A/N: So this is a little one shot that came to mind as I was re-watching season 2 of Grey's Anatomy. I forgot how much I loved Izzie and Alex's chemistry all throughout the show. This is more based after the season 4 finale. Enjoy and review and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's or the characters, that's all Shonda and ABC.
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Isobel Stevens walked into Seattle Grace Hospital, ready to see what was in store for her today. That was something that excited Izzie the most about being a surgical resident, every day, and every case, was a surprise. Sometimes all it ended up being was a simple bowel obstruction or appendectomy. But some days, she saw the extraordinary, like removing an impossible brain tumor, or birthing premature quintuplets. Those were the days that made the long hours and substandard pay worth it. Those were the days that made her who she was.
Walking into the locker room, Izzie saw who she always looked for first thing on call. Alex Karev was digging through his locker, getting ready for the day ahead. To most people he was Evil Spawn; an ass that no one liked. But to Izzie, he was Alex, her best friend, though she would never admit it because that would hurt George. Alex told the truth without sparing peoples' emotions, a trait that Izzie relied on in her life. He was her rock while she was mourning Denny's death. He kept her grounded and convinced her to come back to the hospital. He's the reason she found herself again. She returned the favor by being there for him after Rebecca broke down and cut herself. She comforted him and dealt with his misplaced anger that he directed at her. She did it because he had no one else; but mostly, she did it because she was in love with him.
Not just any love, the type of love where he's all she thinks about. The type of love where seeing him is the highlight of her day and his mood directly affects her own. She loves Alex in a way that she could never love Denny. Denny was solid, safe, just what she was looking for after Alex had slept with Olivia. She became emotionally invested in Denny because she had to believe that her soul mate was anyone other than Alex. In the end, she only managed to hurt herself more.
Nowadays though, Izzie only saw Alex. They hardly spoke, and when they did, it was Alex hurting her in a way only someone you are in love with can. He could cut her deep with his words, whether he realized it or not. And all Izzie could do was take it, because at the end of the day, being hurt by Alex was better than no Alex at all.
Today though, Izzie felt like something was different. Today she felt tired of dealing with Alex's crap. She was tired of being supportive and getting nothing but pain in return. Today, Izzie was going to stop taking it and set things straight.
Izzie waited until everyone but she and Alex had left the locker room before she walked over to him and just stood there, glaring at him. "What do you want?" Alex snapped after glancing at her for a second, a look of disgust on his face. Izzie, fuming and tired or it all did the first thing that came to her mind; she slapped him clear across the face.
It was hard to tell who was more shocked in that moment, Alex or Izzie. Recovering first, Izzie regained her confidence, "It stops today damnit! I have been there for you over and over again, supporting you because you were hurting and taking your crap because you needed to vent. But now I am sick of it and all of your crap. Rebecca was crazy! That's not your fault or anyone's fault. Neither was what happened with your mother Alex. You were a kid, it wasn't your job to take care of her, she should have been taking care of you. Alex, you are a good man who deserves all the happiness in the world. But you can't keep brooding over stuff you can't change. And you can't keep taking it all out on me. I can't take it anymore. I…I love you too much. Too much to walk away. So if you keep dishing it to me, I'll just stand there and take it, even though it will kill me. So please Alex, I'm begging you to stop doing this to yourself, stop doing this to me.
Alex was too shocked to move. Izzie had slapped him. Izzie had slapped him. But wait? Izzie loved him? Was in love with him? The girl who Alex had loved for two years wanted him as much as he wanted her. Alex didn't even know what to do, part of his brain kept rationalizing that he had fallen asleep and he was dreaming, but he knew that this was real, if only for the slight throbbing in his cheek.
What could he say to her? He had been horrible to her for weeks. What could possibly make that ok? Alex, at a loss for words, did the only thing that felt right. He placed his hand on her cheek, gazing into her big brown eyes and slowly leaned in and kissed her.
Izzie was shocked at first, but it wasn't long until Alex felt her respond to his kiss with her own need and desire for him. She opened her mouth slightly and gave entrance to Alex's tongue, relishing the passion she could feel in the best kiss of her life. She was home.
After some time, the need for oxygen finally brought the kiss to an end, Izzie and Alex both breathing heavily and raggedly, their foreheads pressed together. Alex looked up at her and said simply but confidently, "I love you too, Iz."
Izzie couldn't help the smile that covered her entire face, or the tears that began building in her eyes. She was feeling so much in that one moment; more than she could ever hope to process. But one thing she knew for sure was that everything was going to work out.
Eventually they would have to talk more, figure out exactly where they were and what they were. But at the moment, both Alex and Izzie were just content with knowing that they had finally found each other, and nothing was going to tear them apart.