Author's note: This story was inspired by the song "Never Gonna Leave This Bed" by Maroon 5. Although it has nothing to do with being in bed, I think the story fits with the song. Kind of. Anyway. It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or anything related to Grey's Anatomy. Although I would love to, who wouldn't? I think this will probably just be a one-shot, unless more ideas come to me.
Let me know what you think :)
A knock on the door startled Mark Sloan from his peaceful sleep, an unpleasant and unwelcome wake up call. Mark groaned and rolled over on the couch, grumbling into the throw pillows. Sleep was hard to come by since the shooting at Seattle Grace, and Mark finally had a free weekend. He planned to spend the majority of that time sleeping, not entertaining guests, especially not at two in the morning.
The person outside knocked again and Mark slowly pulled himself off of the couch, rubbing his face with his hands and making his way across his apartment to the door. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He called out grumpily, raking his fingers back through his hair & yawning. He unlocked the door and pulled it open, expecting it to be Callie. She had always been rather oblivious to the time, and her random visits were more frequent now that they lived across the hall from each other. She would be the one to knock on his door at two in the morning, while the rest of Seattle slept. The person who stood before him was the last people he expected to see.
Little Grey.
Mark's heart fluttered against his ribs as his eyes locked with hers. She stood trembling, soaking from the rain outside. Tears swam in her eyes as she looked up at him & wrapped her arms around herself. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.
Lexie Grey took a breath and looked around the hallway, as if she was unsure of how she had arrived at his door. "I don't know why I came. I don't- It's just that- I can't sleep. I haven't been sleeping, I haven't really slept for days, and I'm alone in my apartment because George is dead and Alex was dying and calling out for his wife who left him, and now he doesn't want me anymore.. I'm alone, and I'm scared. I can't sleep, and my apartment is scary, horror-movie scary. It makes all these noises, and there are shadows everywhere, and I keep thinking that Gary Clark is standing outside my door with a gun, waiting to shoot me because I'm the one-I unplugged his wife. I killed his wife. My apartment is making me crazy, and I didn't know where else to go, but I couldn't stay there anymore, I just couldn't." Her words came in a rush, like they usually did when she was freaking out. She was definitely freaking out.
"Lexie," He said softly, pulling the door open further & grasping her elbow gently, ushering her into his apartment and shutting the door behind them, turning the lock until it clicked into place. He turned back to Lexie and grabbed the blanket from the couch, draping it around her shoulders and wrapping it around her slim figure. He eased her down onto the couch and knelt down in front of her, rubbing her knees gently. "I'm glad you came. I'm going to go find something else for you to wear; you can't sit here in these wet clothes. Will you be okay alone for a minute?"
Lexie nodded and Mark stood back up, heading into his room to rummage through his closet. He grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants, a white t-shirt and a thick blanket before heading back to the living room. He set the clothes and the blanket down on the couch and lit the fireplace and the candles on the coffee table in front of the couch before returning to Lexie's side. Slowly he eased the already damp blanket down from around her shoulders and let it fall around her on the couch. He grasped the bottom of her wet shirt and lifted it up slowly, pulling it off as she raised her arms. Mark helped her into the dry shirt and lifted her to her feet, waiting to continue until looked at him.
Lexie lifted her gaze and locked her eyes on Mark's blue ones. His gaze still made her heart race a little faster than it should. Her icy fingers fumbled with the button of her jeans as Mark reached for the sweatpants he had retrieved for her. She forced her wet jeans down her legs, kicking them off as Mark held her elbow to keep her steady. She took the pants he offered and pulled them on, grateful for the warmth of dry clothes and the crackling fire in the fireplace.
Mark picked up her wet clothes and laid them in front of the fireplace to dry. He picked up the blanket from his room and wrapped it around Lexie before she lowered herself onto the couch that they used to curl up on together at the end of each day. Mark sat next to her, studying her face as she stared ahead into the fire. Part of him wished he could read her thoughts, while the other part thanked God that he couldn't, because he knew whatever thoughts were running through her mind would most likely break his heart. Watching her, Mark could almost see the scars that she had walked away with after the shooting at Seattle Grace. Gary Clark had stolen her innocence, her passion, her smile. Gary Clark had done irreversible damage to everyone that day.
Mark reached out his hand and brushed the wet strands of her dark hair from her face. When she flinched, Mark drew her into his arms and held her firmly against his chest, stroking her hair reassuringly as she melted against him, sliding her arms around his waist and curling her fingers into the back of his shirt, clinging to him tightly. She started to tremble as she began to cry against his chest, releasing every emotion she had locked up inside, along with the tears that seeped into his t-shirt.
"Shhh. It's okay, I've got you. You're okay, I promise I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me, Lexie, I promise." Mark pulled her closer to him & leaned back against the back of the couch, letting her lay down a little on his chest. He held her tight as she cried, resting his cheek against the top of her head, closing his eyes & running his fingers through her hair.
Gradually her tears slowed down, and then stopped altogether. The two of them sat on the couch, content to simply hold each other while the rain poured down outside. Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flickered, making shadows dance across the blue walls of Mark's apartment.
Lexie pushed herself up into a sitting position, snuggling up against him when he put his arm around her shoulders. She loved how perfectly she fit into his embrace. It almost seemed like she belonged there, in his arms. Like she was the missing puzzle piece that completed him. She looked up into his eyes and could tell by the faint smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth that he was thinking something similar. She looked away and rubbed her face, trying not to think about what she must look like after having showed up at his front door, soaking wet and on the verge of tears.
"Don't fuss, you look beautiful, Lex." Mark said, rubbing her arm gently. He could read her like a book. He liked that about her. Her big brown eyes always told the truth, even when she didn't want the truth to be known. When she didn't want to talk, her eyes gave away everything she was holding back. He could get lost in those eyes.
Lexie felt herself blush and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "I'm sorry I woke you up and cried all over you, I should have stayed home. I just didn't want to be alone anymore."
Mark wanted to kiss her and beg her to move back in, to tell her that she was home and would never have to be alone again, to drop to one knee and ask her to be his for the rest of their lives. Instead he tipped up her chin with a finger, lifting her face towards his and waiting for her eyes to meet his. When they did, he smiled and gently took her face in his hands, brushing his thumb along her cheek bone softly. "Lexie," he said softly, studying her face even though he knew every detail by heart. "You don't ever have to be alone again. I love you. I love everything about you. You have made me the man I am today, a man I never thought I could be. You've shown me a love I've never known, and you've made me feel things that I've never felt with anyone else. I know I've made a lot of mistakes in my past, but you are not one of them. Being with you was the best choice I ever made, and if I had to go back, I wouldn't do anything differently. We were a good thing, Lex. We were the best thing. I want you to move back in with me, I want you to be my girlfriend again. I want to start over. I want to go back, before Addison, before Karev, before Sloane showed up, before things fell apart."
As Mark poured his heart out to her, Lexie could feel fresh tears stinging her eyes. When he finished, he sat there staring at her, searching her eyes with his own, still running his thumb over her cheek. Lexie placed one of her hands over his and smiled, lacing her fingers with his. "I love you too, Mark."
As the thunder crashed and the lightning lit he sky, Mark pulled Lexie to him, kissing her lips desperately. He slid his hands into her hair and laced his fingers with the silky brown tresses. Lexie leaned closer, pressing her hands against his chest as she returned the kiss. His heart beat steadily beneath her palms, a sharp contrast to the fast pace of her heart. She tried to slow down her breathing, but as Mark deepened the kiss, she gave up, melting against him as his arms slid around her waist and held her close. She moaned softly when he broke the kiss and leaned back to look at her.
"Will you move back in?" Mark leaned his forehead against Lexie's and rubbed her back lightly.
Lexie smile and nodded, kissing Mark's lips softly. "Yes. Yes, I will move back in." Her smile widened as Mark showered her with kisses. She ran her fingers through his hair as he buried his face in her neck and tightened his hold around her waist. "I love you so much. I'm not going to leave again."
"I love you too." Mark grinned before kissing her lips firmly. Lexie Grey was finally his again. As he held her in his arms, the storm outside raged on, but it didn't matter, because Lexie was back in his arms, and for the moment, all was right in the world.
A knock on the door startled Mark Sloan from his peaceful sleep, an unpleasant and unwelcome wake up call. Mark groaned and rolled over on the couch, grumbling into the throw pillows. Sleep was hard to come by since the shooting at Seattle Grace, and Mark finally had a free weekend. He planned to spend the majority of that time sleeping, not entertaining guests, especially not at two in the morning.
The person outside knocked again and Mark slowly pulled himself off of the couch, rubbing his face with his hands and making his way across his apartment to the door. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He called out grumpily, raking his fingers back through his hair & yawning. He unlocked the door and pulled it open, expecting it to be Callie. She had always been rather oblivious to the time, and her random visits were more frequent now that they lived across the hall from each other. She would be the one to knock on his door at two in the morning, while the rest of Seattle slept. The person who stood before him was the last people he expected to see.
Little Grey.
Mark's heart fluttered against his ribs as his eyes locked with hers. She stood trembling, soaking from the rain outside. Tears swam in her eyes as she looked up at him & wrapped her arms around herself. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.
Lexie Grey took a breath and looked around the hallway, as if she was unsure of how she had arrived at his door. "I don't know why I came. I don't- It's just that- I can't sleep. I haven't been sleeping, I haven't really slept for days, and I'm alone in my apartment because George is dead and Alex was dying and calling out for his wife who left him, and now he doesn't want me anymore.. I'm alone, and I'm scared. I can't sleep, and my apartment is scary, horror-movie scary. It makes all these noises, and there are shadows everywhere, and I keep thinking that Gary Clark is standing outside my door with a gun, waiting to shoot me because I'm the one-I unplugged his wife. I killed his wife. My apartment is making me crazy, and I didn't know where else to go, but I couldn't stay there anymore, I just couldn't." Her words came in a rush, like they usually did when she was freaking out. She was definitely freaking out.
"Lexie," He said softly, pulling the door open further & grasping her elbow gently, ushering her into his apartment and shutting the door behind them, turning the lock until it clicked into place. He turned back to Lexie and grabbed the blanket from the couch, draping it around her shoulders and wrapping it around her slim figure. He eased her down onto the couch and knelt down in front of her, rubbing her knees gently. "I'm glad you came. I'm going to go find something else for you to wear; you can't sit here in these wet clothes. Will you be okay alone for a minute?"
Lexie nodded and Mark stood back up, heading into his room to rummage through his closet. He grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants, a white t-shirt and a thick blanket before heading back to the living room. He set the clothes and the blanket down on the couch and lit the fireplace and the candles on the coffee table in front of the couch before returning to Lexie's side. Slowly he eased the already damp blanket down from around her shoulders and let it fall around her on the couch. He grasped the bottom of her wet shirt and lifted it up slowly, pulling it off as she raised her arms. Mark helped her into the dry shirt and lifted her to her feet, waiting to continue until looked at him.
Lexie lifted her gaze and locked her eyes on Mark's blue ones. His gaze still made her heart race a little faster than it should. Her icy fingers fumbled with the button of her jeans as Mark reached for the sweatpants he had retrieved for her. She forced her wet jeans down her legs, kicking them off as Mark held her elbow to keep her steady. She took the pants he offered and pulled them on, grateful for the warmth of dry clothes and the crackling fire in the fireplace.
Mark picked up her wet clothes and laid them in front of the fireplace to dry. He picked up the blanket from his room and wrapped it around Lexie before she lowered herself onto the couch that they used to curl up on together at the end of each day. Mark sat next to her, studying her face as she stared ahead into the fire. Part of him wished he could read her thoughts, while the other part thanked God that he couldn't, because he knew whatever thoughts were running through her mind would most likely break his heart. Watching her, Mark could almost see the scars that she had walked away with after the shooting at Seattle Grace. Gary Clark had stolen her innocence, her passion, her smile. Gary Clark had done irreversible damage to everyone that day.
Mark reached out his hand and brushed the wet strands of her dark hair from her face. When she flinched, Mark drew her into his arms and held her firmly against his chest, stroking her hair reassuringly as she melted against him, sliding her arms around his waist and curling her fingers into the back of his shirt, clinging to him tightly. She started to tremble as she began to cry against his chest, releasing every emotion she had locked up inside, along with the tears that seeped into his t-shirt.
"Shhh. It's okay, I've got you. You're okay, I promise I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me, Lexie, I promise." Mark pulled her closer to him & leaned back against the back of the couch, letting her lay down a little on his chest. He held her tight as she cried, resting his cheek against the top of her head, closing his eyes & running his fingers through her hair.
Gradually her tears slowed down, and then stopped altogether. The two of them sat on the couch, content to simply hold each other while the rain poured down outside. Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flickered, making shadows dance across the blue walls of Mark's apartment.
Lexie pushed herself up into a sitting position, snuggling up against him when he put his arm around her shoulders. She loved how perfectly she fit into his embrace. It almost seemed like she belonged there, in his arms. Like she was the missing puzzle piece that completed him. She looked up into his eyes and could tell by the faint smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth that he was thinking something similar. She looked away and rubbed her face, trying not to think about what she must look like after having showed up at his front door, soaking wet and on the verge of tears.
"Don't fuss, you look beautiful, Lex." Mark said, rubbing her arm gently. He could read her like a book. He liked that about her. Her big brown eyes always told the truth, even when she didn't want the truth to be known. When she didn't want to talk, her eyes gave away everything she was holding back. He could get lost in those eyes.
Lexie felt herself blush and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "I'm sorry I woke you up and cried all over you, I should have stayed home. I just didn't want to be alone anymore."
Mark wanted to kiss her and beg her to move back in, to tell her that she was home and would never have to be alone again, to drop to one knee and ask her to be his for the rest of their lives. Instead he tipped up her chin with a finger, lifting her face towards his and waiting for her eyes to meet his. When they did, he smiled and gently took her face in his hands, brushing his thumb along her cheek bone softly. "Lexie," he said softly, studying her face even though he knew every detail by heart. "You don't ever have to be alone again. I love you. I love everything about you. You have made me the man I am today, a man I never thought I could be. You've shown me a love I've never known, and you've made me feel things that I've never felt with anyone else. I know I've made a lot of mistakes in my past, but you are not one of them. Being with you was the best choice I ever made, and if I had to go back, I wouldn't do anything differently. We were a good thing, Lex. We were the best thing. I want you to move back in with me, I want you to be my girlfriend again. I want to start over. I want to go back, before Addison, before Karev, before Sloane showed up, before things fell apart."
As Mark poured his heart out to her, Lexie could feel fresh tears stinging her eyes. When he finished, he sat there staring at her, searching her eyes with his own, still running his thumb over her cheek. Lexie placed one of her hands over his and smiled, lacing her fingers with his. "I love you too, Mark."
As the thunder crashed and the lightning lit he sky, Mark pulled Lexie to him, kissing her lips desperately. He slid his hands into her hair and laced his fingers with the silky brown tresses. Lexie leaned closer, pressing her hands against his chest as she returned the kiss. His heart beat steadily beneath her palms, a sharp contrast to the fast pace of her heart. She tried to slow down her breathing, but as Mark deepened the kiss, she gave up, melting against him as his arms slid around her waist and held her close. She moaned softly when he broke the kiss and leaned back to look at her.
"Will you move back in?" Mark leaned his forehead against Lexie's and rubbed her back lightly.
Lexie smile and nodded, kissing Mark's lips softly. "Yes. Yes, I will move back in." Her smile widened as Mark showered her with kisses. She ran her fingers through his hair as he buried his face in her neck and tightened his hold around her waist. "I love you so much. I'm not going to leave again."
"I love you too." Mark grinned before kissing her lips firmly. Lexie Grey was finally his again. As he held her in his arms, the storm outside raged on, but it didn't matter, because Lexie was back in his arms, and for the moment, all was right in the world.