Running in Circles - Lexie Grey x OC

It Seems Like Eternity

March, 2011
Dexter Avenue — Eric and Lexie's Townhouse

The first page came before sunrise.

Eric was already awake.

The townhouse was quiet.

Dark beyond the kitchen windows.

Coffee brewed while he stood at the counter reviewing overnight notes from Neuro ICU.

Three post-ops.

One consult from Trauma.

Two patients waiting for beds.

An aneurysm clipping scheduled for seven-thirty.

Another case stacked behind it.

The service never stopped.

It simply paused long enough for everyone to pretend they had gone home.

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

Eric smiled immediately.

"Morning, darling."

Lexie pressed her cheek against his back.

"You've been up forever."

"It's six o'clock."

"Exactly."

He set the phone down as she moved around beside him.

Bare feet.

Oversized T-shirt.

Still half asleep.

One hand immediately reaching for his coffee. He moved it away.

"Absolutely not."

Lexie frowned.

"You weren't drinking it."

"I was."

"You were reading."

"Multitasking."

"Work addiction."

"Leadership."

"Those aren't the same thing."

"They are in Neurosurgery."

Lexie wrapped her arms around him again.

Eric covered her hands with his own, resting his chin lightly against the top of her head.

He pressed a kiss into her hair.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm hugging my very busy boyfriend."

"Hmm."

"And not distracting him."

"You're absolutely distracting me."

Lexie smiled.

"Good."

She tipped her head back.

Eric leaned down and kissed her.

When he pulled back, Lexie followed him immediately.

Eric laughed softly.

"What?"

"You have a look."

"What look?"

"The one that says you're about to become an enormous distraction."

Lexie grinned.

"You kissed me first."

"A catastrophic lapse in judgment."