Work Text:
Dennis woke slowly, the kind of slow that came after too many hours of exhaustion finally catching up with him. For a moment, he didn’t move, still half buried in warmth, in the lingering comfort of something solid beneath his cheek.
Then he frowned. The bed was empty. A little cold, not entirely, just… empty. He reached for the phone on the nightstand, not even his, silencing the alarm with a groan when he saw the time. It was almost dinner. Robby shouldn’t have let him sleep this long.
He pushed himself up on his elbows, blinking against the dim light filtering through the curtains. The apartment was quiet, but not silent. There was something new, something that hadn’t been there the day before. Faint, but unmistakable.
Movement. Soft sounds. The low clink of something against a pan, and jazz playing somewhere in the background.
Dennis sat up fully, running a hand through his messy curls before dragging himself out of bed, his body still heavy with sleep. He followed the sound down the short hallway, bare feet quiet against the floor. He found him in the kitchen, the cat curled on the island, watching him move like it already belonged there.
Robby stood by the stove, half turned away, moving with that same quiet efficiency Dennis had already started to associate with him in the ED. The space smelled warm, rich, something savory layered with something softer underneath. Tomatoes, garlic, oil, oregano.
“You’re cooking?” Dennis’s voice came out rough, sleep-heavy. He rubbed his right eye carefully; it still ached a little.
Robby glanced over his shoulder, something easing immediately in his expression. “Hey, you’re awake.”
“Obviously. Your alarm is horrible, by the way,” Dennis muttered, stepping closer. He wrapped his arms around him from behind, pressing a lazy kiss to his back before climbing up onto the counter without asking, settling there like it was the most natural place in the world, right beside him.
Robby didn’t comment on it. “Sorry, I just wanted to let you sleep and thought I’d make something,” he said instead, turning back to the pan. “You looked like you needed actual food, not hospital vending machine garbage.”
Dennis hummed, watching him carefully. “Smells great.”
“It’s simple,” Robby added. “Bolognese sauce. With a few things I ordered before you arrived this morning. I’ll cook the pasta when we’re ready to eat.”
“Yeah, simple,” Dennis said sarcastically. “You’re sautéing five things at once like it’s nothing.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Robby’s mouth. “I like cooking.” For you he meant to say. Silence settled between them for a moment, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Dennis studied him quietly, the set of his shoulders, the way his movements felt just a little too precise, a little too controlled.
“You didn’t sleep,” he said eventually.
Robby didn’t deny it. He could have said that he had a good night's sleep at Abbott's. The truth was that he snoozed for an hour in his arms, woke up when Dennis moved and couldn't go back to sleep. “Not much.” His mind chose to remind him of why being there, still in Whitaker's life was a terrible idea, that he was bad, broken and weak and he just couldn't shake the thought for the few hours the resident slept curled against his body, so he left the bed to be a little productive.
“Why?” That made him pause. He turned down the heat, letting the sauce simmer, then rested his hands against the counter opposite Dennis, head lowering slightly as if gathering something he wasn’t entirely sure how to say.
“I kept thinking… at the beginning…” he started, voice quieter now, “I couldn’t picture us. Not really.”
Dennis didn’t interrupt. He just shifted slightly on the counter, giving him his full attention.
“It wasn’t just the job,” Robby continued. “Or the hospital, what happened with Leah and Jake. It was everything. You were…” He exhaled softly. “You were this line I wasn’t supposed to cross.” His eyes flickered up briefly. “And I crossed it anyway.”
Dennis tilted his head, something softer settling in his expression. “You didn’t seem that conflicted.”
Robby let out a quiet, almost humorless breath. “I was. Believe me, I was… I am.” The edge in his voice slipped out before he could stop it. Then, quieter, “I just didn’t let you see it.” He turned fully this time, leaning back against the counter.
“I understand.” Their gazes locked into each other's.
“The trip,” he added, “wasn’t just a sabbatical.” Dennis’s brows pulled together slightly. Robby looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers like he needed something to hold onto. “I left because I didn’t trust myself to stay,” he admitted. “Not just with you. With anything.”
The words settled heavy between them. “I had everything lined up,” he went on, voice steady in a way that didn’t quite match the weight of what he was saying. “Work, responsibilities, relationships… and I still felt like I was barely holding it together.”
Dennis shifted slightly, more attentive now, more careful. “I thought distance would fix it,” Robby continued. “That if I removed myself from everything, I could figure out what was wrong. Come back better… or just not come back at all and make everybody’s life easier.”
Silence followed. This time it pressed deeper. When Robby finally looked up again, his eyes were glassy, the image painfully close to the last time he saw him in that parking lot.
“I was ready to let go,” he said quietly. “Convinced everyone would be fine without me. The hospital has great attendings. My sort of son has a life. You…” His voice faltered slightly. “You would’ve been fine. I thought I could just disappear and stop being a disappointment.”
Dennis let out a small, disbelieving huff, something tight in his chest. “Yeah, well… that wasn't going to really work for me.”
Robby tried for a smile, but it didn’t quite land. “You kept reaching out,” he said. “You made it impossible to ignore. To pretend I didn’t care, that my plan was solid when it clearly wasn’t.”
Another pause, heavier this time. “When you started as a med student…” Robby continued, slower now, more deliberate, “I knew you were different. I just didn’t want to admit it. So I kept it in that… space. Not quite personal, not quite professional.”
“A limbo,” Dennis supplied quietly.
“Yeah,” Robby nodded. “A safe heaven.” He dragged a hand over the back of his neck.
“But this isn’t that anymore,” Dennis said, fingers curling slightly against the counter.
Robby met his eyes, something guarded settling back into place. “This is when I’m supposed to stop. When we’re supposed to stop,” he said, the certainty sounding forced even to his own ears. “We still have a way out. You go back to being a resident. I go back to being your attending. We pretend none of this happened.”
The words hung there. Heavy and sharp, Dennis was staring at him. “You are kidding me now, Robby.”
“There’s the age difference,” Robby continued, like listing them made it easier even if it hadn't worked with Anna. “The power imbalance. The fact that this could go very wrong, very fast, at work.” His voice tightened. “There are a dozen reasons why I’ll fail you. I’m not… I’m not someone you should build anything on.”
Dennis held his gaze, steady, unflinching. “But, what do you want?” he asked softly, like the answer might hurt.
No hesitation this time. “You.” The word landed between them, quiet but absolute. Dennis’s shoulders loosened just slightly, his eyes closing for a brief second like he needed it. “I want you,” Robby repeated, softer now, something breaking through the control he had been holding onto. “I’ve wanted you for so long that it actually hurts if I’m not touching you, if you are not right there with me and even here! You are barely 5 feet apart and all I want to do is kiss you until I forget why I think I'm so bad for you.”
Dennis’s breath caught. That was all it took. He slid off the counter, closing the distance in two quick steps, grabbing Robby’s shirt at his chest like he needed to anchor himself to that moment.
Robby met him halfway, and the kiss wasn’t careful or measured. It wasn’t slow this time, either. It carried months of restraint snapping all at once, hands finding, holding, pulling closer without thinking. Dennis pressed into him, and Robby’s grip tightened instinctively, one hand at his back, the other at his jaw, keeping him there.
It was heat, breath, and something desperate underneath it, something that had been waiting far too long. The tension unraveled fast, messy and real, until Dennis ended up back on the counter with Robby between his legs pressing all his weight onto that kiss, his big hands sliding up the younger’s thighs. Their tongues fought into each other's mouths, recognizing their tastes. Dennis moaned softly when the attending's hands reached under the t-shirt to touch his sides so delicately, like he was going to break.
The resident crossed his legs over his hips reducing to nothing the last inches between them, their bulges painfully rubbing, making them gasp. Dennis grabbed the oldest by the nape, moving his hand toward his hair to pull lightly to push him against his lips to deepen the kiss more if it was even possible.
And then…
A loud, offended meow cut through the kitchen. They both froze. Another one, louder this time, insistent. Dennis blinked first, breath uneven, his forehead resting against Robby’s.
“Your cat,” he muttered, a smile breaking through.
“Our cat,” Robby corrected automatically, voice rough, he smiled softly as well. The creature in question let out a dramatic, demanding sound from the floor, clearly unimpressed with being ignored.
Dennis huffed out a laugh, the tension cracking just enough. “Yeah, okay, he’s going to ruin every moment we have, isn’t he?”
“Seems like it.” Robby stepped back reluctantly, running a hand over his face before reaching for the bowl.
“Feed him,” he said. “Before he files a bad satisfaction survey.”
Dennis grinned, still a little flushed as he crouched down to deal with the very offended animal, scooping it up and it immediately started purring like it hadn’t just interrupted his parents.
Robby froze again, his hands mid air, about to reach for their plates. He just called the animal ‘our cat'. He just thought about it being their son. He exhaled, loudly, setting his hands on the counter, stabilizing his core although his brain was racing out of control.
Dennis was humming a song while getting the food for John Doe. Without a care in the world while he crumbled in his own mind. The other carried the animal to the balcony with the bowl full of food on his other hand, still talking softly to it. His breathing picked up, uneven, shallow. The warmth from a few seconds ago turned sharp under his skin, restless, wrong. His mind kept pulling at the same thread. His thoughts were rambling, maybe he said too much, maybe he was trying to force this into this perfect man that was too kind to push him away, to stop him. Maybe he was too much, he shouldn't be there.
“Robby?” The kid's voice was soft, he heard the balcony door click and locked his eyes with the blue ones that were wide open. “Michael,” Dennis tried again, softer now, stepping closer. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said too quickly. “It’s nothing.” Maybe a mild heart attack, or a panic attack, he should know the freaking difference being a doctor and such.
Dennis stilled, watching him carefully. “Don’t do that,” he murmured, closing the distance until he could reach him. He turned him gently but firmly until he was facing him, hands settling on either side of his hips against the counter, caging him in without force. “What’s your last thought? Tell me, please.”
Robby swallowed, his throat dry. For a second, he considered deflecting again, brushing it off, pretending it hadn’t hit him that hard. But he couldn’t. “I said our cat, I… thought about him as ours.” He didn't say son because that was too much. Dennis smiled, bright and big, one of his hands moved to his side while he left a kiss on his chest.
“Oh and he is, yours because this is your house and he kinda chose it, and mine because I'm a sucker for kittens and the one that actually kinda rescued him.” Another kiss a little higher, almost where his Magen David rested. “And as with John Doe, you won't be able to get rid of me sir, so you better burn that to your stubborn brain.” Another kissed at his collarbone, wet lips over his warm skin.
“Whitaker.” He had to try to put a tiny bit of space, emotionally and physically by putting his hands on the other’s shoulder and pushing him away, the kid should see that he was not the best choice. “I'm no good.”
“You are not doing that, You don’t get to decide that for me.” He pushed away, grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him all the way to the bedroom where he pulled a bit more until Robby was sitting at the end of the bed, looking up at his frowned face. “You are not calling me Whitaker and pushing me away.”
“Hear me out please.” He sounded broke, he was. “I’m trying to save you the trouble.”
“Already heard you, it's your turn to listen.” He didn't ask for permission, he sat on his lap, each leg bent at his sides, his hands behind his neck, caressing for his short salt-peppered hair. “I don’t want to be saved from you,” Dennis continued immediately, sharper now. “I want you to stop deciding what’s best for me like I don’t get a say in this.” That made Robby falter. “I have feelings for you.” He confirmed and Robby's hazel eyes grew wider. “I have had feelings since I was an MS and a mess, I was… struggling when I started in the ED. It wasn't my first rotation but you were the first person that I really saw and you mesmerized me.”
Robby only hummed, feeling the kid's fingers messing with his hair.
“I had many attendings, a lot of supervisors but you were like no other. The ED was a beast and you were its tamer. Firm but kind, always there, present but thinking ahead. We had the worst day in my career and you had a melt down in Pedes and thought that would make me think you were weak?”
Dennis stayed there waiting for a minute until he gathered the strength to reply. “Yes, because I was… I am, I’m a train wreck.” The resident shook his head slowly.
“No Robby, you showed me that you were strong enough to break, that you cared so deeply that you felt overwhelmed.” The soft hand moved to clean up a lonely tear running down his cheek, caressing his beard in the process. “And you kept showing me how much you cared about people, the hospital and every soul in the ED. You showed me how to take care of patients, and the interns and myself even when you were doing poorly taking care of your own health.”
“Denn…”
“Not finished." He took his face in his hands, staring so deeply that Robby was sure he could see his stained soul. “You think you are the only one with issues, that this is one-sided, you think you scare me but you don't. I don't want to go, I never wanna leave, but I'll do if you ask me one more time because before every feeling that I have in my body, I care about YOU and If being with me is something you don't want do or don't feel prepared for…” he paused for a second breathing heavily, tears ready to fall. “If being with me is going to be bad for your treatment, I'll go and we'll go back to being resident and attending or you can fire me or transfer me if you never want to see me.” His voice broke, he washed the tears that were falling down his pale cheeks.
Robby was far too stunned to speak. Frozen ever since Dennis admitted he had feelings back when he was an MS, that he hadn’t been imagining things. The signals had always been there. It hadn’t been one-sided for a long time, and now the words existed, seared deep into his brain.
“But if you want me to go because you are scared of the future, or people's opinions or anything external that it's not in this room,” he continued. “ I'm not leaving… because I really think we can work, we work great together, we could talk nonsense for hours,” Robby gave him a faint smile. “We have a connection, a deep one and you can lie to yourself all you want but you can't lie to me.”
“I…”
“Still not finished.” He pulled his hair a bit so they could lock sight, the distance barely there. “I’m scared too,” he confessed in a murmur. “I’m scared of your experience, of being too young and stupid and making mistakes and making you mad.” He panted a bit when he felt Robby’s warm hands under his t-shirt again, roaming slowly up his back.
Robby didn’t make the mistake of interrupting again. He just looked at those big blue eyes, feeling his heart warming up, his body ready to jump over him.
“But I really need you and this is not a crush on a handsome and capable attending, this is not Grey’s Anatomy Robby… this is me telling you that I want to know everything that you like and want and all the fears and thoughts that made you think that we could survive without you, because Michael… I have a huge list of people that would lose it if you died and right now I’m at the top.” He breathed in, exhaling slowly over Robby’s lips making them tingle. “Pun unintended.” he whispered, their lips almost touching. “So… your choice, sir.”
“Damn it, Dennis.”
One of his hands grabbed his hip tightly, the other moved to the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his curls. He started a slow kiss, biting softly on his bottom lip before deepening the kiss more, making the man moan lightly. Dennis’ hands moved to his shoulders, gripping the fabric tight, pressing their chests together.
They kissed for long minutes without breaking contact, the younger man’s hips starting to roll almost involuntarily, chasing friction, chasing more, the heat of that kiss coursing through both of them.
“Let me make you feel good… please, sir.” Dennis’ lips moved to his jaw, trailing soft, open-mouthed kisses down his neck. “Can I take your shirt off?”
“You’re free to do whatever you want,” Robby murmured, fingers threading through his curls, fascinated by the softness.
Dennis huffed softly. “You really shouldn’t say that, Michael. I’ll take you at your word.”
He pulled the shirt off in one smooth motion, immediately going back to his neck, slower this time, more deliberate. He lingered at his chest, licking and teasing, teeth grazing just enough to make Robby curse under his breath. Then he dropped to his knees between his legs, continuing downward, kisses turning wetter, messier, until his hands found the waistband, looking up at him through his lashes, something intense and almost reverent in his expression. “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this moment… Especially after having a closer look when you touched yourself for me while I was in the Pitt.”
“That was dangerous.” He raised his hips to help the younger get rid of the pants and underwear and he blushed at Dennis' desperate groan at the sight of his fully hard dick.
“Not a problem anymore,” he said softly. The attending’s head tilted back at the sensation of his tongue liking from the bottom up and circling the tip a few times. “Now I get to enjoy it properly.” He put the tip in his mouth and sucked hard, cheeks hollowing and Robby couldn't suppress the low groan.
“Oh… fuck… This is definitely not happening at the hospital!” He muttered, one hand dropped to blonde’s hair, fingers tightening just enough to guide him, the other gripping the sheets as tension built fast and sharp. The kid moved with intention, slow at first, teasing, drawing it out. “Oh, such a good boy, Dennis.” The younger blushed more if possible, picking up the pace for some minutes before he raised his head enough to look at him, his eyes wide and blue.
“Didn’t mean in the hospital, funny that your mind went there, sir.” He was now teasing, one of his hands running smoothly and slowly over his shaft while the other squizzed his balls.
“Enough.” He was almost panting, took him by his wrists and made them both stand up, Dennis was about to protest but he kissed him with tongue, something dark growing in him at the thought of tasting himself in the other’s mouth.
He turned him, guiding him back until the bed hit the back of his knees and he fell onto it with a soft exhale. Dennis barely had time to react before his wrists were pinned above his head, one of Robby’s hands holding them in place while the other moved freely, slipping under his shirt, fingers finding, teasing, thumb and forefinger rolling his nipple and drawing a low moan from him.
He smiled over his lips pushing the fabric up until it was rumpled against his chest. His lips move to that zone swapping his fingers for his mouth and teeth in one nipple while the other got pinched and rolled almost to the pain. But Dennis wasn’t hurting, he was moaning loud, his back arching with pleasure and his hips rolling to get friction from the leg in between his pressed heavily against his crotch.
“You like that?” he murmured against his skin. Dennis didn’t answer with words, just a breathless sound, body already giving him everything he needed to know.
He kept his hands pinned down with one of his while going up to kiss the left side of his neck and up to the younger’s ear. His other hand went down and slid under the underwear, he groaned in satisfaction, feeling the wet mess the kid had going on there. He started stroking at a slow pace but with a tight grip as he knew the man liked.
“That first night that you were drunk and showed me your pretty body, you told me you wished I was here,” he whispered right in his ear, biting softly, winning a long moan and the resident’s hips moving along his thrusts. “What did you want me to do?” Dennis tried to move his arms but Robby didn’t let him, moving his hand from his wrists to hold on tight on his hands that gripped hard as he started moving his other hand a little faster.
“Fuck Michael, please, oh please I want you to fuck me, please stop teasing just… I need to feel you.” He was a panting mess, his back arched, his hips moving desperately.
“Oh and I will sweetheart… but first I want a taste.” He released his hands and Dennis first took his shirt off and then they went directly to his head, to comb his hair as he went down and with both his hands took off the pants to free the blonde’s cock all wet with precum.
“You’ll… Oh my God! Michael, yes!” He tilted his head back moaning as he felt how Robby went all the way down on him, his lips tight around his dick, all warm and wet, the kid wanted to scream. “Sir, I’ll come hmm please…” he got interrupted by two fingers in his mouth that he started wetting while moaning.
Robby slowed down, using his fingers to start opening him. Spit wasn’t the best but he was way too desperate to stop, at least to start. He wanted Dennis to come once before fucking him. He pushed a finger down the rim making him gasp for air, the grip on his hair tightened.
“I’ll come oh fuck… if you, please! More!” He didn’t want to hurt him, he was going slowly, the other man loosened the grip on his hair and moved slightly and a minute later he had a bottle of lube at his side. “Please Robby make me come, I’m begging.” He whimpered when the man stopped what he was doing.
“You really want to come?” The blonde nodded vigorously, spreading his legs more, bending his knees while looking at Robby squeezing some lube in three fingers. “And you don’t want me to be gentle with you sweetheart?” His clean hand ran through his inner thigh making him shiver, watching the man under him shake his head twice.
“Just make me come sir, please.” He closed his eyes and pushed his head back when he felt two fingers going in, Michael kissing and nibbling on the soft skin of his thigh, the speed of his hand slow but steady finding the sweet spot that made the resident scream and shiver. “Oh yes, sir, there.”
“Such a brat,” Robby slid until he was facing the blue eyes and the smirk. “Still calling me sir.” He started moving his hand faster, adding a third finger, making sure to stretch as much as possible without hurting him, hitting his prostate once and again.
“So-Sorry, please, please let me come. I need it, Michael.” He stopped entirely, removing the hand without a word, the younger man moaned desperately. “You are torturing me now.”
“I’m just grabbing a condom kid,” Robby smiled, kissing him slowly, their tongues tangling. “So impatient.”
“Don’t you dare.” He grabbed his hand and decided in the process to switch places, Robby’s back against the sheets, fascinated by the kid's strength. “You took way too long sir.” he ran his hands through his belly letting them settle on his chest. “I need you now.” He was all blushed when he went down slowly over his erection, groaning and arching his back as soon as he bottomed out. “Oh my...”
“Dennis.” He was way too stunned to fight back, his hands gripped on both hips, so tight that he was going to leave fingertip marks on the pale skin and he’d be so fucking proud for that. The green monster still buried deep down while looking at the fainting hickeys in the pale skin of his neck. “You are so tight for me sweetheart, taking me so well.”
“I’m not going to last much,” he mumbled, moving slowly, helped by the attending, hips going up and down in tortured movements that started going faster as the minutes went by, the room filled with the soft moans and the praises from Robby to the man on top that groaned more and more very close to his climax.
He made a move being back on top, Dennis sprayed under him, a moaning mess. He didn’t move for a second. His eyes were closed and he looked so perfect that Robby wanted to freeze in time and live right there forever, but the younger started moving, his legs hugging his hips and his own moving up and down while whining for him to move. The attending started thrusting fast, chasing his and his lover’s orgasm. Feeling the kid unravelling under his touch, his begging, it was too much.
He slid a hand from his hips to Dennis’ leaking dick and stroked him at the same pace making the other moan even louder, his short nails scratching his back. They came, Dennis first, screaming his first name and begging for him to come inside, to let him feel him. And Robby didn’t want anything else but to grant every wish and desire that the other had and after a few more thrusts his climax made a shiver run through his spine. He collapsed to his elbows, careful to not crash over the younger man and kissed him while enjoying the climax.
They stayed in bed, switching position so they were sideways facing each other. Robby hugged him tight and Dennis hid his face in the other’s chest leaving soft kisses everywhere. They enjoyed the afterglow for a moment until Dennis' belly started growling. The pair laughed, got up and had a quick shower together to end up in the kitchen. Whitaker again sat on the counter while Robby heated the sauce and put water for the pasta.
They kissed while the food was cooking, they kissed until they remembered that Dennis locked the cat out and felt bad for the poor creature so they freed it back to the apartment. Mister John Doe was kind enough to not act like a diva but he demanded extra pets from Dennis while the home owner was preparing the plates.
Dinner ended up quieter. They ate side by side, knees brushing under the table, conversation drifting in and out, lighter now. Small things, easy things.
Later, they moved to the couch without really deciding to. A movie played, something neither of them was actually watching. Dennis stretched out first, his head eventually settling on Robby’s shoulder like it had always belonged there. Robby didn’t move away. If anything, he leaned into it, hugging him with one arm.
“Hey,” Dennis murmured, already half-asleep, “I know I slept half the day, but… can we go back to bed please?” He made a beautiful begging face he didn't have to do but received a soft peck on the lips as a reward for being adorable.
“Sure sweetheart.” He got up first and showed his hand, the kid took it and was pushed up to crash into his chest, they hugged for a minute. “Let’s go, I'm wiped out too.” He started walking without losing the grip of Dennis’ hand.
“I like ‘sweetheart,’ ” Dennis mumbled so quietly that Robby barely caught it, “just so you know.” The grip got tighter and when the older man looked behind him to the beautifully blushed face, he almost stopped in the middle of the hallway to push the kid to the nearest wall and kiss him until he could forget any other name but sweetheart.
“You do?” He kept walking, getting to the room and closing the door behind them, pushing the shorter man against the door. “Which others do you like?” The blush got redder and almost to the ears, he looked adorable.
“I…” He could see in his eyes that he seriously wanted to know, he cleared his throat, looking up, his hands gripping on the soft shirt he was now wearing. “Baby… and I like brat, when I’m being one,” he lowered his head but Robby didn't let him, a hand on his jaw lifting his face up to meet his gaze. “And my name… I’ll never get used to you calling me my name, Robby.”
“Thanks for telling me,” he affirmed, like it was important, because it was, for both of them. “ You can call me both sweetheart and baby if you like… and as long as we are alone,” he paused, his other hand pressed on the door to lean more over him, “ you can use ‘sir’ or my name, but that better not leave this apartment Dennis, or I’ll have to punish you.”
“Bad thing for you, Michael, I might really want that.” He tugged on his shirt until their bodies were flush against each other. “Actually I really want that.”
“See… a brat.” They both smirked before kissing, deep and slow for a minute or two until Dennis yawned against his mouth, Robby laughed, the other man felt mortified. “Let’s sleep.”
“Sorry, I’m so sorry.” he let the man drag him to the bed again, they took their rightful place.
“Don’t be, you have exhausted yourself at work, you are behind schedule on sleep.”
“Will you be able to sleep?” He sounded cautious. “I can take the guest room.”
“You weren't the problem this morning Dennis. I had a good night's sleep at Abbot’s and my mind was playing tricks this morning, that’s why I didn’t sleep, I’ll be fine, promise.”
“You’ll wake me if you…”
“I won’t.” He pushed him to his side so he could drag himself behind him to be the big spoon, “but I’ll sleep just fine with you between my arms.” He put one arm over his ribs and sprayed his hand over the kid’s chest, his mouth very close to his ear, his breath brushing the curls when he whispered. “Good night, baby.”
“Good night, Michael,” he grabbed the hand with his own tight into his chest.