I do not own Grey's Anatomy… looks like no one does nowadays.

Japril: From A to Z

Chapter 11: Kismet

Act I

I walk into the cafeteria to an already jam-packed room. Searching for an open seat, I spotted the people I'm hoping would be there. We've been scattered throughout the hospital today and it's been a rough one for us all. In the wee hours of the morning, victims of a multiple car crash involving a bus arrived and we had to deal with the carnage along with staff from the night shift as more bodies piled in. All I wanted right now was some comradery and semblance of peace with my friends. A reprieve from the horrors I'd seen this morning. To be able to bitch and complain; which I rarely do, but today for some reason, I needed to vent.

At the table are Meredith, Cristina, Lexie, Alex and Jackson. I take the empty seat facing my best friend with my tray of food and relax. They're already mid conversation, but it doesn't take long for me to catch up and suddenly I want to bolt away from the table. They're talking about problems they're having in their relationships and that's the last thing I want to discuss.

Meredith and Derek are having another fight. This seems usual as of late, but I nod along in concern anyway. Cristina is bragging about all the sex she's having with Dr. Hunt. A subject that I feel should be private, but Cristina was never one to hold her tongue regardless of who's around to hear. Lexie is complaining about how Dr. Sloan seems to be stalking her every move, even more of as late. They're still in this weird spot where they pretend like they're over each other but it seems as if everyone knows but them that they're meant to be. As for Jackson, he's reminiscing about one of his past girlfriends because he isn't officially dating anyone and Alex, well, Alex is being… Alex.

Amid the conversation, he doesn't so much as focus on me but shines a bright beaming light. About seven months ago, as we were all standing around the nurse's station, Meredith, Cristina, Alex and Jackson all divulged the details about their first time. While everyone freely offered up the particulars about losing their virginity, when it came for my turn, I had no other option but to lie. It was embarrassing for me to admit to them that at the age of thirty, I was still a virgin, so I made up this ridiculous story about how I lost it on the beach during sunset and Alex and Cristina called me out on it immediately.

Once again, I had been the butt of everyone's jokes and they didn't let up on me until I called them out on their own crap. So, to sit here again knowing that the topic of conversation is something that I'm in no way comfortable talking about is frustrating. What I do or don't do in the privacy of my own bedroom is my business, but it's seems as if Alex isn't going to even let me have that.

"So, Apes. What's been happening with you in love department lately. You still got a crush on Dr. Stark or what?" he mocks.

"I never had a crush on him, Alex. It was a few dinners that never went anywhere. I explained to him that I didn't feel that way about him and that we should just remain friends and colleagues. Sure, he was upset for a while, but we're fine now. We maintain a professional working relationship and that's all." I state emphatically hoping that will be the end of it, but it's not.

"Come on, Kepner. You've got to be backed up. All that tension you're holding inside. I mean, just look at how uptight you are. Your body's all rigid, nose scrunched up, face turning red and you're squinting so hard it's giving you crow's feet. You look like you're about to explode and not in the good way," Cristina teases as she laughs heartily at my expense.

"Leave her alone, you guys. You know the subject makes her uncomfortable," Meredith says coming to my defense.

I look to Jackson, not sure what I want, but as my best friend, I'm hoping for some sort of back up. He's usually quick to stand up for me, but now all he does is look at me as if unsure. He probably doesn't know what he should say and, it's probably best that he says nothing at all.

To disrupt the awkwardness that has settled over us, Lexie chimes in with the specifics of a case that came into the emergency room. A thirty-year-old woman with lacerations to the abdomen, a fractured cheekbone and defensive wounds to her arms. A man had broken into her home and attacked her after her husband had left for work and sadly, it's a tale we've heard far too often as of late. This was the fourth victim that we'd seen in the last two weeks and the thought that there was a serial attacker on the loose was frightening. Luckily, the woman in question was able to fend him off before he could sexually assault her, and she was able to give a good description of the perpetrator to the police. She was even able to provide some DNA from this piece of scum as she'd scratched him on his neck and got a decent sample of skin fragments and some of his blood under her fingernails. It's scary to think that you're not safe in your own home and I'm once again grateful that have I roommates.

Even Karev.

When Jackson and I first moved in after the shooting, it made being in the city a whole lot less lonely. My parents weren't excited when I told them I'd be taking my internship in Seattle. It was so far away from everything I knew, and they were worried about me. I mean, it's not like Ohio is small, but the town I grew up is very close knit. Everybody knows everybody else, and everyone knows the Kepner's. Reed and I became roommates when we were interns at Mercy West and after she was murdered, my fate was up in the air. Meredith and I aren't besties, but we're friends, so when she invited Jackson and me to live with them because she knew how much we had been struggling, I jumped at the chance and it's been good for me. We've all created a unique bond, Meredith, Alex, Lexie, Jackson, me and even though Cristina doesn't live with us, she might as well considering how much time as she spends there. It's an odd little group we have. One people may not understand from the outside, but we make it work.

Not moments later, Cristina's beeper goes off, soon to be followed by Jackson's, then Alex's. They've been paged to the ER and I sigh because I know that mine will be going off any moment now. As if I've been blessed with foresight, the square plastic device on my hip dings and I get up to dump my unfinished food in the trash can. Another meal I'm unable to complete, but this is what I signed up for. So, I head down to the trauma unit, thankful that at least it's Friday and I have the entire weekend ahead of me.

Act II

By the time we all get home, we're exhausted but unlike my compadres, my plan is to stay in for the night, maybe read a book, watch some television, then fall into a deep and hopefully uninterrupted sleep.

Meredith has plans to go out with Derek, Lexie is heading over to her dads for the night and Alex and Jackson are going over to the Alibi Room, a local bar to have a few drinks. I bet Alex is hoping he'll get laid tonight and is probably bringing Jackson along to be his wingman. He likes the fact that Jackson is a "chick magnet" as he puts it, not that he does bad on his own, but a little extra help doesn't hurt. I think Alex is gross. How I even contemplated letting him be my first, I'll never know.

So, once my roommates are all showered, dressed and out the door I get my blanket and throw pillow from my bed, make a bag of popcorn in the microwave, grab a beer from the fridge and stretch out on the couch. I turn the television on and flip to the first romantic comedy I can find and relish the solitude and quiet as it cocoons me.

Two hours later, I'm bored out of my mind. The movie wasn't that great and frankly, I miss the noise. I'm used to growing up with a houseful of sisters and a mother who could talk nonstop. My dad on the other hand is a quiet man and I learned to appreciate the moments I spent with him. We have a way of communicating nonverbally that I know rubbed my sisters the wrong way. I always suspected that I was my dad's favorite and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of Libby, Kimmie and Alice knowing this. But now, I no longer crave being alone. I'm not sure if it has to do with the trauma I'd been through with the shooting or because I'm so used to being around the gang that whenever they leave, I want them back almost as soon as they're gone. Well, maybe not all of them, but certainly one person in particular.

With nothing else on the boob tube, I figure I might as well get my laundry done while I have free rain of the washer and dryer. I'm sure tomorrow morning is going to be chaotic as the other inhabitants fight over who gets first dibs and besides, I don't want to spend the days I have off doing chores. I plan on doing something just for me. Something fun. Something to take me away from my daily responsibilities and the pressures that come along with the profession I've chosen. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but it can wear me down and sometimes a girl just needs a break.

I go upstairs and gather my clothes. I have three loads to do and it'll take a few hours before everything is done so I grab Little Women by Louisa May Alcott off my nightstand to take to the laundry room with me. It's a book I've read repeatedly so much so that the pages have yellowed and there are permanent indentations from the many folds I've made to mark the pages I left off at and at this point I should just buy myself a new copy. Besides, I need something to occupy my time while I'm in there and I don't feel like traipsing up and down the stairs from my room back to load and unload my clothes.

I look at the clock and see that it's just around 10:30 pm. I don't expect anyone home soon so in addition to my book, I grab my iPod and headphones then lug my full bag downstairs to start my first load.

With Shania Twain blasting in my eardrums, I sing along loudly and dance happily to Man! I Feel Like a Woman. I've just thrown my whites into the dryer and I'm about wash my darks when I feel the air shift around me. You know that sensation you get when it feels like you're being watched. Yeah, that one. So, I yank the buds out of my ears and turn quickly only to see nobody there. I call out in case one of my housemates has returned but no voice calls back to me. I don't know why I'm so jumpy all of a sudden. We live in a very safe neighborhood, the house is locked up tight, but still, I'm on edge. So instead of turning my music back on, I place my headphones in my pocket, intent on being alert to the sounds around me. You know, just in case. However, whatever my fears were seem to have been all for nothing because fifteen minutes later I've all but forgotten about my little scare and am busy reading where I left off in my book when it happens.

I hadn't felt him come in but suddenly there's a hand covering my mouth and an arm wrapped tightly around my waist. My eyes widen, my heart begins to race, and my palms start to sweat. I'm frozen with fear and I can't think of what to do in this moment to save my life. He doesn't say anything, but I can hear his harsh breathing. He's much taller then me and his body almost seems to envelope me as he leans in close so that his mouth is near my ear and I can feel his warm breath.

"Don't move," is all he says and immediately I know who it is. I close my eyes and rest against him as he lowers his hand from my mouth and I let out a sigh of relief as my frantic heartbeat slows dramatically.

That same hand maneuvers so that it is now around my throat. His hands are strong and capable. I know this for a fact and while his grasp is firm, he's still somehow gentle as the pads of his fingers caress my pulse points. He presses up against me so that I'm trapped between him and the washing machine and I can already feel his manhood. His considerable bulge rests at my the small of my back, already stiffening as he begins to rub against me hardening him even further.

Suddenly, I'm a daze and I don't know what to do because without warning, I sense him everywhere. His lips are on my neck as he kisses me open-mouthed, his tongue laving over my skin. The hand that was on my waist now moves confidently under my t-shirt. My flesh is hot, and his hand is cool as it inches its way from my stomach, over my ribcage to my breast. I'm not wearing a bra so when his thumb brushes over a nipple, tiny bumps raise around my areola as I'm instantly aroused. He doesn't let up as he flicks at it to a pattern known only to him and when he lowers his right hand from my throat and it makes a lazy path down until it's nestled between my legs, I let out a ragged moan in anticipation of what's to come next.

He cups me roughly and I'm already wet and I wonder if he can tell. He teases as he pets at it. Stroking me over the cotton cloth material. Tapping in a graduated rhythm in the exact spot where my clitoris lay. His actions are driving me wild. It's not only that, but the friction he applies as his cock fits neatly against the seam of my ass and all I want is for him to slip his hand inside and finger me until I orgasm. But he must sense that this is what I want because he abruptly stops, releases me and takes a step back.

I'm confused, and I don't understand what's going on. I move to turn around when he clamps his hands over my forearms and holds me in place. I follow his wordless direction and remain exactly as I am. Minutes pass; at least it feels that way as we stay unmoving. It's cruel, what he's doing to me and he knows it. I think he even likes it. Me, at his mercy. Him the one with all the control. So, I'm giddy and can't hold back the titter that erupts from my barely parted lips when I hear the button on his jeans pop and his zipper slide down millimeter by torturous millimeter.

All I can hear is the rustle of denim fabric as he pushes his jeans down then the shuffle of his feet as he takes a few steps until he's back where he began. I start to speak but he shushes me, and I obey his command. He hooks a thumb onto each side of my shorts and descends as he lowers then from my body. He squats as he does this, kissing at what exposed skin he can reach under the bottom of my shirt and graces me with a peck on each ass cheek when my shorts reach my ankles.

I'm still getting used to the things he does to me. The way he's so open and free. The way he's taken his time to teach and show me the way. How he's willing to do anything and everything to my body and he's asked to do some things I'm unfamiliar with. I'm not quite ready for all of them yet, but I'm sure that one day, as long as it's with him, I'll happily agree.

He stands again, gripping me around the waist and tilts me slightly so that I'm resting on my balls of my feet and all I want him to do is lift me up a little higher so that I'm on my tip-toes. I want to feel the apex of his big, beautiful cock as it meets my now drenched center.

We don't have sex standing very often. We tried it in the shower once, but almost got caught when Lexie entered the bathroom unannounced. The only thing shielding me from her vision as she peed was the steam that filled the stall and his considerably bulker frame obstructing me from her view. It's no wonder that we nixed the idea of doing that again.

Thankfully, I don't have to wait long for him to give me what I want. He places a hand on my spine and gently presses me forward until I'm bent in half over the washing machine. He takes hold of himself and slides his dick back and forth between my lower lips until my juices soak him from base to tip. He then angles himself so that the head just graces my entrance, but I'm hungry for him and I can't take much more. I move swiftly to his amazement and back onto him until he fills to the hilt. He's not small by any means and while his is the only penis I've ever had the pleasure of having inside me, I know he's well above average, so it's still a shock when we crash against one another. I let out a lecherous sob and he an exaggerated, "fuuuuuck" before we allow are bodies to adjust and he begins to pound away at me.

He is unrelenting in his actions as he works to make us both cum. We usually take our time when we're alone, but we know that anyone can come home at any minute and we're essentially out in the open. The laundry room is a common area and while we never have to worry about someone entering one of our bedrooms without permission, we're taking a chance and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't titillated.

When he comes into my room or I go to his long after everyone else is in for the night, he takes his time. Touching, kissing and licking me everywhere. But I've learned to appreciate the times when we have to be down and dirty as he calls it. Who'd have thought that I would relish moments like these. Behaving like we have been is dangerous as anyone of our roommates could find out. Maybe that's what I really want. Maybe not. I don't know, but now is not the time to try and figure it out.

Grunting as he slams away, I hold onto the edges of the washer for leverage as his fingertips dig into my hips. He's sure to leave evidence of our activities behind, but no one will see them but him and me. It's not the first time they'll be proof left behind that we've been together and I'm sure it won't be the last. The now faded remains of hickeys and bite marks along my breasts, stomach and thighs as confirmation.

By now the small room feels unbelievably claustrophobic as the blood rushes to my ears. I can feel myself nearing climax and I can tell he's close too. He is uncompromising about this as he's told me that the one thing he will never do is leave me unsatisfied and until this day, he has never broken his promise.

Up until now, we've been relatively quiet, but I can no longer hold back as he begins to rub my clit furiously. Knowing that I'm near and it'll only take seconds for me to fall apart from his ministrations, I reach around with my left hand and grab his ass, screaming at the top of my lungs and in this moment, I don't care who hears us.

"Oh. Oh my, God. Jackson!"

Act III

I feel positively euphoric when I cum. My seed spilling inside the walls of her warm, vice-like grip. Heart beating wildly against my chest, all I want to do is stay inside of her and never leave. As the sweat pours from my temples, I bow forward and nip at the sweet delicate skin of her collar bone.

I've never felt this way with another woman and I don't know how to explain it. April is gentle and kind. But, she's also strong and resilient. A force to be reckoned with. For some reason, she doesn't allow people to see all aspects of her personality like she does with me and believe me no one would ever believe that this "innocent" woman is actually a sex kitten.

I kiss her neck and she swivels in my arms. Now facing each other, she pecks me on the lips, pushes at my chest so that there's a gap between us, then hauls her arm back and punches me on my bicep. Hard.

Damn those powerful little fists.

"Ouch. What was that for?" I demanded to know as I lean over and pull up my underwear and jeans.

"For scaring the crap out of me," she screeches as she pulls up her own. "You know there's a maniac on the loose and you grab me from behind like that. You'd better be glad you identified yourself so fast or you would have gotten a bottle of bleach to the eyes," she warns.

I can't help but chuckle. She's so freaking cute when she's trying to be threatening.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't' mean to frighten you. I left Alex at the bar. He was trying to score a hook up for the evening and I knew you were here all alone. It didn't make sense for me to hang out by myself, especially when the woman I wanted to be with was waiting at home," I offer as apology as I run the back of my fingers along her cheek.

"You know, you're quite the sweet talker, Jackson Avery. I forgive you," she says. Blessing me with her honeyed tone.

I don't hesitate as I kiss her tenderly and think to myself how fortunate I am to have her in my arms.

How we came to this point is a mystery to me. Fucking in the laundry room of the house owned by one of our friends. Never in my wildest dreams. Oh, and this is by no means the only strangest place we've done it. There was a halted attempt in the shower. A few times in my car. Hell, we'd even done it in an on-call room. Of course, we've had sex in our bedrooms, but even then, we had to be covert. Sneaking in when everyone else in the house was asleep. That was a feat in itself because neither of us are exactly silent love makers. The things I do to her. The way she makes me feel. It's indescribable.

No one would never suspect that April and I were a couple, let alone having sex. Sure, they know we're best friends, but to them, that's the extent of our relationship.

After that fateful day when Meredith, Cristina, Alex, April and I got to talking about our first sexual experiences, she was teased mercilessly. Now, April may seem like she's meek and unassuming, but that is far from the truth. The night she called us all out on the shit we'd been hiding; Alex afraid to take the elevator, Mark tailing Lexi because he still loves her, me waking up screaming every night because of my nightmares. Well needless to say, the teasing stopped after that, but that wasn't the end of it as far as she was concerned.

That night, she knocked on my door long after I thought she'd conked out. I could tell that something was on her mind. She was hesitant, but I assured her that she shouldn't be afraid to tell me anything. I'd always be here to listen. So, we talked all throughout the night.

She started by telling me that she was hurt that I'd joined in with the others when they made fun of her. She felt that if there was one person she could count on to be sympathetic, it would have been me. Believe me, I felt like a jerk and I told her that I was sorry and that I'd never leave any doubt in her mind again that I was on her side.

She also confided to me as to why she was waiting to give up her virginity. She explained how she grew up believing in the church's teachings that she should wait until she was married. That disobeying that rule would be a betrayal not only to God, but to her parents and her own morals. She wanted to hold true to her values and follow God's plan.

Now, I wasn't going to bust her bubble. We had already been through a ton of shit and I wanted to ask her, where was God then? She knew how I felt about religion and to make light of her beliefs would surely impact our relationship negatively. To alienate her would be the last thing I'd ever want to. It would be devastating. April meant a lot to me. More than any women ever had other then my mother and this was one friendship I was determined to keep, and I wasn't going to do anything to mess that.

So, night after night, she'd come into my room or I'd go to hers and we'd talk for an hour or so about everything under the sun until we feel asleep, waking up to return to our respective rooms before anyone else was the wiser. I was content with our sleepovers and didn't plan on rocking the boat, that was until about a month later when everything between us changed.

It had been a particularly demanding day at the hospital. The attendings were riding our asses and all we wanted to do was have a few drinks and blow off some steam. Fuck it. None of us would be driving so I didn't have to worry about my level of consumption. The weekend was here, and I deserved to let loose. It'd been a while since I'd had a decent hangover anyway.

It appeared I wasn't the only one with that goal in mind.

April wasn't a heavy drinker. Her drink of choice was usually a light beer. She'd have a few of those, enough to give her a buzz but still keep her on her feet. I think she drank only to be sociable, but tonight, she looked as if she were going for a new record.

Downing shot after shot of tequila, I think she was about four drinks in when she said the room was starting to spin. As for me, I was managing to hold my own. I typically like my buzz to creep up on me, so while I encouraged her to have a few glasses of water, I continued with my own whiskey shots and soon enough my own world began to tilt off it's axis. I don't know much of what went on while we sat there boozing it up. All I know is that we danced and partied it up until nearly closing hours.

I had never seen April as free as she was that night. When she's thrown back a few, she's really, really funny. She's also sexy as hell. Who would have guessed that the petite, reserved, red-headed farm girl had moves like that? I watched her intently as she gyrated on the dance floor. Hips swaying seductively. Pert breasts bouncing in rhythm to the beat, but I wasn't the only one who noticed.

Now, I wouldn't call myself April's knight in shining armor. She doesn't need anyone to hold her hand. She's proven time and again that she can take care of herself. But I couldn't help but notice the lecherous eyes of the men around the bar who watched her.

April is beautiful. Always has been to me. Sure, everyone's a little awkward as a teen. Even I was, believe it or not. I mean, I may have had it in the looks department, but I wasn't as suave as everyone presumes. To think that she had such a difficult time getting a boyfriend growing up perplexed me. She's enjoyable to be around and so fucking smart. Plus, she had quite the body underneath those scrubs and tonight she wasn't hiding it one bit. So, when other guys began to take note of what I already knew and one of them dared to come up behind and put his hands on her waist, all I saw was red.

I was out of my seat faster than I even realized I could ever move. April wasn't that kind of girl. She's no easy lay. Who was he to grope her like that? He didn't know her like I did, and we certainly didn't know him. I didn't need whiskey to give my courage, but it sure didn't hurt as I bound over to them and inserted myself into their space.

I'd called myself being chivalrous before on April's behalf. At that time, Alex had been the bearer of my fury. This time, somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered that I couldn't just go around punching people in the face when I felt they'd disrespected my friend. I had a reputation to uphold. I was a doctor. A professional. An adult. An Avery. So, I did the next best thing. I tapped the prick on the shoulder and politely asked him if he could please take his hands off my girlfriend. He didn't appear to be up for a fight as he held his hands up in defeat and walked off. Lucky for him, because I'd have welcomed the thought of giving him an ass whopping when it came to defending April.

After the guy left, she stared at me, mouth agape like she couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Girlfriend?" she bellowed as if I weren't standing right in front of her.

"Yes. Girlfriend. That guy had his hands all over you and well… I just assumed you wouldn't appreciate that kind of thing."

"What kind of thing?" she said mischievously. "You mean a man actually paying attention to me for once other than as his doctor?"

Flustered, I didn't know how to answer. Had I just essentially cock-blocked my best friend. Did I do it because I felt like I was protecting her honor or was there a deeper reason.

I stood there looking at her blankly when she smirked and began to giggle.

"Your girlfriend," she muttered.

"What's so funny?" I asked. Perturbed that she found the idea so ridiculous.

"Oh, no. No, Jackson. I'm not laughing at you. It's just… who would believe that I was your girlfriend?" she said seriously.

I hesitated for a moment, taken aback by her declaration. Was she kidding me? Who wouldn't believe that April could be my girlfriend. Obviously, she didn't see what I did, and I needed to make her aware that she was worthy of being adored. I was getting tired of her doubting herself and her belief that she didn't measure up to other women around her. She has so much more to offer. Brains and beauty. A wining combination.

I don't know what made me say it, but I had to let her know the truth. I leaned in close, my lips pressed against the shell of her ear and whispered, "April, you are so fucking gorgeous. I would be privileged to tell everyone that you were mine."

I stepped back to gage her reaction, my own expression humorless. A blush crept over her face deepening from rosy pink to crimson and none of it had to do with the alcohol she'd consumed.

She was about to open her mouth to respond when we were interrupted by Alex who said that he was beat and wanted to go home. He said the fish weren't biting tonight so we left out, flagged down a cab and headed home.

By the time we got in, my head was aching and all I wanted was to lie down. April didn't talk on the way home and she headed straight for her room once we got in. I took it as a missed opportunity and figured she'd just want to ignore it and pretend it never happened. I couldn't be mad at her for that. I'd caught her off guard, so I too considered the matter closed.

I'd managed to peel off my shirt and jeans, stumbling along the way to crawl under the covers when there was a knock at my door. Opening it, on the other side stood the last person I'd expected to see.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" I inquired.

"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about what you said at the bar," she began, her hands fidgeting as they played with the hem of her tank top.

Now, I'd said a lot of things tonight, but I was positive I knew what the topic of discussion would be.

"Okay, what about it?" I pressed on nervously.

Fuck, I thought. Had those few words I chose to blurt out ruined everything?

"Did… did you mean it?" she asked cautiously.

A no doubt puzzled look on my face, she continued, "When you said that you would be privileged to say that I was yours? Your girlfriend, I mean."

My features immediately morphed as a wide smile grew on my face, "April, of course I meant it. Are you kidding me? Who wouldn't be attracted to you?"

She sniffed in disbelief, "Apparently a lot of guys because you seem to be the only one interested."

I knew I couldn't tell her. I had to show her I was for real. So, I kissed her. I kissed her like I'd never kissed a woman before. It was all lips, tongue and teeth and when we parted after what felt like an eternity, we gazed into each other's eyes. That's when I knew for sure. I can't tell you when my feelings for April changed into what they were then, but that kiss, it was the catalyst.

It was just the beginning, of us.

We spent the first month after making out like randy teenagers.

It was during the second month that she asked me if I could touch her. I'd felt her breasts and her ass over her clothes plenty by that point, but this was the first time she'd wanted skin on skin contact. She admitted that she'd never had a man touch her there before and she knew how to give herself an orgasm. She wanted me to go where no man had gone before and when writhed and whimpered under my talented fingers, I had to roll onto my stomach once she came to hide the raging hard-on in my sweatpants.

A week later, after multiple orgasms for her, you could have knocked me over with a feather when she told me she wanted to return the gesture. And when under my tutelage, her velvety touch stroked me until I came, me, a devout atheist, could have sworn I saw heavens open up before me.

It was a month after that when I was bold enough to ask if I could taste her. The confused look she gave me was priceless, but she eventually got my meaning. I told her that I wasn't trying to pressure her, and I knew that she didn't want to have sex until she was married. We'd never even broached the subject of wedded bliss. We were nowhere near being that serious. I reasoned with her that it wasn't technically intercourse and nothing of mine would be penetrating her but my tongue. She was hesitant, and I'd expected that reaction. I suggested that she take some time to think it over and assured her that it wouldn't change how a felt about her one bit.

We still cuddled and kissed, I'd finger her until she came and then she'd jerk me off and two weeks later, she told me that she wanted me to go down on her.

She was timid in the beginning. Covering her eyes with her hands when she was fully exposed to me. I told her she had nothing to be shy about. She was beautiful. All of her. And when she came, her thighs clinched around my head. Her blunt nails digging into my scalp, all I wanted to do was stay buried between her legs forever more.

Seven days later, she went down on me. It was awkward, and she was a bit clumsy, but April's the type of person to do something until she gets it right.

Trust me, she didn't take long.

Then came the fateful night. She'd lost a young patient that day. A woman who had plan to be wed in a month. As her fiancé held her hand and watched her go, he talked sadly about all the things they'd never get to do that she'd wished for them. To have children. To travel. To grow old together. And as she watched over them and listened, she said she had an epiphany.

She didn't think God would abandon her if she gave herself to someone she truly cared for. Someone who meant the world to her. Who supported her. Who was more than a casual acquaintance. Who was her best friend. Then she cleared her throat and said, "God would understand if I gave myself to someone that I loved."

She held her breath as she waited for my reply and I had no plans on making her suffer. I should have said it to her weeks ago. I should have said to her want I already knew.

"April, I love you, too."

So, we make a plan. I didn't want her first time to be in a house filled with other people. Though we called it the frat house, it's certainly not where any woman should lose their virginity.

I wanted it to be me and her. I wanted to make it special. Something that she'd never forget. So, we both made excuses about why we wouldn't be home that weekend. She said she was going on a retreat with her church and I said I would be heading to Boston to visit my mom. I rented us a suite at the Four Seasons and I spent that Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday morning worshiping her body over and over again.

After that, it was on. It was like we couldn't keep our hands off each other but we knew we had to be discreet. What we had, we wanted to keep secret. It's not that either of us were unsure about how we felt, we just didn't want the opinions of others like our family, friends, co-workers, hell, my grandfather to influence what we'd spent months building. But now as I looked at her, I knew I wanted to share with the world who I was in love with.

"April, I think it's time we tell people. About us, I mean," I state with certainty.

I waited for her response, gaging the myriad of expressions as they filtered over her face.

"Jackson, I don't know. What if telling people destroys what we have? What if we can't make it work once we invite everyone in? What would your mother say?" she says, as her voice raises an octave.

"My mother loves you," I say as I kiss the tip of her nose.

"But I'm not what people expect. I'm not who people see someone like you being with," she confesses as she lowers her head.

I place my finger under her chin, tilt her head up and look her square in the eye, "April Kepner, I'm in love with you and I want everyone to know. Don't you know me by now? I don't care what anyone thinks. You're mine, I'm yours and that's the way it's going to stay."

She throws her arms around my neck and squeezes me tight, "Oh, Jackson. I'm in love with you, too. I'm with you and I trust you. Let's do this."

"Now, if you don't mind" I say as I pick her up and set her on the washer, "I'm going pleasure my woman."

This time, I push the crotch of her shorts to the side and position myself so that I'm on my knees and toss her legs over my shoulders. I devour her already glistening wet pussy, our essences intermingled from our previous bout of love making. All I want is for her to scream my name and I'm not stopping even if the earth crumbles beneath our feet.

Act IV

"I should have stayed the fuck home," I grumble to myself as I enter the house.

What a lousy start to the weekend I think. Avery left me high and dry at the bar. I got my ass kicked in a game of pool and lost fifty dollars and the one chick I was the slightest bit interested in was only stringing me along.

Before I head upstairs to bed, I decide to go to the kitchen to grab another beer. Maybe if I keep my high, I can forget what about what a horrible night I had.

As I open the fridge, in the background I can hear the drying running. I'm not sure who else is home, but somebody had the bright idea of getting their laundry done before everyone else. Heck, maybe if Kepner hasn't washed hers yet, I can bribe her into doing mine along with hers tomorrow.

I'm about to leave when I hear a sound that stops me dead in my tracks and it's certainly not the dryer.

I know that sound. It's a moan. Not the type of moan who hear when you stub your toe. No, this is a moan of desire and I wonder who in the hell is in the laundry room and what the in the hell they're doing.

I cross over to the open doorway and smirk at the sight before me. Avery in on his knees giving some woman head. No wonder he left before me I think. I can't see her face because her head is craned back but something about her looks familiar. In my hazy state, I see the petite frame. The pale freckled skin. The shock of red head but still can't put two and two together.

I'm about to interrupt them and say something smart. Would serve him right anyway for ditching me. That is until Jackson removes his mouth from the woman and says, "Jesus, April. You taste so fucking good."

I stop cold. What the fuck! What the fuck! What the fuck! That's all I can think as I slowly trod away on silent feet so that they're none the wiser to my presence.

"No, no, no, no, no," I say in disbelief as I plod up the stairs. I must be hallucinating. It's the alcohol, that's it. Or I've been drugged. That must be why I saw what I think I saw.

I shake my head vigorously and try to will the image away. There're just some things I don't need to see and Kepner and Avery getting it on is one of them. So, I swallow my beer, jump on the bed still fully clothed and I'm out like a light only a few minutes later.

By the time I wake the next morning, I've convinced myself that it was all a dream. At lunch, Kepner and Avery don't act any differently around each other, so I don't even bother to bring it up.

Act V

We're all in the locker room getting ready for our morning shift when Cristina asks, "How was your weekend Avery? I heard you and Alex went prowling for ass."

"Not me Yang. I left all that for Karev. There wasn't much there that interested me anyway, so I went home early," Jackson replies as he takes his shirt off and pulls on his scrub top.

"Yeah, I'm talking to this hot girl," Alex interjects, "I turn around to find out he left me high and dry," he bemoans.

"He probably did you a favor. You have the uncanny ability to attract crazies and skanks with syphilis. Maybe he didn't want any of your misfortune to rub off on him," Cristina laughs boisterously as Meredith and Lexi join in.

"And what about you, Kepner?" she asks, "No, let me guess. You stayed home, wrote in your diary and prayed for your friends to be delivered from sin," she snickers.

"For your information, I had a great weekend," I state truthfully.

"I went to a movie on Saturday and treated myself to dinner. Then church Sunday morning and I spent the afternoon in the park."

"Well, doesn't that sound like fun," she said sarcastically. "But what should I expect. Doing laundry for you is probably as exciting as it'll get."

"I don't know. Doing the laundry can be pretty fun," I say slyly as I cut my eyes toward Jackson and it comes as no surprise to see he's peeking at me to from the corner of his eye. A knowing smirk on his lips when suddenly, Alex yells out.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

His finger pointed at me and Jackson, he waggles it between us.

"I knew it was real. I knew it wasn't a dream. I tried to convince myself otherwise but it's true. My imagination isn't that vivid. You two were screwing in the laundry room when I got home Friday night!"

I swear you could hear a pin drop as the room stills. They gawk at us, mouths open wide, but no one says a word as I turn to Jackson for his reaction and a hint as to how to proceed.

He nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders, and this is all the assurance I need. This is gonna be the talk of the hospital and honestly, we don't care.

So, I come to my full height. All five foot five inches of me and proudly state, "It's true and I don't care to hear what any of you think about it," I say as I continue to speak for the both of us.

"Jackson and I have been seeing each other for months and we're in love. Anybody have a problem with that," I say as I cross my arms over my chest.

I think everyone is too dumbfounded to speak and I'm not sure they believe me, that is until Jackson embraces me, and he kisses me long and deep.

I'm lost in him and I melt. I don't know how long we kiss, but I eventually hear noises around me. Some interns leave the locker room and as for our friends, their chatter starts up again.

"April and Jackson, I'd have never guessed," Meredith says.

"I'm happy for you guys," Lexie says, and I know that she's being sincere.

"Oh my, God," Yang cackles, "Avery deflowered The Virgin Mary."

As for Alex, I think it's still all a bit much for him to comprehend.

"Jeez, can somebody find a way to erase my memory," he cries as they all head out the door.

Jackson and I reluctantly break apart and he asks as he tucks a strand of stray hair behind my ear, "You ready for this?"

I've never been sure of much in my life, but I know one thing to be true. As I look into his eyes, I see my future and his smile confirms to me that he sees the same.

"Yes, I'm ready," I answer as he takes me by the hand and leads me out the door.

A/N: I've taken a break. A long, long, long break, but I think I'm ready for a comeback. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers for being so patience. I'll be working on some more one shots and Once in a Lifetime, so expect to see that real soon.