So, this is my first attempt at a Japril fanfiction. Please review and be brutally honest. Thanks!

Btw..sorry for the slow start bit it will definitely pick up in later chapters

Jackson stirred the red straw in his glass, watching as the amber contents swirled pathetically against the sides. Even his Scotch- neat, just the way he liked it- was too depressed to even be stirred properly.

Jackson sighed as he ran his hands over his head, thinking of the catastrophic day he had had today. It had been a pester-Jackson-with-tons-of-annoying-legal-and-bur eaucratic-matters kind of day and he had been buried in paperwork for the majority of it. He had dealt with one patient today- a fifty-year old man who had reminded him so much of Mark Sloan, his former mentor. When he wasn't making dirty and highly inappropriate jokes, his patient was ordering around and chastising Murphy, the intern who was on Avery's service today, in a very Mark-esque way. The guy even looked like Sloan with a head of grey hair and a chiselled jawline, and was dating a younger, very attractive brunette.

Jackson sighed again as he took another gulp of his Scotch, trying to erase the memory of his patient laughing boisterously as he tried to hook Jackson up with every nurse that walked past the room. Jackson's phone vibrated violently in his pocket and he jumped at the unexpected distraction. Stephanie. Jackson groaned inwardly. He definitely wasn't up for dealing with her right now. Not tonight.

Switching off his phone he signalled to the bartender for another drink.

April

April groaned as she slumped down on the nearest chair in the attending's lounge. It had been a long and exhausting day. She had just finished a surgery on a teenager who had drank bleach and burned through parts of her stomach and oesophagus. Having endured a 4-hour surgery with Karev, who continually made snide remarks about her upcoming nuptials, and an idiotic intern who couldn't stop asking dumb questions, she was more than ready to go home and soak in her tub with a glass of wine.

"Hey April"

April turned around confused. She recognised that voice.

"Libby?! What are you doing here?"

April was more than surprised. Her sisters weren't due to arrive in Seattle for another 2-3 days at least but here was her older sister, standing in the doorway of the attending's lounger like nobody's business.

Libby laughed, flipping her soft brown curls over her shoulder as she walked towards her.

"My little sister is getting married in a week. The question should be why I haven't come sooner. Now get up and give your girl a hug! It's been too long."

April smiled as she embraced her sister. Although she could be bossy and a pain-in-the-ass, it had been ages since she had seen her and she truly missed her. April voiced this sentiment aloud as she let go of Libby.

"I miss you too," her sister replied warmly with a smile. "And you dyed your hair! Oh my God, It looks so amazing!"

April laughed. "I did that ages ago! So what are you doing here so early? I thought you guys weren't coming in until Thursday?"

"I wanted to surprise you. I got the whole week off so I decided to come down here early, see what Seattle's like. Tim's coming in tomorrow morning and we'll be staying in a hotel for the rest of the week. But until then, I need a place to stay... just for the night."

April chuckled. Of course! She was delusional if she thought that Libby came all the way to the hospital to check on her favourite little sis. She needed a place to crash.

"Yeah, yeah. You can stay with me for the ni-"

At that moment her pager went off. Dammit! Her patient was coding and she definitely wasn't leaving it up to her less-than-competent intern to do the job.

"Libby, I'm sorry. I've got to go. I have a patient. But here, take my keys and go to my apartment."

She fished a set of spare keys from her bag along with a pen and a piece of paper. She scribbled something on the paper and handed it to her sister together with the house keys.

"Here's the address. Just call a cab and he'll take you there."

And with that, April rushed out the door to go see about her patient.

Jackson

"Woah there!"

The bartender looked with concern as Jackson downed his 6th glass of Scotch. Jackson frowned at him as he put the glass down on the counter with a loud clink.

"Listen, I know it's none of my business but you should just tell her how you feel –"

"What?" Jackson snapped angrily. He was in no mood for chit-chat and 6 glasses of Scotch did nothing to soften his attitude.

"I've been a bartender for a while. I've seen guys come here and drown themselves in alcohol, crying that they let the love of their lives get away. And I always tell them the same thing- tell her how you feel even if you're scared it won't work out..."

Jackson froze. Those words sounded vaguely familiar. He could remember it like it was yesterday: The beeping of the machines, the ticking of the clocking and the deep, raspy voice of the man who gave him what was probably the most important advice of his life. Advice that he was yet to follow. How weird was it that on a night like tonight, with the patient he had, that this random nosy bartender would say those words to him? Jackson wasn't the type to believe in faith and destiny and the alignment of the stars but he had a feeling that he had to do something. Tonight. Right now.

He fished in his pockets for some change, pulling out a clump of bills. He tossed them onto the counter without checking. He could barely hear the bartender as he rambled on about something. Jackson was no longer listening nor did he really care. All he knew was that he needed to get out of there right now. Grabbing his coat and bag hurriedly, Jackson rushed out of the bar.

April

April slammed her car door shut. She was finally home after a tiring day. All she wanted to do right now was sleep. She hoped that Libby had fallen asleep on the couch or something. God knows she couldn't deal with her incessant chatter tonight.

April let out a shriek as she rounded the corner to her apartment, dropping her bag in fright. There was a man sprawled off on her doorstep, his head against the door, his long legs dangling down the stairs and what looked like a beer bottle clutched in his left hand.

"Jackson?" she said uncertainly, as she walked closer towards the man. It was definitely him; she recognized that bushy beard and those toned arms.

"Jackson!" April repeated, this time in a more concerned tone as she rushed forward. He was clearly drunk: his eyelids were half-closed and he had this pained expression on his face.

"April," he murmured, opening his eyes and looking up at her.

Well, at least he was coherent. He couldn't be that far off.

April bent down, wrapping her arms around his torso as she tried to help him up. Her efforts, however, were futile. He was just too heavy. Leaning against her for support only caused both of them to fall back down on the step.

Jackson giggled and placed his head on her shoulder. April was flabbergasted! She had never seen him this drunk. As long as she had known him, and all the shit they'd been through together, he had always been the cool, level-headed one. While she would spin out he would always be the one to calm her and re-assure her. But now? Now he was giggling and falling down like a complete idiot. April didn't know what to. The best solution at this time was to send him home with a cab.

"Jackson, I think we should – "

"April," he moaned again, pushing himself up to a sitting position while keeping an arm around her shoulder.

"Jackson – "

"I had a patient today," he said, looking at her with sad eyes. "I had this patient and he reminded me of Mark so much." He emphasised the last two words with a wave of his beer bottle. "He was just like Mark," Jackson continued, "with the hair and the dirty jokes, ya'know?"

April just nodded meekly, not knowing exactly what to say.

"He came in the ER with these burns and it was simple, you know. I treated him and then I got ready to discharge him. But then he coded and his heart failed and then we brought him to the OR. And then he died on the table. He died April and it was just so unfair."

"Oh Jackson!" April cried sympathetically.

Jackson made a small whimpering noise that sounded suspiciously close to a sob and buried his face in her shoulders again. April was at a loss. It had been a while since Jackson had confided in her. They used to be best friends: He would divulge his insecurities about living up to the Avery name and she would freak out to him when she had a nightmare about Reed. They would comfort and support each other and help each other deal. But everything had changed. They were no longer what they used to be. They had agreed to put the past and their failed almost-kinda-sorta relationship behind them. They had agreed to be friends. But they had never really returned to the friendship they once had.

April put her shoulders around his broad frame and caressed his back gently. Things had been awkward between them for a really long time: they had hardly talked over the past few months, far less touched or be intimate. But this was her best friend and no matter what she would always be there for him.

Jackson sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder, looking up at her with a forlorn expression. Their faces were dangerously close: April could smell the alcohol on his breath as he exhaled. He smiled up at her. April could feel her stomach churn; her blood began to boil. She suddenly found it hard to breathe. It had been a while since they were so close.

"April-"

"Jackson, I should really take you home-"

"April. I want you, too"

It's interesting..we've never encountered a drunk Jackson so my writing might be off or OOC. But I wanted it to come off as funny and pathetic. Hope I succeeded. Again..review!