A Beautiful Day To Save Lives - Jackson Avery

Chapter Twelve

Things were good, at least, as good as Lia imagined they could be. They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like that. Lia felt her throat close up when she thought about calling it "dating." But she went to his apartment almost every evening for dinner (her's was too hard for both of them to be in), and he had her coffee ready to go each morning. It was a nice little routine, and Jackson could feel her starting to settle into the pattern of things. Occasionally, if they both had the next day off, she would even spend the night with him.

And Lia liked waking up next to him. She did. Going to sleep with his arm wrapped over her naked chest, waking up to him breathing sweet words into her ear...it was ecstasy. A drug she was hooked on, that she couldn't get out of. The bruises she left on his shoulders from hard kisses felt just as good as the finger print marks he left on her thighs from grabbing her while he lifted her up against the wall, thrusting himself into her over and over until she was screaming his name. Once they even had a noise complaint called on them. Mortifying, at the time, but hilarious to think about the day after. It was the closest thing she had ever felt to marital bliss, even if they weren't even officially committed.

One night, they were both on call, but she had gone over to his place to eat dinner together. If one of them was getting called in, odds were they both were. Together, they made a nice meal, lemon chicken with a side of arugula salad. Lia stabbed a cherry tomato with her fork, putting into her mouth, chewing and swallowing before stabbing a piece of chicken. "So I was working with one of the new interns today...I think her name was Jo?" She looked over at Jackson quizzically, and he was just staring back at her silently, watching her talk.

"I'm pretty sure that was her name.. the brunette one," she said, thinking it over again. "And she's doing so well, but she gets so in her head!" She bit down on the piece of chicken, savoring the flavor of bitter lemon and salt on the tip of her tongue. "She asked good questions, but so many of them were things she definitely knew the answer to." She shook her head, setting down her fork to take a drink of the red wine - a Merlot she had requested - that was set to her right. She paused, licking her lips and setting the glass back down on the table. Jackson still hadn't spoken.

"What?" She said after a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Were you that intern of your year?" She bit her lower lip, a little embarrassed that maybe he had been, that he was insulted by her casual talk and frustration. She had never pictured him like that - not Jackson Avery, whose family's legacy proceeded him. No, she imagined him as the quiet one, who showed up, did his job, and went home. Not trying to use that reputation for more than he should. But she didn't know much about him from that time, he hadn't told her, and usually she wasn't the type to pry.

When he still did speak, she started to smile nervously, "Jackson, seriously, what is it?" She asked again, more pleading this time, seriously concerned. Why would he clam up like that all of a sudden, just staring at her? It was unnerving, the intensity of his gaze. He was barely blinking, just focused solely on her. "Is there something on my face?" She began to rub at her cheeks and chin, making sure there was no food bits scattered there.

"Let me take you out," He said finally, after what seemed like an eternity. "Let me take you to dinner, Lia." He didn't break eye contact with her as he spoke, worried she would run, like a caged bird with the door finally opened on her. And he was worried about her response, that she would turn him down. For Jackson, things had never worked like this. If he was interested in a woman, she was typically interested back. If he asked her to be with him, she would say yes. All until he met Lia. She had flipped the tables on him completely. He never knew what to expect from her, even after these past days of time together.

"We're having dinner right now?" She said, her brow furrowing in confusion, as she nodded down towards the plate still half full of food in front of her. "That is what we're doing, right?" She chuckled a little top herself. "Unless I've forgotten of the rules of dinner work, pretty sure we've been having it together every week." She quirked her lips up slightly to the right, daring him to tell her she was wrong.

"Ophelia Sloan," He shook his head, trying not to smile because he was truly attempting to be serious. "That's not what I mean. Let me take you out. On an actual date. You and me. At dinner. In public. You'll wear something nice, so will I. We'll meet there, and if it goes well, you take me home." At that comment he did grin, over at her, unable to take his eyes off of her. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, sitting there, staring at him with complete surprise. "Please, Lia. We're together. Let me take you on a real date."

"Oh-okay," She said after a moment, speaking slowly, so as to not choke on the air spiraling around her throat. His words both filled her with excitement, and anxiety. It was her old habits, coming back to haunt her again, making her scared of the potentially good things life had to offer her. "Yea, we can do that," she said, this time more confidently. "Because we're dating." It was hard to say, but she did it, letting a nervous, happy smile bubble to her lips.

Jackson reached across the table and entwined her hand in his. "Perfect. I was hoping you would say that. How about this Saturday? We both have off." She nodded back in reply, her eyes looking truly happy, happier than he had ever seen. This was good. Things, for them, were good.