Work Text:
By almost six in the morning, Jack felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Twice. His shoulders ached, his back hurt, and there was a dull throbbing in his wrist that he was trying very hard to ignore. His last patient had gotten aggressive. It wasn’t the first time Jack had to restrain someone, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, but this one had fought back hard enough that Jack could still feel the adrenaline lingering under his skin. So much, Shen forced him to go home earlier. In his words to “lick his wounds and get rest.”
He was so fucking exhausted.
All he wanted to do was shower and then just get into his bed. He wasn’t one who slept much but today that was all he needed.
Already outside the apartment building he saw that the lights in his apartment were on. Not just one. Basically every single one. Jack frowned. For a second, he just stood there.
I left them on. I’m such a moron…
He couldn’t remember that he actually left them on but it wouldn’t have been the first time.
The moment he unlocked the door of his apartment he smelled food he surely didn’t make.
Something warm. Garlic, maybe. Chicken…
He definitely didn’t leave this behind.
He stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind himself and he couldn’t help but frown when he heard soft clatter from the kitchen.
His first thought was that he had somehow forgotten to lock the door.
His second thought was that someone had broken in. But who would leave the light on when they break in somewhere?
His third–
Samira was standing there with a plate in her hand. She almost dropped when she saw him. She was wearing a sweater and jeans. Her hair which was pulled back with a clip showed that she was already ready for work. Then he saw the fork in her hand and now that he eyed her properly he saw that the plate wasn’t even empty. Noodles, chicken and some vegetables where on it.
For a second, neither of them moved.
“Jesus, Jack… You scared me…”
“I could say the same…” He looked over her shoulder. A pan and pot were on his stove. “What are you doing here?”
“I–”
He looked at his watch. “It’s almost six in the morning…”
“I know.”
“You’re supposed to be at work soon.”
“I know.”
He looked back at her. “You’re in my apartment.”
“Please don’t make it weird.”
“Wasn’t my plan. I was trying to figure out whether I was hallucinating or not.”
“You weren’t supposed to be home yet…”
“What are you doing?”
She looked down at the plate and she seemed almost a little embarrassed. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but for a moment she wondered if she might have gone too far.
“You used the key,” he just said, looking at the small key on the table.
“I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay.” He tilted his head a little. “I…gave it to you.”
Jack gave her the key a few days ago. They haven’t been together for long but he trusted her enough to use it when she needed to come over for a reason. He didn’t think she would use it so soon and then just to cook food…
“You weren’t supposed to catch me.”
“Catch you doing what? Breaking into my apartment with my own key I gave to you?”
“I was going to leave before you got here.” She put the plate down on the table. “I was going leave this here for you and then go to work.”
He looked at the food again. “You…made me breakfast?”
“Technically dinner.”
“It’s six in the morning.”
“And you just came from your nightshift. You’re back from work so it’s kind of dinner, now that you’re going to sleep.”
He let out a tired dinner. “Fair.” He came a little closer. “You cooked before your shift? Where did you even get the ingredients? I didn’t have this here.”
“Bought it yesterday. And it wasn’t that difficult. Just please don’t make a big thing out of it.”
“I… Well, thank you.”
“I just thought you might be hungry when you got home so I just wanted to leave you something.”
“And I said ‘thank you’.”
He simply walked over to her and pulled her close. For a second, she was a little surprised, but after a few seconds she wrapped her arms around him. He wasn’t the kind of man who would just hug anyone, she knew that.She looked into his eyes as he pulled back slightly. “You look tired.”
“I am.”
He kissed her. Twice. Three times. By the fourth time she had to put a hand against his chest when he started pulling her closer. “Jack.”
“Hm?”
“I have to go to work.”
“Right.”
She kissed his neck before pulling back. “You’re distracting.”
“Is that some sort of compliment?”
“Maybe.”
Samira was already reaching for her bag when her eyes reached his arms. Scratches on his wrist and arm, she didn’t notice before. Her expression changed immediately. “What happened?”
“Oh.”
“Jack…”
“It’s nothing.”
“That doesn’t look like nothing.” She stepped closer to take his hand.
“They’re just scratches, I’m fine.”
He saw her look. And he knew it, so he sighed. “My last patient got aggressive. He drank too much and had an accident. When we tried to treat him he started to get aggressive and I tried to restrain him with Shen and Ellis. I got scratched. But it’s okay. It bled for a little but I cleaned it immediately and I’m fine now.”
“Let me see.”
“Samira–”
“Let me just clean it.”
“I cleaned it already.” He caught her hand gently before she could turn towards the bathroom. “You need to go. I don’t want you to have stress with Robby just because I got some scratches.”
“I have ten minutes.”
“You have eight. You’re going to work. Please.”
She sighed. “Fine.” Samira took her bag, looking back at him as she already stood at the door. “You’re really okay?”
Jack looked at her for a moment. His body still hurt, his arm still stung and he was exhausted. But she had come here before work just to make sure he had something to eat. She had been standing in his kitchen early in the morning because she wanted to do something nice for him.
“Yeah,” he said quietly, “I’m okay.”
She gave him a small smile. “Good.”
The door closed behind her and Jack just stood in the quiet apartment for a moment.
Then he looked at the plate, the food was still warm so he quietly sat down and ate the pasta. Not only did it taste good, she even made sure the proteins were right.
The food was better than anything he had all week.
Where did she learn to cook so good?
When he was finished, he picked up the plate and carried it towards the dishwasher. That’s when he saw the small, pink sticky-note.
He knew her handwriting. She always wrote so well.
This is your dinner. Don’t call it breakfast just because you got home at six.
Eat something before you go to sleep. Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
– S <3
That small heart. He hadn’t expected that.
Jack stared at it for a few seconds. And despite how tired he was, he smiled.
“I’m getting hearts already.”