Author's Notes: Also written on the spur of the moment for Nina. Chase/Wilson
Preoccupied, both gazed upon beauty bathed in darkness, beauty that surely wasn't always visible by the harsh fluorescents of the hospital. The darkness seemed to serenely wash away exhausted lines that swept over their faces and even masked the mystified looks within their eyes.
Chase had always loved the stars, but found that when he moved into the city, the shimmering spots in the sky lessened more and more the closer he got to the rest of the population. In all honesty, he thought it depressing that natural beauty – so simplistic and easy – was not able to reach the majority of people in its entirety. But even though those small shimmers were very small and distant, they still had his attention all the same.
Wilson, typically, would have agreed, but he had seen many a night of stargazing with wives and others that he preferred to keep out of his mind. This one moment, though, was different. The way light had effect on human appearance was something overly intriguing to him. The way the shadows hung mysteriously to the Australian's face, the way blues contrasted against said shadows, the way raw emotion crept in when, ordinarily, they would not – everything.
The silence was deafening, but not uncomfortable. When Robert became aware of his onlooker, blues shifted to meet deep browns, connecting in silent question and shock. There was a moment where James could have sworn he saw a blush on the other's face, but it was long since removed when they dared to speak.
"On your break?" Chase offered politely, shoving his hands into his pockets. Being outside was far easier than being stuck within the unbearable white of the hospital walls.
"Actually, no. I was on my way back to upstairs, but I figured a little bit of company would do us both some good. Besides, there's only paper work waiting for me, anyway." A laugh.
"Yeah, I'm sure even my clinic duty is more entertaining than that." A smile started in over the blonde's lips.
"And the sad thing is, you're probably right."
The silence fell again and they stood there, both eventually staring at the sky, taking in the cool air around them. Small moments like these were ones that each cherished because, amongst the busy life of the hospital, there was little time at all to really enjoy the simple things. Everything else was so complex that simplicity was pushed out of the picture.
But tonight was one that embraced the simplicity. The simple way Wilson's arms fell around the other's slender waist, or the way Chase's hands fell over the ones occupying his waist, their fingers intertwining and curling together. Often times, love was very simple for them. It was a kiss on the cheek when no one was looking, a little note here and there or a tender glance spared upon passing in the hallway. There were times, though, where it was difficult and complex. The times were heated skin met skin and lips clashed with tongue and teeth, the times where secrecy and lies were hanging between them, or the times where even the smallest of mistakes seem to knock the world to pieces.
But, as the blonde turned in those arms so that lips could share a soft, quick kiss with the oncologist, simplicity and complexity vanished with ease. What they had might not last forever, they knew, but for now the only thing that matters to them is what truly is; that they're surviving and they're doing it together.
As James leans in to meet the other's lips, he realizes that memories of stargazing and moonlit nights wouldn't be nearly as painful to remember because, for once, there's no warning sign or pained words to keep him back, there's just the bright emerald 'go' and the amused little smile on Chase's face to push him forward.