A/N: Yay for fast updating! And please don't throw things at me, we needed a little tension in the story ;) Review, review, review!
"What the hell?" He asked with questions in his eyes. "Mer, what did I do?"
"What did you do?" Meredith continued to shout. "How about telling Addison, my ex-boyfriends wife, that we're together!"
Alex sighed, knowing immediately what she was talking about. He knew she wouldn't be happy about it, but he'd never imagined she'd be this upset.
"Meredith, let me explain..." If he didn't get her to stop shouting, no doubt all of the staff outside of the closet would know what was going on in a matter of seconds.
"Yes, Alex, please explain." She cut him off. "Explain how Addison Montgomery-Shepherd is suddenly your new best friend. Explain how you thought it would be a good idea to confide in her. Explain how you thought telling someone that we have a thing, without speaking to me about it first, was a good decision. Please explain!"
"If you'd shut up for two seconds, I would!" He was getting irritated with her outburst. She was attacking him and she didn't even know the whole story.
She gestured with her hand for him to continue, but her eyes didn't lose any of their sting.
"After I got kicked off Shepherd's service I went to Addison to see if I could help out in the NICU. She was in a really pissy mood and I asked her why. She said something about Derek and you and all of the drama around the hospital. She starting insulting you, and saying all kinds of things about you wanting Derek. I tried to convince her that you were moving on, but she didn't believe me. So I explained that you were moving on with me. Well actually I kind of shouted it. I was defending you."
"Look-" Meredith started, jabbing her finger into his chest.
"No, you've done enough talking. Let me finish." He removed her hand from his chest, and he continued. "I know you're probably worried about her telling Derek, I was worried she would tell people at first too, but she stopped me on my way out of the hospital that night and promised she wouldn't say anything. And she hasn't. I figured since that wasn't an issue, that there was no reason to stress you out." Alex was trying to make Meredith understand that he had had good intentions.
"This isn't about Derek!" Meredith, apparently, didn't know how to use her inside voice. "I couldn't care less about him!"
"Then why are you so upset?" He asked exasperated. Alex truly couldn't come up with another reason why she would be so mad.
"I'm upset because you decided to talk to Addison, of all people, about us. I'm upset because you told her we were together, without even discussing this thing that we have," She motioned between the two of them. "with me first."
"What do you mean 'this thing', Meredith?" Alex asked confused. "It's called a relationship."
Meredith's eyes widened at his last word. "This is what I'm talking about! You assuming things!" She threw her hands up in the air. "We never talked about being exclusive and then you go telling people we're an item!"
Alex starting laughing, but it was far from pleasant.
"You've got to be kidding me. That's what this is about?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I thought you left all of those commitment issues behind when things ended with Shepherd!"
"That's the thing, Alex! You knew I have trouble with this sort of stuff. That's why you said we could just try this out... friends, sex, no commitment, no strings!" Her anger was turning into frustration. "And then you go tell Addison that we're together, and I just, I don't know what to think. I don't know if I'm ready for that and you didn't even talk to me about it!"
"Meredith, I didn't think there was anything to talk about! You are my best friend. It's been weeks. We do everything together. We sleep in the same bed every night. We kiss. We have sex. That sounds like a couple to me, Mer! You are my girlfriend, I am your boyfriend. I thought that was obvious!"
"Well, it wasn't! Don't you think that maybe we should talk about those things? Neither one of us good at communication, so making assumptions obviously just causes problems!"
"I can't believe you, Meredith! We have a good thing going here. You know I'm no good at relationships, so the fact that I'm fighting for this should tell you something. I know that we can do this, because I'm crazy about you! I love you, Meredith! And I know that you love me too."
Meredith just started at him in shock. Had he really just said those three words to her? Had he really just admitted his love to her? Her head was spinning. She couldn't find her voice, and wouldn't know what to say even if she could.
Alex had known for awhile that he had felt this way about Meredith, but he knew her tendency to run away from those sort of proclamations, so he was worried about how she would react. But he was confident in what they had now, and in their potential to be something greater. It was the first time in his life he thought he could actually have a real future with someone, and he wasn't about to let her throw it all away because she was scared.
He knew those things, but right then, he started doubting everything. He just couldn't let go of his anger. At least not right now. He couldn't believe the things that she was saying. Did she really not think they were a couple? Had he imagined their connection? Was this really going to work?
"You know what, Mer? You need to grow up. Come find me when you decide to handle this like a mature adult." With that he stormed out of the closet, slamming the door behind him.
Meredith's chest tightened at the sound of the door closing. She sank to the floor, and hot tears started streaming down her face.
Alex was her best friend, besides Cristina of course, and she was terrified she just lost one of the most important people in her life.
She didn't even know if her reason for being upset with him was valid. Was he right? Was she just scared? Hearing the words come out of Addison's mouth had thrown her for a loop. It had made everything real. She wasn't prepared for someone other than her person, to know about her and Alex. It caused her to think about what they really were, and that freaked her out.
Trying the commitment thing with Derek had ended in disaster. It was possible her subconscious didn't want to label what she had with Alex, for fear it would end the same way.
But, who was she kidding? Alex was right, everything he had said was 100% correct. Most importantly, the fact that she loved him too. Because in that moment, sobbing on the floor of a supply closet, in the Plastics wing of Seattle Grace Hospital, Meredith Grey came to the realization that she did in fact love Alex Karev.