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It helps that Robby is adorably clueless to the attention he’s receiving from other conference attendees. It means that Jack can paste a fake smile on his face as he grits out once again that Robby is indeed single.
Jack tracks the latest attempt with glee as Robby shakes hands with a younger man who had approached him, giving a polite smile in return. The man, who had introduced himself to Jack as Dr Mitchell Cervantez from New Mexico, is skinny and lithe, blond, blue eyed, and the kind of pretty that made it clear that he was used to getting what he wanted. He leans a bit closer to Robby, but Robby smoothly shifts out of reach without stopping the flow of whatever he’s saying. It’s obvious to Jack, even if it’s not to the man trying his best to find a bed not his own to sleep in, that Robby had reacted instinctively to the invasion of his space, always protective of his personal bubble.
Not discouraged in the least, Dr Cervantez allows the space to remain but tries to use it to his advantage by looking up at Robby under his eye lashes. Even from here, Jack can tell that he’s not as good at it as Robby, who knew how to use his deadly sad brown eyes to his extreme advantage.
It all rolls off Robby like water on a duck’s back. He answers whatever question had been thrown at him, smiles politely again, and begins to look around for Jack. Dr Cervantez doesn’t seem to be too disappointed with the brush off, too busy staring dreamily at Robby’s everything.
It only takes Robby a moment to find Jack and he immediately starts making his way towards him. “I have no idea how so many people make it through med school, let alone residency, with the questions I’ve been asked today.” He rolls his eyes, but he’s all boyish smiles as he gently bumps his shoulder into Jack’s. “If one more person asks me something we learned in pre-med, I’m going to scream.”
Without a hint of regret, Robby steals the drink from Jack’s hand, throwing it back like it was alcohol instead of Coke. Jack shamelessly watches Robby’s throat move as he swallows. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see at least two men and three women doing the same. Robby’s continued ignorance at the attention helps Jack hold back a growl of annoyance. Sternly telling his dick to stand down and his possessive brain to shut up, Jack throws a weak glare at Robby’s thievery. “I hope you plan to replace that, you ass.”
Robby grins, completely unrepentant. It makes Jack’s stupid heart skip a beat to see Robby so happy about something so silly. It had taken time and a lot of hard work, but Robby was slowly getting better, finding a balance between his place in The Pitt and his own mental health. Jack was doubly thankful for it when it meant that they were spending more time together than they had since Covid started. He was getting his best friend back in more ways than one.
Tossing off a sloppy salute that Jack knows he fucked up on purpose, Robby executes a perfect about face and makes his way to the bar. Once Robby’s back is turned, Jack allows himself to roll his eyes and smile, so incredibly fond of this man who both drives him crazy and makes him laugh.
Between one blink and the next, one of the women he’d caught staring a few moments ago is standing where Robby had been. “Hi!” The woman’s voice is incredibly chipper, and Jack has to stop himself from jumping in shock when he hears it. “I’m Dr Melanie Renoir, from Big Charity in New Orleans.” She’s a bit shorter than Jack, dark hair pulled into a pretty braid over one shoulder, curves apparent in the cream dress she effortlessly wore.
In a universe where he’d never met Robby, she was exactly who he’d go for: a beautiful, friendly woman who wasn’t afraid to be a little bold if it got her what, or who, she wanted. But Jack had always been a serial monogamist and realizing that maybe he wasn’t as straight as he’d always thought hadn’t changed that trait. And more importantly, any universe without Robby wasn’t one Jack was interested in.
“I know that Dr Robby spent his residency and the beginning of his attending career at the same hospital, so I was wondering if maybe he’d be available to chat about his time there? Tonight, perhaps at dinner?” Her question is professional on the surface, but any amount of digging made it clear that the only chatting she was interested in was the kind done on a pillow in between rounds.
Years later, Jack still wouldn’t be able to explain why this person was the one to make him break. It had been two days of people coming up to him to ask about Robby, some with ready-made excuses, some with no intention of hiding what they were after. It had also been two days of watching Robby remain oblivious to each and every one of them, always returning to Jack’s side like a loyal dog. Two days of sharing a hotel room, of having Robby in his space like it belonged to him (it absolutely did), of watching him charm everyone around him with his brain as much as his body.
“Actually, he already has dinner plans. And after dinner plans.” Jack makes sure to keep his voice polite, but there’s no doubting what he means. He’s using what Parker called his “Major Ass” voice, and it made it clear that he was serious and not to be messed with.
Dr Renoir visibly deflates but nods in defeat. “Well. I hope you both have an…enjoyable evening.” She’s just turning around when Robby makes it back to where they’re standing, and she swallows a squeak when she sees him there, head tilted in confusion. “Oh! Um, Dr Robby, lovely to see you. Gotta go, bye!” Then she takes off at a pace that Jack was distantly impressed with, given the height of her heels.
“What was that about? You breaking more hearts?” Robby hands over one of the drinks he’s holding, but the grin on his face is a little faker than it was before he’d walked away.
“…sorta.” Jack looks at the man in front of him and makes a decision. He takes the other glass from Robby, places both of them on a nearby table, and grabs his hand. “Come with me.”
Confused, but trusting Jack to eventually tell him what this was about, Robby gamely allows Jack to pull him towards an empty hallway. Coming to a stop at the far end, as far away from the main event room as possible, Jack takes a moment to just breathe. He hasn’t let go of Robby’s hand, and after a moment, Robby uses the connection to squeeze softly in support. “Hey. What’s up, buttercup?” Jack immediately snorts in feigned disgust, just like Robby knew he would when he sprouted one of the stupid, cheesy phrases he loves.
“Ugh. Okay. I’m gonna tell you something important, but first you have to promise you won’t punch me.” Robby looks extremely offended. “I know. I know you would never. But I need you to promise anyway. Please.”
Jack must look incredibly pathetic, eyes downcast, because Robby’s face goes soft, and he gives his hand another squeeze. “Jack, look at me.” He patiently waits while Jack gathers his courage again and looks up. Robby’s big brown eyes are in full force, and Jack feels his stupid heart flip so many times it may as well have tumbled down a flight of stairs. “There is nothing you could ever say to me that would make me hit you. Absolutely nothing. Okay?”
Well. There was only one thing Jack could say in the face of that kind of care and honesty and certainty. “I’m in love with you.” Robby takes a step back in shock, like his body is reacting to a sudden advance, but his grip on Jack’s hand tightens and Jack is pulled forward with the movement. Now that the words were out, he can’t seem to shut up. “I’m so in love with you, it’s beyond pathetic according to most of our coworkers. And I’ve just spent two days watching ninety percent of the people here shoot their shot with you, some of them flirting outrageously and get turned down anyway and I honestly can’t take it anymore. So here I am, shooting my own shot and hoping this is the one that makes it.”
“Shoot your shot…” Robby blinks in confusion. It only adds to the power of his eyes. “Wait, people were flirting with me? I thought they were just being friendly! You know, networking or whatever. Why would anyone waste their time talking to me otherwise?”
Jack laughs incredulously and drops his head to Robby’s chest. Robby immediately uses his free hand to cup the back of Jack’s head, holding him close. “Only pretty much everyone here, and because you’re stupidly hot and stupidly smart. Even the guy old enough to be our grandfather who checked us in that first day was hitting on you.”
Robby makes a noise that Jack can feel through his chest. “He was not!”
“He absolutely was.” Jack shoves his forehead into Robby’s chest a little harder, and Robby tugs his hair as payback. “Or do you think he told everyone that his name is Samuel and to please let him know if you need anything at all and he’ll be happy to come running?” There’s a suspiciously sheepish silence from the man holding him. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You’re just ridiculously clueless.” Jack knew he couldn’t let himself get sidetracked, but in the back of his brain, he made a note that Robby had neatly sidestepped the compliments.
Strong fingers slide into Jack’s hair, scratching at his scalp. If Jack could purr, he absolutely would be. Robby lets go of his hand, but before Jack can mourn, that same broad, warm palm is gliding over his hip to rest on the small of his back, pulling Jack further into Robby’s arms. Jack lets more of his weight rest on Robby, shifting so he can stretch out his bad leg.
This wasn’t necessarily new. Robby and Jack have always been comfortable in each other’s space, and Robby seemed to have a sixth sense about when Jack’s leg was giving him fits, effortlessly sliding into place so Jack could lean against him to give his leg a break.
But there’s something different about how securely, how tenderly, Robby’s holding him. It’s proprietary, almost like Robby’s staking a claim of his own and anyone who saw them would be left with no uncertainty about the nature of their relationship.
Except Jack wasn’t entirely sure about the current nature of their relationship himself. “Robby.”
Robby chuckles and uses the hand in Jack’s hair to pull his head up. Robby’s eyes don’t hold any hint of sadness, but the happy sparkle only makes them more powerful. “I’m in love with you, too.” Jack feels like he can breathe for the first time, maybe ever, and the only reason he’s not floating to the ceiling is Robby’s hold. Their lips meet in a soft kiss, the feeling already so familiar that Jack wants to cry a little. “Shot successfully made.”