This is just a plot bunny I've had stuck in my head since I heard that 9x19 is gonna be called "Can't Fight This Feeling." I hope you like it!

The thing about fire is that it burns like hell. But, for whatever reason, you still get too close, and the smoke and flames smother you. You don't know why you choose to go so close to something so dangerous; it must be because it's so damn enticing. It dances and twirls endlessly, hypnotizing its observers.

And Alex Karev knew this. He knew that if he played with fire, he was going to get burnt. It was practically common sense that something that causes pain can't possibly be good for you. And Alex was generally a pretty rational person. So, yes, he knew that he shouldn't do anything that would lead him to pain.

But on the other hand, wasn't fire supposed to be man's greatest discovery?

As Alex thought about it, he realized that Jo was kind of like fire. She was mesmerizing; he couldn't help but to be entranced by her. And that feeling that Alex got when he was around her? It was kind of like fire, too. It raged in his stomach, and the closer she got, the more it grew. But then he'd let himself get too close, and the fire within him would burn painfully because she wasn't his, and, at the rate things were going, he doubted if she ever would be.

It seemed like everything she did ignited the flame inside him even more. Whenever they'd have slightly elongated eye contact, he could feel the flames lick at his chest, and don't even get him started on when their hands would brush one another during surgery. The last time he'd almost punctured an artery from the sudden heat that radiated within him as the flames burst endlessly.

And now she was sitting on his couch (or her couch as she would say), and the fire within him was painfully bright. She was smiling uncontrollably as she sipped her beer. "Why are you all smiley?" Alex questioned.

Jo giggled. "Oh, it's nothing," she answered, dismissing him with a quick wave of her hand. "It's Jason," she burst out, unable to contain herself any longer. Alex muttered something incomprehensible. Jo ignored him. "He is just so sweet! You'll never guess what he did yesterday."

"Did he take you to Hogwarts where you were sorted into Gryffindor?" Alex said, raising his eyebrows in fake surprise. "Oh! He took you for a ride on a freaking unicorn, didn't he?"

Jo furrowed her eyebrows together and put down her beer. "What's up with you? I was just telling you about Jason."

"It was a joke," Alex said unconvincingly. "God, Wilson, get a sense of humor." He took an unnecessarily long sip of beer.

"Look, as much as I hate getting all touchy-feely, we have to talk about this," Jo prompted, suddenly looking very serious. "Are you – are you upset that I haven't been hanging out with you as much? Because you have to understand that, while you are my best friend, there are other people in my life that I have to spend time with, too, like Jas – "

"Let me stop you right there," Alex began, a sharp tone to his voice. "I am not, not, jealous of Jason. I'm sorry that I made fun of him, God forbid." Alex gasped. "Let's just hope he doesn't burst through the door and beat me up on the spot for daring to talk about him like that." The fire in his stomach gave him physical pain as it roared tremendously.

"It's hard to believe you when you look like you want to punch him out," Jo exclaimed, laughing slightly.

"Can we just drop it?" Alex demanded. "It's nothing."

"I'm not stupid, Alex. Something's bothering you, and I'm not stopping until I know what it is," Jo retaliated.

"Damn it, Jo, do you want to know what it is?" Alex shouted. "I hate Jason. I just hate him. Because everything that he has could've been mine if I hadn't been so freaking stupid."

"What are you even talking about?" Jo cried. "He's an OB/GYN who wears pink scrubs, and you're jealous of him? What on Earth does he have that you don't?" Alex refused to look her in the eyes. "What?"

The flames blazed more intensely than ever before. And in that moment, Alex knew he couldn't fight it any longer. He lunged forward suddenly and grabbed Jo's arms, crashing his lips onto hers. The fire inside of him exploded so that his whole body was filled with warmth. Before she had time to do anything (so whether she would've reciprocated or not, Alex would never know), he released her and shut his eyes tightly. "I – uh, that never happened," he said, as if he was trying to convince himself. "That did not just happen." He slowly opened his eyes to see Jo looking at him, shocked.

"But it did." The fire sizzled within him, finally satisfied.

Thanks for reading! Sorry to end it on a cliffhanger, but I don't think I'm going to continue it. I wanted to leave it open to interpretation. :)