Here comes the final part to this short fic. I know it's not the grandest, but it is what it is. I added the Addek scene at the end, you know to make it all come full circle. Hopefully I succeeded in that at least.
Also as a bit of a side note, if you're in need of some other wonderful Maddison fics you should check Danyel's (onlywordsnow).
And our love could have soared, over playgrounds and rooftops,
Every park bench screamed your name.
Everyone reacted differently the first time they stepped out in the sunlight together. Archer had taken Mark aside and given him the whole that's my little sister and if you break her heart I'll kill you speech. Phil Donovan was jealous. Sav was delighted and asked if the rumors about Mark's abilities in bed were actually true. While Naomi appeared to be happy for her friend, she often whispered her legitimate concerns to Sam when Addison or Mark was nowhere to be found.
And then two months flew by faster than anyone could have anticipated. The initial reactions were soon being shaped to mean other things. Archer treated Mark more like a brother, especially when he started coming over for Sunday dinner. Phil had found some other unattainable girl to chase after. Sav grew restless at not having someone to fulfill her own needs. And Naomi's hushed conversations with Sam were now those of pleasant surprise instead of deep-rooted concern.
Everything between them seems to be grander than either one of them could have expected. It's apparent they fit together despite their often spats over everything and nothing. He announces something that holds doubling meaning about their intimate moments, which earns him a light smack on the shoulder or back of the head. She builds up a wall every time a girl from his past shows up, growing more cold and distant until he finally finds a way to pry it out of her. Even with all the little things that get thrown their way, it doesn't feel particularly hard for them. Which is probably why they should have seen the end coming. Because if there's anything the most elite of the Hamptons know, it's that hard work is the only way to get exactly what you want.
They grow content with the versions of themselves they're slowly becoming. Mark charms both of her parents, and somehow she manages to bring a smile to his mother's face. Their parents require them to attend various charity events, and they are expected to show up together. But it's not until Phil Donovan drunkenly tells her one night that Mark is in the upstairs bathroom with Nancy Hamilton, and something inside of her snaps.
This revelation brings out all the finer things that make them the couple they have grown into. How compliant they have become with the norms of a society both of them have desperately tried to break away from. And now with this new piece of information. The realization that if she stays with him they will turn into another lost generation consumed by debauchery and extramarital affairs that are common knowledge but politely ignored. She refuses to live the life her mother chose. Not when there is still time for her to make a future for herself sans a male partner to provide for her.
So she downs a few more drinks in a matter of seconds, feeling the buzz after only five minutes. And much to Phil Donovan's delight, she grabs the front of his shirt and shoves him into the closet under the stairs. In the cramped, darkened room she tells herself it's the only way to get them out of this situation. It's the only way to salvage their dreams of greatness and grow into being the best versions of themselves.
Phil's mouth tastes like stale ale, and it's enough to make her cringe. She puts her hands up in between them, muttering throatily. "Rule number one: you don't kiss me there."
"Or what?" He taunts back in a playful manner, "You'll punish me?"
"No," Her tone drips with acidic tones as she pulls on his hair more forcefully, "or this won't happen. You either screw me, or nothing."
"Sweet," Phil sounds his approval.
He nips at the curve of her neck, sucking on her skin in a way that's going to leave a mark she'll have to get creative at covering. Then again it might be easier if Mark just noticed it, it would definitely save her from having to offer a real explanation. Phil's hips press into hers, until her spine digs into the slanted ceiling, hair getting tangled in the mess of cobwebs. His hands roam over her exposed skin, creating goose bumps but not for reasons of pleasure. Addison can feel his hardness through the tight jeans as it rubs against her center. He hikes up her skirt and reaches around for her panties when they are both blinded by a brilliant light and the sounds of a party bring them back to reality.
Addison's eyes flit over to the intruder and then her face freezes in terror when she see's the shock and disappointment in Mark's grey eyes. Everything else happens so quickly; there isn't any time for her to react.
Mark grabs the back of Phil's untucked shirt and drags him out of the closet. "You son of a bitch," He growls menacingly throwing him against the opposite wall.
The idle chatter in the hallway ceases as they gather around to watch the altercation unfold. Once Phil regains his composure he stands up straight and moves towards Mark, "What the hell's your problem, man?"
He snaps back angrily, "That's my girlfriend you're messing around with, Donovan."
"Hey," Phil brings his hands in the air and plays the role of the innocent, "she was asking for it."
These words send Mark over the edge. Swinging back, his fist collides with the side of Phil's face until he crumples to the ground. Diving on top of him before he tries to get back on his feet, Mark pins him in the hallway and continues to repeatedly punch the guy who had to have come onto his girlfriend against her will. After a few minutes of letting the beating unfold, two guys pull Mark off of a squirming Phil and move to escort him out of the house.
His hardened grey eyes flash over to Addison's momentarily, and he shrugs off the mediators before turning to leave the scene.
"Mark! Mark wait!" She calls after him, running down the front steps of the mansion. "Mark! Mark you have to get that looked at," Addison pleads with him, reaching for his arm so he'll stop stomping away.
"I'm fine," He recoils from her touch, not even looking back at her.
"No, you aren't." She argues. "You're hand it's bleeding."
He whirls around and stares down at her menacingly. She shrinks away at the uncomfortable nature in which he's now looking at her in. "Why do you even care?"
Addison blinks back at him, surprised by the animosity in his tone. "Because…I do." Her eyes widen with a deep felt sadness and regret, "I care about you, Mark."
He clenches his jaw and mutter darkly, "You don't screw with the people you care about, Addison."
"Mark!" She practically jogs alongside him to keep up with his pace, "Please! It's not what you think."
"Oh so his hands weren't all over you?" He bites back, "He wasn't kissing you? Or trying to undress you? Because you could have fooled me."
He's slipping away from her like hot sand through her fingers. And while she wanted things to end before they could get worse, Addison could have never anticipated doing so under a false guise. The hurt etched across his face and anger dripping in his tone, confuses her. If he was with someone else why would he care about her and Phil?
"Well what about you and Nancy Hamilton?" She demands suddenly, bringing his alleged indiscretions to light.
"What?" Mark frowns at her.
"Phil said you were in the upstairs bathroom with her," She explains swiftly.
Scoffing at her in disbelief, "And you believed him?" Mark shakes his head slowly.
"You-you weren't with her?" She arches her brow in horror.
"You believed him," His echoes hollowly, his face falling.
Her heart wrenches at the look on his face and she tries to reach for him. "Mark," Her voice comes out softly, in search of redemption. "Mark I-"
He catches her hand that nearly lands on his cheek. His grip isn't gentle or affectionate, but firm and full of hatred. Mark's eyes search her face, the dark mascara underneath her eyes, lipstick smeared to one side of her mouth. And then he sees it. The purplish half moon bruise staining her crème colored flesh. He drops her hand. His hand grabs hold of her neck, forcing her head to tilt to the side in order to reveal the love bite left by another man.
Mark lets go of her so roughly that she stumbles back a few steps. Shaking his head slowly he says, "Even after all this time, you still see me as that egomaniac womanizer who's just going to end up breaking your heart. Well, the joke's on you, Addison. Because you just took my place. Congratulations."
"Mark, please!" Her eyes begin to fill with the salty liquid of regret. "You have to let me explain."
"There's nothing to explain," He counters through narrowed eyes. "I got what I needed from you. And now I'm done." Mark turns his back from her for the last time, with little intention of every seeing her face framed with crimson waves ever again.
However difficult the breakup was for her, Addison wasn't given a lot of time to grieve. Summer ended quickly, and it was time for her to pack up her belongings and move to the city to start the next chapter of her life. Naomi and Sam desperately tried to keep her busy enough to forget about those two months with Mark Sloan. And for a while it worked.
But with one more week left until their studies began, Addison's priorities had shifted drastically. She swore that not until they had their first break would she nurse a sufficiently crippling hangover again. Although Naomi was persistent that they spend one more night on the town, since some of Sam's friends from Bowdoin were in the city. In the end, she relented because Naomi swore to disconnect their phone if she tried to call Mark ever again. What she didn't count on was only meeting one of Sam's college friends. One of Sam's college friends who just happened to be single, relatively attractive, and a first year med student at Columbia as well.
"Naomi! You promised," Addison hisses in her ear, fingernails digging into her forearm as they make their way over to the bar.
"What?" Naomi shrugs, feigning innocence. "We're just meeting some friends," She mutters to Addison.
"Well it looks like just one friend," Addison growls in disapproval at her friends attempt to set her up for the hundredth time.
They reach the bar where Sam and his dark haired friend are currently sitting with their drinks. Naomi pulls Sam into a tight squeeze, while Addison waits for her off to the side. She then reaches the stranger in question, giving Addison some time to hug Sam.
"I'm going to kill you two," She mutters in his ear.
"Just give him a chance, Addie." Sam returns before releasing her and turning her back to the other two in their party.
"Oh Derek," Naomi places two hands on his shoulders and points over to the tall redhead, "this is my friend Addison I've been telling you about. Addison Montgomery meet Derek Shepherd."
"Hi," He extends a hand for her to shake.
"Hello," Addison returns less than enthusiastic, placing her hand in his.
Her gaze drifts over to Naomi and she frowns whenever her friend says, "Ok, you two talk we're going to search for a table." She laces her arm with Sam's and they stroll away from the bar.
"Nae, wait!" She calls after her and then sighs when it's clear she's left alone with this strange guy. Her eyes fall back onto his brilliant blue ones. He smiles at her, causing her to glance away. For a moment everything is quiet and even a bit awkward.
But then Derek clears his throat and comments lightly, "So Addison, that's a unique name."
Looking back up at him she shrugs with slight indifference. "Well my parents were hoping for another boy. So I imagine they coped with their disappointment by giving their baby girl a name that means 'son of Adam.'"
He laughs at her dry remark, which helps her to relax considerably. Derek remarks, "Well how could they be disappointed when you carry it so well?"
"You're good," She points at him knowingly. "You have that whole 'I'm listening to every word you say and find it charming vibe,' do you do this often?"
"What?" He seems confused by her assumption.
The sincerity in his tone practically answers the question for her, but she says it anyway. "Blind dates."
"No, never actually. You're my first."
"Haha…well I promise to be gentle," She muses lightly, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks slightly at her sudden boldness.
He notices and this only seems to broaden his smile, "Can I get you a drink, Addison?"
"That depends," She cocks a brow before asking with a defensive air, "Are you going to try and get me drunk and into bed with you?"
Derek looks taken aback by her words. But he manages a rather dreamy looking smile before admitting, "That's really not my style."
"Are you sure about that?"
He exhales at her guarded expression, trying to think of another way to get through it. So he tells her kindly, "Look Addison, I think it's pretty clear you were blindsided by this tonight. And I'm sorry for that. I thought you knew about this." Derek pauses, thinking she'll have another smart retort for him. But when none comes he continues sincerely, "So if you want, I can finish my drink, tell Sam and Naomi goodnight, and then take you home. Or you can let me buy you a drink, and we can just sit here and talk. It's obvious you put a lot of effort into looking nice tonight. And I know girls don't like to put in the effort only to sit at home on a Friday night."
Narrowing her eyes, she can't help but question. "How do you know that?"
"I have four sisters," He admits with a half smile.
Surprise flickers across her face at his sudden admission. It could be a line, but even if it was one, it's not a very good one. She can't but smile back at him, her guard slowly beginning to fold.
He notices this and asks curiously, "So what will it be?"
She thinks for a moment, and then deduces from the tear on his jacket and wrinkled shirt he's not like the other guys she's used to. So she decides to take a leap of faith. "Martini, extra dry, with an olive," Her red lips curl into a smirk, and Derek inclines his head with the smile before waving over the bartender.
Anything that happened before them, she chooses to forget. However if there's one thing Addison doesn't realize in this moment is that history chooses to repeat itself.