Work Text:
You had quite the day. Nothing necessarily bad happened, but things occurred that didn’t go exactly the way you wanted them to. First, Robby left the house in a rush because he was called into work early then, there was nothing in the house you felt like eating (even though Robby had just gone shopping), and lastly…the TV stopped working. You could have easily watched Black Butler on your computer but…you didn’t fucking want to.
So you moped.
🐝Ma Beekeeper🐝: Are you doing okay?
🐝Ma Beekeeper🐝: Sorry I had to leave early.
🐝Ma Beekeeper🐝: I’m on break right now.
You rolled your eyes at your phone screen. There was no reason to be mad at Robby—he was checking in on you like he always does—but you were moping, so instead of being chipper…you leaned harder into your bad mood.
You: id be better if u were here
You: left me all alone…
For a few minutes, Robby’s three typing dots stayed on the screen. Then, abruptly disappeared.
“Well, fuck me, I guess,” you scoffed. You held back irrational tears and slumped onto the living room couch. The comfort of Robby’s smell infused into the leather, blankets, and pillows didn’t help like it usually did. You needed him. With you. Right now.
But that just wasn’t possible.
✩✩✩✩
Robby loved his job. He really did. In a way, the hospital and the people working inside it have been the longest-lasting family he’s ever had. He felt embarrassed to admit that seeing as he was pushing fifty.
Cherry didn’t like when he was self-deprecating. They said it was completely ridiculous to think so lowly of himself when he was, in their words, “the biggest, baddest beekeeper on the East Coast.” Robby…still wasn’t sure what that meant, but when he’d told Jack about it, the man clowned him for the next three months.
He met Cherry in a park. He couldn’t remember which one. He was in what Cherry liked to call his “grief dih era,” and didn’t remember many details from that part of his life. But they’d first met in a park at midnight. He’d sat next to Cherry—not even noticing their presence until they offered him a light. He declined, but they got to talking and now…
He didn’t like his job as much. Mostly because it took away from the time he could spend at home with, let’s be honest, the love of his life. He didn’t find joy in saving strangers lives when the only life he cared about was his life with them.
Dana said he had hearts in his eyes. The med students talked about his love-sick tendencies behind his back when they thought he wasn’t listening (spoiler alert: Robby was always listening). Jack said he should retire. Robby was considering it.
But for today, he would just leave. The Pitt would be fine without him for one shift.
✩✩✩✩
You weren’t crying…your eyes were just having some involuntary watering. You and Robby both learned that it was better to let your feelings out rather than keeping them repressed. You didn’t like the idea of crying about seemingly nothing, but Robby wasn’t coming home anytime soon so—
The front door creaked open.
“Cherry?” Robby called from the entryway. You could hear him kicking off his shoes.
You started to wipe your face when you realized there wasn’t really any point. Your makeup was ruined. You’d been caught. Red handed…well, more dark blue if the eye shadow splotches on your palms said anything.
Robby entered the kitchen and started rummaging around. He still couldn’t see you from your position on the couch, so you took those few seconds to get yourself together. No, you weren’t fine. No, you didn’t know why you weren’t fine. Yes, you were feeling guilty about crying when he had to have seen worse shit than you had today. No, you—wait…why in the world was Robby home already?
“Why are you—” your question was cut short as fresh tears caught in your throat at the sight before you. Robby had his hands full. There was a Chipotle kids meal sitting on the counter alongside a bundt cake…that looked suspiciously seal-like in decor.
“Oh, there you are, dear!” Noticing your tear-streaked cheeks, Robby quickly made his way over to you, “What’s the matter?”
You opened your mouth, but no words left your lips. You didn’t know.
Robby gently caressed your face. His attentive eyes looked into your brown ones.
“I just…” Robby’s soft fingers brushed your cheek, cutting off your train of thought. “I missed you.”
“I’m here now,” Robby smiled. His adorable crows feet deepened as you wiped your face.
He was right. He was here. Right in front of you. Loving you like no one else ever had. You were his priority. Hell, he trekked home just because of some texts. No other context, he just knew that you weren’t feeling well, so he dropped everything and came to your aid. You thought about the people he left—the people he needed to care for and supervise back at the hospital—and Robby could see it on your face. The guilt.
He didn’t let it linger long; instead, he curled his competent fingers around the nape of your neck and pulled you in for a soft kiss. It was more of a peck, really, but it made your heart soar none the less. He kissed you like you mattered. Like your feelings were valid. Like he cared.
Because he did. He believed all of those things, and made sure you heard them every morning, every afternoon, and every time he thought you needed a reminder of how much he loved you.
“Better?” Robby asked, unfortunately pulling away. You started to chase his lips, but he simply squeezed your face between a singular expansive palm. It didn’t hurt, but it was enough to stop you from moving any closer to the man you desired.
“Have you eaten?” The speculative glint in his eye told you that no matter what you said, he’d know the truth. Gee willikers (AN: or Whitaker’s for you nerds out there), you loved this man.
“No…” you muttered.
“Good thing I brought home plenty of food, then!”
You pouted when he walked back to the kitchen. You didn’t want to eat, you just wanted to—
“Wanna eat on the couch and cuddle?”
“YES—” you stopped mid-squeal. You were an established adult. Control it, bro. You coughed. “Yes, of course, fine sir.”
Robby chuckled at your antics. You liked seeing him smile. It didn’t happen as often as you would have liked it, so when he did let one crack, it lit up the whole room. The rarity of it, like a shooting star, took your breath away. Every. Single. Time.
Even though your morning started off less than great, Robby was home with you and nothing could taint the purely positive effect of his presence.
✩✩✩✩
You were well within the second season of Apothecary Diaries when you heard Robby’s first snore. He’d done very well seeing as anime confused the shit out of him and his old man brain didn’t keep him up for long if he wasn’t actively doing something. Your Chipotle was but an empty container in front of you and your slice of bundt cake was a mere memory. You were satisfied and so very comfortable.
You were lying vertically on the living room couch. The little spoon to his big spoon, cocooned in the warmth of his body heat. As asleep as your boyfriend was, he still moved his arm softly over your side. He did this type of thing every time you fell asleep entangled. It was almost as if the repetitive motion across your body reminded him that you were still there. Still with him.
He didn’t have to worry about that. For him, you’d always be there.
✩✩✩✩
The ringbox sat waiting at the bottom of Robby’s underwear drawer. He couldn’t let you find it. Not until he’d worked everything out with Jack and ran his idea by Dana. Everything had to be perfect.
Because he needed you to know how much he wanted to always be there for you.