Love is friendship set on fire.
Even though April was single, she still enjoyed Valentine's Day as much as any other woman,maybe even a little more.
Jackson on the other hand,loathed the day.
"God I hate Valentines Day."
April dropped her mouth open in disbelief,"Are you crazy? What's not to love?"
"Well lets see, spending $100 on flowers that will die in a week, making impossible reservations at a overcrowded restaurant...what guy doesn't love those things." He said sarcastically.
"You sir, are a grumpus."
Jackson opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a paramedic with a rose in his hand approaching him and April.
"Sorry to interrupt, Doctor Kepner?"
"Yes?"
"You don't know me, but my name is Matthew Taylor and I think you are the prettiest girl...I mean woman..."
Jackson stood behind April laughing as the guy flubbed whatever he was trying to spit out.
"And I have been watching you...uh not in a creepy way or anything,I'm a paramedic."
He handed her the rose and cleared his throat,"Would you maybe want to be my Valentine?"
Jackson could not believe he was witnessing a grown man ask a grown woman to be his Valentine.
April looked over at Jackson and could see him mouthing,"Don't do it."
"Matthew, right?"
He nodded.
"Yes,I will be your valentine."
They exchanged numbers and her address and then Matthew walked away.
"I can't believe you agreed to go out with that guy he seemed pretty weird."
"I thought he was sweet and besides, its one date."
She grabbed her chart and started walking away.
He saw that she left the rose behind,"What about your rose?"
Without turning around she yelled from halfway down the hall,"Ugh,hate roses...more of a daisies kind of girl."
Jackson waited the whole next day for April to call or text him after receiving the flowers, but there was nothing from her. He went to change his clothes in the Attendings lounge and found April peeling an orange and reading a paper.
She looked up from the paper she was reading,"Hey."
"Hi." He replied walking past her with his scrub top in hand.
"So did-"
"You can't-"
Jackson gestured for her to go ahead and speak first.
"You can't send me flowers Jackson.I have a boyfriend."
"I know that.I just wanted to do something nice for you."
"And thank you,they are beautiful." She smiled.
"You're welcome."
"I was actually shocked that-never mind it doesn't matter."
"No tell me...shocked that what?"
"I was shocked that you remembered daisies were my favorite. Carter gives me roses and I just don't have the heart to tell him that -"
He wanted to tell her that he remembered everything about her,there wasn't anything Jackson didn't know about her,they were best friends.
"Great so we're back to talking about him ,can we ever just talk about me and you?"
"Jackson, Carter is-"
"He is your boyfriend. I got that the first hundred times you told me."
"Yeah he is my boyfriend."
Meredith walked in and could feel the tension in the room,"Everything okay?"
They both replied,"We're fine" and then they both left the lounge,first Jackson then April.
Carter had moved to Seattle after his firm relocated. He graduated from Colombia Law School and worked at a small environmental law firm.
"I had a meeting that ran late,so the chicken isn't done yet and the potatoes...well I burned the first batch and-"
She laughed,"Carter its fine,we can order takeout if you want."
"You would be okay with that,I mean I did promise you a romantic home cooked meal."
She leaned over the kitchen island and gave him a quick kiss."Where do you keep your menus?"
"You sit and relax.I'll order the food,anything in particular or a little bit of everything?"
"Hmmm a little bit of everything ,oh and ask for extra-"
"Soy course." He said happily.
She wanted to correct him but he seemed so happy about stupid soy sauce.
Extra fortune cookies she thought to herself.
They cleaned up the empty takeout containers and April found Carter staring at her."Do I have food on my face or something?"
He chuckled,"No not at all just,we've been seeing each other for a little over a year and-"He paused."I just don't know why we aren't taking things to the next level."
April seemed confused,"I don't understand,next level meaning?"
"I want you and -"
"Oh,oh my-you mean...oh."
"I don't know what is stopping us,I haven't minded waiting and I will continue to wait.I just kinda want to know what I'm waiting for,that's not too much to ask for right?"
She bit her lip and toyed with her fingers on her lap,"Jackson is back in Seattle for good,he's staying."
Carter nodded his head,"So he's the reason why-April,are you...do you still have feeling for Jackson?"
"Carter,I promise nothing is going on with Jackson. And about the other stuff,I should have told you that I was a virgin for a long time, a very long time.I wanted to wait, but it happened.I was only with that one person and it didn't work out so I revirginized."
"You revirginized?"
"So I prayed and made a commitment to both god and myself not to be sexually active until marriage .You're probably thinking I'm a complete loser."She covered her face in shame with her hands and Carter moved them away.
"Oddly,its the opposite,I think you are way more adorable now."
"Really?"
He kissed her and took her hand in his and reassured her,"Yes,really."
"So I have an appendectomy with Bailey at four,do you think you could cover that for me,I really need to go shopping for a dress."
"What do you need a dress for?"
"Uh,my date with the paramedic ,do you have selective memory?"
"I honestly didn't think you were gonna go through with it."
"I am,so will you scrub in for me?"
"Of course...go.I'll see you at home later."
Jackson got home around 8pm later that night and figured April had already left for her date. He walked through the hallway to get to his bedroom and he found clothes and shoes scattered all across the floor.
He knocked lightly on her door to see if she was home and he heard her mumble something that sounded like "... come in"
So he turned the doorknob and went inside only to be screamed at by a very wet and naked April.
"Jackson!Oh my god-get out.I told you-"
"You said come in."
"No I said don't come in.I'm clearly naked and-" She searched for something to use to cover herself and she managed to pick up a blanket."And just get out already!"
"Okay...okay." He left her bedroom and stood outside her closed door.
He had just seen his best friend naked.
And his thoughts were anything but friendly at the moment.
Jackson tried to sit on the couch and watch a basketball game, but he couldn't focus.
April finally came down the stairs in a red sleeveless knee length dress with her hair pinned up.
"So..." He began."I'm sorry about before.I really thought you said-"
She was looking down and biting her bottom lip,"Can we please forget that you saw me naked?"
"Umm,yeah sure."
"And promise that it won't happen again."
He smiled,"I promise that was the first and last time I will ever see you naked."
She laughed and asked him,"Do I look okay?"
Before he could answer, the doorbell rang and April walked over and opened the door.
"Hi Matthew."
" Wow, you look umm nice and oh here-" He handed her a box of candy.
"Oh thank you,I will just put these inside and then we can leave."
April placed them on the kitchen counter and Jackson looked at the box,"No!The poor schmuck brought you peanut brittle? You're allergic to peanuts!"
"Well he doesn't know that." She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door,
It had been almost thirty minutes since April had left for her date and Jackson couldn't fight the urge any pulled out his phone and sent a text.
April was enjoying herself with the had taken her to a small Indian place that he read had amazing felt her phone vibrate in her purse and apologized.
"No,don't worry.I get if you need to answer it, lives depend on it."
She smiled appreciatively at how understanding he was and pulled out her phone.
The text read: You looked beautiful-Jackson
April smiled to herself and tried to tune back into whatever Matthew was talking about.
They finished their meals and Matthew walked April to the door and watched while she dug through her purse for keys.
"I had a wonderful time and maybe we could do this again." He said.
"Yeah,maybe."
He leaned in to kiss her but she moved away."I'm sorry,I think you are great but I just-"
"You just want to be friends? I thought we had a nice time."
"That's all it was though,nice... I want passion and butterflies." She continued,"And Matthew,there were no butterflies."
"Well maybe it needs time to happen you know caterpillars eventually turn into butterflies...so"
"No,it's just not there...Not even caterpillars." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and went inside the house to find Jackson coming down the stairs.
"So how was it?"
"You don't wanna know."
"That bad,well Karev is meeting me at Joes wanna come,maybe salvage the rest of this crappy day?"
She nodded and headed back out the door right behind Jackson.
April sipped her beer,"Karev,this is like the perfect day for you, tons of lonely women for you to seduce."
Alex laughed and pointed to a woman sitting at the bar,"I'm taking a break because of that blonde.I hooked up with her two nights ago and she told me she was looking for something long term I mean,I almost considered it."
Jackson finally chimed in,"Almost?"
"Yeah she looked really good naked man." He continued,"Speaking of the female anatomy,when is the last time you even saw a naked chick Avery?Having no luck in that department?"
April rolled her eyes and muttered,"You're a pig Karev."
Jackson noticed how uncomfortable April was with the conversation but he really wanted to answer Alex.
"Not that it's any of your business but I saw one not too long ago,today actually.'
April eyes opened big in disbelief while she tried to keep a straight face.
"And she doesn't even know how beautiful she really is .If she could see herself the way others saw her, the way I see her...Man,she's pretty much the whole package."
He looked over at April and could see she was blushing.
Alex nudged Jackson,"So this hot naked chick,think I might have a chance with her?"
Jackson took a quick glance at April and smirked before answering Alex,"No chance in hell.."
April stood at the coffee cart and waited for her order.
Jackson saw her when he got off the elevator and walked over to her."Good morning."
"Oh hey morning."
"So I saw we're both scrubbing in on a surgery later today."
"Yeah,we always worked well together in the O.R"
She grabbed her coffee and smiled before walking away,"See you later."
"Yeah,see you later."
The surgery went perfect and Jackson and April made idle chit chat. They talked about the weather and what the cafeteria was serving that day.
They walked to the elevator together in silence and waited for the doors to open.
When they finally opened Jackson gestured for April to step in first,he followed and pressed the button for the doors to close,it went down one floor, then it just stopped.
Jackson tried pressing the buttons but nothing was happening.
April moved over to press the same buttons Jackson had just tried.
"I just tried that, they aren't working."
"Great we're stuck." She looked over at the panel and pressed the Emergency Call button. Someone responded through the two way speaker.
"We see that your elevator has stopped, just know that we are working to solve the issue."
April moved to sit in the corner of the elevator, she pulled out her cellphone and had no reception."Great no service, Carter is waiting for me at-" She looked over at Jackson,"Never mind."
He walked to the other corner of the elevator and sat on the floor.
They were both staring straight ahead at the doors and she looked at their reflection.
She saw two people who she barely recognized anymore.
After almost fifteen minutes of complete silence April blurted out,"Why did you come back here Jackson?"
"I'm sorry?"
"I told you I loved you and you left. You left Jackson and you never called me or texted and then I-Why did you come back here?"
She was visibly upset and Jackson could see she was on the verge of tears.
"I came back for you April!" He yelled while getting back on his feet. He started banging on the doors and April stood up.
He continued,"I thought, I would just go to Tulane and not think about you,about what we did but it was all I thought about.You were all I thought about April. You just had to kiss me in San Francisco!"
"Oh right, it's all my fault ,sorry I kissed you Jackson!It obviously ruined your life!"
"God, you are just the most infuriating woman! I'm telling you that San Francisco-you kissed me and then...He moved in closer to her and paused."I was in Tulane and realized that I had completely fallen for you April...everything you do,everything you say,everything you are."
April tried to stop him but he cut her off,"Let me just say this please,April you're my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night before I fall asleep,and I'm pretty sure you're every thought in between ,I'm done, now you can say-"
April's breathing was ragged and she looked up to meet Jackson's eyes.
That was a mistake.
But then it felt right.
His hands around her waist ,April pulling on his shirt. She pressed her lips to his and he pulled her closer and gently lifted her so that her legs were wrapped around his waist as he pushed her against the back of the elevator.
She winced a little when her back hit the wall and Jackson touched her face,"Did I hurt you?"
She shook her head and pulled his shirt over his head while he used one of his hands to slide under her shirt to unclasp her bra.
She moaned and he gave her a half smile.
Just as her hands reached his pants,the elevator jerked.
They looked at each other and Jackson helped her back to her feet and handed her shirt while he picked his own up off the floor of the elevator.
The doors opened as they reached the lobby,Jackson went to speak but April ran out before he had his chance.