So it's been a really long time since I've written. But I've absolutely fallen in love with Merluca and I have seen a public cry for fanfic so here I am! Hope I'm able to help feed the need. :)

For now, this fic is going to be a companion piece to the episodes. So this chapter coincides with the end of 15x06, "Flowers Grow Out of My Hair." Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Hey," he said softly, as he always did. With a smile, as he always had. At least for her. "I thought you'd have left by now."

She had been staring at the elevator door as she waited for it to get to her floor. Instinctively when she heard his voice, her head whipped up to meet him and she tugged onto the shoulder strap of her purse. With a small smile, she said, "I've been trying to leave for the last half hour. CeCe needed to hear all about my date."

His chuckle sounded like a low rumble. It caused Meredith's breath to catch in her chest. She hoped he hadn't noticed.

"She must have been disappointed when you told her you scared him off." He turned to face the elevator too as he said it, but she thought she saw him trying to hide a smirk.

"CeCe thinks I'm not opening myself to love," she said as she made a sweeping motion with her hands as if quoting her matchmaker.

He smiled wider as he shook his head. "I respect CeCe a lot but I think she's wrong. In the time I've known you, I've seen you be a wonderful mom. A great sister. Amazing doctor. Being strong doesn't mean you're closed." He turned to look at her. "It might take longer to get to know you, but you're definitely worth the effort."

His voice had dropped to almost a whisper but she felt so exposed, he might as well have been screaming. She felt a flame rip through her from her toes to the tips of her ears and she wished they weren't in the middle of the hallway. Before she could respond, thankfully she heard the ding of the elevator and rushed in.

He followed her. "I'm sorry, Dr. Grey. Did I embarrass you?"

Shaking her head, her soft blonde hair curved around her shoulders and the marigold tucked behind her ear. "No, DeLuca. You overwhelm me."

"Meredith." His dark eyes clouded and he moved incrementally closer. "I have wanted to smell that flower in your hair all night." He leaned in until she was backed against the elevator wall. He put his right hand on the wall behind her and came so close that his lips could have touched her temple if she had turned into him.

He inhaled deeply and muttered something intelligible in Italian. She was sure all of the oxygen left the room. "Andrew, this is inappropriate."

He didn't move. "I don't think you actually believe that." He slipped the marigold from her ear and brushed it against her cheek. "I think you want to tell me where to kiss you."

She smiled at his brazenness and decided to call his bluff. Her fingers slid across his hand as she stole the marigold and put it behind his ear. The orange flower looked almost neon in his black curls. She cursed herself for playing into his game because she couldn't remember a time she had felt this attracted to someone after Derek. She looked him straight in the eye, hoping he would think she was nonchalant. With a laugh, she said, "The flower looks better on you."

"That's not possible." He grabbed the lapels of her coat and slipped it off until it fell to the floor. He kept his hands on her forearms and then slowly slid them upwards.

Her black button-down felt as thin as crepe paper beneath his massaging fingers. She felt naked. Exposed. "Deluca, this is crazy."

His eyes followed his hand as he hooked his finger in the top of her blouse, tugging the first button towards him. In Italian he whispered, "Tell me where to kiss you."

For a moment, Meredith's brain went blank and before she had time to talk herself out of it, she said, "Everywhere."

Using the hand that was still attached to her shirt and placing his free hand on the curve of her waist, he pinned her against the wall, his hips completely melted to her own. His lips came down heavy on hers and he nipped and sucked and teased her until she was breathless.

She ran her fingers through his hair, his curls naturally wrapping around her fingers. She took hold and tugged playfully.

He groaned in surprised, pulling his head up to look at her again. His wild eyes matched her own hunger and she bucked against him when he started to unbutton her shirt. She watched him bend over to kiss her clavicle, then the skin just above the front clasp of her bra. She dug her nails into his shoulders and then lightly dusted his neck with the pads of her fingertips, hoping he'd feel the same amount of pleasure and pain he was coaxing from her.

He kept hold of her gaze as he got on his knees. Grabbing either side of her hips, he pulled her towards him as he grazed her stomach with his teeth. She cried out from surprise and desire and hoped no one could hear her through the elevator doors. But also kind of hoped they could.

The danger was half of the turn-on. Andrew DeLuca was a lot of things. And dangerous was one of them. She felt like they were running towards a cliff. And as he unbuttoned her pants and tugged them down her thighs, she didn't have any inclination to care about that damn cliff. Right now, it sounded like a hell of a fun way to go.

She took his free hand and entwined it with hers. Her back arched as his tongue traced a line from her navel to the small black bow of her panties. She squeezed his hand and asked, "DeLuca, what are we doing?"

"You tell me, Grey." He pinched the black silk of her lingerie, then pulled it back and let go. The elastic snapped against her stomach. He smiled devilishly. "This is your fantasy, not mine."

She snapped awake, blinking fiercely as she tried to figure out where she was. Her bathroom. Glass of wine. Soft music and candles. Maggie had taken the kids to run off their Halloween candy sugar rush in the park. She had taken the opportunity of the precious moments alone to soak in the bath.

She must have fallen asleep and the romantic setting of the bubbles, candles and wine had drifted her into a hot dream.

But if she was being honest with herself, she had been having a lot of these dreams lately. The dreams had started off generic. DeLuca. Link. Jackson. Hell, she had even had a showstopper about the mailman a few months back.

That's when she knew CeCe was right and it was time to start dating again. But that had been a complete bust so far. And CeCe, like in her dream, had told her that she wasn't being open or available.

But those two traits were not something that came easy to Ellis Grey's daughter. She was trying her best to meet and like the men CeCe had found for her, but none of them were right.

In fact, it was getting worse. Just a few nights before, she had completely ranted to this complete stranger about having a dying, deadbeat dad. How's that for open!

None of these guys were working out, but she was still having sexy dreams. She was beginning to think that her psyche was taunting her. In fact, the more men she met, the fewer guys she dreamt about.

More and more, she was only dreaming about one man.

Thank God, she wasn't dreaming about Jackson any more. She couldn't look Maggie in the eye for a week after that dream. But the fantasies she was having now weren't that much less complicated.

No, her dreams were very complicated. And ridiculous. He was a subordinate. Her sister's ex boyfriend. Practically a kid.

And even if those things weren't true, there was no way he was interested in her. Sure he had kissed her. But he had been out of his mind with heartbreak and free wedding booze. And had apologized immediately the next day, even telling her that it didn't mean anything and he'd never do it again.

So, really, fantasizing about DeLuca was probably for the best. At least she knew it wouldn't lead to anything. He didn't want her. And she was just involuntarily dreaming.

Except.

Except she had noticed he stared at her a little too long before Flora's surgery. And that she had caught him watching her when he thought she wasn't aware.

Except she had caught herself watching him when she thought he wasn't aware.

Except she had been listening to her Italian music playlist a lot lately, to brush up on that 3 years of a college elective.

Except she had caught herself staring at his hands at random times. They were masculine yet gentle. That kind of described everything about him really: masculine but gentle.

Except she had wondered what he would do if she had really put that marigold behind his ear.

You're being ridiculous, Grey, she scolded herself. Nothing was ever going to happen. She was his superior. He had dated her sister.

If she was being really honest with herself, those weren't really the reasons why she panicked every time she dreamed about him.

But this is dark and twisty Meredith Fucking Grey. She was perfectly content to not be really honest with herself.

TBC