And I'm back! Hope you are all enjoying this so far I know that I am enjoying writing this. So yay! Alex and George finally kissed and both are finally aware of how the other feels (double yay!) but there's still a few problems for our loved up pair to encounter before they can fully be together. Firstly there's Alex's complete self-doubt and the fact that he has such a low opinion of himself. Secondly there's the complication that is Izzie. Just what will she do when she finds out about their feelings? Thirdly there's me! I simply love torturing Alex since he's such a fun character to mess with.

I have a feeling that this road will be a very rocky one.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter Twenty Six

By Rosa241

George POV:

Sighing heavily as I fall backwards onto the bed I can't stop the air of sadness that I'm sure is surrounding me. Today has probably been the day from hell! I mean don't get me wrong I've had perfectly terrible days before but this is one of the worst. It started off with an unusually early shift that had me up at the crack of dawn only to be dumped into the pit. Not that I'd done anything to warrant ending up there I'm fairly certain that I was just the first person that Bailey came across this morning.

Of course being in the pit was just about the worst possible place to be so early. Most people in the pit fall under three categories:

1) Drunks. Let's face it there were more than enough drunk people in this city and most of them wound up in the pit in the early hours of a Saturday morning. Not only were they all drunk they were also all idiots.

2) Stupid people. So many stupid people coming into the place with things that could be treated so easily at home. Headaches, cuts and bruises.

3) Genuine cases. It was inevitable that there would be people who actually need to be there since we were in a hospital.

So right in the middle of dealing with an actual genuine case with a rather unfortunate woman who had managed to sprain her ankle walking up a flight of stairs. Walking up a flight of stairs? How the hell do you sprain your ankle walking up a flight of stairs!? I thought that was impossible. Anyway right in the middle of treating said genuine case I get shoved over by a gang of ridiculously drunk guys who'd already been asked to leave once. Naturally they were unceremoniously thrown out by security and, in no uncertain terms, told not to return. As if that hadn't been bad enough yet another drunk, a young woman celebrating her 21st birthday, had thrown up right down the front of me. And this all happened barely an hour into my shift and things only got worse from there.

Of course the one thing that's really keeping me down is Alex.

I've fought my feelings for him for so long that they became simply part and parcel of my life. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he could ever feel the same way but he does! He actually likes me in the same way that I like him. Finding that out blew my mind.

Then we kissed.

That kiss still brings a smile to me lips. Don't get me wrong I've kissed plenty of people before but there was just something about that particular kiss that sends a shiver right through me. Kissing Alex that night was something I'd dreamed of plenty of times before and the reality of it was far more pleasurable than anything I could have ever dreamt up. That night I spent with him was the best night I've had in so long and I genuinely thought things were going to improve. Now…

That was a week ago and Alex had barely spoken to me since. At first I thought he was just finding it awkward but now it's like he's actively avoiding me. Our conversation when I got home tonight is just the latest example of how strange he's being.

Flashback

"Stupid drunk morons…" I mutter as I dump the bag on the counter with more force than I'm sure was needed. "What is wrong with people?"

Turning round I can't help smiling as I see Alex gazing at his phone. Judging by the look on his face he doesn't seem to be happy with whatever it is he's staring at but my smile stays on anyway. I'd never tell him but one of my favourite past times is simply watching him. I've probably spent hours staring at him which actually now that I think about it sounds pretty creepy.

"Hey." Okay you probably could have thought of a better opening statement than that.

"Hey." Right well at least we're on the same page here. He barely spares me a glance as he speaks, his gaze turning right back to his phone.

"Okay I have probably had the worst day in the world. What is wrong with drunk people?" He manages a non-comital shrug but actually doesn't look at me. It's like he's actively avoiding me. "Are we ever going to talk about the kiss?"

An awkward silence descends over the room as I speak the words I've been avoiding for the last week. Something within me just snapped. We kissed, it was great and now we're acting like a pair of awkward teenagers.

"I've got to get to work. See ya." With that he simply walked out of the door and I let him go. Shaking my head I turn back to the bag I set on the counter and begin unloading the contents.

"Worst day ever."

End Flashback

Since then I've had this terrible thought running through my mind.

What if he regrets it?

Alex made it clear that night just how little he thought of himself and I can't help but think that now he thinks we made a mistake. He made it clear that he never did anything about his feelings because he thought I deserved better. He thought I deserved someone better than him. What if he thinks he made a mistake?

Shaking my head I roll over and attempt to put the thoughts out of my mind. It works for about thirty seconds before everything comes rolling back to me.

He regrets it, I know he does.

Probably just waiting until I forget all about it.

Maybe he wants to just ignore it.

Maybe he wants me to forget about it…just to let it go.

Well if that's what he wants then he's going to have a long wait. I've finally found out that he shares my feelings and I am not going to just let that go.

Feeling more determined than ever I roll over and allow my eyes to close.

Alex POV:

"Wait so let me get this straight. You spent the night making out and pretty much deciding that you were both crazy about each other and now you're barely speaking to each other." Nodding my head I don't raise it from its position in my arms. "What the hell?"

Groaning at his words I feel my despair growing with every second. What is wrong with me? How could I possibly have let that happen? I've spent so long denying my feelings that I thought I had it down but now…now I've let it slide. Now he knows everything about me. Why couldn't I have just ignored it?

"I'm such an idiot. Why didn't I just deny it? Why did I have to tell him?" I don't have to look up to see the frustration that is building on Marks face. He's made his feelings about this whole situation perfectly clear as had Meredith which is why I've tried avoiding both of them. No such luck though, the older man seems to have a radar of something attached to me.

"You really are an idiot. Why are you so determined to ruin this? He likes you and you're crazy about him, why is that such a bad thing!?" He sounds so exasperated, much like he had in his texts this afternoon. Thinking about that makes me cringe.

Flashback

"Stupid drunk morons. What is wrong with people?" I hear as my phone chimes once again. Ignoring the gorgeous man in front of me, seriously it's got to be illegal for someone to look just like that, I keep my eyes firmly on my phone.

So when's the wedding?

I glare at the phone with such force that I almost feel like Mark would burst into flames just by the strength of it. I can feel George staring at me and it takes pretty much everything for me not to look up. Ever since we kissed I've wanted nothing more than to walk right over to him and kiss him to death but I can't. Kissing him that night was a mistake and I should never have let it happen. He's too good for me.

"Hey." And there goes my hope that he'd be willing to ignore me.

"Hey." I eventually spare him a quick glance, anything more and I don't think I'd be able to restrain myself.

"Okay I have probably had the worst day in the world. What is wrong with drunk people?" He rattles off and I can still feel his gaze on me. He's making this so hard. "Are we ever going to talk about the kiss?"

An awkward silence descends over the room as he speaks and I can feel my heart jump at his words. Talking about the kiss? Absolutely not! No way in hell. I can't talk about this. Ever. The more I talk about it the more I'd be willing to do something about it but I can't let that happen. He's too important for me to just ruin everything.

"I've got to get to work. See ya." Walking out of that door took more effort than it should have done but I can't stay. If I stay then I'll be tempted to kiss him again and I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen.

I won't ruin him.

End Flashback

He deserves so much better than me. I'm the kind of person that ruins everything that they touch, I'm the kind of person who destroys things. I'm just like him.

"Wait a minute. Has this got something to do with what you said?" Shaking the dark thoughts from my mind I force my attention back onto Mark.

"What?" What the hell's he talking about?

"Back before you said that George deserved someone better than you. Is that what this is about?" Yes. That's exactly what this is about. Feeling myself freeze in place for a moment I say nothing. Eventually my heart stops hammering so much and I finally feel myself calm down.

"I've got to get back to work." Shaking off the thoughts that have been clouding my head all day I can't help but sigh. All I've done is make everything worse.

Mark POV:

As soon as the words leave my lips I know I'm right. When he said it before I thought maybe he was just scared, I thought that he was worried that being together would mess everything up. It took so long for the two of them to be friends and now that they are I thought maybe he didn't want to disrupt that. But now…

He genuinely doesn't believe that he's good enough for George.

How could he think that?

What happened to him to make him believe that?

I'm damaged. Seriously I've got a whole shit load of baggage dragging behind me and it's not going away any time soon. He doesn't need the crap that I'm going to bring to his life Sloan.

That's what he said when I confronted him with his feelings for O'Malley.

What kind of crap has he got in his past?

What baggage is there?

We've all got baggage of course we do but what's so bad about his past that has made him believe that he's no good?

What has made him so determined to push away someone who cares so much about him?

With my mind full of questions I shove my lunch away from me as my stomach drops with a sense of foreboding. Something bad happened to him and I need to find out what…for his own sake.

And that's your lot. So George is convinced that Alex regrets their kiss and naturally he does but not for the reasons poor George thinks. Alex is determined that he is going to ruin George by being with him and Mark is determined to prove him wrong.

I've always thought that Alex and Mark would get on really well and I don't think that's a friendship that was ever truly explored. I think that Mark would be a really good influence on Alex and that he'd look out for him. Let's face it Alex could always use a good big brother.

Anyway until next time. Bye!