#vanrobby

Prequel to:

The Seven Week Itch - Robby's known for that seven week itch...

The Situationship (NSFWish) - On the morning of his sabbatical Robby can't stop thinking about his situationship.

The Things You Love (NSFW) - Robby decides to make a stop on his way out of town.

The Postcard - Robby reaches out to Jesse in an unexpected way.

A Fucking Break - Jesse just wants a fucking break...

Arrivals - Robby and Jesse reacquaint for the first time in over a month.

Aficionado (NSFW) - There’s an art to blowing a guy with a pierced dick.

Jesse is on a date.

Robby knows this because he accidently clued into a conversation him and Princess were having after hearing that tell tale ping of the Grindr app chirp through the Nurses Station.

Apparently, it’s with some form of social media marketing guy - click click, like, share – Robby doesn’t fucking know what any of it means. What he does know from the first moment of he lays eyes on the guy when he enters Rennie’s Bar, is that he’s all kinds of wrong for Jesse.

Blue sports coat, gold chain, designer sneakers.

It’s the complete opposite of Jesse’s aesthetic, which is currently a white London Calling cut off, showing off his toned, muscular arms, jeans that cling to his ass so right that Robby wants to take a bite out of it, and battered Vans decorated with fabric markers.

Still MarketingBro seems to be into it, and to Robby’s dismay so does Jesse.

“I thought you said it was casual.” Jack remarks half amused as he sips from his beer watching the exchange from across the room. The two of them are playing pool, something they usually do when they get time off together as an ‘enrichment activity’ as Jack’s therapist calls it.

“It is.” Robby says harshly, lining up his shot. He stares down the barrel of the cue, his jaw clenching as Jesse throws back his head and laughs at something MarketingBro says. “I just didn’t realise he was looking for something more, in general.”

“Well, he knew he wasn’t going to get it from you.” Jack points out, leaning on his own pool cue as Robby shifts his hips a little, lining up with the white ball. “Probably didn’t see the point of having the conversation.”

Because Robby, he sets clear boundaries.

He isn’t looking for anything other than blowing off some steam for a couple of hours after his shift, so he plays by a set of rules.

The biggest one being no sleep overs.

Sleepovers fall into routines, routines become habits and before you know it, you’re discussing labels. Robby doesn’t want that, he doesn’t want the complications that come with that. He wants no strings attached fun that leaves you ruined in the sheets while your partner slips out the front door.

And sometimes a sandwich, because Jesse, he makes a killer sandwich during that time they take to refuel between rounds.

“Hm.” Robby responds drawing back his arm to take his shot. “I just think he could do better.”

The white ball connects, sending the red bouncing off the cushioning that lines the pool table.

“Yeah, he could.” Jack states picking up his pool chalk and buffering the end the cue. “He could be fucking you but instead you decided to come out with me tonight because you’ve been in his bed four evenings in a row.”

“That’s not it…” Robby argues but Jack gives him a knowing look as he leans over the table to take his shot and Robby shuts up.  

He hadn’t even realised he was spending every night in Jesse’s bed until Dana made a joke about how relaxed he’d been over the past week. He’d told Jesse he needed to shake things up a little and apparently the other man had decided to do the same damn thing.

He glances up, his gaze straying back to the bar, but Jesse’s seat is empty and so is MarketingBro’s. There’s an acute pain in his chest, like a scalpel scraping over his ribs as he’s being cut into.

This is what you wanted, he reminds himself as Jack sinks his shot, winning the match.  

Robby rolls his eyes like the long-suffering opponent he is as he hands over ten dollars. Usually, the competition is a little stiffer but Robby, he’s off his game tonight.  

“I’m gonna head out for a smoke.” He tells Jack, tipping his head towards the door before snatching up his jacket and tugging it on over his shoulders. “I’ll be back in a few.”

The cold air hits him in a rush when he steps outside, his hand delving into his pocket for the battered packet of Newports. He removes them from his pocket, flicking open the carton with his thumb revealing an empty box.

“Fuck.” He mutters staring down at the dregs at the bottom.

The scent of tobacco floods his nostrils, a wry chuckle ringing in his ears as he twists to find Jesse leaning against the wall of the bar, alone, his own cigarette in his hand. He holds it out towards Robby, who takes it gratefully, jamming it between his lips.

“Thought you were heading out for the night.” He says around his cigarette, observing the goosebumps on Jesse’s bare arms.

Jesse lets out a bitter laugh as Robby shrugs out of his jacket.

“My status is a problem.” Jesse informs him as Robby drapes the jacket around his shoulders, his body heat still clinging to him. “People hear HIV and think we’re still back in the eighties.”

“He’s missing out.” Robby says frankly as he blows a smoke ring out of his mouth “You’re the best fuck of my life, and I…I have fucked a lot of people.”

“You’re just saying that to cheer me up.” Jesse says, his palm raking through his curls as he watches the smoke ring disappear into the ether.

“Untrue.” Robby responds taking another drag of the cigarette. Silence falls between them as Robby purses his lips together and blows out another smoke ring. “I didn’t know you were looking for something more.”

Jesse shrugs. “I’m not, not after tonight.”

Jesse’s shutting down, Robby can tell. It’s in the way his voice has dulled, the emotion vacating his tone completely. He knows from the scuttlebutt around the Nurse’s Station that this isn’t the first time Jesse’s been told he isn’t worth pursuing a relationship with because of his HIV status, the thought of what that must do to a person absolutely kills Robby.

“I’m gonna take off.” Jesse says, pushing off the wall as an Uber pulls up. He starts to slide the jacket off his shoulders, but Robby stops him with the shake of his head.

“Do you want company?” Robby asks, dropping the cigarette butt onto the pavement and crushing it beneath his boot.

“No.” Jesse’s voice cracks as he looks back towards his ride, tucking his hands into the pockets of Robby’s jacket.  “I think I just wanna be alone tonight.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

Those chubby cheeks and bright blue eyes will be the death of Robby, The infant was still not claimed by her parents it hurt him deeply his fatherly instincts flared to life and Jesse saw it when he walked in, Robby held the little bundle which made Jesse melted the two of them locked eye a silent message between two lovers.

“Robby.. Whatcha thinking” jesse mumbles

“Can we keep her… or is that too much”

Jesse completely froze his brain trying to catch up is Robby actually being for real is this happening? He only just moved in with the man and now he wants to adopt a orphan child, jesse shook out of his daze answering Robby’s question.

“I don’t know Ro but i don’t want to leave her..”

“We don’t have to J”

Jesse lets out a huff of air as robby snuggles up with the baby, his mind was going feral at the sight of his lover holding a child as well as the possibilities of starting family with him Jesse’s mind was whirling with different images as they run a few more tests to make sure there isn’t anything wrong. Dylan the social worker comes in, They see Robby with the baby as They go to ask but robby’s eyes go cold.

“Okay this gonna be hard if you want this baby to be your legal responsibility Robby you know that right”

“We will do everything we can to give baby girl a safe home”

Dylan sighs as he could see Robby wasn’t giving up that easily he then looks at jesse who was standing quite awkwardly, but he could also see the love he has for the little one and for robby it’s the type of love you don’t see often the one that’s deep and true down to it’s core. Dylan nods as he walks out handing his card with his number to robby

“If you want to talk more about this here’s my number”

“Yeah of course we will get in touch”

When dylan leaves Robby couldn’t stop cheesing as baby girl babbles so cutely, he was so enamoured with this child like she was his own whilst Jesse just stood there in awe, he walks over to robby taking his hand in his whilst looking over the child like a guardian angel.

“This is it huh?”

“Yeah J it is us and… baby girl doesn’t even have a name”

“What about Tiana”

“Tiana… that’s perfect J”

“That’s it then us and Baby T against the world”

Companion piece to:

The Date - Jesse’s date doesn’t go quite the way he planned.

The Seven Week Itch - Robby’s known for that seven week itch…

The Situationship (NSFWish) - On the morning of his sabbatical Robby can’t stop thinking about his situationship.

The Things You Love (NSFW) - Robby decides to make a stop on his way out of town.

The Postcard - Robby reaches out to Jesse in an unexpected way.

A Fucking Break - Jesse just wants a fucking break…

Arrivals - Robby and Jesse reacquaint for the first time in over a month.

Aficionado (NSFW) - There’s an art to blowing a guy with a pierced dick.

Blood - Jesse learns the truth about Robby’s mental state.

Just Us - Jesse and Robby start to define their relationship.

Picture Perfect - After a day at the beach Robby takes another relationship step.

Trouble - Jesse discovers how Robby spends his mornings at the campsite.

Hastings wants something.

Jesse can tell from the way she’s been hovering alongside him for the past five minutes pretending to update the information on her tablet while he reviews the medication schedule for Mr Humburt.

He doesn’t know what she’s waiting for, a cue from him, a sign from God but it’s annoying as fuck because she’s lingering well within his personal space, like the ghost of hook ups past, her nails lightly tapping on the screen.

“What can I do for you Noelle?” He says finally, his gaze fixed on the cursor as he clicks the mouse. Beside it, his phone resides, the screen blank as he waits for the results of his latest viral load.

“I heard you took a few days off, headed out to Alberta.” She tells him, leaning against the counter, still seemingly distracted by her tablet.  “I just wanted to check in, see how that went.”

“Good.” He says running his palm along the cut that’s healing on his jaw. It’s nothing more than a slender line of pink skin now, a scar in the midst of forming. “But that’s not what you really want to ask is it?”

She clicks her tongue, giving up all pretences of working on the tablet by cradling it to against her chest instead. “I didn’t think he’d be out there that long. The man sleeps with the TV on for God’s sake, three months out in the wilderness…” She shakes her head like it’s the most ludicrous thing in the entire world. “You were together the whole time? Like you spent three days hanging out?”

Jesse clears his throat, focusing on Mr Humburt’s file because what him and Robby were doing out in Alberta… it certainly wasn’t ‘hanging out’.

“You know the two of us…” She lets the sentence finish there, and Jesse inclines his head towards her, daring her to continue. “I just think it’s odd that he asked you.”

Her words, they’re like a scalpel slicing through his skin, pulling apart the flesh, exposing the bone. He gets he’s not usually anyone’s choice of partner, that his HIV inhibits him, but it pisses him off that she’s dismissed the possibility completely.

“And why is that?” Jesse finds himself snarling, one hand coming to rest on his hip. “Because you think you’re the only that’s fucked him?”

She stills, her eyes flashing with an intensity that once drove Robby to his knees. Jesse’s chin juts up at the challenge, his gaze fixed on hers until she eventually looks away, jaw clenched.

“How long?” Her voice is brittle when she asks, nothing like the Hastings that was attempting to pump him for information only seconds ago.

“Does it matter?” Jesse retorts. It does, he can see it in the way the tension coils in her body as she grips the tablet tighter.

“Over seven weeks?” She pushes and he doesn’t dignify that question with a response because it’s none of her damn business. His phone lights up, his test results appearing in his mail box and her gaze lowers to the lock screen, to the picture of the two of them kissing on that beach. “I suppose I should be telling you to enjoy it while it lasts. That man, he isn’t capable of loving someone.”

But she’s wrong, Jesse knows it. He felt it in that last embrace at the airport, Robby’s heart thudding against his as he gripped him so tightly, like he hadn’t wanted to let Jesse go.  

“I don’t know why I’m crying.” He’d whispered as Jesse kissed the salt from his cheeks.

But Jesse had known, because he’d felt it too standing there in the departures lounge. Like his heart was being torn in half, like he was leaving the love of his life behind so he could return to the place that had fucked him up in the first place.

It was hard, so fucking hard but it was the right thing because Robby, he still needs to heal, and he can’t do that Pittsburgh.

“You’re wrong.” He finds himself saying as she steps away. “He’s capable of loving the right person and unfortunately that wasn’t you.”

Love These Two? Don’t miss any of their stories by joining the taglist here.

Before you join the taglist make sure to read the rules here as you otherwise you won’t be added.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

Companion piece to:

The Date - Jesse’s date doesn’t go quite the way he planned.

The Seven Week Itch - Robby’s known for that seven week itch…

The Situationship (NSFWish) - On the morning of his sabbatical Robby can’t stop thinking about his situationship.

The Things You Love (NSFW) - Robby decides to make a stop on his way out of town.

The Postcard - Robby reaches out to Jesse in an unexpected way.

A Fucking Break - Jesse just wants a fucking break…

Arrivals - Robby and Jesse reacquaint for the first time in over a month.

Aficionado (NSFW) - There’s an art to blowing a guy with a pierced dick.

Blood - Jesse learns the truth about Robby’s mental state.

Just Us - Jesse and Robby start to define their relationship.

Picture Perfect - After a day at the beach Robby takes another relationship step.

Jesse wakes up to his face being licked, long rough strokes lapping across his unshaven cheek as he tries to bury himself even deeper into Robby’s double sleeping bag.

“No babe I’m not into that.” He mumbles, sticking his hand out of the shelter to ward Robby off. “You wanna lick any other part of me, that’s fine.”

The horrors persist. A cold wet nose is dragging across his forehead and he groans, his palm slapping at flat polyester. His heart stops because Robby isn’t lying next to him, which means…

What the fuck is licking him?

He’s heard of black bears out in this region, wolves too but Robby would have told him if there something like that anywhere near the campsite. He knows Jesse’s a city boy at heart.

He peeks his head out of the sleeping bag and a warm tongue assaults his forehead, his vision plagued by dark fur.

Shit it’s a bear, it’s a fucking bear…

The bear yaps in his face before tumbling over its tiny feet and that’s when Jesse realises it’s not a bear, it is in fact a puppy.

“What the actual fuck?” He mutters, scrambling out of the sleeping bag. The puppy lopes into his lap, pawing at the silky fabric of his basketball shorts. He picks it up, examining his tiny intruder. He can’t tell the breed. Some sort of terrier he thinks. He fingers the topaz blue collar around its throat, searching for a tag, but there’s no clue as to its name or origin.

On the outside of the tent he can hear Robby talking, quiet tones that pique Jesse’s interest. He cradles the puppy against his chest as he crawls towards the exit, immediately spotting the small gap Robby must have left open for ventilation.

“I’m guessing you climbed through there didn’t you?” He whispers to the puppy as he unzips the door the rest of the way. Sunlight floods in, blinding him momentarily, then he’s assaulted by more cold noses and tiny furry bodies.

The puppy against his chest starts squirming, eager to join its brothers and sisters. There’s five of them in total, two jet black, one wheaten and two brown textured ones including the one in his hand. He sets it down and instead of jumping into the puppy pile it bolts off towards Robby, whose sitting on the grass in an area that’s now enclosed by neon pink fencing. There’s a Paddington Bear plush toy in his hand, he waves it at the puppy who hurtles towards it.

“Here comes Trouble.” Robby says, wiggling the toy from side to side and the puppy launches itself at the red hat the bear wears, shaking it from side to side. “They fucking hate Paddington, I think it’s the fact blue is a really vivid color in doggy vision.”

“I think the fact their mortal enemy is a bear that gobbles up marmalade speaks volumes about these little guys.” Jesse says, collapsing onto the grass alongside Robby. He leans back onto his elbows tipping his face towards the sun as the pack of puppies sniff at the brightly coloured tattoos on his calves. “I can’t believe you’ve been having puppy parties without me, it’s bad form Robinavitch.”

“Oh, busting out the last name, I must be trouble.” Robby utters, nuzzling Jesse’s cheek with his nose. His breath ghosts in his ear, tantalising and teasing. “However will I make it up to you?”

“Remember that thing you did with your tongue last night?” Jesse smirks, tilting his head towards Robby’s, his lips capturing his handsome doctor’s. “You can do that again after we’ve returned these tiny miscreants to their owner… speaking of which… is this a doggy daycare? Are you trialling out new career options?”

“Helping out a friend.” Robby supplies as he lies down beside Jesse. Trouble abandons Paddington to home in on his caretaker, snuffling his beard, his tail wagging wildly. “I met Marcy my first couple of days here. Her husband died last year, and this was the trip they were always meant to take. They were Scottie breeders, and this is the litter she had just before she set off.”

“You mean these guys are baby Monopoly dogs?” Jesse says twisting his head as the wheaten bounds towards him. He scoops her up, placing her on his chest and the rambunctious puppy starts to settle.

“Yeah, they were super popular in the thirties and forties when Humphrey Bogart and Franklin Roosevelt both had one. They’ve sort of decreased in the modern era because smaller dogs like Chihuahuas and French Bulldogs came into fashion which is a fucking shame because these guys are really smart and loyal but they can be stubborn.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.” Jesse retorts, his hand seeking out Robby’s. Their fingers entwine in the grass, Robby’s thumb drawing circles over the lifeline of Jesse’s palm.

“I usually look after these guys for a couple of hours every morning to give Marcy a break, she brings back breakfast treats when she’s running her errands so it’s a win win situation.” Robby says as Trouble flops down beside him, nestling into the hollow of his throat, his tail slapping against Robby’s shoulder.

“Have you thought about getting one for yourself when you come home?” Jesse asks, his palm stroking over the wheaten’s back, the puppy yawns, tucking her head between her paws. “A dog can be good company… There are service animals that help with PTSD, depression, anxiety-”

Robby makes a noncommittal noise, and Jesse can sense that he’s not ready for that step just yet. Returning to Pittsburgh, it’s too big for him right now and that’s ok, it takes time to heal, to process.

“Something to think about.” Jesse says softly squeezing his hand.

“Yeah.” Robby’s voice is quiet as he presses a kiss Jesse’s messy silver curls. “Maybe it is.”

Love These Two? Don’t miss any of their stories by joining the taglist here.

Before you join the taglist make sure to read the rules here as you otherwise you won’t be added.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

Companion piece to:

The Date - Jesse’s date doesn’t go quite the way he planned.

The Seven Week Itch - Robby’s known for that seven week itch…

The Situationship (NSFWish) - On the morning of his sabbatical Robby can’t stop thinking about his situationship.

The Things You Love (NSFW) - Robby decides to make a stop on his way out of town.

The Postcard - Robby reaches out to Jesse in an unexpected way.

A Fucking Break - Jesse just wants a fucking break…

Arrivals - Robby and Jesse reacquaint for the first time in over a month.

Aficionado (NSFW) - There’s an art to blowing a guy with a pierced dick.

Blood - Jesse learns the truth about Robby’s mental state.

Just Us - Jesse and Robby start to define their relationship.

Jesse loves the beach, Robby can see that the moment he pulls his bike up into a parking space alongside the sign and the RN all but throws himself off the vehicle so he can kick his shoes off and sink his toes into the sand.

He leaves his Vans at the concrete edge, his socks haphazardly strewn after him. His jacket comes next, and then his white London Calling cut off.

He can’t be about to get naked… Robby thinks.

But yeah, the pants are off and Jesse’s plunging himself into the lake with the finesse of an Olympic diver.

Thank Christ the beach is secluded otherwise they’d be getting arrested for public indecency.

Robby had found it during one of his evening walks when he was exploring the area around the campsite. It’s become his thinking place, the way he likes to decompress after his therapy sessions with Caleb. There’s something about the sound of the waves in his ears, the feel of the breeze on his skin that makes him feel like he can take a breath after confronting his demons.

He picks up Jesse’s clothes as he strides after him, a tartan blanket tucked under his arm, along with the picnic lunch they bought before they left Calgary. He places them in a neat pile before spreading out the blanket along the sand. He unzips his motorcycle boots, setting them alongside Jesse’s possessions before sitting down on the blanket to watch Jesse as he stands up out of the water. Droplets run down his chest, chasing over the rich tapestry of tattoos, his nipple piercing glints in the sunlight as he runs his hands through his damp curls.

This man… He's so fucking beautiful sometimes it hurts to look at him.

“You’re not coming in?” He calls out and Robby shakes his head.

He’s not a fan of the water. He has no problem wading in until waves come up to his knees but anything more than that sets off an alarm bell in his head. Jesse dives again, disappearing under the surface and Robby takes out the flask they bought, pouring himself a coffee after the two-hour ride.

It’s clear that Jesse needed this.

The other man he gives so much of himself, his time, his compassion, his patience. That punch to the face… that was the reward he got for trying to help someone, for stepping up in their time of need.

Shit like that, it sits with you, internalises.

And before you know it, you’re standing at the edge of a cliff face contemplating your life choices.

He couldn’t let that happen to Jesse, he couldn’t let him take the same path that led him here.

He’s pouring a second cup of coffee when Jesse decides it’s time to come out of the water. He looks refreshed, rejuvenated and happy, he looks happy. He flops down beside Robby on the blanket, the beads of water clinging to his skin immediately starting to dry in the afternoon sunlight. He takes out a pair of square rimmed sunglasses from his rucksack before placing them on his defined features and tipping his head back towards the sky.

Fuck me, he looks good, so fucking good that Robby finds himself pulling his phone out of the pocket of his jacket.

“Can I take a picture?” He asks shyly and the edges of Jesse’s mouth tip up into a smile.

“Sure.” Jesse says tipping his face towards Robby, his expression impossible to read behind those sunglasses. “Do you want one together?”

A flush creeps across Robby’s features as he nods his head. He’s terrible at this, asking for what he wants but Jesse, he’s intuitive. He knows, he always knows.

They lie down together on the blanket, Jesse’s damp body draped across Robby’s as the doctor cuddles him close. Jesse sighs contently, settling against him as Robby’s thumb chases away a bead of water that races down his neck. His lips capture Jesse’s as he holds up the camera, it clicks away on burst collating the images to memory.

It isn’t until they’re at the campsite that Robby looks at the pictures, he sits beside the campfire as Jesse hunts for a stick for his marshmallows, swiping through the photographs with his thumb.

That kiss…

The softness in it, the tenderness. This is everything he wants in his life and everything he has right now with Jesse. He wants to remember it when his lover returns to Pittsburgh, he wants to remember that this is what he’s coming home to.

He sets it as his phone background as Jesse comes stomping back through the woods, waving two sticks in hand triumphantly.

“Good choice.” He approves, catching a glimpse of the screen as he collapses into the camping chair beside Robby. “Now send it to me so I can do the same.”

Love These Two? Don’t miss any of their stories by joining the taglist here.

Before you join the taglist make sure to read the rules here as you otherwise you won’t be added.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee