xxxvii. boyfriend
3.13

Here's the thing: Atlas loved to sleep. He could sleep for days if he tried hard enough. But funny story, Derek Shepherd kept Atlas up all night.

And not in the way Atlas would have liked.

Derek had kept Atlas up all night ranting about not knowing that Richard was going to retire, that Burke of all people had been asked to take over for Richard.

Atlas didn't get it — then again he didn't want to be chief — what Atlas wanted was to be a surgeon like he had trained to be, he had no interest in doing all the administrative stuff. That shit was just too boring.

Derek placed a kiss on Atlas cheek, but Atlas groaned and moved his head into his pillow. Don't get him wrong, he loved the morning kisses, but he was tired and had half an hour until he had to get up and get ready for work.

"Morning," Derek muttered, his voice still full of jealousy, but her wasn't going to let that get in the way of showing affection to the man he liked.

"No," Atlas said into his pillow just loud enough for Derek to hear him.

"What do you mean no?" Derek held a confused face.

"I like you, Derek, I do. But no."

"I don't get it..."

"Let me sleep!" Atlas cried out loudly, loud enough that Derek got the point.

Derek pulled the blanket up over Atlas's shoulders just how he liked it and moved to go get ready for his day.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Richard enters the elevator in a fancy suit. Atlas, Derek and Bailey are all in front of him trying to get into the elevator.

"Chief!"

"Chief!"

"I gotta talk to the chief." Derek almost pushes Bailey as he leans on the elevator.

"So do I and I was here first." Bailey deadpans and Atlas lets out a chuckle — technically he had been the first one to reach Richard.

"I have a meeting to get to. A very important meeting." Richard visibly stands up straighter and smooths down his suit.

"I'll talk quickly," Bailey replies and moved into the elevator with Atlas — he was on board with her idea.

"You can get into Shepherd if you're fast." Richard invited the neurosurgeon.

"Mine's not fast, mine's epic." Derek leans on the elevator.

Richard watches the elevator doors close. "Then it'll have to wait." He says just before Derek goes out of view.

Bailey looks Richard up and down, her eyebrows rising, "Why are you wearing a tie? And why are you smiling like that?"

"You have the length of this elevator ride, Miranda. Use it well." Richard switches the conversation, dismissing Bailey's question.

"I have two words for you Chief: free clinic," Bailey tells the man.

"What?"

"I - we want Seattle Grace to open a free clinic. I know, it's a big undertaking..." Bailey points her finger at Atlas as if she's trying to say "him too!"

Richards Eyes give Atlas the answer, he can already tell the older man doesn't like the idea. "This isn't even surgical — "

"We have done all the research." Bailey cuts Richard off.

"Miranda, there are all kinds of hoops to jump through. Funding. You two have to get the department heads ok." Richard tells the eager resident.

"Well if we get the support, will you consider this?" Bailey asks and Richard nods.

"I'll think about it. I can't imagine why you want to take this on. You're a surgeon. I've go to get to my meeting." He shakes his head.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Atlas liked having friends, he liked the different people he could talk to whenever he wanted. And one person he liked being friends with: was Mark Sloan. Derek did not like the idea that Atlas and Mark were friends, let alone talking to each other.

"You're quitting?" Atlas asks as he walks up to Mark.

"As soon as I find the Chief and hand him my letter of resignation," Mark confirms.

"Because?"

"I hate it here. I hate the town. I hate the weather. I hate the people. They're mean. They're unforgiving." Mark mutters.

Atlas makes a sound, then his arm raises and he waves it widely — like a little kid who needs to be picked on so he can talk. Mark notices, "yeah Atly?"

"The people of Seattle are unforgiving or are Derek and Addison?" Atlas released a breath.

Mark scowled. "What's your point?"

"Your contract?" Atlas pointed out.

Mark blinked, "My non-binding verbal agreement with Richard? Yeah. I'm breaking that."

"Oh. Well it's not as if he's going to be around to enforce it so." Atlas shrugged he shoulders and turned to walk away.

Mark looked up from the chart he had been glancing at, "What do you mean?"

"Well rumour has it he's stepping down so." Atlas shrugged once again.

"The chief? Well, who's going to take his place?"

"No the president. Yes the chief! And why do you care? You're leaving anyway." Atlas walked away before Mark could say anything.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Derek enters the on-call room where Atlas is, was, sleeping.

"You told Sloan?" The door opens and shuts.

"Huh?" Atlas sits up so he can see Derek.

"Mark Sloan. You told him Chief was stepping down. That I wanted the job." If this was a cartoon then steam would be shooting out of Dereks ears.

Atlas rubs his eyes, "I didn't know that was a secret."

"He was leaving Atlas. He was leaving town." Derek exclaimed.

Atlas was utterly confused, he knew Mark was leaving, he had found that out. And he knew why Derek was mad — it was obvious to anyone. But Derek could see that Atlas and Mark were friends despite everything that had happened between Mark and Derek.

Atlas nodded his head, his hair shaking with each nod. "Ok, and now he's not?"

"No, he's not. And you gave him a reason to stay." He walks out and slams the door.

"Derek..."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Atlas is under his blankets, his bed side table light on as he reads.

Derek enters the bedroom with a sad expression. "You left without me. And now you're not talking to me. I was a jerk. Sometimes boyfriends can be jerks. That doesn't mean you stop talking to them. You get that I'm saying I'm sorry right?"

"B-boyfriends? Your my boyfriend now?" Atlas dropped his book so he could focus on Derek.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Derek scratched the back of his neck. "I just figured, since, well..."

"Boyfriend. I'd like that." Atlas watched as Derek pulled of his shirt and moved into bed beside Atlas.

"Me too. Me too."