It has been hard out there for a C/O fan lately (only 2 minutes of screentime after 3 weeks off and if spoilers are any indication of where we are going...) and fan fiction updates are hard to come by when the show is not on hiatus...so consider this an Ides of March present for yours truly. Enjoy! :)

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Owen had just started a brew of coffee in his apartment and seemed to be practicing saying something to himself, under his breath. He had something shiny and metallic balled up tightly in his fist. Something like this was a big deal to a guy like him, but Cristina's revelation to him the night before had finally given him the courage to do it. He just hoped he wouldn't scare her off.

"'Morning…" Cristina mumbled, stumbling into the kitchen. Her eyes were almost completely closed, her hair tousled, and his dark green tee-shirt that she had worn to bed was hanging asymmetrically off her shoulder as if in an homage to the 1980s. Owen hastily turned around and fought to look calm; but this was why he was doing this. He wanted her to be around, mumbling and walking around grumpily in his tee-shirt like this, every morning.

"Good morning…" he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You are way to awake right now…" she mumbled. "What's in your hand?"

"You…should have your coffee first" Owen said simply, handing her favorite mug to her. "Then I'll tell you about it." Cristina conceded and after the coffee had substantially improved her mood, or at least the ability to speak above a murmur, she persisted.

"So what gives?" she asked, motioning to his fist.

"It's something I want to give you" he said at first. He seemed to be trying to recall his earlier rehearsed lines, but appeared to ditch it at the last moment. "Cristina…I just think…after last night, it's silly that you have to wait outside my door…" He placed a key on the counter next to her. "It's a key…to here. And I want you to have it." He took a gulp of coffee to distract himself in waiting for her response. Cristina looked at the key for a moment, then back up at Owen.

"So this key is just a key?"

"Um…yes" Owen answered, slightly puzzled. "What else would it be?"

"Nevermind" Cristina smiled vaguely to herself. Apparently she didn't mind behind keyed after coffee so much. She took the key and added it to her ring as Owen watched her and smiled.

"Which reminds me…I never really returned your key from the other night" he took it out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. Cristina eyed it and shifted uncomfortably. She'd never keyed anyone before. She looked up at Owen, who was sipping his coffee again and looking completely relaxed.

"I…uh" she started nervously. "I had another copy made because…yeah, you might as well keep it because I don't need it…and in case I lose mine or something, it would be good if I had a spare…" Owen smirked knowingly at Cristina and shook his head slightly.

"I'll just hold onto it then" he swiped the key off the counter and put it back in his pocket. "I have to go in now…meet me at Joe's after?" He leaned over and brushed his beard slightly against her neck before kissing her neck softly. Cristina gasped.

"Well when you put it that way…" she chuckled and put her hands on his face, making him look at her. "I've never keyed anyone before" she said softly with a sense of wonder in her voice. Owen just gave her a look that spoke volumes before kissing her more deeply and heading out the door.

************

The two of them were in a quiet corner of Joe's with a beer and a vodka tonic in front of both of them. Owen had his arm draped across her shoulders while she had her hand on his thigh. Cristina mused as to how this had become their default position when sitting together, because it just fit so naturally.

"I hate secrets" Cristina said in a sigh. Owen just looked at her imploringly. "I don't like keeping secrets. I've done secrets and they only end badly"

"Do you think I have a secret or something?" Owen asked lightly.

"No, no…that's not it" Cristina said, looking up at him while entwining her free hand with the hand he had draped across her shoulder. "I have a secret…well—it's not mine, it's a friend's secret…they snuck up to me with this secret, and now I have to keep it but…it's too much." She sighed again.

"Why did they tell you? They need help with something?"

"No…they just needed to tell someone. Now…now I want to help, but they won't let me. And I can't even tell Meredith, they specifically said I couldn't tell Meredith." A moment passed.

"That must be hard for you…I've noticed a very distinct lack of filter between you two" Owen said, trying to lighten the mood. Not thinking she should betray her friend's secret, he changed the subject. "Has Shepherd proposed yet, by the way?"

"If he has, then Mer hasn't told me yet"

"I doubt he has then…I'm not even sure about whether or not he will now…at least for a little while" Cristina cocked her head at him inquisitively. "He sounds like he's in a dark place…after that patient and the fight with Sloan that I had to break up"

"You broke that fight up?" Cristina asked, surprised she hadn't heard this earlier. Owen nodded and Cristina laughed. For a moment she fantasized about Owen throwing Pretty and Prettier off each other, oozing manliness as he did.

"What?"

"Oh...sometimes I really think you are the only man at Seattle Grace" Owen just smirked and felt the heat in his body rise and Cristina's hand slid down from his thigh to his knee and gave it a squeeze.

"Anyway…I heard he's got a lawsuit and that he's going to quit" Owen said in a heavy tone. "Not the note you want to propose to someone on"

"No…I don't know how Mer is going to deal with it either…he's usually the one pushing the commitment and whatever…now it's up to her to follow him into the dark place…she texted me saying that she was going to his trailer because he moved all his stuff out of her house…" Cristina paused and sipped her drink. "I knew he'd break her again" Cristina spat out the last line bitterly. They both took a sip of their drinks and changed the subject.

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Owen held the back door to Joe's open as she walked through and he followed her. Cristina suddenly stopped and coyly took Owen's hand, drawing herself into him. He looked slightly puzzled, but mostly amused.

"Do you remember the first time we here?" Cristina asked, lifting his hand up and rubbing his palm with her thumb.

"I…" Owen gave out a half laugh, half sigh and looked away. He looked ashamed and Cristina swore that the tips of his ears had twinged red. "I do…but I'd rather not"

"I would, that was a hot kiss" Cristina said playfully. Owen gave her a look, cocking his head downwards, telling her to drop the topic. "When are you going to get that I'm not delicate? I'm tough"

"It's not about you being delicate…it was about be not being in control of myself…" he paused. "That was a rough day for me…did I ever apologize for that?" he asked, embarrassed.

"You waited at my doorstep and told me you thought I was beautiful" Cristina said simply.

"I'm sorry" he said ruefully, staring at their intertwined fingers. Cristina just looked back at him and shook her head almost imperceptibly. Owen was way too hard on himself sometimes.

"I have an idea" she said suddenly.

"What are you—" Owen started as Cristina let go of his hand and stood a few feet away from him. He put his arm out to regain a hold on her hand. But she folded her arms across her chest.

"Tell me you need me" she said.

"Cristina, this—" she stopped him with a look. "You're a strange woman…" he said, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

"So?" she said, trying to hide a grin. He sighed with a tiny grin.

"Fine…" he took a deep breath and looked at her. "I need you" he said quietly. Cristina felt her breath catch for a moment. She knew she had told him to say it…but it felt good to hear, nonetheless.

"Again" Cristina put her hands on his chest and lightly shoved Owen backwards, toward the wall.

"I need you…"

"Again" she pushed him closer to the wall.

"I need you" Owen said, and Cristina kept her arms on his chest as she felt him pressed against the wall. Their faces were an inch apart, and Cristina could feel his warm breath on her face. "I need you" he whispered one last time on her lips. Owen stared at her hungrily but fought the urge to kiss her. Cristina shuddered, then gave him a once over and lunged at him with her mouth, closing the small distance between them. They crashed together. She put her hands around his neck, he snaked an hand lightly around the back of her neck, their mouths gasping for more of each other. They broke apart and Cristina just held Owen's head in her hands and stroked his cheek with her finger.

"There" Cristina said. "Now we're even". She took his hand and they continued walking down of the alley. Owen mused at how determined she was to make him lighten up on himself; he only wished he could find out what this burdening secret was, without her breaking her promise to her friend, so he could help her.