Meredith glare at Derek as she's at the front passenger seat, watching him cheerily hum a song from The Clash with his attention on the road in front of him. From the back seat, Mark notices the turn of her head and he laughs.
"Give it up, you're stuck with us now," the Plastics student says.
Meredith slump in her seat, sulking. "I hate you guys. Mark, you're getting coal if I get your name for the gift exchange this year."
Mark sounds offended. "What? Why me? It should be Derek."
Derek shoots Mark a surprised look through the rearview mirror. "Me? What did I do?"
Cristina shakes his head, not quite buying the boy's reaction. "You're done for by the time we get out of this car."
She nod in agreement. "You are exactly right that someone is done for once we get to our destination."
Mark, Alex, and Cristina snicker from the back at the emphasis and Derek sends a pout to her direction, which she expertly ignore. "Eyes on the road, please." She order, snapping her fingers.
"Okayyyyyyy."
The four of them were crammed into Derek's car while the other guys from their Pre-Med classes were divided into other vehicles. Derek and Mark had showed up at her door early in the morning while she was half-asleep after a long mystery drama marathon from the day before and had told her (more like ordered, really) to get dressed to go out with them – with breakfast provided courtesy of Mark's new paycheck as a part-time Butler.
What they didn't tell her was that they were goingice skatingoutsideuntil you were all on a speaker phone call with Mingyu, who had spilled the beans by accident, as the car sped down the highway to your destination. This outdoor ice skating venue was big (a quick online search said that it apparently it occupied 1,900 square meters) and popular – it was an hour drive from where you lived and had hundreds of people visiting daily, hence the early departure in the morning. The venue also had various food stalls and displays and events to help encourage people to go outside and enjoy the winter-themed festivities.
The boys all knew that she hated going outside during the season. Yet this was their attempt to help her get some activity and "exposure to the outside world", as George called it, instead of letting her stay in her blanket burrito at home.
(Meredith firmly believe that George has no right to tell her that when he and Preston sleep half the day away in their weeks off.)
When Derek's car pulls up to the parking lot, the vicinity is still relatively bare and he manages to find a vacant space between Izzie's and George's vehicles. Once the car was safely parked, all passengers and drivers from all vehicles pile out at once. Meredith shiver into her red plaid blanket scarf as everyone makes their way to the entrance of the venue.
"Aww, you made it!" Cristina, who was with George's group, chirps upon seeing her and she extends a hand to pat her shoulder playfully.
"Well, I was forced to go," she correct. "I was promised breakfast and here I am, out in the cold."
Derek immediately finds his way to her side, linking his arm with hers. "Don't be so negative, ice skating will be fun."
"Until I break my neck."
"You won't!" Derek assures, smiling down at her. "I'll be with you the whole time, I promise."
Meredith finds his words a bit reassuring but she poke his chest with her finger. "You better or else I'll tell your mom that you're being mean to me."
"Hey!"
There's an few dollars entrance fee that covers skate rental and shoe lockers, which Derek covers for her since he was partially responsible for getting her out of her apartment. After everyone changes into their skates and stores their shoes away, the group makes their way to the relatively empty skating rink. The others split up, leaving her and Derek to form a pair and he leads the way near the solid barricades of the rink.
"Here's what we'll do," he begins. "We'll stay close to here until you feel more comfortable, okay? I'll help you out."
Meredith nod; she had confidence in Derek guiding her since he'd done this numerous times growing up. He turns around to face her, holding his arms out. Meredith place her hands on his arms and she begin to take her first wobbly steps on the ice.
Derek places his hands on her elbows as he slowly skates backwards to pull her along with him. She stare down at the ground intently, pushing her legs to glide on the ice. She doesn't know how long the two of them skate like so until Derek speaks up.
"Look up," he suggests. She does as she's told and find him beaming. "Look where we are now."
She turn her head around and blink. She had been so intent on looking down at the ground that she didn't notice her progress with Derek. From starting at the beginning, she had (miraculously) made it almost halfway around the rink. She look up and stare at Derek with wide eyes and he smiles at her with his bright blue eyes.
"What do you think? It's not that bad, isn't it?"
"Well…" she start. She haven't fallen down or broken any body parts yet so maybe that was a good sign. "I guess not."
"Here, try it on your own." Derek offers. He loosens his hold on her elbows and she yelp in panic, her grip on his arms tightening.
"Derek!" Her voice rises almost to a wail and he laughs.
"It's okay! I'm kidding, see, look I'm holding on to you again." Derek's hands are on her elbows again and she muster up a glare at him.
"You are definitely getting coal for the exchange gift if I get your name," she huff.
He lets out another laugh at that statement. "Are you rea –whoa!"
Derek's eyes widen in panic as he wobbles and she gasp, her hands immediately moving on their own to grab him in an attempt to help stabilize him on his feet. The distance between the two of them grows smaller and she blink at the suddenly close his face was.
In the 20 years she's known Derek, she never really noticed how handsome he was.
Maybe it was because she always saw him practically every day that she never realized how well defined his features were and how good looking he really is. He looks down at her with bright blue eyes, raven curls falling on his forehead, and his lips slightly parted in surprise. It sinks in to her that the Dorky little boy from her childhood had grown up to be someone undeniably attractive – So that explains all the glare and glances stolen and given to them and you whenerver they walk together.
"Gotcha," Derek breathes and she gape at him.
"W-what?"
"I going to test you for part two of our skating lesson."
Meredith cast him a confused look. "Which is…?"
The corners of his lips twitch upwards. "Learning how to fall."
W A R M W I N T E R
she realized something wohooo. aren't you exited about their romance? cuz i am. I'm currently writing the last chaoter and the epilogue.
Review make my day!