⇢ CHAPTER 74

Jackson complained, chasing Holly around their couch in their new apartment, "Can I please see--"

"No." Holly chuckled freely, holding on tightly to the dress she would wear later to the fundraising gala behind her back, "You'll see it later--"

"In a few hours." Jackson reasoned.

"So what? You've apparently waited to be with me since you met me, what's a measly few little hours for a dress?" Holly quirked a brow, watching as Jackson blushed at the fact Holly knew that.

"What?" Jackson attempted to play it off, "I did not wait to be with you since I met you--"

"Lies." Holly told him, taking the moment of opportunity to retreat to their bedroom as she recalled the countless amount of doctors who told her that about Jackson, "Don't come in! I'm hiding it!"

Jackson groaned, plopping onto the couch as he spoke, "Really?"

✧

"Bailey's gonna lose her mind." Callie chuckled as she looked at the waiter to their left and Holly approached her friends, "She can't stand clowns. This is gonna be hilarious."

"Bailey's not coming." Holly announced, slightly scaring the women since they hadn't heard her footsteps over the loud music.

"What?" Callie groaned, "Wait, we can do that--?!"

"Wow, Kepner." Cristina commented with a whistle as she glanced down at Holly's black dress, "You're really trying to impress your boyfriend, huh?"

Holly's face reddened as she looked down at her dress, "I-I w-wanted to l-look nice for the f-fancy people--"

"Okay," Callie interrupted, "Red, you look very lovely in your dress-- but I have been dreading having to be in the same room with Arizona. If this isn't mandatory, I'm going home."

"Wait," Jackson intervened, stepping towards the group, "nobody's going home. I'm giving ten percent of tonight's take to the department that raises the most money..." He lost his words, his rushed act now gone as his eyes landed on Holly, "I... Holly..."

"He likes." Meredith nodded, looking at the three other women as Holly's palm met her face before she managed to nudge Jackson's face elsewhere to try and pry his eyes off of her.

"Go." Holly shooed, knowing he was trying to go somewhere else as she looked at the party-goers, "I need to find a drink and loosen myself up to get that ten percent."

"Good luck." Jackson wished, planting a kiss on Holly's temple before he whispered, "I the dress." He looked back at the other women as Holly's face reddened, "Spread the.. word."

As he rushed off, Cristina blinked upon realizing her department could get ten percent if she played her cards right. "Derek is really good at this kind of thing." Meredith admitted with a sigh, "...I should get started before he does."

"Oh," Callie looked over at Derek, who was currently juggling for the people, "I think he already has."

"Go, Derek." Holly cheered with a smile, glancing over briefly at the act before she grabbed a glass of champagne off of one of the waiter's trays, "I'm off to join him. I'm more charismatic when I'm a bit tipsy."

"Don't get drunk!" Meredith joked, making Holly squint at her before she gulped down the drink and began to socialize.

✧

Watching Derek hand is son over to Meredith, Holly immediately walked over to him, "Hey--"

"Holly!" Derek smiled, looking around at the party-goers before whispering, "I've got them wrapped around my finger-- how about you?"

"Eh, good." Holly nodded, anxiously looking around, "But I think I could get more money by, um, a sob story?" Derek frowned his brows, making Holly sigh, "Callie's telling everyone Arizona is dead." Derek's brows raised, "So, I'm thinking-- plane or George?"

Derek blinked, "I-- Holly--"

"What?" Holly sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Too much?" Derek shrugged, unsure if he should encourage or dismiss, "...Do you know a party trick I could do?"

"Well," Derek inhaled lightly as he thought over the idea, "you could mention the burr holes-- or you could have them  donate and... can you juggle?"

"I did a few years in gymnastics with one of my sisters, and then I did band--"

"What instrument?" Derek asked, intrigued since he was a band kid himself.

"Trumpet." Holly answered, cringing lightly, "I wasn't that good."

"Well," Derek nodded, "Then start stretching or find something more to dazzle the audience." He smiled, "This is perfect-- now, let's go get that ten percent."

Holly nodded confidently, "All right, sir." 

✧

The gala had practically lost all it's cheery form when one of the dancers were injured-- which made Jackson decide to bring all of the charitable donors to the hospital to see the doctors in action, leaving Alex and Holly, along with a few others, to simply stay put at the venue.

"Hey, Avery." Alex announced, walking over with a hand on Holly's arm to make her follow him as he watched Jackson return from the hospital, "Your girlfriend's drunk."

"I am ." Holly chuckled before giggling-- then suddenly becoming serious, "Did you two see that girl's bone literally  out of her leg-- that word sounds funny... ."

As she filled the room with laughter, Alex nodded slowly at her before glancing back at Jackson, "When people started to leave, she started drinking all of the sparkling champagne-- I have to get to the hospital, and everyone's going there either way since you had that little adventure and I didn't want to leave her alone."

"Oh." Jackson nodded, hiding a smile at Holly's laughs before he looked at Alex, "Thanks."

Alex nodded, walking away as Jackson made his way over, "Holl--"

"I charmed  many people." Holly smile, proud of herself as she looked up at her boyfriend, "If Derek and I don't win, it's rigged."

"Mm." Jackson nodded with a chuckle, wrapping her arm around her as he guided them towards his car, "Let's get you home."

"Ugh," Holly groaned, closing her eyes as she leaned on Jackson, "my head hurts..."

"And it will in the morning." Jackson nodded, looking down at her with a smile for a moment before he looked back towards the car, "I'm gonna call us out of work for the morning to give you enough time to puke your brains out."

"Aww, thanks." Holly smiled, looking up at him, "Your eyes are sparkling with the light." She frowned, "I don't think my eyes do that."

"They do." Jackson nodded before he began to chuckle as he looked at her again, "And that is the last thing I remember telling you before we--"

", yeah." Holly nodded, eyes wide as she remembered the last time she and Jackson drank alcohol together, and how it ended up with a night spent together, "I cannot believe that happened." 

"Me, neither." Jackson agreed before leading Holly over to the passenger side of the car, "Get--" Instantly, Holly had grabbed onto Jackson's tie to bring him down as she planted her lips on him, drunkenly making out with her boyfriend before he pulled away, breathlessly, "Holl--"

Holly nodded, entering the car as she spoke, suggestively smiling, "Let's go home!"

Jackson took a moment to himself as he sighed and walked over to the drivers side of the car, whispering, "She's saving herself for marriage, do  repeat last time." 

✧✧✧

holly is literally such a different person drunk-- i stan SHE LITERALLY INITIATED THINGS WITH JACKSON CAUSE SHE WENT ✨ ✨  LAST TIME AND NOW SHE TRIED TO AGAIN LMFAOO

BEFORE ALL OF YOU GO ASSUMING  THEY DO NOT HAVE THE COITUS-- JACKSON SLEEPS ON THE COUCH AND LEFT HOLLY TO SLEEP IN THEIR BED LMAO 

and KASDHFLKA HOLLY'S GONNA BE AN ATTENDING NEXT CHAPTER ✨✨ I STAN THE NAVY BLUE SCRUBS ON HER IT'S AMAZING SHE'S GROWING UP