[gathering] All My Bells Are Ringing

[drownondryland]

Meredith was clear, when the idea of a party came up, that she's never done anything like this before. Thrown parties, yes, but the kind with loud music and copious amounts of drinking that mostly got way bigger than she intended them to and wound up with her waking up either on the couch surrounded by everyone else's trash or in bed with someone,

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[lexiepedia]

It isn't quite so surprising to Lexie, the idea of Meredith throwing a party. What is surprising is that she wound up invited. Maybe it shouldn't be, with their being family and on somewhat better terms these days, but even so, she didn't think that would extend this far. That it's a good thing, though, goes without saying, leaves her honestly kind of thrilled, even if, by the same token, she does her best not to show it. She's figured out that being too overeager and latching on to any good sign doesn't do her any favors where Meredith is concerned.

Between that and the fact that she's invited Sawyer along with her, something that makes them feel more like a couple to her than any date could have, she's nervous, too, almost a little flustered. As such, she's parked herself by the refreshment table, a drink in hand, watching more so than participating, though smiling all the while. Only a couple months earlier, she had thought that there wouldn't be any place for her in the new life Meredith has here. Now that she apparently does, she's still trying to figure out what to make of it.

[drownondryland]

Meredith's still not entirely sure about the whole inviting Lexie thing, because it is kind of awkward. This is a holiday that is, for some people, theoretically, about family and friends and Lexie isn't quite either and she's not exactly neither. Meredith isn't certain where she falls on the spectrum exactly or if she even wants her on it, but while she tries to piece it together, she's trying. Making an effort, however, also means making conversation, so eventually she finds her way to Lexie's side, getting herself a drink before she offers her a smile that's only slightly forced. "Uh, enjoying the party?"

[lexiepedia]

"Meredith, hey," Lexie greets with a sudden smile of her own, momentarily ignoring the question in favor of doing so. However strange she finds it that she's been invited to this, she has no intention of saying as much; she can't tell for sure, obviously, but from what she's gathered from past conversations she and Meredith have had, it doesn't seem like it would be in her best interest. The best thing to do is act naturally. "I am, yeah, this is great. I'm so glad to be here."

[drownondryland]

"I'm, uh... we're glad you could make it," Meredith says with a nod that is much firmer than her actual certainty of that fact. She knows it's the kind of thing Sean thinks she should do, but she knows, too, that that wouldn't mean much in this particular case if she wanted to keep Lexie away from her. We doesn't have much to do with this particular equation. "I know it's not that much, but what can you do around here?"

[lexiepedia]

"No, I think it works like this," Lexie says, glancing around the roof briefly before her gaze settles on Meredith once more. "It's homey. In a good sort of way. Better than some big, fancy... thing." She'd have felt far more out of place at something bigger, with as few people as she really knows here. Christmas is a time for family, and Meredith's all she's got here; between that and the presence of her new boyfriend, she's pretty much set. "But thanks, really, for inviting me."

[drownondryland]

"It's Christmas," Meredith says. Maybe the holiday never meant much to her small family, although she has a couple fond memories even so, but she likes the idea of the season, even if it's been rare she's had anything that actually lived up to it. Besides, her little epiphany last month may not have made everything easier, but it's helped a bit. "So that's Sawyer."

[lexiepedia]

"Yup," Lexie confirms, looking in his direction before she nods, smile growing simultaneously brighter and more nervous. Things have been going well, remarkably so, but she still doesn't know quite what they're doing, and anyway, she wants it to work out, to be right. That he's here with her now, at her sister's Christmas party, has got to be a good sign, but she isn't about to assume they're one thing if they aren't. "I figured, since you said plus ones, that it would be good to invite him. Like you said, it's Christmas."

[drownondryland]

"No, it is," Meredith says, nodding, "it's good. I did say that. He's cute. Hot even." Now she's said it, cute is entirely the wrong term; he is, if anything, ruggedly handsome, which is what makes the whole thing a bit odd to her. Granted, Lexie's dated Mark Sloan, so Meredith supposes she shouldn't be surprised this is her type, but Sawyer looks a bit rougher around the edges. But then, who is she to judge the compatibility of Lexie's boyfriends?

[lexiepedia]

"Yeah, I tend to think so," Lexie agrees, a little sheepish but pleased nevertheless at what she can only take to be Meredith's approval, inasmuch as it can be given without their knowing each other. This counts for something. She does like him quite a bit (even if his presence hasn't stopped her from thinking about Mark more often than she should, something that is unsurprising but the slightest bit disappointing). "He's, he's been really great, too."

[drownondryland]

"He'd better be," Meredith says. Maybe good guys are hard to come by even here, but that's no reason Lexie should ever settle. She'll need to get him alone, of course, have a few words with him, make sure he's actually a good guy, not that one conversation is enough to tell her that. It's something, though, and she ought to be sure. "But there are plenty of people in this room who could easily kick his ass from here to next Sunday if he turns out not to be."

[lexiepedia]

"Oh, I, I'm sure that won't be necessary," Lexie says, with a laugh that sounds too nervous for her to seem confident in that fact, though it's for an entirely different reason. It almost sounds like Meredith is protective of her, for one, which is strange enough in itself, but then she just hasn't really considered the possibility in the first place, which makes the mention of it a little jarring. "That's... I will remember that, though. If anything happens. Which I don't think it will."

[drownondryland]

"Okay," Meredith says. She has no reason to trust Lexie's judgment, but no reason to care especially either - right? It's not her job to take care of her. "I mean, Sean alone, I think he'd be only too glad to take a crack at someone." He's getting antsy, but that's been true forever, really, practically since she met him, so it's more of a joke than anything else. She doesn't doubt he'd do it, though, if she asked (he's not actually different from Derek in that respect, she thinks, wanting for her to get on with her sister, but at least she feels he understands a little of why she has so much trouble with this). "But no, I'm sure he's fine."

[lexiepedia]

The prospect of Sean defending her honor or whatever like that is even stranger than Meredith's interest, though Lexie is pretty sure that's more because of her feelings towards him than any way he's ever acted around her. It isn't that she doesn't like him - strange as all this is, she's trying to, anyway - but she hasn't quite been able to shake that first impression of him, the one that reminded her far too much of her father at his worst. She is trying, though; she probably wouldn't be here otherwise. "I can... let you know, if that, you know, changes," she offers, a hint of a question in the lilt of her voice. "But he's fine. I think he's fine. This, I think this is good."

[drownondryland]

"Okay," Meredith says again, nodding. "Good." It's weird, this idea of having to meet people's boyfriends, of having people who, in some way, belong to her. She's used to having a small makeshift family, but she still forgets, from time to time, that that's true here, too, even if the members keep changing every few months. Any notion of responsibility for Lexie, of protectiveness, alarms her unduly. "It's... good. That you're moving on. Finding someone nice. And here."

[lexiepedia]

It almost stings, the obvious implication: someone who isn't Mark. Lexie doesn't show as much, though, can't even let herself dwell on it, when in all honesty, she spends too much time thinking about Mark as it is. She tries like hell not to, of course; it just doesn't usually work. Instead of saying so, though, she just nods in agreement. It is true, after all, and makes sense, too. "Yeah," she says. "It is. And, I mean, I do really think he likes me."

[drownondryland]

"Well, he showed up," Meredith points out, glancing across the room at him again. She's not sure how good she is about hiding her looks, but it doesn't matter. Of course they're talking about him. He doesn't look altogether at ease, but that doesn't count against him. If anything, it supports what she's saying. "You don't go to a family party with just any girl you just started dating."