"Your mentor is so...so...so...inappropriate!" The tiny redhead spluttered, bursting into the resident's lounge and being greeted by the sight of a seemingly amused Jackson. He knew all too well just how inappropriate Mark Sloan could be, given the number of times he'd managed to make him feel like a male prostitute.
"Okay...whats he done now?" Jackson questioned, making himself comfortable on her old green couch as he ripped open the wrapper of his protein bar.
His best friend had taken to pacing up-and-down, which wasn't exactly unusual for her - if there was one thing April Kepner knew how to do, it was get herself all worked up over the smallest of things. "He...he practically told me that we should have sex!" Jackson's eyes widened at that, as he almost choked on a bite of his food. What the hell Mark?! "That I should extend our relationship so that we could be...the other kind of buddies! I mean, who says that to someone?! He knows that we're just friends, right? I don't understand where he'd get the impression that we should...be doing that!"
He managed to gulp down a sip of water and swallowed hard, feeling at a loss for words as the sounds of April's high-pitched voice filled the room, "I told him it was sexual harassment and was completely unprofessional and he just...he laughed! I don't understand how he still has a job sometimes! I know he's your mentor and all but...Jackson, are you even listening to me?" She stopped in her tracks for a moment, noticing the rather zoned out expression on his face.
"Yeah...yes! I uh...have no idea why he'd even do that," Jackson explained, brows furrowing as he tried to wrap his head around the situation. Why would Mark do that? And to April of all people? His very virginal, very off-limits best-friend? Sure, they spent a lot of time together and were practically joined at the hip, but she was...April. One of the most important people in his life, and he wasn't going to go there for a quick fuck. He wasn't going to go there at all, because he didn't see her in that way. Did he...?
Maybe it was the sleep deprivation kicking in, or maybe it was the way in which she continued to ramble on about Sloan and men and the ethics of dating in the workplace, but Jackson couldn't help but wonder if Mark had a point in a strange, messed-up way. He couldn't help but suddenly imagine what it would be like being with her: How she'd look at him with those big doe eyes and smile until one of those adorable dimples appeared. How she'd confide in him and rest her head on his shoulder when she was scared or upset, or be there for him when it was the other way around - something they did all the time as friends anyway. The ways in which she'd moan his name and sigh into his touch as he traced the freckles on her body if he had his way with her, or-
Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. He wanted her?! He wanted his very virginal, very off-limits best friend. Fuck.
Just as he was about to speak again, the sounds of his pager going off interrupted his trail of thought, and he'd never felt more grateful for a page.
"Sorry, Apes. I've gotta go. I'll uh, I'll talk to Sloan and...make sure he doesn't say anything like that again, alright?" He replied, talking at a speed slightly faster than normal for him as he stood up and stuck the rest of his protein bar in the cupboard, figuring someone else would end up finishing it off.
April looked at him with that worried look on her face and nodded slowly, before moving to finally sit down at her desk. "Okay...I'll see you later."
"Yup, see ya."
With that, he was gone - on his way to splash some cold water on his face before answering his page. (And to potentially kill his mentor for inadvertently putting those inappropriate thoughts into his head in the process)