So to take a break from the drama filled world of my other fic Love Me Do (if you haven't read it yet I totally - and unbiasedly- encourage you to read it!) I was inspired by the episode that aired today and figured I could use something nice and light and fluffy! If I get enough requests to make it a chaptered fic I'll consider it (and by that I mean I probably will haha) but for now it's just a nice and fluffy one shot.
So please enjoy! And don't forget to review!
Lexie stared at the ceiling of the hospital on call room. Derek seriously tore her a new one. Not that it was uncalled for, she deserved every harsh word she got. She ruined a girl's life. She destroyed that girl's chances of ever speaking again. Lexie was crushed when Meredith told her there was no way to fix her mistake. She shuddered.
She just couldn't get over the fact that she was responsible for permanently damaging someone's life. Not to mention the fact that the parents were most likely going to sue Derek for her mistakes. Tears fell slowly from the corners of her eyes. I never want to operate again, she thought foolishly. Lexie rolled on her side and hugged a pillow close staring at the wall.
Not for the first time she appreciated having Meredith as a sister. Mer understood what she was going through, as a surgeon and as well as working with Derek. While she was in med school she would call up Molly and describe all the nasty things about the body she'd learned about, and how she'd cut open cadavers. Molly never appreciated her sister's enthusiasm. She was incredibly squeamish, and would never have to deal with something like this in her everyday life. The only girl's life she could possibly ruin is Laura's, and it would take years to do that kind of damage. It only took minutes for Lexie.
Derek told her she was capable. He told her it was simple. How could she have botched something like that up? Lexie didn't botch things up. She was Lexipedia. She was an intelligent and competent surgeon...just not when it mattered. Not on her first solo cyst.
Lexie heard the door open from the far side of the room. "Sorry," she heard Mark mumbled, and she turned her head towards the door at the sound of his voice. He looked at her tear streaked face with his big concerned eyes. "You okay, Lex?"
She sniffled and wiped her nose on her scrubs. "Just fine," she said. She didn't even convince herself.
"Liar," he accused, "What happened?" Mark asked softly and sat on the edge of her bed. She sat up beside him. Suddenly all the frustration, sadness and anger let loose and flowed freely down her cheeks. Lexie spilled all about the patient, the surgery and Derek.
Mark reached up and cupped her left cheek, "It happens to the best of us, Little Grey. People forget that surgeons are human...sometimes we make mistakes. The price of our mistakes is just...really high," he wiped a tear away with his thumb, "You're a brilliant surgeon, Lex. But these things...they come with the territory. All we can do is learn."
Lexie placed her hand over top of his and held it for a moment. Then they pulled their hands away awkwardly, hers brushing the hair out of her face and his scratching the back of his neck.
"You need to lighten up Grey, there's no way you can be perfect all the time," he joked with her, almost successfully filling the awkward silence.
"But that's when you make mistakes," she said, "when you let your guard down."
"So make mistakes! Preferably not in the OR, but the rest of the world is fair game," Mark laughed. At times her need for perfection was amusing and endearing to watch, the rest of the time it was just a pain in the ass.
"I can't! I don't know how," she said. His smile was contagious and Lexie couldn't help but grin back at him.
Mark leaned back until he was touching the wall and brought both his hands up to the back of his head. He looked up at the ceiling deep in thought. "Outside of the hospital, what is the worst thing you can possibly think of doing right now?"
"I'm not telling you that!" she said as pink crept up her neck to her cheeks.
"I said what not who," he clarified, "Pervert."
"Oh yeah, look who's talking," Lexie retorted.
He ignored her. "So?"
"So what?"
"Name something stupid!" he said, "We're going to make some mistakes tonight."
Lexie thought for a moment. What was something light and fun and dumb she could do tonight to get her mind off of things? "We could...go to Joe's?" she suggested.
"Go to Joe's? That's your idea of a mistake?" Mark scoffed, "Lame."
"Well what did you have in mind since you're so well versed in making mistakes?"
Mark hemmed and hawed a few moments. When he came up with something Lexie could have sworn she saw a light bulb flicker on above his head. "I got it!" he shouted. He might as well have yelled Eureka!
"Alright genius, what's your brilliant idea?"
"Go home, get something comfortable on. I'll pick you up in a half hour," he instructed and jumped off the bed.
"Wait, what? What are we doing?" Lexie called after him as he bounded out of the room. Slowly she stood up and headed towards the residents' locker room to grab her purse and head home.
She ducked in the front door desperately hoping her brother in law was in his room. Lexie tiptoed up the steps and up to her room in the attic. She pulled open her drawers searching for something to wear. What did he mean by comfortable? she asked herself. Finally she settled on her black yoga pants and a sweater.
Lexie snuck back downstairs, careful not to wake Derek or Zola. She made her way to the kitchen to grab a snack before heading out to...well wherever she was going.
"Where are you off to this late as night?" Meredith said and startled Lexie as she popped a grape in her mouth. She finished chewing.
"Not a clue," she answered and grabbed another one. There was a soft knock on the front door and Meredith raised an eyebrow. "Marf," Lexie said with her mouth full. She took off to answer the door.
"Hey," she greeted.
"Hey, you ready?" Mark asked and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" Lexie huffed.
"Nope!" he said gleefully and held the door open for her.
"You kids have fun," Meredith waved from the front door and shook her head. When would those two realize how much they wanted to be with each other?
The car ride was short and quiet, but not uncomfortable. Mark was practically bouncing in his seat in excitement. They pulled into an empty parking lot in front of a building with the sign Bob's Arcade and Recreation Centre lit in cheery colours.
"You brought me to an arcade?" Lexie asked in disbelief. This wasn't exactly what she expected.
"Not just an arcade," Mark grinned and unbuckled his seat belt.
As they approached the building Lexie read the hours posted by the door. "Mark, it's closed."
"A buddy from med school flunked out and bought the place. He owes me a few favours," he held the door open. "After you."
Most of the lights in the building were off, save for the arcade games and at the far end of the room, above the giant rock climbing wall.
"That," Mark pointed at the wall, "is why we are here."
"No way," Lexie laughed, "we're going rock climbing?"
"Yup! Then I'm all for a drink at Joe's. Shall we?" he gestured towards the man, presumably Bob, holding a couple harnesses. Mark helped strap her in. "Have you ever done this before?"
Lexie shook her head as she took her first few steps up. "Don't use your arms to pull you up, use your legs to push," he instructed. It took awhile, but she finally made it to the top and rang the bell.
"Woo!" she called out to the empty arcade and threw her hands up in the air. Mark held her in place from the ground.
"How's the view from up there?" he asked.
"Pretty good!" she yelled breathlessly.
Mark grinned. "It's not too bad from down here either!" Lexie rolled her eyes and descended back down to the ground.
"Pervert," she said and unhooked herself from the harness. The pair thanked Bob and headed off to Joe's. They found a table and Mark went to get them drinks. He brought Lexie a rum and coke.
"Aw, you remembered," she said sweetly and took a sip.
"Of course," Mark shrugged and held his glass in the air, "to mistakes!"
Lexie laughed at his toast and clinked their glasses together. "To mistakes," she mimicked. Hours flew by even though it really felt like minutes. Joe's was beginning to clear out and the pair just finished a round of drinks. Lexie was definitely feeling it.
"So... you and Julia, how are things with her?" she asked, quite convinced that she was being covert and sneaky.
Mark paused and looked into his empty glass. "We're good I guess...things are good."
"Good..." Lexie repeated.
"You seeing anyone since Avery?"
She let out a loud laugh. "I've had enough trouble with guys, I'm done with relationships for awhile."
"So no relationships," he said.
"No relationships."
"What about...non relationships?" Mark pried.
"Pervert!" Lexie accused and almost fell off her chair laughing. "I suppose I'd be open to a non relationship," she said thoughtfully once she regained her balance.
Mark looked around at the bar. There were quite a few seemingly eligible men who have had their eye on Lexie the entire night. "See anyone that tickles your fancy?"
"Tickles my fancy?" she giggled, "Mark you wouldn't happen to be asking me which guy in this bar I want to have sex with, would you?"
"Maybe," he shrugged, worried that in his less than sober state he'd made things awkward.
"There might be one guy I'd like to get more...familiar with," Lexie bit her lip and looked up at Mark, eyeing him like a tiny innocent kitten about to pounce. Oh crap, he thought. She's making that face. Mark Sloan has not once been able to resist that face, including a surprisingly sexy trip to the zoo. Lexie ran her tongue along her top lip and scooted off the bar stool. Mark took that as an invitation and followed her into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later Mark left the washroom first to get another round of drinks. He was waiting with them at their table when a breathless Lexie joined him. She'd attempted to fix her hair and makeup but with little success.
This time Lexie initiated the toast. "To mistakes," she grinned and he smirked back.
"To mistakes."