Hey, all! I'm sorry it took long for another update, but I was having a hard time continuing this fic. Lack of motivation was killing my writing mojo and I even thought about dumping it altogether. However, with a little bit of encouragement from some buddies I decided to stick with it. Anyway, sorry again for making you wait longer than the time it takes to usually update :)

Enjoy!

Taco Time. April and Jackson were sitting across from each other and quietly eating their cheap tacos – in their soaked dress attire. Her hair remained dripping wet after they walked through the torrential downpour, her makeup partially ruined as well. He had loosened his navy blue tie and hung his dripping wet coat over the back of a chair, to the dismay of the employees working in the nearly empty fast food restaurant.

And their tacos tasted like crap. Even the ones from the taco truck across from Mercy West were more enjoyable than the tacos he forced himself to eat. They were both starving. It was a desperation move.

After he brought them to the wrong restaurant.

After his car was towed.

After the clouds opened up and decided to drench them with rain.

Everything that could go wrong came true. Now here they were, appearing pathetic and wet while the only sound coming out of their mouths was the crunching noise from chewing on their tacos. Jackson had gone out of his way to make a lasting impression on April and it was the polar opposite of how he hoped their first date would turn out. It was the first time, based on his past experiences, that the date was a major bust.

And to eventually have dinner at Taco Time officially marked it as the worst date ever.

One day ago…

Reed punched in the corresponding buttons and watched her bag of sour cream and onion flavored potato chips drop from its holder. "C'mon, April. Ugly sweater party. We have to host one," she insisted, bending over to retrieve her bag of chips from the bottom of the vending machine.

"But why an ugly sweater party? I don't think I have any ugly sweaters," April stated before scrunching her face as she stared at her roommate. "Wait. Are you trying to tell me I have sweaters that I think are cute, but are actually ugly?"

"You've never been to an ugly sweater party, have you?" she replied, smirking at the confused redhead. "It's December, which means it's almost Christmas. The anti-holiday girl in me always indulges in these types of parties. They're fun! We'll go buy some really stupid looking sweaters together."

April slowly shrugged her shoulders. Having gone through an embarrassing fashion phase in high school, she knew a thing or two about ugly clothes, except she thought they were cool. In retrospect, she regretted a lot of her fashion choices. An ugly sweater party would only remind her of her teenage years, but at least they would all appear ridiculous together.

"Oh, fine. I guess we should throw some sort of party since we haven't done so yet," she agreed. "When do you want to have it?"

"How about we aim for next Saturday? That should give us enough time to shop and plan." Reed had been eager to ask April a burning question, which she knew would make her uncomfortable, but she wanted an honest answer. "So… would it be alright to invite Zach?"

"Sure, why not?" April answered nonchalantly. "We're still friends. I heard he's walking around with a cane now."

Reed slightly nodded her head as she ate her chips. "Well, the reason I'm asking is because… do you think he'd go out with me?" Her roommate's reaction was just as she expected. April opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "I figured since you're kind of with Jackson – or whatever game you're still playing with him – it's been a few weeks since you and Zach broke up. I wanted to ask you first if you'd be okay with me possibly dating him."

"I… guess it's not a big deal. Although, I'm not dating Jackson," she corrected her. Since Thanksgiving, she had been doing a lot of teasing and playing mind games with the pretty boy. "I don't know. He might be getting sick of me playing hard to get. There hasn't been a mention of a date or anything."

"Maybe he's surprising you."

"Or maybe I'm playing too hard to get," she replied dejectedly. "Have I been doing it right? I mean, do you think I pushed him away? I don't usually do this with men. Actually, I never do this with any men because there aren't any men to play hard to get with…"

Reed leaned back against a wall, munching on her potato chips as April continued another one of her rambles. She learned quickly how to pretend she was listening when in fact, she wasn't. That didn't necessarily make her a bad friend. She did take the time to listen when the conversation was important. But hearing about Jackson was now as important as what she planned on having for lunch.

Just get together already! The voice in her head screamed out whenever April began second guessing herself about their male friend. If they didn't start dating soon, she was going to lock them in a room together until the faint sounds of moaning and groaning could be heard from outside in the hallway.

"…and that's why he's likely avoiding me now," April finished her long explanation. She caught Reed carelessly sifting through her bag of potato chips causing her to frown. "You weren't listening, huh?"

"Nope," her roommate casually admitted and held out her bag of chips. "Want some?"

April rolled her eyes in response. Of course Reed couldn't care less about her relationship woes since she was more concerned about being her ex-boyfriend's rebound – not that it should bother her too much. Or maybe it should because boyfriend number one apparently married the woman he moved on to after her. At least, that was what she had heard from an old college friend. What if Jackson wasn't the right person for her? Then what? Her roommate might possibly be with the man she currently still had some feelings for and she could end up alone.

But she knew Jackson had feelings for her and he hadn't been hiding it. Although, the pessimist in her was waiting for the moment he realized how uninteresting she was. Other than sharing a love for medicine, they barely had any common interests. And why would he suddenly find her attractive? He certainly didn't before when she overheard his conversation with the other interns in the locker room. He said she was weird. In high school, guys like Jackson never found the weird girl hot or worth dating.

And thoughts like those were what killed her self-esteem. She promised herself she would stop overanalyzing everything, but Jackson was supposed to be the type of man she could never get not the one who is surprisingly crazy about her.

"April!"

She turned her head to the sound of Jackson's voice calling out her name. He approached her with a smile on his face and a little swagger to his step. What was he so chipper about?

Hands in his lab coat pockets, he stopped in front of her. "Tomorrow night. I made reservations at Il Bistro for dinner. It's fancy and romantic, so wear something nice. No excuses. You're going. I'll pick you up from your apartment at seven. It'll be a first date you'll never forget," he confidently stated before walking away from her.

"Wait a minute! I don't get a say in any of it?" she called out to him.

"Nope! It's a date!" he replied without looking back.

Reed chuckled to herself. "Il Bistro, huh? Never been there myself, but I heard it's a tone setter. Hey, maybe he's setting himself up to get laid tomorrow night," she teased.

April gazed back at her with wide eyes. "Is that true?" she whispered, slightly panicking.

"Relax. It's your first date. He clearly wants it to be romantic and meaningful. I bet he never did something like this with Rachel."

"That's because she never let him and always did what she wanted to do. It doesn't mean he never thought about taking her out on romantic dates," the redhead insisted.

Reed waved her arms. "Screw Rachel. She's the past and Jackson couldn't give a crap about her anymore. It's all about you now," she reminded her. "See? He was planning a date. He just wanted to catch you by surprise."

"But I didn't even officially answer him."

"Please, you would've said yes," Reed replied, adding an eye roll. "You've forced him to wait long enough. It's time, April, and you're going to have an unforgettable time because this is the moment you've been waiting for since you met him. Seize the moment and wear something sexy!"

April sighed. "But I don't exactly have anything… sexy. I've been borrowing your clothes," she whined. Her roommate groaned and walked away from her, forcing her to chase after her friend. "I'll seize the moment! I promise!"

Date night – 7 PM

Jackson stood outside of April and Reed's apartment. Wearing a white dress shirt, a navy blue tie and black pants with a matching colored jacket, he quietly paced back and forth with his hands inside of his pockets. He should have been knocking on the door instead of acting like a scared teenager going out on his first date, but he thought he may have already made a mistake by not buying her flowers. The women he used to date never cared for them, so they slipped his mind.

"Hey, April. You look freaking gorgeous," he muttered to himself before he quickly shook his head. "No. A little classier, Avery."

He was nervous. Normally, he was a smooth operator and knew how to win over his date instantly. April made him feel different. He felt obligated to impress her without his usual tricks – the charming smile and hypnotizing her with his bluish-green eyes. Mainly because she refused to succumb to his pretty boy looks easily. And he found her mind games endearing. All the more reason to take her out on a fancy date and prove how much he cared about her.

Stopping in front of the door, he took a deep breath and closed his hand in front of his face. "Calm down, loser. It's just a date not a marriage proposal," he whispered, then he knocked on the door.

A minute later, the door opened. April appeared wearing a salmon colored strapless dress that cut off just above her knees and black heels. Her hair was down, slightly curled. And not only did the bright red lipstick catch his attention, but so did her very visible cleavage. He blamed the white gold necklace hanging just above it.

"Holy… shit," he breathed, realizing he said it out loud. Jackson noticed the puzzled expression on April's face and cleared his throat. "I mean, you look amazing. You're… you're beautiful."

"You look really handsome yourself," she shyly replied as she stepped out of her apartment. In one hand was a black hand bag and in the other was her coat. "So… I guess we should get going."

He offered his arm and she happily grabbed a hold of it. Reed watched them from the doorway with a mischievous grin on her face.

"You bring her home by midnight, young man," she teased, lowering her voice to sound like a protective father. "And if she doesn't come home at all, I'll be hunting you down with my shotgun."

"Shut up," Jackson retorted, looking back at their friend with a smirk on his face.

He brought her to his car, opening the door for her and helping her inside. Tonight, he was going to be a gentleman. Every little gesture could mean a big deal to her, so he planned on taking advantage of every opportunity to impress her. Getting into the driver's seat, he smiled at her while he attempted to start the ignition. Technically, it wasn't his car but Charles'. It was an old BMW, but it also wasn't the most reliable vehicle either.

"Hang on a second," he nervously said as the engine huffed and puffed without any luck. "Seriously, just a second."

April nodded and patiently waited. She sensed his apprehension based on the sweat beginning to form on his forehead. And she thought she would be the nervous wreck. Reed had spent a good hour ensuring her hair would look perfect for their date. She tried on at least fifteen different dresses to wear until they finally agreed on the one she currently wore. When Jackson knocked on their door she felt nauseous, but her own nerves vanished after he appeared completely infatuated by how made up she was. And he looked pretty damn sexy in a suit too.

"Son of a bitch," Jackson mumbled under his breath before the car cooperated with him. He flashed a grin at April as he pulled into the street. "And we're rollin'."

She giggled at his enthusiasm. "Reed tells me the restaurant you chose is really popular."

"That's what I heard too. I was supposed to take Rachel there once, but we never left her apartment," he chuckled until he realized how inappropriate the comment was. Side eying April, she didn't appear amused. Her pursed lips and the fact that she was staring out the window forced him to mentally punch himself in the face. "I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine," she softly said, tucking strands of hair behind her ear.

Jackson shook his head. "No, it's not fine. There's no excuse for talking about my ex-girlfriend to you," he insisted and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "God dammit, Avery. You're such a moron…"

April raised her eyebrow at him as he scolded himself. "Do you always think out loud?"

"What?" He briefly glanced at her and sheepishly smiled. "Sorry again. Pretend you didn't hear anything."

"So did you hear we're throwing an ugly sweater party next weekend?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I did. Am I invited?" he playfully replied.

She shook her head and smiled. "Nope. No pretty boys allowed. You're gonna have to find the ugliest sweater in the world to cancel out your face."

He softly chuckled. "Or maybe I should wear my sweater over my face, then maybe you won't be so distracted by it."

"Who said I'll be staring at your face at the party?" she teased. "Other people will be there too. I might not even notice you."

Jackson pretended to stab his chest with a closed fist and grimaced. "Ouch." He smirked at April. "You're a mean person, you know that? I think you're lying about being the girl nobody noticed. You were definitely the school bitch."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Uh huh. I bet you were the geek who buffed up in college then?"

He proudly nodded. "You got me."

They spent the car ride poking fun at each other to lighten the mood. Heavy traffic in the downtown area slightly dampened Jackson's spirits, though. Their reservation was at 7:45 and they had ten minutes to arrive at the restaurant before their table was given away. He miscalculated the time and distance thinking they would arrive in the allotted cushion he gave himself to drive there. But he grew up in Boston. He was a city kid. However, he didn't expect the traffic in Seattle to be as bad. A lesson learned along the way.

Fortunately, he found a parking space on the street close to the restaurant. They had about two minutes to walk inside and confirm his reservation. It was a packed house and the waiting area was crowded. On a Friday night, it was unsurprising. He approached the hostess with a smile on his face.

"Hi, reservations for Avery at 7:45."

The hostess skimmed the reservations list before looking up at Jackson confused. "I'm sorry, but you're not listed here. Are you sure your reservations were made for tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I called in on Monday," he insisted. This was not what he needed to happen, especially in front of April. "Could you check again please?"

"Sir, are you at the right place?"

"This is Il Bistro on Pike, right?"

The woman smirked as she slowly shook her head. "No. This is Il Fornaio on Pine," she corrected him. "You're definitely at the wrong place. If I were you, I'd make the quick drive down to Pike before you lose your reservation."

Jackson frantically checked his watch. It was 7:47 PM. Without traffic, driving down to Pike Street would take a few minutes. Unfortunately, the traffic hadn't improved when they arrived, so it could take even longer. By then, their reservation would be snatched up by a couple who did show up at the right restaurant.

Leaning forward close to the hostess, he frowned. "I don't think we'll make it in time. You see, I'm trying to impress my date and so far, I'm looking like a huge idiot," he whispered. "How long would we have to wait for a table here?"

"Forty minutes," she regretfully answered. "We're booked tonight. I'm sorry, but I can call Il Bistro and try to keep your reservation for you. Just give me a minute."

He let out a sigh of relief. Maybe there was still hope to save their date. Looking over his shoulder, April awkwardly smiled back at him. He was hesitant to admit to her that he screwed up. If he hadn't miscalculated their arrival time, he wouldn't have rushed them out of the car and into the wrong restaurant. Pike, Pine. Why the fuck did those street names have to be so close together? And why the fuck did those two restaurants have to be named almost the same?

Then again, he could only blame himself for not being observant enough.

The hostess returned her attention back to Jackson. "They're willing to give you an extra five minutes to make it there. After that, they'll release your reservation."

"Five minutes? Have you seen the traffic outside?" he irritably asked.

"You better get a move on, sir," she replied nonchalantly.

Jackson inhaled sharply as he turned to face April. "C'mon, we gotta go," he sternly said, grabbing her hand. He led her out of the restaurant feeling more embarrassed than ever. "I uhh… brought us to the wrong place, but the real restaurant is only a few minutes away."

April nervously laughed. "It's alright. Will we make it in time?"

"Let's hope so."

As they walked back to their parking space, Jackson's eyes widened when he noticed a tow truck taking his roommate's car away. "Oh, shit! Hey!" he yelled out, leaving April behind as he ran after the moving vehicle. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

But it was too late. The car was towed, moving farther and farther away from him.

April realized the problem immediately. She considered herself to be very observant of her surroundings, but perhaps Jackson's need to make it in time – to the wrong restaurant – distracted her from seeing the expired parking meter they neglected to pay. Seattle apparently took unpaid parking seriously because they had only been gone for less than ten minutes.

"Jackson," she called out to him and pointed at the parking meter. "We umm… forgot about this."

He approached her with a blank stare on his face. First, he forgot to buy flowers. Now, he forgot to pay for parking. "I guess we're walking," he stated disappointedly. "At least it's not too far away. If we walk fast, we can still make it."

And the sound of thunder startled both of them. Within seconds, the clouds opened up as rain began to pour down on their heads. The weather report said it was supposed to rain around midnight. It arrived about four hours too early. Neither of them carried umbrellas with them, which added salt to Jackson's emotional wound.

The rain slowly soaked their clothes, forcing him to remove his jacket and hold it over April, despite already covering herself with her own coat. "I'm almost a thousand percent certain that somebody high up above hates me," he declared as he escorted her down the sidewalk. "We're screwed."

She softly smiled at him. "It's… it's going to be okay. Try to remain positive."

"Maybe if it wasn't pissing down rain right now," he bitterly replied and gazed up at the dark sky. "I just wanted the perfect date! Is that too much to ask for?!"

"Jackson, calm down."

"Well, I'm sorry for being upset about ruining our entire night," he retorted. The torrential downpour already drenched his clothes and partially hers. "This night sucks. I hate downtown Seattle and I hate Pine street!"

While they waited to cross the street, a car sped through a puddle and splashed both of them. Jackson hoped to at least spare April's outfit by keeping it as dry as possible, but that plan was officially botched. She stared down at the dirty water covered dress with wide eyes. Reed was likely going to kill her when she returned home.

"This night is just getting better and better," the pretty boy sarcastically said.

Ten minutes later…

"Oh, c'mon! We're cold and wet and we're freaking starving!" Jackson yelled at the hostess of Il Bistro. By the time they arrived at the correct restaurant, their reservation was gone. Another lucky couple took their table and waiting for a new one was going to take almost an hour.

"Sir, you need to lower your voice," the hostess ordered. "I'm sorry you were late, but there's nothing we can do now."

April stood nearby partially covering her face with her hand. Her friend's rant in front of concerned bystanders was embarrassing. As if her ruined appearance was bad enough, Jackson sounded like he was ready to shoot up the restaurant if they weren't seated soon. She appreciated him for trying to set up a perfect first date, but now he was making a fool of himself.

"Sir, you're going to have to leave before we call the police to escort you out," the hostess warned. "Find another place to eat dinner. You're disturbing our guests."

Jackson scowled at the brunette woman behind the podium. He raised his clenched fist and opened his mouth to speak, but he changed his mind and walked outside into the pouring rain. April chased after him, growing tired of being left behind again. She neglected to cover her head with her coat since she was completely soaked already.

And she thought her first and only date with Toby Harris during her sophomore year of high school was a disaster. He was a science nerd like her and while she wasn't interested in him romantically, she didn't want to be a terrible friend by rejecting him after he asked her out. So he brought her to the movie theatre – more like his mother drove them there – to watch a special screening of Return of the Jedi. He spilled heavily buttered popcorn all over her new jeans, but he received the worst end of the date. At the Tastee Freez, the senior jocks thought it would be entertaining to pick up poor Toby and introduce his nards to the nearby flag pole. Twice.

He transferred schools and she never heard from him again.

Now she stood outside in the downpour with her arms folded, watching her date act like a nuisance. Jackson had been taking his aggression and frustrations out on the defenseless trash bin. He kicked and kicked and kicked as hard as he could at it, while shouting every known profanity in the human language. This definitely wasn't the gentleman who picked her up earlier. More like a whiny brat.

But she also empathized with his anger. He had been waiting to go out on a date with her and well, the feeling was mutual. He wanted everything to be perfect for her. And it wasn't often she had the opportunity to date a man like him. Why couldn't this have happened on their third or fourth date?

"Jackson, could you please stop acting out?" April pleaded as she approached him. "I'm sorry your plans went to Hell, but beating up a trash can isn't going to solve your problems. You'll probably only break a toe or something."

"I can't help it, alright?" He threw his arms up in frustration. "We're standing in the rain, in our good clothes, like a bunch of losers! This date was supposed to be the best night of your life and what do I have to show for it? Nothing! We don't have a car, we don't have a place to eat dinner and I forgot to buy you fucking flowers! I don't go out of my way this much for a woman. This is the least impressive date I've ever been on."

"Are you done?" she impatiently asked.

"Done with what?"

"Are you done complaining? What's not impressing me isn't how huge of a fail this date is but your attitude really sucks. You acted like a jerk to that hostess. It's not her fault we were late, okay? I don't want to be with a guy who turns into an ass whenever he doesn't get his way."

Jackson pouted as April walked past him and followed her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find a place to eat. I'm hungry," she answered without looking back at him.

"Well, I'm going with you," he said, catching up with her and standing by her side. He covered her shoulders with his jacket. She was visibly shivering. "I'm sorry for being an ass. I just feel like such a major letdown right now."

April slightly smiled at him. "You don't have to take me out to fancy dinners to impress me, Jackson. You already do that by actually thinking I'm worth dating."

Jackson shook his head. "You're never going to stop thinking so poorly of yourself, huh?"

"Why? I'm just telling you like it is."

He stopped her at the corner of the street before she could cross. Cupping her face with his hands, he smiled at her. "I like you because you're loyal and selfless and… you keep me grounded. Plus, you're freaking hot, April. Even when you don't think you are you're hot. And I know this because I check you out in the locker room when you're not looking."

She raised both of her eyebrows. "You do?"

"I've been doing it for a couple of months now, but that's not the point," he answered and chuckled to himself. "I care a lot about you, more than I thought I would when we first met. Also, if I don't do this now, I might go nuts because I've been wanting to do this for weeks."

"Do… what exactly?"

Without any warning, he leaned forward and kissed her. She was initially surprised by the move, but she gave in and returned the kiss. He kissed her passionately, making sure it was going to be a first kiss she would never forget. Her soft lips tasted a bit like cherry from her lip gloss. He didn't want to stop kissing her. She was a damn fine kisser herself. And he loved her fingers digging into the back of his neck and his head. If something positive came out of their failed date, it was the hot and unexpected kiss in the rain.

She finally pulled away from him, her eyes remaining closed. It was a mind blowing kiss. Best first kiss ever.

"Holy…" April never finished her sentence. She mumbled a bunch gibberish, which made Jackson grin. He was confident nobody had ever kissed her the way he just did.

Jackson slipped his hand into hers, interlocking their fingers together as he led her across the street. For a brief moment, he was going to forget they were on a very unpleasant date. He hoped their first kiss would cancel out all of the crap they had suffered in about an hour and a half.

Present time – 9 PM

Maybe he should have brought her home after the kiss because choosing to eat at Taco Time was an awful decision. None of the other restaurants would allow them to dine in their soaked attire, so they had no choice but to eat at a fast food joint.

"Whatever you do, do not go to Taco Time," Charles warned him before he left.

His roommate didn't exactly explain why, but now he understood. Sitting back against his seat, Jackson covered his mouth and burped. It wasn't a fulfilling dinner at all and April's face agreed. He picked up his jacket from the chair as he stood up.

"Ready to go?" he softly asked.

April nodded as she took his hand and stood up. Thankfully, the rain had stopped for the time being, but they opted to hail a taxi. Both of their apartments were too far to walk from where they were anyway. The car ride to April's apartment was quiet, yet soothing. He let her rest her head against his shoulder as he gently rubbed his hand up and down her arm. The date was terrible, but he couldn't stop thinking about their kiss. He wanted to kiss her again, despite the nasty Taco Time breath they both likely had now.

He walked her to the front door and sighed. "Glad it's over?"

She shyly shrugged her shoulders. "I kind of wish it wasn't for a specific reason."

"There's always next time," he suggested, sheepishly grinning at her. "I promise it won't be so crappy like tonight. We might even be safer relaxing on the couch and watching a movie. Seattle's a bitch."

"At least I enjoyed one thing tonight – and it wasn't the tacos," she quipped.

Jackson placed his hands against her lower back as he moved in closer. "Yeah? I may have an idea which part you're talking about, though," he softly said, inching closer to her lips.

But April pushed him away. She scrambled for her apartment key and unlocked the front door while she covered her mouth with her hand. Flinging the door open, she startled Reed as she ran inside and straight for the bathroom.

Reed jumped up from the couch and looked at Jackson, who stood in the doorway. "What the hell happened? And why are your clothes so wet?" She grimaced as the sounds of her roommate gagging echoed from the bathroom. "Oh, God. What did she eat?"

Jackson uncomfortably slid his hands inside of his pockets. "Taco Time," he muttered.

"Were you trying to kill her?!" she retorted. Approaching her friend, she playfully pushed him outside with a smirk on her face. "She'll be using that bathroom for a while, Avery. You better come back tomorrow – if you're not a victim of Taco Time too."

"Hey, wait a second-" He groaned when Reed shut the door in his face. So not only did he take out April on a shitty date but he also gave her food poisoning. He began regretting not taking her home after the kiss. At least the night would have ended on a better note.

The following morning, Jackson walked into the living room carrying his sneakers in his hands. He planned on visiting April as soon as he woke up, but he also had to track down Charles' car and bring it home. Based on the few text messages they exchanged, she was miserable and he felt guilty. She developed a fever the previous night and spent most of it with her head in the toilet. Their first kiss turned into the Kiss of Death.

"Taco Time. Wow," Charles chuckled from the dining table as he ate his breakfast. "You got balls, Avery. Didn't I tell you not to take her there? And you got my car towed. Maybe you Avery's get free passes in Boston, but here in Seattle, you gotta pay for your parking."

"Kiss my ass. I made a mistake and forgot to pay," his roommate angrily replied while he sat on the couch to tie his shoes.

"And you poisoned April," Trevor added, sharing a laugh with Charles. "How is she anyway?"

Jackson finished tying his shoes and stood up. "That's what I'm about to find out." He smugly grinned at his two roommates as he prepared to leave. "And you can crap on me all you want, but if April's not dead, we're definitely going out again. Suck it, losers. I think I have a girlfriend."

"Remember to get my car!" Charles called out.

"You mean, your piece of shit car," he sneered before he left the apartment.

April was his priority, so Charles' beat up BMW could wait for him – wherever it was. He rode a taxi to a flower shop first, buying a small gift for her to make up for not doing so last night. Then, he was dropped off at her apartment. He knocked on the door and waited for a response.

Reed answered the door and immediately gazed down at the yellow daises in one of Jackson's hands and a small teddy bear dressed in a yellow sweater with a happy face on it in the other. She fought back her laugh as she invited him inside. "You didn't kill her if that's what you're thinking," she teased.

"Well, that's a relief," he sarcastically replied. "Is she awake?"

"Barely. Her puke fest dehydrated the life out of her, but she'll feel better soon. I snatched up an IV bag from the hospital and that seems to be helping a lot," Reed explained. "She's in her room, so go ahead and check if she's asleep."

"Thanks," he acknowledged as he walked past his coworker.

"That's a stupid looking bear, by the way," she pointed out.

"Not as stupid looking as your face," he countered, laughing to himself when Reed cursed at him. Gently knocking on April's door, he slowly opened it and peeked his head inside. "April?"

Her bedroom was quiet. She lay on her side underneath the covers of her bed. He couldn't tell from his angle if she was asleep, so he walked inside. Closing the door behind him, he approached her bed and his presence appeared to wake her up. An IV was attached to the back of her right hand. Her skin was paler than usual, which almost made her look like a woman on her death bed.

"Hey, Jackson," she murmured, pulling up her blanket just below her eyes. "I look terrible."

Jackson smiled and shook his head. "No, you don't." He set the vase of yellow daises on her bedside table. "I uhh, got you flowers. Some lady told me to get these, so I hope they're alright."

April slowly nodded her head. "I love them. Thank you."

"And I got you a little bear. Grrr." His cheesy attempt at a growl made her laugh. Kneeling down on the floor, he reached out to pull away the blanket from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better, but I'm still queasy."

He placed his hand on her cheek and gently stroked it with his thumb. "I'm sorry for suggesting Taco Time. I'm even more sorry that you're the only one out of the both of us who got sick," he guiltily said. "I'm sure that was a date you'll want to erase from your memory."

"It… wasn't the worst date I ever had," she reluctantly stated. Jackson stared back at her unconvincingly and she playfully rolled her eyes. "Okay, it was the worst date I ever had, but nobody ever kissed me the way you did last night. Consider it the best worst date ever."

"So… do you mind if I squeeze in?" He happily grinned when she scooted back on her bed to make room for him. Quickly kicking off his shoes, he carefully climbed into her bed hoping to avoid nauseating her with his movements. He lay on his back before pulling her close against his chest. "Are you comfortable?"

April smiled as she rested her arm across his abdomen. "Very." She giggled when he tickled her nose with the teddy bear. "Don't make me laugh too hard. I might throw up on you."

Jackson used his free hand to run his fingers through her hair. "It's okay if you do. I deserve it."

"How long are you staying here?"

He kissed her forehead and smiled. "As long as you want me to."