Easy But Complicated/ Alex Karev

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"There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved"
- George Sand

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Maeve's never really enjoyed parties, but when it's with the people she loves, she doesn't quite mind. Maeve lets Mer know that she needs to go home to change before she can head over to her house. So she wraps up with her last patient and heads to pack her stuff up. She packs up her stuff from her locker and slips on her coat. Her phone buzzes as she does so,

-
Alex

Hey, haven't seen you today but happy birthday!

Thank you, where have you been?
Been kind of worried about you.

Just dealing with some stuff, see you later.

-

Maeve thought it was weird she hasn't seen him all day, she also thought it was weird it took him this long to wish her happy birthday. Normally he's the first one to text or call her right at midnight. He knows she'll be up.
When Maeve gets into her car and starts it, she thinks about what she'll wear. She connects her phone and once again,
shuffle playlist.
'No. 1 Party Anthem' by Arctic Monkeys.
Maeve loves this song, something about the beat.
"It's not like i'm falling in love, I just want ya to do me no good. And you look like you could. Come on, come on, come on."

At Maeve's apartment, she racks her closet for an outfit. She decided on a pair of jeans and a white and black stripped sweater. Back in the car she goes.
Once she gets to Mers house there's already a group of cars parked outside. She takes a deep breath and makes her way up to the house. When she opens the door, the musics loud and the first to greet her is Maggie. "Hey Maeve!" "Maggie! I thought we gave up frat parties a while ago." Maeve laughs at the pile of alcohol bottles and the random people all around the house. "Yeah, but it's your birthday. We had to go big!" Maggie pats her back and excuses herself. Maeve makes her way through the party, drunk people stumbling over her. Greeting the familiar people. She spots Jackson, "Hey Jack!" He smiles at her, "Hey, how's it going?" "Good, have you seen Alex?" Maeve still hasn't seen him at the party, she's really starting to get concerned. "Uhh no, but it's your birthday. Go find a new boy." She's taken aback, what could he possibly mean? "What are you talking about," she lets out a nervous laugh. "Maeve, I see the way you look at him. The sparkle you get in your eyes when you talk about him." "I don't know what you're talking about," Maeve shrugs him off, but she does know what he's talking about.
A couple hours in Maeve isn't sure what to mark this party up to. It's kind of funny, she hasn't been to a party like this in a while but it's still so familiar. To her high school years, a lot of intern year, and early resident year. It's almost 10 pm and Maeve has excused herself to go outside. She sits on the front porch, taking in the cold on her face. A car she's seen a thousand times pulls up to the side of the road and parks. Alex gets out. She sighs, wondering what took him so long. As he walks up to the house he chuckles to himself, "Of course you're sitting outside instead of socializing." She smiles noticing the wrapped box in his hand. "What you got there?" She gestures toward the present. "Ah, well I thought since it took me so long to wish you a happy birthday. I decided to get you a present." "Ooo give me it," She claps her hands in excitement. He's now seated beside her on the steps, brushing his shoulder against hers. She rips the paper off the box and carefully opens it, balancing it on her lap. Inside there's a book, 'The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath.' She smiles at the thought that he remembered she likes to read. Under the book there's a Journal, it's a dark blue, navy. "Open the first page of the journal," Alex says looking down at it laying it her hands. She flips the first page to see words on it.
"To write down some of your thoughts so you can maybe finally get some sleep. Happy birthday Maeve.
- Alex"

Maeve smiles, Alex has always known that she spends her nights restless. "I uh," she's not sure what to say. She gotten presents before but no one's put this much thought into it before. She looks at him, his eyes already focused on hers.
Damn, his eyes.
They both stay silent for a bit. On that porch, the dark night sky swallowing them. A breeze blows a strand of Maeve's hair into her face, Alex reaches to tuck it behind her ear. His hand lingering for a bit more than needed. "Thank you," She doesn't mean to say it as soft as she does, it's a whisper, barely audible. "Maeve," Alex looking at her, his eyes gentle. The front door opens, "Alex you're here," They look up to see Jo and Mer. "Uh yeah, I was just giving the birthday girl her gift before I came inside." He's now stood, ready to go in. "You coming Maeve?" He invites her to go with him. "No I'm gonna stay out here for a bit." She tucks the hair that has fallen out from behind her ears from when she turned her head. Jo puts her hand on Alex's shoulder and practically shoves him through the door. Maeve's left sat on the porch with nothing on her mind except the moments that happened before that door opened.

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