Chapter 6

My hands will adore you through all darkness aim
They will lay you out in moonlight
And reinvent your name

For I am wanting you
And I am needing you here
I need you near
Inside the absence of fear


The cab came to a screeching halt at the end of the walkway to Meredith's house. Eyes locked with hers, Alex took a 20 from his pocket and told the cap driver to keep the change. Then he exited the car from his side and ran quickly to Izzie's door, opening it and helping her out. The touch of his hand was all it took to stimulate her entire being.

He pulled her close, their bodies melting into one and their mouths colliding in a fit of passion. Her arms searched his shoulders, back, and neck. She needed to feel anything other than clothing, longed to feel the warmness of his skin against hers with every muscle in her body. As his tongue slide against hers, she felt herself ache between her thighs. His hands were roaming up her sides, to her chest, to her face... The way he held her face: rough yet caring. She broke away for air and realized he had pushed her down the path and up against the door. Pushing him lightly on his chest, she mustered up the concentration to search for her keys in her purse. He stepped back, but only for a few seconds. His lips quickly returned once more to her neck, his hot breathe making it impossible for her to think straight. She let a frustrated moan escape.

"Alex…" Her right hand fumbled desperately for the keys in her purse. "Where the fuck are my keys?!"

She was about to throw the damn purse on the ground and kick the door in, when she felt Alex's hand glide across the top of her jeans. He was smiling at her, with that sexy male model smirk that made her more than just weak at the knees. Jesus. She looked back at him with frustrated eyes. Then she felt his hand inside the front pocket of her jeans and much to his amusement, he pushed closer to her, bringing the keys he had fished out of her pants to the lock and opening the door.

"You knew they were in there the whol-". Alex laughed as he brought his lips inches from hers making her murmur her words breathlessly.

"Does it matter?" The realization that they were finally inside and her bed was only seconds away hit her hard, as did he. She shook her head and brought her lips to his, her hand tangled in his hair.

Her other arm fumbled hastily for the bottom of his shirt as he pushed her forcefully toward the staircase. With one quick motion, Alex's muscular arms encircled her waist, leveraging her upward and causing her legs to wrap around his hips, provoking a surprised sound from Izzie's mouth.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she began to laugh whole-heartedly but stopped when she realized they were already at the top of the stairs. Her feet found the ground fast as her eyes locked with his. The love she found there took her breath away and for a second she thought she might faint and fall down the stairs. The feel of his hand against her cheek kept her grounded and she began walking backwards to her room, eyes entwined with his.

Once they were inside, she let the hand resting on his chest clutch the material of his shirt, pulling him close. His scent sent chills down her spine and he smiled at her with the utmost sincerity and love. Miraculously, the sly smirk that best characterized Alex had disappeared entirely and she felt something within her break open. Her eyes hinted of tears, so she closed them in an attempt to control herself, but she knew this was an impossible feat around him. Instead she released everything happening within her into her kiss and their lips began dancing once more. This time he was tender and caring, his hands softly caressing her hair and slowing her heartbeat to a manageable level. The desire and the passion they had always relied on in the past was still there, but now it was met with the intensity of their new discovery. No more doubt. No more bullshit. They were allowed to love each other with all they had now. All those months apart, all of the baggage and history and the moments where their future together seemed forever lost, had somehow made their love that much stronger.

He pulled away at the sound of soft tears.

"Iz?" Concerned, Alex searched her face and waited for Izzie to open her eyes. What was wrong?

She wanted him, needed him so badly and after all this, after they had finally made it here, she was crying? Izzie cursed herself for her inability to wear her heart on anything but her sleeve.

"Iz… if- If this is about… him-" He loved her enought to say the name. "If it's too soon since Denny I under-"

Her eyes opened at the sound of his name and immediately she regretted letting him think that these were anything but tears of happiness. Her eyes searched his and she shook her head vehemently.

"Alex…" The significance of what she had to say made her voice crack a little, but she promised herself she would get through this, if nothing else because he deserved it.

"This is about how you called me Dr. Model…" She saw the confusion in his eyes, so she continued. "And how I was the first person you trusted enough to open up to in Seattle." He felt her hand resting on his heart, making it flitter with nerves.

"This is about our first date…" She cracks a small smile and he looks away, blushing from embarrassment.

"And how you were nervous to kiss me..." Alex looks at her and quietly attempts to protest. "But would never admit it." Izzie leans against his chest, bringing her face close to his and slipping off her shoes.

"This is about wishing on eyelashes…" She smiles and begins to push him slowly toward the bed. "And kisses on barstools that leave permanent butterflies in my stomach whenever I even glance at you."

He opens his mouth again but she doesn't give him room to speak. Slowly, she brings his shirt up over his head and lets it fall softly to his side. Then she takes his hands in hers and guides them to the top button of her jeans. He begins to unbutton but keeps his eyes on hers. She steadies herself by gliding her hands up and down his arms and shoulders and toying with the curls on the back of his neck as she speaks.

"This is about you understanding when I told you I wasn't ready…" Stepping out of her jeans, Izzie unbuttons the top of his pants and lets them fall, watching him kick them to the side and melting into his embrace. Their hands relish in their discovery of newly exposed skin. Every touch brings flashes of their past together. His hand becomes entangled in her hair as they kiss and then falls to her shoulder, catching the strap of her shirt and revealing her bare skin, which he replaces with a soft kiss. Izzie sighs deeply.

"You waited for me Alex." He brings his eyes back to meet hers, the intensity of their contact almost too much to take. She lifts her arms up, persuading him to slide his hands underneath her shirt and pull it up over her head. Once off, he cups her face and notices she still has one more thing to say. He feels her hands move from his waist up to where his hands rest on her neck.

"This is about how you picked me up from another man's bed and held me…" She allows the cool skin of her palms to touch his warm bare chest, her eyes flutter quickly from the acknowledgement of how greatly she missed the feel of his heartbeat. "You were there when no one else was. You found a way to comfort me Alex…" She looks deep into his eyes and places a soft but meaningful kiss next to his ear.

"When I needed someone the most, when I felt lonelier and more lost than I've ever felt…" His arms automatically began to surround her as if to protect her from any harmful memories, but she continued to whisper in his ear.

"You found me Alex, and brought me back to life." She pulls back and sees his face begin to fight back tears. Bringing her hands up to gently frame his face, she covers his eyelashes with light kisses. Looking deep into him, Izzie smiles, hoping it will hide her tears. "It's always been you."

Alex let Izzie's words feed the hunger for her deep inside him, but her final utterance set him over the edge. He knew he'd break down and start crying if he didn't grab her right now and kiss her. So he did just that.

His mouth opened to take her in fully, once and for all. His arms moved rapidly across her body, grabbing her legs and throwing them around his waist. She rested her upper arms on his shoulders and clutched the back of his head, pulling lightly at his hair but never breaking contact with his mouth. He spins her quickly as she hits the bed, her toes hooking into his boxers and sending them to the floor. She brings her arms under his as he kisses her neck eagerly, unhooking her bra and throwing it to the bedside. She climbs backwards onto the bed as he trails warm kisses down her neckline to her belly button and then to the last article of clothing left between them. He looks up at her seductively, causing Izzie to exhale with laughter and run her hands through his messy brown hair once more. She couldn't get enough.

He willingly frees Izzie of her last garment, running both hands up and down the length of her soft legs and trailing them up with the rest of his body to grasp her breasts. Izzie's head drops back in pleasure and anticipation. She brings her lips back to meet his, giving him hot wet kisses. God she missed him and the way he touched her. He was so amazing at… everything. Her hands meander down his chest to stroke him but his length causes another wave of exhilaration to surge through her body and she hooks her right leg over his hips, rolling him on top of her.

Alex smiles down at her, kissing her hard and roaming his right hand down in between her thighs. He inserts three fingers and is not surprised to discover she is more than ready. He knew he'd been ready since he first laid eyes on her earlier this evening. Foreplay with Izzie was different than with any other woman, especially after tonight, but it had been too long for both of them. He couldn't wait any longer and judging by her ravenous kisses and whimpering, she couldn't either. He pulled his fingers out of her and positioned himself to enter her. Before entering, he noticed her breathing slow with anticipation. He brought his left hand up to brush a stray hair from her face. He wanted to take her and this moment in.

It was now that he realized why sex with her had always been different for him. It wasn't just sex. With Izzie, it would never be just sex. For the first time in his life, Alex had found the woman he could only make love with. It was why he never let go in the past and how he knew he'd always continue to hold on in the future.

Planting one more kiss on her trembling lips, Alex whispers the words effortlessly.

"I love you babe."

Izzie looks back at him with equal love and adoration. Intertwining her hands with his, she responds whole-heartedly. "I love you too." She gasps as she feels him enter her for the first time in so long. Small moan turns to deep ones as he glides slowly in and out of her, covering her neck and face with his stimulatingly warm breathe and adoring kisses. He kept returning back to meet her ecstatic gaze.

She grips his upper arms as his speed increases. He kept it slow as long as he could, but it felt too good to be inside her once more. As his pace quickened, her moans turned to screams and his name was breathless on her lips, enticing him to thrust harder and harder. She could feel herself begin to tremble everywhere and tighten around him.

"Alex…" He covered her moan with his mouth, pulling back to see and feel her on the very edge. He quickened his pace even more let his kisses mirror his body's intensity. Feeling her buck uncontrollably underneath him, he let everything within him go with one last thrust, coming deep inside her and meeting her loud moan with a stifled grunt.

Izzie felt like she was shaking for endless minutes and everything around her became blurry and faint. Finally she opened her eyes at the sensation of Alex's heavy breathing on her neck. She attempts to catch her own and nuzzles his face with her nose until their lips meet in satisfied exhaustion. Their breathing is both quick and unsteady.

"My… God." Izzie smiles, kissing him blissfully. Alex laughs and rolls to his side, bringing Izzie with him to rest on his chest, comfortably... naturally.

"That… was well worth the wait." He looks down at her and kisses the top of her head, still waiting to catch his breath. She laughs breathlessly, nestling as close as possible to him. "It certainly was."

The sweat from their heaving bodies seemed to glow by the light of the moon outside the window. And all words seemed understatements to describe the feeling of wholeness shared between the two lovers. So they were both content with falling asleep in each other's arms. The reassurance that they had found each other once more was enough. And this time, something existed between them that acknowledged they were in it for the long haul. Something that suggested maybe they always had been, since the day they first met at that superficial intern mixer… in the cold hospital lobby of Seattle Grace. Something real… an indescribable chemistry and desire that would one day transform into something much more. And no matter what obstacles life threw them, from that point on, the bond wasn't going anywhere. He knew it. She knew it. They would fight whatever the future brought them together now. And if love torn them apart once more, the irreplaceable connection they shared would help them find each other once more. Destiny? You could say that. Some might just call it faith and persistence…

and the absence of fear.