Author Devylish
Title The Opposite of Nice
Fandom Grey's Anatomy
Pair Mark and Callie
Rating PG13
Words 2208
Warning/Spoiler/Summary None. None. Mallie Challenge Photo June 2009. Photo prompt Dubravko Raos - winter sunset
Disclaimer All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of the creators of the TV show Grey's Anatomy. Any original characters, settings and plots are the property of devylish. devylish is in no way associated with the TV show Grey's Anatomy and no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made.

"Have I mentioned recently that I think you're beautiful?"

"Uh huh" she glanced at her watch, "but it's been like a whole five minutes."

He slid his arms around her waist and leaned in for a chaste kiss. "You're beautiful."

His heartfelt sentiment was interrupted by the clearing of a throat emanating from the darkened corner of the living room.

"Guys, you need to take that to another room." Sloan stuck his head out from the chair he was sitting in, glass of scotch in hand. He frowned at Callie and her new beau, Dr. Fadeem. How the hell I got railroaded into inviting Callie and the overly perfect Dr. Fadeem up to the cabin for the weekend is beyond me. He did have a vague recollection of Shepherd suggesting that it would be rude to not invite Callie. Mental note to self: kick Shepherd's ass.

"Ignore him Nabil." Callie turned back to her prospective boyfriend and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. "Sloan's stag this weekend, so he's a little jealous."

"And with you as the object of his jealousy, who could blame him?" Nabil whispered in her ear before gently disentangling himself from her frame. "However," he added loudly, "He's our host, so we should honor his request."

"Yeah Callie, I'm your host. Honor me."

Callie loosened her grip on Nabil's waist and moved to Sloan's side. "And how many drinks have you had?" She pulled the glass from his hand and took a sip.

"Who's counting?"

Callie glanced down at Mark's relaxed figure and smiled knowingly, "See, it's you non-counters we really need to keep our eyes on."

She reached around him for the crystal decanter that held the remainder of the scotch. "Commandeering."

"I have something else you can commandeer," he muttered quietly.

Ignoring him, Callie turned to Nabil, holding up the scotch. "Wanna help me find a good hiding place for this?"

"Whatever you wish to do, I wish to do."

Except sleep with me. Seriously, three weeks of dating and he hadn't crossed that line. The line that, in Callie's case, was fainter than white paint on snow. There'd been very, very little touching below the waist and only a handful of pettings above the waist. The kisses, well, the kisses had been great. If he fucked half as well as he kissed, bedtime with Nabil would be amazing.

Of course, after three weeks of attempting to cajole, seduce, and otherwise drag Nabil into her bed Callie was seriously starting to question her feminine allure.

***

An hour later and the rest of the gang planning to spend the weekend at Mark's hidden cabin had arrived. He'd invited all of the regulars. Shepherd and Grey, Hunt and Yang, and Callie. Only, he'd conveniently forgotten that Callie wasn't single at the moment. She had Fadeem.

Mark watched the two of them graze at the snack table he'd laid out. Fucker. Why does he have to be so damn perfect? First rate cardiothoracic surgeon. Tall. Dark. Fucking handsome. Mark reached for his glass of soda, teasingly given to him by Callie a few minutes ago, and took a sip. And to top it all off, the fucker is nice. Like, genuinely nice. Mark stared at Callie and Nabil. I'm screwed. Royally screwed.

"They make a cute couple." Yang dropped onto the arm of the chair Sloan was sitting in.

"Bitch."

She laughed. "Well if you didn't want to see the two of them together, why'd you invite them?"

"I invited her. He tagged along."

"They've been joined at the hip for like, the last two weeks, and you thought she'd come alone?" Yang shoved Sloan's shoulder. "Dude, wishful thinking is NOT going to get you back into Torres' pants."

He slunk down in the chair, "Yeah, well I don't want to get into her pants." He looked up at Yang, "Well, okay, yeah, I do, but…."

"Dude, you're in love with Torres, just admit it. First step to recovery or to success is admitting what your problem is."

"Fine. I'm in love. What the fuck can I do about it now? She's with Mr. Perfect." Mark pouted. "Have you seen his hair? It rivals Shepherd's! How can I fight that?"

Yang looked at him and raised a brow. "Are you really asking me for advice?"

"I started drinking early today. I'm not myself…. So yeah, I'm fucking asking you for advice."

Yang, drink in hand, happily clapped. "Okay, this is going to be good." Raising her voice she yelled across the room, over the jazz that was pouring through the hidden speakers, "Yo, Hunt, get your beautiful ass over here!"

"What're you doing Yang?" Mark asked nervously as he watched Hunt laugh and say something to Grey and shepherd before heading over toward Christina.

"Planning." She smiled at Owen as he leaned over and kissed her.

"You bellowed m'lady?"

"So, Sloan here has finally admitted that he loves Callie, which means we need to find a way to crowbar apart Torres and Fadeem."

Owen looked at Sloan, then over at Fadeem, then back at Sloan. "I don't know, I kind of like Fadeem. I mean, he's a nice guy."

Sloan groaned. "Thanks man."

"No problem," Owen grinned. "But, I guess, technically you were there first, and you did invite us all to this lovely cabin for the weekend, so… I guess that tilts things in your favor."

"Great. Glad my cabin cinched the deal for me."

Owen glanced back at Fadeem and Callie who stood next to the snacks, laughing and chatting with one another. "So what do you want me to do? Headlock, then drag him off to the woodshed?"

"Sounds good to me." Mark grinned.

Yang sighed. "Boys… so violent. No. I'm thinking this will take more skill than brawn." Hopping up from her seat, she pushed Owen down onto her vacated spot. "Here, sit. Tell Sloan about the bliss that is being with the woman you love." She started to walk away but stopped after a few steps and looked over her shoulder. "Tell him!"

***

The plan to get Fadeem out of the way was subtle.

Well, it was subtler than a headlock and a trip to the woodshed.

Yang lassoed Shepherd and Grey into her plans and they went to work.

After nibbling at the food and drinks that had been laid out, everyone decided that outdoors was the place to be.

Parkas and boots on, they stepped out into a winter wonderland that would have made Thomas Kincaid drool.

Grey and Yang strategically started a snowball fight, catching Owen and Fadeem head-on with balls of the white, not so fluffy, stuff. Owen appropriated Fadeem and Grey and Yang took them on for twenty minutes or so. Long enough for Shepherd and Sloan to head out on a walk around the property with Callie. A walk that Shepherd quickly wiggled his way out of with an excuse that he needed to go back to the cabin for his gloves.

Mark nudged Callie toward the path to the right. "It's colder if we just stand around, let's walk. He'll catch up with us."

And so she walked with him.

They didn't spend a lot of time alone together these days. Which surprised many of their friends. It had surprised the two of them as well. His break up with Lexie had been months ago. And for once, Callie had been free at the same time that Sloan was free…. And they had done nothing about it.

Neither one of them pulled the other into a call room. Neither one of them followed the other one home. Neither one of them told the other one they were happy they were finally free. Free to explore the connection that always seemed to tether them to one another.

They'd spent the past few months tiptoeing around one another. Each of them quietly waiting for the other one to give them a sign. The sign that he still thought her to be the most beautiful woman in Seattle. The sign that she still found his boyish charm entrancing.

Unfortunately, they'd both become amazingly good at hiding their true feelings. Not only from the world around them, but from themselves.

"It's beautiful up here." She took a deep breath, ice filling her lungs and making her eyes water.

"If the city didn't fascinate me so much, I'd spend all my time up here."

She nudged him, "You're a closet Shepherd!"

"Hey! I'm not a closet anything! It's all out there in the open babe."

"Yeah, uh huh."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and Callie could feel her gut clinching. God I've missed this. Just being near him.

"Why don't we stop here?" He pointed to a log that sat off of the trail they were walking. It was set under a canopy of trees crystallized by snow and ice, creating almost an umbrella over the fallen trunk.

"I thought you said it was colder out here if we didn't move?"

"I'll keep you warm." He waggled his eyebrows.

Callie smiled in spite of herself. It was kind of nice to have him flirting with her again. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm here with someone."

"Yeah. I noticed."

She looked up at him, surprised by the note of dejection she detected in his voice. "You didn't…" ask me to come up to be with you. You didn't tell me you wanted me. She rubbed her bare hands against her jeans. "I'm not a mind reader."

He pulled off his gloves, shoved them in his pockets and pulled Callie's hands into his own, letting his warmth surround her fingers. "You use to be able to read my mind."

"Things… people change."

His eyes were transfixed on her hands. Delicate, strong, smaller than his. Fuck! I even love her hands.

"So… Dr. Fadeem seems like a nice guy."

"He is. Very nice." Nice nice nice nice.

"Is this thing between the two of you… serious?"

She hesitated for half a second. "It could be."

"So he makes your toes curl? Your voice get all husky and soft?"

Not the way you did. Do. "Are you really allowed to ask me those kinds of questions anymore?"

Well that wasn't a 'yes' or a 'hell yes'. Points for me. "Sure I am, we're friends."

"I've never asked my buddy Yang if Owen makes her toes curl."

"He does."

"Okay, it's just wrong that you know the answer to that question."

They sat in silence… his hands wrapped around hers. "You never answered my question."

"You noticed that, huh?"

"I notice everything about you. Even when you're not talking to me."

She jerked out of his hands. "Not talking to you?! You're the one who hasn't been talking to me!"

"The only reason I stopped talking to you was because you stopped talking to me!"

Callie swung at Mark's chest, her hand bouncing off of the down stuffing of his jacket. "Jesus! What are you, five years old?!" She pushed off of the log intent on heading back to the cabin and the distraction of other people.

Mark had other plans. Chasing the few steps necessary to catch up to her, he spun her around and held her in his arms. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't graceful. But he achieved his goal; the goal of pulling her as close to him as possible and kissing her.

It all rushed back to him. The honey of her mouth. The soft spun satin of her skin. The fragrant silk of her hair. How had he gone so long without this? Without her?

He pulled back from her slightly, brushing her bangs from her forehead.

"Wow!" The word slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. As he chuckled, Callie groaned and buried her head against Mark's shoulder. "I kinda didn't mean to say that out loud."

"Well if it helps any, 'Wow!' right back to you."

"That helps a little bit." She curved her fingers into his biceps. "So…, what are we doing?"

"At the moment? We're conserving body heat."

She giggled. "So all I am to you is a human heater?"

He shifted his hips closer to hers, a major feat in all of the layers they were wearing. "A sexy human heater." He took a deep breath. He could take the leap. He could tell her how he felt about her, IF he knew how she felt about Nabil. "Uhm, Fadeem. You didn't answer my question. Does he make your toes curl?"

Crap. Crap. Damn! "We haven't, um, really gotten to the toe curling bit, yet."

Mark jerked his head back. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

"What?!"

"You and he haven't… haven't… Callie!"

"What?!"

Mark grabbed her arm and started to pull her back up the path toward the cabin.

"Mark! What are you doing? Where are we going?"

"We're going to go and politely tell Dr. Nabil Fadeem that he's a fucking idiot, and send him back to Seattle. And then," Mark spun around and pulled Callie into his embrace again. "Then," his voice was husky and soft, "We're going to my bedroom, and we're going to make up for lost time."