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It had been an incredibly long and trying shift. They had lost patients, dealt with a child abuse case and angry patients all day. There had been a large Pile up and several Traumas later, they could finally wrap up and head out. Dennis closed his locker, swinging his backpack onto his shoulder, and leaned against the lockers. waiting for Robby to finish. His older boyfriend hung his stethoscope in his locker and shrugged his green fleece jacket on before looking over at Dennis.
“You want to get dinner before heading back to mine?” He asked.
“Mmm,” Dennis hummed, “That might be the best idea you’ve had yet.”
Robby grinned, eyes crinkling in amusement, as he closed his locker and put his own backpack on.
“I was thinking about the burger place down the road, what do you think?” They started walking to central together, shoulders brushing as the couple deliberated over restaurants. They rounded the corner to see Trinity leaning against central, eyes furrowed at her phone, fingers tapping away.
Robby and Dennis look at each other. Robby raises his eyebrows. Dennis Shrugs. Robby nods his head towards Santos. Dennis shakes his head and narrows his eyes at the older man. Robby sighs.
“Santos,” The woman jumps, as Michael raps his knuckles against the counter, “We’re going to get burgers, wanna come with?”
Trinity looks between the two of them, hesitating for a moment.
“It'll be my shout,” Robby said, hand coming out of his pocket to gesture to her phone, "Unless you have other plans tonight..."
“Hah,” She huffed, putting her phone away and forcing a smile, “Not anymore, let’s go.”
The three of them walk out together, Robby trailing slightly behind the younger pair with a fond smile on his face. The walk to the restaurant was easy, Whitaker and Santos talking about the neighbour across the hall from the apartment. Santos filled her roommate in on the argument she had walked past last night when arriving home.
“The people downstairs were so pissed!” She cackled, mood brighter and previous plans forgotten, “I thought they were going to have a punch-up in the hall.”
“All because they were playing ska music at 8pm?” Dennis laughed, eyes wide as he walked next to Trinity.
“I couldn’t believe it,” She said, “I was almost disappointed that they stopped when I had to ask them to move out of our doorway.”
The two continued talking with a few interjections from Robby, and soon enough they arrived. They ordered at the counter, and as Robby paid for them all, Trinity and Dennis found a booth to sit at. Robby slid in beside Dennis, dropping his bag underneath the table and grabbing Dennis’ closest hand. The trio waited for their food, talking amongst themselves about random things. The discussion had somehow drifted to Love Island, and Robby chuckled as the younger pair adamantly defended the show.
“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.” Dennis argued, gently bumping shoulders with him.
“I’m just not the biggest reality tv guy?” Robby wheezed, laughing at the attempted convincing.
Trinity gasped, and Michael and Dennis both looked at her.
“We should do a love island night!”
Robby jolted as Dennis clutched his arm.
“We should do a love island night.”
Michael rolled his eyes, the seriousness of his boyfriends tone as he agreed enthusiastically with his best friend was endearing.
“When the new season begins airing, we can make it a tradition.” Trinity continues, leaning in towards the other two with a face splitting grin.
They were interrupted as one of the workers placed their plates down in front of them. He thanked the woman and grabbed some ketchup, squirting a small circle onto his plate next to the fries.
He saw Dennis open his burger, nose wrinkled as he picked the offending cucumber from the burger and placed it on the edge of the plate. Without a second thought Robby grabbed the pickle and threw it in his mouth. He chewed absentmindedly, before picking up on their conversation.
“Alright, we can do love Island night…” He started, oblivious to the looks he was getting, “As long as we get pizza and beer before…”
He looked at Trinity, whose eyes seemed to have narrowed at him, her face set with rage. Dennis beside him looked pale, eyes wide in disbelief as Robby sat clueless to what had just transpired.
He looked between the two.
“What’s going on?” His mouth felt dry and his face was beginning to heat up. “What happened?”
Dennis ducked his head, avoiding eye contact with both of them.
“That was my pickle.” Trinity said.
There was a beat of Silence.
“W-what?” Robby stammered, not being able to help the nervous chuckle that escaped his lips.
“That was my pickle.” Her eyes were still narrowed, trained on her attending with laser focus. “You just ate my pickle.”
“It was from Dennis’ burger…” Robby croaked, knowing that his partner hated pickles, whenever the two of them got them, he always ate the pickle. “I always eat the pickles from his burger.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms.
“The roommate always gets first dibs on the pickle.” Trinity fumes, as if it was a common rule.
Robby crossed his arms, sitting up straight.
“No, the boyfriend gets first dibs.” He argues, “That’s like, the first rule in the book.”
There is a standoff between them, and Trinity, without breaking the stare, asks Dennis.
“Who should get the pickles, Huckleberry?”
Dennis looks between the two of them, mouth open as he stammers.
“Uh, well, I don’t-”
“Who gets the pickles in the future Dennis.” Robby insisted, unwilling to be the first to look away.
“Trinity gets the pickle.”
“Ha!” Santos exclaims, pointing a finger in his face. “Told you!”
Robby whirls to look at Dennis, outraged.
“Hey!” He protested.
“I’m sorry babe,” The younger man laughs, “She’s so much scarier than you are.”
It’s Robby’s turn to scoff, sulkily eating a chip as Trinity beams.
“You owe me a pickle Rabinovitch.” Robby grumbles as the young woman takes a victorious bit of her burger.
“Last time I ever buy burgers for you two.” He mutters. Dennis laughs brightly, leaning against him. Michael looks over at his boyfriend, who leans up and places a sweet kiss against his lips.
“Eugh,” Trinity groans, “And some therapy.”
The couple blushes and all three tuck into their meals. As they walk out of the restaurant, Dennis and Michael holding hands, they finalise their plans for the following Friday night.
They walk back to the Pitt to pick up their respective cars. Trin waving them goodbye as she drives off towards the apartment. Robby sits with one hand on the wheel, the other on Dennis’s thigh, thumb gently stroking up and down in a soothing pattern as they sit in a comfortable silence.
“I can’t believe you forfeited my pickle privileges.”