My Christmas Eve by SoraMJigen/VannillaFudge
This ship is going to kill me, but I adore it. Apparently Zach Braff recently said something about having a Scrubs reunion. I'd be down for it. Just not the last season cause...I mean it was good, but it was meh. Anyway, have a great holiday everyone! Be safe!
Sometimes, it was the simple things. The littlest things made life all the more interesting. It was something Janitor had known in his days here and often used those little things to his advantage. Yet some days it was those miniature things that haunted him. Like the way Elliot smiled at him with her simple greeting or how her hair seemed to catch the sun or – damnit Janitor, get a grip! He mentally slapped himself. He had been harboring these feelings for the longest time and with every passing day he swore they were getting worse. He was the Janitor for God’s sake, there was no way she would go for him.
A gust of wind caught Janitor’s mind and blew his fantasy into the night. Looking over his shoulder, he made his way to his van. His heavy feet trudged through the snow despite being only a few steps away from the vehicle. A blizzard had wrecked the roads causing everyone to be stranded at the hospital. It was probably for the better given the notion that the holidays were usually busy with patients. To make matters even worse it was Christmas Eve – the one holiday where everyone was together. Family, friends, and while Janitor wouldn’t admit it, he would have liked some company.
Janitor had lost track of the time and perhaps, it was for the best. It would take his mind off of Christmas. Mostly everyone at Sacred Heart (as much as they didn’t want to admit it (while some did)) thought of each other as family. Scooter Pie thought of himself as Turk’s second girlfriend, if not first, and Janitor sneered some behind his scarf. Carla and Turk, well that was a given. Then there Elliot who as far as Janitor knew lived alone and often considered her friends as family. What would she think of Janitor then? Clearly not a boyfriend because she was out of his league and he was just a – damnit! What if he was a doctor? Would he have a better chance then? JD always seemed to be with her, why it wouldn’t surprise him if they were together now.
Looking up at the towering building behind him, he saw figures almost in every room. Doctors, nurses, and patients. Maybe some families were in there with them, maybe there were some lonely hearts in those rooms, and maybe he could relate to them. What room would Elliot be in he wondered and he quickly turned his attention to the situation at hand. There hadn’t been mention of rooming at the hospital due to the blizzard (or so Janitor had noticed) and so he was forced to spend the night in his van. He had managed to make it across the rather icy parking lot which he had doused with salt no sooner this storm started. Albeit the town did salt the lot as well, but between the weather and temperature the salt was quickly converted to ice. He supposed it worked in a way. The icy lot acted as a wall between the hospital and all its warmth and people and Elliot, separating him and reducing him to himself and his van. Yes, it would be better this way. Should he have been working? Actually, yes, that would be a better action even if his shift ended only moments ago though no one noticed. If he did go back inside and do something his mind would be at ease, and no one would pay attention to him. He would be shoved off to the side as “the help” as usual, but not to Elliot. No, not again, she had to get out of his head, he had to get her out of his head, he had to ignore every single inkling of her in his mind. Forget her smile, ignore her laugh, erase her eyes that seared into his head –
“Hey,” a voice all too familiar called out into the night behind Janitor and his spine ran cold. He knew who that ‘hey’ belonged to and he had to answer. Janitor wanted to answer that greeting because it was the same greeting he received every day albeit reworded from time to time. Sometimes it was ‘good morning’ others ‘heya’ or even simply ‘hello’.
Turning around from his van, Janitor was met with the lovely sight of Elliot Reid approaching him from Sacred Heart. A furry parka hid her slender frame making her look like a little Eskimo, prompting a smile from Janitor. Elliot heavily focused on the Janitor, her mind buzzing like a thousand bees in a hive while her heart rumbled like thunder. It had been a while since their trick date and her mind kept reflecting on the events of that night. Yes, Janitor had tricked her into a date but still she had a great time. He made her laugh, he listened to her, he gave her his jacket at one point, and he made her feel like one of the most respected and loved people in the world. His reasoning for said date hadn’t even deterred her – rather, it made her adore him even more because of how human he could be despite his tough exterior. There was a terrific man beneath the suit and belt to her amazement and she wanted to know him more.
But telling him that wasn’t exactly the easiest thing.
In fact, Elliot was so driven on reaching the Janitor that she failed to notice where the clear path was met with ice. Even more so, it was of all the times that Elliot’s shoe had come undone, causing her to not only trip over her shoe, but also slip on the ice. Bolting forward, Janitor tore through the snow like a bull through the streets. He watched how she fell and calculated how she would land. She would hit the back of her neck and head and by God he knew how that would hurt. Picking up his pace, Janitor threw himself forward with outstretched arms. His fingertips caught her and soon his palms cupped her. Turning onto his side, he pulled Elliot toward him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he landed, rather hard, on his left shoulder. A shot of pain burst throughout the area and burned throughout his brain. Another pang of pain struck his left hip as he slid some on the ice with Elliot’s face buried into his chest. Gritting his teeth, he would not allow her to see him in pain. Janitors couldn’t feel; it was a self-mantra he lived by. Biting down on his scarf and clamping his eyes shut, he tried to will the pain away by focusing on the woman in his arms who clung to him. She smelled of sweat and perfume and other people’s colognes from those she worked on. She was a melting pot of scents, her hard work at Sacred Hospital showing all too well. He didn’t care about her scents as long as she was all right.
Coming to a halt, Janitor turned onto his back. He opened his stormy eyes only to be met with a tuft of blonde hair beneath his chin. Gently resting his head on the ice behind him, he breathed deeply trying to shake off the remaining, lingering pain as it swam to his brain. Biting his inner cheek, he was relieved to know that they had stopped sliding and that Elliot was technically on top of him. Elliot was on top of him. The thought burst through the ache as he turned a deep crimson at her closeness and the ideas blossoming in his skull. Looking down, he was met with Elliot’s stare. He secretly hoped that she wasn’t quietly questioning the warm blush on his face (if not his entire body).
“Are you okay?” Janitor asked as she stifled her giggle against her smile, making her all the more wonderful than he ever thought she could be. Elliot had never seen him blush before and she knew the reason behind it as she hoped her hair hid her own rosy cheeks. Her wide eyes glimmered with her own brand of charm. Swallowing hard, he released his gum and focused on her. She was gorgeous in every way that he knew and there was no way that he would ever get this moment out of his head. Not even jum could drown it out.
“Yeah. Are you though? You fell pretty hard there, dude.” Her voice was the snow – soft and alluring and Janitor was drawn mentally. Even her lithe body was soft, his hands holding her hips from the fall. His mind filling him with fantasies that he hoped the wind could blow away or something to arise and take his mind off what exactly was going through his head. Nothing sexual, no, no, no, he wasn’t like those other men Elliot would go with, but to hold her close and tell her everything. How she lit up his day even if was just with a little recognition and how it made his heart thrum.
Janitors couldn’t feel. He mentally repeated this and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m all right.” That pain still coursed through him yet he didn’t want to let Elliot go as she undid her arms around his neck. Her perfume dancing in the air now and it filled his nostrils and he never wanted to forget her scent. Standing tall now, she extended her hand to him only to pause and immediately drop down to tie her shoe. She didn’t want a repeat of what just occurred and hurriedly fixing her laces, she stood once more. Reaching out to him, Janitor offered his right hand to her and she took it. He smiled amidst the pain. Her smaller hand in his’, those thin fingers wrapping around his palms sent waves of relief up his back. Janitor watched as she used both her hands to help pull him up and he allowed her to, shifting his weight so that it would be easier for her. But of course, his shoulder throbbed and he grit his teeth to swallow a yelp brought on by his new injury.
“Oh my God! Dude, are you hurt?”
“No…,” his tone tinged with injury and Janitor hated how his body gave himself away. Hurriedly Elliot dropped to her knees and slowly eased him so he stood before her once more. He flinched some at how his shoulder and hip ached and Elliot’s eyes met with his. Hers an intense storm of concern which Janitor had only noticed when she was caring for patients and yet there was something more to her baby blues. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was a powerful sea wavering about in her skull. Janitor tried to keep his stern composure, but it failed with how the pain flowed through him and how his brain pulsed at the fact that he was injured before Elliot.
Elliot should never have to see him like this. She was supposed to see him as strong and ruthless and yet he allowed his vulnerability to be exposed on that date. She had seen his soul and dared not say a word about it to anyone – okay, maybe Carla, but Carla was her best friend. Regardless, she had seen the man before her with his guard exposed and all those evil eyes and pranks were extinguished. Even now his stern facial features were gentle as a result from the injury and Elliot smiled softly, a sign of reassurance that she was there to help him.
“Come on, let’s get you patched up.”
Janitor gave into her as he always would. He allowed himself to be led into the hospital, past the awkward stares, the whispering words, and he knew what they were all thinking. Why was she holding his hand? What was she doing? Wasn’t she supposed to be helping people who weren’t “the help”? Also, why was she holding his hand? He could have easily followed her, he wasn’t going to get lost. He knew this place like the back of his hand. Perhaps, was she trying to tell him something? Trying to read her was like trying to read an alien language and Janitor tried to wrap his head around her. Yet the more he thought about it, the more confusion arose which caused an inaudible, frustrated mumble to erupt from his dry lips. Janitor considered pulling away from her and making a break for it, but he couldn’t withstand to see the hurt in her eyes and feel her anger. He let her lead him to a spare room – one used for simple checkups, knowing the injury wasn’t that terrible (or so she hoped). Closing the door behind her, she swallowed.
It wasn’t surprising to know that sometimes people did things in the hospital that they weren’t supposed to. Cry in a broom closet, hook up in a spare patient room, sleep at the front desk. Yet the situation presented itself before her: the man Elliot secretly felt emotions for was with her, alone, in a room. Now granted, she had cried before in broom closets and medicinal closets like the others, but now, now was different. She didn’t feel these things then and watching Janitor remove his jacket, her thoughts were dashed by a brilliant crimson mark on his shoulder.
Elliot would have normally gone about the procedure as any other doctor. Not freak out over the wound, clean it up and heal it as best as possible, and prescribe any medication if needed. But the Janitor was different. He was someone she cared about, thought about, even harbored some – no, she had to be a professional about this. She had to be a doctor in this moment, not some crush crazy woman who wanted nothing more than to press her lips against his’ and – biting her lower lip, she quickly cancelled out that thought. She knew what had to come next and she hoped that her mind wouldn’t run wild.
“Remove your shirt.” She spoke tersely. “Please.” To be polite.
“It’s a suit.” He knew that she knew this. It was something they talked about at the date – had she forgotten so-
“Right sorry, um, just raise your sleeve then.” Janitor began to wonder what exactly was going on in her head as he followed her order. Elliot did her best to focus on her chart and not at the situation before her, but she knew she had to face the music. Yet her thoughts began to mingle personal with business and she mentally chastised herself. He was a patient. Now was not the time to notice how he had some muscle in his arm – well of course he had to, it was a part of the job – or how dry his skin was. She quietly cursed the weather for that. Or how he had some chest hair – definitely a manly feature; Elliot quickly her attention to the wound.
Elliot winced slightly at the injury as it appeared on his shoulder. A large scarlet splotch stained his skin, reddened by the cold ice. His dry skin had already caused his skin to be frail, but with sliding on the ice it made the skin easier to peel. She wondered if his hip was the same way, he seemed to be struggling with it as he walked. Albeit, that injury may have been minor given that he applied more pressure on his shoulder as opposed to the latter. Elliot mentally cleared her mind of any emotion she had for the Janitor and focused on being a temporary professional. Yet as she cleaned his wound she couldn’t help but to steal little glances at him. How he bit his lower lip when peroxide was applied so that she wouldn’t have to see him in pain or put up a strong front, when he knew damn well she had knocked it down. How he tried to close his eyes and focus on something else. What though? She wanted to ask, but couldn’t bring herself to do so.
This would be a quick job, but Elliot couldn’t help but to take some time with it. Yet, her pager wasn’t beeping off the hook so perhaps the volume had died down. There was no word about clear roads or any relief inducing weather conditions. For now it was just her and Janitor in their own little world away from reality where they could go at their own pace and she could dress his wound as cautiously as she desired. She could take all the time in the world. The Janitor could catch on though, but perhaps, some small talk wouldn’t hurt?
“Weren’t you cold out there?” Elliott started, knowing that he had probably endured worse before. Janitor shook his head before speaking up.
“Not at all. Thank frick for parkas.” Elliot didn’t want to tell him that the parka was barely keeping her warm because she wanted to see him and he didn’t want to say that his jacket was thin. If prompted, he would just say that he had enough body heat to warm food. Even then though, that was a lie and he damn well knew it, but he didn’t want her to worry.
“Also thank frick they’re letting us spend the night. There’s no way I’d get home in this. There aren’t many rooms though, did you get yours?”
Wait, they were giving out rooms?
“They never asked you about a room?”
“No.” His answer was slow and deliberate with irritation at the notion that they hadn’t offered him a room and that Elliot was reeling from his injury in anger. Granted, Janitor had walked through snow before and he knew that his van could make it back to his residence. He supposed they wanted him to sleep in his van and he was going to do that, but even then, he knew it would be a futile attempt. Eventually he would have to go into the hospital and find some sort of shelter because it was just too damn cold out. Albeit he had slept in his van before, but this time it was different. The mere thought made his mind twitch in irritation.
“Those frickers!” Elliott squeaked in frustration and stomped her foot. He adored her squeak and while he thought it was adorable, he understood her madness. The chances of Kelso getting pranked to the utmost supreme tomorrow were incredibly high.
“You’re a part of this hospital too, they should have offered you! You know what? Come stay in my room.” The words were out of Elliott’s mouth faster than she could think about them. Her mind had won and was silently mocking her and she bit her lip hard. She turned her face away from his so she could pay more attention to her job, while hoping Janitor didn’t see the blush creeping onto her face. He himself looked away to wrangle a deep crimson down his spine which made him shiver.
“Are you sure?” Janitor asked with hesitation, not wanting to invade her personal space or privacy. Hell, he didn’t even know how she felt about him. All he believed was that there was no way he could get the girl nor would she feel the way for him as he did to her. He technically confessed his emotions to her after their trick date, but afterward he was met with more of her kindness and understanding.
“Yes! My mind’s made up and you’re not walking or driving home in the snow tonight. My room is in the D wing, number 124.”
“How did you know I was out there?” Janitor suddenly questioned, amused that she had found him by his van. It was a question that had been nagging at him since their interaction began this cold night. Granted, it was buried beneath the restraints Janitor was placing on himself by hiding his emotions and trying to put on a tough act for Elliot, but by now the act was over. Elliot had seen through him and his injuries and he knew she saw how gentle his features had become. He hated being read – usually he was the one reading other people, but something about Elliot just made it difficult to be a hardened hearted individual.
The question made Elliot stop for a moment to formulate her answer. The truth was she was on a mini break and wanted to find Janitor so they could get coffee together and possibly discuss how her heart pounded whenever he made her laugh or how she blushed some whenever he’d acknowledge something about her. Plus she wanted some air from the hospital – being in there for a good amount of time was enough to drive a person insane; especially on a heavy night such as this with the blizzard to boot. She was thankful that his shoulder was fully treated as she now applied gauze to it. This meant that their time together was almost ov- frick she forgot about his hip. Which mean he would have to lower his pants or remove them and the blush burst onto her face again. She had seen patients’ lower halves, but it was the Janitor and she tried to rid herself of her crimson cheeks. She disliked harboring this school girl crush, but could she really go back to him especially after their trick date?
“I…,” Elliot fumbled on her words. Janitor listened intently as she finished tying up the gauze wrap. Not too tight, not too loose. He liked that, it meant he could still function with his work. “I need to see your hip.”
“Elliot.” Janitor said her name and shivers raked her soul. He had her attention. Something he never thought he would have other than their greetings and he knew he couldn’t destroy this. He needed to know her answer to satisfy the fantasies in his head and deal with the harsh reality of life. His voice wasn’t too stern, but it was enough to make her listen. “How did you know I was-“
“I needed- I needed to talk to you.” Elliot felt like a little girl admitting something and absolutely disliked it. However, it was question though that needed answering and well, she was here now with Janitor. Scenery wouldn’t have made a difference (she hoped) and there was something more intimate about the two of them being alone. It was more personal and private – there would no eavesdropping and no rumors escalating within the room.
“You make me laugh and I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking about that night. I had a really great time with you and I didn’t really expect that-“
“Being a janitor has nothing to do with what I feel for you.” Elliot’s words caught him off guard, so much so that his jaw dropped in shock and he quickly retracted it. “It’s because I never saw that side of you. All this time, your smile, how you make me laugh, the way you treat me, it’s something I never expected and I love it. I want to see more of that person.”
Elliot met the Janitor’s eyes and felt her heart beating like rain drops. Soft pitter patters against her breast. She wondered if he could hear them and she watched him, uncertain and a bit afraid as to how he would respond. His guard had been fully disassembled exposing astonishment in his eyes with a speechless mouth. A blush had gathered on her face as well as his’ and his mind came to a blank. All the questions from earlier were silenced in her delivery and answered as well.
She wanted to see the real him. The man underneath the cold exterior with the frostbite stare and the rough gruff nature that sometimes got him into trouble. She wanted to know that man beneath the suit that made her laugh and smile when no else would or could. She wanted, quite simply, him. The mere joy brought on by this realization was enough to make the Janitor absolutely and completely enthralled. So much so, he ignored his newly treated shoulder and his hip and leapt off the seat. Ignoring the splintering pain in his hip, he scooped Elliot into his arms despite her protests that he would hurt his hip in doing this. Janitor would endure that pain even if it lasted him a thousand years just to see Elliot content. He spun her around in his arms and she laughed as though he told her the funniest joke of all time and she snorted, causing him to grin and chuckle, eventually seeping into laughter.
“Say, Janitor,” Elliot interrupted their moment of happiness as she looked down, meeting her jovial eyes and radiant smile with his’. “Are you….doing anything? I mean it’s Christmas Eve.”
“Well, I’ll be spending the night with a beautiful woman. That’s all I need.” He flashed a killer grin and if he wasn’t holding Elliot, she would have swooned. Slowly sliding her down against his body, Elliot felt her blush resurface as he brought her to his lips, tasting her holly berry baby lip gloss. It was chaste and soft, not wanting to force her into anything and she returned the gesture in the same gentle manner.
Her slender fingers of warmth scampered up to his cheeks as he held the small of her back in his hands. Time seemed to slow around them as their kiss stretched the minutes and reduced them into seconds and even further down until those moments passing by had no term at all. They were fleeting and wonderful because it was their kiss that made them possible. When they finally pulled away Elliot snorted some at the Janitor’s cherry red cheeks and in turn he chuckled at her strawberry shaded face. Gently setting her onto the floor, Elliot smiled as she nodded to the chair so she could work on his injured hip.
When they emerged from the room what seemed like hours later, Elliot was thankful that Dr.Cox or Kelso weren’t greeting her with impatience and snide remarks. Looking at the time, she smiled – her shift was over which meant she could finally get some sleep. Leading Janitor to her temporary room, he followed her as the two made conversation along the way of how both men in particular were assholes, ways to prank JD, the Christmas decorations scattered about Sacred Heart, and whatever they felt like discussing. He made her laugh and she laughed with him. Along the way, Janitor noticed a sprig of mistletoe dangling over two interns who were using the decoration to their advantage. Doctors walking by told them to get a room to which they would have loved to, but they couldn’t just tear away from each other’s arms. Passing by them with the silence of a ghost, Janitor snatched the sprig without Elliot noticing and kept walking alongside her.
Reaching the room just a few feet before her, Janitor didn’t waste the opportunity to be a gentleman and opened the door for her. Pressing himself against the door at full length, Janitor held the mistletoe just over his head causing Elliot to grin and rush into the room. Grabbing him by his lapels, she pulled him into a kiss, her teeth tugging and nibbling at his lower lip causing him to pull her close. Guiding her into the room, he closed the door behind them and locked it behind him to ensure no one would disturb them. Running her tongue over his lips to tease, Elliot pulled back with a giggle. Janitor smirked and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder, before playfully throwing her onto the bed and climbing in beside her. She was a grinning fool the entire time and he couldn’t help but to match her expression as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. Snuggling against his chest, Janitor wrapped his arms around her.
“Merry Christmas, Janitor.” Elliot murmured against his chest as he held her tight.
“Merry Christmas, Elliot.” He whispered softly and kissed her temple.
Not only did Janitor receive the company he so desired for Christmas Eve, but he won her heart by being himself. The room didn’t even matter, as long as he was with Elliot Reid then life was wonderful.
