I'm Glad.
First ever Code Black story! I'm super nervous about this, but hopefully it won't be awful.
This will be uploaded onto AO3 as well.
Set in Season Two at the end of Ava Maria, when Ethan tells Leanne he isn't leaving.
'Leanne is really, really glad that Ethan is staying.'
Reviews are loved and appreciated! Enjoy.
Disclaimer – I own nothing.
"Who else knows you're staying?" Leanne asked after they'd been stood in silence for a few minutes. She would have asked him sooner, but she didn't trust her voice, she didn't trust herself to remain composed.
Right now, all she wanted was to cry out of happiness. At least she wasn't losing him, maybe later on she would let herself cry some more over Jesse leaving, but right now, she just wanted to be happy that Ethan was staying.
"Campbell, and you. I wanted to tell you first, but the most logical thing seemed the be telling him first." Ethan told her, inching a little closer.
He wasn't stupid, nor was he blind, he could see how hurt she was. How emotional she was. He knew that from the moment they met. It took him a little while to figure out why, why when a car crash victim came in she froze momentarily, why she never wanted to give up on children, why she would never let any of her residents give up on patients.
Then he began to hear gossip, word of an accident, something about Leanne and her family. He never asked her face to face, instead, Jesse came to him, not long after they'd lost a mother and son who were hit by a drunk driver. Leanne had pretty much broken down only moments after time of death was called, and for Ethan it was tough to watch.
'Everyone figures it out eventually." Jesse had said to him.
"It's none of my business, she's a good doctor, nothing wrong with being emotional."
"She lost everyone Ethan, he husband, her two kids, everyone. But you're right, she's a good doctor."
"Ethan?" He looked over at the good doctor, giving her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, a million miles away."
Leanne smiled, before turning back to look over the city.
"I'm fine you know. I will be fine, people move on, everyone has their reasons." Leanne wasn't blind either, she saw the way his eyes lingered just that little bit longer, making sure she was really okay after she said she was. The way he would be close by when dealing with touch and go patients, and even closer when telling the families the bad news.
And right now, she knew he could see the tears burning behind her eyes, she knew he could tell she was slowly falling apart, the weight of the last few days becoming a little too much.
"Doesn't make it any easier on you though, does it?" Ethan stepped forward, this time making it obvious.
"No," Leanne's voice broke. "No, it really doesn't." She could no longer hold back the sobs that she'd been wanting to let out all day.
Ethan was able to catch her, not that Leanne was in any way dramatic, but he knew she needed someone to lean on, both physically and mentally.
He didn't see the point in telling her it was okay, in her eyes it clearly wasn't. She had lost her closest friend, her other friend was sick, one of her residents had been suspended, and on top of that Angles was being, well, Angels.
"I'm so sorry," Leanne said when she pulled away from his chest after a few minutes, her sobs finally dying down.
"Don't be. I get it Leanne, everyone needs someone sometimes, and the lord knows you're a lot stronger than the rest of us." She laughed at that, bringing a hand up to wipe away the stray tears still rolling down her cheeks.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." She took a shaky breath, finally seeing how close the two of them where. Maybe it was emotions, or maybe it was the fact she'd been wanting to do this for so long, but after the last twenty-four hours she knew she could blame everything on sleep deprivation.
Leaning up slightly, without saying a word Leanne placed a gentle kiss to Ethan's lips. Wondering if or not he would kiss her back. She couldn't help but feel her heart beat a little faster when he did, wrapping both of his arms around her waist, forcing her to move her arms up around his neck.
It wasn't the most romantic, but the pair stayed like that for a few moments before they slowly pulled away from each other.
"Well," Ethan said, a little breathless when he pulled back from Leanne a little.
"Ethan, I," Leanne didn't know what to say. She wasn't sorry, she meant to do, she had been wanting to do it for so long.
"How about we grab some breakfast?" Leanne let out a small breath.
"I'd like that."
"Yeah?" Ethan asked, rubbing his hands up and down her sides, hoping to give her some comfort.
"Yeah." Leanne nodded, puling away from him properly, getting her own personal space back.
She wasn't sure what just happened, but she knew she wanted it to happen again, but even if it didn't happen today, at least when she fell asleep later, something in her world felt right, something in her world felt good, and despite losing Jesse, seeing Rollie so hurt, and knowing Malaya's anger, someone loved her.
"Ethan?" Leanne called his name, just before he reached for the door.
Turning to look at her, he smiled, he could see the apprehension on her face, wondering if breakfast would be a good idea, he wanted to do all he could to prove that it was.
"I'm really, really glad you're staying,"
"Me too, Leanne, me too."
As always, let me know what you think! Thank you for reading.