Title: The Crush (1/1)

Author: Chelle Storey-Daniel

Rating: NC17, baby

Pairing: Mark/Callie

Summary: Callie and Mark enjoy an easy friendship that everyone reads more into. Who's right?

Derek sighed as he listened to Mark.

The man was completely oblivious.

He was rambling non stop about Dr. Torres again, the same way he had done for six months now and Derek could only nod and utter a few non-committal responses. Right around the time that Callie filed for a divorce, Mark had started sitting with her in the lunchroom. It eventually became common place to see them walking in the hallways laughing at something. About three months into their 'friendship', the nurses began to complain that Mark was no longer interested in them and when Derek brought it up, Mark had simply shrugged.

"Just ask her out," Derek finally suggested. "Just ... take her to a movie or to dinner or whatever you need to do, but ask her out."

"What?" Mark's mouth fell open. "She's my best friend. The best friend I had to go and find to drink with me when you wouldn't."

"Right," Derek replied, gathering up his chart. "You forget that I know you, manwhore. You have a crush."

"A crush? What am I, fourteen?"

Derek simply smiled.

Mark shot him a bird and left the room.

Meredith and Cristina looked at one another like they wanted to choke Callie.

She somehow found a way to work Mark Sloan into any and all daily conversations they had. The current one sided discussion had been sparked after Meredith commented on his handwriting, prompting Callie to take the chart and see for herself. Somehow it led to a story about the last movie that Callie and Mark had seen together. He had fallen asleep with his head on her shoulder and what that had to do with penmanship was anybody's guess, but it made Callie smile, which was nicer than the tears that had lasted for weeks when her marriage failed.

Cristina finally snatched the chart and said, "Could you just have sex with him so that our conversations can at least be more graphic than falling asleep at the movies?"

"We are friends," Callie said, laughing. "Best friends and that's all."

"Riiiiight," replied Meredith. "I don't talk about Cristina so much."

"Well, she's boring." Callie shrugged.

"Standing right here!" Cristina indicated herself. "And what the hell is so enthralling about falling asleep at the theater?"

"Because it's McSteamy." Meredith looked mischievous. "And Callie is McSteamed."

"Whatever!" Callie gathered her chart and tucked it under her arm. "You two are clearly insane."

"And you're crushing on the manwhore," Cristina shot back. "Next time he falls asleep on you ... get naked and wake him up."

Callie made a face and walked off.

They didn't know what they were talking about.

Mark slid his tray on the table the same way he had done for months and looked down at Callie. She had her iPod on and was humming along to something as she worked on a word search. He took the pen and the book and pushed her tray a little closer to her, telling her with his eyes that she needed to eat. She sighed and put her iPod away, then smiled at him. "How's your day?"

"Don't ask."

"Ooooh." Callie took a bite of her sandwich, then decided that his looked better and swapped their trays.

Mark said nothing. He simply picked up the half of her sandwich she had bitten and ate it. Halfway through, he swapped their trays again and said, "Sandwiches are supposed to have meat. I can only do so much of that rabbit shit."

"Me, too. That's why you're handy." Callie picked up the remaining half of her veggie sandwich and bit into it. "So, I'm asking. Why is your day bad?"

"I need a vacation."

"I hear you. I'm actually thinking about going camping this weekend just to get away from the city. I need mountain air, mountain climbing, and fishing."

He laughed. "How am I just now hearing that you can do any of this?"

"I'm a surprising girl, Mark. I have many talents."

"Are you going alone?"

"I always do," she replied, scrunching her lips together in a way that never failed to drive him insane. "Just call me Miss Independent."

"Want some company?"

"Oh, god." She shook her head. "You are a city boy through and through, Sloan. Have you ever been camping?"

"Absolutely! I was a Boy Scout for many, many years. Derek and I were regular pioneers. We camped out all the time." He saw the skepticism on her face. "Okay, we technically camped in the backyard of his parent's multi-million dollar apartment, but there were trees and grass and assembly of tents which I'm very good at."

"Then it's my lucky day. Because I can't erect a damn thing so you're in."

"I'm in." Mark shifted on the seat.

She was very wrong about not erecting a damn thing.

"Ahhhhh, smell that." Callie stood near the edge of the cliffs that overlooked one of the many picturesque valleys they had stopped to look at during the hike. She adjusted her backpack and turned to Mark, who was sitting on a rock drinking water. "Mark! We're not in the desert! It's not even eighty degrees and you're -"

"Terrified of heights. So get away from the edge." He motioned for her to join him. "Seriously. You're freaking me out."

"Aww, you're like Richard Gere in 'Pretty Woman'! Would you freak out if I did this?" She inched even closer to the edge of the ravine and he shot to his feet and grabbed her just as she lost her footing. "Oh my god!" She looked up at him with wide eyes as he set her back on her feet well away from the edge. "Uh, thanks."

"Do that again and I'll kick you off the side myself." Mark stared down at her for longer than he should have. She was wearing a baseball cap and had her hair pulled through the back. Her face was devoid of make up and he was tempted to kiss the smattering of freckles on her nose. He watched her lick her lips and subconsciously licked his as well. He leaned his head down, dangerously close to her plump, pouty mouth when an eagle soared up from the cliff, crying out.

"Wow." Callie stepped away from him, her heart racing ... not from the near death experience or the bird. Unless she was very mistaken ... Mark Sloan had almost kissed her. "We should get going if we're going to make the next rise and our campsite."

"Lead the way." And I'll enjoy the view, he thought to himself. She had on insanely tight hiking pants that stopped just below her knees and he was tempted to insist on carrying her backpack so that her backside was as visible as the backs of her thighs.

It took close to an hour to make the next rise and Callie had drained her own water bottle by the time they made it. She happily pulled off her backpack and let it drop to the ground, then she fell back against it, reclining lazily as her legs tingled from the incline they had hiked. "Does this spot work for you?"

He looked around. On one side of them there was nothing but air and another cliff for Callie to taunt him with. In the background, though, he could hear the thundering rush of water and it forced him to nod. "Let's go see the water fall."

"Wanna take a swim?"

"I didn't bring a suit! It's freezing up here!"

"Neither did I, Mark, and you'll get used to it." She got to her feet, wiping sweat from her brow as she pulled her hat off and shook her hair loose. "This is actually a pretty secluded spot and I paid out the ass to make sure people are directed the other way if they want to hike."

"You're responsible for all those 'private party' signs, huh?"

"I am." She headed through the woods, following a trail that had been pebbled in. When she reached the clearing, she looked up at the majestic waterfall, feeling the mist from it on her skin. Toeing off her shoes, she grinned at him. "You bashful?"

"You're serious?"

"How many times can you say you went skinny dipping halfway up a mountain with your best friend? I mean, if you and Derek had done it ... I'd mock you to death." Callie tugged her socks off, then pulled her shirt over her head. "If you want me to leave me on my bra and panties, I will, but you've seen it all before."

Oh, how he wanted to see it again. He unbuttoned his own shirt and let it fall to the ground, never taking his eyes off her as she decided to go completely bare. Apparently he had forgotten what the dusky peaks of her nipples looked like as they slipped through her hair. And when she turned away from him and stepped down onto the rocks, he realized that he had never fully appreciated the roundness of her ass or the two little dimples that rested at the base of her spine. His fingers itched to touch those dimples, but he forced himself to untie his shoes and when he looked up, the goddess had jumped into the water and he smiled when she came up laughing.

Callie watched him, unashamed of her open interest as he carefully picked his way across the rocks to the water's edge. His thighs were muscular and his chest was broad. And the rest of him ... god, the rest of him. Her mind replayed the conversation with Cristina and Meredith. She did not have a crush. No ... she had something worse and it made her mouth completely dry when she realized that she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone in her life. She shook her head, trying to clear it and said, "Dive in! It's easier!"

"Do you know what cold water does to a man's body?"

"Let's find out." She splashed him and he howled, then slipped off the rock as his feet lost traction on the smooth, wet surface.

As soon as he surfaced, Callie dunked him, laughing her ass off. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down with him. They both came up sputtering and she tried to swim away, only to have him grab her ankle and yank her back for more. They spent close to an hour struggling for dominance, laughing and playfully goading one another.

She eventually led him to the waterfall and stood under it, letting it wash over her head. "Nature's spa," she told him.

"What's behind it?" he asked, ducking through the falls and heading into a cavern. People had graffitied the walls, but it didn't detract from the natural beauty. Despite the fact that water raged a few feet away, the smooth rock ledge was dry and he hopped up on it and extended a hand to her. "Are you as water logged as me?"

She let him help her onto the ledge and pulled her legs against her chest. The sun was shining through the cascading water, causing a prism of color all around them. "This is amazing."

"I feel like we're in a bag of Skittles," he told her, watching as reds and blues danced against Callie's face. "Taste the rainbow."

Her eyes widened when he leaned forward and kissed her. She stiffened involuntarily, not because she didn't want it, but because his mouth sent an electric current through her body that she wasn't prepared for. He pulled away instantly and she shook her head, "No, Mark-"

"I'm sorry. I'm an ass and you - feel free to pretend that didn't happen."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Do you want me to pretend it didn't happen?"

"No." He looked at her mouth again, then her chocolate brown eyes. "I want you to tell me to do it again."

"Why should I leave everything up to you?" She leaned into him and pulled him down, kissing him with far more enthusiasm than he had mustered. Her tongue danced against his and she lowered her legs as his hands tangled in her hair.

Mark couldn't breathe. He moved his hand from her hair and traced the contour of her waist, then let it rest against her thigh. Derek was wrong. Derek had never been more wrong. He didn't have a crush on Callie ... his heart was too far into her for it to be a crush. When he felt her shift and lay back against the ledge, he followed her, never breaking the kiss.

Callie couldn't touch enough of him. Her hands spanned the breadth of his shoulders, the muscles of his back, and finally she dragged her nails across his backside, causing him to hiss against her mouth. Her head fell back when he pulled away and latched onto her nipple. She arched into him, her hands on either side of his head, urging him, guiding him. She trailed the sole of her foot over the back of his leg, then hooked her heel behind it and urged his thigh between her legs. When it pressed against her center, she rotated her hips against it and heard him chuckle.

"I know what you need," he said, barely audible over the crash of water around them. He pushed her a little further up the ledge and kissed her stomach, slowly climbing down her body as he went. The rock was cold against his belly when he pushed her legs apart and blew cool air against her center. He could feel the chills on her legs, which he was rubbing and he smiled when she called his name. He blew again and watched her squirm and then he lowered his head and slid his tongue along the length of her cleft before he fastened his mouth on her clit.

She tasted like honey and sin ... there was no other way to describe it. She was sweet and deadly at the same time and he knew that he'd gladly die if only he could drink his fill of her beforehand. And that would never happen ... so he was safe. He pulled his hand away from her leg and licked his fingers before he slid one, then two, into her tight passage. His toes curled as he felt her clamp around them and he lowered his head again, hell bent on finishing what he started.

He was gentle at first, caressing and kind, but when she tugged at his hair and ordered him to fuck her, he nipped at her flesh and roughly sucked her swollen bud. She came, almost scalping him as she still had his hair and popping his head off with the power of her thighs. He pushed them apart again and lapped at her flesh until she urged him upward with a foot against his backside. There was nothing in the world sexier than a woman who knew what she wanted.

He crushed her mouth with his and felt her reach between them to guide him into her. Pushing himself up on his palms, he watched as she stroked him, then pushed forward with his hips until he was fully seated against her. He dropped onto his elbows and captured her breast again, then reclaimed her mouth. She wrapped her legs around him and yanked him even further and he groaned her name, shifting a little so that he could slide one hand beneath her ass.

Callie gritted her teeth as his fingers bit into the flesh of her hip, pulling her upward to meet his thrusts. It burned and she enjoyed every second of it. He slammed into her and she could feel the crevices of the rock biting into her shoulder blades and it was perfection. It made her aware of every inch of her skin and every inch of it tingled as the sounds of flesh against flesh began to drown out the thundering waterfall.

When she felt his teeth against her neck, she came again. Her feet dropped flat onto the rock and she pushed up against him so hard that he had to hang on and it was the ride of his life. Her nails dug into his back and he cried out, knowing that he'd have the battle scars for a while. Watching her come, seeing that she scrunched her mouth the same exact way she had done at lunch sent him over the edge. He got off so hard that he didn't think it would ever stop. He had not had sex for over seventy days and how he lasted at all was beyond him. Collapsing against her, he whispered, "It's not a crush."

"Did you talk to Meredith and Cristina!? I swear to God I'll kill them both!"

He smiled at her. "What did you say to them?"

"They said I had a crush on you."

"Do you?"

"No."

"Derek said I had a crush on you."

"Do you?" she asked, her face brightening.

"No." He laughed out loud when she tried to shove him off her. "Will you wait a second?"

"I don't want to cuddle. You're a cuddler and I don't want to."

"Why not?"

She bit her bottom lip. "You really don't feel anything, Mark?"

The smile faded when he saw the her eyes were bright with tears. "You're a crier and I really don't want you to."

"For the love of God, Mark, just tell me that I'm another fucking notch in your bedpost and get it over with!"

"You're the only notch that has gotten near my bedpost since your divorce was finalized." He reached up and brushed her hair back, loving the way it curled around his finger. "As soon as you became a free agent ... I became celibate and waited for you."

The sad look on her face was replaced with awe and wonder. "Shut up! Really!?"

"You had to make the first move, Cal. The wait has almost caused me to go blind." He held up his hand and wiggled his fingers. "I felt fourteen all over again."

She threw her head back and laughed. It caused her vaginal muscles to clamp down on him again and he hardened almost instantly. This time he took his time and did things his way. The sun was already setting when they finally emerged from the water and dressed. He felt physical pain as she covered up the body that had given him so much pleasure and made a mental note to move her in with him and hide all her clothing.

Callie didn't protest that night when he wanted to cuddle. She let him hold her all night long and dreaded the fact that they'd eventually have to leave the warmth of their shared sleeping bag.

Though she wound up getting him back into it every time she suggested it for the duration of their trip.

"So then," Callie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "He tells me that it's too dark for him to see the tent directions so he can't put it up. We slept without a tent in a sleeping bag and stared at the stars for hours because I was afraid we'd be eaten by a bear."

"What was a thin piece of tent going to do to protect you if there was a bear?" Meredith wondered aloud.

"You said sleeping bag. Not bags." Cristina raised her eyebrows, a move she did frequently since she had gotten them back. "You had sex with him."

"Well, yeah." Callie popped a mint in her mouth. "Many, many times in many, many positions."

"SHARE!" Cristina told her. "You finally have something I want to hear!"

"I don't kiss and tell."

"You told us everything from him falling asleep in the theater to how he likes his eggs!" Meredith crossed her arms over her chest. "You told us about his IPod mix and the way he programmed your ring tones with him singing off key so you better dish on this because we have waited months for the big payoff."

Callie simply grinned and walked away.

"I hate her." They two remaining women said as one, then dissolved into giggles.

"And she can't cook for shit, dude." Mark scribbled in his chart, not looking up at Derek. "She made me carry four thousand eight hundred pounds of food and the tent and we starved the entire weekend."

"Why didn't you cook?"

"Well, you know, it was just easier to eat it without cooking it. We were ... busy ... uh, with the sights and stuff."

Derek watched the other man closely. The smile had not left Sloan's face all day and it was a look that Derek knew well. "You had sex with her."

"What?" Sloan still didn't meet his eyes. "That's ... yeah, we did. A lot."

"And?"

"It's not a crush."

"It is too! You are completely -"

"Not discussing this with you."

Derek's jaw almost hit the floor. "You have told me everything about her from the way she likes to watch stupid old movies, to the way she eats her eggs, to the way you like to fall asleep with your head on her shoulder so you keep asking her to the movies and now you're not discussing it?"

Mark shrugged. "I don't kiss and tell."

"Since when?!"

"Since I realized that I don't have a crush at all." Mark got to his feet and picked up his paperwork. "So stop asking me about her. Some things are private."

"Jackass!" Derek called after him, then laughed until his sides ached.

The manwhore had been tamed.

Derek never thought he'd live to see the day.

- The End