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Waking up in a hospital is one of the sadly most familiar things to Robert after years in heroics. You'd think dispatching would be safer, but so far it's landed him in this exact emergency room bed about as frequently as piloting the mech did if one was to count time/occurrence correlation. What's a lot less familiar is having Flambae sprawled in a chair next to him, neck bent at an uncomfortable angle and soft snores breaking through.
Dr. Sandy, one of the ER doctors that knows him by name and has one of the most extensive knowledge on his history, is unsurprisingly there to check up on him within moments. Her greeting is tinted with exasperation and undercut with fondness, reserved for babies, idiots, and frequent flyers like Robert. Her eyes linger on Flambae and specifically on the flames decorating his suit.
"Robert. I see you're with us once again. And for once, you're not stabbed, gutted, shot, or exploded. Just minor contusions and sprains this time, and a small case of first degree burns", lists Dr. Sandy, fingers flying over the iPad in her hands. "Care to tell me what happened this time? Your partner flew you in like there was an army of demons chasing after the two of you. He refused to step away even during surgery, stayed in the corner and smoldered until we put him on some icepacks. Pretty sure he scared Student Doctor Carlos with how intense he was looking after you. It was sweet. Must be nice to have somebody that loving working with you".
Robert is pretty sure his brain crashes at her meandered ramblings. Flambae?? His loving partner?? Who stayed and made sure he was well taken care of?? The heart monitor hooked up to his hand goes crazy as Robert's heart rate skyrockets, the sharp noise snorting Flambae awake. The man shoots up, eyes immediately locking into Robert's wild ones and skids to the floor next to his bed. His hands press against the dispatcher's head, face, flutter around his shoulders as if assessing his condition for himself.
"Bobert!? You ok? Why is your heart so loud, are you in pain? Doctor? Is he alright?" Demands Flambae, eyes seeking the smiling woman like a missile and demanding answers.
Robert's brain really starts hurting before stalling on a thought that is as improbable as it is likely, considering the situation. Have they been dating the entire time? Was Robert's people skills that rusty that he missed when Flambae stopped treating him like an annoyance and started behaving like a boyfriend? Did he miss being asked out??
Flambae kept bringing him food at the office. He brought Robert a bed. He kept feeding Beef high-end kibble that was causing his dog to lose weight. Robert's wardrobe has never been fuller, stuffed now with designer shirts and pants that Flambae kept insisting he bought for himself but in the wrong size that was suspiciously perfect for Robert's own body. There was now a calendar with dates circled on it magnetized to his fridge. They went places together, with the team, but also just them. Robert helped Flambae with his car on the regular. He fell asleep on the warm man more times than he could count, soothed by his heat.
Holy shit, was Robert dense enough to not understand he was in a relationship?? He must have, because there was no way to interpret this and other things he thought of as anything else. And there was no way in hell he was letting Flambae... No. Chad. There was no way in hell he was letting Chad think he forgot or didn't know.
Reaching out, Robert snugged the end of Chad's ponytail and yanked.
"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just got banged up, you know this. Stop pestering Dr. Sandy, she's known me for a decade." Tries to reassure Robert. He is not prepared for wild eyes to turn towards him or for Chad's head to go up in a brief flame.
Flambae flies Robert to a hospital after another fight goes sideways and stays with him. The only way they let him stay is claiming to be Robert's significant other, his boyfriend. It's surprisingly easy to list all of Robbo's information to the tech signing them in at the ER, faster still once she seems to recognize his dispatcher and calls for a gurney like an order at a diner, a cheery but serious 'Its for Robertson! Get bay 3 ready!' falling out of her mouth with a familiarity Flambae is not comfortable with. The techs and nurses here clearly know Robert, commenting on his state like it's old news, many greeting his unconscious body as it's wheeled past.
Hours pass and Flambae startles awake when the sound of the heart monitor gets suddenly so loud he can't ignore it. Robert looks stupified, and a little constipated, the sight of him sending Flambae into a tizzy. He didn't spend months shaping his Dispatcher into a functioning human being for the benefit of the team and his own caretaking instincts to just let an expression like this go. So, he worries, burying the doctor with questions, until a sharp tug on his hair sends him stumbling back and a phrase sends him spiraling.
'Sweetheart'. Robert is calling him sweetheart. Did he hear Flambae claim a relationship when he flew them in? Was he concussed? Confused? But the words were spoken so seriously!
Flambae frantically thinks back to their interactions over the past couple of months. Robert babysits his niece on the regular. Has fixed anything and everything in his and his sisters apartments. Keeps buying groceries for Flambae, insisting he helps with the budget for the lunches that Flambae is happy to make for the team. He keeps putting Flambae up on calls with high risk high reward outcomes. He keeps falling asleep on Flambae's shoulder on their movie nights. Movie nights... Has Robert been thinking they're dating this entire time?? Has Flambae led his pretty socially obvious dispatcher on? Shit, has he?
Sure, he's given Robbo a few clothes that arrived in a wrong size, and his old bed might as well have a home at Robert's sad little apartment than on the curve while Flambae upgraded. He is also so used to kissing Prism on the head after a successful mission that he's done so to Robert a few times automatically as well. And he supposed those things could have been misinterpreted as things a typically dating couple would do for each other... Shit.
He has been dating Robert. Or he made Robert think they've been dating. And now, the man is in a hospital, confused, and seeking comfort from his partner. From his boyfriend.
It's arguably not the worst way to ensure that he's allowed to stay and ensure that Robert has company while in this place. And they can always... Clear the air later? Set things straight? Break up, if it comes to it.
Flambae looks into slightly confused but determined brown eyes looking up at him and folds like a blanket.
Yeah. No. There won't be any breaking up happening anytime soon. Not when he's been handed the chance of a lifetime to lockdown the man he's been dreaming of for months now.
Three fingers find Robert's hand and squeeze.
"Let a man worry, Azizam. Not every day that a boyfriend has to drag his partner to the ER after a fight" he bites out, feeling the responsibility settle onto his shoulders. It feels comfortable. Feels right.
"No, I suppose not" softly responds Robert. His eyes look determined, but his lips are smiling.
Flambae squeezes harder, brings the hand to his lips and lands a kiss on the back of it.
'Fake it till I make it' flies through two heads, both idiots determined to make this work.
Dr. Sandy, a mild telepath, holds her laughter until after she's out of the room.