Chapter Text
Dennis was the only hybrid at PTMC, as far as he was aware. He kept it to himself, only shifted when Trinity wasn’t home, and didn’t go outside when he was changed. He had no interest in being attacked, or hit by a car, and most importantly, being seen. Sure, humans couldn’t really tell between a hybrid and an animal, but he wasn’t going to take the chance. Still, he couldn’t help when his wrists got itchy because he hadn’t shifted in a while. He was working a night shift, wanting an opposite schedule from Trinity to have more time to himself, and she pretended to not be offended. She stopped being hurt when she found out exactly what type of crazies showed up to the night shift. He scanned the screens, which were surprisingly empty, but he knew better than to comment on it. Across the room, Dr Abbot was pacing. He looked uncomfortable, with his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes downcast. While he moved, it looked like he was huffing to himself. If Dennis’ ears had been out, they would have flattened against his skull. But he was a human, so he just grabbed a patient and distracted himself. But something in the back of his head kept humming about Abbot, reminding him of the way his lips had peeled back to show his teeth while he panted. It had been familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Whatever it was, it reminded him of a predator, of something wild and overwhelming.
The next time he was at the boards, he saw Robby rubbing his eyes and sipping a coffee. He squinted, sliding around the station to stand next to him.
“I saw Abbot less than an hour ago, what are you doing here?” There was still a thick wedding band on his ring finger, reminding him of the older man’s status. He’s been surprised when he learnt Robby and Abbot were married, but after thinking over it, the pairing made a lot of sense.
“He had to go home, he wasn’t feeling well,” he grumbled. Some part of Dennis’ brain lit up. “Oh, was he nauseous or something?” Robby looked over at him and squinted.
“Why do you ask?”
The non-answer told Dennis that he wouldn’t be getting an answer. Robby had reached protective husband mode, and the best he would be able to manage was convincing him that he was, in fact, not trying to steal his man.
“I just, uhm, saw him… panting? And holding his stomach. I just assumed…” he stopped, hoping Robby wouldn’t lecture him for something, whatever he could think of that deserved a lecture. But the older man just nodded, rubbing his chin.
“No stomach bug, you don’t need to worry about that. He just needed to shift.” And there it was. Like it was no big deal, like Robby had any right to tell anyone that, like it was safe to tell just anyone that. If Dennis’ tail had been out, it would have puffed up in pure fear.
“What?” He stuttered, hating how weak his voice sounded. Robby didn’t appear to care. “He needed to shift. Gets annoying after a while, if you haven’t. He’ll be back in a few days I’m sure.”
“No, it’s… he’s a hybrid?” Robby’s nose wrinkled at the word, and suddenly Dennis wondered if Robby was one, too. ‘Hybrid’ was clinical, and only really used by humans, at least, those who couldn’t shift. Those who could mostly referred to themselves as shifters, or just the animal they could turn into. “He’s a wolf,” Robby supplied, still looking uncomfortable. If he was just human, Abbot had trained him well. Dennis nodded slowly, wringing his hands. “That’s cool. I’m gonna… I’m gonna get a patient.”
And he knew that there was no chance Robby didn’t know that he was much more alike Abbot than he would have liked to let on.
Dennis’ wrists itched. He wanted to change, to bury his body in blankets and pillows and sleep with his tail wrapped around his body. But he couldn’t, because he was at work. He also had to resist all of his nervous habits, because Robby was watching his every move. He wanted to stretch out, and engage in all the animalistic tendencies that came up when he hadn’t shifted in a while, but his form had been his best kept secret for years, and he wanted to keep it that way. In Nebraska, foxes weren’t uncommon. In fact, they were fucking everywhere, and no one knew how to tell an actual one from Dennis sniffing through their bushes. But in the middle of Pittsburgh, no one would see a fox and think nothing of it, they would call animal control. That had only happened to him once, but it had been a very awkward conversation. He closed his eyes for a moment, pushing the urge to nest somewhere down. He hadn’t been completely free in years. School was not the place for shifters, or juvenile foxes running around campus. There had been a club of a few kids brave enough to say what they were, but they were the same kids who dropped out, or changed majors to escape the bullying. He was 17 the last time he wasn’t downright uncomfortable in his body. Living out in the middle of nowhere on a farm was perfect for him. After school he could drop his bags, shift, and go for a run. He could help their dogs with herding, or hunt rats to make sure his instincts were still sharp. He slept in his fox form in the winters, because the fur coat along with his blankets kept him warm. It had been 10 years since then, since he’d had the freedom to be himself. A hand landed on his shoulder.
“Whitaker?” Dana, standing at his side, voice dropped in concern. “Come with me, kid.” He felt blood on his fingertips. He had been scratching too much again.
Dana sat him in the break room, wiping down the scratches and wrapping a bit of gauze around him. He smiled in thanks, but the curl of his lips was weak, probably looking more like he was baring his teeth politely.
“I wasn’t hurting myself,” he said softly, watching as she taped down the gauze.
“No? Because you were standing there for a few minutes, and there’s blood under your nails.” There was once a time when a sentence like that wouldn’t have been a concern, just an observation. But now, he may as well have stabbed someone with how dangerous the blood could be.
“When I get anxious, I scratch,” he explained. She squinted.
“Abbot does that, but he also takes a few days off. Maybe you just need a break, kiddo.”
“I’m alright, Dana, I promise. I just wasn’t paying attention.” She frowned, but stood up, clearly taking his word for it.
“I still need to tell Robby, and he’ll want to see you. Stay in here.” Dennis just wanted his blood cleaned up. He wanted to go back to an hour ago, when Abbot had been the only non-human in the department, when no one knew what he was, when he could pretend there wasn’t something wild thrumming beneath his skin. He picked weakly at the tape on his arm, staring at the floor with a blank expression. The last time he had had to tell someone what he was, he was 12. It was on his student profile that he was a hybrid, so teachers knew as soon as he was put in their classes. In such a small town, all the kids had known each other their whole lives, so the kids in his class knew, but the new girl didn’t. He didn’t even remember the course of events, because as a kid, it was nothing. She said she loved dogs, he said he did too. She said she wished she knew what they were saying, he said he could tell her. She asked, and he said it so easily. “I’m a fox.” And she had asked if he was cute as a puppy, and he told her that his mom said he was adorable, and the conversation ended. Since then, he’d never told anyone. That was a streak he’d planned on keeping.
Robby entered the break room and went straight to the coffee machine. Under his breath, he muttered something about his inconsiderate husband who should have just shifted to sleep the night before, but had refused. He filled his travel mug, dumping creamer and what would be considered too much sugar into it, mixing it with a gentle swirl over the sink. Dennis couldn’t help but stare. Robby was married to a hybrid, surely he wouldn’t be rude. But this hospital was his baby, and anything that endangered it was on his shit list. A student who hadn’t marked down ‘hybrid’ on his application, and came to work emotionally exhausted was dangerous. The animal and human parts of him were two sides of a coin; they needed each other. If one side was tired, the other would front. And human Dennis needed a fucking break. He flinched as Robby slid into the chair Dana had been in, taking a slow sip of his coffee.
“Dana says you were scratching? She didn’t really explain it beyond that, so am I just in here because you have a bug bite?” He looked exhausted, and a little bit nervous. Dennis wondered exactly how wild his own eyes looked.
“No, I just… I scratch my wrists when I’m anxious? And I got worried, and zoned out, and drew blood.” He held out his arm, watching as Robby’s clinical stare fell to the gauze. Dana had over-wrapped him, ensuring blood wouldn’t show at all through his shift, but also making it look like he had done something. He blinked, slow and tired.
“I’m calling in Al-Hashimi and Javadi,” he said finally, taking another large gulp of his coffee. The younger man took his arm back, cradling it to his chest. “Why?”
“Because you can’t be here, and I’m too fucking tired for this.”
“I can be here-“ he started, something in his gut twisting to defend himself.
“No, you can’t. Whitaker, you’re working yourself to the bone, and you need a break. When was the last time you… rested?” Dennis stared, holding onto his own wrist tightly. How had he been so obvious? He never should have taken the night shift, it made him loopy, and he was revealing too much. The strong urge to whine and back into a corner overtook him, and he hung his head.
“Come on, kid,” Robby murmured, leading him out of the room.
Robby had taken the rusted old truck that Abbot normally drove instead of his motorcycle, which for the first time ever, Dennis appreciated. The sex appeal of an older man on a motorcycle was exquisite, but the appeal of being kidnapped on said motorcycle was significantly lower. He shuffled into the passenger seat silently, wanting desperately to curl up and hide. He remembered when he had a den for himself back home. He dug it under their porch, in the coolest corner that wasn’t near any pipes or wires. His dad had shown him the plans of the house, making sure he wouldn’t hurt himself. Then den hadn’t been for any particular reason, just for a nice place to sit in the summer, or somewhere to hide when his instincts took over. He missed home, with his porch and his den and his rats. He barely noticed that he was whining slightly, having lost the ability to control it. Like Abbot, he had waited much too long to shift. Robby didn’t even look at him, just drove through dark streets towards a house he didn’t recognize.
“We’re home,” he said softly, reaching across the middle console to squeeze his knee.
“You can rest here.” Dennis huffed, and yawned. The older man chuckled, and climbed out of the car, coming around to lead him into the house. His hand was on the scruff of Dennis’ neck, like he was a misbehaving puppy. He didn’t hate the feeling.
The house smelt like dog. It also smelled like home, and safety. Robby clicked his tongue, and a big wolf came bounding in from another room. One of his hind legs was gone, and some of his fur was whitening, but he was as agile as a puppy. Robby crouched down in front of Dennis, happily grabbing the wolf’s head.
“Hey there, brother,” he whispered, shaking its head. It growled, rearing up to lick his face.
“Jesus, calm down. It’s been two hours, and we have company, old man.” Like any regular dog would, the wolf trotted towards Whitaker, likely expecting someone who didn’t know him as a human. But instead, he stopped, ears flattening against his head and tail tucking between his legs. Dennis wanted to copy.
“You’re alright, Jackie, you know I wouldn’t bring him here for no reason. Say hi,” Robby coaxed, still crouched to the ground. Abbot, even in wolf form, had an impressive ‘what did you just say to me’ face. But he still took a nervous step-hop forward, and pressed his wet nose against Dennis’ knee. He blinked up at him as he sniffed, before whining slightly. It wasn’t a scared whine, it was the whine of a dog who had just made a new friend. His tail thwapped against the wall, rattling a picture frame above them, as he kept sniffing.
“Yeah, Jackie. He’s safe.” Dennis wanted to sit next to him, to smell his fur and play with his tail, and sleep curled like pups- he blinked hard.
“Dr. Robby, why am I here?” Robby smiled, and pushed himself off the floor, only letting out a soft groan as he straightened up.
“You’re here because clearly you can’t shift at home. Jackie says you’ll do it here.” Dennis didn’t remember the wolf at his feet saying anything, but after so many years of knowing each other, they must have known how to make do without words. Abbot thumped his tail against the ground once more, looking damn well pleased with himself.
Dennis was lead down a hall to a room, where he was told to shift. Robby and Abbot walked back down the hall, leaving him alone in the dark room. They’d left the door open so he could leave when he was finished, and not be locked away, but he still felt very stuck. His attendings were just down the hall, waiting for him to show them the most private part of himself. Even Santos hadn’t seen him as a fox, and he’d been living with her for almost a year. But god did he want out of this body. He’d been itchy and uncomfortable for forever, but it had gotten worse over the past few days. He found himself tugging off his scrubs, folding them and leaving them on what felt like a bed. He wasn’t awkwardly naked for long. Soon, he was stretching out his tired spine, and wagging his tail, yawning to show off his teeth. He trotted out of the room, down the hall, and towards the sound of Abbot still thumping his tail on the ground. The older dog had his head on his paws, huffing quietly as Robby dragged his fingers through his fur. They glanced up at the click of Dennis’ claws, seeing him cowering in the hall. Robby hummed.
“Fox. Would not have guessed that one.” He paused and tilted his head.
“But it suits you.” Then he patted a heavy hand on the couch.
“Join us.” Abbot let out a huff in agreement. If they were both human, Dennis would have no problem jumping straight onto the couch and sitting with Robby, but there were different rules in this body. He stood next to Abbot, and whined softly. The older dog looked pleased. He sat up, and stood over him, sniffing his face, ears, and back. Dennis returned the courtesy, licking his chin tentatively. Abbot responded by shoving his snout under him, shoving him towards the couch. Robby laughed at the scandalized look Dennis made, hopping up on the couch with a quiet, disgruntled, yip.
“Don’t mind him, he’s just bossy.” He already knew that. One hand was extended toward him, open palmed and unmoving. Robby definitely knew how to act around hybrids, and Abbot had definitely trained him well. Dennis sniffed him a few times, before licking the tip of his finger. The hand flipped, rose, and scratched over his ears. He whined loudly, pressing his skull into his hand. Both of Robby’s hands came up to grab his head, roughing over his ears and smoothing over his neck, offering the best butt scratches Dennis had gotten in a decade. He whined again, happily flopping against the bed and baring his stomach. His father used to say he wouldn’t survive a day in the wild, but even the possibility of getting belly rubs was worth the threat of death. Robby chucked.
“When was the last time someone gave you some love, pup?” His hand scratched over his belly, while Abbot adjusted to sit next to them, chin falling to Robby’s knee. What an image he made, sitting on his couch with two wild dogs melting like butter at his touch. Dennis kicked a leg out involuntarily when the man’s fingers scratched along his jaw and under his chin, yet again causing the man to chuckle. His other hand went to Abbot, letting the dog gently hold it between his teeth, like he was planning on leading him somewhere. Dennis didn’t think he’d ever been that comfortable.
They all fell asleep at the couch. Abbot took up two cushions, his head on Robby’s lap, and his long torso and legs stretching out over the other two. Dennis found himself curled against him, chin settled on his ribs and tail wrapped around his paws. He’d met plenty of other animals, hell, his grandad had been a sheepdog, but he’d never had an experience like this. His grandad taught him to herd, hunt, and dig. He’d never climbed on a haystack to sleep with him, or groomed his ears like Abbot had. It was tender and warm, and he wanted to stay there forever. The next morning, when he woke up, Robby was gone, and he was surrounded by Abbot. He blinked slowly when he saw him wake up, sticking out his tongue to lick his nose playfully. Dennis sneezed.
‘Good morning, kid.’ Dogs didn’t exactly speak, but they could talk as good as any person.
‘Good morning, Dr. Abbot,’ he replied meekly.
‘None of that doctor shit, I’m just Jack. And you’re just Dennis.’ Almost against his will, he slapped his tail against the couch. Jack responded with a whack of his own, before nudging him with his snout.
‘Let’s go see what Michael has made for us.’ He stood up, and hopped from the couch, putting his paws out in front of him to stretch out his spine, yawning happily when he was done. Jack was more careful getting down from the couch, and licked his lips before trotting towards the kitchen.
‘Uh, Jack? When should I be going home?’ Jack tilted his head to side, and let out a small whine.
‘Do you have to go? I’ve never had a puppy to play with.’ And if Dennis’ tail wagged so hard his butt moved with it, it was out of his control.
Robby, it turned out, had made them a meal of bacon, eggs, chicken, and some chunks of fish. Dennis had eaten as a fox before, but it had always been, awkwardly, out of a dog bowl. It made him feel like a pet, but explaining that to his parents would have been embarrassing. Here, though, Robby placed two plates on the floor, pulling over a chair to eat his own eggs and toast with them. He’d greeted them both with a head pat, and Jack with a kiss between his ears. Dennis tried very hard to not be jealous. They all ate together, before Robby flicked open the sliding door on their porch, pulling it open.
“Play nice, will you Jackie? Our Dennis is still small.” Jack bounded into their expansive backyard without a response. Immediately, he dropped into a playful bow, tongue hanging out and lips pulled into the wolf equivalent of a friendly smile. Dennis’ tail tucked, and he looked up at Robby. The man smiled, and crouched down.
“He won’t hurt you, pup. He may look big and scary, but he just wants to play, I promise.” He gave him another head pat of reassurance, and Dennis’ tail raised to wag again, before he trotted out, copying the bow.
‘Had to get permission from the boss first, huh?’ Jack asked playfully.
‘I didn’t want to get mauled, Trinity doesn’t know where I am, and it’s not like she’d be able to identify my body.’ It was a joke, but it was something he worried about sometimes. The look in Jack’s eyes softened, and he rose from the bow, walking over to press his nose against his forehead.
‘We got you now, okay? You can be yourself.’ Dennis shoved his face up against the fluff of his chest, whining softly. Jack licked him once more.
‘It’s okay. You’re okay. Let’s play, yeah?’ He nodded, falling into the bow. Then, he nipped his foot, and darted off. Jack let out a woof in surprise, before chasing after him. The adrenaline rush was like when he would hang out with actual foxes, or when he would chase after rats. But instead, it was another hybrid, a wolf who knew what it was like. And god if that didn’t feel a hundred times better.
Dennis had been hoping to sneak out of the house that night, if he hadn’t been kicked out by then. Maybe it was cowardly, disappearing into the night like a cat-burglar, but it was better than the alternative. Jack seemed happy to have someone there who was like him, but Dennis had also never been good at reading social cues, and maybe they had wanted him to leave during the first night. He was curled up on the couch, staring into an empty fireplace, with his paws under his chin and the fur on his tail tickling his nose. Jack was fast asleep on the floor in front of him, on his back with his legs spread, snoring like only a dog can. Robby was… somewhere. He’d spent most of his day looking after them, offering pets and scratches to Dennis whenever he wandered close, but now he’d disappeared. Maybe he was calling Trinity to get her to come and pick up her weird roommate who wouldn’t leave his house. He whined at the thought. In reality, he didn’t even want to leave. He wanted to stay in this bubble of perfection, being treated like a family member, like he belonged. The couch dipped next to him, Robby sighing as he settled in.
“You finally tired him out, hm?” He wagged his tail slightly, and the man smiled warmly. Dennis was still completely capable of human mannerisms, like nodding, but he’d learnt that the sight of such mannerisms on animals was unsettling. Robby didn’t seem to mind him resorting to animalistic communication, but after so many years, he probably knew how to understand it. One of his hands moved to his lap, and patted his thigh.
“Come here,” he murmured, watching him as he slowly rose up and padded over. He settled next to Robby’s lap, peering up at him. The older man chuckled, then slid his hands around his body, picking him up and holding him as if he were a human baby. His belly was exposed, and his legs were stuck out awkwardly, but when Robby adjusted to be lying on his back, he was free to move around as he pleased. He made his way up, finding a nice place on his chest, where he curled up and closed his eyes.
“Are you gonna take a nap on me, puppy?” Dennis was decidedly not a puppy, and Jack and Robby definitely knew this too, so he assumed they were just using it as some sort of nickname. Or something else. He pushed the thought away, lifting his tail to wrap it back around himself. Robby’s calloused hands stroked over his shoulders and back, occasionally scratching behind his ears. Being this comfortable while sitting on your boss shouldn’t be allowed, but Dennis had been forced here. Sort of. He sneezed when his tail tickled his nose again, and Robby laughed. He’d never noticed how much the man’s chest rumbled when he laughed, but being on his chest, it was like being rocked to sleep. Somewhere in his throat, a new sound vibrated, one he didn’t even know he could make. Robby laughed again, face lighting up in excitement.
“Are you purring?” Dennis whined, burying his nose against his paws.
“I knew foxes could, but…” his words trailed off, and he gently lifted Dennis’ chin to look him in the eyes. His wild, animal eyes that he hadn’t looked through in weeks.
“You really are perfect, aren’t you?” And he leaned forward, and planted a kiss to his head. Dennis was completely and utterly fucked.
They ate fish and chicken for dinner, before going outside to play some more while Robby showered. Then, he beckoned them back inside to go to bed. Dennis happily chased Jack back into the house, but paused at the bottom of the stairs when the wolf bounded up them happily. He didn’t like the imagery, he knew where those stairs went, and it wasn’t his place. Their bedroom. He huffed, and circled back to the couch. His attendings’ bedroom was not somewhere he should witness, especially not as an animal. When he was younger, there had been one ‘Fox Free’ zone in the entire farm, and that had been the master bedroom; his parents' room. That rule had been very ingrained in him, which he now knew as his parents not wanting him sniffing out their business. Still, even all these years later, he wanted to keep his paws out of the nicer rooms in a house. He curled up on the couch, pressed in a corner where it was warm and he still had a good vantage point of the rest of the house. When he was human, those instincts didn’t rear up as much, but when he was a fox, he would go insane over whether or not he was protected. He opened his eyes as Robby came back down the stairs, frowning slightly.
“Don’t you want to come upstairs?” Dennis whined softly, hiding his nose in his paws.
“I promise you, the bed is more comfortable than the couch.” He didn’t move, watching as Robby mused over him.
“Is it the bed? You don’t have to shift back, Jackie will be sleeping as a wolf.” Dennis only barely resisted the urge to press his ears back against his skull, but couldn’t stop them from twitching backwards. Too much was being revealed to him, he had already forced himself into their lives, he had no standing in their dreams. Especially not as a human, which Robby had just essentially offered. He needed to get the fuck out of this house.
Robby eventually gave up, and went to bed. Dennis considered it a success, while he waited to hear the old man and wolf snores come from their bedroom. As he sat there, he found himself wondering how they slept. Maybe Jack was stretched along the head of the bed, and Robby was using him as a pillow. Maybe there was a dog bed somewhere, or the older dog would just curl up on whichever side of the bed was his. He seemed like he would sleep on the right, but Robby didn’t seem like someone who slept on the left. Imagining the bed, he knew that Jack would sleep on the right, and Robby would end up entangled with to him at some point. He shook his head to rid the thoughts from his mind, hopping down from the couch. He could at least hear Robby snoring, so he could shift and change, and leave. His clothes hadn’t been moved from the room he’d originally been left in, thankfully. Shifting back after so long as a fox felt a bit stiff, but when he was back in his human body, he felt recharged. Nothing like the anxious mess he’d been two days prior, practically ripping through his skin without noticing because of how bad he needed to change. He stumbled as he got his clothes back on, struggling slightly in the dark to find the holes in hos scrubs. He noticed that they smelt like the rest of the house, like a dog and a whole lot of joy. He vowed to not breathe in too deeply until he could change. Without the added support of whiskers and nocturnal eyes, the house was difficult to navigate, but he eventually found his way to the doorway, before quickly realizing he had no idea which shoes were his. The process of elimination (riding boots, shoes more expensive than his rent, a runner that was at least three sizes too big for him) cleared out a lot, but there were still plenty of shoes that were similar in size and style, and in the dark it was a very real possibility he would take one of his shoes, and one of someone else’s. Behind him, someone flicked the overhead light of the entrance on.
“You know, it tends to be easier to find things when you can see.” Oh, god, strike me down now. He looked over his shoulder slowly, face going red at the sight before him. Abbot, leaned against a wall with a forearm crutch next to him, in nothing but boxers and a smug expression.
“Hey,” Dennis said slowly.
“Hello,” Abbot practically purred, looking, yet again, all too pleased with himself.
“Is there any particular reason you’re fleeing our house in the night like it’s a walk of shame?”
“I don’t have a good answer for that.”
“Try.” Dennis sighed, and finally pushed himself off the floor, stepping back to keep space between him and Abbot. That crutch had a fair bit of reach, and he still wasn’t completely sure this slice of heaven wasn’t going to end in a shallow grave.
“I… have work tomorrow.” When in times of immense stress, lie. Abbot rolled his eyes.
“Robby took us both off the rotation until Sunday, so that’s bullshit. Don’t lie to me, Dennis.”
“How about you tell me why I’m even here?” He bit back, feeling oddly defensive. Even as a human, he wanted to bare his teeth and show just how dangerous he could be. But Abbot softened, tilting his head to the side and smiling sadly.
“Come here. You’re standing all the way over there like I’m going to hit you.” Dennis neglected to mention that that was the exact reason he was standing so far away. He took a few steps over, before Abbot reached over, grabbed his arm, and tugged him until they were touching. As animals, this contact would have been okay, but as humans, Dennis thought he might scream. Then, he was being kissed. Quite softly, with one hand barely cupping his arm like a protective shield. He almost indulged, falling forward into the kiss just because of how sweet it was. But- “Jesus, Abbot what the fuck? Your husband is upstairs!” The older man licked his lips, looking unbothered. Down the hall, Robby yawned.
“Husband is right here. What’s happening?”
“Dennis was taking a walk of shame, so I thought I’d give him a goodbye kiss.” Robby chuckled, one arm wrapping around Abbot so he wouldn’t have to lean on the wall.
“And how did our Dennis take that?”
“He appears to be worried about our marital status.” He felt off balance, staring at the older men while they giggled about his reaction.
“Well, did he at least like it?” Abbot turned, looking at the shell shocked Dennis who was contemplating shifting then and there for a faster escape.
“I don’t know. Dennis, did you like it?” His stomach squeezed at the tone clinging to his words, the careful, open voice that was giving him an out.
“What the fuck is happening right now?” It was Robby, sweet patient Robby, who stepped forward.
“I didn’t just invite you over so you could shift.”
“Well that much is clear!” Dennis spluttered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Dennis, I need you to listen to me. This isn’t what you think it is.”
“I think I’m being propositioned by my bosses,” he spat.
“He’s not wrong,” Abbot hummed.
“Jackie, shut up. We feel that we have a fairly… stable emotional relationship with you. And we want to explore that, if that’s what you want.” His bones felt like they might be fusing from how tense he was, shoulders pressed together and arms crossed over himself protectively.
“What does that mean? We have tea on Tuesdays? Crib on the weekends?”
“We want you to be our boyfriend,” Jack interjected.
“But in the interest of not being reported to HR, saying yes or no will not affect your future at the PTMC, and our house is always open if you need a safe place to shift.” They watched as Dennis’ entire time at the emergency department flipped on its head, small pieces falling into places they hadn’t fit before, while others were knocked firmly out of rhythm. He wanted that. Perhaps desperately. He hadn’t had a boyfriend since he was 22, when school became his only relationship, and everything else failed. He did amazing in school, but he barely knew how to talk to other people by the end of it.
“Dennis?” Robby asked softly, leaning his head down to try and catch his eye. “Are you alright?”
“Oh my fucking god, just come here.” And Dennis kissed him. He poured every once of thanks he had for the past few days, a fair bit of annoyance, and every other amalgamation of emotion he was feeling. Behind them, Jack heaved out a sigh, sounding much like a father realizing his football team wasn’t losing.
“Way to make an old man worry,” he barked, rolling his eyes. Dennis ignored it, and kissed him. He didn’t really feel like leaving anymore.