Asking Robby to walk you down the aisle after u said yes to Jack hOLD MY HAND SYDDDD đđđđ
The Handoff đĽ Ý ËÖ´ ࣪â âšË
a/n : I fear I took your idea and turned it into a 4k word emotional spiral. I genuinely couldnât help myself. like⌠Jack crying in uniform??? Robby soft-dad-coded and holding it together until he canât??? the handoff?? the dress reveal??
summary : Jack proposes in the trauma bay. You say yes. Before the wedding, you ask Robby to walk you down the aisle.
content/warnings: emotional wedding fluff, quiet proposal energy, found family themes, Jack crying in uniform, Robby in full dad-mode, reader with no biological family, soft military references, subtle grief, emotional intimacy, and everyone in the ER being completely unprepared for Jack Abbot to have visible feelings.
word count : 4,149 (... hear me out)
You hadnât expected Jack to propose.
Not because you didnât think he wanted to. But because Jack Abbot didnât really ask for things. He was a man of action. Not words. Never had been.
But with you? He always showed it.
Like brushing your shoulder on the way to a trauma roomânot for luck, not for show, just to say Iâm here.
It was how he peeled oranges for you. Always handed to you in a napkin, wedges split and cleaned of the white stringy partsâbecause you once mentioned you hated them. And he remembered.
It was how he left the porch light on when you got held over.
How heâd warm your side of the bed with a heating pad when your back ached.
Heâd hook his pinky with yours in the hallway. Leave your favorite hoodieâhisâfolded on your pillow when he knew heâd miss you by a few hours.
Jack didnât say âI love youâ like other people. He said it like this. In gestures. In patterns. In choosing you, over and over, without fanfare.
No big speeches. No dramatic declarations.
Just peeled oranges. Warm beds. Soft touches.
So when it finally happenedâa proposal, of all thingsâit caught you off guard.
Not because you didnât think he meant it. But because youâd never pictured it. Not from him. Not like this.
The trauma bay was quiet now. The kind of quiet that only happens after a winâafter the adrenaline fades, the stats even out and the patient lives. Youâd both been working the case for nearly forty minutes, side by side, barked orders and that intense, seamless rhythm youâd only ever found with him.
You saved a life tonight. Together.
And now the world outside the curtain was humming soft and far away.
You stood by the sink, scrubbing off the last of the bloodâgood blood, this time. He was leaning against the supply cabinet, gloves off. Something in his shoulders had dropped. His body loose in that way it never really was unless you were alone.
He didnât speak at first.
Just watched you in that quiet way he always did when his guard was downâlike he was trying to memorize you, just in case you werenât there to catch him tomorrow.
You flicked water from your hands. âWhat?â
âNothing.â
You gave him a look.
He hesitated.
Then, casuallyâas casually as only Jack could manage while asking you something that was about to gut youâ
âIâd marry you.â
You froze. Not dramatically. Not visibly. Just enough that he caught the subtle change in your face, the way your mouth parted like you needed more air all of a sudden.
His eyes didnât move. He didnât smile. Didnât joke.
âIf you wanted,â he added after a beat, voice a little lower now. A little rougher. âI would.â
It didnât sound like a performance. It sounded like a truth heâd been sitting on for months. One he only knew how to say in places like thisâwhere the lighting was too bright and your hearts were still racing and nothing else existed but you two still breathing.
Your chest ached.
âYeah,â you said. It came out quieter than you meant to. âIâd marry you too.â
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
And then he stepped toward youânot fast, not dramatic, just steady. Like heâd already decided that he was yours. Like this wasnât new, just something the two of you had known without ever having to say it.
No ring. No big speech. No audience.
Just you. Him. The place where it all made sense.
âYouâre it for me,â he murmured.
And you smiled too, because yeahâhe didnât say things often. But when he did?
They wrecked you.
Because he meant them. And he meant this.
You. Forever.
You didnât tell anyone, not right away.
Not because you wanted to keep it a secret. But because you didnât have anyone to tell. Not in the way other people did.
There were no group texts. No parents to call. No siblings waiting on the other end of the line, ready to scream and cry and make it real. Youâd built your life from the ground upâand for a long time, that had felt like enough. Youâd learned how to move through the world quietly. Efficiently. Without needing to belong to anyone. Without needing to be someoneâs daughter.
But then came residency.
And Robby.
He hadnât swooped in. Hadnât made it obvious. That wasnât his style. But the first week of your intern year, when youâd gotten chewed out by a trauma surgeon in the middle of the ER, it was Robby who handed you a water, sat next to you in the stairwell, and said, âHeâs an asshole. Donât let it stick.â
After that, it just⌠happened. Slowly.
He checked your notes when you looked too tired to think. He drove you home once in a snowstorm and started keeping granola bars in his gloveboxâjust in case.
He noticed you never talked about home. Never mentioned your parents. Never took time off for holidays.
He never asked. But he was always there.
When you matched into the program full-time, he texted, Knew it.
When you pulled your first solo central line, he left a sticky note on your locker: Took you long enough, show-off.
When a shift gutted you so bad you couldnât breathe, he sat beside you on the floor of the supply room and didnât say a word.
You never called him a father figure. You didnât need to.
He just was.
So when the proposal finally felt realâsettled, certainâyou knew who you had to tell first.
You found him three days later, camped at his usual spot at the nurseâs stationâreading glasses sliding down his nose, his ridiculous â#1 Interrogatorâ mug tucked in one hand. He didnât notice you at first. You just stood there, stomach buzzing, watching the way he tapped his pen against the margin like he was trying not to throw the whole file out a window.
âHey,â you said, trying not to fidget.
He looked up. âYou look like youâre about to tell me someone died.â
âNo one died.â
He leaned back in the chair, eyebrows raised. âAlright. Hit me.â
You opened your mouthâthen paused. Your heart was thudding like youâd just sprinted up from sub-level trauma.
Then, quiet: âJack proposed.â
A beat.
Another.
Robby blinked. âWaitâwhat?â
You nodded. âYeah. Three days ago.â
His mouth opened. Then shut again. Then opened.
âIn the middle of a shift?â he asked finally, like he couldnât decide whether to be horrified or impressed.
You smiled. âEnd of a code. Weâd just saved a guy. He said, âIâd marry you. If you wanted.ââ
Robby looked down, then laughed quietly. âOf course he did. Thatâs so him.â
âI said yes.â
âObviously you did.â
You shifted your weight, suddenly unsure.
âI didnât know who to tell. But⌠I wanted you to know first.â
That landed.
He didnât say anything. Just stared at you, his face soft in that way he rarely let it be. Like something behind his ribs had cracked open a little.
Then he let out a breath. Slow. Rough at the edges.
âHe told me, you know,â he said. âA few weeks ago. That he was thinking about it.â
Your eyebrows lifted. âReally?â
âWellââtold meâ is generous,â he muttered. âHe cornered me outside the supply closet and said something like, âI donât know if sheâd say yes, but I think I need to ask.â Then grunted and walked away.â
You laughed, head tilting. âThat sounds about right.â
âI figured it would happen eventually,â Robby said. âI just didnât know it already had. This is the first Iâm hearing that he actually went through with it.â
He looked down at his coffee, thumb brushing the rim. Then back up at you with something warm in his expression that made your throat go tight.
âIâm proud of you, kid. Really.â
Your throat tightened.
âI donât really have⌠anyone,â you said. âNot like that. But youâve always beenââ
He waved a hand, cutting you off before you could get too sentimental. His voice was quiet when he said, âI know.â
You nodded. Tried to swallow the lump forming in your throat.
âYou crying on me?â he teased gently.
âNo,â you lied.
âLiar.â
He reached up and gave your arm a firm patâone of those dad-move, no-nonsense gesturesâbut he kept his hand there for a second, steady and warm.
âYouâre gonna be okay,â he said. âThe two of you. Thatâs gonna be something good.â
You smiled at the floor. Then at him.
âHey, Robby?â
He looked up. âYeah?â
You opened your mouthâhesitated. The words were there. Right there on your tongue. But they felt too big, too final for a hallway and a half-empty cup of coffee.
You shook your head, smiling just a little. âActually⌠never mind.â
His eyes softened instantly. No push. No questions.
Just, âAlright. Whenever youâre ready.â
And somehow, you knewâhe already knew what you were going to ask. And when the time came, heâd say yes without hesitation.
It happened on a Wednesday. Late enough in the evening that most of the ER had emptied out, early enough that the halls still echoed with footsteps and intercom beeps and nurses joking in breakrooms. Youâd just finished a back-to-back shiftâone of those long, hazy doubles where time folds in on itself. Your ID badge was flipped around on its lanyard. You smelled like sweat, sanitizer, and twelve hours of recycled air.
You found Robby in the stairwell.
Not for any sentimental reasonâthatâs just where he always went to decompress. A quiet landing. One of the overhead lights had a faint flicker, and he was sitting on the fourth step, half reading something, half just existing. His hoodie sleeves were shoved up to his elbows.
He looked tired in that familiar, permanent way. But settled. Like someone who wasnât trying to be anywhere else.
âHey,â you said, voice low.
He looked up instantly. âYou good?â
You nodded. Walked down a few steps until you were standing just above him.
âI need to ask you something.â
He squinted. âYou pregnant?â
You snorted. âNo.â
âDid Jack do something stupid?â
âAlso no.â
He closed the folder in his lap and gave you his full attention.
You hesitated. A long beat. âOkay, soâwhen I was younger, I used to lie.â
Robby blinked. âThatâs where this is going?â
You ignored him.
âIâd make up stories about my family. At school. Whenever there was some essay or form or âbring your parents to career dayâ crapâIâd just invent someone. A dad who was a firefighter. A mom who was a nurse. A grandma who sent birthday cards.â
Robby didnât move. Just listened.
âAnd I got good at it. Lying. Not because I wanted to, but because it was easier than explaining why I didnât have anybody. Why there was no one to call if something happened. Why I always stayed late. Why I never talked about holidays.â
You looked down at him now. Really looked at him.
âI didnât make anything up this time.â
His brow furrowed, just slightly.
âBecause I have someone now,â you said. âI do.â
He didnât say anything. Not yet.
You took a breath that shook a little in your chest.
âAnd Iâm getting married in a few months, and thereâs this part I keep thinking about. The aisle. Walking down it. That moment.â
You cleared your throat.
âI donât want it to be random. Or symbolic. Or just⌠for show.â
Another breath.
âI want it to be you.â
Robby blinked once.
Then again.
His mouth opened like he was about to say something. Closed. Then opened again.
âYou want me to walk you?â
You nodded. âYeah. I do.â
He exhaled hard. Looked away for a second like he needed the extra space to catch up to his own heart.
âJesus,â he muttered. âYouâre really trying to kill me.â
You smiled. âYou can say no.â
âDonât be an idiot.â He looked up at you, and his voice cracked just slightly. âOf course Iâll do it.â
You hadnât expected to get emotional. Not really. But hearing it out loudâthat heâd do it, that he meant itâit undid something small and knotted in your chest.
âYouâre one of the best things that ever happened to me, you know that?â he said.
âI didnât have a plan when you showed up that first year. Just thought, âthis kid needs a break,â and next thing I knew you were stealing my chair and bitching about suture kits like weâd been doing this for a decade.â
You laughed, throat thick. âThat sounds about right.â
âIâm gonna need a suit now, huh?â
âYou donât have to wear a suit.â
âOh, no, no. Iâm going full emotional support tuxedo. Iâm showing up with cufflinks. Maybe a cane.â
You rolled your eyes. âYouâre unbelievable.â
He stood thenâslower than he used to, one hand on the railingâand looked at you with that same warmth he always tried to hide under sarcasm and caffeine.
âYou did good, kid.â
You gave a crooked smile. âThanks.â
The music started before you were ready.
It was quiet at first. Just the soft swell of strings rising behind the door. But your hands were shaking, your throat was tight, and everything felt too big all of a sudden.
Robby looked over, standing next to you in the little alcove just off the chapel doors, tie only mostly straight, boutonniere slightly crooked like heâd pinned it on in the car.
âYouâre breathing like youâre about to code out,â he said gently.
You gave him a half-laugh, half-gasp. âI think I might.â
He tilted his head. âYou okay?â
âNo,â you whispered, eyes already burning. âI donât knowâmaybe. Yes. I justâJackâs out there. And everyoneâs watching. What if I trip? Or ugly cry? Or completely blank and forget how to walk?â
Robby didnât flinch. He just reached out and took your handâsteady and instinctiveâhis thumb brushing over your knuckles the way he had that night during your intern year, when youâd locked yourself in the on-call room and couldnât stop shaking after your first failed intubation. He didnât say anything then either. Just sat beside you on the floor and held your hand like thisâanchoring, patient, there.
âHey,â Robby saidâsteady, but quieter now. âYouâre walking toward the only guy Iâve ever seen drop everythingâwithout thinkingâjust because you looked a little off walking out of a shift.â
You blinked, chest already starting to tighten.
âIâve watched him learn you,â Robby continued. âSlow. Quiet. Like he was memorizing every version of you without making it a thing. The tired version. The pissed-off version. The one who forgets to eat and pretends sheâs fine.â
He let out a quiet laugh, still looking right at you.
âIâve seen Jack do a thoracotomy with one hand and hold pressure with the other. Iâve seen him walk into scenes nobody else wanted, shirt soaked, pulse steady, like he already knew how it would end. He doesnât rattle. Hell, I watched him take a punch from a drunk in triage and not even blink.â
His hand tightened around yoursâjust slightly.
âThatâs how I know,â he said. âThat this is it. Because Jackâthe guy whoâs walked into burning scenes with blood on his boots and didnât even flinchâlooked scared shitless the second he realized he couldnât picture his life without you. Not because he didnât think youâd say yes. But because he knew it meant something. That this wasnât something he could compartmentalize or walk away from if it got hard. Loving you? Thatâs the one thing he can't afford to lose.â
Your eyes burned instantly. âYouâre gonna make me cry.â
âGood. Less pressure on me to be the first one.â
You gave him a teary smile. âYou ready?â
Robby offered his arm. âKid, Iâve been ready since the day you stopped listing âN/Aâ under emergency contact.â
The doors creaked open.
You sucked in a breath.
And thenâ
The music swelled.
Not the dramatic kindâno orchestral swell, no overblown strings. Just the soft, deliberate rise of something warm and low and steady. Something that sounded like home.
The crowd stood. Rows of people from different pieces of your life, blurred behind the blur in your eyes. You couldnât see any one of them clearlyânot Dana, not Langdon, not Whitaker fidgeting with his tieâbut you felt them. Their hush. Their stillness.
And at the far end of the aisle stood Jackâdressed in his Army blues.
Not a rented tux. Not a tailored suit.
His uniform.
Pressed. Precise. Quietly immaculate.
It wasnât a performance. It wasnât for show. It was him.
He hadnât worn it to make a statement. He wore it because there were people in the pews who knew him from beforeâbefore the ER, before Pittsburgh, before you. Men and women who had bled beside him, saved lives beside him, watched him shoulder more than anyone shouldâand never once seen him like this.
Undone. Open.
There were people in his family whoâd worn that uniform long before him. And people heâd served with who taught him what it meant to wear it well. Not for attention. Not for tradition. But because it meant something. A history. A duty. A vow he never stopped honoringâeven long after the war ended.
And when you saw him standing thereâdress blues crisp under the soft chapel light, shoulders squared, mouth tight, eyes fullâyou didnât see someone dressed for a ceremony.
You saw him.
All of him. The past, the present, the parts that had been broken and rebuilt a dozen times over. The weight heâd never put down. The man heâd become when no one else was watching.
Jack didnât flinch as the doors opened. He didnât smile, didnât wipe his eyes. He just stood thereâsteady, quiet, letting himself feel it.
Letting you see it.
And somehow, that meant more than anything he couldâve said.
The room stayed still, breath held around you.
Until, from somewhere near the front, Javadiâs whisper sliced through the quiet:
âIs heâoh my God, is Abbot crying?â
Mohan choked on a mint. Someoneâmaybe Santosâaudibly gasped.
And halfway down the aisleâwhen your breath caught and your knees went just a little looseâRobby spoke, voice low and smug, just loud enough for you to hear.
âWell,â Robby muttered, voice low and smug, âremind me to collect $20 from Myrna next shift.â
You glanced at him, confused. âWhat?â
He didnât look at you. Just kept his eyes forward, deadpan. âNothing. Justâturns out you werenât the only one betting on whether Jack would cry.â
Your breath hitched. âWhat?â
âShe said he was carved from Army-grade stone and wouldnât shed a tear if the hospital burned down with him inside. I disagreed.â
You gawked at him.
âShe told meâand I quoteââIf Dr. Y/L/N ever changes her mind, tell her to step aside, because I will climb that man like a jungle gym.ââ
You almost tripped. âRobby.â
âSheâs got her sights set. Calls him âsergeant sweetheartâ when the nurses arenât looking.â
You clamped a hand over your mouth, laughing through the tears already welling. And the altar still felt a mile away.
He finally glanced at you, face softening. âI said she didnât stand a chance.â
You blinked fast.
âBecause from the second he saw you?â Robby added, voice lower now. âThat was it. He was done for.â
You had never felt so chosen. So sure. So completely loved by someone who once thought emotions were best left unsaid.
Robby must have felt the shift in your weight, because he pulled you in slightly closer. His handâbroad and warmâcurved around your arm like it had a thousand times before. Steady. Grounding. Father-coded to the core.
âYou got this,â he murmured. âLook at him.â
You did.
And Jack was still thereâstill crying. Not bothering to wipe his eyes. Not hiding it. Like he knew nothing else mattered more than this moment. Than you.
When you finally reached the end of the aisle, Jack stepped forward before the officiant could speak. Like instinct.
Robby didnât move at first.
He just looked at youâlong and hard, eyes bright.
Then looked at Jack.
Then back at you.
His hand lingered at the small of your back.
And his voice, when it came, was rougher than usual. âYou good?â
You nodded, too full to speak.
He nodded back. âAlright.â
And thenâquietly, like it was something he wasnât ready to do but always meant toâhe took your hand, and placed it gently into Jackâs.
Jack didnât look away from you. His hand curled tight around yours like it was a lifeline.
Robby cleared his throat. Stepped back just a little. And you saw itâthe tremble at the corner of his mouth. The way he blinked too many times in a row.
He wasnât immune to it.
Not this time.
âYou take care of her,â he said, voice thick. âYou hear me?â
Jackâeyes glassy, jaw tightâjust nodded. One firm, reverent nod.
âI do,â he said.
And for once, that wasnât a promise.
It was a fact.
A vow already lived.
Robby stepped back.
A quiet shift. No words, no fuss. Just one last glanceâfull of something that lived between pride and griefâand then he stepped aside, slow and careful, like his body knew he had to let go before his heart was ready.
And then it was just you and Jack.
He stepped in just a little closerâlike the space between you, however small, had finally become too much. His hand tightened around yours, his breath shallow, like holding it together had taken everything he had.
The moment he saw youâreally saw youâsomething behind his eyes cracked wide open.
He didnât smile. Not right away.
He didnât say anything clever. Didnât reach for you like someone confident or composed.
It was like heâd been waiting for this moment his whole lifeâand still couldnât believe it was real.
âFuck,â he breathed. âYouâre gonna kill me.â
You tried to laugh, but it crackedâcaught somewhere between joy and everything else swelling behind your ribs.
The dress fit like a memory and a dream at once. Sleek. Understated. A silhouette that didnât beg for attention, but held it all the same. Clean lines. Long sleeves. A bodice tailored just enough to feel timeless. A low back. No shimmer. No lace. Just quiet, deliberate elegance.
Just you.
Jack took a breathâslow and shaky.
âYouâre the most beautiful thing Iâve ever seen,â he said, like he wasnât entirely sure he was speaking out loud.
You blinked fast, vision swimming.
âYouâre not supposed to make me cry before we even say anything,â you managed, voice trembling.
He gave a small, broken laugh. âThat makes two of us.â
You could feel the crowd behind you. Every attending. Every nurse. Every person who thought they knew Jack Abbotâstoic in trauma bays, voice sharp, pulse steady no matter what walked through the doors.
And now? They were seeing him like this.
Glass-eyed. Soft-spoken. Undone.
Jack looked at you again. Really looked.
âI knew I was gonna love you,â he said. âBut I didnât know itâd be like this.â
Your breath caught. âLike what?â
He smiledâslow, quiet, reverent.
âLike peace.â
You blinked so fast it almost turned into a sob. âGod. I hate you.â
âNo, you donât.â
âNo, I donât,â you whispered, smiling through it.
Behind you, the music began to fade. The officiant cleared his throat.
Jack didnât move. Didnât look away. His thumb brushed over your knuckles like it had done a thousand times beforeâonly this time, it meant something.
âIâve never been more sure of anything,â he said softly. âNot in combat. Not in med school. Not even the first time I intubated someone on a moving Humvee.â
You laughed, choked and real. âYouâre ridiculous.â
âIâm yours,â he corrected. âThatâs the important part.â
The officiant spoke then, calling for quiet.
But Jack leaned in one last time, voice so low it barely touched the air.
âTell me when to breathe,â he said.
You smiled, heart wrecked and steady all at once.
âIâve got you.â
And Jack Abbotâcombat medic, ER attending, man who spent a lifetime holding everything togetherâclosed his eyes and let himself believe you.
Because for once in his life, he didnât have to be ready for the worst.
He just had to stand beside the best thing that ever happened to him.
And say yes.
wc: 2,205 synopsis: just another normal day at the pittâexcept it's not. for the first time in a long time, jack might have found an equal in every sense. tl;dr: dr. abbott meets a new resident for the first time.
contents: 20-year age gap (vega is 26, jack is 46), usual pitt dynamics. probably lots of medical inaccuracies that im not gonna apologize for. very quick mentions of mental health issues. this is totally self-inserted and vega is totally based in lots of aspects of myself. gonna probably update this list when i have more creativity.
gigi's note: this man and the pitt have been consuming my every waking thought so of course it culminated in the fastest fic i've ever written. i have a whole little series planned for these two, but im gonna try to write at least some of them in a manner where you dont necessarily need to read the others. read the end notes for more info!!! enjoy!!!!
PLAYLIST HERE
It had already become a habitâmore often than not, Jackâs days off ended up being spent at the Pitt. Not that he minded; the Pittâs chaos was better than the chaos inside his head that ran free when he was alone at home. At home, the silence was suffocatingâhe had too much time to think. Here, every beep and shout gave him a reason not to listen to the thoughts clawing at the inside of his skull. Here, he knew exactly what he was doing. And he was damn good at it.
To Vega, being in the Pitt made her feel more alive than sheâd ever felt. She didnât mind the chaosâshe thrived in it. Being surrounded by it sharpened her focus, made everything elseâthe endless voice in her head, the black monster inside her chest threatening day by day to swallow her wholeâfade into nothing but background static.
Today was no different. The Pitt was, like usual, a chaotic hellscape; machines humming, monitors beeping, medical staff shouting orders, the scent of antiseptic filling everyoneâs nostrils. The kind of place that felt both alive and dead at the same time. Jack had just arrived after a few hours of sleep after his night shift, clutching a cup of coffee in his hand, when he first spotted her across the ER in trauma twoâa woman who didnât seem to belong here, but did. Jack had barely any time to take a proper look at her before she was on the move again.
She moved fast, braid whipping against her back as she called for suction, adjusting doses, her hands slick with blood. The Pitt demanded everything and she gladly gave it. Without hesitation, without pause. It was what she lived for.
âPush another 20 of epi. I need suctionâno, hold it, go with 50 cc,â she called out, her voice cutting through the chaos as she worked. Controlled. Sharp. The team moved, almost grateful for the authority in her voice. She didnât miss the way Santosâ hands trembled, or how Whitaker clung to her words like a lifeline.
Jack hadnât seen her beforeânot that he was keeping track; new faces came and went. But something about this one made him look twice. He caught sight of her againâtall, dark hair, sharp, moving fast between patients. She was a calm center, a fixed point in the storm. She worked with precision, her hands a blur as she gave orders, her focus unwavering as she moved around and directed the team with an ease that made it look effortless, a mixture of experienced residents and interns following her every instruction without hesitation. She moved around the room like she owned it. She was focused.
âWhoâs that?â Jack asked, voice neutral.
âThat is my star resident,â Robby said with a hint of amusement in his voice, noticing his curious gaze. âWildcard.â
Then, still working on the patient, she felt it. His stare. She was used to peopleâs eyes on her all the time in this placeâcurious glances, usually directed at her tattoos whenever they poked out; interns sizing her up, sometimes with grudging respect, sometimes openly doubting her abilities to handle the weight of the Pitt. But this wasnât that. This wasnât the usual ER gawkers or old surgeons with smug superiority. This was different. Something else.
Jack raised an eyebrow. He had seen his fair share of capable residents, but something about the way she movedâalmost like she was born for thisâcaught his attention. She was completely in her element, cutting through the chaos with a level of focus that suggested sheâd been there before. Not that Jack expected anything less, but there was something about her that piqued his interest.
She felt the weight of his gaze, analyzing, unapologetic. She recognized that old, instinctive prickle at the back of her neckâthe kind of awareness she only felt around people who could do damage. Not the loud, blustering types, no. The quiet ones. The wolves pretending to be men.
But she was no sheep.
Vega didnât look up, focused solely on the person in front of her. She let him look. Let him think he was unnoticed, but she felt the scrape of it against her nerves.
âWildcard?â Jack asked, nodding toward the scene, his tone cool but intrigued.
Robby grinned, stepping back slightly to give Jack a better view. âYeah. Earned it on her first shift. Handled a mass casualty like it was nothing. Nerves of steel.â
Jack didnât reply. Instead, he just watched her as she worked. There was a quiet intensity to the way she moved. She wasnât loud or flashy, didnât seek attention; instead, she commanded the room with a quiet authority, in a way that spoke volumes about her ability to take charge when things went south. It was a quality Jack respected, even if he wasnât willing to admit it out loud. She wasnât just surviving in the chaosâshe was thriving in it. Something he did, too.
When the patient was finally stable, able to wait for the OR, Robby called her name. She peeled the paper gown off and turned towards them, tugging off the gloves with a sharp pull, and met Jackâs gaze head-on.
âWildcard,â Robby said, âthis is Dr. Jack Abbott. Jack, this is Dr. Vega, also known as Wildcard.â
She barely heard his voiceâshe already knew who he was.
Dr. Jack Abbott. The ERâs storm cloud, a man with a reputation for being as sharp as he was reckless. Sheâd heard plentyâeveryone had. Stories traded in break rooms, warnings half-uttered with a mixture of respect and almost fear. A doctor built out of sharp things and bad habits, all jagged edges and rough temper. A man people either followed or avoided. And now here he was, giving her that look like he was trying to decide if she was worth his time.
Their gazes lockedânot an awkward glance. She didnât look away as most people did when meeting him for the first time, usually too nervous to look him in the eye. No. There was a beat of silence, a brief exchange of recognition, as if both of them could feel something shift in the air between them. Subtle, but undeniable. She sized him up in a fraction of a second, eyes sharp and unreadable, but he knew what that look was. For the first time in months, Jack felt something in his chest unclench, some flicker of recognition that made the blood in his veins hum with something dangerously close to life.
None of the stories sheâd heard did him justice. He wasnât the washed-up, better-than-everyone asshole she expected. For a second, the ER didnât exist; the screaming monitors, the sharp tang of blood and bleachâgone. It was just him. Dark eyes, sharp jaw, slight tilt of his head, the heavy kind of presence you could feel in your teeth. The way he looked at herânot polite, not exactly curious. He looked at her like a man who was curious to see what would happen if he pushed. Good. She was tired of polite. She was tired of fake pleasantries.
She looked younger than he expected. But there was something else in her eyes that made her feel older than she probably was. Experienced.
Her lips twitchedâbarely a smile, but the kind that dared him to make the first move.
âDr. Vega.â His voice was low, neutral, but her stomach did a dangerous twist.
There was a familiarity in the way he looked at herânot exactly recognition, but that kind of animal instinct of like recognizes like. The people who knew what it was to thrive in the places others avoided. The people who thrived in the chaos.
She couldnât help the slight curve of her mouth, barely there, but enough to be noticed by him.
âHeard things about you, Dr. Abbott,â she said, her voice even, threading a fine line between professional and personal. âThought youâd be scarier.â
Her words were like a soft challenge, the ghost of a smile on her lips, and it was Jackâs time to quirk an eyebrow, his eyes darkening, a flicker of something dangerous and amused sliding into place. Was she mocking him? Or was she just testing the waters? He couldnât quite decide.
Jack tilted his head slightly, a slow, crooked smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. She met his eyes head-on, unblinking. No one held her gaze for longâtoo sharp, too coldâbut he didnât flinch. Didnât even try to hide the way his gaze dropped, assessing. Not leering. Calculating. Like a predator working out if she was worth the risk.
âStick around, Doc,â he replied. âYouâll get there.â
Oh, she fucking liked that.
Robby snorted, glancing between them with an amused look in his eyes. Jack wasnât the type to be rattled easily, but there was a palpable tension now between the two of them, something that felt familiar yet almost⌠uncomfortable. Different. Jack didnât show it, of course, but Robby knew him better than everyone.
Vega had had a lot of first meetings since walking into this ER not more than four weeks ago. Most were forgettable, most faded by the next shift. But there was weight to this one. The air around them felt tight, stretched thin in a way she recognized from old fights and late-night emergencies. The kind of moment where you either stepped up or stepped aside, where you either fought the wave headfirst or let it wash over you, carry you with it.
âHowâs day shift treating you?â Abbott asked, and Robbyâs eyebrow went up, already seeing where Jackâs head was going.
Vega realizedâthese two men knew each other better than everyone else.
âThe coffee could be better,â she replied, finishing what she was typing on the computer.
Jackâs lips quirked, a flicker of dry amusement in his otherwise unreadable expression. âNight shift coffeeâs better,â he replied smoothly, taking a sip from his cup, the steam rising from it like he was making a point of something, just for her.
Robbyâs eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched the interaction with newfound interest, like a new TV show that was starting to catch his attention. He shook his head. âDonât you even think about stealing her from me, Abbott.â
Jackâs eyes found hers again, and neither looked away. âYeah, yeah. Wouldnât dream of it.â
But the way he said itâquiet, edgedâsuggested otherwise.
Robby drifted off to take care of another matter, and she half-expected him to do the same, say something smug or look away. He didnât. Neither did she. She raised her eyebrows and smirked at him, almost as if she was daring him to do something about it.
âYouâre welcome to try, Dr. Abbott,â Vega said, her voice smooth, low, carrying a spark of challenge that showed itself in the way his jaw tightened slightly.
It was brief, but it was there. The smallest tell that he was just a little thrown by her, caught off guard. She liked that. She liked that a lot. Probably more than she shouldâve.
He wasnât used to being challenged quite like that. There was something about herâsomething too familiar in the way she carried herself that made him pause, that made him stop in his tracks.
âNoted,â he replied, five simple letters carrying more weight than normal. It felt like a promise. Or a threatâshe couldnât tell.
Both excited her, both made her heart skip a beat and made her skin prickle with something she couldnât decipher yet. The air between them tightened, thickened. That kind of electric stillness you only get before a bad decisionâthe kind youâd make twice just to feel something. The kind she was built for.
He held her gaze, and she held his, never once faltering, up until she turned her back to see another patient. Jack was rattledâitâd been a while since someone managed to do that. She pulled a chart off the rack and moved on to the next patient with effortless grace. As he stared at her back, he felt an inexplicable pull, one heâd be lying if he said he didnât feel. For the first time in a long time, something in Jackâs chest pulled tight. Not enough to show, but enough for him to feel it.
Even as she walked away, she still felt itâa tug in her chest, his gaze burning between her shoulder blades, the awareness of his eyes on her as she crossed the room.
Jack didnât move. Not yet. As she was about to disappear behind a curtain, his voice called after her.
âVega,â he said.
Not Wildcard. Not yet. He said her name like a question. Or a challengeâshe couldnât decide. She paused. A beat. Half a heartbeat. Let the silence hang there, heavy and thick and hungry. Then she turned her head, one eyebrow raised in silent question.
âLike the star?â he asked, voice low, rough, unreadable, his eyes full of things she couldnât decipher.
For the first time since clocking in that morning, a real smile spread across her face.
âBrighter,â she said softly and went back on her way.
She didnât need to look back to know he was still watching her.
Good.
gigi's note: PLEASE tell me your opinions on this and what you think of the series!!!! the future pieces are gonna dive deep into vega's mental issues (which are my own). not gonna be exactly a slow burn because i hate slow burns, i just prefer the burning head-on lol comments and reblogs are most welcome!!!
my inbox is always open and i would loooooooove to yap about this man. xoxo <3
When ppl met me for the first time they think that Iâm a completely normal girl but they donât know that by night Iâm a FANGIRL đđđđđ
I love this
Okay, so⌠idk why that came to my mind but Iâll roll with it.
Also there are surely some discrepancies in timelines and such but itâs an AU and I donât really look for accuracy here
- The chief of the Southern Water Tribe is like âOh shit, we have only like seven benders left. We canât afford another attack of the Fire Nationâ and he meets up with Fire Lord Azulon to propose a peace treaty. Only Azulonâs an asshat and heâs like âPeace and no further attacks on you? Well, you can have that, no problem, but for that weâll need tokens. You can still have your benders but we will trade nonbending people between our two cultures⌠sort of a slave trade deal. You can do whatever you want with the people we send you and we can do whatever we want with those you send us. Oh! And of course, the Southern Water Tribe will raise our flag additionally to yours and, before I forget it, youâre obligated to send us Water Tribe specialities as our nobility finds them quite⌠interesting.â
And the chief is overwhelmed and canât quite understand why the slave trade thing has to happen (itâs because Azulonâs eager to see if he can manipulate the genetics into his favours so that theyâll end up building a waterbending force additionally to a firebending one (which they can use as healers if they have that gift), firebenders born into the Southern Water Tribe also are sort of lifetime test subjects who show whether they can remain in such conditions or not (also if they can be trained to withstand the cold and become better benders that way) and most of his war council consists of those creepy old men who are weirdly obsessed with âexoticâ features) but he has no other choice but to agree because he knows another (last) attack is on the horizon. Itâs better to essentially become a Fire Nation colony than to lose all of their benders for good, he thinks.
- Fast forward a couple of years. Azulon has managed to gain forty waterbenders by mostly trading men from the Water Tribe for women from the Fire Nation. As you know men can um⌠make a lot more children in a short period of time than women. The Southerners arenât really treated as people and more as concubines while the Fire Nation people in the south are treated as equals (and become enamoured with the culture - because theyâve always known only the strictness of the Fire Nation.) and they bring equality for men and women because now there are more women than men => leads to a fighting force consisting of men and women.
- One day Ozai really pisses off his father. Itâs a minor thing, really, but it leads to his fiancĂŠ getting shipped off to the Southern Water Tribe and he gets the most fierce nonbending warrior woman of the Water Tribe as his wife instead - Kya. She is straight up able to make him eat dirt and refuses to be treated as a slave. Hakoda gets Ursa - this meek, shy girl who refuses to raise her voice or look him in the eyes. Thereâs a whole subplot for Hakoda and Ursa slowly getting together while Kya dominates the shit out of Ozai because she wants kids and has no hope of ever returning to Hakoda (her true love). She sort of takes over the Fire Nation after Azulonâs⌠unfortunate death.
=> Kya and Ozaiâs children are Zuko and Katara while Ursa and Hakodaâs are Sokka and Azula (who Ursa names after the man who essentially set her free)
- just. think. of. the. implications.Â
- Zuko is allowed to be a soft boi and because Kya all but overtakes the government, thereâs never an Agni Kai between Ozai and Zuko. Also Ozaiâs forced to love his children. Kya wonât take a no.
- Kya loves her two children equally. She doesnât mind that Zukoâs a firebender. Itâs just the way things are.
- When Ozai foolishly asks his father if he can have the throne after Prince Lu Tenâs death and Azulon asks for Zuko to die Kya fucking explodes and stealthily poisons the Fire Lord but with such a slow acting poison that nobody can trace it. => Ozaiâs like âDAmn wife, poisoning my dad?? Kinda hot nglâŚâÂ
- So, like, Ozaiâs more and more showing his human side because Kya just yeets the throne out of his hand (âNo, someone unstable like you is not going to reign a freaking country, what the hell? Gimme those documents, husband.â) and after being manhandled into caring for his kids he has those little moments in which he shows that he can, in fact, love but itâs burrowed under layers upon layers of jealousy, hatred, anger and manipulative demeanour. Kyaâs not one to turn down a challenge, though.
=> so. many. trips. to. ember island.
- Kataraâs a fierce thing. She loves her brother, feels conflicted on her country and gives like a speech a day to the personnel who cowered under Azulon. Her waterbending is treated as something desirable by Ozai who, in turn, makes sure she gets teachers but heâll also imitate Iroh (only this once, of course, and heâd never say he saw a merit in an idea his brother of all people had) by also teaching her firebending forms. Kataraâs so dangerous but sheâs still herself. In this AU, her healing abilities come when Zuko falls from a roof and breaks his leg.
- Ursa and Hakoda take things slowly. Initially, thereâs a major heartbreak on Hakodaâs side, of course, because he really loved Kya wholeheartedly but slowly (and Iâm talking real slow - like slow burn times 3) he starts warming up to Ursa who doesnât know how to act in this new society sheâs been thrown into. Hakoda shows her how to fight⌠ugh, thatâs so cute I CANâT and then she someday is gifted a bethrotal necklace but itâs dark red and omg utreghuigheguhenffberfievbhue
- Sokka and Azula are siblings. This is interesting on different levels because for one, Sokkaâs a nonbender. Meaning that he only can impress with his boomerang and intelligence while his little sisterâs a goddamn firebending prodigy who can?? Shoot lightning??? Wtf???
- Hakoda is Best Dad and instantly sees Azulaâs unhealthy desire of perfectionism early on and sends her to the tribeâs psychiatrist. She still has anger outbursts but she is a lot more stable than in canon. Also, sheâs obsessed with Sokka learning new fighting styles. She wonât stop arguing about the merits of him learning the sword or him learning the bow or him learning the art of chi blocking or him learning⌠basically, itâs Azulaâs form of care but it annoys Sokka to no end (even though he loves his little sister too, obviously).
- There is not an ounce of sexism in Sokka because⌠um⌠have you seen his sister?!
- So, one day, thereâs a letter from the Fire Nation. To Hakoda. Saying âHey, whatâs up, my old fiancĂŠ? I took over the Fire Nation - how about we meet up some time for a renewed peace treaty and to show off our kids?â And Hakodaâs like âOmg, Kya. What the hell?â but he grins the whole time and is so glad that his almost-wife is thriving. He wouldnât have thought sheâd give in easily but to hear the good news lifts a rock off his heart. Ursaâs a little bit hesitant but Hakoda tells her that sheâs his wife now and a meeting between the two couples wonât change that.
- They all meet up when Sokka & Zuko are 14 and Katara & Azula 12-ish; surprisingly, it goes super well? Oh, well⌠apart from the fact that Katara and Azula begin arguing like crazy when theyâre on Southern Water Tribe territory and accidentally free the Avatar.
- So now they have the Avatar.
- But Aangâs kinda not needed all that much because Ozai sure as hell wonât do anything to capture him - not when Kyaâs been stopping a war that he slowly begins to see was totally f-ed up
- Aang grows up with Katara, Sokka, Zuko and Azula at his side. They then later on stumble upon a lemur, a Kyoshi warrior and Toph during one of their trips (which they can do only when theyâre at least 14 because Kya isnât going to let her kids roam around when they barely hit puberty yet.)
- Sozinâs Comet comes and goes. Ozai guesses he could have technically taken out the Earth Kingdom but who the hell does that kinda stuff? Heâs not a villain in some theatrical play or something.
- The war ends for sure when Ozai finally gives in and signs the peace treaty between the different remaining nations (and Aang as the last airbender). Itâs not like everythingâs alright now that theyâre not attacking but itâs a lot better than before.Â
THE PITT X AVENGERS crossover
masterlist (and writing guideline) â #avenger!reader x the pitt
Jack Abbot x former avenger!reader
Summary: The new attending on the night shift is a complete mistery. She carries herself as if she's seen something worse than hell but smiles as if she has no worries. There's at least 7 bets running about her, and Jack can't stop wondering if she has skeletons in her closet too... And then, her past comes crashing down on the ER like a ticking bomb.
Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch x former avenger!reader
Summary: There's a new regular in The Pitt, a woman prone to stumbles and misfortunes. She always comes when her wounds need stitching and wearing fading bruses, to the point Robby's getting worried. Until her face is all over the news: former avenger tears down crimelord and political connections.
Jack Abbot x avenger!reader x Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch
Summary: People called them the three musketeers of the Pitt, they were inseparable and had an absurd amount of bets on them. So it took everyone by surprise when she accepted a fellowship at Stark Industries and never looked back. Years later, she's right where it all started, forced to face unresolved business and not planning to stay.
Jack Abbot x avenger!reader
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple charity event to get donations for the ER, so how he ended trapped in a room with a deadly beautiful woman flirting with him as if she hadn't been stabbed?
Samira Mohan x avenger!reader
Summary: A hero level treat brings even more chaos to the emergency room of the Pitt, something they have only seen on the news and never thought it could happen with them. And in the middle of the calamity stands an avenger in all her glory, helping to keep the ER safe and stealing Samira Mohan's heart during the process.
Please, share this post with your friends or reblog it to reach more people that will enjoy this too! Your support is lovely and appreciated đ
There's no taglist, but you can follow the tags #starkenobi writing and #avenger!reader x the pitt.
Matt Murdock x Avenger!reader
âIâm with you because everything you do, you do because you know itâs right. Iâm with you,â he whispered now, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers. âIâm with you because you remind me that there is good in this world. And I would die before I let that good be lostâŚI would die for you, if it meant the world got to see what you had to offer.â
False God Playlist
A Terrible Timeline
A Permanent Paycheck (drabble)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Three Good Things (drabble)
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Religionâs in Your Lips (drabble)
Part 13
A Love Like Religion (drabble)
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Devils Roll the Dice (drabble)
Part 17
Part 18
Paper Cut Stings (drabble)
Blind Faith (drabble)
A Really Good Lawyer (drabble)
𼠠= NSFW đ§  = contains metaphorical penguin shenanigans đ§ď¸ = contains heavy angst
Ship: Matt Murdock x F!Reader
Summary: Itâs said that every soul is connected to another by a red thread, and that these two souls are destined to meet. The thread, though it may  tangle or stretch, will never break. Thatâs not your experience, lucky  or unlucky enough as you are to see the strings that bind people  together. A red thread is developed and grown, not born, and youâve  worked hard to weed out any semblance of crimson that might cling to  you. You pay your bills, you keep your head down, and you find whatever  lost people or items youâre hired to sniff out.
Then the Devil of Hellâs Kitchen tags along on a job, and your plan falls apart.
Now the longest Daredevil x Reader fic on AO3, so remember to drink some water before starting! Updates every Tuesday.
Rating: Mostly M, occasional E. Chapters that are E will be marked at the beginning of the chapter. NSFW.
Current tags and warnings: friends-to-lovers, eventual smut, slow burn, Â canon-typical violence, blood, kidnapping and rescue, guns, angst, hurt/comfort, no use of ây/nâ. More tags are listed on the fic itself!
For your added enjoyment: listen to the official accompanying playlist on Spotify! Â
Chapter 1Â |Â Chapter 2Â |Â Chapter 3Â |Â Chapter 4Â |Â Chapter 5Â |Â Chapter 6Â |Â Chapter 7Â |Â Chapter 8Â |Â Chapter 9Â |Â Chapter 10Â |Â Chapter 11Â |Â Chapter 12Â |Â Chapter 13Â |Â Chapter 14Â |Â Chapter 15Â |Â Chapter 16Â |Â Chapter 17Â |Â Chapter 18Â |Â Chapter 19Â |Â Chapter 20Â |Â Chapter 21Â |Â Chapter 22Â |Â Chapter 23Â |Â Chapter 24Â |Â Chapter 25Â |Â Chapter 26Â |Â Chapter 27Â |Â Chapter 28Â |Â Chapter 29Â |Â Chapter 30Â |Â Chapter 31Â |Â Chapter 32Â |Â Chapter 33Â |Â Chapter 34Â |Â Chapter 35Â |Â Chapter 36Â |Â Chapter 37Â |Â Chapter 38Â |Â Chapter 39Â |Â Chapter 40Â |Â Chapter 41Â |Â Chapter 42Â |Â Chapter 43Â |Â Chapter 44Â |Â Chapter 45Â |Â Chapter 46Â |Â Chapter 47Â |Â Chapter 48Â |Â Chapter 49Â |Â Chapter 50Â |Â Chapter 51Â |Â Chapter 52Â |Â Chapter 53Â |Â Chapter 54Â |Â Chapter 55Â |Â Chapter 56Â |Â Chapter 57Â |Â Chapter 58Â |Â Chapter 59Â |Â Chapter 60Â |Â Chapter 61Â |Â Chapter 62Â |Â Chapter 63
Requested Matt POVs of major events:
âŚThe goodbye letter from Chapter 9. âŚMattâs POV of that scene from Chapter 28. (NSFWđĽ) âŚMattâs POV/feelings on you wearing his mask in Chapter 32. (NSFW đĽ ) âŚLetters from the Road (letters sent to Matt, post-chapter 34): Letter 1 | Letter 2 | Letter 3 (Also collected here) âŚMatt dreaming of you while youâre away during the Away Chapters. âŚMattâs POV of the 10 day period in Chapter 41. đ§ď¸ ⌠Mattâs POV of the mind-whammy and grinding in Chapter 47  đĽÂ Â
What-Ifs:
Based on an ask: what would happen if Reader lost her memory just before coming back from her three months away? đ§ď¸
Fan Creations Because Yaâll Are Amazing:
⌠ Art by @electricmongrelâ of Beagle!Reader and Doberman!Ciro! ⌠ Art by @nerualianâ of Matt, including one of him with a red thread! ⌠ Art by @acrabbybishâ of Matt in an adorable penguin onesie! ⌠ A series of wonderful pieces by @phantomkindalikejaidenâ of Matt and Red Threadâs Reader: Art 1 | Art 2 | Art 3 | Art 4 | Art 5 | Art 6 | Art 7 | Art 8 | Art 9 | Art 10 | Art 11 | Art 12 ⌠ Art by ViviEkhart on Insta of Matt and Reader holding hands! ⌠ An awesome playlist by @moonyinthestarsâ on spotify! ⌠Badass art by @melodicmelâ of Matt with a red thread! ⌠Art by @vx-vexedvixenâ, who made this awesome collage!
Queen of Mean by Sarah Jeffery
O:O3 âââââââââ 3:30
âť â II ⡠âş
á´ á´Ęá´á´á´ : âŽâŽâŽâŽâŽâŽâŻâŻâŻ
i CANT HANDLE THE FACT THAT OWEN WILSON, O W E N FREAKING WILSON IS AT THE CENTER OF MY HYPERFIXATION FOR THE MONTH,,,,,, AAAAAAAAH I MEAN DONT GET ME WRONG I LOVE HIM BUT I CANT,,,,COMPREHEND H E L P????
Um so yah I never post fanfics but I might here soon
kevin feige: chris you canât keep pitching these scripts to the writersÂ
chris evans: why broÂ
kevin feige: on the last one you wrote âtony takes off his mask to share a heated kiss with steve on donald trumpâs grave. everybody cheers. facism is over.âÂ
Someone please write something
There is a significant lack of atla hakoda x reader fics. Someone fix this