A/N: So, this is a New Years Eve story. A bit late, but I hope you will still all enjoy it!
Meet Me At Midnight
Cristina was never one for socially mandated holidays, but she was all for socially mandated drunkenness, therefore New Years Eve always held a special place in her heart. As a college student it usually meant house parties and cheap champagne. Medical school was much the same but the champagne was better. Usually, Seattle Grace New Years Eves included a night at Joe's, followed by sloppily wandering to someone's apartment and waking up with a splitting headache. This year, the group skipped Joe's and instead spent the night and Meredith's house, where her and the good doctor provided an endless supply of libations.
~ 10:00 ~
"Another drink?" Derek asked, holding the bottle of tequila. Cristina nodded her head, gesturing for his girlfriend to join them. "Mer!" she called. "Come on, shots time!"
"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Meredith teased Derek, taking a shot glass off a nearby table. "You know, you can take advantage of me without the alcohol."
"Actually, I am trying to get you drunk," Cristina said, grabbing the other shot glass and moving it toward Derek. "Alright McDreamy, pour time."
Derek poured them each a shot of tequila, Cristina's eyes taking in the liquid thirstily. New Years Eve was one of the few times when it was socially acceptable to be rip-roaring-drunk and she was more than ready to be on her way. She looked to Meredith, whom she was lucky to have found considering their similar affinity for the strong drink, and she raised the glass in a toast. "To this next year not sucking!"
Meredith grinned, clinking her glass with hers. "Cheers."
She threw the shot back, the liquid burning her throat. When her head fell back in place and her eyes opened, she nearly thought she was drunk already. She had to be drunk-because how else would Major Hunt be standing in Meredith's living room, looking at her with an impish grin?
"This stuff is good," Cristina breathed out.
She continued to stare at her drunken hallucination, throat going dry when he began to move toward them. Derek stiffened beside her and her head whipped toward him as he muttered, "Who invited him?"
Cristina thought it rather odd that Derek could also see her drunken hallucination. As Meredith turned and let out an ungraceful noise, Cristina began to play with the idea that Major Hunt was actually physically in this living room. Already, her palms began to sweat.
"Hello, Dr. Sheperd," Major Hunt said easily. He wasn't wearing his army fatigues and Cristina thought to herself that he looked alarmingly handsome in civilian clothes.
"Major Hunt," Derek said with a tight grin. "What are you doing here?"
"I hope you don't mind my coming. I was at the hospital earlier to speak to Dr. Weber, and I ran into-" he looked over to Meredith, "I believe it was your sister."
"Lexie," Derek said, tight grin growing more strained.
"Yeah, Lexie. She saw me and asked me if I had plans for tonight. I didn't and she was nice enough to invite me."
"So, you're her date?" Cristina asked, a jolt traveling all the way from her chest to her toes when their eyes met. He shook his head and told her, "Strictly her plus one."
"I didn't know there were plus ones," Derek retorted.
"Well, we're glad you're here," Meredith interjected, looking somewhat uncomfortable in her newfound role of gracious host. "Can we get you anything to drink?"
"Scotch," he said. "If you have it."
"We do," Meredith said cheerily. "I'll be back with your drink."
Major Hunt stood beside Cristina and she glanced at him sideways, noticing the way his sleeves were rolled up to reveal well-toned forearms. He was turning toward her, presumably to talk, but she moved away quickly to escape into the kitchen. Meredith was on all fours, searching for scotch in a bottom cabinet, and Cristina sat beside her on the ground and said, "Major Hunt and I sort of made out."
"What?" Meredith turned toward her. "Now? That guy works fast."
"No, before. When he pulled my icicle out. Well, it was after that. But the point is that we made out and now he is here and I don't know what to do."
"You could talk to him," Meredith offered slowly.
"I know that," Cristina snapped. "But what do I say? Do I mention the kiss? Ignore it? Will he expect something to happen-"
"Do you want something to happen?"
"I don't know," Cristina sighed. She thought of the way her entire body seemed to thrum when she saw him and muttered, "I hate men."
Cristina stood up and poured herself a shot of tequila. She downed it quickly, secretly hoping it would somehow make Major Hunt disappear. She craned her neck to look into the living room and frowned when she saw it didn't work.
"Isn't he supposed to be in Iraq?"
"That's what I thought. But clearly he isn't. He is just outside that door, looking way hotter in a button up than anyone has a right to."
Meredith found the scotch and pulled it out, standing upright as she grabbed the nearest glass. Her eyes twinkled as she looked over to Cristina and cooed, "You like him."
"Oh, shut up."
"This is good," Meredith continued. "You haven't had anyone since Burke. It's about time you move on."
"With some guy who probably is leaving for the Middle East in the next few days? I don't think so."
"Maybe he isn't going back." Cristina shrugged. "You know, you could ask him if he is."
"You're really liking the obvious statements tonight, aren't you?"
Meredith rolled her eyes, setting her friend then with a firm look. "You need to talk to him. Keep him away from Derek, too."
"Think McDreamy won't play nice?"
"No, he will as long as I am there but I don't feel like playing defense all night."
"Fine, I will talk to him."
"Good," Meredith said. "Now time to bring your soldier a drink."
As Cristina followed her she complained, "He's not my soldier."
~ 11:00 ~
She had intended on talking to him. Really, she had, but after Meredith handed him his scotch he was immediately descended on by Lexie, whose bubbly exclamations at how glad she was he could join them left little room for interjection. And then George found him, and the combination of George and little Grey made even Major Owen Hunt seem undesirable to Cristina Yang. There was too much pep there for her to handle.
She found herself a corner and took survey of the room. Meredith and Derek were playing host and hostess, refreshing drinks and picking up discarded plates and cups. Hahn and Callie were sequestered on the couch, doing more of their intimate exchanges that always irritated her. It would be just her luck that her roommate would get in with the head of cardio and not one surgery would come her way. Over by the bathroom Mark Sloan was leaning against the wall, a lone wolf much like herself. While she was surveying the entire room, though, his eyes were trained on one Lexie Grey. She snorted quietly and thought that Little Grey had no idea what was coming.
Her eyes returned to where Major Hunt had been standing with Lexie and George, and she was surprised to see that the threesome had lost one member. Just as her eyes went to search out the lost party, he appeared at her side and murmured, "You've been avoiding me."
She caught her breath in record time and retorted, "No, I haven't."
"You've only said four words to me. I know, I counted."
Dryly she told him, "You can count? I had no idea, Major Hunt."
"Owen," he said with a grin. "Call me Owen."
"Okay, Owen, what are you doing back in Seattle? Weren't you supposed to complete your tour?"
His lips pulled into a grin and he said, "You get straight to the point, don't you?"
"Is there any other way?"
"Change of plans," he said easily. "I think my skills could be put to good use here."
"Here? You took the job?"
He nodded. "You're looking at the new head of trauma."
Her stomach felt sick as she recalled their time in the room after he shut the blinds. The memory of his mouth on hers was still as clear as if it had happened yesterday and she thought to herself that somehow she had managed to become involved with yet another attending.
"The look on your face makes me a bit worried about the welcome I will receive," he said after a moment, chuckling.
"Oh-no, my face means, um, nothing. You're-you're a very skilled surgeon. And, therefore will be a good addition to the hospital."
"So logical," he remarked.
She narrowed her eyes. "Well, what else do I have to consider?"
"Nothing, I suppose."
His eyes held hers, and she couldn't tell whether he was challenging her to be the one to bring it up, or he had genuinely forgotten what had happened in that room. Her cheeks reddened at that last prospect, considering all the times she had revisited that kiss.
"So, tell me Cristina, how is your stomach?"
"My stomach?"
"You were impaled by an icicle, if I remember correctly."
Again, he tip toed around the kiss and she forced herself to keep her cool-remain as icy as that icicle that sent him back into her life-as she answered, "I'm just fine. Dr. Sloan was able to touch up your stitches, make it less noticeable." She noticed his eyes flash a bit and he told her, "I wasn't going for aesthetics."
"No, you weren't," she agreed. "But that's not really your field, is it?"
"I did a fine job closing that wound."
"Of course you did," she humored him, watching the way his eyebrows furrowed. She could see she was getting to him. Good, she thought, he deserved it for openly ignoring how he had basically attacked her. Granted, she enjoyed the attack but that didn't change the fact that she did not give him consent to kiss her.
He went to speak and she waited for the outburst, waited for the egocentric surgeon to emerge, but instead he told her, "I suppose I was a bit hasty with the stitches. I wasn't thinking about appearance. Just wanted to get you closed up. Hopefully Dr-" he paused, "Sloan was it?" She nodded. "Hopefully he was able to clean it up."
She didn't understand him. She had attacked his work and any other surgeon would have blown up at her. She should have gotten a rise, which she desperately wanted from this stupidly cool man, but instead he looked at her levelly. When his lips curled into a soft grin she was so enraged she blurted out, "Do you even remember assaulting me with your mouth?"
He laughed and repeated, "Assaulting you with my mouth?"
"You kissed me," she accused. "You closed the blinds and then you kissed me!"
"Yes, I did," he said after a moment, his eyes bright. "And yes, I do remember."
"You haven't mentioned it once."
"So?"
She wanted to slap him. She was so frustrated she was seeing red yet she couldn't slap him because as much as she wanted to cause him physical pain there also was an equal urge to throw her arms around his neck and create a near replication of what they had done in that hospital room. There was such a conflict of emotion within her that she could barely speak. He seemed to detect the inner battle that had been waged and proposed, "Another drink?"
She nodded, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest. She watched him walk away and questioned what it was exactly about this man that was making her behave so erratically. Burke hadn't affected her like this. No man had. He returned with her drink, and she noted that although he had never asked her what she wanted, he brought just what she would have asked for. Whiskey on the rocks, she took a small sip, peering at him over the rim.
"You're really coming to Seattle Grace?" she asked.
He nodded and she frowned. This new year was already looking too interesting for its own good.
~ 11:55 ~
The new year was fast approaching and Meredith and Derek passed out flutes of champagne, leading a group toast before the midnight bell tolled. Derek raised his glass and everyone followed suit as he said, "Here's to a new year! Let's hope it treats us half as well as this one did!" He looked to Meredith whose head dipped down in acknowledgment. "So, to a new year! New experiences! New beginnings, too!"
Through the crowd of bodies, Cristina's eyes met Owen's. He gave her a grin and without hesitation she returned it. Catching herself, she looked away, turning to Meredith who gave her a knowing smile.
"I saw that," she quipped.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Cristina said. "You're drunk."
"That's true," Meredith slurred. "But I saw that little look you two exchanged. You and Major Hunt. And you're drunk, too!"
"Owen and I didn't exchange anything."
"First name basis," Meredith pointed out with a grin. "You two are so in love."
"Shut up."
"Think he'll kiss you at midnight?"
Cristina didn't answer. She had been wondering the same thing.
With the aid of Dick Clark, the drunken party counted down to the new year. It was a chorus of voices, a few several seconds off as copious amounts of liquor slowed down their reactions.
TEN!
NINE!
EIGHT!
SEVEN!
SIX!
FIVE!
FOUR!
THREE!
TWO!
ONE!
The room erupted into a cacophony of cries and noise makers. All around Cristina, couples embraced. Meredith and Derek were predictably glued together, as were Alex and Izzie. Even those not linked up had found someone to ring the New Year in with. Lexie had wrapped her arms around George, the latter looking just a bit frightened. Hahn and Callie were pressed close.
Owen was across the room and when their eyes met he made his way toward her. Heart nearly beating out of her chest, she watched him approach. It was going to happen. In a matter of seconds, she would be kissing him. He would be kissing her. Nervous energy coursed through her as the anticipation built. Suddenly someone grabbed onto her arm, and she spun around, eyes wide open as Mark Sloan's lips collided with her own. Angrily, she shoved him away, wiping her mouth on her arm.
"What the hell?"
"It's New Years!" Sloan enthused, easy (and somewhat sloshed) smile still in place. "You needed someone to kiss, Yang!"
"Not you!" Cristina accused, wiping her mouth again. Sloan shrugged, turning away to find someone else to ring in the New Year with.
She turned around, silently hoping that Owen would still be there. For all the moments that she had wished he would disappear throughout the night, she felt genuine relief when she found him in much the same spot that he had been before. He was smiling slightly and walked closer.
"That was quite a kiss," he noted.
"Not funny. I'm going to have to brush my teeth, like, eighteen times now."
"So, I take it that was a surprise."
"A bad one," she answered.
"Good," he said. She looked at him oddly and he said, "So, I heard that when you kiss someone, you kiss everyone that they've kissed, too."
"Not helping," she said glumly, looking away from him to send one pointed glare Mark Sloan's way.
"So, technically that means if I kiss you now I am also kissing Mark Sloan." Her eyes snapped to his. "Think it's worth that?"
"I…I don't know."
He grinned and dropped his head to hers, arms moving around her waist to pull her close as his lips covered her own. She opened her mouth to him immediately, a bit of liquid courage making her mouth more daring than it usually would be. After a few moments he pulled away, smiling slightly as he murmured, "Happy New Year, Cristina."
A/N: Thoughts? Just started rewatching Season 5. Their meeting is seriously the best out of any of the couples!