Aria was halfway through her breakfast when Derek, Izzie, and Alex came into the kitchen.
The house was still quiet in that early-morning way where nobody was fully awake yet, but tension seemed to live there now anyway — tucked into the corners, sitting in the silences between people, waiting for the smallest thing to set it off.
Aria sat at the counter in one of Meredith's old sweatshirts, hair still a little messy, a piece of toast in one hand and her coffee in the other. She barely looked up at first.
"Since when did we have to move out?" Izzie asked.
That got Aria's attention.
She frowned and looked between the three of them. "No one has to move out."
Izzie pointed straight at Derek. "Then why was he measuring my room for his new office?"
Aria slowly turned to look at him.
Derek looked caught.
Alex folded his arms, clearly waiting to see how this would go.
For one second, Aria just stared at Derek, trying to work out whether he was joking, stupid, or both.
Then she gave a sharp, disbelieving scoff.
"I had no idea, Iz," she said, eyes still on Derek. "You'd better take it up with Meredith."
Her tone changed on the next sentence, hardening noticeably.
"Because apparently my opinion doesn't matter anymore. Even though this house is just as much mine as it is Meredith's."
Derek sighed, and that only made her angrier.
They had only just got back onto better terms after everything with Meredith, after all her anger and all his promises, and already he was in her kitchen, planning office space in a house that wasn't even his.
Aria pushed her plate away.
She wasn't hungry anymore.
Without another word, she stood, grabbed her coffee and toast, and walked out before she said something even less forgiving.
⸻
She found Meredith not long after.
Aria didn't bother easing into the conversation.
"You really don't learn, do you?" she snapped as soon as she reached her.
Meredith turned, already defensive. "Aria, listen—"
"No. Don't bother."
Aria shook her head, anger carrying her faster than sense.
"Izzie and Alex aren't going anywhere," she said. "This is not just your house, Meredith. It's mine too."
Meredith opened her mouth again, but Aria was past listening now.
"But go ahead," she continued bitterly. "Keep pretending like I don't exist."
And then she walked off before Meredith could answer, chest tight, hands shaking ever so slightly with frustration.
It wasn't even really about the office.
Not fully.
It was about being left out.
Again.
About decisions being made around her, over her, without anyone thinking they should maybe ask the other person who actually lived there. About Meredith moving through life like Aria would simply adapt because Aria always did.
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Shooting Stars
Fanfiction"But he's Evil Spawn." "Don't you think I know that. I didn't wake up one day and suddenly decide I was going to be in love with Alex Karev." Being the daughter of a world renowned surgeon was never destined to be easy. The first born of the Grey tw...
