Chapter Text
“Please bring a +1.”
Those four simple words on the invite in front of you immediately stopped you in your tracks, envelope fluttering down from your fingers onto the kitchen tile. Wedding invitations usually gave you the option of bringing a plus one, or told you that you were welcome to bring a guest. Never before had you seen an invite that told you to bring a plus one.
You had half a mind to call your sister then and there and try to get an answer out of her about why you were being directed to bring a plus one, but your sister was as stubborn as they came, and it would be like fighting a brick wall for answers. You two were pretty evenly matched there, an unstoppable force and an immovable object, so it was better to just let it go.
When she asked you to be one of her bridesmaids, you readily agreed, thrilled to stand beside your little sister on the happiest day of her life. Your game plan was to do the ceremony, eat dinner at the reception, and then either bolt or party based on how many people you socialized with and felt comfortable around. Bringing a plus one completely thwarted the bolt option- actually, come to think about it, that was probably exactly why it was on there.
You grabbed a magnet off of your fridge and stuck the invite up, the picture of your sister and her fiance a cute addition among the scribbled notes, photos, strange magnets already adorning your fridge. Thinking about it a beat longer, you pulled your phone out of your scrubs pocket and clicked on your sister's contact.
Y: Hey, do you have a second?
You sent the text, and a few seconds later, three dots appeared.
Jess: Yeah why
You rolled your eyes.
Y: Don’t sound so excited
Jess: Yes dear sister who I love so much I would love to text you right now out of nowhere it brings me no higher pleasure
Y: Bitch
Y: Got the wedding invite
Jess: Do you like it? I made it on Canva
Y: Yeah actually it’s cute, nice job
Jess: Thanks :D
Y: Had a question about the note on it
The dots appeared again, then vanished, then appeared. This repeated itself for a few moments, like she was typing and backspacing actively, before the dots appeared and stayed.
Jess: Which one
Jess: The dress code doesn’t apply to you I’ll send you the link
Y: Actually appreciate that
Y: No I meant about the plus one
Jess: What about it?
Y: Aren’t those usually optional
Jess: Yeah but not for you
So it was intentional. You huffed, leaning back against the counter and typing again after checking the time- you had to leave for work in ten minutes, more than enough time to figure this whole thing out.
Y: Wtf does that mean
Jess: Your lonely ass isn’t going to come and then leave before it gets fun
Jess: Especially not as a bridesmaid
Jess: So u have to bring someone so you have to stay
Y: What if I just don’t
Jess: I’ll set you up with Nick’s brother
Y: ??
Jess: He’s an antivaxxer lol
Y:...
Y: I can just say no
Jess: It’s my wedding there has to be someone you can bring
Y: I guess I can see if one of my friends can come but it’s like crazy short notice, one month is way too soon
Jess: Yeah invites went out later than I planned oops! No ur plus one has to be like a date
Y: That’s not what the invite said??
Jess: Too bad
Jess: My wedding
Jess: You love me right
Y: I’m not bringing a random guy
Jess: Doesn’t have to be random, just bring a guy
Jess: We kinda need another groomsman
That threw you for a loop, and you blinked a few times before responding. She was making you bring a guy because they needed another groomsman?
Y: Wait you want me to bring a guy plus one because you’re short on groomsmen
Jess: Yeah exactly
Y: Doesn’t Nick have anyone else he can ask
Jess: Nah
Jess: Bring one of your doctor friends or something idc
Y: I’m not doing this
Jess: Please please please please please please please please please
Y: … What do I get out of this
Jess: You make your favorite sister happy
Y: Wrong answer
Jess: Idk please (Y/N) I would really appreciate it in all seriousness it’s kind of a mess and it would be a really big help we just need someone halfway decent to even it out
Jess: Then you don’t have to walk or dance with a random guy either
Y: You’re lucky I love you
Jess: YAY
Y: Send me that bridesmaids dress link BTW I’ll look at it later esp since it’s so soon kinda need one now
Jess: K just pick anything in the categories it’s set to
A link came through right after that, and you put your phone on the counter, slipping on a hoodie and slipping your phone in the hoodie pocket. You would check the link later if you got a break, maybe Ellis would be able to help you out. Or Shen, he’d probably be honest.
Grabbing your bag off the hook on the wall, you laced up your shoes and locked the door of your apartment behind you, popping an earbud in and scrolling through Spotify. You put your playlist on shuffle, skipped about twenty songs, and finally landed on a song you could have just queued up, putting your phone back away and starting the ten minute walk to work.
You were the kind of person who religiously got everywhere early- your parents had raised you with the “10 minutes early is on time, on time is late” mentality, and you had never been able to shake it even if you tried. Being early to work, though, meant shift change could start a little earlier for the day shift doctors, and they certainly never complained about that.
Walking up to the door, you saw your fellow attending with the same early mentality, and you popped out your earbud with a smile. Across from you, Jack Abbot did the same, falling into step with you as you both walked up the stairs towards the door. “Didn’t realize you’d be working tonight.”
“Don’t sound so excited.” He replied dryly, grabbing the door and holding it open for you with a nod when you thanked him.
“Don’t be dramatic, old man.” You shot back, and he raised an eyebrow at you, tapping his badge on a door and stepping back to let it pop open.
“Dramatic?” He sounded mockingly offended, following you through the doors into the ER. “And old?”
“Yes, dramatic, don’t act like you don’t know that.” You walked towards the hallway with lockers, stopping in front of yours and spinning the combination lock. “And that grey hair certainly isn’t screaming youth to me.”
Jack stood beside you, opening his own locker with a shake of the head. “That’s what they call me, drama king Abbot.”
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite people of all time!” You both turned your heads in near perfect sync, banter cut off at the sight of the day shift attending rounding the corner with an all too excited grin on his face.
“Oh no.” You groaned, and Robby just grinned wider, clapping Jack on the back in a hug.
“Don’t sound so excited.” Jack repeated his words from minutes earlier, but where the dry humor had been, there was dread now as he returned Robby’s hug and shut his locker.
You shut your locker and leaned against it, arms crossed over your half zipper PMTC issued hoodie and black scrubs. Robby let go of Jack and clapped his hands together, smiling and sighing happily. “Myrna’s gotten loose from the handcuffs four times today-”
“Jesus Christ.” “Ah fuck.”
“The Kraken’s in room 5 and he shit on Whitaker-”
“You’re kidding.” “Poor kid.”
“Half of the charting pads are broken because there was an issue with the batteries and they got fried, the patient in 13 needs a second enema in a half hour, there’s a roach infestation in room 8, and the lights in rooms 15-30 keep going out every ten minutes because of some electrical issue.” Robby finished, eyes bright with the knowledge that the absolute clusterfuck of a shift was about to get passed on to the two of you.
You leaned forward off of the lockers, arms still crossed, before leaning back to whack your head on the lockers. Instead of hitting metal, you ran into a hand that stopped you from hitting it reflexively, and you shot a glare at Jack, who wasn’t even looking in your direction when he pushed your head back forward.
“Who’s the team for the night?” Jack asked, and Robby had the decency to wince a little before he answered.
“It’s the two of you, Shen, Ellis, and the new residents and interns that start tonight.”
“It’s rotation day?” Ellis came around the corner, exactly a minute before the start of shift. She was never late, always a minute early, but right now she looked like she was two seconds away from walking out the door and becoming a no-show.
“Don’t worry, you’ll have all the bright eyed and bushy tailed kids you could need to get through the night.” Robby said cheerfully, taking his stethoscope off of his neck and opening his locker with the joy of a man who was no longer the ringleader of the circus.
“I want to go home.” You whined, bowing your head and slowly walking towards the computers to clock in, Jack beside you and Ellis putting her stuff away.
“No you don’t.” Jack said matter of factly, shooting you a side glance with a small smirk.
“Says who?” You bent over the back of the chair to reach the computer, scanning your badge and opening the timeclock with a raised eyebrow.
“You’re on day seven of a ten day streak that you voluntarily picked up.” He replied, holding your gaze steadily from his own computer.
“Says the man on day six of his own ten day streak.”
“I thought you said you didn’t know I’d be working tonight.” His unwavering gaze was downright intense, and you felt your cheeks darken slightly. “How’d you know it’s a ten day streak?”
“Busted.” A new voice sang quietly beside you, Shen sliding you out of the way casually to clock in several minutes late. Out of all the attendings there, Shen was the most nonchalant of them all, willingly late and relaxed to a near fault (according to some). He pointedly ignored your glare with a poorly hidden smirk, humming some new pop song under his breath while he did so. “It’s rotation day?”
“Apparently,” you slipped your hands in your hoodie pockets and watched a group of young looking doctors you’d never seen before trail in, “I bet that’s them now.”
Sure enough, they approached Donnie, and he spoke to them for a few moments, gesturing over to the three of you and then leading them towards the lockers. You met their gazes and shot them what you hoped was a professional smile, a few of them returning it quickly on their way past.
“They’re going to get eaten alive.” Shen muttered, shaking his head when one girl saw a patient bleeding from the hand and covered her mouth gagging. “Not my problem.”
“You’re an attending.”
“Not my problem!”
A few minutes of hushed bickering later, you and Jack were standing in front of a group of seven new faces, you with your hands in your pockets and a polite smile on your face, Jack with his arms crossed over his chest and his usual intense stare on his face. You were nominated to go over basic rules and introductions (Shen had mysteriously vanished to the bathroom, and none of you trusted Jack), so you started there, introducing yourself as Dr. (Y/N) (L/N) and giving the names of your colleagues quickly.
Once you had explained the ins and outs of the night shift, Jack jumped in with some unhelpful commentary of his own, and you had to step half in front of him and explain that your dear colleague was in an ongoing existential crisis (“Don’t worry, you’ll get there soon enough” was his quick retort). With that, you dismissed all of them to find Ellis if they were an intern and Shen if they were a resident to get orders and get going.
“Really? Telling them that they’re going to have a crisis after tonight?” You turned to stare pointedly up at Jack, who just cocked an eyebrow and shrugged. “First one who pukes or passes out is your problem.”
He didn’t respond, just cocking his head to the side slightly and observing you, eyes trailing up and down over your figure, before meeting yours again. “Something’s up with you tonight.”
“What?” You blinked in surprise, pulling your hands out of your pockets and fidgeting with the ends of your stethoscope. His eyes immediately darted to where you were fidgeting, and he looked back at you with an unimpressed stare. “It’s nothing, I’m fine. I’m just dealing with some shit with my sister.”
“Ah.” He didn’t press any further. Jack Abbot was never one to push conversation when he could tell someone didn’t want to elaborate, not unless he thought someone was in danger mentally or physically. It was something you deeply appreciated about the man, one of the first traits about him that began to fuel your crush on the older attending.
“Yeah.” You shrugged, grabbing an iPad that actually worked and looking up at the board for whichever case wouldn’t make you want to die. “I’ve got the girl in 6.”
“Broken leg girl?” He looked up at the board beside you, shoulder brushing yours as he moved to look up. “I’ll take the Kraken in 5.”
“You have fun with that, better you than me.”
He laughed at that, a huffed one that you recognized and smiled at. “I’m grabbing whichever kid looks the most afraid to be here.”
“That’s just cruel.” You wanted to sound like you disapproved, but unfortunately, you just ended up sounding amused. This drew a crooked grin on his face, and he just turned to grin at you before walking away.
“Trial by fire!” He called back to you, and you scoffed, shaking your head when he walked up to the MS3 boy standing by a wall with wide eyes.
A few hours later, you were in the break room with Shen, both of you sipping on cups of shitty hospital coffee to keep yourselves awake. It was eerily slow, the kind of slow that made you wonder when the other shoe would drop- night shift workers rarely let themselves enjoy the slow and quiet, too wound and waiting for the chaos that was surely going to follow. Maybe it wasn’t a healthy way to live, but none of you could shake the habit even if you tried.
“Look at this.” Shen slid his phone across the table to show you a TikTok he had found, and when you leaned forward to look at it, you were hit with a moment of remembrance when your eyes landed on a girl in a bridesmaids dress doing a trend. “We could totally film that here later.”
“Oh shit, I almost forgot.” You pulled out your own phone, setting your coffee in front of you and clicking on the link Jess had sent you hours earlier.
“What?” He watched you scroll, sipping his coffee and shamelessly leaning forward to see what you were doing. “Are you dress shopping?”
“I have to get a bridesmaid’s dress for my sister’s wedding.” You explained, slowly looking through the dresses on the site and pausing to look closer at a few.
“Oh shit, when’s the wedding?”
“October 23rd.”
Shen’s eyes widened. “That’s next month.”
“I’m well aware.”
“(Y/N), why would you wait this long?” He exclaimed, scooting his chair so he was sitting next to you and sighing. “Are you not going to get it altered?”
“I know my measurements, I’ll just get the right size first try.” You didn’t care enough to get alterations done- if something was too big, you would just staple it for all you cared.
“Well, what kind of dress are you supposed to get?”
You looked up from your phone and paused. “I didn’t know you were so into fashion.”
“I’m not.” He sipped his coffee again and grinned. “I’m into not letting you look like a total idiot in something ugly, though.”
“My hero.” You said wryly, setting your phone between the two of you. “I can get anything as long as it’s from this page, my sister already set all the boundaries on here that she wanted.”
You found one you liked that Shen quickly vetoed (“You’ll look like you’re wearing a plastic bag”), one he liked that you quickly vetoed (“If I bend over even slightly, my tits will be out” “That’s kind of the point”), and multiple that both of you thought were hideous.
“Wait, what about this one?” He tapped one of the icons on your phone, and you looked closer, nodding.
“That could work, actually.” You hummed, studying the dress more closely. “Yeah, yeah, that works. Thanks, John.”
“Don’t sweat it.” Shen responded, shuffling his chair back around so he was across from you with a nod. “Who’re you going with?”
“Oh, that’s a whole different ball game.” You groaned, ordering the dress while you spoke. “My sister told me I have to bring a plus one as a date or she’s setting me up with her fiance’s brother, this total anti-medicine anti-vaccine idiot.”
“Does she hate you?”
“She might.”
“Well, who’re you going with?” He repeated, raising an eyebrow at you.
“I have no clue, I have to find someone.” You paused, before opening your mouth again. “Hey, are you-”
“Nope.”
“You didn’t even-”
“Not going.” He said in a sing-song tone, throwing back the rest of his coffee and going to grab another cup.
“Why not?” You said, half offended, until you caught sight of the smirk on his face. “What?”
“I’m a cop out and you know it.” He turned to he was leaning on the counter, glancing towards the break room door knowingly. “Ask him or I’m doing it for you.”
“What?” You repeated, confused as fuck, until it clicked. “Wait, what?”
“It’s so obvious, (Y/N).” Shen came and sat back down, shaking his head and tsking. “I think the only person who hasn’t figured it out is Abbot himself.”
“Shut up.” You hissed, looking at the door quickly and back at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar,” he said matter of factly, “the two of you are so smart you’re downright stupid at this point, it’s exhausting. You like him, he likes you, so ask him to go with you. There’s, like, no better place to go than a wedding as a date.”
“What do you mean he likes me?”
“Like I said, so smart you’re stupid.” He said sadly, eyes darting towards the door behind you before speaking, this time to someone behind you. “Welcome to the party.”
“Wondered where you two ran off to.” Jack’s voice sounded from behind you, his footsteps approaching. He walked past you and grabbed some coffee before sitting in between the two of you on the side of the table, breathing out slowly when the weight was taken off of his leg finally. “Doesn’t seem like a party in here.”
“Kind of a party, (Y/N) just got her bridesmaid’s dress.”
The look on Shen’s face made you downright terrified- it was the same shit eating smirk he got any time he was about to say or do something that he knew was meddling or otherwise problematic. You shot him a look as best as you could without altering Jack, who turned to look at you curiously. “You’re going to a wedding?”
“Yeah, my little sister is getting married.” You admitted, smiling a little at the mention.
“Same sister you’re dealing with shit with?”
“The one and the same.” There was no point trying to deny it.
“Her sister’s wedding is next month and she only now got her dress,” Shen explained, shaking his head disapprovingly, “and I’m letting her down.”
“What?” You and Jack echoed in unison, your tone far more confused than his.
“(Y/N)’s sister is threatening to set her up with this absolutely awful guy,” you missed the way Jack’s hand twitched and jaw ticked but Shen didn’t, “and I’m busy so I can’t go with her that day, and I feel so bad.”
“I didn’t ask you!” You exclaimed, glossing over the fact that you technically were going to ask him, but not as a date.
“I still feel bad.” He lamented, pausing for a moment before his eyes widened comically. “Hey, Abbot, what are you doing on October 23rd?”
“What are you, a dentist?” Jack asked wryly, sipping his coffee and staring with a deadpan look at Shen. “Not working, but that’s a month out. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing yet.”
“You should go with (Y/N)!” Shen exclaimed, standing up to throw his coffee cup in the trash and smiling. “That way she’s not stuck with some creepy anti-doctor guy all night long.”
“Oh my god.” You muttered, closing your eyes and rubbing your temples. Shen slipped out of the room with a wave, leaving a thoroughly embarrassed you alone with a thoroughly confused Jack at the table. You opened your eyes but didn’t look at Jack, too mortified to make eye contact with your coworker. “I hate him.”
“Everyone does at points.” Jack responded easily, sipping his coffee again.
“You don’t have to- I’m sorry he volunteered you, I don’t expect-” You tried to find the words to properly both apologize for Shen’s shameless meddling and also not make it sound like you were freaked out by the thought of Jack going to a wedding with you. Jack didn’t say anything, watching you patiently while you struggled to find the words. You took a deep breath, in and out, before trying again. “I’m sorry he just tried to volunteer you for that, I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”
“It didn’t.” Jack said simply, shrugging and finishing his coffee. He made no move to leave, still watching you while you stared at the table in front of you.
“I’m glad.” A beat, then you spoke again, quickly, so you wouldn’t lose your confidence. “I wouldn’t mind if you came with me though.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” He sounded thoroughly amused, like he was biting back a laugh. “That’s my favorite kind of invitation to receive.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” You put your head in your hands, plotting a hundred different ways you could kill Shen for starting this whole mess. Jack continued to sit silently beside you, angling his body so he was looking fully at you.
“Good to know.”
“I-” You paused for just a second, head still in your hands. “Would you want to come with me? To the wedding? You have to be a groomsman, I don’t want to put that weird pressure on you, but do you want to come?”
There was silence, and you began to worry that you’d made a grave mistake. “You know what, forget I asked, I-”
“Look at me.” Jack said quietly, knee nudging your thigh carefully.
You didn’t move your head, still staring down at the table in front of you, hands now folded in your lap. This was, you figured, one of the top five most embarrassing things you had endured while at work. You were about to get the “We’re just coworkers, blah blah blah” talk from the guy you’d been crushing on ever since you became an attending five years ago, and you’d probably have to transfer hospitals from the shame of it all.
“(Y/N). Look at me, you’re acting like I’ll turn you to stone.” He repeated, an impressive lack of mockery in his tone.
You finally cast your gaze to your side, tilting your head to make eye contact with him. You expected to see him smiling at you with that wry grin of his, like he was laughing at your misfortune and embarrassment, but instead you caught him looking at you with an almost thoughtful expression, like he was genuinely trying to get you to listen to him and look at him. When your eyes met, a small grin crossed his lips- a real one, not the one he gave other doctors or patients, but the one you’d only pulled from him twice before.
“There we go.” Jack said, holding your gaze carefully. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“Do you want to go?”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to go. Especially to be a groomsman for a guy you’ve never met.” You said again, and he shook his head slightly.
“I don’t feel like I have to do anything. Do you want me to go?”
You didn’t even register that you were nodding until you saw the smile on his face widen for a split second before he caught himself and kept it controlled again. “Good. I’ll go with you, just text me the details, and let me know what suit I need to get.”
“Are you sure?” You couldn’t help but check one last time, and this time, he actually rolled his eyes and leaned closer to you.
“If I didn’t want to go, I would have made up some bullshit excuse, or I would have just said no point blank.” He said firmly, eyes not leaving yours once. “Besides, it’s not hard walking down an aisle, standing there, and walking back. I’ll survive. Text me the details.”
“Okay.” You said quietly, flushing under the intensity of his gaze. Were his pupils usually this dilated? “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, anything to save you from whatever evil guy Shen was talking about.” He smiled again at you, clearly teasing with his words now, before standing up and throwing out his cup. “Come on, you have to talk to these kids again before they start thinking I’m the only person they have to deal with all night.”
You followed, very intentionally kicking Shen in the ankle when you walked past despite the butterflies in your stomach when Jack slowed his steps just enough to make sure you stayed walking beside him.