Chapter 2
That night, both Amelia and Owen barely got any sleep. They couldn't stop thinking about their interaction, however; it wasn't exactly with the same attitude. While Owen couldn't sleep because of gaiety and excitement, Amelia on the other hand, was replaying it over and over again in her head, over analyzing every move and every thought.
She was mad at herself, how could she do it? She finally started to glue herself back together and starting to get things back to normal at work again. Although, who is she lying to? It could never be 'normal' again with Owen. He was just there, again, pulling her through another tough moment. She didn't know if she loved or hated him for that, it was a thin line between the two anyway.
Owen was eagerly searching for her, first thing after finishing a routine morning procedure. He found her catching on some post ops in the nurse station in the lobby. His mouth curled to a big smile at the glance of her, he leaned over the counter placing two cups of coffee on it, "Good morning, coffee?"
Amelia opened her mouth, gasping lightly, trying to act a little surprised by his approach. She chuckled, remembering how he also brought her coffee after the first time they kissed. She didn't want to make this time as awkward.
Owen could read exactly what she was thinking about, and reminisced about it himself, "What, you don't like this coffee?"
She chuckled, taking the cup and sipping from it, "No, I like your coffee, I need your coffee," Damn it, absolutely no game, she thought to herself, she didn't mean for it to sound like an innuendo.
Owen giggled softly, "Couldn't sleep last night too?" He gazed at her, letting her know he was thinking about her as well.
She was trying to handle the situation, go back to her 'strict' no workplace dating policy, but if he was going to keep looking at her that way, with his green blue eyes, she wasn't sure how long she could refrain from pushing herself against him in front of the whole hospital.
At that very moment, both their pagers buzzed loudly. She wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or enraged. She closed her eyes and sighed, then checked the code, it was 911, she had to get up.
"Unbelievable," Owen said as he checked his pager and sighed sourly, he was being paged to the ER, he was clearly exasperated, no mixed feelings. She wished she was so sure like he was.
"I got to go, but we will talk and continue this later," she said reassuringly as she got up, "thanks, for the coffee!" she brushed against his arm as she hurried toward her patient, that was enough physical contact to distract her. Stay focused, stay calm, just run and save your patient right now. She told herself, trying to put him in the back of her mind for a while.
…
Owen walked into a dark on call room after a long day, a young boy was bullied and beat up by a bunch of bigger guys who thought they were cooler and could get away with anything. It was always hard to deal with such cases without getting emotionally attached, so the devastation when the boy passed away was tremendous.
He switched on the lights, and that's when Amelia jerked out of the bed quickly, and stood up, attempting pointlessly to straighten her scrub shirt. She put her hands on her back, near her hips, awkwardly. "Um, I should go, you must be very tired."
"No, it's okay, you stay," he paused, "how did your surgery go?" he started some small talk, though genuinely wanting to check up and see how tired she was.
"It was.. long. His aneurysm burst and he kept getting brain bleeds, he's hanging on for now," she forced a sad nervous smile, not wanting to have all the attention on her, "I heard about your patient, I'm so sorry, did they catch the bullies?"
"A gang is what they are," Owen breathed deeply, removing the scrub cap he still had on, "the police identified them. But they're still looking."
She didn't know what to say, but she tried nonetheless, "Uhh, listen, we're both tired, we don't have to do this, if.. you don't want to now, I get it, it's fine." She thought she could at least remove some of the pressure.
Owen tiredly grinned a coy grin, "I've kind of been looking forward to this, all day." He thought he would finally confess his feelings to her, being with her after all this angst would make him forget how weary this day had made him. "Unless, you're.. too exhausted," he half asked, remembering that she might want to just rest instead.
She smiled sheepishly, trying to jump over the awkwardness and small talk and start to figure whatever this was. "I guess we both could talk now then," she breathed in deeply, "Soo um-" she looked at him, trying to let him talk first, she had no idea how to start this.
Owen cut her off and decided to just blurt it out, "I love you." Amelia's eyes widened, she expected to be asked to date or whatever, but this was the feeling she was trying to burry and ignore, she didn't see it coming.
Owen grinned thinking about it, "I know it's crazy, and a little scary, and maybe our relationship or whatever we have has been unconventional, but there's just this thing every time… and I know this is what love is, I thought I knew it before, but this is different, it's.. it's just.. Amelia I don't know how else to say it, I just, I love you!" he chuckled again as he relished the words coming out of his mouth, "I love you, I am in love with you, and.. and-" he was stumbling on his words now, he wanted to relay his feelings to her but it seemed like there were no words which could do that, like he needed a new word to be invented to describe the passion and love he had for Amelia.
"Stop," she first whispered. "Stop, stop, just stop talking!" she said louder, she didn't mean for it to come out as a harsh snap. Owen was confused, he was so sure that this time she shared his feelings, why would she lead him on and kiss him like she did last night, if she didn't love him back?
Amelia, noticing how startled and a on the edge of heartbreak Owen was, tried to soften her voice and continue, "I'm sorry, I just.. After everything, you and I, and every interaction we have here, I.. I gave myself a rule. A strict no coworkers policy. I promised myself I wouldn't let it happen, it's not the same working with someone who has seen all these parts of you."
She paused, looking up to focus on Owen's eyes and see how he was reacting so far, He had a frown on his face that ripped Amelia's heart, she gave up, she couldn't do this to him, she continued with a slight tone of anger in her voice, "but then you come around, after leaving for freaking war, and you do this thing with making me have to feel and deal with all these emotions now! And it's too hard, Owen! I used to be fine before, but now I cannot do anything! I am incapable of doing anything without you, I am completely helpless and pathetic, and I need you there all the time, it's so stupid," She rambled out, she sighed, noticing her eyes had become a little wet, she looked up at the ceiling, blinking the tears away.
Owen was antagonized and muddled by what he just heard. He tried to make sense out of her speech, why would she say something like that after he professed his undying love to her. He laughed bitterly, "Are you kidding me? You're bringing the professional argument back again? Amelia, I'm trying to understand but I can't make sense out of this, I'm not even chief anymore, your excuse is invalid! So if you don't feel the same, just-"
"Wait, wait a minute! Owen Hunt, did you just say what I think you did? Because if you gave up chief so you could be with me, then that's just the stupidest decision anyone has ever made!"
Owen shook his head in dismay, he opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't deny it, "Well, it didn't make a difference did it now? You're just too worried about your professionalism to think about feelings like this" he spit out eventually
Amelia couldn't believe how slow he was, "Did you not hear anything I said?" Owen was truly lost now, he couldn't comprehend where this puzzling woman was going, "I said! I need you now, I can't deal with anything anymore, not without you. I'm saying I hate you, because I love you too you idiot. You made me fall for you!" She was practically yelling at him now
Owen's pupils enlarged as his lips formed a soft "oh" sound, finally catching up to the meaning behind her anger. He grinned and chuckled in relief.
"It isn't funny," she wiped a stray hot tear off her cheek, hoping he wouldn't notice
"I'm sorry, but you're just marvelous," he didn't hide his long lasting grin as he stepped closer to her and pulled her small frame against his. He tipped her chin up so that their eyes met in harmony. "You love me too," he teased before comforting her, "So we're going to be together now, and we're going to make this work,"
"We are?" She begged for more serious reassuring from his eyes. He just nodded softly and leaned in to kiss his girlfriend. Just before their lips met in an ardent kiss, she whispered out, "Then I guess it's finally later now."
