Envy

(Ethan x Alicia)

It was her first shift and Alicia was already envious. Envious of a young barista named Honey Wright. Alicia hadn't planned to get jealous but she always did. There was always some envy in her. No one ever returned her feelings and that ruined her every day. She just felt so low all the time that she plastered on a plastic smile and went about her business like that. This way no one asked questions. She wasn't jealous of Honey for her looks- though Honey was clearly attractive- nor was she jealous of the fact everyone followed her around like lost sheep. No, she was jealous of the short blonde doctor she was apparently dating. He wouldn't remember her would he? Why did she ever think he would? He was just perfect; no one could change her opinion on that.

When they were kids, they were best friends. He said they'd get married and it may seem stupid but she believed him. Even when they were teenagers she had still hoped. Then out of nowhere, he moved away. He didn't bother to tell her where. That's why she became a doctor in hope that she would find him. Finally, she had but he was too busy with his pretty in pink girlfriend to remember.

Now he was sure, well almost sure. Ethan had been up for hours last night trying to work out if it was her and it was. What had he called her, when brushing it off to his first ever girlfriend, like a kid sister. She was more than that. His dad, well not his dad, but his dad once told him, after courts forced Ethan to live with his mother due to his father's paralysis, that he had watched his son fall so deeply in love that it wouldn't matter if he never got to see the pair reunited. Though he may not have ever admitted to himself, Ethan knew exactly who his father was talking about. Alicia. The kid sister, the best friend and the girl Ethan had been in love with since before he even knew what love really was. Was she really coming back into his life now? And did she feel the same?

Ethan slung his bag over his shoulder, kissed the top of his passed out brothers head, grabbed his keys and left the flat. It took around ten minutes to walk to the ED from his flat but Ethan always left forty minutes prior to his shift. He took the walk at a reasonable pace and still arrived thirty minutes before the start of his twelve hour long shift, so he –like always- made his way over to the coffee stand, not only to get a coffee but too converse with his current girlfriend. It wasn't that Honey wasn't nice or pretty, it was just that he didn't feel for her. Ethan was, as he had known for most of his life, bisexual and since his last girlfriend five years ago had only really taken an interest in guys, until now. He hadn't even reached the coffee stand when he was approached by Dr Lily Chao.

"Way to make my morning better," Ethan thought but nevertheless he smiled.

"Dr Hardy, have you seen the work of my new mentee. It's absolutely disgraceful, who in their right mind passed her for medical duty?" Lily spat, like Alicia was creating poison in her mouth. Ethan tried not to flip out.

"Well Lily, it was only her first day yesterday and the ED is not an easy place to work. I know Alicia fairly well and I know that if you tell her what she is doing wrong she will work to improve it. She is actually a reall-"But he was cut off.

"How do you know her name? You weren't at the meeting yesterday and I didn't say it." Lily's tone like usual was cold and harsh.

"Like I said, I know her fairly well." Ethan muttered realisation of his mistake finally setting in.

"How?" Lily asked her voice rising slightly.

"Wha- "again the girl cut him off.

"How do you know her?" she questioned glaring at him.

"She used to live next door to me when I lived at my dad's. We were close as kids." Ethan replied quickly.

"What kind of close?" the impatient woman queried.

"Friends, she was kind of like my kid sister. Please don't eat me." He replied.

Lily decided to take matters into her own hands. She changed and got to work. A short while later, she was joined by a younger woman by the name of Alicia. At first, Lily was content just glaring at Alicia in hope she would strike up the conversation so she wouldn't have to. Over time, Lily began to become increasingly annoyed by Alicia's seeming lack of knowledge regarding the hardcore glare she had been giving the junior doctor for the past twenty minutes.

"Alicia, why didn't you tell me that you knew Ethan?" Lily asked breaking the silence that had existed between the pair since the shift had started.

"I, what? How do you know I know Ethan?" Alicia said an expression of confusion etched onto her usually smiling face.

"He accidently told me." Lily replied shrugging she didn't really care anymore since Alicia showed no interest in answering the question.

"Wait he did what?" Alicia turned her full attention on Lily, her eyes wide and gleaming with hope.

"He told me" Lily stated plainly. Without a word, without even a sound, Alicia dropped her work and ran around the ward. This earned her some funny look and Lily explained the situation dryly to her co-workers, who watched in admiration until there was finally some action.

"Ethan." Alicia almost whispered.

Remembering how things were as kids, Ethan piped up with his usual greeting,

"Hiya Titch," he smiled broadly letting her know he was messing around.

"Nice, really mature..." Alicia drawled

"Do I look mature or is it just my strange resemblance to the Phelps twins that make you think that?" Ethan said laughing

"Seriously you'd look like the Phelps twins if you died your hair ginger." Alicia spoke sincerely.

"No thank you" Ethan said, Alicia smirked and Ethan's smile fell.

"Why not we all know it's dyed anyway!" she said casually causing Cal to break down laughing. Ethan was fast though and sprang forward causing Alicia to jump dramatically backwards and fall over.

The pair burst out into fits of laughter and as Ethan bought Alicia to her feet once more they hugged. Too everyone else this would look like two old friends reuniting but to them it was confirmation. Confirmation that they had not done anything wrong all those years ago. The sparks they felt were unmistakable and they knew the other felt them too.

And kids that's how you're parents got together" Cal finished the story.

"Is the Ethan in that story dad?" Little five year old Luna asked curiously.

"Yes" cal replied

"You're so stupid Luna," Matilda stated looking back at her phone.

"Shut your face Mati," Cal replied, his daughter rolled her eyes at him, the pair had very similar personalities and often clashed.

"And is our mummy Alicia?" Teddy, Luna's twin brother asked.

"Well Luna's mum is but yours is that lily but don't tell your mum she's not supposed to know," Cal said laughing; the five year old looked terrified.

"He's joking sweetie," Alicia said hitting him around the head with a dishcloth "Your Uncle Cal is just jealous, he wishes he had your dad as a dad too."

A/N I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, boywithastorytotell requested I write about Ethan and Alicia so I did. Any Ideas for the next chapter are greatly received. Furthermore, I am looking for a beta reader and was wondering if anyone would be interested let me know if you are. Regard, Xand