Author's note - Two more chapters to go for this story... Hope you enjoy this one.


Mark kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked side by side, like he was afraid that she could run away. He knew that she wouldn't though, but still. He wanted to keep her as close as possible.

He listened to her talk about something that happened on Christmas five years ago while she was in med school in Boston. Because of the cold air, every word that she breathed out was followed by a small, misty cloud. The tip of her nose was red. Her skin was pale, maybe too pale, but she still hasn't shown any sign of feeling cold. Her pink lipstick was slightly smudged. He grinned when his eyes focused on that, that was totally his fault.

"...And we got snowed inside a car for like... six hours." Lexie finished her story. "Do you know how it's like to be stuck in such a small space with four people, for six hours?" She turned her head to face him, finding him already staring back at her.

"I wouldn't mind getting stuck with you in a small space for six hours." he replied, smirking. She laughed at his response, shyly looking away. "You clearly missed with four people part, but okay... line still works."

Mark laughed back for a moment, before he moved his arm from her back to wrap it around her neck and force her to turn back to him. Leaning in, he captured her lips with his. It was a quick kiss, sloppy, they didn't even stop walking.

They actually didn't stop walking since the light show ended. She found it weird how her feet, in thigh high boots didn't start hurting. It was almost midnight and the streets of New York were teeming like always. A few times, between the talks about life and work and goals Lexie found herself wondering how the hell she ended up walking across Manhattan with a man she met just a few hours ago (for whom she still doesn't have convincing proof that he's not a serial killer), in a late hour, on Christmas Eve, and on top of that she was still brave enough to let herself get more and more drawn to him. Brave or... just stupid.

And from that point on, she had absolutely no idea how that whole night was going to end. But his every word, every touch of his hands, every kiss, and freaking fact that it was freaking Christmas Eve... just amplified her fear that when the time for that comes, she won't be able to walk away.

In fact, that time already came within few occasions. Maybe she should've walked away before she even met him, when she offered him her table. She could simply suck up and push aside how lonely she felt, and just go home. Except she couldn't. She possibly could not handle being alone for Christmas. Then after that, maybe she should've walked away when she started crying, that was so clear warning that she had shared with him too much about herself. Maybe she shouldn't agree to go with him to the park to watch fireworks. Because everything that happened under those damn fireworks, and continued happening, that turned her into a lost cause. Kind of lost causes she deals with at work. I'm so sorry, but there was nothing we could do, she would say. I'm sorry Lexie, but there is nothing you can do... because his arm is around you and his eyes are so blue and your coat absorbed too much of his cologne. There is literally nothing you can do. Is there?

"It's getting pretty late..." she finally spoke, but getting a feeling that excuse wasn't convincing enough she added, "And pretty cold... Are you gonna take a cab?" Her defense mechanism used the word you on purpose. Not we... you.

Mark stepped forward and turned to face her, as shivers caused by fear of very possibly future rejection went down his spine, making him shudder. "No, my apartment is just a couple of blocks away." He pointed down the street.

An imaginary line between them was already crossed, more than once, but still... he wasn't sure if he was allowed to try to cross it that far. But he wanted to, God, he wanted to so much. From the moment he laid eyes on her. He could imagine her bare body shivering beneath him, her smooth skin rubbing against his...

Leaning in closer and putting his hands around her waist, he found her brown eyes, so deep and beautiful but so damn unreadable. Looking at them, he knew that his were full of obvious yearning, and that was something he could not hide even if he wanted to. His gaze was intense, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words for it. The words that won't scare her off, that won't make her panic...

That was one of the cruelest moments in his life... when he cursed himself for being so bad with words. What he damned even more was the fact that he found himself so desperate for a woman that was so reserved. If he had any common sense, he would've already given up on her. But his common sense clearly disintegrated without him even noticing. And that was totally her fault.

"Lexie, I'll probably end up being an idiot by getting my hopes up, but..." he started, the muscles in his cheeks twitching. But... but what? Please don't end this now? I don't remember when was the last time I was so enchanted by someone? I want you so badly? He does not say things like that. For him, it usually takes only a few crude comments or just a suggestive smirk to get to someone. But not her.

He wasn't good with words. So he screwed trying to find the right ones, and putting one of his palms on her chilled cheek... he kissed her. Lexie melted in his embrace, returning his warm kiss with not any less passion. His lips were inviting and the hair on the back of his neck was silky soft.

But she knew better. She knew a lot better. And the quiet, tiny voice from the back of her mind, the only reasonable thread of her body left, was telling her exactly that.

"Ever heard of the Reasons why you shouldn't spend the night with a guy list?" she chuckled softly against his lips, slightly pulling back. Then she cut him off before he could even think about, let alone answer to her weirdly unusual and so not expected question. "No, you haven't, because I made it up." she said with an awkward grin on her face.

"The fact that you have a list like that in your head doesn't surprise me. Kind of worries me... but doesn't surprise me. I spend the whole evening trying to figure out your strange little mind." Mark smiled, pulling away a bit more, observing how her eyebrows raised in surprise. "That was a compliment." he added, but she looked away and stepped back, whispering, "I should probably take a cab..."

When her eyes found his again, he gulped hard, accepting the rejection he knew would come eventually. Because that was what her face was showing. Barely, but still... in some sort of apologetic manner, it was enough for him to figure that out.

But somehow... it was okay. For the first time in years, he was actually more than willing to give time to someone. Normally, he would've tried harder to persuade a woman, and if that didn't work he would've just forgotten about her and move on to the next one. But he didn't. Because somehow, that night he had a feeling that everything's gonna work out. Because of her, he felt an appetite growing within him for something better, bigger, more meaningful...

"Do you have the Reasons why I shouldn't give my phone number to a guy list?"

"I thought you only needed my name to find me, mister I'm not a serial killer." Her lips were curved into a soft smile, even with a mocking tone in her voice.

"Okay then... Lexie Grey." His face had made a confused grimace for a second, before he asked, smirking, "It's not really just Lexie, is it?"

"Alexandra."

"Alexandra." he repeated, only so he could hear how it sounds coming out of his mouth.

"Can I just ask something?" His voice suddenly took a serious note, as he raised his hand to signalize some cab to stop. When a yellow car stopped next to them, he directed his attention completely to her again. Staring straight in her eyes, he breathed out words that maybe he shouldn't have. He shouldn't have given himself the right to ask that. On every level, it was unfair and unjustified. He should've asked himself that. Not her. "Are you scared you won't feel the same in the morning?"

Her heart skipped a beat. It skipped a few beats for that matter. Deeply sighing, she didn't have a second thought but to give him an honest answer. "I'm scared I will." And I'm scared you won't.

"You know, I don't usually take women to watch fireworks. In fact, I never took anyone to watch a firework." He again tried to find the right words to point out that for him… it was a special night as much as he hoped it was for her.

"Well, you said you didn't want this night to be like every other. So... thank you, Mark, for that... And thank you for this beautiful Christmas Eve." This time, it was her, finally gathering enough courage to lean in for another kiss, when loud beep coming from a cab, disturbed her motion.

Quickly glancing towards the car, Lexie took her time to go for his lips anyway. She didn't know if he was serious about calling her, or finding her, or whatever he was planning to do. She didn't know if that was only a line, that he had used already a thousand times. She didn't know if she made a right decision about turning down his clear invitation to his apartment.

She didn't know if that was their last kiss. That's why she tried to remember it the best she could. The way his lips were still warm against hers, the way his beard was tickling her, the way his arms were around her hugging her tightly, the scent of his cologne, the taste of his lips... she tried to remember everything. Another annoying beep made her pull away, and smiling widely, without another word, she opened the door of a cab.

Mark smiled back and after waiting a few seconds, he mouthed Merry Christmas and turned around, walking away.

Everything hit her at once. She suddenly felt really cold, almost freezing and her feet started hurting. She suddenly felt horribly alone. Just like at the beginning of the evening, when she was waiting all alone at the restaurant.

Lexie had no idea what exactly happened or what was going through her mind. That minute of her life was so intangible, that she couldn't even describe it. It felt like one of those moments, inexplicable in significance, when everything becomes a blur by some overwhelming feeling.

Her hand was still holding a door of the cab, and she was just about to step in, except... she didn't. One moment, she was watching Mark walk away, her heart pounding in her chest. She hoped that he would turn around. She wanted him to just stop walking and turn around. She didn't want him to go.

The next moment she slammed the door of a cab and called out his name...

At first Mark thought he only imagined it. That he heard her voice call out for him just because he wanted to hear it. But he turned around anyway.

She took a second to try to work out how to explain herself. Everything that came up in her mind sounded stupid. Thankfully, the delightful smile that spread across his face wasn't asking for an explanation.

Without a word, Lexie crossed the short distance between the two of them, and literally jumping into his arms, she fused her lips with his. He mumbled her name the moment he managed to take in some air. He was kissing her hard, fast, almost rushed… She actually chose to come back. She chose not to end their night.

And recognizing that, Mark knew he was done randomly kissing her on the open streets of New York for one night. He wanted to take her home… so he could kiss her between the sheets of his bed.