I don't really have much to say, other than I give full credit for this oneshot to my bestie, Morgan. Happy New Year! I apologize that there's not like any Meredith and Derek, but you know their not exactly my cup of tea when it comes to writing. Anyways, this one's for you and your experience that you let me steal!
I don't even own the freaking scene. I pirated it from Morgan's life, then expanded. You really think I own Grey's Anatomy?
Addison sneaks a sip of her champagne. Yeah, technically it's for toasting in the New Year, but she's exhausted from attempting to stay (how did Meredith so charmingly put it?) bright and shiny at a party that her ex-husband and his girlfriend are throwing. She's not exactly sure why they invited her, and she's even less sure why she accepted, but she's here now, ringing in the New Year.
Everyone screams as the countdown reaches its end. She fights tears even as she toasts to the New Year. There's just something so depressing about starting a new year alone. Even just this one night is depressing. Nobody to kiss, nobody to hold.
She excuses herself from the party and walks outside, grabbing her coat on the way. She doesn't really intend to do anything but stand on the front porch, but her feet (clad in completely inappropriate heels) lead her off the porch and into the street. She walks until she finds a playground. Slowly, she makes her way to the swings and sits down.
She hears a twig snap and whips around. Okay, walking around a strange neighborhood at midnight doesn't seem like such a good idea now. In about two seconds, several thousand gruesome scenarios rush through her head, all of them ending with her dismembered body being scattered in various trash cans throughout Seattle by a psycho killer.
So she's filled with a weird mixture of relief and trepidation when she finds Alex Karev standing behind her.
She almost wishes it had been the psycho killer.
0ooo0
He hadn't meant to watch her all night. He hadn't meant to, but he had. Something about her just… sparkled. And when he thought that, he was about ready to shoot himself for sounding so girly.
He considered midnight. Midnight where everyone would be kissing. He thought about grabbing her and kissing her. But midnight came and went and she went out on the front porch. He got up to go talk to her, but she went walking off. Half concerned for her safety, half just interested in what she could possibly doing, he followed.
And now he's standing in front of her.
0ooo0
"Uh, hi," she says after an awkward silence that seems to stretch into forever.
"Hi."
There's another awkward silence. Mentally, he kicks himself for getting into this situation. She clearly doesn't want him there. "Are you stalking me?" she blurts out.
"What? No. I mean, yes, but no."
She laughs. It's the first time he's heard the sound and he stores it in his memory so he can replay the sound later. "You followed me!"
"You're wandering around at midnight. Alone. Someone had to follow you."
"I thought you were some crazy ax-murderer," she admits.
"No," he says. "Just me."
"And, somehow, that is so much worse," she jokes.
"Okay, I'll just leave you to your crazy ax-murderer," he replies and starts to walk away.
She bites her lip and debates whether to call his name or not. "Wait," she calls when he's practically off the playground. He turns around. "I don't want to be murdered."
He laughs. She stores it in her memory so she can replay the sound later. "It's a safe neighborhood. You'll be fine."
"Stay," she requests. "I… I want you to."
She twists the swing she sits in then lets it go, enjoying the wind that rushes past her face as she spins. When she stops, Alex is sitting on the swing beside her.
"I had to get out of there," Addison discloses quietly. "People were happy. They didn't want me there. I don't know why I decided to come."
"No one should be alone on New Year's," he replies.
"I think that's the sentiment for Christmas, not New Year's," she points out.
"Really? I'm trying to make you feel better and you're finding flaws in my logic?"
"Well, you are wrong."
"You always have to be right, don't you?" he asks.
"I don't always have to be right, I just don't like being wrong."
"That's basically the same thing."
"No it's not," she refutes. "Semantics, my friend, are everything."
"Semantics," he responds, "mean nothing."
She laughs again and he's strangely proud of the fact that he's made her laugh twice in one night. "Is that a merry-go-round?" she asks, pointing at the rotating platform with bars. "I haven't seen one of those in twenty years."
She gets up and heads towards the playground fixture. He gets up and follows. "Here, get on," he suggests. She does so and he starts to run and push. She laughs again, and this time it's the carefree laugh of a thirty-eight year old on a playground at midnight, being pushed on a merry-go-round by a handsome, surprisingly caring man.
She lies down in the middle, and when the carousel will spin quickly without his help, he hops on and lies down next to her. She thinks about shifting slightly when his arm brushes against hers, but then decides to just leave it. Silently, they stare up at the sky as it spins quickly. Only now does Addison realize the threatening clouds overhead.
"I used to love trying to find the constellations," she admits. "I was obsessed with the mythology behind them."
"I never knew any of the stories."
"Seriously? Never?"
"Nope."
"Well, take Cassiopeia, for example. I'll show you the constellation later. She was supposedly absolutely beautiful. Her dad was so proud that he bragged that she was even more beautiful than Poseidon's sea nymphs. That pissed him off, and the only way to appease the god was to sacrifice Cassiopeia to this sea monster. Perseus, one of the great heroes, found her and ended up killing the monster. But he ended up turning her parents to stone by showing them the head of Medusa."
"Wow."
"That's actually one of my least favorites," she admits. "I don't like the idea of Cassiopeia being so helpless and then getting punished because her dad was a braggart."
"I get that," he agrees.
The carousel stops spinning and Addison laughs for the fourth time that night as she tries to stand up. Dizzily, they stumble into each other. He grabs her waist to steady them. They stare at each other and just before they make the decision to lean in, the sky decides to burst. Addison squeals as the first raindrops land on her head.
Alex shrugs out of his jacket and holds it over her head. "Let's get back to the house," he says. Together, they sprint down the street to Meredith's house, laughing all the way.
They stand on Meredith's well-lit front porch, dripping water. "You're soaked," she comments, feeling badly that he took off his jacket to save her hair.
"You're not too better off," he retorts. She looks down. Yeah, her blouse is probably ruined and the shoes may have to go, depending on how they dry. But for some reason, she can't bring herself to regret the loss.
"Thanks for… you know," she says, gesturing at his drenched apparel.
"No problem."
The same silence from before the cloudburst overtakes them. This time they actually begin to lean. She can actually feel his breath on her lips when the door swings open. They yank back. "There you are!" Meredith exclaims. "We were wondering where you went off to!"
They're enveloped in the party again, and with apologetic glances, they head off in different directions.
0ooo0
As the party draws to a close, Addison finds herself lingering by the door, hoping for one last glimpse of the man who looked at the stars and ran through the rain with her. Frowning as she realizes that she's not able to stand at her post anymore without looking strange, she heads outside. She's surprised to find him outside on the porch.
"Good night," she smiles, giving a little, awkward wave.
He watches her walk away and figures out his New Year's Resolution. This year, he's not going to let the fact that he's a commitment-phobe get in the way of his happiness. He jogs to catch up with her. "Addison," he calls. She turns around, and before she can understand exactly what is going on, he pulls her close and presses his lips against hers. She hesitates for one second, but it doesn't take long before she responds in kind. "Huh?" she asks, using the little bit of her brain that isn't completely fogged in.
"Happy New Year," he says and kisses her again.
Well, I certainly hope y'all enjoyed that... Happy 2010!
-Juli-