Hello!

It has been some time... again. Sorry! Inspiration has made herself scarce, lately...

Still, I hope you'll like this one. It's set at the end of 7.09 "Larger than life" (which, I realise now, is the second "drabble" set in this episode. I just love it. So much.). It's written in the present tense because it just felt like a present tense story. If that makes sense.

Thank you for your support! I'll see you guys soon :)

76. You can tell me anything.

He's lying to her, she knows, when he tells her he has to go bowling with Wilson.

Not because he has tried to pull this stunt just a couple days earlier, but because she always knows. Well, most times. Especially when it comes to lying to her personally. Professionally, he's done it for years. And as she realised recently, he's become so good at it, she can't tell anymore. But personally… he's still unsure on how to navigate those waters sometimes.

She knows that he has no intention of coming over to her place or of going bowling with Wilson. He just wants some time alone. And she can't blame him; she was single for so long too, sometimes she relishes the quiet and the freedom when he's spending the night at the hospital. She just wishes he could actually tell her he wants to be alone.

So she lets the lie go, because it's late and she's tired, and she doesn't want to fight.

She starts fiddling with the red bow wrapped around the pill bottle, thinking of what she could do with her me-time tonight, after she's put Rachel to bed. He breathes slowly beside her and she likes this moment of peace.

"Doesn't mean we can't have fun now," he whispers as he rests his hand on her thigh.

She chuckles. "You're insatiable."

"Do you wanna make out?" he asks her with the sweetest little smile. Her laughter fades.

Damn – she is in love with him.

"Go lock the door," she says quietly.

When he sits back beside her, she happily hikes up her skirt and climbs into his lap.

"You know," she says after a moment of peaceful silence – their breathings have returned to normal, she's still sitting on his lap with her head on his shoulder and his hand slowly running through her hair. "You can tell me anything."

He hums contemplatively. She doesn't press the matter.

"I'm not going bowling with Wilson either," he admits eventually. "I'm staying at my place."

"Okay."

She feels him shift to look down at her and turns to him. She chuckles inwardly to see him so confused – a rare sight.

"Really?"

"You are allowed some time alone," she replies with a tender smile. "Sometimes I like being alone, too."

He takes a second to assess that reply, watch for her tell. But she's telling the truth.

"Just not on your birthday dinner."

"Just not on my birthday dinner."

He smirks. "Okay. I'll remember that for next year."