Work Text:
“Can we make a deal?”
“Let us never speak of this.”
“Deal.”
1
“I want Owen!”
“Fine, done. Take him!”
It was out before Cristina could think about it, could even take a breath between her words. A moment of realization, and she realized that she meant it. Teddy could marry Owen for all she cared, if Teddy would stay for her.
She stood by what she said, with the raindrops hitting the concrete road behind them.
Teddy had a look, like she couldn't believe what she had just heard, before it turned into something more profound with a spark she had never seen. The next thing Cristina knew was a pair of lips pressed against hers, consuming, demanding, with the weight of someone covering her own body.
It was as sudden as the impromptu kisses she had shared with others, but none was this electrifying. Cristina found herself giving back, parting her lips for the asking tongue.
For a moment, nothing else had really mattered. Not the rain, not the thunderstorm, not the fact that the hospital entrance was glass and literally anyone could see them.
When Teddy pulled back, the warmth of her gone, Cristina felt more hollow than she had originally. As hollow as when Burke left her altar. Without a word, Teddy stepped past her and walked away.
Cristina did nothing but watch the tall blonde leave under the heavy droplets.
—————————— 𖤓 ——————————
“I’ve never seen a hot chemo lavage before. It’s fascinating,” Teddy said. Crisp, smooth, unindicative.
Cristina wondered why she even bothered overthink, toss and turn in her bed, replaying the scene over and over downright to the kiss, when Teddy was hardly going to open the topic. “I thought you were leaving..”
“The Chief asked me to finish out my contract, which has a few more weeks.”
She bit the bullet. “What I said.. I didn’t mean-”
“You mean offering to trade Owen like a horse, or a baseball card, or.. or a stale peanut butter sandwich from your lunchbox.” Crisp, smooth, unindicative, but with a tad of rage? Cristina couldn’t really tell. Nonetheless, she fought the urge to squirm.
“It was thoughtless,” she finally said the words after stammering.
“Fine,” Teddy replied. Cristina wanted to approach the topic of their.. action, too, but in the gallery full of colleagues with prying ears, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
“Fine.”
“Cristina, let’s just forget about it.” There was a hint of urgency and desperation to it that Cristina understood the underlying message.
It meant forgetting about the kiss, too.
Truth be told, Cristina could hardly forget about it, but she could make sure never to bring it up again. She would never bring it up again.
Their hands were too close. The air was too dense. The presence of Teddy was large.
Cristina swallowed them all with the rest of her thoughts and channeled the nerves into focusing on Bailey’s surgery.
2
It was hard not to fall in love with Teddy, despite any earlier mishaps. Teddy was beyond amazing in the OR, and she never shied away from fancy procedures– not because she wanted the fame, but because she knew she could do it– and she let Cristina try them out.
“I’m in love with Teddy. I love her.”
For surgical reasons. Cristina swore to herself. No matter how often she replayed the kiss on that rainy night on nights that she slept alone, the feelings she had for Teddy was purely for surgical, educational reasons.
Teddy was a lightweight. Cristina found it slightly hysterical that the badass desert storm barbie, who was very cool and collected, was a babbler with no filter when she was intoxicated, and it took her less than five cups of alcohol.
On the bleachers, as the group cooled down from their girl’s night with Callie and Arizona bailing already, it only left her, Meredith, Teddy, and Bailey. Cristina wasn’t sure what came over her when she offered to take Teddy home instead of going with her best friend.
The ride was interesting to say the least, with Cristina getting her address from Teddy's license, and Teddy telling stories from her residency years in George Washington U. Medical Center. Arriving in front of a small cottage by the water, she desperately ignored the lean muscles she felt on Teddy as she half carried the blonde attending out of the car. Her strong arms over Cristina’s shoulder, and the clenching stomach as Cristina felt with her hands on Teddy’s waist. Teddy still had not shut up once since leaving the baseball pit.
She should be annoyed. She wasn’t.
Fishing for Teddy’s keys in her handbag, she finally found them and jiggled the lock to the cozy cottage. The door was finally open, and really she should leave. Her job was done. She didn’t need to go in.
It was to make sure that her Attending wouldn’t land face first on the floor, Cristina reasoned as she stepped in.
She could have left Teddy on the couch. She didn’t, as she led Teddy blindly through the doors. Teddy didn’t seem to register that she was being led to her bedroom, taking from the lack of help in direction. Her tales from the younger years were obviously of more pressing matter.
Cristina learned more about Teddy and her wild streak more than she would like to.
Finally finding a room with a bed, after shoving the blanket off to the foot of the bed, she hauled the tall blonde off and into the mattress. What Cristina hadn’t counted on was the hands that were clinging to her shirt; she fell right on top of Teddy.
It felt good. Too good.
Teddy was giggling, with her lean hands on Cristina’s waist, as she began kissing a trail on Cristina’s face, peppering her with small comments of how soft she was. Cristina felt her resolve fading fast when Teddy’s lips finally found her neck, sucking and biting. She couldn’t swallow the gasp or the moan in time.
She should stop. Teddy was drunk. She was involved.
“Teddy..” It took nearly all of Cristina’s energy to yank herself off, and slowly unclasp the grip Teddy had on her. At the pouty look, Cristina took a deep breath before seating herself on the edge of the bed. “Sleep.”
Muttering a few intelligible words, Teddy finally relented and curled herself, her head somehow landing itself on Cristina’s lap. Cristina pulled the covers up as best she could manage with Teddy’s weird sleeping position.
Without thinking, Cristina’s fingers threaded through the golden hair slowly. By the time she caught herself doing it, Teddy was already snuggling up with a sigh of contentment. So, Cristina continued stroking her hair until she was sure Teddy was deep asleep before she readjusted Teddy’s position into a much healthier one and pulled up the cover properly.
The next day, Cristina wasn’t sure if it came as a relief or a disappointment when Teddy didn’t seem to remember the events of last night. She kept the lovemark hidden, though. It was easier that way, both with Owen and with hospital gossip.
When the next day came and Teddy still failed to bring it up, Cristina resigned the events of girl’s night to the things that she and Teddy would never discuss.
3
Generally, Cristina would allow the ‘what Teddy says, goes’ whether in surgery or outside of surgery. It had always worked out. But now, as Teddy dragged her four blocks away from the hospital in her quick strides, both of them still in scrubs, with a hand on Cristina's back to a kid’s playground, Cristina deemed it necessary to speak out.
However, when Teddy finally pushed a white barn-like door open, a bell ringing, and the aroma of rich, grounded coffee hit her nose, Cristina decided to shut up.
“..they serve the best coffee in Seattle, I swear, you have to try it,” she said in her sweet, harmless voice. Cristina recognized the glint in her green eyes, though. “And, I would greatly appreciate it if in the mornings you stop by and get me my order.”
“There it is,” Cristina rolled her eyes playfully. She had to admit, though, that judging from the strong coffee scent and proper looking bakeries, it was a decent café. Minus, the sounds of screaming children in the background.
Which, of course, Teddy would prefer to sit outside where the screams and squeals were worse. The bench Teddy chose was, thankfully, facing away from the playground. The air between them was jovial enough. She couldn’t help but sneak glances at the Attending every few seconds, though.
“Yang, I know you would prefer to be trolling for cardio cases right now, but take this as.. a lesson in finding joy outside of the hospital,” Teddy said, lifting her cup slightly.
Cristina was about to retort when she felt something hit the back of her head, fair and square, before clattering to the floor. She yelped in surprise more than pain, nearly dropping her own cup, followed by a curse.
It was a frisbee, as she saw on the ground. Teddy was gracious enough to half sit, half stand and checked her head out with that soft fingertips of hers, although it was clear in her expression that she was desperately keeping the laughter in.
Cristina settled on a scowl.
“Aw,” she cooed. “All clear. No wounds. I doubt an MRI would be necessary.” Teddy patted the area ever so lightly. “Cristina..”
“What,” she tried to keep the scowl on her face, despite how warm the sound of her name off of Teddy’s lips may have made her feel.
“I..” Teddy bursted out laughing, which really made Cristina want to keep her scowl up. But fuck , Teddy had a great, melodic laugh that was too contagious and the corners of her lips were tugging. “I’m sorry, I.. oh..” she kept laughing, and Cristina found herself turning away to not let Teddy see the smile that crept up. “God, Cristina, I’m sorry,” Teddy finally managed between the wheezes.
“This is your fault,” she did her best grumble, slowly turning back to face Teddy with a mock stern face. “If you hadn’t dragged me out..”
“Aww,” Teddy cooed again, her eyes sparkling.
“If you ever breathe a word of this,” Cristina warned, even though it came out weaker than she wanted.
“Uh-uh,” Teddy shook her head, mimicking a zipping gesture at the corner of her lips, before she bursted out laughing again as a small boy came up behind them to retrieve the frisbee.
The next time Cristina came to get coffee here for the both of them, she carefully stayed away from any flying objects.
4
It had been a while since they had indulged in their.. emotional affair, physical affair,... whatever. Cristina’s vocabulary failed to adequately define whatever it was between them before. It was fine.
She married Owen. Teddy married Henry– which Cristina still wondered what the fuck was up with that. Whatever it was between them stopped. Over.
Until they were at Callie and Arizona’s wedding, while not screaming at the top of their lungs but the searing flames were running through Cristina’s veins with confusion fogging her mind.
“I could not be more sincere.”
A thick lump formed in her gut, settling deep before worming it through her tubes and muscles as Cristina looked straight into Teddy’s green eyes.
“And yet, you still don’t get it.”
It felt as if she was losing her– like Teddy was fading away in the air like quicksand yet she still couldn't grasp at the right rope to pull her up, or if this was a live explosive and she couldn’t cut the right wire.
The metaphorical bomb exploded in her vision as she watched her mentor walk away.
Cristina Yang did not grovel. Cristina Yang did not chase after people. Cristina Yang did not beg people to stay– Teddy was an exception to all of that last year.
Her husband was somewhere in the crowd, dancing perhaps. She couldn’t have cared less.
It shouldn’t hurt that Teddy was leaving her. It shouldn’t hurt like it was the end of a grande relationship.
So, Cristina ran after her as fast as she could in her heels before catching her near the coat room. Without a second thought, her fingers wrapped around Teddy’s forearm, dragging the blonde into the dimmed room.
She wouldn’t beg. She wouldn’t say the words. Instead, Cristina rushed her into the furthest edge of the room, effectively pinning the taller form before capturing her lips with intensity. She felt a small gasp from Teddy, swallowing it, as she finally felt the soft glossed lips thrust back.
Teddy’s hip bone was stabbing at her navel, but really it was barely in Cristina’s list of concern. It had been too long since she felt this rush outside of an OR– the rush that only Teddy could give her, followed by the tenderness with Teddy’s fingers brushing away stray curls of her hair out of her face.
“I’m still mad at you,” Cristina stated between the kisses and wandering hands, sucking in a breath into her aching lungs.
“I’ll live.” It was the same amusement in her voice as the day they had met, the same lift in her tone and a small curl of a smirk at the edge of her pink lips that used to irk her. On pure instinct, in the sanctity of the dimly lit room, she pressed her lips on the smug mouth hard, like she could kiss it off Teddy’s face.
She couldn’t. She took solace in the smudged gloss mixed with her red matte adorning messily over Teddy’s lips that created a thoroughly kissed look instead.
Cristina wasn’t too sure of what she had been thinking when her hand ran over Teddy’s dress-cladded abdomen slowly before it landed on her hips, or what Teddy was thinking when she reversed their positions and Cristina became the one pinned to the wall, an elbow and hand on each shoulder joints, with Teddy’s lips behind her ear, teeth grazing just slightly.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Cristina,” she whispered softly.
“I'll make sure that it's a pretty death.”
Cristina pretended, and failed, that the smooth chuckle to her ear hadn’t sent shivers through her spine.
They were never going to speak of this- that much was clear. But for now, with Teddy's mouth on her skin and the sound of her zipper coming down, it was enough. So enough.