A knock on his office door startled him slightly, out of the medical journal he'd pulled up about twenty minutes ago now. His head lifted as the door opened and he was surprised to see Meredith's head pop around the corner, his eyebrows lifting in questioning. He didn't even realise she was back in the city, much less in scrubs in the hospital.
"Meredith?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"I heard a rumour," she said with a small grin, stepping into the office and closing the door behind her, "Actually, two rumours, from two different sources, both of some interest to you."
"Did you now?" he chuckled softly, intrigued by her apparent giddy mood.
"I did," she nodded, her grin widening as she approached his desk, resting her hands on the wooden surface as she leaned forward slightly, facing him, "Don't you want to know?"
"I'm very interested to know what you know," he laughed again, turning off the monitor in front of him and running one hand through his hair.
"I hear you have an attending leaving... somewhat voluntarily," she quirked an eyebrow.
"Somewhat voluntarily sounds about right," he rolled his eyes, shaking his head a little, "Nelson hasn't improved since you were temporarily in charge, and honestly got progressively worse in his attitude, clearly not impressed with an outsider taking the head position, so it was lightly suggested by your mother, who I assume is one of your sources, that he leaves, before he was made to leave."
"She's not my source," she shook her head with a laugh, grinning still, "Richard tells me all the gossip around here. I love Ellis, but she really is all business most of the time. If she doesn't want it to involve me somehow, such as a permanent job opening, she wouldn't tell me."
He chuckled again as she rolled her eyes, aware of the constant pestering of her mother getting her to settle down in Seattle, or anywhere really, and have a more permanent, stable position, rather than travelling all over the globe. Personally, he was amazed by the work that Meredith did, and how she was able to juggle all of it while still doing her research and coming up with new clinical trials. It was one of the things he truly loved about her, not that he would reveal that to her. He was pretty sure she wasn't ready for that kind of admittance.
"Okay, so now that I know your gossip source," he matched her grin, tilting his head to the side, "What's this second rumour, and if Richard isn't your source for this one, who is?"
"Oh, this one was actually your daughter," her grin widened somehow.
He was pretty sure he'd never seen her in such a good mood, but he couldn't wrack his brain for what Maddie could've said that would induce this reaction from her.
"What has Maddie been telling you?" his eyebrow rose in confusion.
"She said, and I quote, 'Need to get daddy present, Nana said birthday on Saturday'," she laughed with a playful pout, "Apparently it's your birthday on Saturday, and you didn't tell me."
"I don't really celebrate my birthday," he chuckled, amused to have been ratted out by his daughter.
"You were just going to keep it a secret from me then?" her eyebrows rose as she moved around the desk to stand beside him.
"Not a secret... but I wasn't going to advertise it," he shrugged, turning his chair to face her.
He had to stop himself from reaching out and touching her. Wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his lap. He was just too excited to actually see her again, unannounced, when she'd been away for two weeks. He still had to find out why she was in the hospital scrubs. He hadn't asked when she'd next be bac, but he hadn't felt like it was his place to ask.
"What have you got against your birthday?" she asked, her brow furrowed slightly, a genuine desire to know.
"It's not really something I've celebrated over the past few years, that's all, I didn't know I was supposed to start celebrating again this year," he laughed it off, hoping she might drop it.
"Look, if I'm forced to come home and go to a family dinner on my birthday every year, you can do something for your birthday," she rolled her eyes at him, and damn if it didn't turn him on slightly.
"Fine, I'll... go for dinner with Maddie, is that acceptable enough for you?"
"It'll do," she grinned, as though she was proud of herself.
"Now, why are you in scrubs?" he asked, unable to hold back his own inquisition when another question came to his mind, "And when did you speak to Maddie?"
"So, Richard called because Ellis was stressing and apparently you have also been stressing about probably having to cancel procedures and surgeon annual leave, figured I could help out a bit while you find Nelson's replacement," she shrugged, looking down at her feet, "And I spoke to her about five minutes ago."
"You don't have to do that, Mer," he frowned slightly, standing up out of his chair and leaning against the desk beside her, "We can manage, move schedules around, I can just work extra hours."
"No, you work too much as it is, and it's your birthday weekend, schedule me where you need me and I'll let you know if anything clashes," she shrugged, turning her head to look at him with a warm smile.
Oh, to just reach out and touch her.
"Everything okay?" she rose an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah," he nodded, "I'm just... really grateful. I know how much it means to you to be stuck here."
"I guess I have more control over coming and going than I did when I filled in for Ellis," her lips pressed together a moment, as though she hesitated to say the next words, "and I want to help you, we're friends right?"
"Yes, we're friends," he chuckled softly.
"Well then accept the help," she rolled her eyes as she nudged him playfully.
"I appreciate it, I really do appreciate it," he insisted.
"So, what else is new with you?" she asked, her gaze averting slightly.
"Well... Maddie wants a swimming pool, and a dog, and a cat," he chuckled softly, "and just about everything she sees when we go shopping, and I'm pretty close to just giving her anything she wants. Laura still hasn't been in touch and I'm running out of excuses for Maddie, maybe I can bribe her."
"We both know that's not what you should do," Meredith said with a soft sigh, a small frown in her brow as her hand touched his shoulder, "Maybe it's time to tell her."
"But what if she does come back? What if she comes back next week and decides she still wants to be a part of Maddie's life? I won't want to confuse Maddie like that," he leaned into her touch.
"Do you really think there's a chance she might come back?" she asked quietly, squeezing his shoulder.
"Is it terrible that part of me really wishes she wouldn't?" his head turned to look at her, catching the small smile on her lips.
"From what you've told me, that makes sense," she gave a short, quiet laugh, "I don't want to see Maddie, or you, getting hurt like that."
"You know, you really aren't the tough act you put on," his forehead tilted to touch her, and he closed his eyes briefly, basking in her closeness and glad that she didn't pull away.
"Well, I've let you in now, you are submitted to my inner softie," she whispered.
"Thank you for letting me in," his hand automatically rose, and before he realised what he was doing, his hand was cupping her cheek.
"I miss you," she murmured with a soft sigh.
"I'm right here," he responded, opening his eyes to meet hers.
"Are we doing the right thing?" she wondered aloud, and he could only frown slightly in response.
"What do you mean?"
"It's nothing," she pulled back, her lip caught between her teeth as she shook her head slightly, walking away from the desk.
"Talk to me, Mer," he stood straighter, feeling bereft at her loss of contact.
"I... feel a lot for you," she said in a whisper, avoiding his gaze, "But I can't, we can't."
"Why do you think we can't?" he frowned, stepping toward her.
"You have Maddie, and I have baggage, and you still haven't heard from Laura," she shook her head again, "It's complicated, and messy."
"I didn't stop falling for you, Meredith," he reached to take her hand, squeezing it gently when she didn't recoil from his touch.
"Oh," she breathed, glancing up at him beneath her lashes.
"And you don't have baggage, not in the negative way you're thinking it. You have been through unimaginable pain, and loss, and your strength, that just makes me fall for you more," he told her honestly, "And yes, I have Maddie, and she is my priority, but I'm not worried about how that might affect us, she adores you and you clearly adore and care for her. The only link with Laura is that she is Maddie's biological mother; she will never come between us."
"Are you... are you asking if we," she frowned as her voice trailed off in a surprising nervousness, a blush hinting at her cheeks.
"I want to take you out on a date, just me and you," he pulled her toward him gently, his free hand moving around her waist, "I want to give us a proper shot. None of the random hook ups, and miscommunication. A real, genuine shot. I want a future with you, Meredith Grey, I can see a future with you."
Her face flushed further, and he chuckled slightly, cupping her cheek as she bit own on her lower lip. He grinned softly, using his thumb to gently free her lip.
"What do you say?" he said, his voice quieter now.
"I... yes," she murmured, a hint of a smile on her lips as she kept her eyes on his.
"Can I kiss you?" he touched his forehead to hers again, revelling in their closeness.
"Yes," she laughed softly, lifting her chin until their lips met in a soft kiss.
His fingers weaved into her hair, his fingers threading with hers, giving her hand another gentle squeeze. They stayed connected a moment longer, both feeling a sense of relief in being connected in such an intimate way once again. Their lips moved together slowly, letting one another in again.
"When did you get back in town anyway?" he breathed as their lips separated, but he kept his proximity to her.
"This morning," she laughed, slightly breathless.
"And you went to see Maddie before me?" he quirked an eyebrow in fake offense.
"Of course," she rolled her eyes slightly, grinning at him, "I missed her, she wants to go on a shopping trip with me to get your present, too, I meant to ask you about that."
"I missed you!" he chuckled, moving both of his arms around her and pulling her into a hug, "And I'm sure we can arrange something."
"I missed you too, but she's cuter," she laughed, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Alright, I'll have to give you that one," he relented.
His moved her hand over her hair as he kissed the top of her head, smiling to himself.
He couldn't believe she'd actually said yes. That they were giving this a shot. He never wanted to let her go again, metaphorically anyway.
He knew it wouldn't be easy. He knew there were challenges ahead.
But he was ready to face them all with her.