#chylerleigh

You heard her before you saw her quick footsteps echoing down the hallway, hurried but familiar. Then, just like always, Lexie appeared, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes bright, and that beautiful, toothy grin spreading across her face. It was the kind of smile that could undo you in an instant, the kind that made the busy hospital around you blur into the background.

“Hey, Lexie! How was your surgery?” you asked, keeping your tone casual, like your heart wasn’t flipping wildly in your chest.

She slipped her hand onto your arm without even thinking, holding on the way she always did when she was near you. It was such a small, ordinary gesture, something she had done a hundred times before. But to you, it never felt ordinary. It felt grounding, like you were the one thing she reached for in the chaos, and that thought alone sent a warmth rushing through you that you had no way to hide.

It had started years ago, back in your first days as interns.

Since then, it had become her thing. Crowded hallways, stressful days, moments when she needed to steady herself her hand would find your arm, her smile would find you. And every single time, your chest would tighten with the same impossible feeling, one you could never say out loud.

Because to her, it was probably just habit. But to you, it meant everything.

“No, no, it went fine it’s just… at one point the patient lost so much blood, I thought I was going to lose him and it was—”

You cut her off softly, already seeing the weight in her eyes.

“No need to explain. I understand,” you said, your voice steadier than you felt.

Her lips curved into a small smile, one that made your chest ache. “Are you free tonight?” she asked, so blunt it almost caught you off guard.

You tilted your head, pretending to think, dragging out the moment like you had a thousand other things to do. She laughed, finally letting go of your arm. The absence was immediate your skin still burning where she’d touched you. You ignored it, though your heart refused to.

“Yes. I’m free. Painfully free,” you said, trying to sound casual but failing to mask the truth in your voice.

“Good. Joe’s tonight. I’m dying for a little fun,” she said, her tone more pleading than she probably intended.

You hesitated again, just to hold on to her attention for a little longer.

“Don’t make me walk away,” she warned, but there was a softness in her eyes that told you she didn’t want to.

“Yes. I’ll be there,” you admitted at last.

Her pager suddenly beeping, pulling her away from you.

“Perfect,” she breathed, and before you could say another word she wrapped her arms around you. The hug was too brief, too fleeting, and then she was gone running off with her pager, while you were left standing in the echo of her warmth, wishing the night would come faster.

The rest of the day dragged on painfully slow. You were stuck in surgery with Callie, assisting on a fractured femur, but your focus was anywhere else. You kept sneaking glances at your watch, counting the minutes.

“Got somewhere to be, L/N?” Callie asked, her voice carrying that sharp authority that always made you straighten up.

“No, ma’am,” you lied without hesitation.

She arched an eyebrow, and you knew right then she wasn’t buying it. With a sigh, you gave in. “Lexie asked me to grab drinks tonight… and I’ve been looking forward to it,” you admitted, trying to sound casual, though your heart gave you away.

“How come?” Callie pressed, holding the femur steady like she had all the time in the world.

“She’s my best friend. We haven’t hung out in a while, so I’m… excited,” you explained, though it came out more like a nervous question.

Callie chuckled under her mask. “Best friend? Please.”

You turned to her, offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She gave you a look that cut straight through. “Listen, I’m gay. Which means I have the radar. And there is no universe where you aren’t completely, hopelessly in love with Lexie Grey. Honestly? Even the straightest person alive could see it.”

Your mouth went dry, and before you could even react, the nurses were nodding like Callie had just announced some undeniable truth. Heat crept up your neck until your whole face was burning. Nobody had ever put your feelings into words like that out loud, in front of everyone. It left you speechless, exposed in a way that terrified you and thrilled you all at once.

Callie’s tone softened, just slightly. “Look, I know Mark’s planning on asking Lexie out again. And I love him, I do but I’m Team You-and-Lexie all the way. So here’s the deal I’ll finish this surgery. You? You go scrub out, head to Joe’s, and finally tell her how you feel. You have to confess before its too late.”

You sputtered, “Shut up,” half embarrassed, half laughing, but your hands were already moving faster than ever. The second you stripped off your gloves and finished scrubbing out, you didn’t waste another breath you were out the door, heart pounding, on your way to her.

When you walked into Joe’s, the noise of people talking and glasses clinking filled the air, but all you saw was her. Lexie. She was sitting at the bar, her hair falling loose around her shoulders, her cheeks a little pink from laughing.

And then you noticed him. Mark Sloan. He was leaning close, his big hand brushing over her shoulder like he had every right to touch her. She laughed at something he said, tilting her head back like he was the funniest person in the world. Your stomach dropped.

Was this it? Did you wait too long? Callie’s words came back to you—Mark was going after Lexie. Your mind spun so fast you almost turned around and left.

But then she looked up and saw you.

Her face lit up instantly, her smile stretching wide like she’d been waiting for you all along. She called your name and waved you over, her whole body seeming to brighten at the sight of you.

You walked across the room, trying not to think about how Mark’s eyes followed you, that little smug grin on his face. You slid into the seat beside Lexie, close enough to smell the fruity drinks she’d been sipping. She leaned toward you, just a little unsteady, and pushed a glass across the counter.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a small hiccup, “I already started. Mark came with me, and we just had a drink or two.”

For a second, you wanted to be upset she hadn’t waited. That she had come here with him. But then she looked at you with those wide, warm eyes, and it was impossible to feel anything but soft around her. She was too beautiful, too much like the only thing that mattered in the room.

So you smiled, picked up the glass, and told her it was alright before downing the drink in one go.

When you set it down, she was still watching you, smiling like you were the one she wanted there all along

A couple more drinks in, the alcohol started to hit you harder, but it wasn’t the booze that made your chest ache—it was watching Mark Sloan flirt with Lexie all night long. He sat close, leaning on the bar like he owned it, flashing that smug smile, tossing out lines that made her laugh. It was unbearable. Every word out of his mouth was something you’d wanted to say for years. How smart she was. How pretty she looked when she smiled. How she made the room brighter just by walking in.

It was gross, the way he did it so effortlessly, but the worst part was that he was saying the things you’d been too afraid to tell her yourself. You clenched your glass, your mind spinning with what-ifs and should-haves.

Finally, you couldn’t sit there anymore. The air felt too thick, your chest too tight. “I think I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” you muttered, standing up quickly.

Lexie looked up at you instantly. Her face was flushed, her smile a little lazy from the alcohol, but her eyes her eyes were clear, sharp, and fixed only on you. Before you could take another step, she stood too fast, bumping the edge of the table. A couple of glasses wobbled, one tipping over with a loud clink as liquid spilled. She giggled, steadying herself.

“I’ll come too,” she said with determination, ignoring the way Mark raised a brow and smirked behind her.

You didn’t argue. You couldn’t. You just led the way, weaving through the crowd until you reached the back hallway. The bathroom was quieter, the sounds of the bar muffled, leaving just the hum of distant music and the rapid thud of your own heartbeat.

When you pushed the door open, Lexie followed you in, swaying slightly on her feet. She let out a small laugh as she brushed against your shoulder. Then, out of nowhere, her hand was in your hair, fingers twisting gently like she’d been wanting to touch you all night.

“You’re amazing,” she said suddenly, her voice soft but so certain it made you stop breathing.

Your cheeks burned instantly. You let out a nervous giggle, trying to play it off like she was just being tipsy. “Thanks, Lexie.” You pushed the door the rest of the way open and held it for her, forcing your smile to stay casual, even though your chest felt like it was on fire.

But she shook her head firmly, her hand slipping from your hair to your arm as she stepped closer. “No,” she said, voice breaking slightly with emotion. “I mean it. You’re amazing, Y/N. You are the most gorgeous, talented, kind surgeon I’ve ever met.” Her grip tightened on your arms as if to anchor herself, her wide brown eyes locking on yours. “You don’t even see it, but… you’re everything.”

The words slammed into you, tearing down every wall you’d been hiding behind. Callie’s voice echoed in your head, her warning replaying like a mantra: You have to confess before it’s too late. Mark’s smug smile flashed in your mind, the thought of him stealing the chance you’d been too scared to take.

The alcohol burned away the fear, leaving only one truth you couldn’t wait any longer.

Before you could stop yourself, you leaned in and kissed her.

It wasn’t slow, it wasn’t careful. It was raw, desperate, messy. Her lips were warm and tasted faintly of fruity cocktails, her breath catching in surprise before she melted into you. Her hands tangled in your hair, pulling you closer, and you let out a shaky breath against her mouth. Years of silence, of holding it all back, crashed into this one moment.

Lexie let out a small laugh into the kiss, then deepened it, pressing harder, hungrier. She stumbled and you grabbed her by the waist, steadying her, only for her to hook her legs around you, trusting you to hold her up. You stumbled back together, slamming into the side of a stall. The metal door rattled loudly as you pushed inside, half-blind with need, lips never leaving hers.

It was clumsy the kind of kiss that left you breathless, half laughing, half-dizzy. Her hands tugged at your shirt, your fingers dug into her hips, and the two of you moved like you’d been holding this in for far too long. Every second felt stolen, reckless, dangerous. And yet, it was perfect.

For the first time, you weren’t imagining what it would be like. You were living it

Your lips found the delicate skin of her neck, tracing a slow path downward, savoring every soft sound she made as you pressed her back firmly against the cool stall wall. The closeness of the space made everything feel hotter, more urgent the way her breath hitched when your mouth lingered just beneath her jaw, the way her fingers curled tightly into your shirt as though grounding herself in you.

“You’re so pretty, Lexie…” you murmured against her skin, your voice low and reverent. “Your face, your body… your soul.” Each word was half a confession, half a plea, tumbling out between kisses that grew deeper, more desperate.

Your hand slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, the warmth of her skin radiating against your palm as you slid upward, finally cupping her breast. She arched into your touch with a quiet gasp, and you couldn’t stop yourself from muttering more compliments against her lips, your words breaking apart with every kiss.

Her answering moan echoed in the small space, her voice rising as she whispered your name, breathless and wanting. Then her hand slipped down, fingers pushing past your waistband until they hovered just over your panties. The anticipation sent a shiver racing through your body, your knees threatening to give out under her touch.

“Lexie…” you panted, the sound almost a whimper as your mouth trailed lower. You nibbled gently at the swell of her breast through the fabric of her bra, teeth grazing her skin in teasing bites before soothing them with your tongue. Her body trembled beneath you, every movement, every sigh, pulling you deeper into her.

The way she looked at you in that moment eyes dark, lips parted, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths made you want to worship her, to give her every part of yourself until there was nothing left between you but heat and want..

The bathroom was filled with nothing but your mingled breaths and the soft sounds of lips and skin. Every moment felt like it might spill over, like you were seconds away from losing yourself completely in her. You wanted to worship her, to drown in her every kiss, every touch deepening the quiet ache in your chest that told you this wasn’t just lust.

But then the door creaked open.

You both froze instantly, your heart leaping into your throat as footsteps echoed against the tiled floor. Lexie’s breathing was still ragged, loud in the silence, so you instinctively pressed your hand over her mouth, holding her gently but firmly against the wall. Her wide eyes locked on yours, her chest rising and falling quickly beneath your palm.

The sound of running water filled the air someone washing their hands, humming faintly to themselves. Time stretched unbearably as you stayed perfectly still, Lexie’s hot breaths searing your skin through your hand. Her body trembled against you, not just from fear but from the pent-up intensity of everything you’d been sharing only moments ago.

Finally, the faucet clicked off, the paper towel dispenser rattled, and the door swung open again. Silence returned, thick and heavy.

You slowly lowered your hand from her mouth, your touch lingering against her lips before you pulled back. Both of you exhaled at the same time, shaky and unsteady. Gently, you let her feet slide back down to the floor, your hands smoothing over her shirt as if fixing the wrinkles could erase what just happened. She straightened your collar in return, her fingers brushing lightly against your throat, both of you trying to compose yourselves though the flush in your cheeks gave you away.

For a moment, you just stared at her the world holding its breath. You leaned in and pressed one last kiss against her lips, softer than all the ones before. It wasn’t hungry or desperate, but tender, overflowing with everything you couldn’t put into words. It was an I love you without ever saying it aloud.

When you pulled away, searching her face for some sign that she felt the same, Lexie’s expression softened for only a second. Then, without a word, she stepped past you, her hand brushing against the stall door as she walked out.

You stood there alone, the taste of her still on your lips, the ghost of her touch burning on your skin. The bathroom was silent now, but your heart pounded loud enough to fill it. That kiss had been a promise, but the way she left you