First Love - Chapter 5/5
First Love - Chapter 5
“So, who’s coming for Thanksgiving?” Meredith asked a few days later, as Izzie and Alex huddled around the kitchen table, planning the menu. “The usual suspects,” Alex grumbled, scowling as he crossed French fries off the list - at Izzie’s insistence - and replaced them with sweet potatoes. “Dinner will be at six,” Izzie chirped. “I also invited a few people from my peds rotations.”
“You didn’t invite Barton did you?” Meredith asked, “Derek really can’t stand her.” “I did, but she declined,” Izzie responded, checking the cabinets for canned vegetables. “Probably going to write another book over the holiday,” Alex said, “she took the whole week off.” “Write a book in a week?” Meredith asked, amused at his tone. “Chick’s a robot. For all I know, she’s going in for an oil change,” he replied. “Alex,” Meredith insisted, playfully slapping his arm “be nice, she’s your attending.”
“I like her,” Izzie said, peering curiously into the pantry. “We work with her a lot on our rotations. “I like her, too,” Alex offered, rooting in the cookie jar. “She publishes like crazy. I do all her prep work and post-ops, so she has more time to write. She builds her research reputation, and I get in on it for working with her, it’s great.” “You sound almost like…” Meredith started. “Finish that sentence and die Grey,” Alex threatened, almost spewing cookie crumbs at her for added measure.
“Is Derek coming for dinner tonight?” Izzie asked suddenly, checking the pots boiling on the stove, “because this is almost ready.” “No,” Meredith said, “it’s just us tonight. He said he had a couple of errands to run, and we’ve got an early surgery in the morning.” “Ooh,” Izzie piped up, “would one of his errands involve picking up something bright and shiny for Thanksgiving?” “Izzie,” Meredith laughed. “it happens when it happens, okay?” “I’m just saying,” Izzie said, smiling as she buried her head in another cook book.
“I invited my mother, too” Izzie said quietly, after Meredith had left the room. “Yeah,” Alex asked, poking through the cookie jar again, “that’s great Iz. So we’ll finally get to meet her?” Izzie shook her head, “She’s working on Thanksgiving. But she said she has every other holiday off, so I think I’m going to ask her to come for Christmas.” “That’d be good,” he nodded, “why didn’t you ask her when you were talking to her yesterday?”
Izzie shrugged sheepishly, “Gives us something to talk about next time,” she admitted, “plus it makes me nervous, you know.” “Iz,” Alex objected “the more time you spend with her, the more she’s going to love you.” “You think?” she asked, “we never really
got along when I was younger.” “You’re not a kid anymore, Iz,, you’ve changed, she’s changed, and hey,” he continued, wrapping his arms around her from behind and planting a kiss on her neck, “who wouldn’t love you?”
“Uh-hu,” Izzie nodded, rolling her eyes as she savored his embrace, “so is this your way of telling me that we’re out of those cookies again?” He chuckled as she turned to face his guilty pout. “You mean the jagged ones with the green edges, yeah,” he said, “we could use some more of those.” “What are you, five?” she teased, taking his face in her hands and kissing him gently.
“Go on,” she said, giggling again as she met his eager eyes, “I can’t even look at you when you’re like this. Go get the orange bowls out of the cabinet. I’ll make you some more before we go to the grocery store. But you’re helping me do the shopping later,”
she added sternly, poking a finger in his chest for emphasis. “Deal,” he said.
“So, when your mom comes for Christmas, we’ll have two hot chicks who can bake here,” he noted, raising his eyebrows in her direction as he pulled down the bowls she requested. “Alex,” she chided, “my mother is not hot!” He shook his head, laughing, as he ducked the dish towel she’d tossed at him. “Oh, I’m betting she is,” he said, grinning wickedly, “I’m betting she so is.” “Flirt,” she snapped, sticking her tongue out at him. “Yeah,” he agreed, placing the bowls beside her on the counter as he kissed her again.
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Izzie sat bolt upright, scrambling to check the time before remembering that she wasn’t working that day. She dropped back onto the bed, careful not to wake Alex, and exhaled deeply. Readjusting to intern’s hours that fall had been a challenge, as she moved further into her training in pediatrics. The schedule was grueling, the ribbing she took from her friends was annoying, and working with kids was much harder than she expected it to be; she was happier than she’d been in a long time.
She rolled over onto her side, poking Alex lightly, not enough to wake him, but enough to turn his usual soft pout into a comical grimace. She giggled as she recalled his adamant insistence that he was not ticklish, anywhere, at all. Trailing her fingers idly along his left side, she sighed, appreciatively eying his body as he rolled toward her, half burying his face in the pillow. “Tease,” she protested, grazing her fingers through his hair and down along his jaw. “Flirt,” he muttered, lazily opening his eyes.
She giggled at his sleepy expression, moving her face closer to his, wondering what color his eyes would be that morning. It was a game she’d played with herself for the last few months, something she’d begun soon after they’d started feeding their respective beasts again, as Alex so romantically described their re-whatever. She’d heard people speculate often about what Alex’s first language might be, since it plainly wasn’t English, but it wasn’t like she could come up with a better term to describe their… latest togetherness.
It was certainly no epic romance. Alex was still Alex, with his volatile temper, and his brutal honesty; he was nobody’s McDreamy. He was still a man of few words, though probably not, as Christina insisted, because he knew so few. He still spoke little about his past, and never about Rebecca. But his voice was its own thesaurus, its timber lending ‘whatever’ and ‘Iz’ an infinity of meanings, and he still spent some nights curled closely into the soft curve of her shoulder - where no words were necessary.
“You finally awake?” he asked smugly, sliding his arm around her and pulling her in to kiss her. “Nope,” she retorted, playfully pushing him away. “Tease,” he complained, tightening his embrace as he rolled her onto her back. He’d asked her if she was sure, the first night, and again the second, and again the third; she realized then that he was trying to protect her, too.
“Alex,” she chided, poking at his chest, “ask nice.” She’d been nervous, really, the first night, and the second, and maybe the third, because he was still Alex, and she was still Izzie, and they were both fumbling awkwardly toward this… latest togetherness thing. She wasn’t sure that it wouldn’t end like it had the first time, when he’d gone off after Olivia, and she’d gone off after someday. She was pretty sure, though, that he’d never disappoint her as much as someday had.
“What should I ask for?” he smirked, burying his mischievous grin in her hair as he nibbled behind her ear. He was definitely still Alex, who made her crazy, and made her laugh, and made her want to strangle him, whenever he wasn’t looking at her with those eyes that she was sure had a separate hue for every mood, rich warm browns melding into greens and hazels, and ambers flecked with gold. “Use your imagination,” she taunted, catching his gaze. She would have killed him by now, she was sure, if it weren’t for those eyes.
“How about a hint?” he prodded, his hands and his lips working their way slowly down her body. She grazed her fingers down his back, her long nails grazing its smooth flesh. He’d teased her about her nails scaring the children on her peds rotations, but he had encouraged her choice to switch specialties from day one. He adapted his schedule to hers, he helped her in the clinic when she was over-whelmed, and he shot down her theories about how she could never make this transition work, finally putting all of his detailed rebuttals together on a laminated card and posting it in her locker.
“Nothing special you have in mind, huh?” he crooned, between well placed kisses along her thighs. “Umm-um,” she murmured softly, definitely still Alex, who bought her lunch everyday, because residents made more than interns, but who scooped all of the tomatoes out of her salad, with his fingers, rather than order his own, because he didn’t eat rabbit food. Still Alex, who reviewed research articles with her at night, because he insisted proudly that she’d soon be an expert in both peds and neo-natal, and who told Barton that she was a natural collaborator for her latest research project, and who beamed when the kids in the clinic flocked to her, like a freaking mother goose.
“Maybe something like this?” he murmured mischievously, his hands sauntering leisurely across her hips, his lips and fingers conspiring as she shuddered. Definitely still lustful, indiscriminate Alex, whose hands - made half of butter, half of sandpaper - burnished her skin to a fine sheen, and whose body melted wordlessly into hers; definitely still distant, uncommunicative Alex, who kept everyone at arm’s length and who hated to
be seen, but who turned up in the mornings right where she stashed him, his bare body comfortably nestled beside hers, sleeping peacefully.
“Hmm… right there,” she muttered, her hands running through his hair, gasping as he rendered her speechless yet again. Definitely still inarticulate Alex, who chocked on apologies and couldn’t pronounce the word love. Still Alex, who left his car keys on the table, no questions asked, and the cookie dough ice cream in the freeze during exam weeks, because peds was so freaking tough, and who sent flowers on her mother’s birthday when she had hesitated, because chicks are just into dead weeds - and moms
are important - and who had had the card signed simply Iz, as if that said all that could ever need saying.
“Still nothing special I should be asking for?” he repeated, shifting as she’d directed.
He told her, often enough, that the others had nothing on her. She thought that he meant Christina and Meredith, and that he’d been talking about her future as a doctor, which he believed in so whole heartedly that she couldn’t help but believe in it too. But sometimes she wondered if maybe he didn’t mean something else, when he assured her that no one compared to her. “Uh-huh,” she giggled finally, abruptly flipping him over and pinning him to the bed, “stamina.”
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“Iz, you almost ready? Party starts at eight,” Alex yelled. “I’m coming,” she shouted, “be down in a second. “You called it,” he said, moving to get their coats as she came down the stairs. “Shepherd proposing on Christmas Eve,” he replied, when Izzie looked at him, baffled. “Yeah, right,” she said, plainly distracted.
“Something wrong, Iz?” he asked, moving to help her on with her coat but pulling back when he saw her face. “I just want to sit down for a minute,” she said, walking into the living room and settling on the couch. “Is this about that other Christmas tree?” Alex asked, sighing impatiently. “I told you, Iz, it would never have fit in here, even if we took the freaking roof off the house. This one’s fine,” he declared, shuddering slightly as he motioned toward the gargantuan Blue Spruce that dominated the room and was outfitted, as for as he could tell, for a heavy metal prom.
“It’s not that,” she said, shaking her head, “and I love the tree, thank you helping me to set it up.” “Yeah, well,” he said, clearing his throat, “what’s wrong than?” “I don’t want to move, Alex,” she said stubbornly. “What?” he asked. “Derek and Meredith, their house will be finished soon, probably this summer” she said sadly. “Yeah, well, Iz,” Alex said, baffled at her concern, “I don’t think they mean for us to move in with them.” “I know that,” she snapped, “I mean I don’t want to leave this house.”
“We could find another house, you know,” Alex said, “there’s plenty of places for rent around here.” “I love this house,” Izzie insisted. “I’ve always wanted a huge fireplace to decorate at Christmas, and a place for a big Christmas tree, and a fancy dining room, and a porch with a swing. I grew up in a trailer park, Alex,” she continued, “where people’s homes could be towed away over night. And this house, this house seems like it’s been here forever, like it belongs here, you know, like it’ll always be here.”
“Okay,” he said, “well let’s talk to Meredith about renting it from her.” “Really?” Izzie asked? “Why not,” he shrugged. “It’ll be expensive, you know, utilities and all, but I’ll start my fellowship this fall so I’ll be making more money. Maybe we’ll be able to work something out.”
“You think so,” she asked, ducking her shoulders down as he helped her on with her coat. “Can’t hurt to ask,” he said, rearranging her hair around her collar as he leaned in to kiss her. “Mmm,” he said, “what’s that scent?” “Toothpaste,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You should wear it more often,” he crooned, kissing her neck. “Fluoride turns you on, does it?” she asked warily. “Oh, yeah,” he admitted, nodding vigorously. “What doesn’t?” she teased, pushing him away, “Come on, or we’re going to miss their engagement party. “
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“So you’re taking the fellowship offer here after all?” Izzie asked, watching Alex unwrap his sandwich. “Of course,” he said, “I signed the papers this morning. It starts September 8th, next Tuesday, I think. It’s not like we could move, right?” he continued sarcastically, “Where else could we ever find a hospital with a big old house on a hill within driving distance?”
“That’s awesome,” Izzie gushed, “and Meredith’s staying here, and Christina’s going to Mercy West so we’ll get to see her too…” “Great,” Alex grumbled, as he stabbed at his French fires. “You’ll still have some time to volunteer in the clinic after your fellowship starts, right?” she asked, uncovering her salad. “Yeah,” he nodded as he chewed, “my schedule will rotate, but I should be able to squeeze in a few hours a week.”
“It’s not like I’ll be busy or anything,” he added. “Oh, right,” she said, rolling her eyes, “and I’ll have all this free time, you know, with running the clinic and finishing up my peds residency…” “Dude,” Alex interrupted, “it’s not like you’re a surgeon or anything.” “Flirt,” she snapped, slapping his arm as he moved in to kiss her. “Tease,” he shot back, fishing a tomato out of her salad.
“Hey, I forgot to tell you,” she added, defending her salad with a plastic fork, “Meredith should be here in a few minutes. She’s finally got a light day. Between that clinical trial and Derek’s house projects, I’ve hardly had a chance to talk with her this week. “What’s he building now, a moat?” Alex asked, wending his fingers around her fork and lifting another tomato. “You never know when you might need one,” she glared, threatening to stab his hand with her plastic fork again. “Get your own salad!”
“I don’t eat rabbit food,” he reminded her smugly, eying her cucumbers. “They’ve been married less than a year,” he said patiently. “Give it time. They’ll come up for air soon and than Meredith will come out and play with you again.” “I know,” Izzie laughed, “and she’s happy. Did you hear they’re getting a dog?”
Alex shook his head, poking his straw into his soda. “Here,” he said, sliding a small brown envelope across the table, “open this before Meredith gets here.” “What, why,” she asked. “Just open it,” he said, slurping his drink. “It’s a… Christmas tree keychain,” she said, peeking cautiously inside. “It’s nice Alex,” she said, a little confused, “but it’s only September…” “Look underneath the tree,” he nodded toward the envelope. “A key to… Mere’s house?” she asked.
“Not Mere’s house anymore,” he said flatly, shaking his head as he munched his French fries. “We bought it this morning. I signed those papers, too.” “We bought a house this morning?” she gasped, wide-eyed. He nodded, picking the cucumbers out of her salad. “No ring yet,” he said, shaking his head, his voice matter of fact as he piled cucumbers on his sandwich, “got this big mortgage to pay and all, so that’ll have to wait a few months. But, just so you know” he shrugged, pointing to the key ring as he stuffed a cucumber into his mouth, “I come with the house.”
“You come with the house?” Izzie repeated, suppressing a giggle. “So, what, Meredith sold you with it, like, along with the appliances and all?” “Pretty much,” he nodded, chewing his sandwich, “It’s in our bill of sale. All permanent fixtures convey with the house. So if you want to do all that Christmas decorating and holiday stuff you like, you’re going to have to do it with me from now on.” “Seriously,” Izzie huffed, “so Meredith lands this great McDreamy brain surgeon and a brand new mansion with a moat and a fabulous career, and all I’m going to get for Christmas is a freaking gynecologist?”
“What did we say about comparing?” he chided, leaning in to kiss her. “I know, I know,” she laughed. “You complaining?” he asked softly. “No” she said, beaming as she took his face gently in her hands, meeting his gaze “no complaints.” She leaned forward to kiss him, before drawing back and stopping abruptly, “The oven stays too, right? she asked suddenly. “Everything stays,” he whispered, leaning in closer. “Sweet,” Izzie gushed, her lips melting into his.