Jack has always loved quietly. Bringing home his partner’s favourite snacks when he knew they’d had a bad week, holding them close when they’re alone and there’s no one else around. He doesn’t feel the need to shout his love from the rooftops but he makes sure his partner knows they are loved and appreciated in his own ways.

You were the opposite. You thrived off mild PDA, holding hands, kisses on the cheek. You made sure people knew you were off the market, you made sure that your partner knew that you were completely devoted to them at all times. You have always loved loudly.

When Jack met you, a nurse who recently transferred to the night shift, it was like sparks flew. He tried to maintain a distance but he failed spectacularly. By the end of your first week working the same shift as him he had your coffee order memorized and would often bring it to you randomly.

When he finally asked you out, the other nurses warned you about him. They warned you that he had moments where he would go quiet for days, that he wasn’t affectionate, that if you wanted to feel like the only girl in the world you were going out with the wrong person. You didn’t really believe them, that wasn’t your experience so far and you hadn’t even been dating yet.

They turned out to not be entirely wrong. He does have moments where you have to live in silence with him, he does have moments where he struggles to open up, but he is affectionate in private, he makes sure that you have everything you could ever need, and he needs you to know that he loves you more than anything.

Despite your best efforts these differences did cause friction between you and Jack. You would argue about who should give in and match the other’s needs, you had spent more than one night on the couch — Jack tried to take it but you always refused to let him because he was always sore enough after a long shift — it was rough and even people who didn’t know you were dating knew that something was wrong.

It all came to a head on a night that you both had off from work. You’d had an argument before meeting your friends from the day shift at a bar near PTMC. It meant that you and Jack were putting even more distance between each other than Jack’s usual carefully crafted distance. It was torturous, but nothing was worse for Jack than watching you dancing with some of the other nurses. Well, he thought nothing could be worse until he saw a man he didn’t recognize end up in front of you. He was clearly flirting, his hand landing on your arm.

Jack knew that there was no way you’d entertain this man, even if you had just argued, but he also couldn’t just watch it happen. He walks with a purpose, shouldering through everyone without caring who he knocked into. He ended up behind you, resting his forearms on your shoulders as he leaned over you. He’s closer than he’s ever been in public. “Thank you for keeping my love company, I can take it from here.”