Thanks for the reviews! A little explanation: The whole chapter happened six months ago, not just the italicized stuff. I probably will have an italicized section every chapter, which will be flashbacks (necessarily in the episodes, some are self invented, like this one), quotes, or just musings about things in general.

Anyways, enough rambling. Here's the second chapter, enjoy!

The Thing They Had

"How'd you do it?"

She turned around, and almost bumped into him. "Good morning, Dr. Karev," she said sarcastically, "how nice to see―"

It was then that she realized that something was wrong. He hadn't shaved, smelled like alcohol, and his eyes were unfocused and bloodshot. "Alex…what's wrong?"

He ignored her question, and continued to stare at something apparently very interesting above her head, "How'd you do it?" he repeated

"Do what?"

"After Shepherd cheated on you at prom, how'd you get it back together so quickly? What did you do?"

"Alex," she was worried now, "did something happen…"

But she already knew. She knew, from the desperate look on his face, from the mixture of hurt, rage, and defeat in his eyes. She knew because she had been there, when she had found a pair of panties in her husband's pocket.

And once again, she had become the go-to person for adultery.

Funny, really, how people flock to you for advice after you had been both the committer and the victim in the past.

But he was hurting, so she gave him the best advice she could give, "You cry, if you can," she noted again the bloodshot eyes with a small burst of jealousy she knew she had no right to feel, "if that doesn't work, you drink. You drown your sorrows in liquor, and try to forget. If that doesn't work either," she recalled from her own experience with a small twinge of guilt, "you... have some rebound sex."

That got his attention, and once again she was painfully reminded of how much he resembled Mark when sex was involved, "Rebound sex?"

She nodded. "Rebound sex. You, uh, find someone who…won't ask you to talk about it, and who's good at…you know, and, you…do it with …whomever. Psychologically it's very unhealthy," she added as he finally tore his gaze from the very interesting thing above her head and stared at her instead, "but―"

She didn't remember how she got there (maybe he kissed her, she always did something regrettable when he kissed her), but the next thing she knew she was in an on-call room and he was ripping her blouse off.

She thought about resisting him, at first. She thought about pushing him away and yelling, telling him that he had had his chance and blew it, that she wasn't interested anymore…

She could say these things, but she didn't. Because after the past year, after Derek and Mark (not to mention him), even rebound sex was welcome.

Which goes lengths to prove how pathetic she's become.

It was just about sex.

Actually, there were other things involved, but nothing that a normal, healthy person would use to associate with sex. For him it was about keeping his mind off Ava, for her it was about an insane, desperate, and completely human (not to mention pathetic) desire to be needed. It wasn't about liking each other, it wasn't about the "thirst for the soul" (though she never believed much in it anyway), and sure wasn't making love. No, it was just plain, horny, and disgustingly passionate sex.

And it seemed to breach the awkwardness between them since their...encounter in the on-call room six months ago. With the rebound sex there was no more tension-filled silences and energy-packed brushes, no more awkward moments in the OR. Besides their occasional meetings in empty on-call and conference rooms, life went on as usual, each going about performing surgeries and caring for patients. Even their screaming matches were still a nearly weekly event, and, if anything, even more intense.

Even the sex was almost businesslike. There was no playful bantering beforehand, nor, God help us all, cuddling afterwards. They simply went into the designated place, tore off each other's clothes, did it, put their clothes back on, and walked out, each radiating an aura of calmness.

Of course, being the annoyingly willing to commit person, there were times when she wondered if sex with no strings was too good to be true, if this thing they had could be going anywhere. But these times were few, and she dismissed them as they came. Rebound sex was good, it was...almost healthy. But rebound relationships were a different thing. The sex was good without the emotional baggage, and she realized that not having a man to define her life wasn't really all that bad. It was kind of like Mark all over again, except he didn't nag about having to establishing an relationship. Sex with Karev was actually sort of…refreshing.

So when they started acting almost like a couple (bantering, cuddling, all the things she hated), she felt compelled to do something. She had experienced first hand how rebound relationships turned out, and being his friend naturally she didn't want him in such a position. Things were going fine the way they were, there was no need to change.

Was there?

They have a thing for supply closets.

It isn't a horny, aphrodisiac thing like Derek and Meredith had with elevators, but it's still a thing, and since he had started the thing by telling her he wasn't interested months and months ago, she has to honor the thing and pull him into an supply closet and talk.

"We need to talk," she starts, but then notices that he's grinning, "What?"

"Nothing," he replies, still grinning, "You look hot when you're worried, though."

"I am not—stop grinning!" but being the cocky bastard he grins anyway, and she drags a hand over her hair in exasperation, "See, this is why I need to talk to you."

"What?"

"This!" she waves a vague hand at the two of them, "The flirting, the "accidental" brushes—don't argue with me Karev, I can tell the difference, standing so close to me sometimes I can't even breathe, and—we're talking when we're supposed to be having sex!"

"I can change that," he murmurs, stepping just a little closer, but in the cramped closet space, it's enough to make her uncomfortable.

"Stop!" she waves a hand as if to ward off his suddenly overwhelming presence, taking a step back at the same time, "I don't mean now, Alex. Right now, we're talking."

"Right," he looks confused now, "When we're supposed to be having sex?"

"No!" she half shouts and backs away more, almost knocking over a stack of towels, "See, what you're doing, it messes with my head."

"Sorry," but the amused expression on his face tells her that the apology is far from sincere, "But I still don't get the point."

"The point, Alex, is that we are not a couple."

There. She said it. She said it, and now she has to continue. "Look," she says, trying to get through his obviously dense brain, "We've enjoyed each other, for what, almost two months? We still can. But trust me, good, healthy relationships do not come out of rebound sex. It's just not a good idea. I'm just good for rebound sex, nothing more. You need me to get over Ava, and I get that, I do. But the sex—it's just that. There is no need to make it into something else. Something…meaningful and significant."

He looks at her for a while after her speech, an expression of mingled surprise and amusement on his face. Then, finally, "Okay."

"Okay?" She stares at him, not quite believing it, "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then," she can't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and moves to leave.

"Wait," he blocks her from exiting, and for some odd reason her heart skips a beat, "So I can't ask out?"

She rolls her eyes at his obvious immaturity, "Obviously, Karev."

"And I can't kiss you?"

She considers what he means by the question, and then replies carefully, knowing that with a single word she can easily lead them into dangerous territory, "Not in public, no."

"Okay," he nods, understanding what she means, "What about―"

"Oh, for God's sake," she cuts him off, "You've dated women before, right?" he nods, and she continues, "Just make sure that whatever you do with them, you don't do with me, okay?"

He nods, but then, as he moves out of the way, "One more question. Is flirting still allowed? It's gone on forever. I mean, we did it back when we still hated each other."

This time she's the one smiling, and replying was easy again, "Hate's a strong word, Karev," she says as she pushes open the door, "but I really, really don't like you."

"Is that a yes?" His eyes seem to glitter in amusement, though his face was still determinedly straight.

"Figure it out, Dr. Karev," she replies, walking away, "Figure it out."

Was it okay? Too cheesy? Let me know!