The characters in this story belong to Shonda Rhimes… dammit.

Just a few notes. I figured Stephanie didn't know about April and Jackson for sure just because the way all the interns were completely clueless at the wedding. Thinking about it now she probably does, but for this stories sake, she doesn't.

This is a Japril story. I love Jackson. I feel like the break up was necessary to get them both to realize how much they want each other. I just keep replaying the way he looks at her, and then you know he wanted that future with her but she kept pushing him away. I wished he hadn't hooked up with the intern, but I understand why he did it.

Thank you guys for reading! Your reviews mean the world to me. I can't do the date.. my brain just doesn't know how, but there is a flash back. A scene I really wanted to see but we didn't get. Flashback is in italics.

Jackson woke to the smell of coconuts and a face full of soft auburn hair. His arms were wrapped around April's small frame, their hands intertwined and clasped to her chest. Her bare back was against his him and his mouth was close to her neck. He resisted the urge to kiss it and instead went over the events that had led to this.

After admitting his feelings for April and going home, she had found him the next day and told him that she wanted more too. Maybe if there was more intimacy she wouldn't feel bad anymore. She suggested a movie date, which quickly changed into take out and redbox at Jackson's place after their shifts. When they sat down on the couch, April sat at the other end of the couch from Jackson, not sure she could actually watch the movie with him close to her, but he quickly moved so he was sitting beside her. His arm around her, slowly moving to trace circles into the side of her neck and the top of her shoulder. She knew what he was doing. He had no interest in the movie and she was powerless to the effects that just the small contact was causing. She gave in, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards his room.

Which leads to now. April was starting to stir so Jackson stopped fighting his urges and began peppering kisses on the side of her neck. She snuggled back into him, letting out a happy sigh.

"Good morning," she whispered and stretched.

"G'morning, this is nice," he said in her ear. He was genuinely happy. Part of him was waiting for the other shoe to drop, the way it always does. He was going to enjoy this while he could. She began to pull away from him and his heart dropped. She grabbed a t-shirt out of his dresser, one of the advantages of her having lived there and brought him a change of clothes when he couldn't make it home was that she felt at ease and new her way around. She put it on and started walking towards the bathroom, relief washed over Jackson and he settled back into the pillows. She came back into the room a few minutes later and crawled back into bed, laying her head on Jackson's chest. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close.

"Are you okay with this?" He couldn't stop himself from asking. He needed to know she was on board too before he let himself get any deeper. He could do this forever. He already knew that. If she would just accept that maybe the reason she did give herself to him that night was because somehow or another, they had become perfect for each other. He could be the man she married and everything would work out just the way she wanted. He had known that the people who fall in love with their best friends are often the happiest and longest relationships. He had never expected it, but here he was. His best friend was in his arms and he was completely smitten.

She pulled away enough so she could look directly into his eyes. "I am completely okay with this. It's good to know that this is going somewhere. It isn't just sex. Honestly, I don't think it ever was." He smiled and grabbed her face, kissing her sweetly. The kiss wasn't enough because she instantly deepened it. He rolled so that she was underneath him and he pulled away.

"Did you brush your teeth?" he asked wondering if that was why she almost caused him to have a panic attack.

"No, but I did use your Listerine. You don't mind do you?" She looked a bit worried but her hands continued to stroke up and down his back. She rolled her hips against him and he closed his eyes briefly.

"You could have burned down the bathroom and I wouldn't mind." He was done talking, he ran his hand down her thigh, pulling it up. She wrapped it around his waist. His hands then stared traveling up, over her stomach. His mouth was melded to hers and they were both panting for air when her hands stopped his. "What?" His eyes searched her face.

She smiled sweetly at him before squirming out from underneath him. She stood a couple feet away from the side of the bed, looking completely disheveled and appetizing. He felt like a puppy who had just had his treat jingled in front of him and then sat down on the counter just out of his reach.

"I need a favor and since we are now 'together' I guess that means you automatically volunteer." She looked sheepish. "Please?"

"Now? You are going to do this now? Please come back here." He reached out to grab her arm so they could finish what they started. She allowed him to pull her back to him but stayed standing. She wrapped an arm around his neck and cradled his face with her other hand.

"Jackson, today is my only day off, and I happen to know you have the day off too. I need your help moving into my new apartment." He sighed and buried his face in her neck.

"Fine, fine. I'll help. Can we have sex now please?"

"Nope, get up!" She began pulling him out of bed. His being completely naked was a bit distracting so she excused herself to go make coffee. Jackson smiled as he watched her go. His day was going to be good. He got to spend the day with April, watching her have her mini freakouts and over analyzing the placement of the furniture. He was pretty sure there would be a bedroom for him to help her set up, which meant a bed he could seduce on, or a couch, or a counter…

Jackson Avery was going to have a great day.

….

April walked out of the attending's locker room. She was dreading what was about to transpire. She was going to tell Jackson about her date. It had gone really good. They were both from big families and small towns. She could see a future with him. They would mesh so well together. She just wasn't sure she wanted it. Jackson was still in the way. She just needed to get this out of the way so they could both let go. She had tracked him down in the burn unit. When she stepped of the elevator her nerves started to get the best of her. She wondered if she would still have to urge to kiss him when she saw him or if her new feelings for someone else would squash that desire. She had hoped so. She hoped that with her dating someone and him doing whatever he was doing with the intern, somehow they could go back to being friends. She needed his friendship back. They had been through so much together. She had known him the longest out of anyone in Seattle and she needed the familiarity.

She rounded the corner and saw him at the nurse's station. Her heart instantly jumped to her throat. How had she managed to be friends with him when he looked like that. She shook those thoughts out of her head and walked up to him.

"Jackson," she started. He turned to face her and she was surprised at the look he gave her. He looked detached, like she was just anyone. It took her a moment to recover, but she continued, "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"Sure." He followed her into the closest private room. An on-call room, a very familiar on-call room. April immediately regretted the choice of location but pressed on. She turned to face him. He stood against the door with his hand on the door knob, like he was ready to flee.

"Jackson, I wanted to tell you that I am dating, well… more I went on a date, but it went well so we are going out again. You told me and I wanted to do the same." She stopped rambling and looked at him, trying to read his face. Then it dawned on her. The way he was looking at her. "You already know?"

"Yeah I know. I know that you had a date. Stephanie told me. A paramedic right? I'm glad it went well." His words didn't match his voice or his face. He was hurt. That wasn't what she wanted. They had hurt each other enough. This was about moving on, so they could stop causing each other pain.

"I'm sorry Jackson, I really wanted to be the one to tell you. I forgot that she was there." His face softened.

"It's okay. I know I shouldn't feel like this. I know that we already broke up, but I feel like I am being dumped." He laughed without humor.

She was taken aback by his words. 'Dumped.' She wasn't sure when she was going to get this chance again so she sat down on one of the cots and watched as Jackson came and sat directly across from her on the other one.

"Jackson when you dumped me, I didn't understand. I wanted this, me and you, to work. I just didn't want to complicate things with a baby. I wanted you to be with me because you wanted to be. I didn't want to be pregnant, not because having a baby with you would mean that I would be stuck with you, I would be a very lucky woman if I had been pregnant. You are an amazing man. But I am not ready, I have boards to take and having a new born while studying .." She looked up at him briefly. His eyes were wide and slightly glazed. She could feel the tears stinging her own eyes. "I am new to this whole sex/relationship stuff, you have had all these experiences, but I am just getting started. I wanted to have all those things with you. But you ended it, and I thought maybe it is for the best. I don't know what I am doing and I just seem to keep hurting you. After it ended, I had to fight an overwhelming part of me from finding you and throwing myself at you. I missed you so much. All of you, our friendship, being with you. But when you told me that you were sleeping with Stephanie, I didn't have to fight anymore. You were moving on. I didn't have you to run back to. So, in a way, I think you sleeping with the intern is good. Otherwise we would relapse and just end up worse than we are now. If we both move on then maybe we can go back to being friends. That's what I want. If we get our romance from other people, we can be around each other without hurt or lust, or whatever it is we are feeling for each other at the moment. Jackson, I need you. I need my best friend." Her voice was pleading with him to understand.

His eyes stayed locked on hers, processing what she had just said. Then he closed his eyes, leaning back and taking a deep breath. She waited for him to say something, the silence was killing her. He got up and sat back down beside her.

"April... I don't know how we can go back to friends. I might freak out and punch this guy if I see him touch you in a remotely sexual way. But I do want to try to be friends again. We will take it slow. And keep him away from me. And about the baby scare, I'm sorry. It wasn't just because of what you said when you found out you weren't pregnant. It was what you said. We weren't ready. But this thing between you and me, it isn't over. We aren't over. At some point, we will both be ready for this." She looked at him shocked. Her mouth open and eyes wide, she took in the sincerity in his eyes. He smiled at her, Avery sparkle and all, and then left the room.

Hope you guys liked it. I struggled with it, but I think it came out alright…