Running was fun. It was a good time. She liked to be next to Derek as they ran down the path. Just them. Just them in a perfect silence. And when they talked, it was the most comforting thing in the world. When they talked, she always felt a lot better. Yes, she was beginning to like the idea of running. Was. But not today. Definitely not today.
Meredith laid in her large bed. Her sheets were warm and soft. The breeze blowing in the window was heavenly as she smelled the flowers in the courtyard. It was later in the morning. Much later than she had been getting up. She was getting up to run. And today she had been laying there for hours. Perfectly awake, just listening.
Did it happen? She asked herself that so many times. Did she really kiss him? She did. She remembered. There was no forgetting it. She had never connected like that with a person in her life. Their bodies reacted to each other. She had never felt so hot or in touch with herself in her life. Yes, it was an amazing kiss. But yet she was hiding. She had to hide. She couldn't face him.
Derek woke up at his usual hour. He laid there listening for her. He was wondering if she was up. He wondered if she was going to meet him for their usual morning run. He was hoping not. After last night, he was still unsure how he would be able to control himself around her. So he listened. Silence. He finally got up.
As Derek ran down the path, all he could think of was her. Even from the beginning, he wanted to hate her. She and her smug little smile. And her perfect little ass. He wanted to just do his job. But that was impossible. He was learning that quickly. He could always feel something there. He wasn't sure if it was just on his end. But either way, there was an attraction.
As the house came in view, Derek started to panic. Derek Hanson never panicked. But Meredith Grey made Derek panic. How would he talk to her. He did know that it was going to be hard. The hardest. This was his job. He was risking his job. He was risking a lot. He could not do it. He simply had to stop all the thoughts and feelings he was having. She was forbidden. Period.
The kiss last night was amazing. He had never felt anything like it. He wasn't even sure what happened. One minute they were talking, then the next minute she was on him. He wanted her on him. The way her perfect little breasts felt pressed against his chest was enough to give him a permanent erection. They fit together perfectly. It was as if their bodies were moulded for one another. The taste of her sweet mouth was unforgettable. The way her fingers ran through his hair was amazing. Yes, this was going to be very hard.
Derek came in the door and pulled off his running shoes. He could hear Sofia and Tony talking in the kitchen. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but his own paranoid conscience was trying to convince him that they knew. They knew about the kiss. He tried to shake it out of his mind as he jogged up the large marble staircase. They couldn't know. There was no way. Unless they had cameras...
Meredith came down the stairs slowly. She didn't know where he was, but she wasn't looking forward to meeting up with him. She knew they would have to talk. There was no way that he could continue working here without them seeing each other. Eventually something would have to be said. Eventually.
"Meri... You finally get up!" Sofia said as she placed a plate of egg whites and toast in front of her.
"I was- Um... Tired. Very tired." She said quickly. [iSmooth. Very smooth...Dumbass.[/i
"That is generally why people sleep. Because they are tired." Tony said with a quick chuckle. "And by the way... I think I heard someone say Thatcher was coming home. You've been warned."
"Thanks." Meredith muttered as she picked at her eggs.
"Ah... Derek." Tony said as he glanced up at a freshly showered Derek.
"Morning." He said to everyone as he walked in. Meredith quickly dropped her head and looked at her food. This did not go unnoticed by Tony or Sofia.
"Here you go..." Sofia said as she sat his plate down on the table. She and Tony watched Meredith and Derek. One would look up and the other would look down.
"What is going on here?" Sofia asked as she looked at the two of them.
"Oh... Meri made a fool of herself last night at Pappagallo." Tony said smugly. "She was quite vulgar. She ruined Derek's date."
"Oh. Shame you you!" Sofia said as she smacked her with a towel.
"So aren't you guys going to kiss and make up?" Tony asked with a laugh.
"Kiss?" Meredith said quickly.
"I hardly think that that would be-" Derek started nervously.
"Relax! I meant figuratively." Tony said with a laugh. "You two are definitely... Odd." He said as he walked towards the door. "I have to run some errands."
"And I must clean your father's office." Sofia said as she marched out of the room.
They both sat there in a silence. An uncomfortable silence. Neither wanted to be the first to talk. Neither wanted to make excuses for what happened. Neither really regretted it, l but they could never admit that.
"So last night was-" Derek finally said, breaking the silence.
"A mistake." Meredith said with a big sigh.
"Yes! A huge mistake." Derek answered with an exuberant nod.
"Yes, huge." Meredith agreed.
"It was just tired. And I guess my brain wasn't functioning." Derek pointed out nervously.
"Me too. Me too. I think I was just- A lot happened. I'm not sure-" She stammered.
"It was the potato pudding." Derek laughed.
"Yeah. It's an aphrodisiac. Never again." She replied quickly.
"Yes. No more potato pudding." Derek said with a chuckle. "So we're-"
"Good. Yes... We're good." She told him with a grin.
"It doesn't have to be awkward. It was just a mistake." Derek said quickly.
"Exactly." Meredith answered as she took a bite of her toast.
"So we're-" He started.
"Friends. Just friends." Meredith said with a smile.
"Yes. Friends." Derek replied with a cheesy grin.
Derek was laughing in his head. Friends. Not that they couldn't be friends. That wasn't what was funny. He could do friends. He could do friends well. Very well. He could hide his feelings from her. No, the funny part was that she suggested it. That she admitted they were friends. She said friends. This was a huge thing. When they were friends, they were not. And now she said they were friends. So what did that mean?
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"So... Do you have anything planned today?" Derek asked as he walked up to Meredith.
"Nothing planned. But I have to get out of this prison." She said frankly.
"Well, I'm here. To take you. Obviously." He said as he shook his head.
"I don't know what I want to do..." She said with a shrug.
"Shopping?" Derek asked quickly.
"I am actually not fond of shopping." Meredith replied with a giggle.
"Hmm... Well, I think you know the area better than I do." Derek said with a laugh.
"We could go to that cafe in Parma. Maybe stop at one of the parks. Anything to get out of here." Meredith said with a shrug.
"Fine with me..." Derek said with a shrug. "Are we picking up Franco?" [iSay no! No! No! No! You ass, he is her boyfriend. Job. This is your job.[/b
"Franco? No. No, I don't think so. Besides, I think he is busy today." Meredith said quickly. [iI hope her is. Because I'm not calling him...[/i
"Well, I guess I will pull the car around." Derek said with a smile.
"Sounds good." Meredith agreed with a nod.
Meredith smiled as she stood she stood there. It would be awkward. She knew that. But she really did have to get out of the house. Anything to get out of there. Anything to get away from there. She quickly walked out the front door as Derek pulled the car up.
"So... Have you ever been to Parma?" Meredith asked as she looked over at him.
"No. When would I have time?" Derek replied with a laugh.
"Well, I guess you're right. But you are going there now." Meredith said with a giggle.
She sat there silently as the wind blew through her hair. Derek looked so in control of the car. He looked like he was made for the BMW as he gripped the steering wheel. Her eyes travelled down to his feet on the pedals. No one had ever made driving so sexy.
"I lied." Meredith said quickly.
"You lied? Lied about what?" Derek asked as he glanced over,
"You're a good driver. You don't drive like an old man." She said with a chuckle.
"Oh... Now we are complimenting me?" He asked with a grin.
"No. I just..." Meredith trailed off.
"I like to drive. And I like cars. My dad always had a thing for cars. He had a 1965 Mustang that he completely restored." Derek explained.
"Oh. That's... Interesting." She finally said.
"You don't have an interest in cars..." He said with a laugh.
"I've never driven." She told him frankly.
"You've never driven?" He asked in shock. "Ever?"
"No. I have never driven. My dad never let me. I always wanted to." She said with a shrug. "But it's fine..." She said simply. "What are you doing?" She asked as he pulled over.
"Letting you drive." He said with a smirk.
"No! No... I can't- I can't drive. I can't- I don't know how." She said as she sat planted in the passenger seat.
"I am going to teach you." He told her with a smile as he began to open his door.
Meredith watched nervously as he walked around the front of the car. She had never driven anything. She had always wanted to, but her father insisted that she not drive. What was the reason? They had drivers. They had people to do that. He considered it an unnecessary thing in life. Especially for his daughter.
"Climb over." Derek said as he opened her door.
"No. Derek... I don't-" She started.
"Come on... Live a little." He told her as he nudged her gently.
"But what if I kill us?" She asked with concern as she climbed over to the driver's seat.
"Then we'll be dead." Derek said with a shrug. She looked like she was ready to cry. "I'm kidding... You will be fine." He told her reassuringly.
"You're sure?" She asked nervously.
"Yes. Now turn the key and start the car." He said with a smile. She quickly started the car and looked over at him.
"I'm scared." She said as she put her hands on the steering wheel.
"Don't be scared." Derek said as he rubbed her arm. "Okay. Put your foot on the clutch."
"Clutch? I didn't bring my clutch." She said nervously.
"That pedal there... That is the clutch." He laughed as he pointed to it. "Everything has to be fluid. Clutch, gas, clutch, brake. Fluid or you will stall. You have to shift the gears. This is a sports car. It isn't automatic."
"Okay." Meredith nodded as she looked over.
"No one has passed us for miles. You are in the middle of no where. You will be fine." Derek told her with a nod. "Okay. Foot on the clutch. Gently press down on the gas, and let your foot off of the clutch." Meredith did as Derek said and the car jumped forward and stalled.
"Okay. Let's try again." Derek said as he shook his head.
"No. I can't. I can't do this!" She huffed.
"Meredith. All your life people have told you that you can't do things. You can do this. Look at me. You can do this. Do what I told you." He said softly.
Meredith followed Derek's instructions and the car went forward. He had never seen a bigger smile on anyone's face. It was as if she accomplished something great. Derek had a feeling that for the first time in her life, she had actually done something. Rather than giving up, or someone giving up on her she had succeeded. And he had never been prouder. As they drove down the road, Derek was shocked at how easily she picked it up. Before he knew it, she was driving down the road like she had for years.
"This is fun!" She said happily as she glanced over. And she looked at him, the car went in the same direction.
"Whoa! Whoa... Look at the road." Derek said quickly as they made a curve on the country road.
"No one has ever given me the chance." She giggled. "How can you not want to do this all of the time?"
"Because I have been doing it for almost eight years. You will always remember your first time." He said happily.
"You're right about that!" She said with a laugh. "You were my first!"
"Hmm... Your first." He laughed along with her.
"Who was your first?" Meredith asked as they drove.
"My dad. It was my dad. I was fifteen. In that Mustang." Derek said with a smile.
"Do you still drive that Mustang?" Meredith asked as she looked over at him. "I mean when you're at home."
"No. No... We had to sell the Mustang. It helped send me to college." Derek said sadly.
"Oh..." Meredith replied with a frown. "Do you miss it? The car?"
"I do." Derek said with a nod. "But everything changes."
"For you. But not for me." She told him frankly.
Derek watched her. There was something about her. For having everything, the littlest things made her happy. It didn't take much to delight her. At this moment, she was in control. This was one of the few times that she was in control of something. Of herself. It made him happy to see her this way. It made him so happy that he wished he could do this everyday. He just wanted to see her happy.
"So when are you going to college?" Derek asked as he looked over at her.
"Oh... Uh... College. I don't think I will. I can't really- My father has never said anything and I just-" Meredith went on sadly.
"Well, you can't go to med school without college. So you better start thinking about it." Derek pointed out.
"I'll never be a surgeon. It's just a dream. That's all it is..." She said with a shrug.
"Meredith. If you want to be a surgeon, you need to be a surgeon. You are the only one that can do what you want. No one will do it for you." He said frankly. "You should. You could do it. You will do it."
"Maybe..." She said with a nod. "We're getting close to town."
"Yeah. You better pull over." He said with a nod. Derek watched as she concentrated and pulled the car to the side.
"So how did I do?" She asked with a grin as she looked over at him.
"You, my dear, did very well." He said with a smile as he looked over at her.
"Because I had a good teacher." She said softly as leaned in towards him.
Derek looked into her bright green eyes. They were so deep. So full of so many emotions. He could see everything so clearly. The hurt she felt was right there in the front. But covering that up was happiness. She was so excited over her new accomplishment.
Before her knew it, their lips collided. Derek could taste her sweet tongue in his mouth. She let out a moan as he ran his fingers through her soft honey blonde hair. He leaned forward and put her hand on the back of his head. Derek quickly pulled away.
"Figlio di puttana!" (Son of a bitch!) Meredith said loudly as she turned away. "Minchia." (Shit.)
"Friends." Derek said wide eyed.
"I know. Crap. It was the excitement. I'm sorry. Too much excitement." Meredith said as she looked straight ahead.
"You're right. The excitement. That is exactly what it was. We have to be dull. No more excitement." Derek said with an exuberant nod.
"Yes. Dull. Here, you need to drive now." She said as she quickly pushed the door open. They passed each other awkwardly at the front of the car.
"Okay. Parma." Derek replied with a nod.
"Yes. Parma. I am starving." Meredith told him as they sped off.
"Yes. Food." Derek agreed as he looked at the road.
"No potato pudding." She clarified.
"Definitely no potato pudding." Derek agreed.