Author's note: Hi everyone, here is chapter 2, I hope you'll like it. I still need to found a way to get my beta... still don't know how to reach her without exposing e-mails anywhere. I'll find a way, 'cause I really do need one. About this chapter, I wasn't sure how to handle this. I wanted some real awkwardness but... I don't know, it didn't really come as I wrote. I hope it won't bother you, I figured they're soulmates you know, so maybe, just maybe, awkwardness wasn't that necessary.
Please tell me what you think :)
- "Owen!?"
Her own voice felt strange to Cristina's ear when she half spoke half yelled his name. She clearly identified the surprise in it, the question even if she was sure, mixed with shock, wonder and... something else. Hope maybe. She waited for him to turn around. She wanted to see his face right now. No. She needed to see his face. Need. Yes, that was more like it. She had naver plan to see him again. 5000 miles away should have been enough, but he was here. Maybe 10 feet from her and she could only see his back, or his profile at this moment, and that just wasn't enough...
And then... then, her eyes met his. Abyss versus surface, moon versus sun, night versus day, dark versus light, brown versus blue. The world stopped for a moment as they looked at each other, both now completly unaware of the party going on behind the doors, party which was missing its queen. She studied every bit of him like she would have with a damaged heart, noticing every new wrinkle and every change in his features. He looked thiner from what she remembered, the so light stubble on his jaw increasing the loss of fat in his cheeks. Somehow, the scar she had traced so many times was deeper but when she followed it only with her eyes this time, it sent a warm feeling through her guts. Finally, she looked back into his eyes, that remained exactly the same, for her own pleasure.
He smiled at her and she smiled back, his hands still deep in his pockets and they both closed the distance between them meeting each other in the middle of the hallway, leaving only a few inches separating them.
- "What are you doing here?" She asked softly.
- "Well, you know, it's a big day for you, I didn't want to miss it" He answered honnestly "And, congratulations by the way, you deserve it."
- "Thank you..." was all Cristina was able to say before her voice betrayed her.
- "It's... hum... you look... amazing" Owen continued gesturing up and down in her direction, a smile lifting his lips upward.
She felt the tears gather between her eyelids, threatening to fall any second now. Was it him, or her, or them together, she didn't know, but within a blink of an eye, something collided against her and she was in his arms, her face pressed against his neck, breathing in the smell that was uniquely his, both bodies remembering exactly how to fit perfectly against each other, like two pieces of a puzzle. They made it just a little tighter and last just a little longer than it would have been 'appropriate'.
- "Owen?" She whispered against his neck after what seemed like hours.
- "Hmm?" Came his muffled answer.
- "Is there still an once of that famous savior complex inside of you?
Leaning back from their embrace but keeping his hands on her arms, he chuckled soflty.
- "Why?"
- "Seriously? I could really use a knight-in-shinning-whatever who would rescue me from this crap in there" she explained whipping the tears from her cheeks.
He let out another chuckle, took a step back, letting go of her and shook his head slightly.
- "Cristina, you can't just elope from your own celebration..."
After a loaded silence, she answered:
- "So?" The single word, said almost hesitantly, stung his heart.
And without any more second thought, he extended his arm towards her and she grabbed his hand, letting him drag her out.
-
Owen drove straight to his hotel, figuring her appartment would be the first place people will check if they noticed she was gone. As soon as they entered his room, he removed his jacket and placed it on the bed then he loosened his tie and opened the first buttons of his shirt. She took off her shoes, that have been killing her feet and left them at a random place. Absolutly at ease with each other's presence, they both sat on the small couch leaving a reasonable space between them.
- "Did you have a chance to get something to eat or do you want me to order something?" He broke the silence.
It was her turn to chuckle, shaking her head.
- "What?" he said raising an eyebrow.
- "You haven't changed, always trying to take care of others"
- "You're not even close... I'm merely being a gentleman here, after all you're officially a God now."
- "Okay... And I'm good, I ate before"
- "Good. How about something to drink?"
- "Ah! Now we're talking! Besides, I didn't have a chance to get that Tequila you ordered for me"
- "It's a shame... Oh wait, there's a minibar, maybe..." He rose and search through the cabinet. "Yep!" he said proudly, coming back to the couch with two bottles and glasses.
He gave her a glass of Tequila and pourred himself some Scotch in another one. He turned towards her and raised his glass between them.
- "To you." he toasted.
She clinked her glass with his and they both took a sip. She remembered the last time they toasted, in the vent, right before she was supposed to receive the Harper Avery she never got, well, not until years later anyway. This specific memory could have been painful but what she really focused on was how sure he was, how much faith he had. Faith in her. 'I think you're going to win, I really do' he had say and somehow, at that precise moment, she had felt like she already did. She smiled unconsciously.
- "What?" She heard him asked.
- "Nothing. Hey, you tavelled 5000 miles, why didn't you come and see me back there?" she asked curious.
- "I... I wasn't sure you wanted to see me. I mean, Meredith told me that you asked her not to tell me anything about you and not to tell you anything about me so... But I still wanted to be there for this. So I figured this way would work for both of us. I should have walked faster on my way out though..."
- "I"m glad you didn't", she stated honestly as a light shade of pink colored her cheeks.
- "Yeah, well... Seems like I still never stick to the plans I make." He laughed softly.
- "Don't say that!" She poked him playfully in the shoulder with her finger, "Remember when McDreamy wanted to bring all of us camping? Your plan worked pretty good!" She reminded him raising her eyebrows as he laughed more heartily this time.
For two hours, they exchanged stories and unloaded memories, carefully avoiding talking about their current lives, neither of them wanting to break the easy and nice atmosphere right now. And... 'what you don't know, doesn't hurt you', they say. They smiled and laughed at times, simply enjoying each other's compagny for the very first time in seven years.
But time had its own agenda. It always does. Cristina remembered that when her eyes fell on his watch.
- "Damn! So late already? I really have to go home, I need to check on my patients tomorrow morning..." As she spoke, she couldn't hide the dispointment in her voice and Owen didn't miss it. He wasn't used to a not-so-excited-about-work Cristina.
- "Hey!" she continued. Ah ah! Here it was, excited Cristina he thought. "When did you planned to leave?"
- "Huh, tomorrow night." He answered, surprised.
- "Do you want me to give you the tour? Of my hospital?"
- "Hmm, yeah, that... would be great." He answered smiling.
- "Great! Meet me at 10 tomorrow morning, in the lobby and... have me paged if I'm...late."
- "Ok... huh, do you want me to drive you home? Because I'll be happy to." He said rising from the couch.
- "No, no, I'll catch a cab, don't worry." Cristina answered, rising too, and making her way to where her high heels lyed and grabbing her purse.
- "Ok..." He could only answer following her to the door she had already open.
She turned abruptly to face him, but she found him close. Way too close. Her heart rate quickened and long forgotten flutters invaded her stomach, just like it did the day they met, just before he pulled that icycle out of her chest. The words she had plan to say were swallowed and she licked her lips unconciously.
She waited... For him, for it, for something. Anything. But nothing came. Owen took a step back and smiled.
- "See you tomorrow then. Good night."
Only his voice, just a little deeper than it had been a moment before, betrayed he was just as troubled as her, but nothing else. And only after he closed the door behind her did he allowed the breath he was holding to go out of his lungs, closing his eyes to keep his feelings under control and slow his heartbeat.
He was NOT here for that. He didn't want that, didn't planned that. He was finally in a good place, a place where he wasn't hurting anymore. He was happy. And happiness had been hard enough to find. So was peace. He was even able to think about her without feeling that emptiness he used to.
He came for his ex co-worker, for the surgeon he once knew, for his friend if you will, because he was happy for her, but nothing else. Yeah.
Right.
Right?
So ;)
