Light shined through the curtains hitting a sleeping Meredith in the face. She didn't feel the protective, hairy arm over her side like usual so she turned and felt the other side of the bed. It was empty and cool. Looking at the bathroom door she found it wide open and the bathroom empty. She slowly trotted down the stairs and to the kitchen. There she saw Derek standing over the stove with pancake batter in a bowl next to him.
He looked up from the pan and smiled. "Good morning,"
"No, a good morning is one where I wake up with your arm around me," she pouted.
Derek turned down the heat of the stove and walked slowly over to Meredith. He put one hand behind her head and one on the small of her back and dipped her down. She burst out into a fit of laughter as he pressed his lips firmly to hers.
"Am I forgiven?" he asked standing her upright. She shrugged, stifling a smile. He grabbed her waist and brought her as close to him as possible and planted another firm kiss on her lips. "Happy thanksgiving," whispered Derek against her lips.
"Happy thanksgiving," grinned Meredith. "In the spirit of the holiday, I'll forgive you. Just feed me."
"Yes ma'am," Derek smirked, kissing her one last time before turning his attention back to his pancakes.
Meredith sat in the chair on the island. "I am so glad I'm not going to be sucked into the cooking this year. I will miss thanksgiving with your family though," Meredith said sadly.
"We're going out with Mark, Addie, and Cristina, so that's part of our family."
"I guess so," sighed Meredith. "I'm so happy we got the day off…I'm just exhausted."
"Me too," Derek breathed. "What do you want to do all day? We're meeting up at four so we still have about eight hours..."
"I was thinking of staying in bed all day," she purred.
Derek took the pancakes off the pan and sat next to his wife. "I like that idea," he smiled. He cut a piece of pancake and stuck it in her mouth, smearing syrup over her lips in the process. Leaning over, Derek kissed her firmly on the lips, letting his tongue dart out to lick the syrup. "You taste good," mumbled Derek against her lips.
Letting out a small giggle, Meredith moved her chair closer to Derek's and secured a hand in his raven locks, holding their lips together. His kisses moved down her neck, around to the other side before meeting her lips again. He let out a groan as her lips moved to his earlobe, gently nipping on it and pulling with her teeth. Derek pulled his wife into his lap so that she was straddling him. He slid a hand under her shirt, snaking it around her waist before reaching his other hand up under her bra.
"Breakfast can wait," she muttered, reaching for his sweats.
"Breakfast can definitely wait."
***
A few hours later Meredith sat in her Columbia t-shirt and a pair of Derek's flannel pajama pants. Derek sat behind her dressed similarly with his arms wrapped around her mid-section. He breathed in the sent of her wet hair.
"I like this," breathed Meredith, leaning her head back on Derek's shoulder and smiling.
"What?"
"This. Having time to just sit. We haven't spent that much time together since we started work."
He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. "It will get better. I promise," Derek assured her.
"I hope so."
Derek turned his head and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. The red numbers read three o'clock. He frowned. Slowly, he rubbed the side of Meredith's leg. "We gotta go," he whispered in his wife's ear.
Meredith frowned and turned over to get out of her husbands grasp. "Can't we just eat turkey sandwiches naked in bed?" she pouted.
"As much as I love that idea, no."
She huffed, before reaching for her clothes in the closet.
***
Derek pulled their car into the restaurant parking lot. Stepping out he quickly walked around the car to open the door for Meredith. "Such a gentleman I married," she mocked as he grabbed her hand.
"You love it."
She shrugged and led him into the restaurant. They spotted Mark and Addison sitting at a table for six in the corner and walked over to them.
"Hey," smiled Addison, embracing her friends.
"Hey Derek, Mer," Mark smiled, leaning in to hug Meredith.
"Markie," she giggled.
"Oh come on," he groaned, sitting back in his chair. "How many times do you insist on calling me that?"
"Until I get bored," shrugged Meredith.
"Why are there six place settings?" Derek asked.
"Cristina is bringing someone," Addison shrugged.
"Cristina?" Meredith questioned. "I know she's sleeping with someone but I didn't know it was 'bring him to thanksgiving' serious."
"Who is it?" Mark asked.
"Burke," Meredith shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me much…and to think after I told her all about my rampages with an old guy…"
Addison giggled. "Aw come on, Derek's not that old."
Derek frowned. "Thanks Addison and, I am not old!"
"Of course not," she smirked, squeezing her husband's thigh.
He leaned closer to her. "Wait until tonight and I'll show you how old I am," he hissed in her ear, sending chills down her spine. She smirked, pecking him on the cheek quickly.
"I'm here," Cristina announced, Preston Burke following behind her like an obedient puppy. "Stop the gushy."
They sat down, Meredith now between Derek and Cristina and Burke sitting to her other side beside Addison.
"You brought our boss to thanksgiving dinner?" Meredith hissed as Burke became engaged in a conversation with Mark and Derek.
"He's my… he's Burke. He had no where else to go…what was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know…what am I supposed to call him?"
"I call him Burke," shrugged Cristina.
"I know Addison calls him Preston…"
"Just stick with Burke."
They ordered their dinner and ate it, conversation flowing uncannily smoothly. Before long the hours dragged on and Meredith began to yawn.
"We better go," Derek said. "We've got work first thing in the morning."
"Sane here," Cristina nodded.
"Okay," said Addison.
Mark and Addison offered to pay the bill and the group walked out to the parking lot to say their goodbyes. Once Meredith and Derek were in the car, Derek took his wife's hand, rubbing it softly with the pad of his thumb.
"How was this thanksgiving?" Derek asked.
Meredith shrugged. "It kinda reminded me of the one I spent with my mother when I was ten…we went to a restaurant…but it was much better."
"Good," he smiled.
"You know…you still have to punish me for calling you an old man…" she smiled seductively.
"I do remember that," grinned Derek. "If you're not too tired…"
"I never am."
