” You insisted.

“If you say so.”

You were both quiet for a moment, and you heard the sound of him breathing on the other end.

You looked at your untouched drink, running a hand through your hair. Your thoughts were slow to form and even slower to make sense of, and you'd almost forgotten he was still on the line.

“Why are you calling me?” You asked him after a moment.

“You called me, sweetheart.” He said calmly.

Oh. Right. Maybe you had had one too many.

“Oh. I forgot about that.”

You heard his quiet chuckle on the other end. Even through the phone, the sound made butterflies erupt in your belly.

You heard the tell tale sound of a car's indicator ticking on the other end.

“How does she sound?” Robby asked. He sounded far away.

Jack's voice was crystal clear. Like he didn’t even bother to cover the microphone.

“Drunk.”

“I am not drunk!” You argued.

“Oh, baby, you’re plastered.” His deep voice did things to your insides.

“Hey! I’m…pleasantly buzzed.”

“How many drinks have you had?” You could practically hear his eyebrow raise from here.

“One.” You lied.

“You have not had one.” He laughed.

“Okay. You caught me. Two.”

“Sweetheart.” He drew the word out, and you felt dizzy.

“Maybe four.” You answered, a smile on your face.

“Four what? Vodka cranberries? Spiked lemonades?” He guessed.

“Nope. Whiskeys!” You said with a broad grin.

He laughed again, and the sound washed over you.

“I miss your laugh.” You admitted.

He stopped laughing.

“You were laughing…yesterday. Before…you know.” You added.

He still remained silent.

Then you heard someone clear their throat.

“We’re five minutes out, Reid. Just hang on.” Jack said, the warmth gone from his voice. Reid. No baby. No sweetheart. Reid.

“Hey Jack?”

“Mhm?”

“Can you…not tell Robby that I called you?”

His voice was quieter when he spoke next. “I hate to break it to you, but I think he already knows.”

“Dammit.” You grumbled. “He’s such a busy body.”

“He really is.” Jack agreed.

You plopped your chin to rest on your palm.

“Can you tell him to not lecture me?” You asked after another moment.

“He won’t.” Jack vowed.

“He’s mad at me.” You grumbled.

“He’s not mad at you.” Jack reassured you. “Hes just worried about you.”

“He wasn’t worried about either of us when he yelled at you,” you argued.

“He didn’t yell at me.” Jack said automatically.

“Yeah? Then why are you not speaking to me?” You asked.

“I’m speaking to you right now.”

“No, you’re not. Not like- not like how we used to.” You said sadly.

“I know.” He said quietly.

You heard the unmistakable sound of tires on gravel.

“We’re in the parking lot.”

Your stomach dropped.

“What parking lot?” You asked, your brain slow and muddied.

“The parking lot for the bar that you’re in, swee- silly.” You noticed the way he stumbled over his words towards the end. Like maybe Robby was watching him disapprovingly and he had to quickly correct himself.

“I’ll see you in a minute, Reid. Just stay put.” Jack ordered.

“Okay.” You sighed. There it was again. Your name. Your chest physically ached. How could he make the sound of your name feel like a punch to the gut?

You gripped your untouched drink. The action made your head swim. You forced your hand to lift the glass to your mouth.

You emptied the contents into your mouth. The burn from the drink hurt a whole lot less than the aching in your chest.

———————

I have already got a part three planned! Drop a comment if you would like to be tagged in the part three!! <3

Picture by javadikins on Pinterest.

A/N: Hi guys, I'm back with something on Dr. Jack Abbot, that man has me in a chokehold. I can't stop writing about him. That one is the longest one I've ever written, so please bear with me and the bad writing (oops). I corrected the spelling and everything, BUT you might still find some mistakes in there. I'm French, hence the background situation lol. Anyway, cheers! Xx

Summary: You're on vacation in France with your dad and his three best friends, Kenny, Steve and Doctor Jack Abbot, a veteran and ED attending in Pittsburgh, the city where you work. Having met him a few times before, your paths cross again at Pittsburgh's airport, where you realize how big a problem that man could be for your vacation and your mental health. Little did you know the pull you felt towards him wasn't one-sided, and Jack was doing everything to keep his distance... In vain.

Words count: 14 805 (my bad)

Warnings: Curses, angst, sad reader and sad Jack (not THAT much), mention of Robby, your father is called Marc (don't ask me why idk), age gap ( R is 29, J is 45), mention of amputation (really brief) and grief (Jack's wife), dad's best friend setting, happy ending, awkward moment, reader is a chef

If I forgot anything, please let me know.

I do not consent to any of my work to be translated or posted anywhere else without my permission.

Sitting on a plastic chair in the busy airport of Pittsburgh, you wonder if accepting your father’s proposition to come with him and his buddies on vacation in France was a good idea. What really got you to accept was the fact that it was almost a completely free vacation, except for the plane ticket to join your father in New York.

But right now, your ass was begging you to move, to walk, or at least to make some semblance of a movement. Your flight has already been delayed by two hours. Thank God your layout wasn’t short.

You were currently debating whether to go buy what would be your fifth coffee of the day when someone decided that the chair right next to you was the best one in the whole airport.

You frowned, exasperated, and looked over at the person sitting next to you. You froze when you realised that the man now sitting beside you was none other than Dr Jack Abbot. One of your father’s best friends.

You knew he was working at a hospital somewhere in Pittsburgh; and never really cared to ask where. You had few contacts over the five years he has been around your father. Only when he would come to see you or when your return happened to be on the same days that Jack was back to see some of his old veterans buddies.

So little to say you didn’t really know anything about each other and never cared to really ask questions.

Dr. Abbot. You nodded to him in acknowledgment.

Oh please, we’re not in a hospital right now. Jack is fine.

Didn’t know you were still working in Pittsburgh.

Bah. He waved with one of his hands. I would be bored if I retired. Besides, I’m not that old; I still have some years left.

Yeah, but I mean, working in the ED isn’t a walk in the park. And I’m pretty sure an attending doctor like you must be paid well.

He laughed softly at that, shaking his head. What about you? Last time we saw each other… He stopped and frowned, realizing he couldn’t remember the last time you met.

Yeah, I’ve been trying to figure that out too. But now I’m a chef. I’ve been a chef for the past four years.

He whistled. So that makes you what? Twenty-seven?

Twenty-nine, actually.

Not daddy’s little girl anymore, eh?

No, I think that will stay forever, actually. You laughed with him. I mean, he did invite me to your buddies' vacation. Just because he said I looked a little too pale for his liking when he FaceTimed me.

Sounds like Marc. He grinned, crossing his arms over his chest.

The movement made your eyes fall down on his biceps. And you realized at that moment that Doctor Jack Abbot was working out. His shirt was straining over his chest, as if he made the deliberate choice to choose one a size too small. Realizing you were openly ogling him, you tore your eyes from his biceps to bring them back up.

Jack noticed. I mean, how could he not? You were this close to whimpering at him. The thought made him smirk. He knew he couldn’t reciprocate the attention you gave him. It wasn’t correct or respectful to your father. So he looked away.

Finally, a flight attendant appeared and started the boarding.

You couldn’t lie, a part of you hoped to be seated next to the older doctor. Hiding your disappointment was handy when an old woman smiled at you before sitting next to you. Of course the bastard was flying in first class.

~~~

He didn’t wait for you when you landed in New York. You shrugged it off, knowing you didn’t owe anything to each other.

You made your way into the airport, trying to find your father in the middle of the chaos. Not wanting to lose too much time, you just dialled his number and waited for him to answer. He did so and told you where you could find him, laughing happily when you told him you were coming and he better not move.

When he saw you, your father opened wide his arms, waiting for you to hug him. You did so, smiling against his shoulder as he kissed you on the side of your head.

I missed you so much, my little girl. He told you, breaking the embrace.

Not so little anymore, is she? Jack told him as he stood behind your father, arms crossed.

Shut up, Abbot. She will always be my little girl. He answered, circling your shoulder with one of his arms. Now come on. Let’s get some food in you before our flight.

~~~

After boarding the flight to Nice, the three of you faced the three seats in the alley.

Well, we’re going to be really close for the next eight hours. Your father joked, hitting Jack slightly in his back. Does it bother you both if I take the seat next to the alley?

As long as I can take the one next to the window. You told him, smirking at Jack and eyeing him up and down, knowing that his corpulence is going to make it a really long eight hours.

Fine by me. Was all the doctor replied and waited for you to go sit down.

You regretted it quickly. That man was huge. His shoulders were so broad that even if you sat against the wall, your bodies were still in contact. And he wasn’t even doing it on purpose. He kept his legs closed, mindful of the fact that you didn’t have a lot of room either.

Jack couldn’t lie, seeing you frown and groan every time you changed position and realized that you were still touching was quite amusing. He struggled to hide his amusement, and that only made your frustration worse.

You seemed tense, Angel. Is something wrong?

You tried to hide your shudder at the nickname and failed miserably. Opting to make it pass for anger, you stared at him darkly. Yeah, you’re taking all the room.

It’s not me. He pointed to your sleeping father, who was already taking half of Jack’s seat. Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but right now I kinda want to push him over.

Move, I’m gonna wake him up. You told him, fully ready to shake your father awake so you could have more room.

He grabbed gently your arms, holding them before putting them back on your lap. Let him sleep. If you really need some room for your legs, you can put them on mine. He offered as if it wasn’t a big deal.

I will keep that in mind. Thanks. You showed him a little smile and let your head fall against the window.

You take him on his offer three hours before landing, your tired legs getting numb at the lack of space. You didn’t ask, just raised them and put them on his laps. Jack didn’t even raise a brow, only spreading his legs a little more to make it more comfortable for the both of you.

You slept for the next three hours, getting woken up by Jack, who was softly shaking your legs. You opened one eye and looked over at him.

We’re going to land. You need to buckle up. He told you without speaking too loud since you’d just woken up.

~~~

Arriving at Nice airport, you were joined by the last two of your father’s friends. You knew them a little bit better than Jack since they were living close to your father’s place and were always over there.

One, Kenny, was a retired lawyer who found solace in your father’s neighbourhood, far from the buzzing city. He might be your favourite person in the band. He was funny, wise and was married to Henry, his business partner for twenty years.

Then you had Steve. Steve was more grumpy, always frowning or complaining about something. He wasn’t really mean, at least not with you. You knew he had a good heart, showing up as soon as your father needed him.

They were brothers, and you always admired their relationship. Sure there were arguments and even some fights, but they always came around, their friendship more important.

And then there is Jack Abbot. He is the latest addition to the squad. You weren’t sure that Steve appreciated him. Again, Steve was hard to read. The doctor is younger than the rest of them. He was brought by your father, who met him through a veteran support group. When your dad told you about this group, you were appeased, knowing that even though he wouldn’t talk to you, he still found people to talk to.

That might be why he and Jack really hit off. You didn’t know the doctor’s history in the army and to be frank, it didn’t matter. You were just happy he might get your father to confide a bit.

Kenny interrupted your thoughts when he wrapped you in his arms as soon as he saw you stand besides the two other men.

Oh my love, I’ve missed you so much. He exclaimed. I’m so glad you agreed to come. I will be able to gossip with someone on this trip since my dear Henry didn’t want to come.

I’m glad to be here too. I have so many things to tell you.

Yes. Immediately, yes. I need updates on your life!

Kenny, move. Let me see the chef. Steve barked, showing Kenny aside. Ah yes. You’re still really pale, though. He inspected you closely. Guess that’s that shitty weather in Pittsburgh. The pollution and the crime.

You looked over at Jack and snorted. What? You asked incredulously.

Yes, you know. I’ve heard about it on the radio.

You looked at your dad, who just smiled at his friend’s antics. That’s enough, Steve. Don’t scare the poor girl away.

Bah. He waved. She’s used to me now.

Now come on, motherfuckers, let’s move. The jet lag is kicking my ass.

~~~

Holy shit, Marc! You didn’t lie about it. Steve exclaimed as he exited the car, hand on his hip.

I told you we were going to be comfortable here.

The house your father had rented was in the countryside deep in the south of France. The next house was at least five hundred meters away, which means it was rather silent, only for the sounds of the cicadas.

The house in itself was an old one made of white stones. The shutters were bright blue, in contrast with the rest of the building. Trees and flowers were growing all over the property, the smell of lavender hitting your nostrils and making you feel relaxed.

You took a deep breath after climbing out of the car, looking around with your hand over your forehead to make a bit of shadow.

You turned around, wanting to get your suitcase out of the trunk, only to find Jack with it in his hand.

I got it. Just tell me where to put it.

Uh… I don’t know yet.

Your father joined you both. You should take the master bedroom, sweetheart. We old men don’t need that much space.

You sure? I don’t want any of you to complain about your back.

We’re good, my love. Do not worry. Kenny assured you with his hands on your shoulders. Let’s go find our room and leave the men to it.

You smiled at the older man, following him inside the house. The house was surprisingly cool even with the absence of AC. The living room was decorated with taste, with light wood and blue cushions that reminded you of the shutters.

You climbed the stairs to the second floor and stopped at the beginning of a long hallway. The doors were all opened, letting you get a glimpse of each room. They all seemed to be decorated differently, with different color palettes and layouts.

I think they all have ensuite bathrooms. Kenny told you after exiting one of the rooms. And here- he pushed the last door at the end of the hallway- must be the master. Yes, it is!

You were admiring the room and didn’t even notice that Jack has been following you with your suitcase. You’re taking this one?

You jumped a bit at his voice and turned to look at him. Yeah. If that’s okay with everyone.

Of course it is. I doubt anyone here really cares about their room. He put your suitcase on the little bench at the foot of the bed. Well, I will let you get to it. He whispered as he walked past you, his hand softly touching your arm.

The contact sent electricity up in your arm. You brushed it off on your fatigue, not glancing back at the older man.

Jack walked in the hallway, trying to find which room was free. The one at the beginning of the hallway was already taken by Steve, who mumbled something about protecting the house in case someone entered. The next one was taken by your father; the bedroom next to yours was now Kenny’s, which only left the one across from yours. Great. He thought, knowing he was already in trouble with the way he was pulled towards you. He couldn’t let himself go there. Out of respect for your father.

He sighed and sat down on his bed. He lifted his pants on his leg, taking off his prosthesis in order to go take a shower and cool down. Only your father was aware of his amputation. The other might be aware of something, but he never told them anything, and he doubted your father had shared it with them.

Under the water, Jack took a deep breath, trying to calm down his racing heart. It happened sometimes, notably when he was tired, when his mind was less alert and demons of the past hunted him.

As he washed his hair, he thought back at your first interaction, five years ago when you arrived at your father’s house out of breath. Apparently you had run after a bunny a kid of the neighbourhood had lost in the street.

Actually, you had run so hard in the middle of a heatwave that you almost passed out from heat exhaustion. Your father had come get him to make sure you were okay and didn’t need medical attention. Lucky enough you didn’t; he just kept an eye on you all night to be sure your state didn’t degrade. Not at all because he wanted an excuse to look at you.

Shaking his head, Jack turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He got dressed quickly, putting back his prosthesis before going downstairs to join the others.

You weren’t sat around the table with the other men. You weren’t outside by the pool nor in the living room.

Your daughter has already fled us? He asked, hoping it wouldn’t be weird for him to ask about you.

Nah. She is still in her room.

Women. Steve rolled his eyes. They’re always taking so long in their room.

Leave my daughter alone, Steve. Marc warned him with a small smile.

I’m just saying. The old man grumbled, looking down at his hands.

~~~

The men decided to take it easy for the first day. Kenny and Marc were in the pool, laughing with their beers not so far away. Steve was scribbling things in a used notebook he didn’t leave anyone to look. And Jack was laughing at some dumb joke Marc had made from his sunbed.

None of them had checked on you since you arrived, knowing you were certainly either putting your stuff away or sleeping.

You didn’t have the courage to completely empty your suitcase and made the mistake of sitting on your bed for a minute. Needless to say, that the minute turned into a three-hour nap. Nap that was still uninterrupted.

After getting out of the pool, Marc decided to check on you, knowing you wouldn’t be able to sleep if he let you sleep longer.

Pushing slowly the door open, he smiled at the sight. You were curled up on top of the sheets, a relaxed expression on your face. Your dad took some time to look at you with a proud grin on his lips.

He couldn’t be less proud of you. You were doing what you always dreamed of doing. He remembered coming home after a long day at work only to find you in the kitchen, singing some song that was playing on the speaker and cutting vegetables.

You had a real talent, and he was your biggest supporter. He encouraged you to pursue your career, assuring you that he had your back.

Shaking softly his head, he slowly come into the room and approached the bed.

Sweetheart? He asked softly. You need to wake up, honey.

You whined, blinking your eyes opened. How long did I sleep?

Something like three hours.

Oh shit. What time is it?

A little after five. We have some cold beer if you want to.

No offence, Dad, but it’s a little too early for me. You laughed.

Bah. It’s never too early for a beer. No, come on, sweetheart. He held out his hand for you to take and helped you get up.

Didn’t you guys leave? You didn’t want to go explore a bit?

We might go on a little walk before dinner. Just to see around the house. Do you want to come?

You nodded. Yea,h let me just get changed, and I will meet you guys downstairs.

The rest of the evening went smoothly; you accompanied the four men on a little walk on the small roads around the house. You didn’t really participate in the conversation, too busy admiring the valley and the mountains that surrounded the property.

After dinner, you decided to go to bed early, wanting to fight this fatigue off. The other men stayed up a little bit, you could hear them laughing softly outside.

~~~

You turned in your sheets, kicking the covers off of your legs. Now you regretted falling asleep for three hours this afternoon. You should’ve known better.

Deciding you were not going to fall asleep anytime soon, you changed into a bathsuit and went downstairs. When you arrived later on, you saw the large pool in the garden. That was your plan until you crashed into a hard wall.

At least you thought it was a hard wall until you felt two big hands on each of your forearms. Looking up, your eyes met Jack’s, who was already looking at you with amusement.

Woah. Are you okay? He was wearing a black shirt and grey sweet pants, the most relaxed fit you had ever seen him wear.

Shit sorry. Yeah, I just… Didn’t see you.

No shit. Where were you going like that?

Isn’t it obvious? You asked, pointing towards what you were wearing.

Jack regretted instantly looking down at your body. He froze like a deer caught in the lights of a car. He didn’t think he was going to see so much skin. So much of your skin.

Jack? You tried to catch his eyes. You're okay?

The doctor cleared his throat after ripping his eyes away from you. Do I need to stay downstairs to make sure you don’t drown?

You scoffed. No. Go to bed or we will have to deal with another grumpy old man tomorrow. You told him as you made your way outside, hiding your smirk from him.

Jack snorted, waiting to hear the door closing before going back to his room.

It’s not until he went to close the curtains that he realised the view he had of the pool. Of you.

Jack didn’t close the curtains that night. Just in case you needed help, of course.

~~~

You were already in the kitchen when Kenny woke up. You had your AirPods in, dancing on some song while you held a pan over the stove.

He laughed at the sight and sat on a stool across from you, waiting for you to notice him. When you did, you smiled, taking off one of your AirPods.

Hi! Did you sleep well?

Hello, my love. I did. What about you? What are you doing up this early?

Couldn’t sleep. Figured I could cook breakfast for all you old men. You know, make sure you get all the protein you need.

Ahah. He deadpanned. So… What’s new in your life? Any boyfriend?

You laughed. No. If they could all stay away from me, I wouldn’t complain.

But weren’t you seeing someone? What was his name… Jacob!

God, no. You shivered at the memory. He left my life six months ago. And I’m grateful he did.

And no one else since then?

You shook your head. No one that mattered.

And what about your job? Your dad told us you started a new one recently.

Yes! It’s a new restaurant in Pittsburgh, it opened recently so it’s still really trendy. The team is so great and creative. Like I have a say in the menu, in the produce…

You look really happy there.

I am. You grinned.

You know Jack’s also working there?

Yes, Dad told me.

And you've never seen each other there?

Nop. You popped the "p". We only met at Dad’s. Kenny just hummed, looking pleased with himself. What?

He raised both of his hands. Absolutely nothing, my love. You just seem to get along really well.

I get along with all of you. You laughed softly. Now do you want to try my Œufs Bénédicte?

Yes. He clapped his hands with excitement, gesturing at Marc, who just had woken up to come eat. Your daughter is cooking us breakfast.

~~~

Are you sure you want to do that? You asked all of them, your hands on your hips and one of your brows raised.

You were met with "Yeah!" And "Why not?"

I mean you’re in your sixties… I don’t want you to get stuck in a tree or something.

Mind you, Jack is only 44. Kenny interrupted you.

You looked at Jack, who was already staring at you with his arms over his chest and a smirk on his lips.

We will be fine. Your father assured you.

They wanted to do what French people called "accrobranche" which basically meant swinging from one tree to another on cables. Seeing the average age of the people at the adventure park, your father and his friends were among the oldest. Hence your concern.

Jack’s a doctor. It’s fine. Steve added with a roll of his eyes, clearly not a big fan of the grey-haired man.

Kids were screaming above you, their parents walking under them with worried glances.

Then let’s do it. You smiled, walking to the reception to get some harnesses. Hi.

Hi, my name is Pierre. How can I help you today? The man, who must be around your age, asked you with a smile.

We would like to get equipped.

Sure, how many people are you guys?

Five. You looked behind you where the four men were standing, waiting for you.

Pierre made you pay the ticket and then went to get harnesses. He gave one to each man and then walked to you. Do you need help? I can attach it if you want me to.

Oh hum… I think I will manage. Thank you, though! You replied politely, your cheeks heating with embarrassment to be flirted with in front of your dad.

After putting your equipment on, Pierre explained the rules of the park and insisted over the fact that you could get help at any point on the parkour. When he was done, he turned to you.

If you need any help, don’t hesitate. I- We’re here to help you.

I think she will manage just fine. Jack called out, staring weirdly at the young man. Thank you for the explanations though.

Oh y-yeah of course. Have fun!

Well, that was awkward. You laughed awkwardly, looking at all the men.

Kenny was looking at you with a big smile on his lips; your father was completely unbothered, and Steve was quite literally not listening to you. He might have stopped listening as soon as the boy started talking.

You all walked to the start of the first parkour, you and Jack going first, followed by Henry, your father and Steve.

The first part was wooden logs spaced apart and suspended, perhaps 2 metres above the ground. It was easy to walk on them, and you arrived to the platform in a few seconds, Jack right behind you.

Henry was already screaming as the logs moved under his feet. You smiled and encouraged him as you started the next segment. This time you had to walk on a cord, and another cord at shoulder level to help you.

This one was a little more tricky since the cord wasn’t that taut and you were wobbling around.

If she is struggling, how am I going to be able to do it? Kenny whined, looking really worried at the sight of your body trembling on the cord.

When you put your first foot on the wooden platform, the cord moved under the other, signaling that Jack had started to walk on it.

The parkour wasn’t that hard, but Kenny, Steve, and your father were struggling more the more you progressed. You ended up having some advantage on the rest of the group, even on Jack, who was doing quite well.

You could see the end of the parkour, with only a zip line separating you from it. You didn’t wait for the others to step on the same platform as you and glided down the zip line, enjoying the wind on your face.

When Jack arrived after you, you heard a strange noise as his right leg touched the ground. The weird expression on his face didn’t really reassure you either.

Are you okay? You asked him as you moved closer.

Yeah, my leg just didn’t really like the whole being up in the sky thing. It’s not used to do that much movement.

You’re an ED doctor running all night, what do you mean your leg is not used to that much movement?

Jack glanced behind him to see where the rest of the group was before looking back at you. He sighed, bending down to raise the right leg of his pants to his knee. You widened your eyes slightly at the sight of his prosthesis. Recovering quickly, you looked back at his face with a smile.

Well, I guess you just initiated it to tree climbing.

He laughed, shaking his head. You could see the tension in his shoulders ease away. Was he anxious about your reaction?

Does any of them know? You nodded your head to the three other men who were starting the zip line.

Your father.

Then it will be our little secret. You grinned at him before returning your attention to your dad, who was coming full speed towards you.

Your reaction warmed Jack’s heart. He wasn’t ashamed of his amputation. Hell, most of his colleagues knew about it if they stayed around after the end of the night shift. He just never brought it up with this group of friends. After all, they all carried luggage from the past.

Of course the doctor had met people who reacted badly at the view of his amputated leg. Either out of awkwardness or maybe disdain. He didn’t really know.

Jack didn’t know what was going to be your reaction. Still, a part of him was sure you weren’t going to be one of these people who would ask thousands of questions or look at him with pity. He lost his leg, grieved it, dealt with it in therapy and was now able to live his life almost as peacefully as before.

You’re good to continue?

I am. I’m just not so sure about them. He stared at the three other men who were walking to you, Kenny really pale.

For the love of God, please let’s stop now. He begged no one in particular.

You laughed as he grabbed your hand to hold onto your support. What happened?

I’m pretty sure I lost what was left of my dignity up there.

So not that much. Steve grumbled under his breath, but everyone still heard him.

Fuck you, Steve. Kenny shrieked at him.

Marc, you good? Jack asked your father.

Yeah… He was out of breath too. I just didn’t think it was going to be that…

Look at them, showing off because they’re young and active and working out. Kenny added, looking at you and Jack with envy.

Stop acting like I’m some… Gym bro or something. Because I’m not.

You work out after your night shifts. Marc pointed.

I did. Past tense.

Yeah, yeah, sure. Marc waved, already walking to the exit of the park. Let’s take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. I’m not sure Steve’s heart can handle much more.

You fucker, talk for yourself.

~~~

You drove back to the house since none of the men were in the state to do so. Even Jack had looked at you apologetically before climbing in the backseat. The drive wasn’t a long one, and yet all of them had fallen asleep on the way, one of them snoring loudly. You were pretty sure it was Steve even though he always said he didn’t.

When you parked in front of the house, you wondered if you needed to wake them up or just leave the car running until they woke up. You didn’t need to make any choice since Steve woke up suddenly with a loud scream, waking all of his friends up in the process. You jumped, a hand clutching your chest.

What the fuck?! Marc looked at him, fear on his face.

What? Steve asked as if nothing happened before jumping out of the car.

That man is fucking weird. You shook your head, turning off the car and exiting.

~~~

You were searching the whole house for your cap, the one you had just this morning. You thought you had left it on the vanity in your room, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Your father was sleeping soundly in his room, the door slightly agape just in case. Kenny was listening to a podcast in his bath, telling everyone to not disturb him.

Coming downstairs, you looked around in the living room for your cap, still not finding it. What you found, though, was a sleeping Steve spread out on the couch. His mouth was open, and loud snores were coming out of him. You shook your head with a soft smile. Still no cap.

Walking to the kitchen, you find a simple black cap on the island. You presumed it was your father’s and just took it, knowing he wouldn’t mind.

Going outside, you walked to the pool and let your towel fall on the floor. Your dad had taken out an inflatable mattress the day before, and you decided to lie on it in the pool for a bit.

Sunglasses and cap on, you closed your eyes, enjoying the feel of the water under your hands and feet.

Is that my cap? You heard someone ask from the side of the pool.

You opened one eye to find Jack standing with his hands on his hips right besides the pool, at your level. He seemed so tall like that. You couldn’t stop yourself and checked him out.

Maybe…? To be honest, it was just lying there and I thought it was my dad’s.

Can’t you read? He nodded to the inscription on the cap - something about the army, you thought.

You frowned at his tone. No need to be rude.

Jack’s shoulders rose slightly at your reaction, realising that his reply had come out harder than he intended to. To be frank, he was destabilised by the sight of you wearing his army cap. The one he kept even after coming home with PTSD. When he couldn’t stomach seeing any reminder.

And after all, the cap could’ve been your father’s. He doubted you knew in what regiment your father served in.

He cleared his throat and continued to stare at you.

If you want it back, you will have to come get it. You don’t know what prompted you to say that. Hell, you cringed as you heard the words come out of your mouth.

Jack was clearly not expecting that either, seeing the way his eyes widened slightly. He recovered quickly, crossing his arms over his chest.

You’re playing a game I can’t be a part of. Was all he said before leaving you alone outside to face your embarrassment.

What the fuck just happened?

~~~

Jack slammed his door a bit stronger than he wanted to, his hands in his hair. What the fuck was that? He didn’t think you could be so… open about whatever this was.

He felt like a creep. You were fifteen years younger than him for fuck’s sake. And one of his closest friends’ daughter.

But that meant you also felt this weird energy between the two of you. This pull he only felt with his late wife.

Jack took a deep breath and did the only thing he could. Call Robby or Dana. Whoever answered first. He wasn’t sure, but if he remembered correctly, today was Robby’s day off.

Brother, what can I do for you? The other doctor asked him after answering the phone on the third ring. I thought you were on vacation.

I am. Or was. Fuck.

What the hell happened to you? You sound strained.

Do you remember Marc?

I’ve heard of him, yes. Jack could almost hear Robby roll his eyes at the stupid question. Why?

He has a daughter. A twenty-nine chef daughter who works in Pittsburgh.

…Okay…

Said daughter is with us.

A pause. Oh.

Yeah, "oh". The grey-haired man deadpanned.

I mean she’s twenty-nine. It’s not that young. Her frontal lobe has been fully developed for four years.

I can’t, man… It’s not… Marc… I can’t.

Robby chuckled on the other side of the line. Then get your head outta your ass and step back. She will understand why it’s not possible. But. He paused again. Don’t look at her with your puppy eyes. Reduce your interaction to the strict necessities.

I’m not doing anything! He exclaimed.

Believe me, brother, you do. You’re kinda magnetic. And unbothered. But don’t fuck this up. Out of respect for her dad, sure, but also and above all for her and you. He laughed even more. I’m never going to let that down.

Go fuck yourself, man. Jack hung up with a roll of his eyes; he still felt like shit.

~~~

You didn’t lock yourself up in your room, choosing to own it like a big girl. You flirted and got a cold shower, so what? You will survive. It’s not big deal. At all.

Except Jack has been avoiding you and every room you were in. Which meant that he was basically the one who locked himself up in his room. Your father started to suspect something was up, and you were practically sure that Kenny already knew what happened just from the way he was looking at you. It’s fine; everything was fine.

It has been two days since the pool incident, and he has yet to speak a word to you. Not wanting him to miss most of his vacation because of that stupid sentence, you stepped back. Letting the four men go to do activities while you either stayed at the house or went to the towns around the house to visit.

It worked just fine until your dad knocked on your door, a white shirt in his hands. Hi sweetheart. He greeted you with a warm smile. Get ready, we’re going out tonight.

Where?

At a nice restaurant Kenny wanted to try for ages. I don’t have the name, he just told me to dress accordingly. He rolled his eyes.

When are we leaving?

In about thirty to forty-five minutes.

You nodded and watched him leave the room and close the door behind him. Well, shit. That was going to be an awkward meal.

~~~

You were right. It was fucking awkward, and you were not even at the restaurant yet. When you came downstairs all dressed up, you only found your dad and Kenny standing in the living room.

Look at you! You look like an actress at the Festival de Cannes. He held out his hand to help you descend the last steps.

Why, thank you, my dear. You laughed softly at Kenny’s antics and grabbed his hand.

You look fantastic, honey. Marc smiled at you.

The three of you came out of the house, your arm now linked with Kenny’s. Your steps faltered slightly when you saw Jack, his back against the car. He was wearing green linen pants with a shirt. He was incredibly hot.

Jack held his breath for a few seconds when he perceived you after two days of no contact. You were magnificent. There were no other words to describe you.

Steve side-eyed him weirdly when he noticed how tense the doctor had become. He didn’t say anything, and that didn’t help Jack’s nerves.

He nodded to you and climbed in the drive seat. You walked to the other side of the car, fully intending to climb in the back seat when Marc called your name.

I think you should climb in the front, honey. The roads are kinda tricky, and I would hate it if you couldn’t enjoy the meal because you felt nauseous.

You didn’t say anything, just nodded to show your agreement before going to the other door. When you opened it, Jack’s eyes went comically wide when he realized that you were going to be seated next to him. He recovered quickly and diverted his attention before starting the car.

Things didn’t get better when he walked in last in the restaurant after parking the car and realized the only empty spot was across from yours. He hid it like a champ.

You almost laughed every time you noticed that he was doing everything he could to avoid any eye contact or conversation with you. The bastard was actually smooth.

The doctor refused to drink even when you assured him that you could drive back to the house. It’s not that he didn’t trust you. He didn’t trust himself around you sober, so with some liquid courage…

The memo didn’t get passed to the whole table since by the dessert your dad, Kenny, and Steve were laughing loudly at anything. Thankfully, the restaurant had emptied out a bit; you would have received more weird glances either way.

Three of you five being drunk meant the only one you could actually have a conversation with was Jack. You both knew it and ignored it. Silence was all for the rest of the meal.

When you were done, Jack got up to pay and left you for five minutes, which meant you had to get the three other idiots up on their feet.

Now come on, guys. Please don’t get run over. You told them when you exited the restaurant to wait for Jack.

They’re all here?

Yep. You popped the p and grabbed Kenny’s forearm to prevent him from walking right on the road. Not that way Kenny.

You safely buckled them in the car, with Jack taking care of your father and Steve, who was still as grumpy as he was sober. He was grumbling about aliens or some conspiracy theory he firmly believed in. You couldn't stop yourself from smiling at him, knowing drunk Steve was exactly the same person sober.

What's so funny? Jack asked you from the other side of the backseat where he was buckling your father.

It feels like a million ages ago that my dad was actually the one driving me home after a party.

You returned your attention to Kenny, who was whining over the fact that he really wanted to call Henry to tell him how much he loved him. It was heartwarming to see how much these two loved each other. How long they waited before acting on their feelings.

Pssst. Kenny whispered loudly in your ear. You want to know a secret? You nodded. Jackie has a crush on you. The man proceeded to burst out laughing as if he had just told the funniest joke ever.

You didn't look at Jack's face, noticing the way his hands faltered over the seat belt.

Sure. Please don't do anything stupid until we get home.

You closed the door and climbed in the passenger seat, waiting for the doctor to do the same. After he did, he turned on the car.

Ready? He asked you, looking directly at you for the first time since two days.

You nodded and he took off.

Did you like the meal? He asked you after a while of driving through the winding roads.

It was fantastic. The French are really the most talented cooks in the world. Like the association of the strawberry, the peac,h and the basil for dessert? To die for. You bit your lips at the memory. God, I'm getting so much inspiration right now. You were illuminated with happiness.

Did you always know you wanted to do that?

Pretty much since I'm a teenager. Cooking has always been a way for me to deal with my feelings. A healthy way, you know. You explained with your hands. Do you cook?

Yeah. I have to since I'm living alone. I'm not so bad. Not at your level, of course, but I manage on my own. Most of the people I work with are always ordering takeout. When they go home, they're usually too tired to cook anything.

I think I would be too, if I came out of a twelve-hour shift.

Yeah, well, you almost have the same schedule as us.

You snorted. Not at all. I mean, I start around five and finish at one am. It's nothing like a shift in the ED.

I will take your word on that. He parked in front of the house and waited for you to get out first.

You helped Kenny out of the backseat, walking him upstairs to his room. You left him to change before returning to the car to help Jack with the others.

You're fine with Steve? You asked him as your dad put an arm around your shoulders.

Yeah. He shrugged. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? He said with sarcasm, fully aware of the later dislike.

If he tries to bite you, just call me. You replied with a smirk, helping your dad inside.

What do you mean "bite me"?! He called out after you.

~~~

Once again, you put on your swimsuit, ready to go swim some laps in the pool. The moon was hiding behind clouds, and you were thankful for the lights that had been installed outside.

You stopped dead in your tracks when you noticed that you weren’t alone out there. Jack was sitting on the border of the pool, his legs in the water. You knew he had heard just by seeing the way his back tensed.

Shit, sorry. You apologized for disturbing what seemed to be a moment of meditation. I can come back later, if you want. You pointed to the door with your thumb.

No, it’s okay. It’s already late as it is. I don’t think I’ll sleep well knowing you’re swimming alone in the middle of the night.

You thought he was going to leave since he didn’t want to be in your vacinity and yet, he stayed where he was sat looking down at the water wrapped around his skin.

You tried to ignore him the best you could, not wanting to perturb him more than you already did. You descended in the pool, sighing as the cold water hit your skin. You swam a few laps, your mind focused on the fact that you really shouldn't glance at the doctor. He seemed to be deep in himself when you came out of the house, and staring at him would really be putting a nail in your coffin.

Your fight against yourself didn't last since after touching the wall of the pool with your palms, you risked a glance at the man. He was still looking down at the water, completely static.

That's when you noticed he had taken off his prosthesis, his right leg shorter than the other. You weren't sure if he was actually looking at his stump or if he was just lost in his thoughts.

Okay, I'm sorry to bother you again, but you're kinda freaking me out right now. You told him from the opposed side of the pool. Are you okay?

Jack immediately raised his head to look at you. You didn't miss the way his eyes racked your whole body before stopping on your face.

You're worrying about me, Angel? There he was, the cocky Jack of the airport.

I mean, you look like you're going to jump off the roof. I'm just making sure you're not actually going to do that.

His smile was a little bit sad, not reaching his eyes. Nah, I'm just... Thinking. He sighed.

... About jumping off a cliff? You tried again.

He laughed now, with his full body shaking, his legs creating little waves in the pool. He whipped a tear from his cheek. Fuck, I needed that.

You swam closer, stopping not so far from him, so close that you had to look up to see his face. I'm serious, though. Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm thinking about something a friend said.

Are you sure they're a friend? Because your face looked the opposite.

He snorted. He is a close friend. He is just... Brutally honest and kinda an asshole?

Sounds like someone I know. You replied pointedly, he smiled. About last time-

It's okay. Jack immediately interrupted you.

For the love of God let me finish. You hissed and deturned your attention. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I was out of line and completely read the situation wrong.

You didn't. It was so sincere you had to look back at him to make sure he was serious.

What do you mean? You walked a step closer.

You didn’t read the situation wrong. I’m the one who should apologise.

You laughed softly. You didn’t do anything wrong.

Just thinking about you the way I do is wrong. You held your breath; he shook his head and averted his eyes for a few seconds. If your father knew about that…

He wouldn’t do anything.

He scoffed. Yeah, sure. His friend is lusting after his daughter, and he will just what? Accept?

Lusting, eh? You smirked, approaching him even closer, your chest almost touching his knees.

You looked down and watched the small gape between the two of you. You raised your hand and put it on his right knee slowly, making sure he was okay with your touch. When he didn’t push you away, you smiled a little. Does it still hurt?

The prosthesis sometimes does. Notably after a long shift. His hand played with your fingers. Or after climbing a tree. He joked.

I think Kenny is still shaking. You laughed too and turned your head to hide a shiver.

You’re cold. He noted, stopping his movements and now holding your hand.

I’m alright.

Maybe you should go back inside.

Maybe I should. None of you moved.

A loud noise broke the bubble you had built around the two of you, pushing you to step back from the doctor before anyone could misinterpret anything. You swam to the stairs, climbing out of the pool, knowing very well that Jack’s eyes were still on you. You wrapped your towel around you and walked past him, whispering a good night as you made your way back inside.

Jack still felt the ghost of your touch even when he was lying alone in his bed.

~~~

When Jack made his way downstairs, way later than he habitually does, he was met by his three friends and none of your trace. Weird, since you were always ones of the first one to be up, insisting on cooking breakfast for the whole house.

Steve was outside, in the middle of the grass, making movements that could look like yoga if it was anyone else. He stared for a while longer until Marc came to stand besides him.

Is he okay?

Yeah, his daughter gifted him a lesson of yoga for Christmas. Since then, every morning he does a short session. Marc patted him on the back. Be happy he is dressed. It's not the case when he's home.

He has a daughter?

Four actually. All from different women. But that man would walk through fire for them.

Well, shit. Jack laughed, shaking his head.

Speaking about daughter- Jack stiffened- have you seen mine?

No. Why? She didn't come down yet? Your father shook his head. I think she might still be sleeping, she was in the pool until late last night.

Really? Were you with her?

Jack cleared his throat, refusing to look at your father. We crossed paths when I was going to sleep.

Should I go see if everything's alright?

It's only ten. You should wait until at least eleven.

Your father nodded, a worried expression on his face. The doctor smiled at him with reassurance even though his own guts were telling him that something was wrong.

~~~

Your head was killing you. You had woken up completely dehydrated early in the morning, and swallowed a bottle of water before going back to sleep. You didn't have the force to get up, your limbs were too sore to do anything but lie there in your bed. You were so fucking hot.

Someone knocked on your door, waiting for you to say anything. Come in. You whined, pushing the heels of your palms in your eyes.

Honey? Are you okay?

No. I have a terrible headache that won't go away.

Oh, sweetheart. Your father came closer, pushing hair from your burning forehead. You're burning. I'm gonna go get Jack.

You didn't have time to protest that your father was already downstairs, calling Jack to come check on you. He quickly climbed the stairs, too quickly, and pushed open your bedroom's door.

Hi. He told you as he came closer to your bed. Where do you hurt? He asked softly, standing right beside the side of the bed you were on.

Everywhere. Mostly my head. And my limbs. You swallowed. Fuck, I'm so thirsty.

I'm gonna go get some water for you. Your father said.

Please bring the first aid kit too. Jack told him. Did you stay outside the whole afternoon yesterday? You nodded and watched as your father handed him the first aid kit. Can I? He asked, showing you the forehead thermometer he was holding, and you nodded.

The coldness of his hands against your burning forehead was moan-worthy. You held it in and waited for him to be done.

You have a fever. You might have heatstroke. He told you, his eyes scanning your face.

What do we do in that case? Marc asked him.

We make sure she drinks enough and wait for her to cool down. Did you take anything for your headache?

At eight.

At twelve you can take another one. Do we have anything that could refresh her?

I think I saw a fan in my closet. I will be back.

Jack sat down beside you, the mattress dipping under his weight. I really want to do a bad joke right now, but I'm not going to. He told you with a small smile.

You don't need to, I almost said it too. You watched your father plug in the fan, sighing in relief as the cool hair hit your skin. So no boat activities for me, eh?

Nop. Bedrest until you feel better.

We're cancelling.

What? You frowned and sat up. No you don't. I will be fine, I just need to drink some water. You guys should go.

And leave you alone? Hell no. Your father replied, crossing his arms.

I will stay with her. Make sure she cools down enough.

You sure?

Yes. I'm the doctor here. Besides what would you do? Stand there and look at her with worry?

Marc ignored him. Are you going to be okay with Jack? I can stay.

Yeah, I'll be fine. Beside Jack and I have a Tic-Tac-Toe game to finish. You smiled. I'm serious. Go. You waved your hand, urging him to leave.

He agreed, nodding once before throwing a worried look at Jack.

I'll take care of her, don't worry.

Your father relucutantly agreed, stopping to kiss you on the forehead before leaving. You waited to hear the car drive away before opening your mouth.

I'm not sure being alone with you is the right way to make my fever go away. You laughed as Jack winced at your cringe joke.

Do you want to stay here, or would you rather be in the living room? It might be cooler there. I can close the shutters if you want.

You nodded, and Jack held out a hand for you to take to get up. You did and walked with him downstairs, his hand never leaving yours. Just in case you fell, of course.

He made sure you were comfortable on the couch, keeping cold water close to you and plugging in the fan he had gotten downstairs. You thought he was going to leave you alone and were surprised when he plopped down on the couch besides you. He grabbed the remote without hesitation, trying to find something to watch.

You've got to be kidding me. You groaned as you realized what he had put on. Lethal weapon? Really?

Shut up, it’s a classic. And I’m sure you’ve never seen it.

Excuse me?! You exclaimed, offended. Have you never met my dad or…?

Unfortunately I did. He deadpanned, raising his feet on the table. Now shut up and watch.

You fell asleep ten minutes in the movie.

~~~

You opened your eyes to a dark and empty living room, Jack’s spot empty. You wiped your eyes, taking in your surroundings.

Your headache had gone, thanks to the painkiller you had taken. You felt better even if your legs were still sore. You didn’t feel as hot as you did, meaning that your fever must have gone down.

But you were confused as to why the house was so silent. Sure, your father, Kenny, and Steve were gone for the day on a boat, but Jack was supposed to stay home to keep an eye on you. Thing he had taken really seriously.

You got up, wincing at the soreness of your whole body, and started a quest to find Jack. It only took you two minutes, and you stopped dead on your way when you saw him.

Fuck me. You whispered as you took the scene in front of you.

The grey-haired man was shirtless, standing in the grass looking edible. He must be doing some sort of yoga, considering he had his eyes closed and his breathing seemed to be following a certain pattern.

Since he hadn’t seen you yet, you took your time to admire him. You had seen a lot of pretty men in your life; you even dated some of them. But all of your exes looked like boys next to Dr. Jack Abbot. His grey curls, his toned chest, and the way he carried himself, like he knew he was handsome… All of that added up to create a beautiful man, both sarcastic and kind but also very, very caring for the people he loved.

You didn’t know him that much and never asked about his past as a veteran or as a husband. But one look at him was enough to understand that about him. You knew he was in therapy, your dad had told you that much. It must have been working since he wasn’t wearing his ring anymore.

He was a deeply scarred man, both physically and emotionally, but he was also a good friend, a good doctor, and a good man.

Are you going to stand there and catch another heatstroke? He called out to you, getting your attention.

Busted. You shook your head, trying to chase the thoughts away, and walked to him. What are you doing?

Yoga.

You, Doctor Jack Abbot, are doing yoga?

What’s so surprising?

I don’t know… everything?

Steve does too.

You snorted. Yeah sure.

Ask your father, he will confirm.

Seriously? He nodded. Well shit.

That’s what I said. He replied, keeping going with his breathing exercises.

You kept watching him, closer now and completely entranced by the way he was moving. The bubble was once again popped by your phone ringing now. You grabbed it in your hand, fully intending on turning it off.

It’s my dad. You swiped right. Hi Dad. Yeah, everything’s okay, I’m feeling better. What? I can’t clearly hear you. Yes, he is with me. Wait, I’m putting you on speaker.

Yeah thanks, honey. So as I was saying, we might not be able to come home tonight. Apparently a part of a cliff had fallen down on the road to the house. The cops said the road won’t reopen until tomorrow.

Shit, aren’t there any other accesses?

Well, I asked a guy, he said that there wasn’t. We’re stuck… Actually you guys are stuck. We’re gonna find a hotel for the night and try to come home early tomorrow.

Okay. Be careful, guys.

Dad, send me a text when you’re at the hotel and when you leave, please.

Will do. I gotta go, sweetheart, I will see you tomorrow. I love you.

Love you too. You replied as he hung up. Well I guess we’re stuck together until tomorrow. You said, looking at Jack with a smirk.

Fantastic. Fuck. Jack thought.

I will leave you to your… yoga. You told him as you walked back to the house. I will start something for dinner.

Like hell you are, you’re still in bed rest.

I’m feeling better! And you closed your door, leaving a grinning Jack standing in the grass.

~~~

Fuck me that’s good. How can pasta be so good?!

The proudness seeping in you was not a new feeling, that much, though? That was new.

You gotta give me the address of your restaurant, I need to try it out.

I will send it to you. Then you remembered that you didn’t have his number. Actually, I don’t have your number, so let me write it on something. You looked around for a piece of paper and a pen-

Here. He gave you his phone, which was unlocked on a blank contact sheet.

You froze for a moment, not expecting him to just… give you his phone like that. You recovered quickly, grabbing the phone and entering your number. You have it back to him, and he sent you a text so you would have his.

Aren’t you scared that I’m going to harass you?

He starred at you. Why would you do that? And even if you did, I wouldn’t mind. It would occupy me.

Your heart did a weird thing. Like you felt something different in your ribcage. Weird. You averted your attention to your plate, not wanting to overanalyse it. It was nothing.

When you were done, you got up to start the dishes when Jack grabbed you by your wrist gently and shoved you back on your seat.

You cook, I clean. He simply said, grabbing the plates and going to the sink.

Can I at least dry?

Nop. Keep your ass on this seat. I won’t ask again. He warned you, and it made you shiver. Just look pretty or something. He mumbled, focused on the task at hand.

He said it so offhandedly that it almost didn’t register. But it did.

~~~

The entire scene was too fucking domestic. So much so that your brain was actually letting you down. You could almost feel it leak out of your ear. Traitor.

Jack had been nice all night, doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen while talking with you from where you were sitting. You didn’t have any distractions, forced to actually watch him do all those chores as if you were living together.

When he was done, you walked together to the living room, still talking about your recipe of pasta, to watch something. He plopped down next to you, even closer than before. So close your shoulders touched every time one of you opened your mouths.

You liked seeing him that way. Relaxed, easy-going, domestic. He wasn’t the guarded doctor anymore. Nor your dad’s really close friend. He was just Jack.

You grabbed the remote before he could, arguing that since he already chose a movie before, it was your turn. He didn’t put up much fight, chuckling at your request.

That was another thing you discovered: Jack’s laugh. It was beautiful. It rearranged your atoms a different way every time you heard it. Which was a lot since he was freely expressing his emotions around you now.

Just to hear it more, you put some stupid reality show on, watching his incredulous face at the plot.

Wait, wait. So they’re all stuck in a house because they… want to find love or something? He asked you, still struggling to grasp the whole concept.

Yeah. I mean most of them do it for the money.

What the fuck are people watching nowadays?! He turned to you with horror.

It’s not even the worst you can find. You snorted at his face.

I am horrified. None of them actually find love, am I right?

Yep. I mean I don’t really know since I’ve never watched it.

Then why do they call it "love" island? They’re not even on an island! Is that what young people think love is?

Hum… You really thought about this one. I don’t really now. I mean, I think our vision of love might be different than our parent’s but… We still believe in soulmates so… I mean some do.

You don’t? His full attention was on you now.

You cleared your throat. I don’t think we only have one soulmate out there. Because what are the chances we do actually meet them? None. I like the idea of having certain persons with whom I feel like I belong. Not necessarily romantically, but you know… You explained with your hands.

That’s a really great point of view. It actually makes sense.

Thanks, I guess? You laughed softly. What about you?

I don’t know if your dad told you but I was married.

I knew. You were wearing a ring when we first met, but you never brought up any partner, so I just… understood.

She died and I felt like what was left of me died with her. He took a deep breath. You know, when you saw and did the things that I did you- your brain switches. The world, people- you see everything differently. That’s why a lot of us descend into hell when we come back. But she- He swallowed. She was my lighthouse in the middle of the storm. I felt invincible when I was with her. And then… then she passed and- I couldn’t even describe how everything collapsed. I collapsed. He looked in your eyes now. One time, right after my shift, Robby- the day attending and a close friend- found me on the roof. You froze. I was so close to- He cleared his throat to hide his voice breaking. He was there for me. After that I started therapy, and I think I can say I’m doing better, or at least I’m on the right path and-

He was cut short by you when you threw your arms around him and hugged him tight. He didn’t move for a minute until his brain reconnected and he put his arms around you.

I’m okay now. He whispered in your hair.

Jack… You’re so brave… You told him, your voice muffled in his T-shirt.

We all are. You raised your head to look at him, and one of his hands fell on your cheek. You are too.

You don’t know if it was the way he said it. Or that it was late at night. Or that you had a really nice evening with him, acting as if you were more than your father’s friend and his daughter. Like it was possible. You were so close, so close. His eyes dropped to your lips at the same time as yours. Suddenly there were no barriers anymore.

You don’t know who closed the gap or who did what, but it felt good. It felt right. You felt as if you belonged there on the couch, in Jack’s arms, on Jack’s lap, with Jack in your room.

It went from zero to a hundred in so little time. He was the combustible you were the flame.

That night, you fell asleep with your head on Jack’s naked chest, his arms wrapped around you and his lips on your head.

~~~

You woke up with a hard wall behind you and a weight over your stomach. You frowned, keeping your eyes closed, and tried to fall back asleep. But when said hard wall behind started moving, you tensed, opening wide your eyes. Shit.

The events of the previous night came back in your fogged brain, and your cheeks heated at the memories. Well, shit.

You turned around in his grip to face him and met his already opened eye.

Hi. You whispered.

Hi. Jack pushed a strand of hair behind your ear.

It’s only when you hear the sound of a door closing outside that you both shoot up, sitting wide-eyed like deer caught in car lights.

Shit they’re already back! Jack shouted in a whisper, getting up and almost falling since you had helped him take off his prosthesis.

Are you okay? You asked him, sitting on your knees on the bed.

Yeah- He looked you up and down, eyes becoming darker. He shook his head, looking around to find his clothes. Have you seen my shirt?

Uh… You looked down at what you were wearing. I did.

He stared at it longer than he should have, the sight of your form in his clothes made his brain fog up. You know what? Keep it. He told you, starting to put back his prosthesis on.

You sure?

Oh yeah. He nodded with vigour. It fits you way better than it fits me.

For a few seconds you stayed like that, staring at each other with stupid smiles on your faces. It was only when you heard noise at the bottom of the stairs that you both went back to running. Jack ran to the door, putting his hand on the doorknob before turning away and coming to kiss you on the forehead.

I will see you around. He whispered against your head before going back to his room.

You fall back on your bed, a stupid smile on your lips.

~~~

When you finally decided to go downstairs after a well-needed shower, you did so slowly, not sure if the three other men had gone back to sleep.

In the kitchen, everyone was already seated around the table, breakfast laid out on the wood. You looked at Jack, who was already smirking at you.

Here she is! Your father exclaimed, jumping on his feet to hug you.

Hi, Dad. How are you guys? And where does that come from? You asked them as you nodded to the food on the table.

Well, since you’ve been cooking for most of the week and you’re still on vacation, we thought that maybe we could bring something so you wouldn’t have to cook anything.

Thank you! But y’all should know by now that I love cooking, and it’s really not a problem.

We know. Steve told you, patting you on the arm. For what it's worth, I prefer your oatmeal.

Thank you.

The rest of the day passed slowly, made of laughter, discussion about the future, and jokes about old stories.

~~~

The sun was setting over the mountains, a light breeze falling on the valley. You were sitting outside with the four other men, laughing at a story your dad was telling his friend.

I will always remember the face he made when I opened the door instead of you. The poor boy almost passed out right there, on the porch. He laughed, whipping tears from his eyes.

It was prom! You exclaimed. I told you to not do that and to wait for me to come down, but you didn't listen to me. It's a miracle he didn't leave.

What was his name again?

Parker. He was a football player in the high school team. The other men winced. No, he was actually kinda sweet for a seventeen-year-old boy.

Sweet?! He broke up with you right before your camping trip. Marc reminded you.

Actually, he didn't. He just... Moved on with another person. Without telling me. You recalled, laughing softly at the memory. I terrified him when I found him kissing some other girl in the tent.

I knew he was bad news. Like every other boy you brought back.

You snorted. Jeez, dad, I'm sorry for having such bad taste.

The only exception was Jacob. I liked that kid, he was serious.

Now you were fully laughing. Jacob?! He might have been the worse of them all.

What do you mean? Kenny asked since he had met Jacob when you brought him home once.

He was... You searched for the right words, insults only coming to your mind. Selfish. Deeply self-centered. You remember the award I won when I participated in this competition last year? Marc nodded. I told you he couldn't come because he had a family emergency. In fact he just... Didn't want to come. He said he was too tired from work, which he did from home, by the way. Our whole relationship was like that. I made the efforts, he returned nothing.

That asshole!

You say it, Marc. Kenny nodded his agreement. I knew something was up when you brought him home and he kept turning the attention on himself.

You need someone better. Your father told you seriously.

Yeah. Someone like... Kenny looked around, you could see the gear turning in his head, and you were already prepping yourself for what was about to come when his gaze stopped on Jack. Like Jack! That made him raise his head to the sound of his name.

What? Your father burst out laughing. He's too old! No, she needs someone her age. Maybe with Jack's qualities, though.

Your dad didn't notice the way your expression fell, nor how Jack tensed. He was completely unaware of the way you looked at each other, dark shadows on your faces.

No offense, man.

None taken. You're right, she deserves better. He said it while looking at you, his eyes never leaving yours.

I guess you're right. You sighed, letting your head fall back and closing your eyes.

~~~

It was the last night before you had to fly back home, and you found yourself at the same spot. Outside by the pool, under the moon. Everyone had gone to sleep, knowing they had to wake up early to bring you to the airport.

Your mind kept drifting to what your dad said, to Jack's answer... You did not talk at all after that, too busy to pack your stuff or to organise the next time you will come to see your father. The tension was palpable between the two of you. Dark clouds announcing a storm on the horizon.

You heard the door open but kept your eyes in front of you, fully aware of who could be up at this hour. You followed the noise of his steps on the gravel, of his clothes, when he came to sit besides you.

He was silent for a few minutes, surely trying to find the right to begin the painful conversation you needed to have.

He is right.

I know. You shighed, looking down at your thighs.

I would be a fool to keep you to myself when you could do... Be so many more things. You're only twenty-nine. Not even at the half of your life, and I don't want to be the selfish bastard who keeps you from growing into the person you want to be. He paused, waiting for you to look at him. I don't regret anything that happened.

Me neither. You looked at him. I really like you, Jack.

I really like you too, angel.

It sucks to be us.

It does. He nodded, pained.

I should go to bed. I'm leaving early tomorrow. You got up slowly, not really wanting to go.

Come here. He waved you to come to him, hugging you tight when you were at arm's reach. You're going to be the best chef Pittsburgh has ever seen. He whispered in your head and planted a kiss there.

I really hope so. You looked up at his face.

I know so. He affirmed, holding you by your shoulders.

He watched you leave, hoping you wouldn't turn around and see his face. The next morning, you shared a quick hug, and he stared at the car until he was sure he couldn't see it anymore, Kenny's hand patting him on the back.

~~~

Two months later.

You were standing besides Emily, your assistant chef, who was lying in a bed in the Emergency Departement, waiting to be seen. She had been burned on the forearm by boiling oil as she was cooking one plate for a client. The burn was too important for her to finish the service, and you insisted on accompanying her to the ED, knowing you could be replaced for the rest of your shift. There was only one hour left, and few clients were going to order anyway.

I'm sure it's not that bad. She assured you, still holding her arm. It doesn't even hurt that much. You should go home.

You're a bad liar, Em. I'm not leaving you alone.

Tom's going to be here any minute now.

Em. You warned her, begging her to shut up.

~~~

Jack was just coming out of the trauma room after saving once again the life of a patient. That one had been hard, the man kept coding. The relief he felt was short-lived when he saw the state of the ED. This shift wasn't a slow one at all, people kept coming in and very few left.

The doctor disinfected his hands with hand sanitizer, walking to the next room where another patient was waiting for care. The curtains were closed, and when he opened them, he froze as he came face-to-face with you.

He called out your name, quickly approaching and taking your arm in his to scan for any injuries. You didn't even have time to say anything, Jack going full doctor mode on you.

Jack. You called him softly. I'm fine. It's not for me. You told him as you pointed at Emily, who was enjoying way too much the show.

Sorry. He apologized, stepping back. What brings you here?

I mildly burnt myself at work.

She received boiling hot oil on the forearm. You corrected, watching Jack take her arm in his hand to inspect the injury.

You were right to bring her here. He said as another doctor entered the room with Tom, Emily's boyfriend. Dr. Ellis, could you please take care of her? He asked the woman who just came in.

Sure. She agreed, turning away to gather the stuff she needed.

Jack turned to you when Tom and Emily started talking. How long have you been waiting?

You looked down at your watch. Something like five hours, maybe a little more? We arrived at almost two in the morning. It was close to seven now.

You were working until two? He asked as he typed something on the computer in the room.

Yeah, it's one of the restaurant's "special night". We stay open longer than usual since there is a festival not so far from it.

You should've called me, you wouldn't have waited.

I wasn't sure I could. And I didn't know where you worked. You whispered as you watched the other doctor start to take care of Emily.

How did you guys come here? Tom asked, knowing you hated driving in Pittsburgh.

We took an Uber. Emily answered.

Don't worry about me, guys. I will take another one to go home. You reassured them.

No, we can-

I can drive you home, if you want. Jack intervened. I'm done in about twenty minutes.

You opened your mouth, but no sound came out, as always, that man managed to steal your thoughts.

That would be great! Emily answered for you. She has been up for almost twenty-four hours now. I don't want her to wait around for me to be done here.

He nodded and smiled at your friend before turning back to you. You're okay with that? You nodded. I will come get you when I'm done then.

~~~

Jack did everything he could to actually respect the twenty minutes he told you he needed to finish up. Of course, the ED wasn’t a place where you could always finish on time, and two traumas arriving at the same time didn’t make it easy.

You okay, brother? Robby asked as he arrived to start his shift.

Mmh. He nodded, finishing some chart as quickly as he could.

He has a special someone in North 15. Lena replied instead with a big smirk on her face.

Robby turned his attention to him. Who?

Walk with me? His friend nodded and joined him. Marc’s daughter.

No way! Robby shouted a little bit louder than he intended to gathering some attention from nurses.

Yes way. She brought one of her friends with second-degree burns on her forearm. Her friend’s boyfriend’s here, so I’m taking her home.

To your home or her home?

Hers. His steps faltered just a bit. I think.

You know what you have to do. He clapped him on the shoulder. You better not come back miserable tonight.

I’m off tonight.

Another reason. The brunette smiled at his friend. Don’t fuck this up. Robby warned him, stopping in front of the room you were waiting in.

Dr. Eillis came out at the same time, whistling lowly at Jack. She’s hot. If you’re not interested, I am. She told the attendings receiving a dark look from Abbot and an amused one from Robby.

Abbot looked seriously at Robby, knowing damn well what his friend had in mind. No.

I want to see her. He told him as he pushed the door opened. Good morning, I’m Dr Robinavitch, everyone calls me Dr. Robby, I’m the day shift attending. He presented himself when Jack didn’t.

Hi. You waved at him.

How are you feeling, Emily? He asked, coming to stand next to the bed.

It still hurts a bit, but Dr. Eillis did a great job.

Great, we’re not going to keep you much longer, we just need to update your charts. It shouldn’t be long. Dr. Abbot and Eillis are done for the night, but don’t worry, you’re in good hands.

Abbot rolled his eyes but secretly thanked his friend for saying that. He approached you. You’re okay to go? You nodded. Follow me. He told you, brushing his hand on your lower back.

You followed him through the ED, receiving a few smiles on the way to the lockers. You brushed it off, putting on the fact that nurses here must be really kind.

You watched Jack taking his stuff from his lockers, not even changing from his scrubs. He smiled softly at you as he guided you back in the ED, his hand still on your back.

Have a great day. Robby threw at you both when you walked past him, and then he was flipped off by Jack.

In the car you realized that it might have been a mistake. The silence was a proof of that. You didn’t know what to say to him.

I need your address. The gray-haired man told you, driving out of the parking lot.

Oh yeah, sorry. You gave him your address and waited for him to enter on his phone. He never did.

He cleared his throat. God, that was painful. You had a very low tolerance for awkward situations, and right now you just wanted to jump out of the moving car.

So… How have you been? He asked offhandedly, checking his rearview mirrors.

Great actually. Your voice was so high, you could’ve popped a balloon. They let me add some of my own creation to the menu. People love it.

Yeah? That’s fantastic. Jack replied happily. I’m proud of you.

Thanks. What about you? Still working night shifts at the ED?

I think I will never be able to quit. He shook his head with a small smile.

Was that the friend you told me about?

Robby? Yeah. That man can be an asshole, but deep down, he is a kind man. He’s just putting a hard facade to scare people away.

He seemed nice.

To you? Yeah, I’m not surprised about that. Jack stopped the car as the light turned red.

What do you mean? You fully turned in his direction.

He’s heard about you. Jack confessed, looking shyly at you.

You’ve talked about me to your friends? You were surprised now.

Just him. When I came home two months ago I was… Not how I should’ve been after two weeks of vacation. He knew something was up and made me spit it out. He paused. I’m sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

No, no, it’s alright. I just didn’t think you were going to think that much about me after this trip.

You’ve made it really hard not to. He almost whispered, parking in front of your apartment complex.

You didn’t know what to say, so you kept your mouth shut. You looked around you for your bag, eyes widening when you realized you didn’t have it with you.

Fuck me. You said with closed eyes and banging your head against the headrest.

What’s wrong?

I don’t have my bag.

You’ve left it at the ED?

No, at work. And I can’t get it until tomorrow since I don’t have the keys and the restaurant is closed. Jack pulled back on the road. What are you doing?

Bringing you home. It’s already late… or early… I’m not leaving you on the curb when you haven’t slept in twenty-four hours. I have a spare bedroom. Don’t worry. He added when he saw you biting your lips anxiously.

Oh no, I wasn’t- Thank you.

Don’t mention it.

In truth, Jack was the happiest man. He was bringing you home, to his home. Which meant you were going to stay around longer. He was so grateful for your forgotten bag and your friend Emily.

~~~

He walked you to his apartment, which was situated in a nice part of the city. He unlocked the door, walking in first, and dropped his bag in the doorway.

Welcome ho- To my place. He corrected himself quickly. Do you want to eat something? Shower?

I already ate at the restaurant.

It must have been at least twelve hours ago.

I’m not hungry. I won’t say no to a shower, though.

Sure, come on. He told you, already walking to his room to get you a change of clothes.

His room was large, mostly coloured in shades of blue. There was a picture of him and Robby on his nightstand and another one with a beautiful woman smiling at him. His bed could fit at least three people and was perfectly made, not a wrinkle on the sheets. Military perfection, you guessed.

You watched him as he walked to his closet, opened the doors and searched through his clothes for something to give you. Jack doubted he had your size in anything, so he opted to give a simple black shirt with a pair of boxers.

Do you want sweets too? He asked you, eyes kept on the pile of clothes.

It’s okay. It’s still hot. If that’s okay with you. You quickly added, not wanting to make him uncomfortable when he had already offered you to stay at his place.

No complaints on my side. He still wouldn’t look your way, and the anxious feeling in you wouldn’t die down.

You followed as he walked to another room, your clothes still in his hands. Entering the bathroom, he put them on the counter neatly.

Are you sure it’s okay that I’m staying here? You blurted out, not able to stop your thoughts.

His whole body stopped working, and the doctor raised his eyes to look at your face in the mirror.

Of course. Believe me, I truly have nothing against it.

You’re sure? Because you seem so… tensed.

That’s because I’m trying to prevent myself from saying something that might make you uncomfortable.

Oh. You replied dumbfounded. Maybe you should. You said lowly, so lowly that he almost missed it.

It’s better if I don’t for now. Jack answered, turning around and pinning you with a look as he walked past you. You’re tired. His hand brushed your arm as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

In the shower, your mind kept drifting to the way he looked at you, the way his voice sounded. And you never wished that hard for him to join you under the water.

~~~

You walked into the living room where Jack was sitting on his couch, his prosthetic leg resting against the coffee table. You joined him, keeping a safe distance between you.

He was wrong. He blurted out, keeping his face towards the opposite wall. He was so fucking wrong.

You didn’t need to ask, already knowing he was talking about your father.

At the same time he wasn’t. I’m fucking old. And you have your whole life in front of you. But fuck not being in it might actually kill me.

It was the first time he so openly addressed the fact that he wanted you. Not just for one night but for way longer. Your lack of answers didn’t ease his mind, he was now panicking he had said too much.

Fuck, I’m sorry- It sounds so fucking creepy. Just forget-

He was interrupted by your lips on his, arms locked around his neck and a new weight on his lap. He froze just for an instant before returning the kiss with a newfound strength.

He broke the kiss, holding your face with his hands on each side of your neck. Are you sure? Because I’m not sure I will deal well with you slipping through my fingers again.

I won’t. You shook your head rapidly. I’m going to stay right here. You gave him a peck. With you.

You shrieked when he got up with you in his arms, after putting back on his prostethic, carrying you in his bedroom. He deposited you softly in the middle of his bed, stepping back to admire the sight. You did the same, your eyes raking his whole body.

Come here. You held your hand for him to take, which he did, and you pulled him into a sitting position. You descend on your knees at the foot of the bed, pulling the right side of his pants up. Teach me how it works. You ask, nodding to his prosthesis.

At this moment, when those words left your mouth, he knew it. He wouldn’t survive you. Something was constantly pulling him towards you, a magnetic field only you could see.

The morning ended with Jack teaching you how his leg worked, how to take it off and how to put it back on. But it was so much more than that. It was a commitment you were making to one another.

You fell asleep in each other’s arms, smiles on your faces, finally feeling like you belonged.

EHEHEHE it's my longest one!! Please feel free to tell me if it was good so that MAYBE I will write a sequel or something.