cx. funding for derek
7.09

"Baby?" Derek called out as he stepped into his and his husbands home. "You awake?" Derek saw the kitchen lights on, and he heard the faint sound of water running. "Baby, we've talked about late night baking."

"You gotta set me on fire!" Atlas sung as he danced around the kitchen, a metal bowl in his arms as he mixed some kind of mixture. He had headphones on, which would explain why he hadn't answered any of Derek's calls for him.

Starlee was wide awake as she sat in her high chair that she was getting to big for. Her little hands, that again, weren't so little anymore, we're mixing what seemed to be a smaller version of whatever Atlas was mixing.

Derek was tired. He just stepped insidie his home with full intentions of going straight to bed, cuddling with his husband with their dog, snacks at their feet. Now he wasn't going to go straight to bed since his husband wouldn't be beside him, but instead would be singing/dancing/baking in the kitchen.

"Sweetheart." Derek cooed as he picked up his daughter. Ever since he signed the adoption paperwork two weeks after Atlas has signed the original adoption paperwork, he's never not seen Starlee as his daughter. She was his and Atlas gift under unfortunate circumstances to someone else. "You cooking with dad, huh?"

Starlee nodded. She can understand some words now. "Daahda." The youngling babbled as she reached out with her hands, getting chocolate mix all over Dereks shoulders.

Derek sighed. "Let's get you washed up." Derek started to walk away, dipping his finger in chocolate mix and tasting it as he did so. "Oh, you and dada make yummy food. Yes that's right."

It's never not been quiet in the Lee-Sunny-Shepherd home. There's always music, or snoring, barking or crying. There's always something happening, and more often then not, the experiences are shared with whoever steps foot inside the front door.

"Derek?!" Atlas called out as he twirled around in the kitchen. It was a shock to see that Starlee wasn't in her high chair anymore, and at first he thought that someone had broken in and taken her. That was until he saw his husbands shoes in the middle of the kitchen, along with his light blue button-up-shirt that had chocolate smeared onto it lazily thrown over a chair.

"Bedroom!" Atlas heard Derek call from upstairs. When he heard the call his heartbeat calmed down and it wasn't so rapid against his chest.

Atlas hurried up the stairs and into his and Derek's bedroom. When he stepped inside he swore his love for his husband grew, and his heart grew another size larger. ( yes, he knows the latter is quiet frankly not very real. but you can't blame him, he watched the grinch the other day. ) "Look at you two." Atlas smiled wildly as he watched his daughter jump on the bed, Derek kneeling with his arms out just incase she tumbled.

"Hi, baby." Derek said as he looked up towards Atlas. "How was your day off?"

Atlas kicked his slippers off and moved closer to the bed. "Good, me and Star here did lots of baking."

"I saw. Our whole kitchen table is full of cupcakes and cookies." Derek spoke as he reached out with one hand for Atlas to hold.

Atlas, with wide eyes grabbed ahold of his husbands outreached hand. "You haven't seen the fridge yet, have you?"

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Drinking. That is something that Atlas could do a lot of. He could drink until he stumbled, and then after a cup of coffee and water, he could go back to drinking.

Now some may call him an alcoholic, and he's been to a few AA meetings in his life. And he's a surgeon who knows that this could ruin his liver and body and shorten his life span. But Atlas will argue it until he dies. He only ever drinks heavily when he's at a party or event. Only once a week does he have a glass of wine at dinner, and some weeks he doesn't.

"You gonna drink a lot, Atly?" Mark questioned as he wrapped his arm around Atlas's shoulder.

Atlas can also drink heavily when he's with Miranda Bailey.

"Yep. My buddy is here! Bailey!" Atlas cheered as he wiggled himself out of Marks hold, skipping his way towards Miranda with a large smile. He's already had a few shots with Derek before everyone else got here.

"Atly! Hi!" Bailey chuckled at her intoxicated friend, she wrapped her own arm around him as she helped keep him steady. "First rounds on me!"

Not even a minute later everyone noticed Christina, who was behind the bar attempting to make drinks. She's done pretty well at keeping Atlas hydrated with alcohol, and she's even done well when it comes it Atlas giving tips every time she hands him a drink.

"Oh! Oh! Christina!" Atlas waved as he moved away from Bailey, grabbing the woman's hand as he did so, and making his way towards the bar with everyone in tow.

"What can I get everyone?" Christina asked with the largest smile she could manage.

Atlas grinned. "Alcohol! More of the blue stuff you gave me earlier - " yes, Atlas knew he sounded funny, and that the others around him gave him glances. But he really didn't care. " - the early onset Alzheimers."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Mark Sloan and Eliza Lee-Sunny were laying side by side in Marks apartment. They were on the floor fully clothed, ( Eliza not being called in for a night shift since she had worked one only a few days before ) and both of them were smiling as they looked towards the roof.

"There's stars." El pointed out when she noticed the plastic stars that were glued to Marks roof.

Mark nodded and smiled as he looked towards them, "There is, El."

"Why's there stars?" Eliza turned her head so she could look at Mark.

"Because I wanted to give them to you. All the stars you could ever want."

Eliza was pretty sure that this, this moment, was when she realized she was completely in love with Mark Everett Sloan. Her heart practically melted, they had melting hearts together and that wasn't something she would ever want to change.

Mark Sloan, he's know for a little while. Ever since the day he and El had dance so freely in the rain without any care, that's when he knew he was in love with Eliza Grace Lee-Sunny.

For Mark, he fell first after his fall out with Lexie. And he knows, and will always know that Lexie Grey has a special place in his heart where he'll always love and wish her the best.

And for Eliza, it took her a little while. After George, who she could have spent the rest of her life with if the bus hadn't hit him, she didn't really think she'd ever be ready for another kind of relationship. She figured that George was her love and that was all.

But both Eliza and Mark have been leading up towards this moment. There's been steamy makeout sessions in on-call rooms, and late night walks to get ice cream.

It's been Mark and Eliza for a while. And their melting hearts have been 'awe'ing for a long time too.

"I love you." Eliza blurted and sat up quickly, placing a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. "Fuck."

Mark didn't hesitate, "I love you too."