Disclaimer: As much as I would love to own Derek Shepherd and James Bond, sadly, I do not.
Just a cute little oneshot…Mercentric.
Meredith decides that since she spends so much time at the bar, she should learn how to make more interesting drinks. She asks Joe to teach her, and surprises Derek when he gets home.
Bartender
"Hey Mer. Tequila?" Meredith smiled at her nightly greeting from Joe. She walked over to the bar and sat down.
"Hey Joe. Actually, I had a kind of a favor to ask…" She smiled up at him. He groaned, unable to resist. He always had had a soft spot for Meredith Grey. She had gone through so many things in her lifetime. As bartender, he was privy to the life stories of most of the people who frequented the bar. People had one too many drinks, and suddenly Joe was their closest confidante. In all his years of bartending, however, Meredith Grey's story still hit him every time. Emotionally abused by her mother, abandoned by her father, left time after time by Derek, drowned…and yet despite all this, Meredith continued to live. She perservered. She didn't give up. She may have drunk countless shots of tequila and slept with inappropriate men and been unable to trust others…but she didn't give up. And secretly, Joe wanted to be just like Meredith when he grew up. So, therefore, he would do anything for her.
"Of course Meredith. What do you need?"
"Well. Christina was planning to have another party, but she got bored with the drinks we have already, so she sent me over to find out how to make interesting, fun drinks. And since you are the best bartender since, well ,ever, we figured you would be able to teach me so please say you will." Joe smiled at her ramblings. He walked over to the partition that let him into the bar, and opened it for Meredith. She grinned and slipped off the barstool, headed over to where he was.
"Just one thing, Mer. You have to follow everything I say, OK? I don't want any people to get mad at you back here, and they will if you mess with their drinks. Just follow my lead." She nodded and joined him behind the bar. She rolled up her sleeves, ready for him to teach her.
"OK, so the first thing we're going to do is your basic martini…"
Derek walked into the house after a long day at the hospital, feeling the weariness in his bones. All he wanted was to get into bed with Meredith, cuddle up to her, and sleep for days and days and days…
But unfortunately, it seemed he would be unable to do that, as he heard clunking coming from the kitchen, and soft swears that sounded suspiciously like his girlfriend. He walked over, barely supporting himself, and leaned against the kitchen doorframe.
Meredith had the entire liquor cabinet emptied onto the counter, which was quite a feat considering the people who lived in the house. Glasses were half-full all over the kitchen, some with drips still going down the side and puddles where she had obviously gotten too enthusiastic in mixing. Half-empty bottles littered the counters and floors, and Derek silently groaned when thinking of what Alex was going to say when he saw his liquor supply missing.
She stood in the middle of the chaos, shirt with several liquid stains on it from when she had spilled. She was currently staring mutinously at several martini glasses, olives sitting abandoned inside. She looked up at him.
"Would you like a martini?" He smiled at her, all traces of fatigue faded away.
"Shaken, not stirred." He said, in a reasonably fair impression of Ian Fleming as James Bond. She giggled and he smiled again, and joined her in the kitchen.