Author's Notes: Definitely needed a distraction and this is one of my favorite chapters of this story, so decided it was time to edit and post! Hope that you enjoy and that this small does of Slexie sweetness can take your mind off of whatever you're worrying about right now. New chapter of "In a Better Light" will be up this weekend too!
Mark spotted Derek across the hall at the nurses' station and tried to seem like he was just casually making his way over to his best friend. "Hey."
Derek looked up and grinned. "Hey." He looked back down at his charts, scribbling a few more notes.
Mark rubbed at his hand and sighed. Derek looked up at him again and narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong with you?"
"What do you know about Thatcher?" Mark blurted out. Derek chuckled and clicked his pen shut, tucking it away in his chest pocket and turning back to lean against the counter, examining the other man in front of him.
"Thatcher Grey?"
Mark nodded, twitchy but fully focused on Derek.
Derek shrugged. "He was a nice enough guy…but that was when Susan was alive. After she died…" Derek trailed off and Mark nodded, knowing what had happened between Meredith and Thatcher the day of Susan's funeral and knowing about his drinking as well. "He was always very nervous around Meredith, but obviously he would have had a really different relationship with Lexie." Derek's eyes narrowed again, and he examined Mark. "Why do you want to know?"
"Thatcher's here. He's sober."
Derek nodded and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Yeah, Meredith told me."
Mark took a deep breath, rubbing at his hand again. "Lexie wants me to go to dinner with them tonight. She really wants me to meet him."
Derek couldn't help it; he immediately started laughing. "Mark Sloan, meeting a father! That hasn't happened in…what, 20 years?"
"That's what I told her! Dads don't like me. Especially when I'm probably closer to their age than their daughter's." Mark immediately seemed to deflate in front of Derek and Derek tried to rein in his reaction. He sobered and took a moment to regroup.
"I'm sure that Lexie was really hurt by Thatcher's drinking," Derek said, and Mark nodded. "So it would be really big for her that he's stopped drinking. It would probably mean a lot to her for you to meet her dad when he's like this…when he's the man that she remembers."
Mark sighed deeply, clearly conflicted. Derek clapped him on the shoulder. "This is part of that new leaf you were always talking about. You've actually turned it, Mark. Part of being in a relationship with someone is sometimes prioritizing their needs. Doing something that's uncomfortable for you just to make them happy. This would make Lexie happy, wouldn't it?"
Mark didn't reply verbally, but he nodded, still deep in thought. "I think you know what you should do, man," Derek said, moving away from him. "And make sure you don't wear that leather jacket! You want to look respectable, not like a whore!"
Mark chuckled slightly and nodded, turning and making his way down the opposite hallway, still deep in thought.
After dinner, they went back to the Archfield. They stumbled into Mark's room, kissing passionately, as Lexie pushed Mark towards the bed. "I think you deserve a big thank you for showing up tonight," she whispered, her hands going to his belt buckle, her nimble surgeon's fingers making quick work of it and dropping the belt to the ground.
"I didn't do it for some gratitude sex, Lex," he murmured. "I did it for you. To make you happy."
She bit her lip and smiled brightly up at him. "Well mission accomplished, Sloan." She kissed him, her hands pushing his jacket off his shoulders and down to the floor. When they broke apart, he smiled at her as he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs.
Lexie leaned forward for another kiss. "I love you," she murmured against his lips.
Her eyes went wide as she realized what she said, and she practically jumped back from him. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. "Oh my god. I just…I didn't mean to say that…out loud. I've been thinking it for a while but I didn't…oh my god. I was thinking it in my head and then it came out and I didn't mean for it to!"
"Hey, hey," he murmured, his hands coming up and rubbing at her shoulders. He smiled at her. "I love you too, Lexie."
Her eyes grew wide. "Really?"
"Really. Why else would I meet your dad?" He grinned at her and she giggled, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Do you know how terrifying that was for me? Terrifying, Grey. I'd rather get in ten more fights with Derek than have to meet your dad for the first time again!"
Lexie laughed; her face buried in his neck. "You're ridiculous," she murmured, brushing her lips against his pulse. "My dad wouldn't hurt a fly. When he's sober anyway. Which he is now! He's like the least intimidating person ever."
Mark chuckled and shook his head. "You don't get it, do you? He's your dad, Lex. I'm sleeping with you, with his little girl. I'm sure he wants to rip my throat out."
"He doesn't. I promise. He's never been like that with my boyfriends."
"Does he know anything about me? About…my past?"
She pursed her lips. "No. And he doesn't have to. Mark…I love you." She couldn't help the soft smile that spread over her face as she said it, paired with the goofy grin on his face. "And your past…it doesn't matter – to me, and by extension, to my dad. What matters is right now. Our present. And how you feel and treat me now. And tonight…tonight when I saw you standing at our table…I've never been happier."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. You make me so happy, Mark Sloan." She stroked the back of his neck and he lowered his head, so that his forehead rested against hers. "I love you."
"I love you too, Lexie Grey." Lexie giggled at hearing the words from him again. He pressed forward and captured her lips, mid-giggle, and she couldn't help but smile against his lips. She felt his hands go to the belt of her dress, quickly untying it and slipping his hands inside when the dress fell open. "God, so much easier access than scrubs," he murmured against her lips and Lexie giggled again, shrugging the dress off.
"I thought you'd like it."
"So you knew I'd show up?"
She smiled softly up at him. "I had hoped." Her fingers interlaced on the back of his neck, and she tugged his head down for another kiss. "I had hoped that you were just as crazy about me as I was about you. I hoped that you would do the crazy thing and meet my dad."
He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as he smiled down at her. "All I wanna do is make you happy, Lexie Grey."
"Like I said before, Mark…mission accomplished." She went up on her tip toes, gently kissing him again. Her fingers went to the buttons on his shirt, slowly unbuttoning it as they continued to kiss. When they finally broke apart, Lexie tugged his shirt from his pants, unbuttoning the last few buttons and pushing it off his shoulders. She rubbed her hands over his chest, just indulging in touching him, and she smiled up at him. "Make love to me, Mark Sloan."
"Happily," he murmured. He bent slightly and grabbed Lexie in a bridal carry and she giggled wildly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He set her down on the bed and grinned down at her as she tugged teasingly at the waistband of his pants.
They both undressed fully, and Mark joined her in the bed, smiling up at her as she straddled him. His hands went to her hips, his thumbs stroked at her soft skin. "Thank you," he murmured.
Her eyes narrowed and she tilted her head to the side, her hair falling in front of her face. "For what?"
He pushed her hair back so he could see her face, smiling softly up at her. "For giving me a chance. For trusting me." He cupped her cheek and urged her down for a gentle kiss. "For loving me, no matter what I've done in the past."
She grinned and kissed him again briefly, before nuzzling her nose against him. "Thanks for not kicking the crazy cutter intern out of your hotel room that first night. Thank you for trusting me." She stroked his hair gently and she gazed at him adoringly. "I love you."
"I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of hearing that," he confessed.
Lexie grinned. "Well good, because I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of saying it. I love you, Mark Sloan."
"I love you so much, Lexie Grey."