Burke looked up from his paperwork for only a moment as Cristina slid into his office, offering her a cold glance, before going back about scribbling some notes.

"Hello to you, too." She mumbled, sitting on the edge of his desk.

"You're going to crinkle my papers."

She stood up and moved to the other side of him, where the desk was empty and positioned herself there instead, knowingly pushing his buttons, trying to get him to talk to her.

"There are chairs, Cristina."

"There are." She noted, "What are they for, Burke?"

He looked up to her and couldn't help but let a small smile creep across his lips, "We sit in chairs...correction, I sit in chairs. You sit on everything."

"Everything?" She questioned, a wicked glisten in her eye.

He put his pen down, "What are you doing? Because last time we talked, I thought you were reminding me of our past digressions, and we were angry at each other?"

"Well, I wasn't trying to make you angry." Cristina's way of apologizing.

"Well, you were being irresponsible with that first patient of yours. But I did hear about your second and third surgeries..."

"And?" She tilted her head to the side, as if straining to hear his words.

"I'm proud of you. You've done what you set out to do." He rose so that he was standing in front of her. "I'm sorry I doubted you, but I would've preferred that you used some extra help."

"I didn't need it. I even showed Grey how to put a bowel back together and saved her poor patient another surgery in the process." Cristina grinned, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You told her what to do in her own OR?" Burke raised an eyebrow, preparing to give her a lecture about how she needed to control herself, even if it was Meredith Grey.

"I wasn't showing her up in her own OR, Burke. I was doing it for the patient, I promise you."

"Okay, then."

He studied her for just a moment, and found relief in the fact that she looked healthy, not exhausted or worn out from her first day back, she looked like his old Cristina. Gently, he brushed a strand of hair back from her face and kissed her softly, "I missed having you here at work, just seeing you always made my day easier."

Cristina, not knowing what to say, opted to move her hair back, revealing the earring he'd bought her, "I put them on before my first surgery. I didn't need help, because..." Her voice trailed off.

How cheesy.

"I was there."

She nodded, "Yeah. You were."

He pulled her down from the desk, wrapping his arms tight around her waist, "I have paperwork to finish, and I'm sure that you do too, but after that, why don't we go to Andaluca and celebrate?"

She traced a finger over his name on his lab coat, avoiding his glance, "I can't."

He let go of her and tipped her chin up so that she'd face him, "And why not?"

"I'm on call...tonight." She mumbled low, still avoiding his glance.

"Cristina!" He sighed, walking away from her, "It's your first day back, you had three successful surgeries today, it's enough. You've already proven yourself to so many, why do you have to push it?"

"Because, the one person who matters the most doesn't think I'm the best!" She argued, turning away from him.

"And who, in your mind is the one person who matters the most?" He questioned, turning her around, "Who's opinion matters more than mine?"

She studied him quietly, her gaze finally meeting his, and her heart ached over the words she'd said merely moments ago. Thinking before speaking had never been her strong point, especially when it came to Burke.

"Burke, that's not what I meant." She finally sighed, "You know that's not what I meant."

"Then please, explain yourself, because I'd like to know when I'm going to stop being second on your list of priorities, or even if I'm going to stop being second, because I can't do this forever." He grasped her shoulders firmly, his lips pressed together in frustration.

Cristina opened her mouth, trying to find words to reassure him, trying to find a way to tell him that he wasn't second, but as she searched she came to realize that she didn't have any.

Surgery was her first priority right now.

Her career was her first priority.

"I...I have to go. I need to do my paperwork and try to get some rest. I'll be home tomorrow night." She pulled from his grasp and left him standing in his office alone.

A second priority.