Cristina was walking away from the locker room with her stuff, when her blackberry beeped with a text. She kind of smiled sweetly, knowing who it was. The text read, "Outside, front". She kind of laughed to herself. Knowing Owen is such a man of few words, but things like this just make her giddy. "So that's how it is Dr. Hunt", she said to herself, putting on her shades before meeting him outside.
He was sitting on the bench closest to the entrance. He also had shades on, his green army jacket that she loves and he immediately stood up when he saw her. "Shall we?", he waits for her permission. "Yes, where to?" she asks.
"I don't know we can drive around and find a place," she noted they were walking toward his big blue truck. She always loved his truck, the look of it, the smell inside. It smelled of him, it kind of went well with her motorcycle, she thought. He opens the passenger door for her to hop in, something Burke never did for her.
She quickly looks in the visor mirror before he hops in himself. "You don't need that", he says matter-of-factly. "Huh?" she asks. "The mirror. You're beautiful the way you are", with that he starts the truck and they're off, she looks out the window, trying not to let him see her smile. She didn't even mind that she had to listen to country music.
After about five minutes or so, neither speak until he finally spots a coffee shop. She didn't tell him it's the one she usually goes to on her days off to read Ellis' journals. She hopes the staff don't recognize her, but that punk Andy will probably be working like usual. They love giving each other a hard time, but she's not sure how Owen would take it.
Owen parks out in front, she starts to open her door he says,"That's my job," he gets out of his side to go let her out. He walks in front of her to get the door of the café, she couldn't help but smile. The place was full except for a booth in the corner. She said, "I'll go grab that booth ok?" "What do you want?," Owen asked. Of course that's when Andy chimes in,"Hey hey Doc Yang, the usual? Hot chocolate with chili spice?'
"Andy what did I tell you about talking to me in public? Yeah you know the drill", She smiled at Andy, then looked at Owen who was confused, but amused at the same time. Turns out she had a different life he didn't know about.
Cristina hangs her leather jacket on the hook on top of the booth before settling in. Owen grabs the drinks from Andy, leaving the tip, and sits down passing her the cocoa. It was her favorite drink, trumping coffee even from the second floor. Coffee she only drinks at work but cocoa is her indulgence.. mmm. Top that off with her favorite man bringing it to her makes the experience even sweeter.
He watched as she intensely took in that first sip. "Your favorite?" he asked knowingly. "Yeah. Just love the combo of spice and sweet. They just complement each other," She looks in his eyes trailing off before taking the next sip.
Now Owen's drinking his coffee, something she never got to learn about him was how he takes his coffee. Typically when you've been with someone for as long as they have, you know how someone takes their coffee or tea. They never got to that point .
So she asks, "How do you take it?" "Take it? What do you mean?" thinking she meant therapy he was confused. "The coffee.." She waits for him to answer. "Oh, just a dark roast black, shot of espresso." "That's pretty hardcore," she was trying to make him smile and it worked. "Yeah well when you work the hours we do, you have to have some kind of edge," He looks down at his watch trying to focus on what he needed to ask her.
"So what are we doing here?" cutting to the chase, as usual, Cristina's a step ahead. He took a deep breath before explaining, "Well, I wanted to tell you this for a few weeks. I've started therapy with Dr. Wyatt," he looks in her eyes, and she into his that are that intense blue they get when he is emotional or in deep thought.
"That's really good Owen," she smiled at him, trying to keep him focused. "She said that I need to have a support system before I get really deep into it. I was wondering if you could help me out," he looks down in his coffee, embarrassed like he was after choking her that night when everything changed.
"Owen, please look at me," she begged. One of the things she hated about him was when she had to make him look at her. He kind of lets out a breath, and looks at her, "Of course. We didn't' break up because we don't want to be together. I want to be there for you any way I can," she reaches and touches his hand that is starting to fidget with the salt-shaker, remembering some of the nervous habits he has.
"Thank you, I mean it Cristina, I can't tell you how much it all.," trails off his voice breaking. "I'm having trouble processing it still, what happened. But I still have strong feelings that aren't going away," she takes her other hand and strokes her favorite part of his face, "I think this is going to help, being part of the process."
"I think so too." he takes both her hands and cups them in his, remembering their warmth and comfort, regardless of their small size. It was all he could do to keep from kissing them.
"So let's get to the real issue here," Owen asks in a serious tone, Cristina is taken aback by it. "Why does that punk Andy know your favorite drink and I don't?" "Didn't I tell you I have a thing for male baristas? It's a fetish of mine, going back to my intern days," she relaxes a bit leaning her back against the wall of the booth, propping her leg up on the side a bit.
"Oh I get it now, I didn't realize you liked them so young," he reaches his foot towards the one she still has on the floor, creeping it up her leg. "Well, everyone has their isms, and mine are boys that make good hot chocolate, " she waits for him to smile, "and hot army surgeons." "Maybe I can help you with that, I know a few guys around here," he inches closer to her. "Sure give me some names, I'm all for variety, although one is plenty," they both laugh a bit before he puts his hand on hers again, as if nothing had changed, even though it had. They both knew they had to take things very slow, but at the moment, just enjoying each other is enough.
