xxiv. map of you and me
10.06

One could argue that Atlas Lee-Sunny and Derek Shepherd were not meant to be.

They could argue the fact that, a) someone could be homophobic and that two men shouldn't be in a romantic relationship, b) a heart surgeon and brain surgeon would bring nothing but work into their personal lives outside of said work — how could they manage! and lastly, c) that maybe they were just so similar and different at the same time that it would never truly work.

Like really, a heart surgeon and a brain surgeon, two whole different parts of a body. One could say that general surgery was closer to one or the other.

Atlas was incredibly kind, Derek Shepherd was too, but he had his days. Remember when he hit the ring into the forest — oh, oh! — and when he broke atlas's heart by having a wife and making atlas the man whom Derek cheated with?

Let's not forget that Derek Shepherd loved to build things with his own hands, he build Atlas a freaking house! As much as Atlas loved to do things Derek did, that was not one of them. He enjoyed sitting by the fire with his family cuddled up beside him, and so on so forth.

Anywho, the idea of this story, is that in another universe, Atlas and Derek were a cop and a robber. Two whole different people than they were right now, but the story is just the same. Take him from the bar, they fall in love, and then learn who each other is.

Two different people, that despite the many things life has thrown there way, can't find a way to separate because they're meant for each other, despite what those could argue.

"— You and Atlas should get a divorce!" Oliver Lee-Sunny said over his shoulder, passing by Callie and Derek who stood by chatting about their super cool brain mapping. Derek had just told Oliver he wasn't needed today, as they were just doing some basic scans. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Der!"

Derek knew Oliver didn't mean it, he just wanted to be helpful and work on the project with them. "It's okay, Ollie."

He didn't truly wish that they would get a divorce. How could he ever say that, in his eyes, they were like peanut butter and jam on the most freshly fluffy baked bread.

The screen lit up with a few different colours, backed it settled on a yellow one on a certain part of the brain. Derek, studying it, pressed a button on the controls. "Atlas, baby, you're lighting up in a place you shouldn't, it was a joke."

Scowling, Atlas leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. His younger brother has wished a divorce on him, even if it was a joke. The eldest Lee-Sunny man was a bit skeptical, how could he not be — so much in his life had gone wrong.

Plus his therapist, Roman Rhee had him second guessing everything as a part of stupidly special exercise.

"Imagine cute little babies." Callie commented, and a bright green dot flashed on the screen before it disappeared and was replaced with a red one. "What's wrong with babies?"

"Nothing," Atlas spoke, and Callie and Derek shared a look, knowing something was up with Atlas. "Nada."

"It's because you don't have a biological baby." Callie came to the conclusion with a small frown. "You could have a surrogate carry an Atlas or Derek baby. I actually know a young woman who has a great bill of health and would totally do it!"

Callie continued to blab on about the benefits of having a surrogate. Atlas was just trying to focus on the way he could murder his brother without anyone noticing, or knowing it was him. Derek was just trying not to laugh — between the look that Atlas was making and the huge happy smile on Callie's face, he was having a hard time keeping his mouth shut.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

"Excuse me? I'm looking for Atlas Lee-Sunny." An older man spoke, a buttoned up shirt and his grey hair slicked back. He wore a confused expression, but he seemed calm. "Do you know where I could find him?"

"Mathew ... Mr. Sloan?" Derek looked up from his chart, eyeing the man who stood before him. A small carbon copy of Mark, just order and weathered, his life leaving his features. "What-what are you doing here?"

"I want to meet Atlas," Mathew Sloan, Mark Sloans biological father for all purposes spoke, and his eyes softened. "I want to know about my son, and his family. His wife, Eliza, won't speak to me."

"His wife?" Derek gasped, unknowing that Atlas and Eliza were rounding the corner. They heard the gasp, and then they heard what came next. "Eliza Lee-Sunny and Mark Sloan got married? When!"

"You got married?!" Atlas turned towards his sister, face red, eyes wide, hair standing up — somehow, like who knew that could happen! — his eyes saddened, knowing that if she got married, it was before Mark had died and she wasn't a wife for long. "El, wait, wait, I'm sorry."

Eliza shook her head, tears already gathering in her eyes. She moved away from her older brother and towards where Mathew Sloan stood. She stood in front of him, a head shorter, and although there were tears in her eyes, hate shined in them.

"He was not your son." Mathew Sloan went to speak, but after he opened his mouth, he clamped his lips shut when Eliza started to sniffle. "He shared your blood, and last name, but he was never your son."

"I just want to know who he became, who he was before his passing." Mathew forced the words out, like it pained him to say that Mark had died. That he had outlived his child. "Who his family here was, please."

"No." Eliza shook her head. "You lost the right when you never showed up to his funeral."

Atlas Lee-Sunny watches as Mathew Sloans face twists, and his eyes become angry. "I was never invited. I learnt my son had died when I read an article about a group of doctors buying a hospital, that's a wonderful way don't you think?"

Brian Sloan was a map, little dots of who he was from his father, his mother, his whole entire extended family. And Mathew Sloan just wanted to know each and every little dot to make up for what he didn't know in all those years ago.

"Eliza, let's take a walk." Derek steps closer to his sister in law, hand gently holding her bicep as he helps guide her away.

Atlas and Mathew stand alone, other than the few people who walk by in passing. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Mr. Sloan. Mark was a wonderful man."

For once, in the last few minutes, Mathew Sloan didn't feel like a horrible person for being a shitty father. He felt as if he had created a man who grew from the bad and became the good.

"Thank you, I'm sorry for your loss as well." Mathew gave a small smile before he turned away, leaving Atlas standing alone at the nurses station.

For a split second he debated running after the man, but with each step Mathew took, the more he thought about his sister, and how he'd betray her by telling the man what he wanted to know about Mark.

So for once, Atlas didn't do anything but stand there. His heart ached for the grieving father, and for the grieving widow — his sister. But all he did was stand there.

═════════ ☆
hello, all!

thank you for your patience! It took me awhile to find my groove again, but I'm back with an update and hopefully some steady ones so I can start the second book!

Have a lovely day, Rora!