Chapter 1

The sun shines through the window and hits her eyes. She stirs a little and eventually wakes up. Lexie Grey opens her eyes to Mark Sloan staring at her with his head resting on his palm. His arm is propped up on the pillow. "Hi" she said under her breath while a warm smile took residence on her face. "Hi", he whispers before dipping his head down to place a quick kiss on her lips. But she had other plans. She deepens the kiss and he opens for her. They only stop when they have to come up for air. Her cheeks are flushed. "You're gonna make us late," he muttered. "Hmm..okay then" she said and let him go. He was about to turn and climb off the makeshift bed in the attic of Meredith's house when she grabbed his bicep and lowered his head to her lips. They were indeed late that morning.

Mark spots Callie leaning against a nurse's station when he walks up to her. "Hey" she says, turning around after handing over the chart to the nurse.

"Lexie and I are back together." Mark says with a huge smile on his face.

"Really?! Wait, didn't she tell you to never show her your face again the last time you talked to her?"

"No it was more of a 'i know you're concerned but stop making me look like a basket case' thing."

Callie laughs at the way he framed that sentence, "Well I'm happy for you. She's good for you. She makes you be more bearable to be around."

"Yeah yeah thanks Torres," he says, "Before Sloane, Lexie and I lived together and now it's so weird you know having to go back and forth between my place and Meredith's."

"Well…ask her to move in with you" Callie says with a small shrug.

"You think I should? Isn't it too soon?"

"I mean yeah but also no. You both aren't starting over, you're just pressing play. You have history that you can't deny."

"Okay okay I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna ask her to move in with me."

Lexie stretches her neck out after the long day she's had. She was on Doctor Bailey's service today. She rocked a lap chole today. She's sitting alone on the bench in the residents' lounge trying to work out a knot in her back when she feels two strong hands on her shoulders. She immediately recognises them. "Let me do that for you" Mark mutters under his breath. He's massaging her shoulders and kissing his way down her neck. Lexie feels his hot breath just under her ear. She smiles, "I can't concentrate with you doing that"

She can feel his grin against her neck.

"Hmm well that's a bummer because I have to ask you an important question." She turns around on the bench to see his face for the first time since he entered the room. "What?"

"Damn, I was a lot less nervous when you were turned the other way."

"Just ask me whatever it is."

"Do you want to move back into our place?"

She looks at him. She doesn't say anything. She almost looks shocked.

She finally opens her mouth to say something when it looks like Mark is about to burst from nervousness, "Yes, of course." she pauses "that was the question?"

He nods.

"Why were you so nervous?" she asks while she takes his hand in hers.

She caresses the back of his hand softly with her thumb while he answers "I don't know I was just scared you might not want to I guess."

"Well that's ridiculous."

"Hmm really?"

"Yes. I obviously want to. I want us to pick up where we left off and I want us to do things right this time."

If they're picking up where they left off, he has one more thing to add to this conversation.

" I love you."

She smiles at him and captures his lips in hers. When they pull apart she whispers against his lips, "I have always been in love with you."

"Let's go home?" he asks her while staring into her beautiful brown eyes. "Take me home…"