⇢ CHAPTER 81

was canceled." Derek lamented, stressfully running a hand through his hair as he thought over his previous interviews with the people from Washington— the  people who he hoped to impress to gain a spot in their research. 

"Well," Holly shrugged, attempting to look at the bright-side of things, "maybe it isn't a bad thing? Maybe things will work out in the end."

"Maybe." Derek shrugged, sighing as he leaned back on the couch in the attending's lounge, "I don't know, I—" 

"Oh," Holly frowned her brows, seeing her pager was beeping for her to go to a supply closet before she glanced at Derek, hiding a smile as she hoped she knew who she thought it was, "I will be right back."

Derek nodded, bouncing his leg as he thought over his interviews once more.

✧

After getting Meredith to continue comforting Derek over the interviews for the President funded research, Holly made her way towards the supply closet with curiosity.

"I— Jackson." Holly's eyes widened, quickly prompting her to close the door behind her as she landed her eyes on Jackson's shirtless figure before walking over to him, attempting to glue her eyes to his face as she whispered, "Why do you not have a shirt on?"

"I got blood on my scrubs from the last patient I saw." Jackson admitted, smirking lightly as his eyes caught onto the blush arising on Holly's face, "And I didn't know where the clean scrubs were."

"Here." Holly answered, reaching over to grab one before handing it to him, "Put it on."

"Oh?" Jackson chuckled, taking a step towards his fiancée as Holly continued to stand her ground, face reddening as she locked eyes with him, "And if I don't?"

Holly scoffed softly, squinting up at him as she spoke, "I hate the confidence you've gotten ever since I agreed to marry you."

"If I remember it correctly," Jackson remarked, leaning down to stop  away from Holly's lips, "you asked me."

Holly squinted at him, eyes flickering between his eyes and bare torso before she exhaled, "Fine." She rolled her eyes, tossing aside the scrub shirt in his hands as she brought him closer— connecting their lips. 

✧

"Invitations..." Jackson murmured against Holly's lips between kisses, prompting Holly to lightly frown her brows as she listened to his words, "venues—"

"Jackson." Holly spoke, chuckling lightly as she leaned away to glance up to his eyes, "Are you reading out your mental checklist for the wedding?"

Jackson pursed his lips, shaking his head as he lied, "No..."

Holly grinned lightly before she pecked his lips, "It's adorable."

Jackson squinted at her, kissing her again as he whispered, "I'm glad you—"

Holly immediately placed a hand over his mouth as the supply closet door opened while two people entered, making Holly look at Jackson with a quirked brow.

"We had a plan." Jo began, alerting the two attendings she must've entered with another resident friend or Alex— who she apparently had broken up with due to the new rules, "What happened?"

"Look," Alex prefaced, "it's a stupid plan. We're adults. We love each other. They can go screw themselves."

Jackson wrapped his arms around Holly as she glanced at him and whispered, holding in a chuckle, "I thought you paged them."

Jackson squinted at her, "Why would I page—?"

Jo, hearing shushed whispers, looked around the room as she spoke softly, "What was that?"

Alex frowned his brows while asking out loud, "Is somebody in there?"

Jackson hung his head low, departing Holly with one last kiss to her cheek as he walked forward— Holly, acting quickly, grabbed his wrist and walked in front of him as she covered the sight of his bare torso and waved to the other couple with an awkward smile, "Hey, guys."

"Hey." Jackson waved from behind Holly as Jo gaped at the two of them while Alex chuckled, "Can you hand me my shirt?"

"Wow, Kepner." Alex commented, clapping slowly as he commemorated, "Didn't know you'd—"

"Shut it." Holly shook her head as she squinted at him before pointing at the shirt on the ground, "Hand it over, please."

"Come on." Alex lightly grabbed Jo's hand, deciding he did not want to be around the happy couple anymore, "Let's get out of here."

"Oh!" Holly yelped as her eyes caught sight of the door opening, prompting her to try and cover more of Jackson while he chuckled at her antics before coming to a deadpanned as he saw it was Webber who entered the supply closet.

"Dr. Webber." Jackson waved, clearing his throat, "This isn't what it looks like."

Webber glanced at the two couples and noted Jackson's lack of a shirt before he blinked and walked away— deciding not to get involved but mentally reminding himself to tell Jackson's mother about the incident. Exhaling, Holly reached over and grabbed the shirt for Jackson before she handed it to him. 

"Well," Jo scoffed as Jackson put on his shirt, "I'm fired."

"We're not ." Holly clarified, "We—"

" not." Jo corrected, "You two are attendings and part of the board, I'm an expendable resident."

"The rules are just a dumb thing on paper to cover the Board's ass." Alex clarified as Holly pursed her lips, "No one actually cares."

"Well," Jackson began, "speaking as one of the hypocritical Board members in the room, the Board cares."

"And since when have you two been doing it?" Alex asked, glancing at the two as Holly scoffed at the accusation.

Holly cleared her throat, "We are not doing —" Her squint was replaced by a smile as she held onto Jackson's hand, preparing to  tell him of their engagement, "We are—"

"Holl," Jackson shook his head, realizing what she wanted to do and how it was  the time, "let's not—"

"Think he's still out there?" Jo asked, ignoring the couple's interaction as she looked at her boyfriend.