Meredith lay outstretched on the rugged couch of her apartment, intrigued with the act of crossing and uncrossing her fingers. Her mouth dangled open slightly as her head tilted to the side, clouded from a lack of sleep. The first few nights of Twisted performances had been much more strenuous than any of her colleagues had imagined. After all, she thought, this was their musical with the most potential so far. This could be going places. Meredith smirked to herself as she sighed and glanced up at the ceiling.
"DUH!" Meredith nearly tumbled onto the floor, clinging desperately to the arm of the couch as the door of the apartment was blasted open. Brian stalked furiously through the doorway, glancing at the small crack the door had made upon impact with the base of the wall. "Shit. Hi, Mere." He briefly acknowledged her, then began his bitter trek to the bedroom. Meredith still clung to the side of the couch in awe, her painted fingernails beginning to lose their grip. She had seen him irked by little things before…he was her sassy boy. He snapped in a beautiful Z-formation. Hell, he even had bold kisses…Meredith giggled internally, remembering their first date down to every detail; but to see Brian this upset shook her.
The wall shook abruptly as Brian kicked it from down the hall, and Meredith slipped from her teetering rest on the couch in surprise. She squeaked as she landed in a tangled heap on the floor. Untwisting her legs, Meredith rose and made her way to the bedroom, where Brian paced beside the bed.
"I just don't get it, you know?" he spoke, though Meredith was unsure if it was directed at her. "I try so hard to make everyone happy and you would think that people know how to respect that." He collapsed onto the edge of their bed, throwing his perfectly sculpted face (as Meredith saw it) into his outstretched fingers. Meredith settled beside him and soothingly pet the tips of his hair with her fingers. God, you would never know he was such a delicate person the way he looks, she thought admiringly. Her hands traveled to his shoulders, resting comfortably in the grooves through his shirt. "Mmhm," Brian feebly encouraged. "Now tell me what's wrong! So I can fix it…" Meredith added enthusiastically, trying to pry apart the slender fingers that hid her sassy boy's face. He eventually peeked out from between them, eyes sparkling with playfulness but his mouth turned down sourly. Meredith gazed at him blankly for a second as he pondered his answer.
"Remember how we warned the entire audience at Twisted NOT – (Meredith's stomach flipped as his voice pitched with the emphasis of the word) – to take pictures during the show? I mean, we don't just say that for whatever…there's some serious shit – (Meredith's eyes laughed as he swore; there was something about his attempts at being a badass that impressed her) – that can happen as a result. And whatever idiot it was who decided to do it today…ugh. It just hurts more than you think, having someone do that to your show. – (Meredith enjoyed the sight of his neck muscles flexing as he spoke) – OUR show." Meredith's approving gaze traveled up to meet Brian's expectant one. Although she couldn't help thinking he was beautiful, she had also listened to every word with patient receptivity. "Brian, no one respects you more than I do…and you deserve all of it and more." She smiled as she drew closer to him, nuzzling his cheek gently.
"No, Meredith…" Brian began in realizing anticipation, struggling to keep his cool control. She only responded by humming a soft tune, tracing spiraling patterns on the skin of his forearm. "Not tonight, we've got another weekend of shows to plan…" he continued to weakly protest. Meredith sparkled with mischievous intent. "You're the best director in the whoooole world," she whispered pointedly in his ear, tickling his face with her lengthened eyelashes. Brian's body tensed. "Why are you so irresistible?" he moaned. Meredith straightened triumphantly, then leaned back against him. "You look so hot when you're angry," she reasoned.
Brian finally gave into his instincts and passionately kissed his girlfriend, weaving with her as their movements became second nature. He pulled back for a second to respond. "It's a shame, then, that you'll never see me at my best…because I could never be angry at you." He smiled, forgetting about the problem that lay at hand. He would deal with that another day.
Further into the night, Brian and Meredith rested side by side in the darkness. A glimmer of moonlight barely illuminated their shapes, slipping into unconsciousness as exhaustion overtook them. Meredith's hands once again played fondly with the tuft of stray hair over Brian's forehead as he looked on, content with the intrusion. The moment shone with perfection, yearning to be preserved. However, Meredith noticed the silence and reassured him. "Bri, don't worry about the pictures…everything happens." He gazed down at her appreciatively and half-grinned. "I know. I have to accept that even though I want things to be perfect, we're always going to get a rule breaker once in a while." A wave of peace drew over him as he breathed and settled deeper into his pillow, turning completely to face his one and only Meredith. "And that's okay….because I, for one, love breaking the rules." Meredith smiled behind closed eyelids as Brian subtly kissed her forehead, capturing the feeling and holding it close. The spray of moonlight continued to embrace them, turning the world silver and serene. Meredith was home, and there was nowhere else she'd rather be.