Trying to keep it together

Now Dennis has started seeing Robby, but he’s sure it's just a casual thing. They spend nearly every night together but it's always at Robby's place. Occasionally they will go out if their days off align but it's not a regular thing. He's heard all the rumours and the warnings about the 'seven-week itch' but he is beyond thrilled. Seven weeks is longer than any of his past relationships have lasted so he will take what he can get.

Robby, on the other hand, thinks he has finally found the person who has cured the itch. He's found the person he wants to spend forever with and he's not going to give him up. The way that Dennis has slotted into his life so effortlessly seems so perfect that they must be meant to be.

The relationship has become very serious, very quickly. But poor Dennis has never had a serious relationship before so he doesn't realise it. He's moved his stuff in, he's wearing Robby's clothes, he's deleted his dating apps, he's rearranged Robby's kitchen because 'it just makes more sense to have pans near the stove', he's somehow enticed a stray cat to move in. Her name is Moxi (short for Amoxicillin), she's a tabby and Dennis adores her.

And Robby is just letting him because it's the happiest he's ever been. It's also the happiest Dennis has ever been too but he knows there's a time limit and they seem to be hurtling towards it.

Seven weeks after their first kiss passes by without any fan fair. Dennis assumes Robby has a different marker for the start of their relationship so he's just patiently waiting. Seven weeks after the first time they have sex goes by with nothing. Seven weeks after their first proper date and nothing. Seven weeks after Dennis first spent the whole night at Robby's, still nothing. Seven weeks after their first blow out fight as a couple and still Robby does nothing. Seven weeks since Robby gave Dennis his own set of keys to his place, yet again, nothing. Seven weeks after they became co-parents to Moxi still brings nothing.

Now Dennis has started to panic because he is in completely uncharted territory with no idea what to do. Until he finally realises what has happened.

Robby doesn't even consider what they have a relationship, so why would he get the seven-week itch? Dennis knew he was unlovable, did he honestly think someone like Robby would see him as anything more than a colleague who was good for a bit of fun?

But while Dennis might be unlovable, he wasn’t incapable of loving. And unfortunately for him, he was falling in love with Robby. So, he’s decided the best course of action is to cut all ties with Robby before his heart breaks any further.

Robby comes home from a long shift and smiles when he hears the tinny sound of Dennis’s funk music coming from the bedroom. His smile drops instantly when he sees Dennis with a duffle bag on the bed and clothes haphazardly thrown inside.

“Den? Baby? What’s going on?” Robby’s hands were itching to grab the clothes out of Dennis’s hand and demand he stop but he knew that was not the adult response.

“I’m going back to Trin’s.” Dennis replied, not wanting to look Robby.

“Just for tonight?” Robby asked, his eyes zoning in on the key on his dressers, sans the ridiculous tractor key ring Trinity had gifted Dennis. It gave him his answer.

“No, for a while.”

“What is happening here?” Robby dropped down onto the bed and finally looked at Dennis’s red-rimmed eyes. Robby’d fucked up and he wasn’t even sure how and now he was going to lose Dennis.

“I’m trying to make this less awkward for you. I knew this was coming so there are no hard feelings, I promise. I can still be professional because we need to work together.” Robby just stared at Dennis as if he couldn’t understand what he was saying. “I’m saving you from having to dump me, look I’m packing myself away nicely!”

“I wasn’t planning to break up with you.”

Dennis nearly flinched at Robby’s response. But why would he break up with someone he didn’t even think he was in a relationship with? Someone like Dennis wasn’t even worthy of getting dumped in Robby’s eyes.

Still, Dennis ploughed on. This was going to be hard but he could cry on Trinity’s shoulder when he left. Least, he hoped he could, unless she too had come to the same realisation as Robby.

“You are, and that’s fine. It’s not you, it’s me.” Dennis cringed at the cliché line but in this case, it was genuinely true. “I’m just unlovable.”

Robby just stared in disbelief as Dennis shrugged at him like this was his tiny cross to bear. A small little anecdote told at parties. ‘Oh Dennis Whitaker? I hear he’s unlovable.’

“Who the fuck told you you were unlovable?” Robby demanded through gritted teeth, Dennis frowned at his response. Nobody had ever cared when he’d said that in the past. They just sort of accepted what he was saying because they knew it was true.

“Noone has ever outright said it but they’ve never denied it either. I suppose my Mama did always say I was the hardest of all her boys to love and that God sent me to test her but even motherly love had its limits.”

Robby quickly rose from the bed, gently cupping Dennis’s face and brushing away the tears that had started fall.

“You, Dennis Whitaker, are one of the most loveable people I have ever met.” He said, kissing away his tears. “You are kind and giving. You are always there for people. You are funny. You are amazing. Despite everything, you are cheerful and happy. You are perfect. So fucking loveable.”

“Yeah?” Dennis grinned as Robby peppered kisses on his face.

“Yeah, and do you know how I know you’re loveable?”

“How?”

“Because I’m in love with you. My life is so wonderful now you’re in it.” Robby nuzzled at Dennis’s blushing cheeks. “I’m pretty sure if I asked everyone in the Pitt they’d all tell me they loved you too.”

“Robby! Stop!” Dennis laughed. “I love you too.”

Robby pulled Dennis into him, not so subtly throwing the contents of Dennis’s duffle bag onto the floor to sort out later because they need the bed. And there is no way Dennis is moving out.

Later when Dennis is retelling the story to Trinity of his almost break-up with Robby, he expected her to laugh at how ridiculous the pair of them were. Tease him about how men just don’t know how to talk about their feelings and communicate with each other.

Instead, she hugged him tightly and fiercely whispered into his ear.

“Fuck you, you're unbelievably loveable!”