Chapter Text
Jack and Robby have officially been dating for a few months now. No one besides Emery, Dana, and Kylie know they are a couple. They are trying to keep it on the down low. The only problem is that Emery makes comments about it every time she sees either man, which for Robby is often since they try to get lunch or dinner together at least once a week. For Jack it is every single shift since they both work nights. They never have outright told Emery they are together, considering they know it will immediately inflate her ego, but she has connected the dots. She’s start and the men are horrible at hiding it, but as soon as they tell her they know she will get all smug and want the credit.
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By some miracle all three doctors have the same night off. Emery and Kylie invite Jack and Robby over for dinner. Robby goes back and forth on whether hey should accept or decline the invite. Jack has to tell him countless times that he can’t avoid his little sister forever. At some point all three of them will have to be in the same room and talk about the change in relationship status for both Jack and Robby.
Robby knows it is a mistake from the moment Emery opens the door with the shit eating grin she always has when she is about to say or do something the other person will not like. “Hey, Misha.”
“Emmy.”
Emery looks to Robby’s left. “I see you brought GI Jack with you tonight.”
“You invited him.” Robby says with a flat tone.
“I know, but I didn’t think you were in the business of bringing a friend to family dinner.” Emery says with a challenging head tilt.
Robby ignores her comment and yells into the house. “KYLIE, YOUR WIFE HAS THAT LOOK ON HER FACE.”
“I KNOW. I’VE BEEN DEALING WITH IT FOR TWO WEEKS AT THIS POINT.”
Robby just sighs and scrubs a hand down his face. “Well, I think this was a bad idea. So we are just going to leave.”
“You can’t. You brought dessert.”
“I will just leave it with you.”
“ROBBY THERE IS NO WORLD IN WHICH YOU LEAVE WITHOUT HAVING A PIECE OF THE CHEESECAKE YOU BROUGHT.”
Robby “looks down at the cheesecake he just picked from his favorite bakery, then looks back up at Emery. Damn it."
"Exactly." Emery triumphantly steals the cheesecake and disappears toward the kitchen before either of them can escape.
Jack watches her go. "I understand now."
"Understand what?" Robby asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Why you're the way you are."
"Excuse me?"
Jack gestures vaguely toward the kitchen. "That."
Robby points at himself. "I'm nothing like her."
"You absolutely are."
"Jack."
"You are."
"We are not having this conversation."
"You both have the same smile when you're about to cause problems."
"We do not."
"You literally do."
Robby huffs.
Jack looks insufferably pleased with himself.
Unfortunately, Kylie chooses that exact moment to appear. "Oh good," she says. "You're already fighting like an old married couple."
"We're not fighting." Robby shoots back.
"Sure."
"We aren't."
Kylie kisses Robby's cheek as she passes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Why does everyone in this family bully me?"
"Because it's easy," Emery answers from the kitchen.
"See?"
"Exhibit A," Jack agrees.
Robby looks genuinely offended. Jack looks far too pleased about it. Emery nearly drops a serving spoon because she is laughing so hard.
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Dinner starts peacefully. That lasts approximately seven minutes. The four of them are halfway through lasagna when Emery clears her throat.
"Oh, by the way."
Jack immediately points his fork at her. "No."
"You don't even know what I'm going to say."
"I don't need to."
"That's fair."
Robby groans.
Kylie reaches over and pats his arm sympathetically. "You should eat before she starts."
"Why?"
"You're gonna need the strength."
Robby drops his forehead onto the table. “Is my punishment for something?”
"You hid an entire motorcycle injury from me once," Emery says.
"That's unrelated."
"Is it?"
"Yes."
"It's really not."
Jack laughs into his wine.
Traitor.
Emery leans back in her chair.
“Emmy what’s with the smug face?” Robby decides he wants to put everyone out of their misery.
“I have no such face”
“You 100% do. Just say it”
“Ugh fine. If you insist.” Emery says as if she is pained and having her teeth pulled out. “You’re welcome”
“For what?” Robby asks, paying dumb.
“For this.” Emery says gesturing between Robby and Jack. “You and GI Jack would have never gotten your heads out of your asses if it weren’t for me.”
“Hey” Kylie chimes in. “I helped too.”
“You’re right babe. My apologies.” Emery turns back towards Robby and Jack. “You two would have been lost without Ky and I.”
The table falls silent. Jack takes a very deliberate bite of garlic bread. Robby stares at the ceiling. Kylie takes a sip of wine. Nobody gives Emery the reaction she wants. The woman looks personally offended. "Seriously?"
Silence.
"I orchestrated one conversation."
"You absolutely did not orchestrate anything," Robby says.
"Oh?"
"No."
"Then explain."
"You shoved us into emotional awareness and then disappeared."
"I prefer the term intervention."
"It was not an intervention."
"It absolutely was."
Jack finally gives in getting tired of listening to the siblings fight. "I hate that she's right."
"THANK YOU." Emery says throwing her arms up.
"I said I hate it."
"But you admitted it."
"I regret speaking."
Emery points at him. "See, Kylie? This is why I became a surgeon."
Kylie sighs. "I've heard this speech."
"Because I don’t just diagnose problems."
"No."
"I solve them too.”
"No."
"I save lives."
"Still no."
Emery points dramatically across the table. "My brother spent a year comparing every date to Jack."
Robby immediately chokes on his sip of water.
Jack starts laughing. "Oh my god, you told her that too? You told me that."
"I didn't think it was evidence!"
"It was absolutely evidence."
"It was not."
Jack wipes tears from his eyes. “You know how much I hate agreeing with Walsh, but she’s right it really is evidence, Rob.”
"You don't get a vote." Robby says with a dismissive hand in his direction.
"I think I do."
"No."
"Pretty sure I do. I’m the other half of this relationship.”
"Traitor."
Jack's smile softens. "Willingly." The word lands heavily. The teasing disappears for a second. Robby's ears turn red. Jack reaches under the table and bumps his knee. The movement is small.
Comforting.
Familiar.
Emery notices immediately because of course she does. Nothing gets past a surgeon’s eyes if they can help it. Her eyes widen. "Oh my god."
"No." Robby says pointing at her. “Don’t even think about saying something.”
"You have under-the-table couple communication already."
"We do not."
"You do."
"We don't."
“Jack literally just knee-tapped you.”
Jack looks down. "Did I?"
"YES."
Kylie laughs so hard she nearly spills her drink.
Robby drops his face into his hands. "I should have stayed single."
"No you shouldn't."
"At least then she'd leave me alone."
"Not true," Emery says cheerfully. "Then I'd just be setting you up with people that I actually like.”
"See?" Jack pats his shoulder. "She's got a point. What’s worse taking shit from your sister or having to be set up with her pretentious and uptight surgeon friends?”
"Whose side are you on?"
Jack doesn't hesitate. "Yours. Always” The answer comes instantly. Naturally. Almost like it’s breathing.
The entire table goes quiet. Robby slowly looks up. Jack freezes. Emery makes a strangled noise. Kylie covers her mouth.
"Oh my god," Emery whispers.
Jack realizes what he said.
Robby's face has gone completely soft. The expression makes Jack's chest ache.
"Well," Kylie says after a moment.
"No," Jack says.
"Oh yes," Emery replies.
"No."
"That was adorable."
"It was normal."
"It was not."
"It was."
"It really wasn't," Robby says quietly.
Jack looks at him.
Robby is smiling. Small. Warm. Happy. The kind of smile Jack would do almost anything to see.
Suddenly Emery is standing.
"What are you doing?" Kylie asks.
"Leaving."
"Why?"
Emery grabs her wine glass. "Because I spent weeks getting these idiots together and now they're making heart eyes at each other during dinner."
"We are not." Robby argues.
"You are."
"We aren't."
"You literally look sickeningly happy."
Jack glances at Robby. Robby glances back.
Emery points aggressively. "SEE?"
Kylie finally stands too. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"We're giving them thirty minutes alone."
"We live here."
"Exactly. Also, we made Robby sit through countless dinners where we made heart eyes at each other. We owe him this.”
Emery beams. "You know what? You're right."
She points toward Robby and Jack. "Enjoy your dinner."
Then toward herself. "I'll be in the living room celebrating being correct."
"Emery….”
"Nope."
"Em…..”
"Nope."
"Kiddo…..”
"Nope."
She blows them a kiss. "I expect nieces and nephews.”
"EMERY!"
Her laughter echoes through the house long after she disappears into the next room. Jack slowly turns toward Robby. Robby slowly turns toward Jack. They sit in silence for three seconds. Then both start laughing so hard they can't breathe.