Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Grey's Anatomy because if I did it would be MerDer heaven and Addison would be off with Mark. This story was inspired by a couple Death Cab For Cutie songs: "I Will Follow You Into the Dark", "Brothers On A Hotel Bed", and basically the whole "Plans" album.

Rating: I'm remaining faithful to my NC-17 roots.

A/N: I know a few people are going to be disappointed when they find out that I wrote something and it wasn't Snickers related but I'm working on it. This story is dedicated to Ashley because she is awesome. Thank you for guarding Smuff Land. My muse wasn't murdered, simply abducted and now the kidnapper is demanding a ransom. I'm working on it.

Chapter One

The sound of the falling rain and the soft call of a wild bird eased her tense muscles into relaxation with little effort. The particular CD had always called Meredith in a way that nothing else ever had. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was a sucker for buying those nature sounds CDs simply because they were the only thing that got her to sleep recently.

Bowing to the foamy green mat beneath her bare feet, she felt the stretching of her muscles in her legs and back. Deftly, she lied on the mat, stomach down, and immediately arched her back until she could look at the wall behind her. Her arms in front of her were used to strain and weight where they had not been weeks ago when she had started to practice yoga. As she breathed evenly in and out, she slid into a new position with grace that had replaced her awkwardness.

The music had transitioned into the gentle rolling of waves; it was by far, Meredith's favorite track. Living in Seattle and working at a hospital didn't allow her much time to venture to the seaside often so the CD acted as a worthy replacement.

Yoga was a way for Meredith to slip away from reality so it was only natural that she didn't hear someone enter the room. Her eyes were closed as she sat cross-legged, simply focusing on her breathing. During her exercising, she found it helpful to meditate or at least sit and just breathe for a while.

"I never knew you did yoga." The voice infiltrated her mind, shattering her focus and distracting her breathing technique.

One of her eyes flickered open to stare darkly at the intruder who was leaning, arms crossed over wool-covered chest, against the wooden doorframe. The smirk on his face was both of amusement and playful mocking.

"I do it when I think I'm alone," she stressed the last word in her soft voice, trying to maintain her serenity.

"Am I disrupting?" he wondered knowingly.

"Honestly? Yes."

She eased out of her sitting and into one of her favorite positions that stretched her entire body. It was a little complex and one that she had learned the other day. She wouldn't have confessed it to his face, but she was showing off: only a little. He had, after all, interrupted her and so what if she skipped a couple routine poses to this one? He didn't know the difference.

Opening her eyes now, she saw Derek incline his head to the right a little to gather the full sight of what she was going. He looked at her appreciatively for a moment before he masked it with something else.

"No wonder you were so flexible in bed," he murmured.

She stood up and a fair amount of distance between her legs, reaching down to the floor to stretch her back a little better. It also gave the man in the doorway a side view of her behind.

"I didn't do yoga when I slept with you," she responded casually.

"Then I guess that's another one of your gifts."

Arching eyebrow at him for a brief second before she turned on her heal to change the CD that had now stopped, Meredith anticipated the reply secretly to the question she was about to ask. "In or out of the bedroom?"

He chuckled, grinning at her like he had in the old days; the emotions in his eyes were still the same. "Both."

Frowning, she said in the most nonchalant tone she could muster at that point, "I'm not so sure being flexible helps me much outside of the bedroom, now does it?"

He wondered for a moment, watching her with keen interest as she rolled up the mat. She knew she wouldn't get much more done with the way he was staring at her. Besides, he wasn't one who stopped by often unless he wanted something specific.

"Maybe reaching for something high on a shelf?" he shrugged.

"There's chairs and tall men like yourself for that," she replied, walking by him with her mat under her arm, hoping he would follow.

Like a trained puppy, he obediently followed her upstairs. She stopped half way and he almost bumped into her. He had gotten distracted by the way the Lulu Lemon black pants clung to her petite form. Swallowing hard at the fact that he was caught, he met her eyes.

"Did I say you could come upstairs?"

"You've never turned me down before. Why would start?"

She eyed him closely, knowing that he was right and too clever than she remembered. Sighing, she continued up but he remained where he was until she noticed that there was no longer an echo of footsteps creaking on the stairs behind her. Half turning, she looked at him questioningly.

"Something wrong, Derek?"

"I think it's best I stay here," he said simply, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Since she was already being a little more bold than normal, she said reassuringly, "We're friends, Derek. Nothing's going to happen."

"Not with you wearing that outfit."

She glanced down at her form-fitting light blue tank top that had a razorback and her stretchy black pants that had been a gift for her birthday from Izzy.

"Something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"No, that's the problem."

Meredith stood there in slight bewilderment and then finally sighed out of frustration, something uttered under her breath that sounded awfully like "men".

When she had put away her yoga mat, tucking it under her bed in her room, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She took a second to take in her feminine features that her tight outfit revealed. Okay, so it wasn't something she was accustomed to wearing and it definitely wasn't something that Derek was used to seeing her in, but she was comfortable and she knew that she looked pretty good. Deciding to take down her hair, she let it tumble down onto her small shoulders before she left her bedroom.

Derek wasn't in the stairwell where she left him moments ago. She found him seated in her kitchen, still wearing his coat.

"Do you want to hang up your jacket?"

"I'm not staying long," he revealed.

"Why are you here?"

"What are you doing Saturday?"

"I'm – "

"I know you have it off."

"Why?"

"How about dinner?"

"What does Addison think about that?"

"She doesn't know."

Meredith crossed her arms over her small chest. "I'm not looking for a repeat performance, Derek."

"I'm not asking for one." Yet. "All I'm asking is for dinner, with you, Saturday evening."

"Are you cooking?" she eyed him cautiously.

"I was thinking of more a formal restaurant."

"Why?"

"You wear scrubs everyday and if not, you're in jeans."

"I happen to like denim."

"I also know you like to dress up and that you haven't in a long time."

"Luring me in with the proposal of wearing a dress and heels?" She paused and looked him over. "God, you're good."

"So you've mentioned…" he smirked at her, "several times."

There was a moment where she glowered at him and he laughed, loving her reaction.

"I'll pick you up at 7:00," he said, standing up and making his way out of the kitchen.

It was her turn to follow him to the door like a lapdog.

Just as he was about to step out the front door that he had just opened, he turned to her.

"I'd also prefer it if you wore that red dress that you have."

"That's not a friendly thing to say, Derek. Besides, I threw it out."

"Why?"

"Too many memories," she said evenly, giving him a stern look. She saw that he immediately remembered the night that she had worn it just for him and how he showed her exactly how much he loved it.

The expression on his face showed disappointment but it was also of understanding.

"I can imagine why."

The door closed behind him but she hadn't been the one to shut it. For a minute she remained rooted to the spot until she tore herself away from the foyer, suddenly bolting up the stairs.

Her closet was a mess that she was always meaning to get to and tucked in the back with clothes she had forgotten she owned, she felt the soft almost silky fabric of Derek's desire. Finding its hanger and pulling it out from the depths of the closet, Meredith gazed at the garment lovingly but with sadness. She sat down with it on her bed and felt the fabric for a while beneath her fingertips.