Author's Note: To be honest, not even a month ago I frowned at the idea of McStizzie. Didn't like it. But after reading a fair amount of fanfic, and considering the fact that Addison is leaving for L.A., I realized how addicting they are.:)...So anyway, a somewhat pointless oneshot. Hope you like it!
Mark is a little OOC (a little)...but I think it works effectively with how he'd act with Izzie.
Leave me a review, please! Enjoy!
Disclaimer:I don't own Grey's Anatomy, the characters Mark and Izzie or anything thereof. So please don't sue.
He watched her at the end of the bar. Something about the way she sat-her shoulders slumped, eyes half closed-that told him something was wrong. Still, Mark thought in the neon light of Joe's, there was something about Izzie Stevens that seemed to catch his eyes. Drink in hand, he walked over.
Izzie stared into her shot glass, trying to find the strength to drink. She knew she shouldn't be there. She knew without a doubt she should be at home baking. Something. Anything. But if she were at home, she'd want to be in bed. And she couldn't stand sleeping in that bed. Not now. Not after Callie knew. Biting her lip, Izzie fought back tears. George confessed, breaking down in the locker room. Not wanting to stay for the backlash, Izzie had left in a fury.
"What brings you here so late?"Mark asked, settling himself next to her.
"McSteamy."Izzie mumbled with glassy eyes, not bothering to look up from her glass. "I could ask you the same question."
Concerned, Mark was tempted to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but pulled back afraid of her reaction. "You can if you want. But I can guarantee you the answer won't be that interesting."
"Tired and afraid to go back to an empty hotel room?"Izzie asked, still not looking at him. "Sorry. That was probably mean."
Mark smirked, glad to see she still had some humor. "And if I were a softer person, I'd admit it hurt my feelings."
"You have feelings. Right."Izzie said, snorting. She bit her lip again, trying to keep her emotions in check. Taking a deep breath, she downed her shot, closing her eyes after she did. She set the glass back down on the bar just hard enough for it to make a clanking sound. Izzie knew she shouldn't be there. Getting drunk when she was in trouble or upset was something Meredith did.
"If you're upset, Stevens...you can tell me."Mark said, almost regretting it as he did. He wasn't supposed to show emotions, right? He was Mark Sloan, manwhore and saracstic extraordianiare. If Izzie wasn't drunk and so upset, he was sure she would mention it to her friends the next day.
Surprised, Izzie turned her head just enough to look in his eyes. What she saw was a certain sense of understanding, of an equal fear. "What happened to you?"She asked with a slight hint of a slur.
"Well-"Mark began, chuckling a little. "Addison's leaving. For Los Angeles. I guess I should have expected it after she made that trip down there a while back, you know but..."He trailed off, shaking his head. Taking a swig out of his beer he shrugged. "But it's over now."He waited a minute to see if she'd speak before finishing off the beer.
"Did you love her?"Izzie asked, finding the fact that she could talk to easily to Mark Sloan surprising.
Not knowing how to answer her question, he began peeling the label off of his bottle. "I don't know. We were always friends...even when we hated each other. I guess a part of me always hoped after she and Derek were over, we'd get back together. But it's not going to happen."
"You could follow her."Izzie said, signaling to Joe that she wanted more to drink.
"And miss conversations like this with you?"Mark spat back. "Not that you'll remember it in the morning."He said, sighing. "And I don't really think I should..."
"Why not?"Izzie asked, finding herself suddenly dependent on Mark's happiness. She thought that if she wasn't happy then atleast someone should be.
"Because..."Mark said, staring at the flecks of gold paper that came from his beer sitting on the bar. "I'm tired of chasing. I followed her all the way to Seattle, and she still didn't want me. I still wasn't good enough."
Izzie stared ahead sadly, contemplating his words."You deserve better."Izzie said, downing her shot.
"You'd be the only one to believe that."Mark replied sarcastically. "Hey, you might wanna take those easy."He said, staring at the bottle that Joe had left in front of her. "Tequila, huh? You've been taking lessons from my favorite Dirty Mistress I see."
Shaking her head, Izzie bit her tongue. If he only knew how right he was.Izzie thought. "Meredith's not home. Alex has a new girlfriend...I'm all alone."Izzie said, shrugging as she felt tears sting her eyes.
"I am here, you know."Mark replied. "What about O'Malley? Oh right...he and Callie Torres are hitched now."
"Not for long."Izzie replied, downing another shot. As she set the glass back down, her eyes filled with tears, feverishly shaking her head she knew she shouldn't have admitted that. The last person who needed to know what happened between her and George was Mark.
"Trouble in paradise?"Mark asked, growing even more worried about Izzie's actions. As she buried her face in her hands, he reached over to grab the bottle of tequila, handing it back to Joe. He shot him a glance, silently mouthing the words "I'll take care of it."-Joe nodded in return. Mark knew there weas no way he was letting Izzie go home alone.
"You could say that. But it's me. It makes sense, right?-That after everything George and I have been through that it'd be my fault."Izzie said, wiping at her cheeks. She grabbed her purse off the bar. "I should go..."She said, storming out the door.
"Izzie, wait-"Mark said, keeping to his promise to Joe as he headed after her. He found her, kneeling down in the parking lot, crying. Frowning, he knew that whatever it was that happened couldn't have been good. Kneeling beside her, Mark Sloan did the first unselfish act he'd done in a long time. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her to her feet. "Come on, let me take you home..."He said, moving her hair out of her eyes. As he saw her clouded brown eyes look back at him, he was struck with how beautiful yet broken Izzie Stevens truly was. He knew she had scars, but at that glance, he got a hint as to how deep.
"I...You...Can't..."Izzie sobbed.
"Yeah, I can. We can come back tomorrow to get your car."Mark replied, hands on either side of her face.
"But why? Don't think this will get you in my pants."Izzie replied sarcastically.
Mark bit back a "maybe eventually", and nodded. "I wouldn't even try. But you...need something right now. And I don't really know what it is, but I want to be there."He reassured.
"Why?"Izzie pushed, wiping at her still flowing tears.
He sighed, not knowing what it was about her. "Because right now, you don't need to be alone."
"But I am alone. George...might as well hate me, he probably does. Mer is making up with her freaking McDreamy and Alex...well, he might as well move out seeing as he's hardly there anymore. But you...Mark Sloan off all people is willing to take me home. And then what?"Izzie asked, ignoring the effect that his hands on her face was having. Looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but want him to kiss her. To just brush his lips against hers...any physical contact to prove she wasn't going numb.
"Izzie.."Mark replied, silently knowing what she was thinking. "You're not alone...your friends love you."
Nodding, Izzie put her shaky hand against his cheek. She was relieved to feel the stubble, the sense of warmth. Not sure why, she moved her mouth towards his, letting her lips crash against his. Her tongue darted out, seeking the warmth and approval.
Mark replied, but did so as little as he could. Because as much as he was thrilled with the idea, he knew better than to risk it. If anything, they could wait. Though it would take some serious strength on his part. He pulled back, taking her shoulders in his hands. Breathing, breath hot on her lips, he stared into her eyes. "You don't need that right now."
"How is it that you know what I need, Mark?"Izzie snapped back at him.
"I've been where you are."He replied, watching the sensitivity in her eyes. "Come on..."He said, leading them to his car. "I'm taking you home."