Just a little something I threw together from a line from Monk. Of course, on the show, the guy who said it ended up murdering his ex-wife, but shhh, we just don't talk about that. Anyways, enjoy!
I own nothing.
"Hey," Alex says, stepping out of the bathroom as he wraps a towel around his waist. "Thanks for letting me crash here."
Addison looks up from her book and smiles. "Not a big deal. Don't worry about it."
"It is though. A big deal, I mean."
"It's really not, Alex. It's totally fine."
"Well, if there's any way I can pay you back…" And then he gives her a very pointed look.
She laughs. "I think you've done enough already, thanks. I have work in an hour. You need to be gone by then."
"I will be. Thanks again, Adds."
She shakes her head. "Again, not a big deal."
"It really is though, even if you don't think so."
"Alex, I swear to God, if you don't shut up about me letting you stay here, I will kick you."
That cheeky grin she knows so well slides onto his face and he kisses her cheek. "I'll shut up. But you really are the best ex-wife ever."
She tosses her hair haughtily. "You're damn right. You're just lucky I got all of my bitchy ex-wife-ness out when I was dealing with Derek. Now go get dressed. I'll give you ten minutes and then I'm kicking your sorry ass out whether or not it's got pants on."
"I'll be gone in five," he grins. "See you at work."
0ooo0
They hadn't set out to get divorced. Truth be told, they hadn't set out to get married. It had sort of just… happened. It wasn't a drunken mistake, like so many people had assumed. And it hadn't been all of that spur of the moment either. Well, not totally spur of the moment. They had made the decision to get married and were married within three weeks of that. So maybe a little spur of the moment, but not really. They had talked about it, weighed the pros and cons. It wasn't some hasty mistake.
And for a couple of months it had been great. They worked well together, got along. And when they didn't get along? Well, the make-up sex more than made up for that.
But after six months, things started to go south. They just kept fighting and it stopped being worth it. They couldn't make the compromises and sacrifices worth it. She was constantly reminded of their age difference when he would fight with her over petty things. He would sulk and it would make her passive-aggressive. Neither of them was ready to be married. And finally, a little before their first anniversary, they gave up.
What surprised Addison was just how simple and friendly it was. They couldn't stop fighting, but when faced with the end of their marriage, they were friendlier than ever. They left with everything they brought into the marriage and suddenly gained a rock solid friendship.
To say people were confused would be an understatement.
0ooo0
It's been nearly two years since their divorce, a month since she's seen him outside of work. Addison opens the door to find Alex grinning. She sighs. "Again? Do you even have a home?"
He shrugs. "You try living with two chicks and your ex-husband, see how you like it."
"By the way, I will never be comfortable with the idea of the two of you living under the same roof. I feel like you're comparing notes."
"Noted," he nods.
"You're not going to change it, are you?"
"Unless you want to let me move in here…"
"In your dreams, Alex Karev," she laughs.
"Please. You love me."
"Again," she grins, "in your dreams."
"Hey, you loved me enough to marry me!"
"And yet somehow we're divorced," she ponders playfully.
"So can I stay or not?"
She rolls her eyes. "Come on in."
"Best ex-wife ever," he says, kissing her cheek.
"I'd tell you where everything is, but you're here more than I am so…"
"I am not," he insists.
"You have laundry?" she inquires.
He grins sheepishly.
She rolls her eyes. "Hand it over. I'll do it, but only if you get dinner started."
"What are we having?"
"Whatever you can find in the pantry. I didn't have plans."
"I'll figure it out."
"And that's why you're my favorite ex-husband. Hand over the laundry."
0ooo0
He grabs a beer from the fridge, she pours herself a glass of red wine. He presents her with rosemary chicken and pasta. "Again," she says, inhaling the smell, "this is why you're my favorite ex-husband."
"If it makes you feel any better, you're my favorite ex-wife."
"I'm your only ex-wife," she points out.
"That's true. But you'd still be my favorite even if I had more than one."
"Oh, I know." She takes a bite of the chicken. "God, Alex, this is good."
"I know," he smirks. She laughs and he joins in.
Suddenly she becomes quiet and bites her lip. "Do you ever wonder…?"
"Wonder what?"
"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we had waited to get married or… or if we hadn't gotten divorced?"
His fork stops halfway to his mouth and he won't look her in the eyes. "Every day," he admits.
They sit in an awkward silence until Addison clears her throat and asks him to pass the grated cheese. Their fingers brush and once they jerk away they both become very, very interested in their food.
0ooo0
"So, um, goodnight," Addison says a little awkwardly, inching towards her bedroom door as Alex gets ready to go into the guest room.
"Night. Hey, Addison?"
She freezes. "Yeah?"
"All joking aside, you really are amazing."
She smiles, crosses to him and kisses him on the cheek. It's a perfectly normal gesture, one they do all the time, but this is different. This kiss lingers long after her lips have left his cheek. "Goodnight, Alex."
"Night."
0ooo0
An hour later and she's just about to drift off to dreamland, having just managed to switch off her brain, when there's a knock on the door. Two seconds later, it swings open. She rubs her eyes to get the sleep out of them. "Alex?"
"I'm not crazy, right?" he asks, frantically pacing back and forth.
"Crazy?"
"You and me, I'm not crazy."
"What… what about you and me?"
"There's something there. There is. Right? I'm not crazy. Because I swear there is, but…"
"What time is it?"
"One."
"Alex, are you sleep walking or something? Because I'm really confused."
"Okay, I am crazy," he says. "Never mind, just forget I said anything."
"Alex, wait," she demands. "Please. Stop. Just tell me what you're thinking."
He cracks his knuckles and continues to pace. "I love you, okay? I never stopped. And I know you're going to say you never stopped loving me and Derek and Mark or whatever, but that's not what I mean. I don't just love you; I'm in love with you."
Addison's mouth drops. "I…"
"I'm sorry, it's stupid." He shakes his head and starts to leave.
"Alex, stop!" she cries and throws the covers back. He freezes. "I… We… We weren't ready the first time. I wasn't ready and you weren't. And… and if you're not ready now, I need to know. I can't go through that again. It… it hurt too much."
He takes a deep breath. "I don't know if I'm ever going to be totally ready. But I want to try. And I'm better than I was."
She swallows. "Alex, I…"
"You?"
"I love you. That never changed."
"Then we wasted a lot of time and money on this whole divorce thing."
She laughs. "Maybe. A little. But we're taking this slow this time. Please? I can't be the ex Mrs. Karev twice."
He grins. "We can take it slow."
She rolls her eyes. "Everything is sexual with you."
"Pretty much," he laughs.
She kisses him. "I missed you."
He pulls back when she tries to slip her tongue into his mouth. "What about taking it slow?"
She pouts. "The bed is right there, Alex. It's right there and unmade. It would be wasteful to let the moment pass."
He laughs. "Goodnight, Addison."
"I wish you wouldn't follow my directions so thoroughly."
The kiss he gives her leaves her weak in the knees. "Thanks for letting me stay here tonight, Addie. Best ex-wife ever."
And then he leaves for the guest room. "Damn right I am!" she calls after him.
She falls asleep with a smile on her face.
I hope you enjoyed it! I liked writing it.
-Juli-