[Valentine's]

Jo chucked her scrub cap into her locker, brushing her hair with her fingers and sighed. Today had been so exhausting. Good exhausting. Still, exhausting. She changed clothes quietly, keeping to herself amongst the other residents, until Steph breezed in, clapping her butt, grinning at her.

"Hey, what the-," Jo turned back towards her, frowning at Steph's face.

"So, your boyfriend still MIA?" Jo just grunted, putting on her shoes, looking at them angrily. "Great," she chimed up. Jo rolled her eyes, annoyed with Steph's constant picking on Alex. "So you can join the singles' club at Joe's tonight, it's pay three, get one off night," she seemed cheerful.

"Seriously? Is that a thing?"

"Yeah-uh," Steph gave her back, scooting around on her spot on the bench next to Jo. "Awesome, isn't it?"

"It's pretty damn stupid," Jo gave her back. "We'll have passed out drunks at the E.R. all night tonight," she told her matter-of-factly. Steph raised her eyebrows, moving her head left and right, mimicking Jo's rant.

"Why are you being so uptight?"

"Ugh, I'm not," Jo replied in irritation, getting up and shouldering her purse.

"So, you coming?"

"Sure, what else am I supposed to do with myself tonight, right," Jo slammed her locker shut. It wasn't like she was a person to celebrate Valentine's. But it'd been way too long since Alex had left for San Diego. Granted, she'd told him however long it took was fine with her, but she was needy too. They walked out together, small talking mostly, Jo's mood leveling out a bit with the distraction. They determinedly strode through the front entrance, Jo immediately facing Stephanie when said one groaned loudly and cursed. "What?" Jo widened her eyes.

"I guess I'll be on my own tonight after all," she nodded her head at the kiss and ride a short walk away. Jo turned her head, immediately feeling like jumping in joy. Oh my God! Her grin spread across her whole face, half forgetting Stephanie at it, when she spotted Alex leaning against his car casually, seemingly waiting for her.

"I'll catch you later," she absent-mindedly told Steph, only getting a wave and an angry yeah, yeah, walking right up towards Alex, her steps a little longer, a little quicker, stopping in front of him, making him look up at her with a seductive look on his face, hiding a smirk. Jo's eyes were sparkling and she felt a shot go through her when Alex gently squeezed the tips of her fingers on her right hand, her not even having noticed him grab for them, too distracted with smiling at him. "You came back," she breathed out, having lost her voice. Alex smiled widely.

"I did," he just said. They stared at each other for another bit, both trying to not break the spell, before Jo saw from the corner of her eye how Alex brought the hand he'd been hiding behind his back until now to the front, and she looked down, snorting instantly, looking back up at him with an even wider smile.

"Seriously?" She commented the red rose he was holding out to her. Alex nodded.

"Seriously." Jo shook her head, and then frowned, her eyes still amused without end.

"That is so unlike you," she squinted her eyes closed to stress that statement. Alex chuckled voicelessly before sobering up to neutral, sighing.

"Well," he started. "I'd say I was so unlike me this past year…," he gave her. Jo tilted her head and smiled again, lovingly. She could literally feel the love pouring out of her own eyes. Then she shook her head barely noticeably.

"You'd have been way enough," she breathed out. "I don't need no roses," she smiled, leaning into him and kissing softly, sensing the huge amount of relief spreading within her, Alex wrapping his arms around her waist. Jo leaned back slightly, trying to deal with the intensity, before Alex broke it and gazed at her smilingly. They enjoyed the silence for a bit, just rubbing their noses together. When they pulled back, keeping their heads at comfortable conversational space, him still hugging her, and Jo playing with Alex's coat, she looked up at him timidly."Did you bring her back?"

"I did," Alex nodded.

"Did she really have a baby?" Jo inquired, still stumped about that.

"She did," Alex wriggled his eyebrows, joy written all over his face, making her smile too. "She had another girl," he informed her.

"Aw," Jo scrunched up her forehead. "Is she as cute as I imagine her?"

"She is," Alex observed Jo's positive reaction. "As a button," he added quietly, leaning in and kissing her cheek right next to ear, softly, as if it were just a reminder of a real kiss, fading away quickly but at the same time, leaving a vibe where he had touched her skin. Jo smiled, shrugging her shoulder with the excitement and giddiness accumulating inside her. Then she laughed, thinking about what and how he had just talked to her.

"Oh," she cackled, shaking her head at him with glistening eyes.

"What?" Alex snickered.

"You're just trying to wrap me around your pinky finger, aren't you?" She licked her lips, anticipating an honest answer, her voice teasing. Alex smiled.

"I'm not," he rolled his eyes. Jo laughed out loud, watching his face go from one rosy shade to the next, averting his eyes. When he matched their eyes again, he looked genuine though, pulling her closer, Jo cupping his cheeks. "Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered towards her, mocking her at it. Jo's smile went from a wide one to a toothy one, relishing in this moment. It took about thirty seconds, or maybe freaking years, but when she opened her mouth, she had never been surer.

"I love you."