permanent price ✷ alex karev

012. bubble gum

"bubble gum"
by clairo

"sorry i didn't kiss you
but it's obvious i wanted to
bubble gum down my throat and it's a curse
but my luck couldn't get any worse
...
you look so nice in your shirt
it's sad because it just hurts
i'd do anything for you
but would you do that for me, too? "

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"bring the pain"
season 2, episode 5

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

eleanor showed up at derek's trailer early that next morning.

she knew anything negative she had to say about the date her friends would use to pin against alex, and she really wasn't in the mood.

besides, she wasn't super interested in explaining all of her past traumas for context to the story.

so she went to derek.

looking back, that probably wasn't her best bet.

but eleanor really needed to talk about the date, 

and let's be honest here--other than the other interns--derek was her only friend.

after the addison and mark aftermath at least.

"derek? are you up?" she asked as she knocked on the trailer door. it was a big change from the brownstone in new york, but it fit him well, eleanor could tell he was happier (aside from the whole getting cheated on and falling for someone new and then having your wife show up and ruin things situation).

it was quiet for a moment, then the door swung open.

derek stood with messy hair, still in his pajamas, with his toothbrush still in his mouth, "eleanor?" he mumbled through the toothpaste.

"hey," she breathed out. "hope i'm not bothering you by stopping by so early."

"uh, no not at all." he said looking down then walking over to his sink and spitting out his toothpaste. "so uh, is everything okay? why did you come by?" he asked concerned.

"i, um, well i went on a date." she stated. derek's eyes went wide in shock.

"the first since?" he started.

"yes, derek, i went on a date for the first time since the last time i went on a date." she rolled her eyes. "but i know what you mean and yes, it was the first since then." she sighed.

"well how did it go? who was it with? i mean were you ready? did you freak out?" he asked overwhelmingly.

"okay, stop going big brother mode. i came here to talk to my friend, not my dad." she chuckled. "but yes, it went well... up until the end, but not like how the last one ended, don't worry, not like that at all. i just... well, i'm not sure i was ready. he leaned in to kiss me and i pulled away and ran inside and it was just awkward and i'm afraid he thinks i don't like him now." she rambled.

"who's this guy? when have you had time to meet anyone outside the hospital?" he asked her.

"well, he's not from outside the hospital..." she started.

"oh dear god, please tell me it's not an attending, nellie." he cringed.

"first of all, you are such a hypocrite." she said slapping his arm. "second of all, he's not an attending. it's uh, well, it's alex. karev. alex karev." she admitted.