Chapter Text
The week scraped by. Dennis felt like he was in high school all over again.
Minus the setting. And the fact that he was going over to their house on a regular basis. And honestly everything except the fact that seeing his attendings made his heart gallop in his chest and made him kind of blushy and stupid.
If he thought things were bad before, it’s worse now. Now he knows how Robby takes his coffee. What his voice sounds like early in the morning. How Jack likes to sit in the same chair when he cooks meals. How soft he is with his husband. How Robby's a switch, which means there’s a side of him that he hasn’t seen all sweet and pliant for Jack Abbot. Oh my god, he was fucked. Severly fucked. And not even in a fun way.
Robby’s handsiness skyrocketted, or maybe Dennis was just hyperaware of it now. Every little bump in the arm and hand on his nape, the claps on his shoulder, and most daringly a hand along Dennis’s lower back while he was rushing over to a coding patient.
“You’re like a girl in a Jane Austen novel freaking out over hand holding. Wait, did you read Austen? You seem like you came from a Grace Livingston Hill kinda family.” Trinity had teased while Dennis hung around the nurses station.
“Can I at least be a man in a Jane Austen novel?”
“I dunno, are you going to get the balls to ask them out properly?” She responded smugly. Dennis scowled, wanting so badly to tell her that actually, he had the two of them waiting for a response from him, but that didn’t help the allegations being made against him.
“Should I ask why we’re talking about Dennis’s balls?” Dennis nearly jumped out of his skin as Robby placed a hand on his shoulder, stepping close enough for Dennis to smell the fig and scandalwood cologne he was wearing. Freshy and woodsy. Someone take him out back and shoot him.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy-”
“-it’s nothing, Dr. Robby, just messing around. Was there something you wanted help with?” Dennis only hoped his voice didn’t sound as strained as it felt coming out of him
Robby looked between the two of them, an eyebrow raised before he shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure it was nothing Gloria needed to know about. As you were.” Dennis felt the gentle squeeze on his shoulder before Robby was walking down the hall again. The two of them were silent until Trinity let out the giggle she had been holding in.
“Of course we summoned him by talking about your balls-”
“Trin, stop-”
“-’of course not, Doctor Robby, can I help you with anything Doctor Robby?’ Girl stand up-”
Dennis lobbed a crumpled up sticky note at her head, his face flushed so red he looked sunburnt.
The shift handoff wasn’t much better. That is to say, it went as smoothly as it could in an ER- it was just that he did it while being stuck between his two attendings. The ones who had offered to dom him. The ones he needed to give an answer to by tomorrow.
“-and room 4 has a nine year old girl who fell out of a tree and broke her arm. She’s stable, it was a closed midshaft radius fracture. She just needs the cast and the 6-8 weeks to heal.” Dennis finished, looking between the two of them.
“Well done, mouse! Very succinct. And what about you?” Jack asked, plucking the clipboard from Dennis’s grip.
“I- pardon?”
“Did you eat anything today that wasn’t from a vending machine? Water intake?”
“I- I thought…I had time to answer you by Sunday?” Dennis cast his eyes over to Robby, who held up his hands in a ‘you’re on your own’ gesture that was thoroughly unhelpful.
“Okay, one; we keep that stuff separate from work unless we’ve talked about it thoroughly. And two, taking care of yourself isn’t reserved just for scenes, kid. It’s necessary for upkeep. So, how much?” Jack’s eyebrows were raised expectantly, letting the silence stretch on until Dennis caved.
“Um- I had a sandwich for lunch. And a bottle of water.”
“Good, okay. Tomorrow I want it to be two bottles and some more snacks peppered in there, yeah? Can’t have you passing out on me.”
“Yessir.”
“Good- good. Alright, I’ll let you go- looks like Santos is ready to go before you both get sucked back in. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow, mouse." Dennis ducked his gaze away from Jack's warm smile with a quick glance behind him, where Trinity was leaning against the wall and tapping her wrist with an expectant look on her face.
The two of them clamored into her car, the engine letting out a pained whine before grumbling to life. Trinity patted the dashboard like it was a beloved pet before plugging in her phone.
“Heads up, Garcia is coming over tonight.”
Dennis groaned, letting his head hit the car headrest dramatically.
“It’s a Saturday night, Den, you have to expect this by now.”
“Can you give me, like, at least a day’s advance before bringing someone over?”
“Why? I’m not making you leave, I’m just giving you a heads up.”
“Not everyone wants to hear their best friend get railed in the room next to theirs, Trin, has that thought ever occurred to you?”
“You’re being so homophobic right now, you know that?”
“Hey, being a homophobe implies my judgement is for all gay people. I’m just judging you.” Dennis clarified, already pulling up Robby’s contact on his phone.
‘Can I come over tonight and ask some more questions about what you and Dr. Abbot offered?’
The answer was quick, barely a few minutes before he got a response.
‘Of course. Just let me know when you’re on your way.’
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It was easier talking to Robby one-on-one. Not in the sense that Jack was hard to talk to, but in the sense that he felt like he was on more equal footing. The two of them were a force of nature when they were together. Where Jack let silences stretch on while Dennis floundered with his words, Robby was happy to patiently fill in the gaps in Dennis’s sentences. Maybe it was something about subbing solidarity.
They were sitting on the couch, tilted towards each other like sunflowers; Dennis curled up while Robby had his legs sprawled lazily on the footrest by the coffee table. He was grateful for the small glass of whiskey Robby had poured him, about a half serving of his own.
“I, um… I’ve never really had someone help me down. Growing up I was just constantly given new tasks to do if I got restless. I didn’t get time to rest unless it was time for bed. I think my parents thought it was good for me- they weren’t bad people, they just…” Dennis trailed off, staring into the woven designs of the rug under the sofa.
“...didn’t know how to parent that?” Robby finished, to Dennis’s nod.
“And then college, and then med school, and now it's like ‘oh, I never learned how to do this.’ And it seems so easy for everyone else.” Dennis continued. “And now I’m here. And…you guys know so much.”
“Well, we didn’t start by knowing a bunch. It took a long time to learn, and there’s…not really a time where you’re supposed to know these things by. Jack had to teach me that too.”
“What is it…supposed to feel like?” Dennis asked softly.
“What, subspace?” Robby asked, shifting to look at Dennis a little easier. “It’s…warm. Kind of like when you’re drunk. Your inhibitions kinda just float away for a little bit. You feel settled. If you have the right person, you just feel safe because you have someone who can take care of you.”
Dennis nodded slowly, musing over the information. It seemed to line up with what he’d read. “That sounds nice.”
“It is.”
“How did you and Jack get together?”
Robby’s face softened at the question, his eyes growing impossibly fond.
“Mmm, medical school. We both had a lot of the same classes and… being a sub or switch in the medical field wasn’t the easiest. He was someone I could trust not to be a bigot.” Robby inhaled deeply and let out a big sigh, like an old content dog. “Well, he went on to be an army medic. I furthered my career with the PTMC. It was a good handful of years before I saw him again- put some things into perspective. He started working at the PTMC for night shifts and…helped me when, uh, I was having a bit of a crisis.” Robby shifted a little, clearing his throat before continuing. “And he told me right then and there.”
Dennis thought back to that time in Peds, during Pittfest, the cold lighting on the bright murals of animals, seeing Robby curled up on the floor. Did Jack witness something similar? That sinking feeling in his chest?
“I’m… nervous. About-” Dennis cut himself off, trying to think through his words. The alcohol made them flow from his mouth if he wasn’t careful. “-at the farm, if I went off for the weekend to visit friends or family in the city, I would come back and it…would be harder for me to lift the bales for a day or two. I had to carry them continuously, or else it was like my body forgot how to lift them up again.” The words felt safer, the confession flowed out of him easier talking about something so simple at surface level. Dennis’s throat clicked as he swallowed before continuing.
“And if- if I got used to not carrying them, then… if I needed to carry it by myself, I was scared I couldn’t.” Dennis let his eyes flick over to Robby, baleful and shining with emotion. Do you understand? Please don’t make me say it.
There was silence, save for the muffled noise of the street and the creaking of the house. Robby sighed again, more weathered, a palm coming up to rub the back of his neck.
“Shit, Dennis, I… I think you’re going to be surprised at how familiar we are with that.”
The relief made Dennis feel like Jello, letting his shoulders fall from his ears.
They got ready for bed. Not a lot of words were spoken, but as Robby and Dennis separated to go to their respective rooms, Dennis looked back- just a moment’s hesitation and saw Robby looking at him too. Twin huffs of laughter, Dennis’s face already flush from what little alcohol he had that evening, but then Robby opened his door wider.
“I mean, you might as well.” Was all he said. It would have been gruff if Dennis didn’t know better.
That was all it took. Dennis padded along behind him, trying not to look like he was staring as he looked around the room he and Jack shared. The low lighting made it hard to make everything out, but he caught little glimpses of photos and knick knacks stacked on the cluttered bookshelves. A little collection of sleek glass bottles Dennis guessed was cologne on the dresser off to the side.
Robby climbed into bed with a grunt, laying down and patting the bed next to him when he caught Dennis’s wandering eye. Maybe it was the whiskey, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world to curl up next to him and throw the blankets over the both of them. Everything smelled like JackandRobby in a way that made him inhale deeply and sigh. Robby had his glasses on, reading a little paperback, and when he caught Dennis’s stare he dragged one of his hands over Dennis’s face, prompting a giggle. “Stop staring and go to sleep already, you little creep.”
He couldn’t have ignored it if he tried.
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“...binavitch…bed and we haven’t..rules yet. Don’t think your ass is getting out of this scot-free.”
Jack’s whispered threat slid off Dennis’s brain as it tried to latch onto them. He was curled up around a pillow, a large hand in his hair petting lightly.
“Jack, he just wanted to be close, that’s all. I wasn’t going to let anything else happen.” Robby’s voice rumbled through him at the same time Dennis registered the pillow under him was, in fact, Robby. Dennis had his hand thrown across his torso and loosely hooked into the fabric of Robby’s shirt, with his head resting on his chest. For a moment, Dennis debated going back to sleep- sleeping in blissful ignorance and saving himself the embarrassment.
“Good morning, mouse! You’re just a little snuggle bug, huh?” Shit.
Dennis went to sit up, an apology sitting just on the tip of his tongue before Robby gently rolled Dennis over to Jack.
“It’s alright, I was just going to go make coffee for everyone. You stay here with Jack a little longer.” Robby swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, grunting as his back cracked before making his way downstairs.
He was only gone a couple beats before Dennis tried to sit up again. “I should go help-”
“-nah, let him. It’s his love language or whatever.” Jack rasped, stretching his back as well with a soft groan. It took a herculean amount of willpower for Dennis not to stare at the bit of shirt that rode up over his stomach. “Relax, kid, I don’t bite.”
“Is..” Dennis hesitated. “Is Robby in trouble? I didn’t mean to get him in trouble, can we- I can take some of the punishment-” The word pricked Jack’s ears like a dog, prompting him to sit up and prop himself up on his elbow.
“What punishment, Dennis?” Jack’s face was carefully open, receptive for Dennis to keep going.
“You… I heard you say Robby wasn’t getting out of this scot-free. And since I participated in it too, I.. I dunno. I didn’t want just Robby being in trouble.” Dennis finished, absently picking at his arm. With Robby, Jack would have been asking for eye contact, could feel that pull to ground and soothe, but Dennis wasn’t theirs. Not yet. Jack cleared his throat.
“...right, okay. Well, first of all, you’re not getting punished for anything, Den. You didn’t know our rules, you didn’t know that I wanted to wait and talk through things today before we did anything together. Second of all this is, like, minor infraction shit. Robby’s just going to have to do the stuff we’re been procrastinating on around the house like sealing the leaky window or something.” Jack explained patiently, letting Dennis absorb his words before continuing. “Did you get in trouble for things like that? Not knowing the rules?”
Dennis was sat up at this point, legs crossed and hunched in on himself while he looked steadfastly at his hands. “... they were common sense. I should have known them.”
Jack was about to answer when the creaking of the floorboards announced Robby’s arrival.
“Dennis, this one’s yours, and here’s Jack’s.” Warm mugs were passed down to the members of the bed before Robby climbed back in, settling in the fading warmth of his spot. Dennis thanked him softly and took it, thankful for the diversion from Jack’s attention.
“But you bring up a good point, Dennis. We can go over it when we fill out the paperwork.”
Dennis looked between the two of them. “Paperwork?”
“Yeah, you know- consent checklist, kink list, aftercare, all the good things.” Dennis wrinkled his nose a little at the thought. “That’s your homework for today. Before we do anything. And then… probably just talking through our expectations. Your expectations.”
Jack wasn’t kidding. On the coffee table when Dennis was done with his shower was a neat little stack of checklists to go through. Robby sat a glass of water by the stack when Dennis sat down and told him he wasn’t to move until he got it all filled out.
It was… weird. When he was a kid it wasn’t this thoroughly discussed, and he guessed that it made sense now that he was an adult, but- they should be the one telling him what they were going to do. They knew what was best for him as a dom and switch, and all of this felt like Dennis was in charge.
Dennis nestled himself further into the arm of the couch and looked over the list, rolling the pen between his fingers absentmindedly. Most of it was stuff he could handle- he winced as he saw the option for lashings/belt, but he had gotten plenty of that when he was a kid. He knew what to expect. He was actually pretty proud of himself for how quickly he got through the list.
The aftercare stumped him a little more. He supposed a wipe down or a shower would be nice after, but the things on there- can we touch you? Is there a snack you’d like to have nearby for after? Is a bath or shower easier for you?- just seemed like a little much. Nevertheless, Jack had told him to mark down what he liked, and he checked most of the boxes and scribbled down simple answers.
The last paper was just a list of rules- No dynamics at work, use safewords the second you don’t like what’s going on, this was an ongoing dynamic with room for negotiation, and communication. Simple enough.
At some point Jack had come downstairs from his own shower, curls still damp, loping by on his forearm crutches and into the kitchen to talk to Robby quietly. Finally, he presented the papers to the two of them sitting at the kitchen table, watching Robby put on his glasses and read through. It made Dennis oddly shy watching them read through, watching Jack’s brow furrow before looking up and asking, “some of this stuff is a little… hardcore, Dennis. Is this what you like?”
Dennis blinked at him. “It’s… what I’m okay with? I thought that was the point?”
“Sure, but what’s your definition of ‘okay with it’?”
Dennis stood there for a minute, planted, his brow slightly drawn down as he thought through his reply. Was this a test? “Like… we can do it for a scene. And I won’t freak out or anything.”
“I think Jack’s trying to ask if these are all things that you’re attracted to. It’s totally okay if it is, mouse, we just want to make sure.” Robby interjected gently. “You aren’t in trouble, we’re just trying to understand.”
Jack leaned over into Robby’s space and grabbed an empty sheet. “Go ahead and fill it out again. This time, I’m looking for things that turn you on, not what you can handle.”
“But I just-” Dennis started, feeling the ridiculous urge to stomp his foot like he was a kid again.
“-if you really like those things then you can just fill it out the same way as before. But I still want you to follow what I told you. Alright?” Jack stated firmly, holding Dennis’s eye contact. Dennis looked back until he couldn’t, letting out a soft huff of air. “Yessir.”
“Good. It won’t take long.” Jack promised. This time Dennis stayed in the kitchen- he only asked about a couple of things, but it was still nice to have them explain it in technical terms to avoid searching them up on his own. The green checks were more sparse- lighter things, shying away from whips and chains and leaning into the softer side. This copy he was a little more shameful of turning in, it made his inexperience seem all that more blatant. Still, Jack and Robby seemed nothing but supportive as they read through.
“That’s a bit more like it. That seems to match up with our boy a little better.” Robby hummed, giving Dennis a smile.
“I think so too. I think we can start with a little something as a treat for Dennis being so honest with us.” Jack agreed. That made Dennis perk up a little bit. “Come on, mouse, to the living room. I want you to go grab a couch cushion and place it on the floor in front of the couch. Me and Robby need a sec to move our old man bodies.” Robby scoffed as Dennis let out a light huff of laughter and followed.
Dennis’s thoughts raced with what they could be doing as he settled on the cushion, sitting on it as he watched Robby and Jack follow soon after.
“Ah-ah, kneeling, Dennis.” Robby emphasized, and Dennis quickly moved so he was kneeling on the cushion. He heard Robby walk up behind him, and his hand came down to push gently against Dennis’s lower back until it was straight. “Good, just like that.”
“Do you want to take the wheel on this one? He was so worried about you this morning, thinking I was going to give you lashes or something because you let him up on the bed like a puppy.” Jack teased, moving to sit on the couch to Dennis’s right. Dennis huffed.
“I didn’t think you’d give him lashes-” He started, only to be cut off by Robby sitting on his left and holding a hand up.
“Don’t talk back, Den. Scooch your cushion over here- yup, closer, there you go. We’re just going to sit here for a little bit, try and ease you into this. What are your rules for stopping?” Robby asked. Kneeling like this made him seem just that much in charge, more looming, and Dennis found himself gravitating towards him.
“Um- yellow for slow down, red for stop?” Dennis recited.
“Good, exactly. I’m going to have you kneel here while me and Jack watch some TV. You can lean your body against my leg, but not the couch unless I’ve said you can. If you want something, just tell me. Okay?”
How the hell was kneeling supposed to do anything for him? Dennis was doubtful, but Robby was a switch, so maybe it was something that helped him out? “Yeah, okay.”
“We’ll have to assign some titles once you get comfortable with it.” Jack commented, offering nothing else as he picked up the remote and turned on the TV.
It was fucking boring. Dennis tried not to fidget or slump in on himself, as every time he got a little too interested in picking at his hangnails or slouched in his posture Robby could give him a soft correction. Time seemed to drag by, and the only altered mindset seemed to be when Dennis zoned out and let his mind wander.
“Dennis? Do you need to say something?” Robby asked after the fifth or sixth time he shuffled around to reposition himself.
“I don’t- I dunno if this is doing anything for me, I’m just sitting here. It feels like I’m just sitting, and bored.” Dennis admitted, clenching his hands on top of his knees and waiting for the ‘well this worked on other subs’ or for Robby to switch gears into something less gentle. Maybe if he just had Dennis kneel on the hardwood, or on rice like his parents did, give him something to focus on-
“Good boy, Dennis. Thank you for telling us.” Robby praised, giving him a warm smile. “How about… if you’re comfortable, do you want to sit here?” And he pointed between his feet, between his legs. He would be bracketed by his legs, something to lean against and maybe occupy his mind a bit more.
“I think- if that’s okay, that sounds good.” Dennis looked over at Jack, waiting for his encouraging nod before picking up his pillow and shuffling over to between Robby’s legs. He hesitated a little, trying to decide if he should lean against Robby. “Can I…?”
“Can you what, mouse?” Robby asked gently, patiently waiting out the nervous pause as Dennis gathered his words.
“Can I lean against you? Please?” Dennis asked, his face flushing hot as the words left his mouth.
“Good manners, mouse.” Jack praised gently, his sentiment mirrored by Robby as he raised a hand to gently guide Dennis to lean against his leg and cushion his head on Robby’s thigh. Dennis’s shoulders gently bumped up against Robby’s knees, caging the boy in a way that didn’t feel sexual, necessarily, just… intimate. Sheltered. Dennis blinked as the hand on his head moved to his cheek, Robby’s thumb gently tugging Dennis’s bottom lip away from where his teeth had been biting it.
“Need something to keep this occupied, huh?” Robby muttered, almost to himself. “Open your mouth, sweetheart.”
The words sent a fizzle of heat down Dennis’s spine as he opened his mouth, small and hesitant, and Robby slipped his thumb inside before settling back against the couch like this was perfectly mundane. Dennis’s mouth was still open and slack in surprise, staring up at Robby until he gently reminded Dennis to close his mouth.
It was a steady weight on his tongue, tasting like skin and salt. He could almost feel the grooves of his thumbprint on his tongue, but when he tried to move his tongue back a touch Robby just gently pressed down. It fit in his mouth perfectly.
Dennis didn’t know what happened- one moment he was swallowing down surprise at the new development and trying to settle, and at some point things just… shifted. He was grounded by Robby’s closeness, the thumb on his tongue, the hand on his cheek trapped between Dennis’s skin and Robby’s leg. And the world around him got softer, farther away and fuzzy like a dream. He felt his eyelids drooping slightly, and maybe there was a little spit on the corner of his mouth but he couldn’t find it in himself to worry about it. He just had to focus on Robby, and being good.
“Look at you, mouse, so good. Feeling so nice, huh?” Jack’s tenor cooed, coercing Dennis to drag his eyes up to look at Jack. Had he gotten closer? He was almost leaning against Robby’s shoulder- and then Jack’s hand carding through his hair made those thoughts drift away. It was like… right before you fall asleep. Drifting and soft where time slipped out from under you.
“Dennis, can you open your eyes for me sweetheart?” Robby’s voice pulled him from his haze slightly, and Dennis let out a soft whine when Robby’s thumb slid from his lips.
“Oh, isn’t that the saddest noise you’ve ever heard?” Jack’s voice was so sweet and a touch cruel, it made Dennis blush and tuck his nose against Robby’s thigh to hide away from the gentle teasing.
“Eyes on me, Den.” Dennis peaked them open to look up at Robby, wishing he would let him just go back to wherever his mind had wandered. “Good boy, Dennis, thank you. Can you sit up straight?” It was borderline herculean, but Dennis managed.
“I want you to roll your head back a bit, just like that. Can you move your knees a little and tell me how they feel?” The small exercises slowly brought Dennis back down into his body, taking note of how his neck felt, how his knees and back had a little twinge that meant his body wanted to move positions, and clarity fell slowly around him again.
“What the fuck?” Dennis asked groggily, prompting chuckles from the men he was kneeling for.
“Yeah, beats being alone, doesn’t it?”
“You weren’t kidding.” Dennis agreed, feeling a kind of settled contentment in his body he hadn’t felt in a minute. A glass of water was pressed into his hand that he happily drank from.
“And if you want, it can just be this. If this is all you need, then we can do this for you when you need it. Just give us a text.” Jack explained, making room for Dennis to sit up on the couch.
“Yes, please, this was… I feel great.” Dennis hoped he didn’t sound too eager. He really did want to go back to whatever that space was, and hopefully soon if they would let him.
“Of course, kid, you’re a natural. You were so… yeah. You were great.” Robby finished a little awkwardly, prompting Jack to lean over Dennis’s legs and give Robby a pat on the thigh.
“You were great, Robby. Dennis, how about you go to the bathroom and freshen up a little while me and Robby figure out what to do for dinner?”
They watched Dennis make his way upstairs, waiting for the closing of the bathroom door before Robby leaned forward on his knees and covered his face with his hands.
“Fuck, man, did you see- he went under so fast-” Robby groaned, a blush tinting his ears bright red.
“I got to see my boy treat our mouse so well, being so gentle and good with him. I was fighting not to jump your bones as soon as you told him to open his mouth, brother.” Jack agreed. “We have to get him there more often- he really needed it.”
“Earlier, about the lashes..?” Robby lifted his head up to look at Jack, watching his smile fade a little as he recalled the boy’s flightiness.
“He wanted to be your whipping boy, Mike. Thought that since you didn’t listen that you were going to get some big punishment and he wanted to split it between the two of you.”
The silence sat there for a moment before Robby rubbed the back of his neck.
“I don’t know what kind of doms he’s used to having, but… shit, the fact that he was so ready to take the blame-”
“I know, I know. What matters now is that he’s got two people who want to take care of him.” Jack stated firmly, rubbing his hand over his partner’s shoulders. “He’ll tell us when he’s ready, and if he isn’t… well, it isn’t really our business. It was in the past.”
“I really hope so.”