Jo Wilson hated crying. Not the fake type – she loved that. She loved the look on people's faces when they saw her break down, and she knew that they were putty in her hands. No, Jo hated really crying. Because she rarely ever did, when it happened it was practically unstoppable; the floodgates had been opened. Sure, people would still melt at the sight, but it was because she was actually upset. She might be manipulative, but not in her worst state she wasn't. She hated how genuinely vulnerable she felt when tear after tear escaped her, when all the self-pitying and pain she had felt throughout her life seemed as if it was culminating in one moment of weakness. She hated feeling weak above all, especially in front of people she had to be strong in front of. To put it more simply, she hated crying in front of Alex Karev. Especially when he was the reason behind her tears.

So when the devil himself walked in on her actually crying, Jo wanted nothing more than to not exist.

Trying to preserve some of her dignity, Jo jadedly swatted at her eyes, hoping the tears would cease. But Alex knew. Alex always knew. "Hey," he started. Jo looked anywhere but his face. "You okay?" He moved in an attempt to make her look at him, but she still refused. "Are you faking?" Alex asked, squinting his eyes playfully.

This struck a nerve with Jo; she was letting him see her at her worst, and he thought she was faking? She turned to look at him sharply and narrowed her eyes, but something told her he knew she was being genuine.

"Joke's on you. There aren't going to be many more surgeries for you to con out of me," Alex teased. Jo almost felt like laughing despite the lump in her throat. "You'll be fine. There're other programs," Alex said, gentler than before.

His kindness made the tears come out even faster. "Not like this one," Jo finally choked out. "Not with a teacher like you, who shows me cool tumor-in-a-bag surgeries, and who thinks it's fun to talk to little kids about guts and stuff." Jo smiled wistfully. She exhaled sharply as she approached what she wanted to say next. "You know, I, uh, I barely saw you this week, and that sucked. I'll find another job, whatever, but I don't wanna never see you again." Jo looked up at Alex to see his reaction. He looked somewhat frozen, his eyes shining with something Jo could not recognize. Alex finally came out of his trance, placing a hand cautiously on Jo's arm.

"Hey…" he started, not quite sure what to say. The moment between them was so fragile, so tender and raw. Alex didn't know what would end the intensity, but he sure as hell didn't want to be the one to end it.

"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm good," Jo refuted. And there it went. Alex quickly removed his hand from her arm, afraid of his actions. Then the awkward crept in. "Thank God Stephanie wasn't here to see this," Jo said, attempting to bring things back on a friendlier level. But Alex was not willing to do so.

"Jo, I, uh, I mean I'll find another job, too," he began as Jo looked on with curious eyes. "But not with an intern like you, who buys me couches with my own money and who makes crazy animal noises at the chief of surgery."

Then it was back, the fragileness, the tenderness, the rawness of their relationship. The air between them seemed frozen as they went silent and stared at each other unsurely. Alex shook slightly as he leant forward. There was only a foot, half a foot, inches between them. "It wasn't your money. I won it fair and square," Jo whispered softly, never breaking eye contact.

"Shut up, Princess," Alex whispered hoarsely. Jo barely had time to be upset that Alex had reverted to calling her by "Princess" again before his lips were pressed impatiently to hers. Alex grabbed her arms roughly and pushed her up closer to him while Jo's hands somehow found Alex's hair. Alex's lips were hungry and demanding against hers, and she would be lying if she said she did not feel every bit as eager as him. She clenched her hands into fists and pulled lightly on his hair, and he took this moment to slip his tongue into her mouth. Jo gasped slightly at the sudden movement but happily allowed him to continue. All too soon, Alex pulled his lips off of hers, just to see her reaction.

"Alex," Jo said after a long silence. "I – I shouldn't, Jason – "

"Oh, right. I forgot all about goddamn Chest Peckwell," Alex spat, still out of breath from their kiss.

"Who told you about that name?" Jo accused, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious.

"Stephanie. But –" Alex interrupted Jo before she could attack Stephanie's character, "are you really going to tell me, Jo, that you're just going to run right back to him? After that?" Alex demanded.

Jo paused. "Alex, I know better than anyone what if feels like to be abandoned. I – I couldn't do that to him."

"But what about me, Jo?" Alex thundered. "You're just going to abandon me? I know what it feels like to be abandoned."

"Dr. Karev?" a voice sounded, causing both Alex and Jo to jump slightly and look towards the door.

"Oh, um, hello, Mrs. Daniels," Alex said, trying to regain his composure. "How's Tommy doing?"

"Much better now that Phil's gone," Mrs. Daniels laughed. "Um, I was just coming to thank you for the procedure, but is now a bad time?" she asked, looking back and forth between Alex, whose hair and clothes were disheveled, and Jo, who looked close to tears once more.

"Um, nope," Alex lied. "Just two co-workers, talking about medicine. Isn't that right, Dr. Wilson?"

His sudden formality made the lump in Jo's throat form once more. "Of course, Dr. Karev." Jo's voice sounded strangled. Alex looked at her concernedly.

"Uh, Mrs. Daniels, why don't we talk outside?" Alex suggested, leading the woman out into the hallway with one more fleeting look at Jo.

And Jo cried once more, but this time because Alex knew she was going to cry again. He always knew.


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