Thank you @amelink-greysanatomy for the prompt idea
/ Here’s a one-shot inspired by this line.
=========================
Set during S16, after Amelia gave birth.
=========================
Link and Amelia are on their way home from the hospital. Not too long ago it’s just the two of them in the car, creating lifelong memories; blasting songs in full volume, the weekly drive thrus at every donut shop around Seattle, grinning from ear to ear while the moonlight hits each others eyes like they’re snow globes in a bed of stars.
And now there’s three.
Amelia just gave birth to this beautiful baby boy. The look on her face shows how, not an ounce, does she regret her decision of raising a kid together with the love of her life.
“I miss our late night drives.” Amelia said, looking out the window. “Staying in the hospital for two days felt like years.”
“I know. Everything’s in slow motion, it sucks.” Link replied, looking back on the time he spent months back and forth in hospital rooms as a kid.
Scout is sleeping comfortably in his car seat. Amelia turned her head around to check on him.
“He sleeps like you.” she tells Link.
“Like a log?”
“Yeah, we could be in the middle of a war and you would still be sleeping.” Amelia chuckled.
“At least I don’t snore.” Link turned to her keeping a straight face.
“I don’t snore, what are you talking about?” Amelia raised an eyebrow.
“Yes you do. It’s cute really.”
“Unless you have proof that I do, I won’t believe you.”
“Now how can you be certain that you don’t? You’re sleeping, how could you possibly know.”
“No. I don’t snore. End of discussion.”
“If you say so.”
Amelia places her left hand on his face grabbing his chin.
“Okay maybe I snore... A little.” she said, pouting her lips. ”But you love me.”
“So you admit it now?” Link remarked. Amelia removed her hand from his face, squinting angrily at him.
“Hey, hey. Sorry. I’m just kidding. Of course I love you even when you snore. You can be as loud as you want.”
Hearing these three words from him turned her frown to a broad smile in no time. A magic potion is what it is.
His features are highlighted by the dazzling street lights; Amelia can’t help but run her fingers, tracing his jawline.
“Chiseled. Like a statue.” she sighed.
—
Link opened the car door for Amelia, he’s chivalrous like that. He thinks that the simple gestures are what keeps the love going. Telling her how pretty she looks when she wakes up, picking flowers and tucking them behind her ear, making tea, or just simply asking how her day went. It’s the little things.
“I got him. Go take a rest. We’d be there in a minute.” he told Amelia.
He carried Scout inside and went straight to their bedroom where they set up his blue bassinet.
Amelia was too exhausted to function that she immediately went to sleep the moment she hit the sack.
-
Birds chirping. The morning breeze slowly brushing through the curtains. It’s a beautiful day.
Link opened his eyes and caught a sight of Scout and Amelia who are still asleep.
Waking up next to her is something he looks forward to every single day of his life. Her beautiful lashes, the way her nose crinkles when she yawns, the lines between her brows which she calls “mind cleavage”, the little freckles on her face that are barely noticeable unless you look at them at a very limited distance — makes him fall in love with her even more. It’s the little things.
He got out of bed to prepare Amelia’s morning refreshment.
—
“Got it. Thank you very much.” Link said, talking to someone. He put his phone down and started boiling some water for Amelia’s favorite passion fruit tea.
Amelia walked in the kitchen and grabbed a green cup that she brought home from Meredith’s.
“Hey, who was that?” she asked.
“Oh it’s Joanne, the new nurse. She told me about my jacket, I left it at their station last night apparently.”
“And she updates you personally? Don’t we have ‘lost and found’ for that.”
“Don’t be jealous. It’s a jacket Amelia. Not a date.”
“I didn’t say I’m jealous.”
“But you are. Nothing to worry about, okay? Love you. I’m yours.” Link said as he kissed her forehead.
“Better be.” Amelia smiled. She placed her hands underneath Link’s sweater, hugging him tightly, her chest touching his back. “Is that passion fruit? god I missed that. But if I’m being honest, I missed this more.” stroking his firm, muscular abdomen.
“Nah uh, doctor’s orders. We have to wait a little longer. Little anticipation won’t hurt.” Link winked at her as if he’s plotting something. “Doctor says nothing about kissing you though.”
“And this?” Amelia placed her hand on his behind.
Link turned to her and kissed her. Slow but intense. They haven’t spent a decent alone time together in weeks. The couple was caught up in the heat of the moment that they almost did it right then and there. On the damn kitchen counter.
“Nope, nope.” Amelia pulled away. Realizing that it may be a bad decision, she grabbed his face with both hands. “You’re right, doctor’s orders. Now can I have some tea, please?” She said, handing the cup.
“Coming right up.”
Link grabbed a packet of her organic green tea that she gets from this Chinese grocery store across Grey-Sloan. He poured hot water in the cup and put two spoonfuls of puree with a little splash of honey. The way she loves it.
“Thanks babe.” she said. “I’m gonna go upstairs, don’t wanna leave him there alone.”
“Yeah, I’ll follow you in a sec.” Link replied.
—
Link walked in the bedroom and saw Amelia sitting on the bed, carrying Scout and planting a kiss on his forehead. The tears started streaming down her face which got him worried.
“Hey. You okay?” wiping the tears on her face.
“I just.. I miss Christopher.” Amelia responded, her voice was cracking, a clear indication that she might break down at any moment.
“I know we didn’t have much time together. It was literally 43 minutes. The hardest 43 minutes I have ever experienced in my life. But it’s beautiful. I keep picturing him and Scout spending time together if he had lived.” she paused.
“It pains me to think that he didn’t get to live the life the might’ve wanted, that he’ll never play soccer and run to me when he scored a goal.” Amelia started crying. She’s been feeling this emptiness ever since she found out that she’s expecting. Link knows it. He rubbed her thighs, making sure she’s not alone in this fight.
“I love Scout. More than anything. It’s just that... Christopher was a huge part of my life. Always will be. And I’m proud that in that little time he spent in this world, he changed so many lives. That’s something I would carry with me forever.”
They haven’t talked about Amelia’s first born since that morning in the plant room. Link knows that it’s something very personal to her and it would be best if he won’t bring it up until she does.
“Amelia, you’re the best mom anyone could ever ask for. What you did was brave. And selfless. That makes you and Christopher a hero. In fact, he’s watching over you right now, babe. He’s never gone.” Link consoled her.
go little rockstar.
“Just cry and scream it all out, Amelia. I’ll get you whatever you need. Okay?
- I’m always gonna be here for you.”
he slowly cradled her head, tilting it so that it rests on his shoulder. She started sobbing.
After a brief moment, she took a deep breath. “Thank you.” Amelia looked up and caught his eye.
“It’s my job.” Link replied.
Link’s phone started ringing.
“Hang on, babe.. I have to get this. You’ll be okay?” Link stood up and grabbed his phone. “I’ll be back, this will be quick I promise.”
“Tell Joanne I said hi.” Amelia sarcastically responds. “Kidding. Go. I’ll be fine.”
—
Few months after, Amelia returned to work.
“Good to see you back!” Maggie gave her a hug.
“Nice to see you around here again, Amelia. People keep asking me for you. You’re in demand.” Meredith went in for a hug as well.
“Can’t wait to cut open some brains.” Amelia grabbed the charts.
“Hey. How’s your first day back?” Link approached her.
“Besides boring, it’s going alright I guess. Had a great cup of coffee at least. How’s Scout?”
“Last time I checked, he’s sleeping. He’s fine, Angela got him.”
“Good, I like Angela. She’s a good one.”
Angela is their favorite person to leave kids with in the daycare. She looked after Meredith’s kids back in the day.
“By the way, I’d like you to meet someone. He’s a patient of mine and he knows you. His parents too. They’ve been wanting see you for days. Years if you will.” Link said.
“Did I treat them before? Alright.”
“No, but it’s more than that. You’ll see.”
-
“This is Dr. Shepherd. You know her, right? Amelia Shepherd.” Link introduced her to this kid.
“Hi! I’m Brandon. Brandon Riley.”
“Brandon... Riley.” her jaw dropped.
“Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Shepherd. You mean a lot to me you have no idea.”
While this kid seemed to be a huge fan of Amelia Shepherd: the goddess of neurosurgery, their connection goes way back.
Brandon is now residing in Seattle with his parents. Few weeks ago he was admitted to Grey-Sloan for a surgery. He broke his leg after falling down three flights of stairs. Link operated on him and is now recovering in the peds floor.
Brandon is a former heart patient at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Due to his heart condition, he needed a transplant. He received one from St. Ambrose Hospital years ago. And his parents had been grateful ever since. They have not met Amelia until today. Seeing her brought joy and heartfelt gratitude to the Rileys.
“that’s for Chicago.”
“Dr. Shepherd. We’re eternally grateful for you and your son. You changed our lives.” Brandon’s mom broke down crying that she almost knelt in front of Amelia. Link broke her fall and helped her get up.
“Mrs. Riley, I- I can’t believe this is real.” Amelia stuttered. “I’ve always dreamed of meeting the families my son has helped. And seeing Brandon in front of me right know, is just... it’s unbelievable.” she said as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes.
Am I dreaming? Is this a dream? I think it is.
“Can I.. hold his hand?” she requested. The parents granted her request without hesitation.
“Hi Brandon. It’s so nice to meet you.” trying her best to hold back her tears, Amelia glanced at Link. He gave her smile and a nod signaling that she’s doing just as fine.
“How are you? Does your leg still hurt? Dr. Lincoln is the best so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“No. I’m okay. Umm Dr. Shepherd....”
“Yeah?”
“What’s your son’s name? The one who gave me his heart.”
“It’s Christopher.”
“Do you wanna feel my heartbeat?”
The first time she felt her son’s heartbeat was also the last. It’s the longing feeling that makes her wanna reach the heavens just to have one more glimpse of him. One more chance to reconnect.
“Yes. If that’s okay with you.”
Brandon spreads his arms wide open. “I’ll give you a hug. So you can pretend you’re hugging him.”
Amelia reached out to hug him back; she felt an instant bond. She looked up and closed her eyes feeling her heartbeat syncing with his; the rhythm of each pulse started to sound like a melody. This is her son’s heart. Alive. Beating.
The realization of it all caused Amelia to dissolve into tears.
She hugged him a little tighter before letting go. “That’s a strong heart you got there. Thank you, Brandon.”
“My pleasure, Dr. Shepherd. My parents told me that the greatest present you can get is the gift of life. And Christopher gave that to me. I promise, I’ll take care of his heart.”
“You be a good boy to your parents, okay? They love you. And be careful next time.” she brushed his hair. “It’s so great to meet you in person. I only heard your name from my chief of staff before.”
-
“Bye, Brandon.” Amelia hands him her calling card. “If you and your family need anything, give me a call.”
“Thank you Dr. Shepherd.” he replied.
Amelia reached for Link’s hand and walked out of the room with him. They took one last look at Brandon through the window, displaying a smile on their faces.
“Let’s go see Scout?” Link wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.
“Love you. Thank you for doing this.” she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
“I know how much this means to you.” Link placed his right hand on her cheek. “I love you. And if you let me, I would love Christopher like he’s my son too.”
“Of course you can, babe. I would love him to have you too as his dad.” Referring to Ryan as his biological father.
“Let’s go.” Amelia embraced him with her left arm and puts her hand inside the pocket of his white coat.
“I can still feel his heartbeat. It’s crazy.” Amelia puts her other hand on her chest.
—
Amelia and her family arrived home after a long day.
“Today was magical. I’ll never forget it.” Amelia’s overflowing happiness from her interaction with Brandon remains existent.
“Rightfully so.” Link beamed with pleasure.
Amelia opened the door and saw a huge bouquet of peonies displayed on the coffee table beside their couch.
“That’s so beautiful. Ohmygod.”
She reads the note that came with the arrangement.
“For the best mom in the world. -L”
“Awhh Link.. you’ve done so much for me already, I can’t thank you enough. I love this. They’re my favorite.”
“I know. You deserve it babe. You brought Scout into this world and no present could ever top that. Gift of life, as they say.” Link kissed her hand. “By the way, there’s no Joanne. I was talking to the florist. I had those reserved.”
“I’m relieved.” Amelia creased up.
Scout woke up and started crying. “Mommy’s here. Mommy’s here. Shhh.” she said, with her baby voice. “Someone’s hungry.”
Amelia placed him in the stroller. She grabbed a pouch of breast milk from the fridge and started warming it up.
Link sat on the couch and gazed at their picture right beside the bouquet. It was a blurry selfie from the conference they went to in San Diego. He kept it in his phone and told Amelia that if they ever end up together, they’ll have it framed no matter how horrible it looks. To take a trip down memory lane if, at any moment, they feel the desire to.
Amelia and Scout joined Link on the couch.
“Whatcha thinking?” Amelia brushed her fingers through his hair.
“You. Our family. How everything started and the things we did for each other.”
“Well...” Amelia shrugged. “I’m holding the proof. And he’s already full.” she chuckled.
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this is the third chapter of my amelink series. quite long but it’s filled with fluff and a hint of drama at the end. so i hope you enjoy!
—
/ amelia and her family visits LA.
—
Part III
•••••••••••••••
it’s a bright sunday morning. Link and Amelia woke up with the light touching their faces, rays coming in through the window blinds made it look like a spotlight. Amelia’s face looked more radiant than ever.
the stunning view put a huge smile on Link’s face, he slowly places his hand on her cheek and runs it down the side of her neck.
“good morning beautiful.” he says.
Amelia smiled back, closes her eyes and held his hand. “good morning. how’s your sleep?” she replied.
“it’s good, i dreamt about you actually.” Link responded.
She opened her eyes. “oh yeah? what’s the dream about? do i look good in it?” Amelia chuckled. she turns her body away from him and wrapped his arms around her.
Link embraced her from the back “of course you do babe.” he said, planting a kiss on her shoulder.
“well, for starters, we’re in LA. at the beach. you were lying on the sand and i was reading a book. you told me to put sunscreen on you and so i did. seconds later, we were making out. then i woke up.”
“i’d say that’s a perfect way to end a dream. you uh... wanna do it now that you’re awake?” Amelia replied. she rolled over and kissed him passionately like it’s the first time.
link pulled down the straps of Amelia’s night gown revealing her soft pale upper bust.
as they were about to take each other’s clothes off, the baby monitor started making noise, a sign that scout is already wide awake. the couple had no choice but to put the idea to rest.
“ahhh. of course.” Amelia rolled her eyes. “every single time. i’ll get him. gonna make us some breakfast too. talk of the town, Amelia Shepherd makes the best waffles.”
Link finds it cute when she speaks in third person. Amelia winked at him and gets out of bed.
“you do. i can eat it everyday.” Link watches as Amelia walks out of the room. he’s so in love with every inch of her that every move she makes is endearing to him.
Amelia approached the door and turned around. “i love you.” she says.
Link glared at her. “i love you too.”
“i’m a lucky girl.” Amelia sighed.
“not as lucky as i am.”
both of them made a pact that they wouldn’t spend a single day without both or one of them telling those three words to the other. as surgeons, they knew that life is too short, that if you have the opportunity to tell someone you love them, you do it. before it’s too late.
•••••••••••••••
“aaahh that smells so good. best waffles ever.” he said, placing his hand on her waist.
Amelia wears this cute white apron that says “i’m a neurosurgeon. okay?” every time she’s cooking. Alex gave it to her as a joke few years ago but she loves it. she says it’s very fitting. her sisters keep making fun of it, asking her if she’s not worried that people might be scared of what they’re gonna eat. but nothing they say can make her give that apron up.
she’s a very sentimental person. Alex became one of her people and keeping that gift is her way of remembering the good times they shared.
—
“hey little man, good morning. wanna go to the beach today?” Link squishes Scout’s cheeks and unfastens the buckle of his high chair straps. Link carried him and placed him on the kitchen counter where Amelia is preparing the plates for their breakfast.
“didn’t know we have beach plans today. did you just think about it this morning?” Amelia asked.
“yeah, can’t stop picturing it. you want to? we can go to Madison Park.” Link responded. “sounds great! i miss that place.” she said with enthusiasm.
“maybe we can make that dream of yours a reality.” Amelia teased him with a smirk.
“i would love that. but we need someone to watch scout.”
“i’ll call the babysitter, she can come with us.”
“great idea.”
•••••••••••••••
carrying Scout with one arm, Link knocks on the bathroom door.
“babe, i’m afraid we might have to cancel Madison Park today, Winston texted me, says it’s too crowded.” Link said with a little disappointment.
Amelia grabs the shower knob and turned it off.
“oh man, i was really looking forward to it.” she said.
“yeah i’m sorry, maybe next time.”
“yeah....” Amelia sighed. “wait-“
“what?” Link said, curious as to what she has in mind.
“i mean... we can visit LA. Charlotte’s been begging me for years. it would be nice to see their faces again.”
“now? but we have work tomorrow.”
“i have Dr. Harvey on-call tomorrow, he can take over my service for a little while, plus the new batch of residents are good so i’m not worried about that. what you think?”
“i can delegate some stuff too. move some of my surgeries under Dr. Randall. okay, you know what, let’s do it. let me make some calls.”
“me too. i’m gonna cancel the babysitting. we should start packing though.”
“i’ll handle mine and Scout’s. you can just pack your things.”
“thanks babe. don’t forget his beeboo. or we’re in so much trouble.” Scout is still on the stage of forming his words properly, he calls his precious brown furry teddy bear, beeboo. he got it as a present from his Uncle Owen during his first birthday. he can’t live without it since.
Amelia gets out of the shower, started fixing her hair and put on some makeup.
—
Amelia and Link sat on their seats. surprisingly, Scout is well-behaved for a kid who’s riding an airplane for the very first time.
“you alright turkey? we’re gonna fly. like Peter Pan. woosh!” Link gestured his hand in a flying motion.
“yaaaa!!” Scout exclaimed.
Amelia gave a sigh of bliss. looking at her beautiful little family.
“may we request everyone sit down. fasten your seatbelts, we are about to take off.” the flight attendant spoke over the microphone.
Amelia and Link held Scout’s hand making sure he feels safe the entire flight.
-
after an hour, Scout fell asleep peacefully. he rests his head on his mommy’s chest.
“gotta be honest, i’m a little scared.” Amelia said.
“what are you scared about?”
“i don’t know, the memories maybe. staying in LA is one of the best days of my life but also the worst. have i told you that they set up an intervention for me in that place? i was too high at that time, i was a mess. a big scary mess.”
“yeah you mentioned the intervention but not every little detail. and i’m not gonna force you to tell me everything if you’re not comfortable. that was all in your past. you’re a better person now.” Link kisses her forehead. he grabbed Amelia’s hand to reassure her. their fingers danced to the beat of their hearts.
“i’ll accept you and your flaws, whatever they may be. that makes you, you. and i love you.” he added.
“don’t know what i’ll do without you, really. my big calm mountain.” Amelia kissed his hand in return. “but i’m also very excited to see everyone. it’s been a long time.”
—
Amelia and her family arrived at Seaside Health and Wellness.
“does anyone know we’re coming?” Link asked.
“i texted Addie, she’s at the hospital for a surgery. she’ll be back at 5.”
“and Charlotte?” Link replied.
“she surprised me. i’m returning a favor.”
—
as they’re about to step foot in the building, they heard a loud bang. people are screaming.
a lady got out of the car, “we need help!! somebody call an ambulance!!” she yelled.
“well, guess you’re the one who got surprised.” Link remarked sarcastically.
they both rushed to the scene. “i’m gonna check on them. call 911.” Link handed Scout to Amelia so he can check the severity of the situation. the little baby started crying so Amelia stepped aside to attend to their son, “honey everything’s okay, but don’t look over there. i don’t want you to see that. mommy’s here, you’re gonna be fine. i got you.”
Amelia calls the line. “hello. i’m Doctor Shepherd. we need an ambulance in front of Seaside Health and Wellness, please. a car ran into a pole right around the corner, multiple injuries.”
“we’re on our way doctor.” the paramedic answered.
“Link, is he responsive? Link!” Amelia worries.
“sir.. sir don’t move. i’m Doctor Lincoln. follow my finger” he puts his index finger in the air and let the man follow his direction. he poked the guy’s arm a little bit, “can you feel that?” the man nods. he responded well.
“he’s responsive... atleast for now. his head is bleeding, i see some glass shards. and his arm is broken, we need to get him to the hospital, fast.” he said.
the paramedics got into the scene after few minutes.
“i have to go with them, Amelia.”
“no, yeah you should. i’ll go straight to the hospital, i just need to leave scout with Violet, i hope she’s there. i need to check on that bleed.”
—
“Amelia!! ohmygod!! hi how are you??” Violet yelled of excitement. she has not seen or heard from her for years.
“i’m good, but there was an accident right out front. my boyfriend Link went with the paramedics. he’s an orthopedic surgeon. and i have to check the guy’s possible hemorrhage. it’s quite bad.” Amelia said all these words in a matter of seconds, she’s clearly in a rush.
“oh and by the way, this is Scout, my son. can you watch him for a minute? please?”
“yeah yeah no, it’s fine. there’s a play pen in the lobby, he’s gonna love it. hi there little guy.” Violet accepted and carried Scout in her arms.
“thank you so much. i’ll catch up with you when i get back, i swear.”
“mommy will be back. okay babe? i love you.” Amelia kissed his cheek before rushing through the elevator.
“thank you Vi!” Amelia waved goodbye.
—
Amelia entered the emergency room and saw Link wearing a trauma gown.
“hey, how’s our patient?” Amelia asked.
“he’s stable. his speech is a little slurred though. i stabilized his arm but he needs surgery. just waiting for the scans.”
“Charlotte gave you privileges? where’s she?”
“the next room. i already told her you’re coming, you have yours now too.”
Amelia grabbed a trauma gown and started checking on her patient.
“we need to get him a head CT. and book an OR please. we don’t know how much shards are in there” Amelia ordered the nurse.
“MVC incoming!”
Amelia stopped for a brief moment before she realized who that person is.
it’s James.
“ohhh no.” Amelia gasped.
she didn’t imagine that the love of her life and James, the guy she almost married, will be in the same room together. ever. this was not in any of her plans. shit.
Amelia tried to run away but James already saw her.
“Amelia?”
she had no choice but to turn around. he saw her, it’s too late. she can’t run now.
“James. hi. umm.. there was an accident, we were visiting and there was... an accident. in front of our eyes. life’s funny that way.” Amelia bursted in fake laughter.
“haven’t seen you since...” James got interrupted when Link entered the room.
“hey babe, let’s go.” Link said, handing Amelia the charts.
“hi, i’m James Peterson. i run the ER. nice to meet you doctor....”
“Lincoln. ortho.”
“oh, well nice to meet you Dr. Lincoln, thank you for your help. appreciate it.”
“ofcourse. pleasure to meet you too Dr. Peterson.”
“Dr. Shepherd.” James nodded and smiled at her. he left the room right away.
—
“must be nice to see familiar faces huh.” Link rubbed Amelia’s shoulder.
“yeah. but.. i expected you to react differently. i’m surprised you weren’t fazed or something.”
“why would i be?”
“it’s James... the one i ran away from. we were engaged.”
au plot: amelia and link got into an accident, amelia was left with serious head injury that resulted in amnesia.
—what would link do? will he let her go and move on or will he stay and remind her everyday about the life that they had, the memories that are now crushed like fine sand, waiting for the waves to wipe them away?
A/N: Hi, it’s been a while, but here’s part 4 of If the Sun Comes Up! (AU - interns fic). This is me ignoring s17!!! Sorry for the delay, this has been repeatedly deleted from my drafts for the last week & then i didn’t even edit or make changes SO idk what all that was for. anyway thank you for sticking with this story! Previous parts here: part 1 // part 2 // part 3
Or, you can read on ao3.
_______
And so it starts, you switch the engine on
We set controls for the heart of the sun
One of the ways we show our age
_______
She has no idea how she got here. Or more specifically, how she could be pressured into something like this. Maggie typically prided herself on standing firm; standing her own ground and refusing to be swayed by others. But none of that self-proclamation holds true right now.
Because she’s here. Driving Winston’s car. Trunk filled to capacity and two of her roommates squeezed into the backseat.
The hypocrisy of it all is almost infuriating. Because Maggie hates camping.
“I hate camping,” she voices her detest out loud.
An apologetic sigh can be heard from Winston next to her, where he sits passenger side. But ultimately, it’s Amelia’s voice that grabs her attention, the bewilderment making itself known from the backseat.
“Oh, come on,” there’s an element of disbelief to her tone, and Maggie locks eyes with her through the rear-view mirror.
“Step out of your comfort zone a little, Maggie!” She raises her eyebrows, beginning to gesture with her hands. Link shuffles in his seat, where he’s squeezed in tightly beside Amelia, in an attempt to free up a little space for her body language. Some of the camping supplies had ended up packed over half of the backseat, and Maggie can’t help but chuckle at the proximity of Amelia’s hand to Link’s face as she gestures absentmindedly. “It’s camping. It’s adventurous, it’s-”
Maggie has since focused back on the road, but the sudden pause in speech makes her feel uneasy. Amelia’s focus shifts from the packaged tent next to her, to the back of Winston’s head, and then back to Maggie.
“It’s sleeping in a tent,” she continues, a spark of gleam in her eyes as she scans the couple in the front seat. “Or, maybe it’s not sleeping. Hey, I mean, whatever the two of you-”
“Amelia,” Maggie cuts in, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter as Winston’s hand comes to rest on her knee, giving it a soothing squeeze.
“Come on, babe,” Winston murmurs. “It’ll be fun. And plus, Karev would definitely be proud of us.”
Maggie grins a little, despite herself.
They’d been a bit all over the place, as a group of interns. A little bit too chaotic and never fully on the same page. As their resident, Karev was constantly voicing his impatience about the dynamics of the group. She partly thinks that yes, Alex would be proud of the bonding journey that they’d chosen to embark on, but the more realist part of her brain can’t ignore the obviousness that being roommates was probably bonding enough.
Maggie peeks in the rear-view once more, this time checking to make sure that Lexie and Jo are still following in the car behind them. She catches Amelia’s stare again and consequently feels the need to brace herself.
“Babe?” Amelia bites her lip, repeating the pet name Winston had just used. “What happened to ‘we’re just friends?’”
“We are friends.” Maggie sighs, trying her best to ignore the amusement that radiates from Winston at this specific call-out.
“And Link and I are friends,” Amelia’s quick with her rebuttal, tilting her head towards Link. “I don’t go around calling him babe.”
Link sucks in a breath, and then another one, with the addition of Amelia’s afterthought. “But maybe I’ll start.”
It’s subtle. The way Link’s face changes. He hides it just as quickly as it surfaces. But it’s there, she hasn’t imagined it, and it’s the first thing to make Maggie genuinely smile for the length of the trip so far.
“I’m kidding,” Amelia nudges Link with her shoulder. “I can come up with a better nickname than that.”
“Okay enough,” Maggie suppresses the grin she feels spreading across her cheeks. She reaches forward for the knob on the dashboard, turning the music up.
Link’s relief at the diversion tactic is almost palpable. Maggie can practically feel it from the backseat. She thinks maybe the feeling rising in her chest equates to sympathy.
She loves Amelia. She really does. Which is saying a lot, especially for her. It takes effort for her to grow comfortable with people, or to even relate on any level. She’s always felt a step ahead of most people in life. But Amelia really challenges her. It’s only been a couple of months since they’d met, and somewhere along the way, things changed. Amelia’s unpredictable nature had shifted from something Maggie initially feared, to something she appreciates. Like the human embodiment of the push she needs. The push she needs to take things less seriously, or the push she needs to open up and be spontaneous. Whatever the case, it’s never felt more necessary. Like she’s been missing out on it for too long. So, she tries to embrace it at every turn.
“Are we almost there?” Amelia pipes up again from the backseat. “I have to pee, and believe me, I’m down for a little side-of-the-road action if that’s what it comes down to-”
Maggie groans impatiently. But then she remembers about embracing it. So decidedly, her next words sound gentle. “We’re almost there, hold it together.”
_______
It ends up taking two full hours for six surgical interns to figure out how to set up a campsite. And even though the task is grueling, the level of teamwork somehow exceeds what they normally display during a typical hospital shift.
The sun starts to set as the second of the two tents finally stands on it’s own and everyone takes a moment to finally relax.
“That wasn’t too bad,” Link sits back against the tree on the outskirts of their surrounding area.
Jo huffs out a breath as she joins him, rolling her eyes. “That was two hours of my life that I’ll never get back.”
“What’s next?” Amelia steps out of the larger tent, pulling a sweatshirt over her head. “Does anyone know how to build a bonfire?”
_______
She has no idea how it got to this. How six grown adults could resort to immature party games around a campfire and feel so content about it. Maggie had been relieved when the game of ‘truth or dare’ ended as quickly as it started. She’d been hoping for something a bit more intellectual. A little less high school.
Unfortunately her hopes were never granted.
“Wait, I feel like the stakes aren’t high enough.” Amelia had tossed the observation out flimsily.
But the observation had its impact.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
And then the ideas had piled on.
“Loser has to cover my scut work in the ER all week.”
“No way.”
“Loser has to make us each a s'more.”
“Nah. Stakes not high enough.”
“Loser has to jump in the lake.”
Amelia had voiced the last one, resulting in a surprised type of silence. The type of silence that could raise stakes.
It was the ultimatum they were looking for, apparently. And to much of Maggie’s dismay, they hadn’t moved on to an intellectual game. Nothing worth raising the stakes over, at least.
Because they’d settled on a game of ‘never have I ever.’
“Okay, okay. My turn. What have I not done…?” Amelia trails off, deep in thought, and it earns some chuckles from the group. “Oh! Never have I ever had a threesome.”
Suspectful eyes dart around the bonfire, and Link’s attempt to conspicuously fold down a finger fails.
“Link!”
Jo giggles hysterically.
“You have?” There’s surprise in Amelia’s voice, and it corresponds with the way her face lights up.
“You haven’t?” Link bites back.
“Well, almost, I guess. But-”
“Okay!” Jo interjects. “No need for context! That’ll just slow us down. Link, your turn.”
“Okay,” Link grins determinedly across the bonfire, eyes landing on Amelia. “Never have I ever almost had a threesome.”
Amelia scoffs, dropping a finger.
“Wait!” Maggie fast-tracks her disapproval. “Are we singling people out now? The game will end too quickly if we-”
“Never have I ever been named after an iconic literary figure.” Amelia jumps in again, completely ignoring Maggie’s objection.
Link drops a finger, rolling his eyes. Too easy.
“Never have I ever slept with Mark Sloan.”
He sounds proud of this one. And all focus drifts to Amelia, whose eyes narrow only slightly as she drops another finger.
“You did what?” Maggie seems skeptical.
“You did what? When?” And Lexie’s voice sounds strained.
“Shit, sorry. Too far?” Link’s pride genuinely replaces itself with worry.
“I never meant for it to be a secret.” There’s something distinct about Amelia’s tone as she jumps back into the game, clearly with the intention of going after Link again. “Never have I ever-”
“No!” Maggie seems to be the only one intervening at this point. “No, stop. My turn. If we play it your way, this game will be over in two seconds.”
Amelia and Link shrug dismissively amidst the general hums of agreement.
“Never have I ever…” Maggie pauses, taking a moment to truly think on it. She racks her brain for ways to prolong the game. “Never have I ever been arrested!”
Amelia slowly drops her last finger, a grimace consuming her face, and Maggie’s mouth opens wide in shock.
“Amelia, what,” she breathes. “I was trying to keep people in the game. What-”
“We agreed on no context!” Amelia is quick to refute, forcing a grin as she repeats the request spoken earlier.
“Okay….” She draws out her response, and the next part of her sentence sounds quiet, or laced with secondhand defeat. “But you lost the game already.”
“That’s fine,” Amelia is just as quick to stand from her chair, shrugging casually at what that entails.
“Amelia-”
“To the lake? Or am I doing this without witnesses?”
Maggie’s brows furrow at the bitterness that exists in that question, but then Amelia turns, walking away from them, and Maggie is the first to go after her.
_______
"Amelia, you’re the one who made the rule. You can’t back out now.”
They’re all huddled together at the sandy area near the dock that edges out into the dark lake, and Maggie can’t hold back her impatience. She’s a rule-follower, after all. She's also cold. And she just wants to be by the bonfire again.
“I know, I know. I’m….” Amelia trails off, exhaling harshly. “Just give me a minute.”
There’s momentary quiet. The kind of quiet that nearly gives room for everyone to re-think what’s about to happen. But, if anyone's thoughts were the loudest, they were Amelia’s.
“The sun was still out when I made up this rule!”
That’s true. Maggie can give her that. It’s late now, purely dark outside except for the glow of the moonlight reflecting off of the lake.
“We don’t know what’s in there…” Amelia adds, eyes focused on the body of water before them. “We don’t know if it’s safe to swim here.”
“It’s a state park,” Winston chuckles.
“And there’s a sign right there,” Lexie adds matter-of-factly, nodding towards the edge of the sand. “No lifeguard on duty. Swim at your own risk.”
“Amelia, it's a swimming beach.”
There’s an element to Amelia’s expression that Maggie sees herself in. It provokes that feeling. The heart-lurching feeling that comes with the awareness that you can’t bring yourself to do the thing you intend to do. The restlessness that rises with the opposition of your mind moving miles a minute but your feet remaining frozen where you stand. It takes place in the nervous system. And it’s like the physical manifestation of not being able to rip the bandaid off, or not being able to take the plunge, to be more literal in this scenario.
Suddenly, Maggie’s hit with the fleeting recognition that everyone’s the same deep down. Some were just better at hiding it than others.
The revelation almost makes her feel sympathy. Almost.
Because Amelia’s version of hiding it was turning out to be displaced over-confidence.
“I knew you were all talk and no-”
“I’ll jump in with you,” Link interrupts, nudging Amelia, who shakes from her daze as she turns away from the lake, locking eyes with Link.
“Shit, I’m down, too,” Jo shrugs. “I’m right behind you guys.”
A look of pure skepticism crosses Amelia’s face, and Link just starts to grin, hugely.
“No,” Maggie breathes. “No, no, no.”
Because she knows what this is about to turn into. And then it’s all happening, fast.
Link is stripping down to his boxers, tossing his clothes into a pile on the grass just left of the dock. And then he’s running. His feet clamber against the wood paneling as he takes off over the structure that extends along the shore and into the body of water.
There’s a huge splash. And then he resurfaces, gasping.
“It’s not that deep, come on!” He yells. “And it’s warm, too. Like a hot tub!”
The next thing Maggie registers is that Jo is following suit, peeling off her sweatshirt and tossing it towards Link’s pile of clothes.
She feels Winston’s hand grip her shoulders, gently pushing her towards the dock as he murmurs “Come on, babe.”
There’s another splash somewhere, and then Jo resurfaces, giggling hysterically. "Link!” She gasps dramatically, “You liar, this is fucking freezing!”
And all Maggie can think is this is so unfair.
_______
It’s so unfair.
The fact that five people have somehow endured jumping into this lake and yet, Amelia remains unscathed. Secure, on dry land, a smirk on her face that can only signify that she thinks she’s won.
“Amelia!” Maggie yells once again. “You have thirty seconds to get into this water.”
“Maggie-”
“No way,” Maggie cuts her off before the smug tone can set her off even further. She lets go of Winston’s shoulder, which she’s been holding onto for dear life since she jumped in, and she swims closer to the dock. Closer to Amelia. “I won’t let you play us like this.”
Amelia grins further, dipping just her toes in the water. “Maggie, I’m not trying to play anyone, I-”
“Get in the water, Amelia!” Maggie shouts, but her impatience only leads to more smugness on Amelia’s behalf.
She almost gives up. Accepts defeat. But then Link is joining her, inching towards Amelia on the dock, whose expression falters only slightly as they approach.
“Should we splash her?” Maggie tilts her head towards Link, inquisitive edge to her voice. “We could splash her.”
The threat seems to be the push Amelia needs. She shakes her head incessantly as they make their advance, and she takes a deep breath before she goes to remove her jeans, adding them to the pile of clothes that everyone else has stripped off.
Jo whistles from somewhere further out into the lake and Amelia’s smirk returns, a complete result of the knowledge that she has an audience. Her classic Harvard sweatshirt gets added to the pile and then she’s on an even playing field with everyone else, dressed down to whatever underwear she’d thrown on this morning.
They continue their approach, and Amelia looks down just as a burst of wind forcibly shakes the branches of a tree above, thus causing her to wrap her arms around herself.
“You’ll warm up faster if you get in, Shepherd.” Link says in a low tone.
“I know,” Amelia’s tone is just as low. “But I’m not jumping.”
“What happened to adventurous?!” Maggie mocks her. Not harshly, but more so aiming to re-inspire the fearlessness that previously had been.
“I’m not jumping in,” Amelia repeats as she sits at the edge of the dock, letting the water hit her up to about mid-shin. “I’m just gonna kind of slide in….” She trails off as Link pushes forward, now in shallow enough water to stand. And when Amelia goes to wrap her arms around herself again, Maggie swears it’s out of modesty this time.
“It’s harder that way,” Link smiles up at her. “But okay.”
“Okay,” she repeats his sentiment, but doesn’t make any move to get into the water.
“Okay,” Maggie interjects, directing her next words at Link. “As apparently the only rule-follower here, I give you full permission to do whatever it takes to get her into this water already.”
Her instructions result in a mischievous twitch of Link’s lips, and conversely, a look of complete betrayal from Amelia.
“Your rules.” Maggie quietly defends herself.
Link turns back to Amelia, who meets his gaze with pure panic in her eyes. But he steps closer anyway, placing his hands around her shins and pulling her a couple inches closer to where he stands in the water.
She gasps. Her hands fly out, landing on his shoulders. “Wait wait wait!” She cries, the alarm in her voice matching the frantic action of her nails digging into his skin.
Link stops his movements, placing his hands on her knees as he tries to read her facial expression.
Her eyes dart between his. “You swear it’s not too cold?”
“It’s not cold, Amelia,” he murmurs, moving his hands underneath her bare thighs and pulling her forward an inch more.
Maggie looks between the two, suddenly feeling out of place, or like she’s witnessing a private moment. But, she can’t tear her eyes away. She feels transfixed by the eye contact happening between the pair, and she lets out a stunned chuckle.
“It’s not cold,” Link repeats, and now Maggie scoffs. Because this moment is becoming almost unbelievable with tension. But then Link’s expression changes. Just as quickly as flipping a switch. The facet of mischief returns to his eyes and then he’s opening his mouth again.
“And I’m so sorry for this!” He shouts as he finally pulls Amelia into the water, throwing his head back with laughter as she resurfaces before him.
Her arms are still wrapped around his shoulders in a viselike grip. “Alright, screw you for that!” She laughs as she comes to her senses, consequently letting go and distancing herself from Link. “But thank you, I guess."
“My pleasure.”
Maggie watches, eyes burning with curiosity, and she’s not able to hide the smile that creeps onto her lips as the pair move as far away from each other as possible. The interaction is way too amusing, and part of her feels like, if she were the menacing type, this would be the perfect opportunity to pay back some of Amelia’s relentless teasing with some of her own.
“Can we get out now?” Lexie swims up, interrupting her thoughts. “I’m kinda over this.”
“I just got in. Was that for no reason?!”
“And whose fault is that?” Maggie snickers. But it doesn’t sound harsh at all, as she offers Amelia a comforting smile.
When they eventually leave the shoreline, Maggie feels a sense of fondness course through her. Or maybe protectiveness. Whatever the feeling, it was definitely the stark opposite of her previous annoyance with the way the evening was turning out.
She carefully observes as Amelia slows behind the group, and she slows with her, matching her pace.
Amelia offers her a small smile, before a shiver takes over her body, interrupting her guise. It makes sense, Maggie thinks. Because soaking wet hair and the sun going down in the middle of nowhere might just bring on that sort of involuntary action.
But she can’t ignore the shift in energy. The sudden vanishing of the confidence and even the playful competitiveness.
“You okay?” She eventually asks.
“Tired.” Amelia only offers a shrug, her thumbnail nearly reaching the corner of her mouth in a restless action. But it’s like she catches herself, as Maggie’s stare burns into her, and instead she drops her hands to her sides.
“Me too,” Maggie’s voice is soft, and an impulse rises in her that screams comfort. Suddenly, her arm is wrapping around Amelia’s shoulder tightly, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Let’s get some sleep.”
_______
It’s a known fact that Maggie hates camping. She can think of several reasons for that. One of the side effects she’d fail to consider, though, was the consequent lack of rest that would come with it.
It couldn’t be any later than 5am, she concludes, as she unzips her and Winston’s tent and steps out into the dark campground.
To much of her surprise, she’s not alone. She’s not the only one experiencing the unwanted side effects of sleeping in a tent.
“Hey,” Amelia’s voice sounds gravelly, as she perks up from the chair she’s seated at around the empty bonfire. “Good morning.”
“How can it be morning?” Maggie groans. “Does it really count as morning when you didn’t get any sleep at all?”
“You’re preaching to the choir.”
Maggie frowns. “You didn’t sleep?”
“Link snores. And Lexie talks in her sleep….” Amelia weakly attempts a smile, and it just makes Maggie’s frown deepen.
“Everything alright?” She asks.
“Yeah, just wish I’d slept better.”
Maggie squints, because there’s detail there that she can’t quite decipher. She scans Amelia’s face another moment, before an idea strikes.
“Do you want to go on a hike with me? Watch the sunrise?”
“You don’t really seem like the hiking type.”
“You’re right. I guess ‘hike’ is a strong word. But anyway, how about it?”
Amelia stares blankly at her for a long moment, before eventually she nods, standing up.
“Alright,” Maggie grins. “Let me tell Winston where we’re going first.”
_______
They take a marked path. Signs at every turn highlight for them which way to go. It’s a few minutes into the hike before either of them speaks. It’s Amelia who opens up the conversation.
“Ready to be home?”
Maggie laughs. “Absolutely. I’ve been ready since the moment we got here.”
“Well, hopefully they have the cars all packed by the time we get back.”
Maggie nods, then reaches for the water bottle she’d brought with her, taking a few sips.
“Do I tease you and Winston too much?”
The question completely catches Maggie off guard, and she harshly swallows her sip of water.
“Huh?”
“I can be….a little overbearing sometimes. But,” Amelia offers a quick side-glance. “At least I’m self aware about that.”
“Not at all. I mean, honestly, Winston gets a kick out of it so-”
“Yeah, but do you?”
Maggie stops walking, her face muddled with confusion. It takes Amelia a moment to realize she’s stopped, and she turns around, meeting Maggie’s stare expectantly.
“Amelia….If it bothered me I would tell you.”
Amelia nods at this information, and then turns away, continuing on the path.
“Was I too harsh last night? About the rules of the game?” Maggie quickens her pace, catching up.
“No,” Amelia laughs under her breath. “We needed the discipline, I think.”
“Yeah but you didn’t need to jump into that lake. I can be a little of overbearing sometimes, too, so-”
“Nah. We balance each other out.”
Maggie squints, a little surprised by that observation. She’s taken aback by the accuracy of it, and it’s evident in her inflection.
“We kind of do, don’t we?”
Amelia beams at her, before her gaze returns to the path below. “I’m glad we came to that realization.”
Comfortable silence falls between them, and there’s a few minutes dedicated purely to the hike, before Amelia clears her throat to speak again.
“Although, I am trying to jump less. So maybe I need you to balance me out just a little more.”
“You lost me,” Maggie quirks an eyebrow at her. “Are we talking about the lake still?”
“Metaphorically. Maybe.”
Maggie’s expression just grows more perplexed, urging Amelia to continue.
“I’ve been….historically known to jump into things. Or people. Or habits, or…” She cuts herself off with a harsh breath, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “I’d like to do that less. The whole….jumping blindly and hoping I’ll land, thing. So. Maybe I need you to balance me out a little more.”
Maggie nods, slowly grasping the explanation. “I get that.”
“Do you?”
“Well, no,” Maggie frowns. “I’ve never been one to….do anything, really, without weighing the pros and cons first. But, I do get what you’re saying, though. Even if I can’t personally relate.”
Amelia keeps her eyes glued to the path ahead, and the lack of response forces Maggie to attempt filling the silence with her own self-reflection.
“I’ve been thinking of taking a note from you, in that way, actually. Sometimes I really need to think less.”
This makes Amelia smile. “Maybe we can try to meet in the middle somewhere.”
“Yeah, that might be good for us.”
As the conversation trails off again, Maggie can’t help but question what specifically Amelia is referencing. She doesn’t want to push, especially given her recent self-proclamation as overbearing. But part of her thinks that one last inquiry won’t hurt.
“You and Link seem to have fun.”
Amelia’s eyes snap up to Maggie’s face before the sentence is even finished.
“What makes you say that?”
There’s not an ounce of emotion in Amelia’s expression. It’s probably the best poker face Maggie has ever seen. And so she’s careful with her next words, her voice slow and questioning.
“I just mean....you know….the banter?”
“Banter?”
“Yes the banter, Amelia,” she lets out a stunned chuckle. “I don’t know how else to put it! It’s like you’re constantly play-fighting. It’s like….it’s like this weird, alluring competitiveness that’s almost uncomfortable to watch. It’s being at each other’s throats over a stupid game of ‘never have I ever.’ It’s the craziest form of flirting I’ve ever witnessed, and it’s-”
“Link and I are friends.”
“Winston and I are friends.” She bites down on her grin, trying to contain the pride that radiates as she uses Amelia’s own pointed claims against her.
“Okay, don’t pull that on me.”
“I think it’s perfectly fair-”
“Maggie.”
“Amelia.”
Two pairs of eyes tighten upon scrutinized contact.
“Amelia,” she softens her expression a bit. “All I’m saying is….despite it being weird to watch.” She releases an awkward exhale. “I think it works. I think you’ve kinda met your match.”
“There’s no match to be made, Maggie! I’m-”
They’re both a little caught off guard by the frustration and volume of Amelia’s tone. And Amelia takes a moment to breathe before she continues, an octave lower this time.
“I’m jumping less, remember?”
Maggie wants to frown. She wants to disagree. She almost wants to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
But they’re edging towards the outskirts of the campsite. She can hear voices, and the distinct sound of car trunks slamming shut. Which signifies that they’re nearing the end of the hike, so she bites her tongue instead, because Amelia looks too exhausted to argue it more.
They clear the trees, entering the campground, and Winston watches them approach.
“Hey! Cars are packed, but it’ll be a tight squeeze again,” he smiles sympathetically. He walks forward to rest his hands on Maggie’s shoulders in familiar reassurance. “And you get to sleep in the car, because this time I’m driving.”
_______
Maggie doesn’t think she’s imagining this part.
Her lack of sleep the night prior results in Winston’s refusal to let her drive. Which only bothers her a little, because the exhaustion outweighs her requisite for control.
Her eyes feel heavy as she rests her head against the window. She tries to focus on the road ahead as Winston drives; doesn't want to give up being a second pair of eyes as she sits passenger side. But her fatigue gets the best of her. Although it’s difficult to separate her overtired brain from certainty, she doesn’t think she’s imagining this part.
She hears it first. Link’s chuckle.
It’s enough to shake her from her reverie. She lifts her head and tries to be conspicuous as she turns, glancing into the backseat.
Amelia’s sat in the middle seat again, squeezed tightly between the camping supplies and then Link on the other side of her. Her eyes are fighting to stay open, and she's doing that weird head bobbing thing. That subconscious move that happens quite literally before falling asleep.
“Hey. Here.”
The sound of Link’s voice causes Amelia’s eyes to widen, quickly becoming aware of herself. She continues to blink, fighting off a bout of exhaustion that Maggie completely sympathizes with.
When Amelia locks eyes with him, Link simply pats his shoulder, indicating a potential landing spot for her head.
She frowns tiredly at him.
“Just do it,” he shrugs, patting his shoulder again. “I’m a better option than that boxed tent.” He nods past her. “As far as pillows go, at least.”
Amelia seems to fight it for a second. She really does. Her eyebrows pull together as she continues to stare blankly at Link.
Maggie diverts her attention because once again, she feels like she’s intruding on some private moment. But she remains listening. She can’t help it. There’s some shuffling around and then-
“Hm.” She hears Amelia hum. “You do make a decent pillow.” It’s followed by a murmured “Thank you.”
“Sure. What are friends for?”
Link’s response is barely a whisper, but Maggie can hear it still, even over the general hum of the highway below. She doesn’t think she’s imagining this part.
What are friends for?
It’s enough to make her turn in her seat again, an incredulous stare plastered on her face as she raises her eyebrows in Link’s direction.
He seems not to notice her interest, or rather her disbelief. Because his focus is consumed by the dark head of hair resting against his shoulder.
Amelia’s eyes are shut tight, her expression revealed when she adjusts herself slightly against him. And then Link smiles to himself, still unaware of the scrutiny descending from the front seat.
Maggie allows the doubt to flood her mind as she turns to rest against her own window again, and she fights off a smile as she lets her eyes finally close.
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A/N: Sorry for the delay- here’s part 3 of If the Sun Comes Up! (AU - interns fic). It’s been a while since i’ve updated this so if you need a refresher, previous parts here: part 1 // part 2
If you’ve sent me a prompt recently, or even a while back, I promise I am starting to get to them. I’m on a break from school so I’m trying to write as much as I can <3 Also, I’m starting to switch around the POV for this story (this one is Link’s), and it’s very :) difficult :) to do :)
_______
It comes apart
The way it does in bad films
Except in parts
When the moral kicks in
_______
Link knows a few things.
The first is that Amelia Shepherd makes him nervous.
That’s something he knows. The reason behind it though, is a little less clear to him. She’s unpredictable. And he thinks that that’s part of it. Part of the reason his pulse quickens when she walks into the room. Sometimes, he’ll bump into her in the apartment, and she’ll be all darting eyes and nervous hands wrapped around a mug of tea. But most of the time, it’s the opposite. It’s shameless, the way she’ll walk into a room and say something completely audacious. Unexpected. Is the way he wants to label it. And the anticipation of it, the anticipation of which Amelia he’s going to get, is what makes him the most nervous.
This morning there’s an edge to her smile. One that feels measured and purposeful. Link watches her as she enters the kitchen. He finishes pouring himself a cup of coffee and witnesses, just in time, for Amelia to survey Maggie and Winston as they innocently eat their breakfast at the counter.
The smirk that grows on her face causes Link to instinctively brace himself. Because it’s the same look she gives before she’s about to say something completely untamed. Untamed, yet at the same time, Link knows whatever she’s about to say, she’ll say it so unashamedly. But when the words finally drop from her mouth, Link still doesn’t feel prepared.
“I miss sex,” she announces, as her eyes dart amusedly between the couple at the counter. “And you guys are doing a great job of reminding me of that.”
Link has to stifle the coughing fit that threatens to overcome his body as he struggles through his first sip of coffee. And the startled look on Maggie’s face just adds fuel to the fire. Like Amelia somehow gains something from this type of reaction.
“What’s with the faces?” she adds, nonchalantly, as she reaches for a mug and turns back to Maggie and Winston. “I’m saying I feel inspired by you.”
“Okay…” Maggie gives a warning stare. “But we’re not-”
“No, I get it,” Amelia interrupts. Link shuffles out of her way as she reaches for the coffee pot, but he doesn’t miss the sideways glance she gives him. “You guys aren’t together together, you’re just…” She trails off as she focuses on not overflowing her mug with the hot liquid. Then she turns back around to face the pair at the counter. “Having fun?”
Winston shrugs at this, and Maggie refocuses all of her attention on the food in front of her.
“Like I said,” Amelia’s expression falters only slightly to incorporate some sympathy towards Maggie. “Inspiring.”
And with that she turns on her heels, ready to leave. Like she always does. After dropping a bomb of awkwardness amongst the group, she immediately fleas. And Link feels his heart rate slow at her absence.
His eyes shift to Maggie and Winston, eyebrows raised.
“She’s pleasant in the morning.”
There’s hums of agreement, and Maggie stands up, beginning to clear their dishes.
“We carpooling today?” Link inquires, as he starts to help Maggie clean the kitchen.
“Well, there’s that intern mixer tonight,” Maggie reminds him. “That thing Dr. Webber is hosting?”
“Right,” Link sighs.
“I was going to go straight there after my shift,” she adds. “So, we’d all have to sort of plan our timing with that.”
Link nods, stepping forward to set his empty coffee mug in the sink.
“Will you ask Amelia what she’s doing? If she’s planning on going?”
Link nods again at Maggie’s request, and begins moving slowly down the hallway towards Amelia’s room. It dawns on him that he’s never stepped foot in Amelia’s room, or even properly had a glance inside. So, it feels foreign to him that his fist is knocking against the wood of her door.
“Yeah?”
There’s music playing on the other side and Link clears his throat to compensate for that.
“Hey! Maggie wanted me to ask you-”
“I can’t really hear you, just come in!”
Link hesitates. And he doesn’t know why. But then he’s annoyed with himself for not knowing why, so he pushes forward. His hand wraps around the door knob and then it’s twisting and suddenly he’s standing in her bedroom.
“Hey.”
His head turns to follow the sound of her voice and his eyes settle on her, to where she sits cross-legged on the floor in front of a full-length mirror. She raises her eyebrows at him, through the reflection in the mirror. And when Link doesn’t speak right away, she reaches forward to turn off her music.
“Can I help you with something?” She sounds smug as she resumes her mascara application.
“Uh, yeah. Sorry. Maggie wanted me to ask what your plans are for the intern mixer tonight?”
“Shit. I totally forgot that was tonight,” she mutters, concentrating on what she’s doing in the mirror.
Link sighs, and he feels the inexplicable need to shove his hands in his pockets. He takes a moment to let his eyes wander around the room. He can’t help it. The new territory makes him curious.
The room is a mess, and that’s putting it lightly. It almost looks like she hasn’t unpacked all the way. There are clothes scattered on almost every surface, and nothing seems to be put away. He’d like to assume that it’s because she’s not moved all the way in yet, but the pictures hanging on the wall say otherwise.
It feels self-indulgent, as he lets his eyes scan the framed photos around the room. They mostly consist of what Link gathers to be college friends and travels. But, there’s also a significant presence of people that look extraordinarily similar to Amelia. Her siblings, he presumes. There are two photos in particular, that stand out to Link. One consists of a young girl, no older than 6 or 7. In the photo, she’s riding a bike, and there’s a dark-haired teenage boy gently pushing the bike forward from behind. Derek, Link imagines. And it makes him smile to imagine Amelia learning to ride a bike.
The second photo that catches Link’s eye is just a solo shot of a middle-aged man. He’s standing on the edge of a dock, holding up a fishing pole. The man in the photo has a striking resemblance to Amelia and Derek, and Link is inclined to conclude that it’s their father.
Link snaps back to reality when he hears Amelia clear her throat. His eyes meet hers in the reflection of the mirror and she’s sneering at him incredulously.
“Get a good look?”
“Sorry,” Link mumbles, shaking his head at himself. He struggles for a moment to arrive back to his reasoning for being here in the first place. “Uh, yeah. Party tonight, or….‘intern mixer,’ or whatever you want to call it….do you need a ride?”
“Ugh,” she groans, starting to stand up from her spot on the floor. “Derek requested Lexie and I on his service, again, so. If we’re not too late I’ll probably grab a ride with him.”
Link nods. He tries to suppress the sudden disappointment he feels. Because it makes no sense to him, that he should feel anything based upon whether or not Amelia would be in attendance.
“Okay,” he turns on his heels, deciding he doesn’t need anything more than that answer from her.
“Link?”
He turns around in the doorway, looking at her expectantly.
“Maybe I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yeah,” he agrees, but he forces an element of nonchalance to his response. She’s staring at him with an expression of bewilderment and it only makes him want to rush his exit more.
He rips his gaze away from hers as he steps into the hallway, and when he pulls the door shut, he feels relief.
_______
Links knows a few things.
The first is that Amelia Shepherd makes him nervous.
The second is that this party is lame.
“This sucks,” Jo huffs out a sigh, from where she’s standing next to him.
They’re stationed at one of those tall cocktail tables, in the middle of a decently packed banquet room. Link’s eyes scan the room, for what feels like the thousandth time that night.
“Who are you looking for?” Jo ridicules him. She smirks at him knowingly as she sips her drink and Link tries not to roll his eyes at her.
“I’m not looking for anyone….” He trails off, as his eyes roam the room again. Because although he dismisses the accusation of looking for anyone, he does find her.
She’s standing near the entryway with Derek. And they must have just arrived, because there’s a leather jacket still covering her frame.
He thinks for a moment that he should cross the room. Walk towards them and casually point out where the coat check area is, perhaps. But he doesn’t do that. Because the closer he looks, the more it becomes obvious that the two are arguing.
Amelia’s back is to him, but her body language, and the sharpness to Derek’s expression, are all the evidence he needs.
“You’re staring.” Jo’s voice breaks through his concentration, and Link glances sideways at her.
“Am not.”
“Are too,” she bites back. “And you’re boring me. I’m going to get another drink. Do you want one?”
Link shakes his head at the offer, his eyes returning to his current preoccupation. He barely notices Jo’s dramatic sigh, as she walks away. Barely notices, because now Amelia is crossing the room, her eyes narrowing in on his as she visibly tries to shake off her anger.
“You made it.” It’s all Link can come up with as she approaches the table.
Amelia huffs out an exasperated breath as she settles across from him at the table. She shrugs, her eyes dancing around the room as she takes in the atmosphere of the event.
“Of course I did,” she mutters. “I’m a blast at parties.”
Link frowns. Unsure of how to lighten the mood.
“There’s a coat check, you know?” He glances down at her, surveying the black form-fitting dress and leather jacket. He suddenly feels unimpressive in the dull grey of his suit jacket.
“Nah,” Amelia shakes her head, still preoccupied by the room around them. “I’m fine like this.”
Her eyes finally rest on his. And she breathes out again, but this time Link thinks it sounds more relieved.
“I really am a blast at parties,” she bites her lip, grinning slightly. “Or, I used to be.”
“I believe you,” Link offers a smile in return.
And suddenly there’s a sense of ease between them. One that Link wasn’t expecting.
There’s something about her, or rather about her demeanor, that makes him feel nostalgic. He takes in her energy and it makes him feel at home, but not necessarily in a yearning way. Because there’s an edge to it. Like the feeling he’s nostalgic for triggers an almost anxious familiarity in the pit of his stomach. Like home is broken.
“So, what is it?”
He hasn’t even realized he’s voiced the question out loud. It’s when her defensive tone kicks in, that he realizes what he’s done.
“What?”
Link groans internally. Because he hadn’t necessarily intended to speak on behalf of his revelation.
“You….remind me of….me, Amelia,” he mutters the confession, shaking his head at himself as he tries to make sense of the direction his thoughts are taking. “Like a sixth sense almost….”
She quirks an eyebrow at him, but doesn’t offer any words. The silence urges Link to continue.
“Okay, no. I mean, you don’t remind me of me, totally. I just mean….”
“We are very different people,” she interrupts him. And it causes Link to look up from the pattern of the tablecloth he’d forced himself to analyze while he stumbled through his words. But he locks eyes with her, and there’s a smug smile on her face. It basically grants him permission to move forward.
“Yeah,” he chuckles in agreement. “But there’s some common ground here. I can feel it.”
Link tries to match her smirk, but he knows he’s not doing it any justice.
“So, what is it?” He repeats his question from earlier, his tone playful. “That makes you this way?”
There’s a fraction of a second where her face falls, in reaction to the additional question. It’s so subtle Link thinks he’s imagined it. Because he’s looking at her now, and the smirk is still there. So he continues.
“Doesn’t seem like you get along with your family,” he nods towards Derek across the room, to where he’s now stood chatting with Mark Sloan. “And from my experience, that kind of thing usually happens for a reason.”
Amelia shrugs dismissively, and reaches forward for a handful of pretzels from the array of snacks on the table.
Link watches her, notes her form of deflection, and he takes it upon himself to start lighthearted. Because that’s where they are right now. That’s the stage they always seem to be stuck in. “You….what? Scratched your brother's car up? Forgot to feed the family’s pet fish? And everyone still holds it against you? What is it, huh?”
Amelia stifles a laugh around a mouthful of pretzels, and it urges Link on.
“I’m getting closer, aren’t I? Should I dive deeper?”
Link tries not to laugh at her, as she struggles to chew the pretzels in her mouth. He lets himself be relentless, continuing with the interrogation.
“Okay, so….some sort of chronic diagnosis tear your family apart?” Link glances across the room as he speaks, and his eyes settle on Derek. There’s a snide expression on Derek’s face as he talks to Mark, and all Link sees is Amelia in it. His eyes dart back to hers as potential realization hits. “Children of divorce?”
Amelia immediately stops chewing her pretzels. And this time around it’s not as subtle when her face falls.
“Children of divorce! I knew it! I told you I could sense that kind of thing.”
Link is proud of himself for a moment. Until he watches her harshly swallow. It’s the kind of action that makes him instantly retreat. Instantly regret his exclamation.
Amelia finally finds her voice. And when she does, it’s laced with irony. “I wish it had been a divorce.”
And now it was Link’s turn for the silence. For the lack of response that would hopefully urge her to continue.
“Your parents are divorced?” There’s something cunning about her tone, and Link can’t quite place why it’s there. It surely doesn’t sound like a question, when she asks it. It sounds like she already knows the answer, and she’s choosing to be sly as she witholds whatever she’s about to throw his way next.
But Link nods at her anyway, disregarding the non-question.
“Wanna trade childhood traumas?” She eventually mutters, a slight smile on her lips as she looks down at the bowl of pretzels. Link can see it in her face, the way she’s determining whether to abandon the conversation and reach for another handful. But she doesn’t do that.
He continues to stare at her, in a desperate attempt to decipher which version of Amelia this is.
“My Dad died when I was five,” her gaze shifts from the pretzels to his face and Link’s heart drops to his stomach. “So, he kind of missed out on the divorce stage....” She laughs under her breath, almost in disbelief. “Not that there would have been one,” she adds the after-thought.
“Amelia,” he murmurs. And he thinks he steps forward, but there’s a table in front of him, blocking him, so there’s really no point. “I’m so sorry, I-”
It’s her laughter that cuts him off mid-apology. Link doesn’t know if he can categorize it as authentic laughter. The bizarre reaction would probably be more accurately described as harsh exhales and another out of place smile.
“Amelia.”
She swallows her laughter a bit at the seriousness of his tone.
“God, I feel like an asshole,” he mutters.
“Okay, but don’t,” Amelia shrugs. “Believe me I’ve had years to process it.”
Link feels his eyes narrow at this.
“And honestly I’m pretty impressed you could sense the childhood trauma in the first place,” she adds. “Maybe we’re more alike than I thought….” She trails off, and there’s a softness to her next words. “And I don’t at all mean to downplay yours….I just….have a dark sense of humor. Sometimes I forget that it can put people off.”
“No, I get it.”
Link watches as a subtle grin take over her expression, and he sighs in relief. But he can’t help but to notice how distracted she is. How her eyes keep shifting around the room.
“This party is kinda lame, huh?” Link muses. “I was going to head home soon. Want a ride?”
For a moment her wandering eyes stop, and Link thinks her smile looks polite. It doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Yeah,” she murmurs, distracted again. “I feel like I should make the rounds first though, right? Say hello to a few people?”
Link nods. Because this makes sense.
“Give me like 20 minutes, okay? And then we can leave?”
“Okay,” Link agrees, but she’s already walking away by the time he says it.
_______
Link knows a few things.
But there’s one fact at the forefront of his mind.
This party is lame and he wants to leave. He’s promised a ride home to Amelia, but it’s been over an hour and since then, he’s completely lost track of her.
He gives up. Assumes she’s gotten a ride home with either Derek or Lexie.
He makes his way to the parking lot and he hears her voice first. It’s low and it’s gravelly and it’s certainly Amelia.
But it’s perplexing, because the first person he sees is Mark, and not Amelia.
But then Mark steps to the side, and there she is.
He watches, and he hasn't realized that his feet have stopped moving. But his eyes are glued the same way his shoes apparently are to the pavement below.
She’s smiling at Mark, but the look she’s giving him makes Link feel gross. Because it’s almost performative, the way she gets into his car. And suddenly there's another thing that Link knows.
That being, that for some reason, this hurts.
_______
It’s more accurate to say that Link has learned a few things. Especially since moving in with 3 strangers.
He’s learned the separate soundtracks of each of his roommate’s arrivals home.
He can tell when Maggie is home, because she usually mutters to herself as she walks about, hanging her purse and coat up.
He can tell when Lexie is home, because the first thing she does is walk to the kitchen. Link will hear the distinct sound of the fridge door opening just after someone comes home, and immediately he knows that it’s Lexie.
He can tell when Amelia is home, because of the clacking sound her boots make across the tiled floor of the entryway. He doesn’t know why she always seems to be wearing the heeled boots, but he finds comfort in the association.
Another thing he’s learned is that he’s usually the first to wake up in the apartment. Especially on Saturdays.
He likes waking up early on the weekends, but this morning feels a little different. Definitely due to the lack of sleep the night prior. He wants to blame the restless night on anything else, besides the fact that he’s yet to hear a pair of heeled boots cross the tiled floor.
Link seeks distractions on this Saturday morning. He thinks he’ll make breakfast. But, the relative emptiness of the fridge causes a change of plans.
And so he distracts himself by going to the store.
_______
When Link returns home, he’s not expecting to see Amelia right away.
He walks towards their front door, arms full of grocery bags, and there she is. Leaning against the wall outside and watching him carefully as he approaches.
She’s wearing the same dress she wore last night, her leather jacket slung over her arm.
“Well, good morning,” he tries to mask the sharpness in his tone.
She looks at him tiredly.
It’s then that he decides to give her the benefit of the doubt. He’d had a feeling in the pit of his stomach all night. He’d lost sleep over it. But he looks at her now, and everything he’s been feeling is replaced with one thing: concern.
So he re-routes his attitude.
“You waiting out here just so you could hold the door open for me?” He jokes, gesturing towards the bags in his arms.
“I lost my keys,” she admits.
Link notices the way she can’t seem to hold eye contact, and he decides to drop the joking manner.
“Ah,” he hums. “Here.”
He unceremoniously shoves a grocery bag into her arms, so that he can free up a hand to reach for his own keys.
He unlocks the door and Amelia basically darts past him, setting the bag on the counter and heading towards her room.
Link tries not to feed into his concern, and he busies himself by putting groceries away.
But, a moment later, he hears the familiar sound of her heels against the floor. The sound amplifies until she rounds the corner into the kitchen again, and Link looks up just in time.
She looks at him sheepishly.
“I, uh. I have so much stuff all over my bed….you don’t mind if I take the couch for a bit, do you?”
It takes Link a moment to process this information. He glances past the kitchen counter, to the living room area. It’s all pretty much one big room, an open floor plan.
“Be my guest,” he murmurs. “I was about to make breakfast though, so, hopefully I don’t bother you too much over here?”
Amelia shakes her head, as if to say she won’t be bothered, and she continues over to the living area.
“You should really….unpack all your stuff. Put things away,” Link jokes, recalling just how messy her room was as of yesterday morning.
“‘M too tired right now,” she slurs, as she collapses against the couch on the opposite wall.
Link attempts to carry on making breakfast. But he’s admittedly distracted by her presence.
She doesn’t look comfortable. She’s still wearing her dress from last night. And she’s sitting upright, her head tilted back against the cushions.
“I could help you, you know?” Link offers. “Put away your things and clear off your bed?”
“Maybe tomorrow.”
“Amelia, it’s 9am.”
This makes her laugh.
Her eyes are still closed but she’s laughing under her breath.
“Oh!” Suddenly Link remembers. “I saw this loose tea variety at the store and it made me think of you and I bought it.”
Even with the length of the room, Link can tell she’s slightly opened her eyes, peering at him.
“How about I attempt to make some? And we do some unpacking?”
There’s brief silence. But then her head is lifting from the cushions.
“Okay, but make your breakfast first.”
Link breaks out into a toothy grin, nodding at her suggestion. He watches curiously as her head drops back against the couch.
_______
It’s about 20 minutes later when he’s eaten and decides he’s happy with his attempt at tea. He walks over to the couch, proudly balancing two mugs, but it’s obvious that Amelia is drifting off to sleep.
He places a mug on the coffee table in front of her and the sound of it causes her to stir.
“Oh,” she sits up. “This looks….decent. Thank you.”
Link sits on the armchair across from her and watches as she takes her first sip.
“You’re allowed to say if it’s shit.”
Amelia exhales a laugh before setting the mug back down.
“It’s not bad, honestly. I’ll have to teach you my ways, though.”
She rests back against the cushions, and this time she shifts her body so that she’s more comfortably laying across the entire couch.
Link sighs.
And it’s like she hears what he’s thinking.
“Just a few minutes, then we’ll start unpacking,” but her voice is laced with sleep. She turns to him, her mouth twisting up in a familiar movement, and her eyebrows raising almost provocatively. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Ugh,” Link groans. “I do not need to hear about you and Mark-”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she laughs a breath. “I had to.”
Link just shakes his head at her, not sure when he went from worried about her, to amused.
“I promise,” she adds, and the element of exhaustion is back in her tone. “Just 10 more minutes then I’ll be good to go.”
“Sure,” Link laughs.
Amelia still holds his gaze, and there’s an expression on her face that feels brand new to him.
There’s a hint of a smile. It’s barely there. But it’s different this time. It’s not the smirk he’s used to seeing, and it’s not in any way laced with mockery or self-doubt.
Link knows a few things.
But he learns a final thing by the end of the conversation. He learns that he’s going to do everything he can, to see the version of her smile that’s the most genuine.
A/N: I got this prompt requesting something from Link’s POV and I struggggggled with that concept but here it is. Something very random and fluffy bc next week’s promo is scaring me and I wanted to write something cute to distract myself. This is also basically my love letter to season 15 amelink bc I miss them so very much. Hope you enjoy & as always feedback and prompts are welcome <3
_______
Sometimes she snores.
And it makes Link smile.
Like right now. She’s snoring, but just barely. It’s faint. And it’s rare.
She’s a quiet sleeper. Sometimes she sleeps so soundlessly, that Link almost finds himself questioning whether she’s actually breathing, eyes scanning for the rise and fall of her chest. Just to make sure.
This morning though, there’s no question about it. The light snore only ever occurs when she’s in a deep sleep. And this is one of those occurrences.
It’s a Sunday morning. Which means they don’t have anywhere to be. But Link is wide awake anyway. Amelia faces him, curled into herself slightly, her faint snores fluttering against the stray pieces of dark hair that rest over her cheek. She sleeps on her side, and Link mirrors her position. She has her free arm draped between them, the arm that’s not currently trapped underneath her. And her hand loosely grasps his t-shirt, even in sleep.
This is when Link is most content, he thinks. On Sunday mornings. When they have no obligations other than to be exactly where they are. Sometimes he thinks he wants to live in Sunday mornings forever.
Amelia sighs. And her hand twitches slightly against him. But she doesn’t wake. Link's smile widens, and he reaches his own hand forward to begin gently tracing a pattern over her bare arm. She has a freckle on her shoulder, just to the right of her tank top strap, and another freckle on the outside of her wrist. Link traces a route, lightly with his finger, from one freckle all the way down to the other. Up and down. Back and forth.
Amelia shivers and Link halts his finger. Her eyes don’t open, but the absence of her snores is his first indication.
“What are you doing?” she mumbles, voice hoarse.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Her eyes blink open, adjusting to his stare.
“Were you watching me sleep?”
Link ignores her question. A question she likely already knows the answer to. He resumes his finger’s pattern against her arm, and a moment later, he speaks again.
“You have a lot of freckles.”
Amelia frowns.
“I do not.”
“Why do you say that so defensively?” He chuckles, and his finger continues it’s zig zag from one mark on her arm, onto the next.
It causes her to shiver again and Link grins, shifting his eyes to hers.
“Cold?” He sounds smug.
“No,” and she sounds pointed. “You know that tickles.”
He stops his movement, fingers coming to rest against her wrist. Her eyes slip shut again and Link watches her face.
Another of his favorite things about Sunday mornings, when they have nowhere to be, is that they get to experience the morning sun from bed. The way it shines through the translucent material of the curtains and gives the room a warm glow. It highlights their bare faces and makes everything feel revitalizing.
“You have freckles on your face, too.”
“Shh,” she mutters, frowning as she buries the side of her face deeper into her pillow. “I’m trying to go back to sleep.”
Link exhales on a smile, but nods to himself. He relaxes into his own pillow, too. In an attempt to incite a little more sleep.
Moments later, he feels cold feet press between his shins, attempting to bury their way into his warmth. His eyes jolt open. It’s a common occurrence, something Amelia’s made a habit of. But every time she does it, it still gives him that initial shock. He looks at her, and her eyes are still closed, like she’s on the brink of sleep again. And it makes Link want to laugh, her ability to always be touching him in some capacity, especially so absentmindedly. It makes him think about how far they’ve come.
It had started physically for them. Their entire relationship. It was based on physical touch. It had very recently grown into something more, but it had surely started that way.
‘Alternative pain relief,’ Amelia had called it.
Link lays in bed now, feeling her feet tangle with his, and he thinks all the way back to the beginning. How they even got here, to this particular Sunday morning.
It had been a false start. The first time they really spoke. An ill-advised proposal for a dinner date had unfortunately led to some animosity on her part.
“Are you asking me out?” she’d question his intentions incredulously.
“I heard you like Italian food…”
Her face fell. And Link recoiled.
A false start.
And then the next time they interacted, it was the same but different. An almost change of heart.
But horrible timing.
A mass overdose in the park had led to an overcrowded ER, and major stress on everyone involved.
He remembers the way her face had twisted at the news. One second, they’d been discussing escape hatches and trips to Barbados. And then the next, they’d been discussing the outcome of a teenage boy that Link couldn’t successfully revive.
But it wasn’t just any teenage boy.
“I knew him.” Amelia’s expression had haunted him in the moment, and it still haunts him now. “That kid...he was….”
He’d stepped forward.
“He was a good kid. He wasn’t a bad kid.” She shook her head, battling with the idea that the argument even had to be made.
And Link had nodded slowly.
“I’m gonna have to call his parents.”
“I could take care of that.” He’d offered. Desperate for anything to combat the distress that invaded her face and voice.
“No. No I’m-” She’d cut herself off, and Link felt panic rise in his chest. He barely knew her. But he’d felt strangely protective of her. He’d battled with the decision of how to help her.
“Thank you.”
She’d turned away from him, but Link had caught a glimpse of it. Her expression as she fought off a full-body sob.
“I’m so sorry.” And it had been evident in her voice too.
“It’s okay.” It’s all he could come up with, as he stepped around her, towards her. In a protective way. Like he’d been trying to cover her from the people that surrounded them in the hallway.
“I’m sorry.”
He’d felt so inclined to comfort her. To reach a hand up and rest it against her back as she keeled over on top of the cot in the hallway.
She’d let out a broken sob. And it’s still one of the most devastating sounds Link can ever recall hearing.
And he wholeheartedly regrets the way his hand had dropped to his side, and not gently against her back, like he’d intended.
Because he’d battled with it. Hesitated. Stuck on the predicament of how to comfort her.
He regrets it currently. As he lays in bed and watches her sleep. And he can’t help but reach forward and touch her now. Like he’s overcompensating for the way he’d reacted then. Because he was so close in the moment, to acting on his instinct. But it just wasn’t enough.
So he does it now. His fingers find their way back to her arm, in a similar pattern to before, and the action reminds him of New York. Again of the early stages.
It started as purely physical. Just sex. No sleepovers. And that’s the way Amelia had labeled it.
But, in a hotel room in New York, Link had done it almost absentmindedly.
He’d run his fingers up and down her arm in an intimate way. He’d never done it before, but it felt right. And he swore he saw a wave of emotions cross Amelia’s face at his actions. Like she’d actually quite liked the feeling. Or maybe she was scared to like the feeling. And so she’d climbed out of his bed, removed herself completely from that revelation.
Link chuckles to himself at the memory, as he re-creates that same motion against her arm. Because now they're in her bed. And it is intimate. Yet there’s no revelation on Amelia’s part, because the light touch is such habit by now.
“Why are you laughing?”
Link startles at the sound of her voice, once again surprised to learn that she’s awake.
“I’m just thinking about you.” He answers honestly.
She groans. Because she’s not a conversationalist in the morning. And especially not a romanticist.
“Well, you’re thinking really loud,” she huffs out a sigh, turning over in bed.
“I’m sorry,” he stifles a laugh, reaching forward to tap his finger against her shoulder blade. “I’ll be quiet now.”
When she turns back over to face him, she’s grinning.
“Can we just….stay in bed all day?” She whispers.
“Of course,” Link mirrors her grin. “I already thought that was the plan.”
She looks him up and down, in the same way she always does when she’s deciding her next move. Deciding how she’s going to eliminate the space between them.
Link knows the face, and in response he opens his arms to her. She bites down on a smile as she shifts forward, burying her face in his chest and sighing in content. He wraps his arms around her and gives a gentle squeeze as they settle into the position.
And they both quickly drift towards sleep again.
_______
When Link eventually blinks awake, he has no idea how much time has passed. He registers one thing, though, as his eyes adjust.
And that’s Amelia’s stare.
She faces him, eyes wide like she’s just been caught.
Link clears his throat.
“Are you the one watching me sleep, now?”
“Maybe.”
Link laughs a bit, under his breath. Still slowly waking up.
“Have I ever made you my waffle recipe?” Amelia sounds eager, her tone far more awake and alert than Link feels. He thinks he has some catching up to do.
“I don’t think you have.”
She rolls over, swinging her legs over the bed and setting her feet on the floor.
“Amelia?”
She stands, tossing a robe on as she moves towards the door.
“Stay here,” she says simply.
“Where are you going?”
She pauses, looking once more in his direction before leaving the room.
“Just stay here,” she grins hugely. “We’ll eat in bed.”
A warmth fills Link’s chest, one that matches the morning glow of the room. He rolls onto his back with a gratified exhale, as his thoughts from earlier echo into his mind.
He thinks he wants to live in Sunday mornings forever.
A/N: Here’s part 2 of If the Sun Comes Up! (AU- interns fic). Thank u thank u thank u for the nice messages about the first chapter, your messages and replies seriously warm my lil heart. I’m still basically planting seeds for some future plot points here, but I hope you enjoy anyway <3
You can read part 1 here.
_______
And if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up
And I still don't wanna stagger home
Then it's the memory of our betters
That are keeping us on our feet
_______
Everything’s different when the sun comes up. It all comes to light in a different way. The sun rises, and reality settles in. Like sleep is some magic reset button. And all of the thoughts and decisions, all of the fun, all of the mischief, it all seems worlds away. Like that was then, and this is now.
A funny thing happens though, when that reset button gets skipped. When there is no sleep, and no separation of night and day. When you stay awake for 24 hours straight and you watch the sun come up in real time; you watch the sun rise twice in fact, and there isn’t that detachment. It all flows together like a never-ending moment.
It’s strange, Amelia thinks, to have no reset button. To sacrifice the idea of choosing sleep. Because instead of calling it quits after two sunrises, she finds herself in a bar, of all places, sitting across from the people she’d met just 24 hours ago.
“I’m sooo happy you’re moving in with me,” Maggie yawns hugely next to her. And Amelia bites down on a smile at the confession; at what no sleep and a slim two beers has done to this previously panic-stricken intern. The intern that was currently dealing with the impact of being related to a Grey.
Except the panic isn’t worth it. Because there isn’t any fallout. Lexie practically laughs until she cries, when it all comes to light. When Maggie finally lets it slip about who her birth mother is. Between the delirious fits of laughter, all Lexie can manage is a “good luck telling Meredith that.”
And it only gets more chaotic.
There’s no reset for all of the sleep-deprived decisions. Lexie and Jo, in an impressive and almost falsely confident manner, venture off towards the bar, where a handful of residents and attendings claim territory. The rest of the newly formed crew stick together, in their quiet corner of the bar.
Amelia can feel Link’s eyes on her from across the booth as she brings a warm mug of tea to her lips. But her eyes remain glued down, staring down at the crumpled tea packet on the table. One of those cheap brands. Cheap because it’s a rare request in a place like this. The kind of drink that ends up taking longer for the bartender to make. More time-consuming to prepare than one of those fancy cocktails even, because it ends up that the bartender has to go search in the stock room for a tea bag in the first place.
Her thoughts are interrupted when a strong hand occupies her line of vision. It’s jolting, to say the least. For her focus to be intruded on like that. The tea packet she’d been so comfortably resting her eyes on, now suddenly consumed by Link’s grasp. He covers it completely, picking it up and further crumpling it in his fist before dropping it back down on the table.
The action forces Amelia to look at him. Which is probably his intention, anyway. So she does, and it’s equally as jolting. His expression. Because she’s half expecting it to mirror the harshness of a crumpled tea packet. But it doesn’t. It’s warm. And it’s soft. And it’s slightly curious.
“You should all move in with me.” Maggie’s voice chimes in.
And Amelia rips her gaze away from Link’s.
“Okay, slow down there,” she lets out an amused exhalation. “You were barely on board with the idea of me moving in.”
Winston playfully nudges Maggie’s side, from where he’s seated on the other side of her. And Amelia doesn’t miss the way his hand settles just above Maggie’s knee. The interaction stands out to her, and she decides she’s going to bookmark it for later. Revisit it perhaps when everyone’s feeling more awake and alert.
“Who should all move where?” Lexie slides into the booth next to Link, eyes wide with naivety as she sips a full drink.
“My apartment,” Maggie responds matter-of-factly. “I have one more room open.”
Amelia scrunches her nose at this, and she staggers through her confusion. “Wait. Just one more? What happened, I thought-”
“Well, I already promised a room to Link….” Maggie’s voice is laced with exhaustion and something else, as she turns to explain to Amelia. “When you were in the bathroom….I told him, I-” She hiccups slightly, abandoning her sentence. And Amelia tilts her head to the side quizzically. “Anyway,” Maggie gestures across the booth towards Link. “Meet your new roommate.”
Amelia’s gaze returns to Link, and he shrugs somewhat defensively, muttering under his breath, “Sorry.”
But Amelia doesn’t feel sorry. She feels something else. The notion rises in her chest, and she wants to label it as anticipation.
“Okay, but I have to get out of Meredith’s house!” Lexie slams her drink down on the table. “I’m living with a bunch of residents.”
There’s unanimous murmurs of condolence from the group.
“Oh! Speaking of….” She continues, picking her drink back up and nodding towards the bar. “The plastics attending….Mark Sloan? Just bought me this drink.”
“Ugh,” Amelia’s quick to counter. “Do not go there.”
All heads turn to her, and she feels heat rise in her face as she takes in the curious stares. When she doesn’t follow up on her previous precaution, Lexie speaks up again.
“....Have you?” Lexie swallows, a disconcerted expression on her face. “Gone there?”
Amelia doesn’t miss the way Link surveys her expression, following this particular question. She clears her throat, eyes shifting back to the crumpled tea packet.
“No, no. God no.” Her tone is low as she shakes her head dismissively. “I’ve just….known him my whole life.”
“Oh,” Lexie shrugs, taking another sip of her drink. And Amelia quickly surveys any other reactions to her response.
A general quietness falls across the table and Amelia’s eyes eventually settle back to the tea packet. She can’t quite determine why it seems to be the focal point of her evening. Or morning. Or whatever this was. She wants to claim it’s the vivid yellow packaging that keeps catching her eye.
But, her thoughts are intruded once again when Link suddenly stands up from the table. She peers up at him intently.
“Shepherd,” his tone is gentle as he starts moving away from the table. “I think I promised you a game of darts.”
Amelia blinks. Partly in confusion. But also mostly against her sudden bout of exhaustion.
“I, uh,” she mutters, turning around in her seat as she watches Link make his way around the booth.
“Come on.” He raises his eyebrows at her.
And she bites the inside of her cheek, turning around to set her mug down.
“Okay, okay,” she’s not yet facing him when she stands from the booth. “One game and then I’m out of here.” She looks pointedly at Maggie as she exits the booth. “And I can drive anyone home that needs a ride.”
Maggie offers her a toothy grin, and Winston nods in grateful agreement at the offer. Amelia steps away from the table, and tries not to mirror the smug look on Link’s face.
“One game,” she repeats.
And he chuckles a bit, proudly.
“I don’t know….” he lets her lead them across the bar, towards the wall that’s filled with dart boards and other bar games. “You’ll probably want a rematch….when I beat you the first time around.”
Amelia feigns shock at his words. But really, somewhere deep down, she’s suppressing her gratification. Because he’s feeding into her competitive side completely.
“We’ll see,” she says, as she collects the darts and starts separating them.
She hands Link his portion of the game’s pieces and he mimics her words back to her. “We’ll see.”
_______
It ends up that uninhibited decisions turn into concrete plans. Link and Lexie move into the apartment. And Amelia adheres to her pride that she was the first choice in the matter, and that everyone else just happened to follow suit.
She wakes up in the new apartment on this particular morning, and it takes her a moment to adjust to her surroundings. She groggily registers that the unfamiliar space around her is, indeed, her own bedroom.
Her alarm blares again loudly, after it’s been snoozed repeatedly for the last 15 minutes, and she aggressively shuts it off. Sitting up in bed, she throws on a cardigan before shuffling out of her room and down the hall, towards the shared space of the apartment.
“Gooood morning,” Maggie practically sings, her voice an irritating level of cheerful for the early hour.
As Amelia rounds the corner into the small kitchen area, her tired eyes settle on Maggie, where she occupies one of the stools at the counter. All she can manage to mutter is a slight “mhm,” in acknowledgement of the greeting.
She reaches into the cupboard for a mug, before filling it from the coffee pot that’s already been prepared. Once her mug is full of the steaming liquid, she turns back around to face Maggie. She leans against the counter as she brings the cup up to her nose, inhaling the scent and closing her eyes in gratitude.
The sound of Maggie’s bedroom door creaking open eventually shakes her from her blissful moment, and then her expression quickly turns to one of shocked amusement. Because her eyes settle on Winston, as he exits the bedroom and enters into the main room. He’s dressed in the same clothes he’d been wearing the day before, and Amelia looks him up and down, biting her lip in excitement, like she’s just remembered where she’s hidden the last piece of a puzzle.
“Ha,” Amelia’s delighted revelation sounds gravelly, the sleep still evident in her voice. “You don’t live here.”
She shifts her gaze to Maggie, who offers a pleading look in return. And then she looks back to Winston, who has since halted in the doorway. She can’t hold back the raspy sounding chuckle that escapes her lips. “I get it. You guys are sex friends. It all makes sense now.”
Winston scratches at the back of his neck awkwardly. And Maggie blinks, dumfounded. She stands suddenly, stepping away from the kitchen counter, like she’s desperate to remove herself from this situation.
“I’m gonna go shower. Don’t want to be late,” Maggie mutters.
Amelia just smiles further, eyes shifting playfully between the two, before she turns to walk back to her room. She raises her coffee mug slightly above her as she walks away, like she’s motioning a ‘cheers’ to the air. She tilts her head back once more in their direction, before she disappears from the kitchen, and sarcastically repeats Maggie’s greeting from before. “It is a good morning.”
Maggie rolls her eyes, but follows after her through the hallway, turning into the bathroom.
“Let me know when you’re done!” Amelia announces when she reaches her room. “I want dibs on the shower next!”
_______
Amelia finishes her coffee, and as she sets her empty mug in the sink, her impatience steadily rises.
“Maggie!” She yells, as she returns to the hallway. “You’re gonna make us late!”
There’s no response, but she hears that the shower is still on, and she even hears music coming from the bathroom. She finds the music choice odd for Maggie, and also finds it odd that Maggie is even the type of person that listens to music while she showers.
“Maggie,” she tries one more time, knocking her fist against the door.
There’s no answer.
She sighs, glancing at her watch. And then she decides to push the door open slightly, stepping into the small bathroom. “Maggie are you almost done?! I’m just going to brush my teeth real quick while you’re in there,” she announces loudly, over the music, as she reaches for her toothbrush on the sink.
“Um, not Maggie.” A surprisingly deep voice sounds from the other side of the curtain as she starts brushing her teeth.
And oh, that’s Link. “Shit, sorry! I thought you were Maggie! Wow, I just barged right in-”
“It’s fine” he interrupts, and then Amelia hears the water get shut off. “Could you, uh, actually hand me a towel though?” A dripping wet hand shoots out from behind the shower curtain and Amelia just stares at it, her toothbrush falling slack between her lips.
“Hello….? Towel?”
“Uh, right. Here.” She mutters around her toothbrush.
Blinking from her daze, she slowly reaches for a towel and hands it to him. And then suddenly the curtain is sliding open and Link is climbing out of the shower, towel around his waist, in all of his soaking wet glory. And holy shit, Amelia thinks, as she not so subtly darts her eyes around the tight space. Attempting to look anywhere but at him. She settles on turning around, and facing herself in the mirror as she makes quick movements of brushing her teeth.
She doesn’t know where the sudden panic comes from. She’s a confident person. Never timid. And somewhere, in the back of her mind, she retaliates against the idea that she’s lost any of her game. Or that she’s the one creating any awkward tension.
Link enters her line of vision through the bathroom mirror, and she feels frozen where she stands. Because, for some reason, he starts inching even closer.
He clears his throat.
“Just need to, uh, grab something…”
She practically jumps out of the way as Link reaches around her for the medicine cabinet.
“Ah, sorry. I’ll get out of your way,” she exhales a sheepish laugh at her own reaction, and tries not to cringe at the way she sounds with her mouth still full of toothpaste.
Link finally moves to exit the bathroom, and Amelia wants to sigh in relief, as she resumes her position in front of the sink. But she doesn’t. She holds back. And from her peripheral, she can see him pause in the doorway.
She turns her head in his direction. And he smirks at her before he leaves.
“Shower is all yours.”
The bathroom door clicks shut and Amelia spits harshly into the sink.
_______
Carpooling is apparently a thing they do now. They arrive at the hospital, and everyone piles out of Maggie’s car, beginning to cross the parking lot.
“Hey!” Jo’s breathless voice sounds from somewhere behind them as she locks up her own car and jogs to catch up with the group. She steps into pace with them, walking next to Link. “Whose service are you guys on today?”
“Neuro. With Shepherd,” Winston responds.
“Same here!” Lexie actually sounds excited.
“Okay, but why are we all on Shepherd’s service?” Jo mutters.
Everyone turns towards Amelia, as if she knows the reasoning behind her brother’s request. She just shrugs nonchalantly.
“Someone a little let down that they aren’t with Karev today?” Link nudges Jo playfully, and Jo feigns shock at the accusation, swatting at his shoulder.
As they enter the hospital, Amelia slows a bit behind the group, letting everyone else venture off ahead of her.
“Not excited about neuro?” She hadn’t realized Link had slowed down with her. “Not exactly my first pick either, but-”
“No, no,” she cuts in. “That’s not it.”
Link just stares at her for a moment, and Amelia almost feels scrutinized by it.
“Oh,” he continues. “Not excited about your brother, then?”
Amelia sighs, questioning to herself when they started getting so personal with each other. And then she cringes at the direction of her thoughts. Because maybe the getting too personal thing had started this morning, following the shower incident.
“That’s not exactly it, either.”
“Not exactly?” He raises his eyebrows.
“Okay, what’s with-”
“Amy Shepherd?!”
Both Link and Amelia turn around, following the voice that’s interrupted their conversation.
Mark Sloan is walking towards them full force, a huge grin on his face.
“Mark?!”
“Amy?!”
“....Amy?” Link mutters under his breath, chuckling at the nickname. And Amelia glances sideways at him in warning.
“The only person that still calls me that is Derek,” she raises her eyebrows at Mark, matching his grin.
“Well, Derek didn’t mention you were in town,” He finally approaches, and Amelia pulls him into a tight hug. They pull apart and Mark looks her up and down. “You look….different than the last time I saw you.”
“You look different, too,” she smirks.
Link looks between the pair curiously.
“And I’m not just in town,” Amelia adds as she steps out his embrace. “I work here now.”
“You work here?! Why didn’t Derek say anything…” Mark gets momentarily distracted by something, or somebody behind them. “Derek!” he yells. “Why didn’t you tell me your sister works here now?!”
Derek approaches, his demeanor reflecting his overall impatience. He completely disregards Mark’s question.
“Why do you people not answer your pages?”
“....And this conversation’s no longer entertaining. Catch up later?” Mark glances at Amelia a final time before stepping away. Then Derek turns towards his sister expectantly.
“When I requested you all on my service today, I expected punctuality.” He raises his eyebrows, and when Amelia offers no response, he continues. “I have a patient being admitted today. She’s had a sudden onset of seizures. We don’t know the cause. But we need to figure out the cause.”
There’s slight hesitation at his instructions.
“Okay, you! Dr….” his eyes shift down to glance over Link’s ID badge. “Dr. Lincoln. I want you to grab the rest of the interns and head to the library. Starting now, you all are in charge of research. Anything, I mean anything, you can find on this. Case studies, research papers, all of it. Just….find something for me.”
Link nods respectively, and he begins to turn towards Amelia.
“And Amy,” Derek’s eyes settle on hers, in an almost disdainful way. “You’re with the patient.”
Amelia is stunned for a moment, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“You want me to do what, exactly?” She steps forward towards Derek, who mutters under his breath in frustration. “Babysit your aneurysm? Because my time is worth way more than-”
“An aneurysm, is the last thing this is-”
“And what makes you so sure of that?!” She looks between his eyes incredulously.
“You think this woman’s just been walking around with a ruptured aneurysm-”
“I didn’t say ruptured-”
“Well if it’s not ruptured, she’d likely not have any symptoms at all, so your logic makes absolutely no sense.” Derek raises his eyebrows, like he’s won the argument.
“I’m just saying! I did a research paper on this. Similar case. Sudden onset of seizures. No prior history. But, this woman fell and-”
“I never said my patient had a fall.”
“Well did you ask her that?”
“Amy,” Derek breathes, exasperated. He tries to move around her, completely done with the conversation.
But she blocks his movements. And he gives her a blank stare. While Link stands off to the side, looking between the two uncomfortably.
“Derek.” She retorts, the frustration in her tone highly evident.
“Take my patient to CT. And then stay with her, while she gets transported to a room. You can manage that, right?”
Amelia bites her tongue, nodding numbly. She refrains from voicing everything she wants to say, and she tries to fight off the emotions that arise as Derek steps around her. She feels defeated. And small. Which was typical lately, following any interaction with her older brother. She curses herself for thinking it would be any different, now that she was here under specific circumstances. Professional circumstances. Hand picked for this surgical internship out of a large pool of equally impressive applicants. But it’s not different. If anything, it’s even more demoralizing, to be met with this discouragement both personally, and now professionally.
Derek steps away and she’s left standing there with Link.
“Your brother is….kind of a jerk.”
Amelia rolls her eyes, pushing past Link.
“Shepherd, wait-”
She ignores the way he calls after her, and she keeps walking. Because she has a patient now. A patient who needs a head CT.
_______
Link finds her about a half hour later. She’s walking from CT with a stack of scans in her arms. She nods a greeting at Link as begins walking with her.
“Hey! So, we've all been in the research library, could probably use your help-”
“I was right,” she says simply, shaking her head. “It’s an aneurysm. It’s tiny, but it’s there.”
Link doesn’t hold back his surprise. “Wow, how’d you-”
He’s cut off again when Amelia turns to him, forcing the scans over into his hands.
“What are you-”
“Make sure Derek gets these.”
“....You don’t want to hand them over yourself?” Link objects, trying to give them back to her. “Tell him you were right?”
“Nah,” she breathes, turning away from him. “I want off his service.”
Link comes to a halt in the middle of the hallway, watching her continue in the opposite direction. She turns around, facing him once more before she’s off again.
“Just please, hurry. He needs to see those now.”
_______
Several hours later, after her shift has ended, all Amelia wants is a peaceful evening. The first thing that comes to mind for her, when seeking this, is chamomile tea.
After changing into her sweats, which includes her favorite Harvard sweatshirt, she wanders down the hall to the kitchen to begin her evening routine.
The kitchen is dark, so she flips on one of the dim lights before she starts rummaging through the cupboards. To her left, from the balcony attached to the small kitchen, she can hear the sound of Jo’s exuberant laughter, mixed in with a couple of other voices.
A moment later, the sliding glass door is opening and Link is stepping inside. He slightly grimaces at the difference in volume to the quiet kitchen, as the voices outside get cut off with the door sliding shut again.
“Oh, hey,” he mutters, as he sets an empty beer bottle on the counter. “Didn’t know you were up. Are we being too loud?”
Amelia shakes her head, her focus still on her tea set-up.
She knows she’s being standoffish, and probably to Link’s notice, too.
“Weird day, huh?”
Amelia shrugs. And then realizes she has yet to say anything out loud here.
“Yeah, kind of.”
“You seem like someone….that would want to talk about it, no?”
Amelia smirks at this revelation.
“It’s a long story,” she murmurs, listening to the water in the electric kettle start to boil, and then the comforting sound gets interrupted by Jo’s laughter from outside. “Shouldn’t you get back out there, anyway?”
“Sounds like Lexie’s keeping her entertained.”
Amelia leans her back against the counter, peering across the kitchen at him.
“Derek….he’s not a jerk,” Amelia says simply. “I know it seemed that way earlier. But really, there’s more to it.”
Link shrugs, moving to lean against the opposite counter.
“It just seemed like he wasn’t taking you seriously. When you happened to be right, so. Maybe he should have.”
Amelia nods to herself.
“Do you have siblings?”
“No,” he chuckles. “Only child.”
Amelia grins. Something about this piece of information makes sense to her.
“I think sometimes it’s hard to....I don’t know,” she trails off momentarily. “Take the baby of the family seriously?”
It’s probably obvious to Link that there’s more to it. Reasonings that she’s conveniently leaving out. But he nods along with her explanation anyway.
“Anyway, I don’t want you to go on thinking my brother is some bad guy….” she mutters as she turns around to face the kettle again. “Because he’s not, he’s….one of my favorite people, actually, so.”
Link watches as Amelia starts drumming her fingers against the countertop, her eyes glued to the tea kettle.
He steps towards the fridge, because he’d originally come inside to grab another beer.
The kettle clicks off and Amelia’s fingers against the counter come to rest. She places a tea bag into her mug and pours some of the boiling water over it. She turns around just in time to see Link shut the fridge door, empty-handed.
“Aren’t you heading back out there?”
“Yeah, I just….” he gestures towards the kettle. “That looks pretty good, actually. Is there any left over?”
Amelia holds back her surprise, but quickly nods. She reaches over for another tea bag and hands it over to him.
“Knock yourself out.”
She watches Link hesitate, turning the packet over in his palms.
“It’s nothing fancy,” she grins. “Just use the water from the kettle.”
Link nods, reaching for a mug.
“I’m going to bed. Think you can handle it?” Amelia gestures towards the mug in his hands.
And Link rolls his eyes. “Yes, I’ve got it. Is it that obvious that I’m not really a tea guy?”
Amelia bites her lip, and shrugs, turning on her heels and back towards her bedroom.
“Goodnight, Amy.” She can hear Link snicker from the kitchen. And the use of the nickname causes Amelia to halt in her tracks. She slowly rounds the corner back into the kitchen.
“Don’t even.” Her voice is tight with astonishment. “Do you want me to start referring to you as Atticus? Because I will.”
The threat causes Link to falter only a little. And then he grins.
“Try again,” she mutters.
“Okay,” he’s laughing now. “Goodnight, Amelia.”
She thinks it’s the first time he’s said it out loud. Or called her by her first name at all. She’s been so used to hearing him refer to her as ‘Shepherd,’ that the sound of her first name falling from his lips actually stirs something inside her. She convinces herself that that’s it. That’s the reason it stuns her a little. It’s simply because she’s not used to it. Definitely has nothing to do with the fact that she enjoys the way it sounds.
She can’t help the smirk that crosses her face, as she repeats his sentiment. She turns back towards the hallway, an amused edge to her voice.
