a/n: Yes, it is another oneshot. My mind is just knd of on hyperdrive or something (Nerd? Me? Nah...), just not on any of my actual stories, which I do apologize for. I'm not so sure I'm crazy about this one, but I figure that mediocre Addex is better than no Addex at all, right?

disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy equals Not Mine


It all started as an accident. One that could definitely be blamed on him. Well, if he would just acknowledge the fact that they might have something more than a few steamy looks and a kiss at a bar, she wouldn't be dating someone else. But he has yet to accomplish an understanding, and she is now dating someone else. A tall, blond teacher, who, on paper, is completely perfect for her. But they aren't on paper, they're in real life. And unfortunately, in real life, she's in love with her intern, who does not feel anything for her in return. So she dates the teacher instead. Whose first name may just happen to be the exact same as that of her intern. Well, that's just a random coincidence.

Callie finds her in her hotel room after a date one night. Addison lets her in, and then goes back to sit on the bed while Callie flounces into the room in her normal Callie-manner. She takes one look at Addison, who looks more tired than happy, and says loudly, "You do realize this is a mistake, don't you?"

Addison is startled by this proclamation. "What?"

"What are you doing with this Alex guy?" Callie asks. Addison stutters as she struggles to find an answer. "I'm a good friend," Callie tells her, "And I'm not letting you off the hook until you tell me."

Finally Addison comes up with something. "Dating him."

"Wrong!" Callie exclaims. "You're using him as a replacement." Addison studies the pattern in the carpet. "See, I'm right. Addison, you and I both know that you're in love with someone else, and even if his name is Alex, he's certainly not blond."

Addison sighs. "As true as that may be, Callie, he's made it perfectly clear that he's not interested. And I refuse to spend the rest of my life pining. I don't pine. And I'm not in love with him."

"Oh yeah, because dating someone with his name isn't pining or anything."

"Hey, at lease this way I won't ever say the wrong name in bed," Addison points out.

"You wouldn't say the wrong name in bed if you were actually dating the guy you love," Callie responds.

"Callie, drop it," Addison demands. She looks like she wants to crawl under her covers and sleep for a thousand years. "I don't love him. And he's not interested, so what does it matter?"

Callie laughs. "Oh, he's interested all right. I've seen the way he looks at you." Addison opens her mouth to say that it's just lust, but Callie beats her to it, "I'm not talking about your little lines-of-deliciousness moments, although you can practically see the steam rising up off the two of you. I'm talking about the way he looks at you when you're not looking at him. And it's impossible to not be interested and look at someone like they're the center of your world. And he looks at you like you're the center of his world."

"Callie-"

"Relax, Addison, I'm done," Callie says. Then she thinks about it for a moment. "You know, I think all he really needs is a shock. Ask Alex to meet you at the hospital tomorrow night. I'll make sure that your Alex is there. We can see how long it takes before your Alex to realize he loves you."

"So you want me to use the man I'm currently dating to get another man to ask me out? Classy, Callie. Really."

"No," Callie says patiently. "I want you to use the man that you are currently stringing along on to get the man you love to realize he loves you too. Big difference."

"I don't love him!" Addison exclaims.

"Either you get Teacher Alex to the hospital tomorrow, or I'll do it myself."

Addison sighs. "Fine. I get off at seven. But I refuse to do anything more than have him meet me to take me out to dinner. I do like him, and I am not flaunting the fact that he adores me in Alex's face."

"Fair enough," Callie agrees.

0ooo0

Izzie come home to find Alex lying on the couch, watching TV. "Oh my God, Alex, have you been here all night? Because you were in that exact position when I left."

He shrugs.

"Okay, that's it," Izzie says. "It's a Friday night and you got off work early. You should have been out on a date or something."

He shrugs again.

Then, it dawns on Izzie. "But there's only one person you want to go on a date with, isn't there?"

He doesn't deign to answer.

"Oh, come on, Alex. You should just tell Addison that you love her and get it over with already."

"I don't love her."

"And I don't believe you. But we'll let that slide for now. Care to explain to me why you are not currently having mind-blowing sex with the girl of your dreams?"

"I screwed up, Iz," Alex admits.

"So? Fix it."

"It's not that simple."

"Hate to break it to you, Alex, but it is."

"No, it's not."

"It is. But whatever, I'm not in the mood to argue with you."

"Thank you."

"You're going to regret this. When she starts dating some Greek god who's perfect for her in every way, you're going to wish you fixed it while you still could. But if you want to spend the rest of your life pining away jealously, be my guest."

And with that, she leaves him to the quiet.

Yes, he loves her. But Addison really deserves more than him, it's true. So he decides that she can have that Greek god who's perfect for her, because that's what she deserves.

0ooo0

"Alex, hi," she greets her date, offering her lips for him to kiss, which he promptly does.

"Hey. I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic was murder."

She glances down at her watch. "You're ten minutes late. I can only wish I could be that on time. Late for me is hours."

"Well, you're smart, funny, and drop-dead gorgeous. You had to have a flaw in you somewhere," he says.

She blushes. "Believe me, I have plenty of those."

"I don't. I simply do not accept the fact that Addison Forbes Montgomery has any flaws more serious than a terrible sense of time."

She frowns. "I wish that were true."

"I believe it."

Okay, this conversation is stirring up some very mixed feelings. On one hand, it's nice to be so adored that she doesn't seem to have flaws. On the other, it's not real. She recognizes her flaws, they're flaunted in her face every single day, and it doesn't feel real that he can't see them. So on one hand, she feels terrible for using him like this, but on the other, they'll never work out if he can't see her at her worst.

"So where are you taking me?" she asks to change the subject.

"Now, that's a surprise."

"And that's not fair," she tells him.

He shrugs. "I can think of a couple ways you might be able to get it out of me."

"Hmm… if any of those involve sex in the back of a cab, tell me now, because I'm running in the opposite direction."

"Relax, Addison. I was merely referring to the fact that you might kiss me. As for the sex in the back of a cab, we'll see how you feel about that at the end of the evening."

She laughs, and he takes the opportunity to kiss her passionately. But she can't enjoy it, because she hears the elevator doors chime that they're opening, and when she looks, the other Alex is standing there, looking as if someone has punched in him the stomach.

0ooo0

Okay, so he knows he said she could have her Greek god, but he didn't think it would hurt this badly. "Who's that?" he asks Callie.

"Oh, him? That's Alex Carson. They've been going out for the past couple weeks."

"Oh."

Callie takes a look at his face. "Get your act together, Karev," she says. "There's a reason she's dating someone named Alex, and it's not because she's crazy about the person that comes with the name."

"I…"

"Would it help if I told you she's in love with you?"

"No."

"Well, then I'm not telling you. Just get over there. They're leaving soon, and if you don't stop her, you're going to sit here and stew in jealously, and I'm going to have to ban you from surgery, because you're not going to be in any condition to operate."

Finally he walks over. "Addison, can we talk?" he asks quietly.

She studies him for a second. "Not now, Karev. I'm on a date."

He grits his teeth and continues. "It's kind of important."

She glances at her date. "I'll be right back."

"Don't be too long," he says, and kisses her. She looks distinctly uncomfortable.

"Yeah," she smiles weakly.

They wander towards the elevator (Callie has discreetly disappeared). When they're safely inside and alone, he stops the car.

"Wow," Addison smirks, "That wasn't Derek-like or anything."

He looks at her, and very quietly says her name. The smirk slips off her face quickly. She stares at him as he approaches her and kisses her softly. She responds eagerly, then jerks away. "No," she says frantically. "No. I'm not this kind of person, Alex. I'm not a cheater. I don't go on dates with one man and kiss another in elevators. Especially not ones who yell at me in supply closets."

"Can you honestly tell me that you didn't feel anything just now?"

She looks at the floor. "No." She looks back up at him. "But you hurt me really badly. How am I supposed to forgive that?"

"You don't have to," he replies. "I just want you to know that I didn't mean any of what I said in that closet. Except the part about sleeping with you. I don't just want to be another intern sleeping with an attending. I want so much more than that. And that scares me."

"You think it doesn't scare me?" she asks. "Because I'm terrified of getting involved again. You, Mark, Derek… I've somehow managed to screw up every single one of you. I don't want to make it worse, but I don't think I can do this anymore, Alex. I don't think I can pretend that we're just colleagues. Because we're not."

"Then just let me love you," he says.

"How did this get turned around to me?" she asks. "You're the one yelling in supply closets. Let me love you."

"I will if you will," he tells her.

She grins. "Deal."

Then she starts the elevator again. "Stop looking at me like that," she commands.

"Like what?"

"Like you want to kiss me."

"But I do."

She looks at him. "I'm not doing it this way again. I'm not a cheater. I'm not feeling like that ever again. So just stop looking at me like that, because I'm having difficulty resisting." He turns his gaze to the wall in front of him. "Thank you."

The doors slide open and she steps out to walk over to the man she's dating. Taking a breath to steel herself she says, "We need to talk."

He studies her face. "Yeah, I figured. So I guess dinner's off?"

She smiles sadly. "Yeah. It's off. I just… I can't do this. It's not fair to you."

He smiles bravely. "It's okay. I mean, the Addison Montgomery's of the world are in short supply, but I'm sure there's another one out there, and when I find her, she won't be in love with someone else."

"I… You know?"

"Addison, it's okay, really. I've known since I met you. Your heart's never really been in it." He shrugs. "I just kept hoping… well, I guess that doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"

"I am so sorry."

He shrugs. "It's cool. I'll see you around. Hopefully you'll be happier. I'd like that. And I don't regret it."

She smiles softly. "Me neither. I had fun. And if you think it's possible, I'd love to stay friends."

"Maybe… we'll see. I think I have to find another girlfriend first," he jokes.

She laughs. "Good luck. Thank you."

He sees Alex waiting a few feet away. "You're a lucky man," he calls to Alex.

Alex looks at Addison when he says, "I know."


I take my reviews like I take my eggs: scrambled with cheese. :D Yeah, I don't know what that means either.

-Juli-