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When Dennis left Nebraska for med school, he packed nothing but the essentials.
He couldn’t afford to pay extra for a carry-on suitcase, so it was only whatever he could fit into his backpack and the clothes on his body.
It wasn’t so bad. He was never someone who cared much for clothing or knick knacks. Anything that he would need, he’d be able to get when he was actually in Pittsburgh.
Although he knew he had to be frugal and decisive, there was one object that he could not have left home without.
It was a bunny stuffed animal that he had owned since he was a little kid. The bunny was gray, with big, floppy ears and a pink nose. Around its neck was a brown and red plaid print scarf.
He didn’t remember when exactly he got it, he must have been young enough that the memory didn’t stick, but for his entire life, Dennis loved that bunny. He took it everywhere with him and he refused to sleep without it.
The bunny always sat neatly on his pillow and after his nightly prayer, he’d hug him tight under the covers. When life got scary or unpredictable, it was nice to have at least one constant, one thing that he knew for certain wouldn't change.
Most people grew out of their plushie phase when they hit middle or high school, but that never really happened for Dennis, which was how he ended up twenty-seven years old and still sleeping with his childhood stuffed animal.
He lovingly named the thing: Mr. Bunster, or Bunbun for short.
Although Bunbun had a few stains on him that no amount of detergent could remove, he was still in fairly good condition. His fur was lovingly soft and any holes in his fabric were carefully stitched back together by Dennis’ own hands.
At night, regardless of where he was, Dennis would squeeze Bunbun close to his chest, or else he couldn’t fall asleep.
The comfort the bunny provided Dennis became even more prevalent when he became homeless and he latched on even harder to whatever scraps of home he could muster together.
When Trinity found him hiding out on the second floor, he managed to stuff Bunbun into his backpack before she saw him. Although she was doing an incredibly kind thing by letting him, a complete stranger, live in her apartment, he also knew she would tease him relentlessly if she saw the toy.
So Bunbun lived comfortably in Dennis’ room, where he was always within reach.
He knew it was silly and childish, but it wasn’t like he was hurting anyone. It was a harmless indulgence that he allowed himself.
He just wished other people weren’t so judgemental.
Dennis was the youngest of four boys, and his three older brothers took every excuse they could to torture him. They’d yank Bunbun out of his hand and toss him between them, laughing and mocking when he’d try to grab him back.
His oldest brother, Luke, would even throw the toy at the wall and laugh at how Dennis would cry about it.
He knew Bunbun wasn’t real. He was an inanimate object, but he couldn’t help but empathize with him. Every slam on the floor and pull of his delicate limbs felt painfully real to him.
When his brothers would go out to play together and refused to let Dennis join in, he’d grab the bunny and read to him in his room.
When he was seven, his parents got him a toy doctor set for Christmas and his favorite thing to do became playing doctor with Bunbun. He’d push the plastic stethoscope against the bunny’s fur and pretend to listen for his breathing.
Unlike his brothers, Bunbun never made fun of him or judged him for being too weird.
Every night, after a grueling twelve hour shift at PTMC, Dennis would come home, peel off his scrubs, and get comfortable. He’d gently pick up Bunbun and crawl into bed, where he’d hug the downy, gray plush close to his heart until he drifted away into sleep.
When Robby first offered to have Dennis housesit for him, Dennis thought he was joking. It took a beat for the sincerity of his words to hit him.
He agreed, of course. The opportunity to live rent-free, alone in a nice house was too good to pass up.
He still didn’t fully process that it was real until Robby actually handed him the keys to his house.
His first night at Robby’s place was painfully awkward. He felt like a strange intruder poking his nose into Robby’s personal life, but he eventually got used to it.
Dennis made himself comfortable in Robby’s guest room. His books and notes were spread across the desk and his clothes were haphazardly stacked on the desk chair.
His bed was a mess of blankets and pillows with Bunbun sitting on top, and that was how it was for a good two months.
Until, one night, Dennis was folding his laundry while blasting his music in his headphones. He danced and hummed along to the music as he stuffed his folded pants into his drawer.
He sang, “Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother. You’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive. Feel the city breakin’ and ev- Fuck!” He shouted and dropped the socks in his hand when he saw a figure in the room with him.
His heart jumped up to his throat until he blinked and realized the figure was Robby, looking just as surprised by Dennis’ outburst as he was.
Dennis ripped his headphones out of his ears and said, breathlessly, “Dr. Robby! Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there. You- oh- you scared the shit out of me.”
Robby laughed, a deep and warm sound. “No, no. I’m sorry. I knocked, but I guess you didn’t hear me.”
Dennis took a second to analyze the scene in front of him. Robby was back, and he was back sooner than expected. He didn’t look all that different from when he left, except maybe a little bit lighter. Less like he had an anchor tied to his leg, weighing him down. He was wearing a dark blue acket that was halfway zipped up and dark pants that looked like they'd seen better days.
Through the bedroom door, behind Robby, Dennis could see his motorcycle helmet and gloves sat on the dining room table.
His beard had slightly more gray in it than it did before, a fact that Dennis definitely did not find attractive at all.
Dennis quickly started to ramble, “I can move all my stuff out right now. Sorry, if I had known you were coming back-” He was already grabbing his bag while he spoke.
Robby shook his head and interrupted. “It’s fine, Whitaker, it’s my fault for not texting you earlier.”
Dennis started stuffing clothes into his bag. “Just give me like ten minutes and I’ll be out of your hair.”
Robby crossed his arms and said, firmly, “Whitaker.”
“Yes?” Dennis blushed. He was both embarrassed at the situation and silently pleased by Robby’s attention on him.
“Relax. I’m not kicking you out. This house is big, you can stay for as long as you like.”
The thought of living in Robby's house with Robby was overwhelming. He said, “Oh, you don’t have to do that, I can find my own place. I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not intruding on anything- what is that?” Robby’s train of thought flipped when he saw something behind Dennis. He smiled curiously and pointed at the bed.
Dennis turned around.
He was looking directly at Bunbun, who was sitting upright against Dennis’ pillow.
Oh my god. This is the most humiliating moment of my life.
Robby walked over and picked up Bunbun, with an amused expression on his face.
Red-hot shame bubbled through Dennis’ whole body. “I-I-I.”
He couldn’t believe that his boss was holding his cherished childhood stuffed animal.
Robby eyed the toy, and when he turned him to the side, Bunbun’s head and arms flopped forward.
Dennis couldn’t help it. He shouted, “Please be careful!”
Robby froze and stared at him, wide-eyed at his reaction.
Dennis quickly regretted saying anything. His palms were sweaty and he was certain his face was practically glowing with embarrassment. “Sorry. It’s stupid, it's just- it has a lot of sentimental value to me, so.”
Robby seemed unaware of the internal combustion Dennis was currently experiencing, because he slowly nodded and then kept talking casually. “You know, I had a dog plush when I was a kid- it was all brown curls, and button eyes, but my grandmother threw it away when I turned ten. Said I was too old for those kinds of toys.”
That wasn’t the reaction Dennis had expected. He waited for Robby to make fun of him, to ask him, mockingly, if he needed his toy or to ask in that condescending tone Dennis knew so well from his childhood when he was finally going to grow up and stop acting like a whiny child.
But, it never happened. Robby had shared something genuine, so Dennis said, in turn, “My mom tried to get rid of him once, but I made a big enough fuss that she gave him back.”
Robby smiled and touched Bunbun’s plaid scarf. “What’s his name?”
That was not how he thought this conversation was going to go. Dennis said, “Bunbun, for short.”
Robby raised an eyebrow. “What’s his full name?”
Dennis’ cheeks flushed. “Mr. Bunster.”
Robby laughed. The crow's feet around his eyes crinkled up handsomely. “Oh that’s great.”
A rush of defensiveness flooded Dennis, and he muttered, “Please don’t laugh at me.”
Robby shook his head. “I’m not laughing at you, I promise. It’s… cute.” Dennis wasn’t sure if the ‘it’ was referring to Bunbun or Dennis. He gently put Bunbun back down where he originally sat. “I shouldn’t be messing with your stuff- that’s rude of me."
He stood back up straight and focused his attention back onto Dennis. "Seriously, though, just stay here. I’m not scheduled to go back to work for another few weeks anyways, I don’t want to throw a wrench in your plans.”
Dennis technically could call Trinity up right then and see if he could move back in, but that would be a hassle to do at that time of night, and Robby seemed confident in his words. “I mean… if you’re sure?”
“Positive. It’ll be fun to have a roommate again, like in college.”
“O-okay!”
Robby gave him a curt nod. “I’m exhausted. We can talk more in the morning. Good night.”
Before Robby left, he added, “And you,” He pointed at Bunbun. “Keep an eye on the place while we’re asleep.”
Dennis laughed and his gaze followed Robby’s back as he walked away.
His chest felt warm and liquid. At first he thought it was the shame of being caught, but even after Robby left, the feeling persisted.
Living with Robby was surprisingly mundane.
Dennis thought it would feel a lot stranger, sleeping and eating in the same house as his boss, but Robby never made his presence feel unwanted or weird. He talked to Dennis like Dennis belonged there.
He even cooked dinner for the two of them, so Dennis didn’t have to stress about it when he got home from work. The whole thing was strangely domestic.
Robby stayed home most days, since his sabbatical still wasn’t technically over, and there was something sweet about coming home to see him lounging on the couch or cooking or doing the dishes.
One night, Robby jokingly asked when it would be Bunbun’s turn to make dinner, to which Dennis responded by grabbing Bunbun and placing him on top of the kitchen counter.
Dennis gestured to the bunny and said, “See? He’s helping.”
Dennis never dared to take Bunbun out of his room when he lived with Trinity, or with his last roommates beforehand. The optics of it were just too embarrassing.
Robby never judged, though. He always smiled and went along with it. That fact that he even remembered Bunbun's name made Dennis' stomach flutter.
Dennis was at work when he texted Robby that he would be coming home late and to not wait up on having dinner for him. A gang shooting threw a wrench into everybody’s schedule and he’d have to stay at least an hour or two later.
A few minutes later, Dennis checked his phone and he saw a new message from Robby. He opened it up and saw a photo of Bunbun propped up against the couch. His grey fur contrasted against the dark brown fabric. There was a message right below it.
Robby: “Bunbun is rooting for you!”
Dennis’ heart clenched with affection.
That’s so cute.
“You texting someone hot?” Trinity’s voice got his attention.
He said, “Huh?”
She pointed at his phone. “You’re grinning like a sociopath at your phone.”
Dennis’ face warmed and he quickly pulled his phone close to his chest. “It’s nothing, ignore me.”
The next morning, right before Dennis left for work, he took Bunbun and placed him on the kitchen counter. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and posed it next to his paw.
Dennis got his phone out and took a photo of him. He opened up Robby’s contact number and was about to text him the photo when he was hit with a wave of self-consciousness.
What am I doing? Is this too silly?
He thought about the fond look in Robby's eyes when Dennis told him Bunbun’s full name. He bit his bottom lip nervously.
He technically started it, so he can't think I'm being unprofessional.
Before he could second-guess himself any longer, he attached the photo with a message.
Dennis: Bunbun had a wild night last night, please make sure he drinks plenty of water today!
He hit send.
An hour later, when Dennis was already at the hospital, his phone dinged with a new message. He unlocked it to see yet another photo of Bunbun, this time he was sat up on top of the dining room table with a glass of water next to him.
Robby: I gave him a stern lecture on drinking responsibly.
They went back and forth like that for several weeks.
Robby: Unfortunately, Bunbun will have to be kept overnight for monitoring, but he should recover quickly.
Attached was a photo of Bunbun with a bandaid on his arm.
Another day, Dennis sent a photo of Bunbun sitting against the outside of the closed oven door with a large oven mitt sitting on the plush’s lap.
Dennis: Bunbun tried to bake cookies, but he burnt them. He says he’s very sorry.
Robby: Tell Bunbun he is forgiven, but to be more careful next time.
Dennis chuckled and he was practically glowing with fondness as he reread the text over and over again.
Getting a text from Robby became the highlight of his day. He’d check his phone regularly during his shift to see what situation Robby had put his toy into that day.
Robby: Somebody spilled salt all over the floor…
Attached was a photo of the kitchen floor with a salt shaker laying sideways, half-spilled. Bunbun was posed facing away from the camera (and the mess).
Dennis: Bunbun’s starting his first day of his ER rotation, please be patient with him!
Along with that was a photo of the bunny with Dennis’ stethoscope hung around his shoulders.
Dennis looked forward to those little, sweet moments. He’d even start to brainstorm what he’d send next while he was still at work.
It made him smile, and he hoped it made Robby smile too.
Dennis assumed that when Robby’s sabbatical was officially over, that he’d kick him out of the house properly, but that never happened.
They just kept living together.
Dennis waited for the other shoe to drop, but it simply didn’t.
In the mornings, Robby would drive them both to work, and at night, they’d come home together. Whenever Dennis did laundry, he’d ask Robby if he wanted to throw his in the load too. When Robby would go grocery shopping, he’d text Dennis what “they” needed.
Trinity made fun of him for it relentlessly. She found it hilarious that he was, as she once said, “playing housewife with our boss”.
Dennis rolled his eyes at the comment, but he didn’t deny that it was strangely accurate.
More than once, Dennis caught glimpses of Robby walking around the house shirtless and he’d have to quickly excuse himself before he melted into a puddle on the floor.
Robby never pushed, though, he kept things between them friendly, but never uncomfortable.
It drove Dennis a bit mad to be constantly surrounded by Robby (his clothes, his stuff, his presence, his smell). He made sure to keep a lid on whatever less professional desires bubbled up inside of him.
On the drive home one night, they were chatting about movies and Robby was horrified to find out that Dennis had never seen The Princess Bride.
Robby shook his head, disappointed, as they drove down the Pittsburgh streets. “That’s ridiculous. It’s only one of the greatest movies of all time.”
Dennis shrugged. He was silently amused by Robby’s investment in his movie-going experiences. “I’ve never been much of a movie person, even as a kid. We had one tiny TV that I had to share with my brothers, so they always got dibs on what we watched.”
Robby tapped the edge of the steering wheel and said, “Are you busy tonight?”
“No?”
“Good. Then we can watch it. I have it on DVD.”
Dennis grinned. “Yeah, cool!”
The second they got home, Robby crouched down and rumaged around the drawers under the TV until he pulled out the right case.
“Aha!” He revealed it with a dramatic flourish that Dennis found adorably endearing.
Dennis was still in his work scrubs, so he said, “Just let me shower and we can watch.”
Robby was already turning on the TV. “Sounds good. I’ll order us pizza and we can have a movie night.”
Dennis nodded and went inside his bedroom to put his stuff down.
He had long stopped referring to it as “Robby’s guestroom”, now it was just his.
He showered and changed into a comfortable pair of pajama pants and a soft, worn t-shirt. Before he went back out into the living room, he paused and glanced at Bunbun, sitting in his usual spot on his pillow. His plaid scarf hung around his neck, the same as always.
Should I…
He hesitated. Would it be too dumb? Too childish?
This was Robby, though. Robby wouldn’t laugh at him or tease him for bringing his plush around. He just wouldn’t.
So, Dennis picked up Bunbun and took him with him back out of his bedroom.
Robby was in the middle of placing the pizza box onto the coffee table when he looked up at Dennis. “Hey, perfect timing, the food just got here and-” He noticed Bunbun sitting in Dennis’ arms. “If I had known there was going to be three of us I would have ordered more pizza…”
Dennis laughed. “It’s okay, Bunbun’s a vegan anyways he doesn’t do cheese.”
Robby didn't miss a beat. “Very good to know- for future reference.”
Bunbun sat on his lap while the movie played. Every now and then, he’d pet his gray fur or twiddle with his floppy ears. The feeling of the toy was comforting and he breathed easier.
Soon enough, Bunbun was a staple all around the house.
Dennis took him for company whenever he’d cook in the kitchen or lounge on the sofa, without the worry that he’d be ridiculed or judged.
He hadn’t felt that peaceful in a place with someone else maybe ever.
They kept trading photos of Bunbun back and forth, as was their little routine. A few months after Robby had come home, Bunbun had accumulated many small adventures.
He had gotten stuck in the washing machine, lost the tv remote, stole Robby’s glasses (Dennis was particularly proud of that one, he kept that picture saved), made breakfast, read Dennis’ medical textbooks, and just yesterday he had watered Robby’s plants.
Bunbun kept very busy in the Robinavitch-Whitaker household.
“Hey, Dennis.” Robby walked out of his bedroom holding a cardboard box.
Dennis sat up on the couch, where he was waiting for him to finish getting ready so they could drive to work, and said, “Yeah?”
“The hospital’s doing this donation drive thing- do you have any stuff you want me to take in?”
Usually, he wouldn’t have anything to donate, but since he graduated and started actually making money, he was able to buy more than just the bare necessities for himself. He knew very well what it was like to live off of thrift store clothes, and he had some shirts that he hadn’t worn in over a year that he might as well leave for somebody else to make use of.
So, without much thought, he took the box into his bedroom and plopped it next to his bed. He dug around his closet for anything he hadn’t used and that was basically just taking up space and tossed it in the box.
When he was done, he put the box in the back seat of Robby’s car and they left to clock in for their shift.
Robby took the box inside with him and dropped it off at a table in the lounge room, alongside several other boxes and a small, handmade sign that said "PTMC Donation Drive".
His shift was, in one word, exhausting. The crowd waiting in chairs was rowdy and impatient. Dana had to go out there and yell at people to keep the peace. A school bus crash led to a wave of pediatric patients, luckily there were no fatalities, but they did have to send a little boy up to surgery to get his leg amputated, which was dreadfully depressing.
All to say, that by the time Dennis got home, he was ready to pass out. He changed out of his work clothes, brushed his teeth, and turned off his bedroom light.
Dennis sat on his bed and reached for the spot where Bunbun always sat, next to his pillow, but his hand hit nothing but empty air. He felt around, but Bunbun wasn’t there. Dennis pulled the covers away, to see if maybe he’d shifted around during the day, but he wasn’t anywhere on the bed.
Dennis frowned. He checked his desk- sometimes when he was studying he’d prop Bunbun up against his lamp.
Nothing.
He flicked the light back on, peaked inside his closet and scanned the floor to see if he’d fallen down somewhere. Still, nothing.
Dennis threw open all of his drawers and dug through them, leaving his clothes piled up on the floor. He checked under his bed, in the bathroom, in his bag, his trash, the kitchen cabinets, the couch cushions, the toilet- he searched everywhere.
His heart beat picked up speed as the panic set in. He was always so careful with Bunbun- he never took him outside of the house.
Maybe Robby moved him?
But, he always put Bunbun back into his spot whenever he’d pose him for a photo. He knew how protective Dennis was over that toy that he’d take the silly photo and quickly leave him exactly as he found him.
He mentally retraced his steps for the entire day. He knew he had the plush when he went to sleep the night before, and when he woke up. He vividly remembered putting him down on his bed when he got up to get dressed.
A horrifying realization dawned on him.
The box.
The donation box was right next to his bed.
Did he fall in and I didn’t notice?
Shit. Shit. Shit.
It had been hours since Robby dropped the box off at PTMC.
Dennis remembered that Javadi had recently worked some nightshifts, and that she should be there now.
He rushed to grab his phone and called Javadi.
She picked up after the second ring, “Whitaker? Hey, what’s up?”
She sounded confused, which made sense considering he was her coworker calling at ten at night.
“Hey- so,” He bit his tongue at how stupid the real reason he was calling was and he fibbed, “I think I accidentally left a shirt I didn’t want to donate in the bin over there in the hospital- could you do me a really quick favor and just check to see if it’s been picked up yet?”
“Oh, uh, yeah sure.” He waited anxiously and listened closely to the shuffling noises of the ER for several seconds as Javadi walked around.
She said, “Sorry, I don’t see anything.”
No way. This isn’t happening.
Dennis gripped the phone close to his ear. “Are-are you sure? There’s nothing?”
“Nope. I see the sign for the donation drive but whatever was there is long gone, sorry.”
“Okay. Thanks. Bye.” Dennis hung up the call and stared blankly at his bedroom wall.
There was nothing there.
He was too late. Someone had already taken everything.
Icy-cold anxiety pulsed through him.
Mr. Bunster was gone.
He started pacing in circles around his room. There had to be something he could do.
He went online and searched for the specific company that sponsored the drive. They handled donations from various hospitals all over Pittsburgh. They had a list of thrift stores in the area that they partnered with, but the list was far too long and spread out over the entire city. He had no way to tell which location Bunbun ended up in, or even if he was still there.
What if he’s already been bought by somebody else?
What if he was deemed too old and thrown out entirely?
Dennis’ breaths became quick and heaving. He couldn’t hold it back anymore- he started to cry. His eyes burned and his face was hot with tears dripping down.
He couldn't believe he'd fucked up so badly. How did he not notice? He should have been paying more attention.
Alone in his bedroom, he sniffled and sobbed quietly.
Can’t believe I’m crying over a stupid toy.
He collapsed onto his bed and groaned into his pillow.
Pull yourself together, Dennis, you’re an adult now. You’re a doctor, for fucks sake.
He heard a small knock on his door.
Dennis sat up and quickly wiped his face. He hoped the darkness would obscure his features enough that it wasn’t obvious that he’d just been crying.
He opened his bedroom door and saw Robby standing there, looking deeply concerned.
“Hey. Are you alright? I thought I heard…” His tone was kind, yet cautious.
Dennis sniffed. “M’fine.”
“Really? Cus you don’t look fine.”
Dennis picked at his nails and said, “You’ll laugh at me.”
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
Robby caught his eye and said, with steady honesty, “I promise, no matter what you say, I will not laugh at you.”
Dennis’ skin felt prickly and hot under Robby’s worried brown eyes. He mumbled, “I accidentally left Bunbun in the donation bin and now he’s gone.”
Robby’s brown eyes softened. There was nothing mocking or patronizing behind it, just genuine sympathy. “Oh shit. I’m sorry. Can you get him back?”
Dennis shook his head. “It’s all taken care of by some other company who donates to a bunch of different thrift stores all around Pittsburgh, so I have no clue what store he even ended up in or if-if someone’s already bought him. The chances of me tracking him down is… it’s impossible and I can’t sleep without him.”
He held back a fresh wave of tears and said, “I’m really sorry, Robby, I know I’m being a big baby. I-I won’t let it affect my work and I promise to be more quiet.”
Robby’s forehead creased as he looked lost in thought. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “It’s alright, Dennis. I don’t think you're acting like a baby, I’d be upset too.”
A dam broke and he started babbling. “I just don’t know what to do, I’ve had Bunbun forever. He’s my best friend, which I know is so fucking stupid but it’s true and he’s been with me through moving away and all of med school and now he’s gone and it’s my fault and he’s all alone now and-and- god, I sound so ridiculous.”
Robby trailed his hand up and down Dennis’ bare arm, rubbing the skin there soothingly. “Hey, hey it's alright. It’s okay to be sad about it. I know he’s important to you.”
Dennis wasn’t expecting him to be so nice about it. It made him feel light and fuzzy all over. “Thanks…”
Robby squeezed his shoulder. “Just try to get some rest, yeah? Let me know if there’s any way I can help.”
Dennis nodded and smiled gratefully.
That night, he couldn’t sleep properly.
He swung between awake and asleep several times throughout the night, but he didn’t get a proper rest for more than an hour at a time before he’d wake up again and instinctively grasp around his bed, looking for the familiar velvety, furry fabric.
The next morning, he still felt horrible.
He brushed his teeth in his bathroom and in the mirror his reflection had dark under eyes and a defeated look.
He took several deep breaths to try and calm himself down. It was just a stuffed animal- some cotton and fabric stitched together and probably mass produced. It was fine. He was fine.
He splashed some water on his face and got dressed for work.
Dennis could tell Robby was still worried about him after he caught him crying. On the drive to the hospital, he kept anxiously glancing over at Dennis, like he was worried he might breakdown in the passenger’s seat.
He managed to keep it together, though, and he didn’t bring it up. He knew if he started talking about Bunbun, that he’d start a whole new spiral.
The second he stepped into the ER, Trinity caught his eye and said, “God you look terrible.”
Dennis scoffed. “Thank you and good morning to you, too.”
“Sorry, what I meant to say was: are you good?”
“I’m fine. Couldn’t sleep much last night- it’s nothing.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, like she didn’t fully believe him, but she thankfully let the subject drop.
To say Dennis was a mess that day would be an egregious understatement.
He nearly walked into a wall several different times, he knocked over a cart full of sterile tools (forcing them to start the set up over again), and every time Robby asked him a question, he blanked.
Even simple things that he knew he could do felt unnecessarily complicated.
His head just wasn’t in it.
“Whitaker!” Dennis jumped when he heard Robby shout his name.
He blinked up and saw Robby standing next to him. He said, “Fuck’s sake, I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last minute.”
Dennis wriggled uncomfortably in place and said, “Sorry. What do you need, Dr. Robby?”
Instead of reprimanding him any more, though, Robby’s expression loosened into something closer to concern than frustration.
Robby placed a large, warm hand on Dennis’ back. Dennis swallowed nervously at the contact. He felt every bit of Robby that was touching him like his skin was electrified and sending zaps through his nerves.
He expected a lecture, but instead Robby softly said, “Just um, please take care of yourself.”
Is that it? Dennis blinked. “Yeah, sure.”
That was how it went for a while.
Dennis would come home, twist and turn in his bed sheets for hours, getting quick blips of sleep, before he’d be back up at six am for his shift.
It was awful, but Dennis powered through it. He didn’t have many other options.
He accepted that Bunbun was lost for good, but if he thought about it for more than a few seconds, he'd start crying again, so he mostly tried not to think about it.
A few days later, Robby was off, so Dennis went to work and came home alone. It was another long shift that was made worse by his exhaustion. Robby not being there also didn’t help. Dennis found his presence in the ER to be a stabilizing one.
When he opened the front door, he was already fantasizing about falling onto his bed and desperately trying to gather whatever minutes of sleep he could, but when he stepped inside, Robby was already waiting for him.
He shot up from the couch and said, “Dennis! Come here.” He was beaming with excitement.
Dennis cocked his head to the side and stepped forward, cautiously. “What is it?”
He looked at Dennis with bright eyes and a mischievous smile. Dennis noticed he had both of his hands firmly behind his back. He didn’t usually see Robby that full of energy and the sight surprised him.
Robby said, “Guess what I found.”
Dennis had no clue where this was going. He smiled awkwardly. “Uh, what?”
“Or, maybe the better question is: guess who I found.” Robby pulled his hands up in front of him and in them was…
“Mr. Bunster?” Dennis gasped. Holy shit. He almost couldn’t believe it, but it was really him. He had the same plaid scarf and the same stain from when Dennis accidentally dripped paint on him.
Dennis snatched the bunny out of his hand with lightning speed and sputtered out, “What- you- how?” The texture and weight of him in his hands was an instant relief.
Robby shrugged. He was playing casual, but Dennis could tell he was pleased. “I was off today so I called the company who takes our donations and got a list of all the thrift stores in Pittsburgh that they work for and I went to all of them and asked employees and dug around piles of stuffed animals until I found him.”
Dennis squeezed Bunbun hard and took a deep breath in. He smelled the same, but with a hint of Robby’s aftershave layered on top.
Dennis gaped at him. “You… but there must be like a dozen thrift stores in this area.”
His head was spinning. He saw the list and it was long and spread out all across the city.
Robby shrugged. “I’m patient.”
Dennis stood there, dumbfounded for a few seconds, before he threw his arms around Robby and pulled him into a crushing hug. He was so happy, it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.
Robby froze at first, before he gently placed his arms around Dennis’ back and hugged him in return. He was warm and his body was so firm under him- Dennis didn’t want to let go.
When Dennis pulled back, Robby’s face looked noticeably more pink than it was before.
Robby’s voice pitched up and he said, “Uh- yeah. That’s- um.” He cleared his throat. “It wasn’t a big deal or- you’re welcome, I mean. Anytime.”
Dennis was overwhelmed with a wave of affection so strong it nearly bowled him over. Robby found him.
He spent his precious day off digging around piles of old stuffed animals to find him.
Propelled by a mix of relief and gratefulness, Dennis pulled Robby down by the back of his neck and kissed him.
It was a haphazard kiss- more a clumsy pressing of lips than anything else, but it felt so right in the moment.
And then Dennis realized what he just did and with who, without even asking first.
Dennis jumped back, smacked his hand against his mouth and said, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I did that.” He clutched Bunbun close to his chest.
Robby looked like Dennis had just triggered a system reset in his brain. He blinked at him about a dozen times before he said, “It’s okay. You can do it again, if you want?”
What? Dennis' inhaled sharply. “Do you… want me to do it again?”
“Yes.” He said it instantly, like it wasn't even a question to consider.
Dennis wet his lips, half-unconsciously, and said, “Oh. Um. Okay.”
Dennis stiffly placed his hand back against Robby’s neck and pulled his face down to meet his, much more slowly this time, giving him plenty of time to pull away.
He didn’t pull away.
Instead he cupped Dennis’ face with his palm, held him steady, and kissed him back. His beard pressed against his cheek and Dennis swore he could hear his own heartbeat thumping against his ribcage.
Dennis closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, so Robby could kiss him easier. Robby sighed against his lips and the sound sent a buzz through his spine.
Is this really happening? Am I actually kissing Robby? Again?
Dennis opened his mouth and Robby took the opportunity to press his tongue inside, deepening the kiss and making Dennis’ knees go weak.
Dennis took a shaky breath and said, “Thank you.”
Robby’s voice came out wistful. “I should be thanking you.” He pressed his lips back against Dennis’ with more confidence.
Dennis moaned and let himself be walked backwards, until his back hit the kitchen counter. With something to lean against, Dennis pulled on Robby’s shirt and tipped his head back further, until they were fully making out between heavy breaths.
Robby put his hand on Dennis’ chest and said, “Wait.”
Dennis didn’t want to wait- he felt wildly impatient right then, and he let out a small whine in protest.
Robby reached below them and plucked Bunbun out of Dennis’ hand, where he hung loosely. Dennis was ashamed to admit he had, very briefly, forgotten about the bunny.
He took Bunbun and placed him gingerly on the kitchen counter.
Robby turned him around, so he was facing away from the two of them, and said, “It’s probably better if he doesn’t see this.”
Dennis nodded and yanked Robby by his shirt back down, to continue where they had left off.
Bunbun would understand.