So this is My second Multi chapter AU. I've finished writing this story since this was an old story of mine and that means that i can post regularly and this story have 7 chapters. I really do hope you guys like it! Please Review, like, follow, anything.
I'll be waiting for it!
Valerie
W A R M W I N T E R
Out of all of the four seasons that existed, winter was the one she hated the most.
While Izzie had corrected her ("Hate is a strong word,"the perky girl had said), she stood by her use of the word. She.hated.winter.
Meredith hated how cold it was, the snow, the cold, how there was nothing fun to do, and the cold. To help her withstand the freezing temperatures, she strategically bundled up in layers to keep her warm and to peel off whenever it was too hot.
That particular day was no different as she trudge along to her anatomy lecture. The lecture theatre it was held in had terrible heating that was pretty much nonexistent and shr were bundled up in her armor: a big gray checked scarf that also served as a blanket (one of the many she owned), an oversized dark blue button-down shirt, a black knit cardigan that was larger than her by two sizes, her trusty black leggings, and a warm pair of dark brown lace-up boots. A navy double-breasted coat topped off her cozy look, which she deemed to be practical and cute.
The walk from her apartment to campus is short, fortunately enough, and she get to the lecture with ten minutes to spare. As expected, her best friend, Derek Shepherd, is already seated at the seats they both usually occupy, with his backpack reserving her spot and two takeaway cups in his hands.
Derek was her best friend and whom she fondly referred to as Der. They've known each other since her daycare years, maybe even before but her earliest memory didn't go that far. She were thick as thieves while growing up, getting tangled into all sorts of mischief together. Derek was her person, he knew all of her secrets and fears and worries, and she knew his. He was also a supportive figure in her life, having been with her every step of the way to adulthood, and someone she can always lean on.
So when the two of them got your acceptances into the same university, no one was really surprised that they were still going to be glued together as adults. While she was studying Cardiothoracic surgery and Derek was aiming to be a neurosurgeon, you both had some required classes and electives that overlapped with one another's – such as her 8:30 anatomy class.
Derek notices her approaching figure and he flashes a grin to her direction while she waddle past his knees to get to her seat and place his bag on the ground. "Good morning," he chirps in greeting,a littletoo happily for an (ungodly) 8:30 lecture.
"Morning," Meredith answer, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up against her seat and unravelling her blanket scarf to wrap around her shoulders.
Derek watches her unpack her clipboard and pen from her backpack, the corners of his lips twitching a little bit. "Are you really that cold?" He asks. "It'snotthat bad out."
Meredith narrow her eyes at him. "Can it, Mr. Radiator. Not all of us have high body temperatures like you."
He laughs in response, handing her one of the cups in his hands. "Here's your usual, Mer."
She can smell the aroma of coffee from within the cup; there's a PM scribbled on the side and she immediately decipher that to stand for peppermint mocha, her usual winter drink (its availability during winter was the only redeeming factor about the season). "Thanks, Der. I knew I could count on you." She smile.
Derek gives her another grin, his eyes curving into half moons as he extends a hand to ruffle the top of her head. She protest, mourning her once carefully brushed hair, and glare at him in response.
Ten minutes into the lecture and she huddle into her scarf. The heating was pretty much nonexistent in the lecture hall again and she make a mental note to ask the prof to send a word in to get the system fixed. While she were wearing layers, it was still frigid and made her writing hand stiff despite busily writing notes. Beside her, Derek doesn't seem to mind the lack of warmth in the hall, and she internally curse him for having a naturally high body temperature. In contrast to her layers, Derek wore a simple hoodie, dark jeans, and a black coat with buttons was hung on his seat. Ever since they were children, Derek never wore elaborate layers of clothing and he rarely got sick.
Meanwhile, she were the opposite and again, she curse his naturally high body temperature while shooting him a grumpy look.
Derek notices her glaring at him and he scrunches up his nose playfully, which shd ignore by returning her attention back to the prof's presentation slides. She was about to take a sip of her drink when Derek leans over to drape his coat over her lap with a gentle smile on his face.
Meredith adjust the coat so she feels snug and she turn to him, mouthing the wordthanks.
Derek responds by extending his left hand, pinching her right cheek affectionately, still smiling gently.
W A R M W I N T E R
Weekends meant that Meredith was free to roll into her blanket burrito and stay in it for as long as she wants and that particular weekend was no exception. With her work finished early, she was free to catch up on the dramas she had been saving during the busy week. And so she was in bed, rolled up in her favorite lavender comforter with her laptop, intently watching an episode of a weekly mystery drama she was a fan of.
The detectives in the drama are inching closer to catching the culprit when her cellphone rings, taking her attention away from the show. She grumble, pausing the episode and proceed to tap on the screen of her phone to take the incoming call.
"Hello?" She ask, tapping the screen again to activate its speaker phone mode.
"Hi Mer," Derek's velvety voice greets from the other side of the line. "Are you busy?"
"Busy watching my mystery drama, yes. I'm about to find out if Detective Han and Detective Jeon are going to catch the culprit from last week's episode of On The Run."
He laughs. "I'll take that as a no. Do you want to go out shopping with me?"
Meredith prop herself up on her elbows to glance out the window. As usual, it was gray and miserable out – nothing out of the ordinary for the season. "You're asking me inthisweather?"
A whine comes from his end and she can practically see him sticking his lower lip out, one of his usual tricks in his book whenever he wanted her to go outside with him. "Come onnnnn.Please?"
"Why don't you go ask Mark or Alex or something?"
"Everyone's studying or they're out."
"Oh. Well. That's too bad, I guess."
Derek whines again and she's pretty sure that he's making puppy eyes as he's on the phone with her at that moment. "I'll buy you whatever food you want to eat." He offers.
She wants to hold her ground and say no. But the promise of free food lures her in and shr curses herself for being weak towards the offer. Such is the weakness of a university student, really, especially one who was pre-Med. "Fine. Give me thirty minutes to get ready."
Derek's obviously grinning into the phone in victory as he replies. "Okay! Let me know when you're finished and I'll come get you."
The phone call ends and she groan, unrolling herself out of her cozy blanket burrito. Derek owed her, big time. Meredith wonder if he would be able to buy her meat for dinner.
Derek pulls up in his cherished black car at the sidewalk by her apartment building and she make a beeline for the vehicle door once she spot it, immediately opening and closing it shut once she were seated at the front passenger seat. She's bundled up in her warmest layers again, hat and scarf and all, and she grumble while buckling her seatbelt.
"Nice to see you too," he starts and she scrunch her nose.
"I can't believe you got me to come out in this ungodly weather," she answer and Derek laughs while he shifts the car from park to drive, continuing on the journey.
"You're always cold. Maybe you should start bringing a portable heater with you wherever you go." Derek suggests.
"I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not but I really think that's a good idea, to be honest. Now where are we going shopping? Please tell me it's indoors."
He grins mischievously. "We're going to our usual place. There's something I want to check out."
Meredith groan at his response. Their "usual place" was an outdoor shopping district with brick-and-mortar branches of various retailers and several large shopping malls. It was a nice place for shopping – when it was warm and sunny out. There were many attractions on the street, such as food vendors and purveyors of handmade, local items that tourists and locals alike examined intently.
In this chilly and gray day, she wasn't quite looking forward to being exposed to the elements while wandering around with Derek.
The drive to downtown goes surprisingly smoothly, despite it being the weekend and the roads being busy since everyone was out enjoying their free time. Derek manages to find an empty spot at a side street that was already mostly full with parked cars, forcing him to parallel park, and she thank the stars that she wasn't the one driving.
It takes two tries for the car to successfully fit with plenty of space and he lets out an accomplished "whoop!" upon placing the car back intopark.
"Only two tries," she remark, impressed, as she unbuckle her seatbelt. "That's pretty good."
Derek pretends to look offended. "I hope you're not downplaying my successful parallel parking."
Meredith reach over to pinch his cheek fondly. "Of course not. It would've probably taken me four tries."
The side street Derek had parked at was a short walk to the street where the stores were located. She stuff her hands into the pockets of her coat, following after her friend as he leads the way to the first store he was interested in. She reach the intersection, waiting for the crossing lights to activate and she shudder into her scarf.
"Damn it, it's freezing," she grumble beside Derek.
He chuckles, looping an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. As usual, Derek radiates warmth and smells like his favorite cologne; he smelled fresh yet woodsy, and Derek-y, and it was so comforting. "Still cold?" He asks softly, looking down at you.
She lean her head on his shoulder. "A bit."
The crossing light turns on and the both of them follow after the people ahead of them and she feel Derek giving her shoulder a warm, comforting squeeze as he keeps her close to him.