Her Rock

Disclaimer- Not mine.

Author’s Notes- This is just a short little Bryce piece, inspired by yesterday’s chapter. It is a change to the closet scene, because it would have been so much better if it was Bryce or Jackie instead of June.

Rating- PG-13

Summary- Meredith is overwhelmed by everything that is going on, but Bryce is there for her.

Meredith let the tears run down her face, the pressures of the last few weeks all coming out. She heard the door open and glanced up, her body tensing. She immediately relaxed when she saw it was Bryce.

“Mer?” He asked, immediately closing the door and stepping towards her. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” she whimpered, immediately collapsing into his offered embrace, burying her head in his chest. “The hospital… Kyra… All of it.”

Bryce just held her and let her cry.

“It’ll be ok,” he assured her after a moment, “if anyone can save this hospital, it is you, and Kyra… We’re doctors, Mer, we’re not helpless. Kyra has the best doctors in the state on her side. We will find a way to help her.”

There was something incredibly persuasive about Bryce’s optimism and Meredith felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest, the tears starting to recede.

“I needed that,” she told him, lifting her face from his chest to smile up at him.

“Any time,” he assured her, running a hand up her back, “you don’t always have to be strong, Meredith, you can lean on your friends, on me.”

“I know,” she told him, savouring the feel of his arms, “you’ve been proving that to me since our first day.” When they had ended up in this very supply closet and he had helped her feel a little less useless.

As she gazed up at him, she remembered something else about that first day: their first kiss. The look in Bryce’s eyes made it clear that he remembered too and their lips seemed to move closer on instinct, the warmth and comfort of their previous embrace igniting into something else.

The kiss grew deep and passionate, hands wandering as they just tried to get closer to each other. Meredith tugged on Bryce’s scrubs, about to life his shirt over his head when the door suddenly opened.

“Oh,” June said when she saw them, raising an eyebrow and Meredith knew she was remembering the embrace she had witnessed between Meredith and Ethan. Meredith pushed the thought aside, she didn’t owe June explanations. “Meredith, I was actually looking for you, do you have a moment?”

Meredith fought a sigh as she untangled herself from Bryce, “of course.”

June nodded and exited the closet.

“Duty calls,” Meredith told him.

“If you need to get away, again, come find me,” Bryce told her, pulling her towards him for one more quick kiss, “I am here.”

“I know,” she said, smiling up, “you always are.” It was true, whenever she needed something, someone to lean on, Bryce was there. He had this knack of being just what she needed, and while everything else was uncertain, Meredith had faith that at least would never change.

• End