(no subject)
Title: Absence
Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Character: Izzie, Alex.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,224
Prompt: #08 - Butter for
25_foods
Progress: 7/25
Spoilers: Up to 3.17 - Some Kind Of Miracle. Is loosely based of a promo picture. Everything else is my crazy mind.
Summary: Izzie's night of baking gets interrupted by a new houseguest.
She was just getting set up. It was late; she was alone in the house. Meredith was probably off at Joe’s, which was where she usually ended up the night’s Derek worked late. George was…well she wasn’t sure where George was because he wasn’t talking to her, which was kind of the reason she was planning on spending the night baking anyways.
But, more to the point, she was just getting her mixing bowl out and the recipe no one knew she used out when the front door opened and shut firmly. Too early for Meredith to be home she figured, glancing at the clock to confirm that. This of course meant that it had to be George who had just come home. She grinned, her spirits lifted instantly as she went into the living room to greet him, pleased that his appearance must mean he was coming back home. Or maybe coming to clean out his room. She shook her head, pushing that thought from her mind.
All hope was crushed though as she walked into the entryway to find Alex throwing his coat on one of the hooks by the door. “Alex?”
He turned, a sheepish look on his face. “Hey Iz.”
She glanced from him to the closed door and back again. No one else had let him in and she had left the door locked. “How did you get in?”
Digging in the pocket of his jeans, he pulled out a key. “Meredith,” he told her, by way of explanation.
“Why would Meredith give you a key?” Izzie asked, confused. There had to be something she was missing here.
“My apartment’s being fumigated.” She nodded. “Ran into Meredith at Joe’s and she gave me the spare key. Told me O’Malley’s staying with Torres. I’ll be out of here in a week.” He added that last part like thought she’d mind him being there. Really she didn’t; whatever history they had was erased from her mind as of late. For the most part it appeared that he’d grown up a bit since just before the Prom.
“Okay. Although are you sure Meredith was sober when she offered you room and board? Because she wasn’t especially bright and shiny this morning which means her and Derek are having problems. That combined with a mild hangover and a lack of memory and tomorrow morning might not be so great for you.”
He frowned, and she instantly knew he was reading too much into her statement. “I can stay at a hotel if you think this a bad idea.”
“Alex, it’s fine,” she told him, dismissively at first. He didn’t seem to sure that it was and he just stared at her while she avoided his eyes. She watched him take a step forward and then back again like he wasn’t really sure what to do. “Seriously, I don’t care.” Izzie glanced into the empty living room with the silent television. Subconsciously she found herself listening carefully, expecting to hear something fall in the kitchen. There was nothing. George wasn’t here. It didn’t feel right. “It’s too quiet in here anyway.”
Though she hadn’t expected him to, he followed her into the kitchen. He watched her fill a measuring cup full of water as he leaned up against the counter, eyeing her far too closely. Finally, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she replied, voice much too high and perky to be believable. Alex raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, a sign that he wasn’t going to pull teeth to get an answer. Knowing it was rare for Alex to actually show concern toward anyone, she tried again for his benefit, convincingly this time. “Really, I’m alright. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“I get it, it’s a George thing.” She looked up at him when he said it, surprised that he had even that much figured out. Meredith had seemed oblivious to it, but then Meredith wasn’t really thinking about Izzie and sometimes she wondered if Meredith even realized George was gone. She was always too caught up in her own world. “What do you have against Torres anyway?”
“It’s just where did she come from anyway? She’s not there and then all of a sudden she is, trying to work her way in. And she acts like she’s part of the group, like she’s been through everything we have. She’s not one of us. Being married to George doesn’t change that.” Izzie felt her pulse quicken and she knew this was really just the start of her rant. She could go on about her dislike for the other woman for hours.
Alex studied her for a moment before asking, “What are you in love with him?”
“No, dumbass.” So much for the whole understanding her thing. She loved George. Like a brother. Or a really good friend. Yeah, that was it. “He’s my best friend. He’s the one who’s always there when I need him, or at least he was, and now he’s not. I mean Meredith’s great and all that but she’s always caught up in her own crisis. George wasn’t too busy. And now he is. You know what I mean?”
His eyebrows knit together in a confused way and he shook his head. “Not really.”
“You never had a best friend?” She asked, disbelieving.
He shifted uncomfortably. “Not exactly.”
She would’ve thought he was lying if he didn’t look so embarrassed by it. “That’s pathetic.”
“Yeah, thanks.” He looked away, hiding the vulnerability that flashed in his eyes. That was new. Alex turned into a different person around her sometimes; he showed his true colors and who he really was under the sarcastic, egotistical exterior. Sometimes she toyed with him then, just to see what reaction she’d get. Sadly that game had suddenly lost some of its appeal.
“Sorry,” she mumbled the apology, looking back down at the counter.
“You know it’s just…” he trailed, and even though her eyes remained fixed on the glossy surface her ears perked up. Then, “whatever.” And whatever he was going to say, whatever part of him she was about to discover, was lost behind a façade of indifference. She pressed her lips together, waiting for him to say something, and trying to find something to say herself. Dead silence. He sighed heavily, pushing off against the counter. “So what are we baking?”
The pronoun caught her off guard and she smiled. “Okay first of all you’re baking?”
“Can’t hurt to try,” he told her.
She paused, restraining a giggle that threatened to escape. “Fine but if you end up covered in flour I reserve the right to get the camera.”
“Won’t happen,” Alex said, sounding less confident than his words dictated.
“That’s what they all say.” She replied, with an easy roll of her eyes. “Alright I need eggs and butter.”
Dutifully he went over to the fridge, handing her the eggs she needed. The butter however never came and she turned to find him digging through the shelves and bins. “How do you not have butter?”
“I ate everything out of the fridge last night, everything, including a tub of butter.”
Izzie blushed, glad that his head was still stuck in the fridge and he therefore couldn’t see her.
She really needed to find a new way to cope.
Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Character: Izzie, Alex.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,224
Prompt: #08 - Butter for
25_foods
Progress: 7/25
Spoilers: Up to 3.17 - Some Kind Of Miracle. Is loosely based of a promo picture. Everything else is my crazy mind.
Summary: Izzie's night of baking gets interrupted by a new houseguest.
She was just getting set up. It was late; she was alone in the house. Meredith was probably off at Joe’s, which was where she usually ended up the night’s Derek worked late. George was…well she wasn’t sure where George was because he wasn’t talking to her, which was kind of the reason she was planning on spending the night baking anyways.
But, more to the point, she was just getting her mixing bowl out and the recipe no one knew she used out when the front door opened and shut firmly. Too early for Meredith to be home she figured, glancing at the clock to confirm that. This of course meant that it had to be George who had just come home. She grinned, her spirits lifted instantly as she went into the living room to greet him, pleased that his appearance must mean he was coming back home. Or maybe coming to clean out his room. She shook her head, pushing that thought from her mind.
All hope was crushed though as she walked into the entryway to find Alex throwing his coat on one of the hooks by the door. “Alex?”
He turned, a sheepish look on his face. “Hey Iz.”
She glanced from him to the closed door and back again. No one else had let him in and she had left the door locked. “How did you get in?”
Digging in the pocket of his jeans, he pulled out a key. “Meredith,” he told her, by way of explanation.
“Why would Meredith give you a key?” Izzie asked, confused. There had to be something she was missing here.
“My apartment’s being fumigated.” She nodded. “Ran into Meredith at Joe’s and she gave me the spare key. Told me O’Malley’s staying with Torres. I’ll be out of here in a week.” He added that last part like thought she’d mind him being there. Really she didn’t; whatever history they had was erased from her mind as of late. For the most part it appeared that he’d grown up a bit since just before the Prom.
“Okay. Although are you sure Meredith was sober when she offered you room and board? Because she wasn’t especially bright and shiny this morning which means her and Derek are having problems. That combined with a mild hangover and a lack of memory and tomorrow morning might not be so great for you.”
He frowned, and she instantly knew he was reading too much into her statement. “I can stay at a hotel if you think this a bad idea.”
“Alex, it’s fine,” she told him, dismissively at first. He didn’t seem to sure that it was and he just stared at her while she avoided his eyes. She watched him take a step forward and then back again like he wasn’t really sure what to do. “Seriously, I don’t care.” Izzie glanced into the empty living room with the silent television. Subconsciously she found herself listening carefully, expecting to hear something fall in the kitchen. There was nothing. George wasn’t here. It didn’t feel right. “It’s too quiet in here anyway.”
Though she hadn’t expected him to, he followed her into the kitchen. He watched her fill a measuring cup full of water as he leaned up against the counter, eyeing her far too closely. Finally, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she replied, voice much too high and perky to be believable. Alex raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, a sign that he wasn’t going to pull teeth to get an answer. Knowing it was rare for Alex to actually show concern toward anyone, she tried again for his benefit, convincingly this time. “Really, I’m alright. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“I get it, it’s a George thing.” She looked up at him when he said it, surprised that he had even that much figured out. Meredith had seemed oblivious to it, but then Meredith wasn’t really thinking about Izzie and sometimes she wondered if Meredith even realized George was gone. She was always too caught up in her own world. “What do you have against Torres anyway?”
“It’s just where did she come from anyway? She’s not there and then all of a sudden she is, trying to work her way in. And she acts like she’s part of the group, like she’s been through everything we have. She’s not one of us. Being married to George doesn’t change that.” Izzie felt her pulse quicken and she knew this was really just the start of her rant. She could go on about her dislike for the other woman for hours.
Alex studied her for a moment before asking, “What are you in love with him?”
“No, dumbass.” So much for the whole understanding her thing. She loved George. Like a brother. Or a really good friend. Yeah, that was it. “He’s my best friend. He’s the one who’s always there when I need him, or at least he was, and now he’s not. I mean Meredith’s great and all that but she’s always caught up in her own crisis. George wasn’t too busy. And now he is. You know what I mean?”
His eyebrows knit together in a confused way and he shook his head. “Not really.”
“You never had a best friend?” She asked, disbelieving.
He shifted uncomfortably. “Not exactly.”
She would’ve thought he was lying if he didn’t look so embarrassed by it. “That’s pathetic.”
“Yeah, thanks.” He looked away, hiding the vulnerability that flashed in his eyes. That was new. Alex turned into a different person around her sometimes; he showed his true colors and who he really was under the sarcastic, egotistical exterior. Sometimes she toyed with him then, just to see what reaction she’d get. Sadly that game had suddenly lost some of its appeal.
“Sorry,” she mumbled the apology, looking back down at the counter.
“You know it’s just…” he trailed, and even though her eyes remained fixed on the glossy surface her ears perked up. Then, “whatever.” And whatever he was going to say, whatever part of him she was about to discover, was lost behind a façade of indifference. She pressed her lips together, waiting for him to say something, and trying to find something to say herself. Dead silence. He sighed heavily, pushing off against the counter. “So what are we baking?”
The pronoun caught her off guard and she smiled. “Okay first of all you’re baking?”
“Can’t hurt to try,” he told her.
She paused, restraining a giggle that threatened to escape. “Fine but if you end up covered in flour I reserve the right to get the camera.”
“Won’t happen,” Alex said, sounding less confident than his words dictated.
“That’s what they all say.” She replied, with an easy roll of her eyes. “Alright I need eggs and butter.”
Dutifully he went over to the fridge, handing her the eggs she needed. The butter however never came and she turned to find him digging through the shelves and bins. “How do you not have butter?”
“I ate everything out of the fridge last night, everything, including a tub of butter.”
Izzie blushed, glad that his head was still stuck in the fridge and he therefore couldn’t see her.
She really needed to find a new way to cope.