Shooting Stars

CHAPTER 70

The early morning light filtered through the blinds, casting soft golden lines across the rumpled sheets. Aria shifted slightly, her head nestled against Alex's bare chest, the slow and steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her somewhere between sleep and consciousness. His arm was draped lazily around her waist, fingers tracing absentminded patterns along her spine.

She should get up. They both should. The hospital never stopped moving, patients never stopped needing care, and their pagers—currently buried somewhere in the mess of their clothes on the floor—would inevitably start screaming soon. But for now, the world outside could wait.

Alex let out a slow exhale, his hand tightening slightly on her hip as she stirred. "Stop thinking," he muttered, voice rough with sleep.

Aria smirked, tilting her head up to look at him. "I'm not thinking."

"Liar," he murmured, cracking one eye open.

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue, instead shifting so that she was half on top of him, propping her chin on his chest. "Fine. I was thinking about how we have to be at the hospital in an hour."

Alex groaned, running a hand through his messy hair before letting it flop back onto the pillow. "That's the worst thing you could possibly say to me right now."

Aria laughed, pressing a quick kiss to his collarbone. "It's reality."

"Reality sucks," he grumbled, his free hand sliding up to tangle in her hair. "You should call in sick. Stay here."

"Oh yeah? And what about you?"

"I'll call in too. We'll stay in bed all day, order food, and avoid the entire world."

She hummed, pretending to consider it. "Tempting."

Alex rolled them over suddenly, pinning her beneath him as he smirked. "Come on, Grey. Live a little."

Aria arched an eyebrow, running her hands up his bare back. "I am living. Just not stupid enough to get fired over it."

"Bailey would never fire you," he pointed out. "You're her favorite."

"I'm absolutely not her favorite," Aria scoffed.

Alex grinned. "Fine, but she likes you way more than she likes me."

Aria chuckled. "That's not exactly a high bar."

Alex gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. "Wow. You wound me."

She rolled her eyes before tugging him down into a kiss, one that quickly deepened as Alex's hand slid up her thigh. For a moment, she let herself sink into it, let herself forget the hospital, the patients, the looming reality of their shift.

But, predictably, the universe had other plans.

A sharp beep beep beep shattered the quiet, the telltale sound of a pager demanding attention.

Alex groaned, burying his face in her neck. "I hate this job."

Aria laughed, brushing her fingers through his hair. "No, you don't."

"Right now, I do."

The pager beeped again, and Aria sighed, reaching over to dig it out of the pile of clothes beside the bed. "Looks like you're needed in the Pit."

Alex flopped onto his back, rubbing a hand over his face. "Of course I am."

Aria leaned over, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek before reluctantly slipping out from under the covers. "Come on, Karev. Time to save lives."

Alex watched her as she moved to grab a shirt, his smirk returning. "You know, I think I liked it better when you were trying to convince me to be responsible."