Bad Boys Don't Win 'Em All

David felt his heart sink to the ground, leaving an empty void of despair in its wake. He hates eavesdropping and he generally doesn't do it, but he'd unintentionally listened to a conversation between Louise and Robyn.

David casually strolled past the staffroom to go to his next patient, stopping suddenly when he caught the end of Robyn's sentence from within the staffroom. He wanted to walk away and he knew that no good ever came from listening in on people's conversations… but curiosity got the better of him. He peered in, noticing how both Robyn and (who appeared to be) Louise had their backs to the door. It was silent for a moment and David knew that he had to walk away before they noticed he was there or he heard something he didn't want to hear. It was rude to eavesdrop, of course, and he went to walk away. But then something Louise asked Robyn stopped him.

"It's a simple enough question," Louise sighed when Robyn didn't answer. "What type of guy do you like? Come on, spill."

"I wouldn't say I have a certain category, but - just between us - I quite like a bad boy."

David didn't have a chance with her, and he carried on his shift with the knowledge that the woman, the beautiful, clever, compassionate, caring woman will never like him back.

He woke up the day after with a plan.

He dug through and old box of clothes he couldn't bear to give away and found the leather jacket he was looking for. He had once worn it for a party, but that was in the past and so the jacket stayed tucked away in the box. He didn't care to look at it, and it more often then not brought up bad memories if he ever glanced at it.

But this was Robyn, and he'd do anything for her.

He slipped it on over his clothes, wriggling around in it and sighing to himself. "So uncomfortable," he muttered to himself, before heading to work.

David walked to the staffroom, trying and failing to ignore the looks he was getting. He didn't think his choice of clothing was something to stare at - it was a free country and he could wear whatever he wanted. It was none of their business. Expect maybe Robyn's.

"Hi, Robyn," David said as he entered, stepping back as Robyn gasped and jumped. She turned around and smiled.

"You made me -" her eyebrows knitted together. "What are you wearing?"

He'd expected her to keep smiling at his jacket, but she just looked confused. "It's a jacket, I think it suits me…" he thought for a second, "init."

Robyn started laughing but David couldn't really understand what was funny. All he'd said was he was wearing a jacket - and he'd used a slang word he'd heard a young man say the previous day (it sounded odd to his mouth but it had to be done).

"Do you, "she paused to catch her breath though her laughter, "even know what," the laughter didn't cease, "that means?" She started to hold her side as though she was in pain. David started to help but then realised it was because she was laughing so hard.

"Of course I do. It means 'isn't it', though I don't understand why people can't just -" no. That's not what 'bad boys' say. "You… dissing me?" His mouth felt dirty.

She laughed even harder. David quickly rushed off to the bathroom to get changed, wondering what he did wrong.

'Dissing,' David mouthed to himself, not liking the sound of the word but trying to get used to using it. 'Dissing. Dissing.' Yuck.

He didn't realise the rapidly approaching wall while he was inside his own head, and before he knew it the bowl filled with his patient's vomit ended up on his scrubs. He groaned to himself, looking around and wondering if anyone had seen him walk into a wall.

Just his luck. Robyn was smiling from across the nurses' station.

"Shit…" he said almost questioningly as he looked towards her.

She simply grinned at him, looking almost perplexed at his behaviour, and walked towards him to help.

David slumped his shoulders, and not for the first time that day while he was in Robyn's presence. It hurt and made his back ache, but 'bad boys' didn't stand up straight. He put his hands into finger guns as Robyn approached him and she just looked confused.

"What is up with you today?" she asked.

"I'm, er, jus' hangin' out… man."

He was aware it wasn't really working. The entire shift she was looking either confused or elated. But she didn't look at him like he desperately wanted her to look at him. He was beginning to get tired of this and wanted to give up, especially because his posture was seriously going to suffer if he continued hunching like he was.

But then there was the possibility to really impress her and show her that he was brave (which he really wasn't usually in this type of situation).

The young man they were treating started to get aggressive.

"Alright, it's okay. Calm down, yeah?" Robyn said to the boy. She tried to get close to him while David stood back. "It's okay."

David lunged forward in a split second decision, noting the boy's hostile attitude and him approaching Robyn. The boy went to punch Robyn, but David stood in between them. He wasn't quick enough and felt a hard knock to his upper cheek - right underneath his eye. He stumbled back just as Max came out of nowhere and pinned the boy's hands behind his back, restraining him.

It wasn't long before the situation was under control, and soon Robyn was looking at him worriedly.

"David… you're eye!" Robyn exclaimed, taking David's arms and guiding him to an empty cubicle.

"How much does it hurt?"

"I'm fine, Robyn," David sighed, ducking from Robyn's prodding fingers. She simply took hold of his head and continued her examination.

"Why would you even do that?"

David didn't have to ask what she was referring to. "You were in danger."

Robyn smiled, "I think I'm old enough to look after mys- stay still."

"I'm fi -"

"Fine, yeah, I know. This isn't like you, you know. That leather jacket this morning? I mean, seriously?"

He shrugged.

"And since when did you-? Oh." Realisation seemed to pass across her face and her eyes lit up. "I'm not exclusive to 'bad boy' types, you know."

David relaxed for the first time since the previous day. "Seriously?"

"How about I take you for a drink and you can find out."

David straightened up and smiled. "I would like that very much."

Written in July 2016 for casual-laurie on Tumblr.