I'm back!
Guys, I know I'm a terrible writer for leaving behind this story and Hope in favor of Storm, but trust me, Storm needs my full attention. Like my thesis. And my final exams. I will finish this one, don't worry, even if it might take a while.
Title for this one is Leif Erikson by Interpol. And boy if it's the perfect song for this one. And Interpol are sexy enough to guarantee a honor spot in this chapter. Prepare a fan towards the end, even if it's snowing outside! ;)
Chapter 25 – Like Braille To The Night
When she was a teenager, Meredith always considered the girls who swooned over all the guys in boarding shorts coming out of pools in those weird commercials silly. When she saw Derek exit the crystal clear water of the Mediterranean at the Elba, she finally understood their fascination.
Man if she was glad her cheeks were already ruby red at this point!
He grinned, as soon as he neared their beach umbrella, grabbing a towel in the process. "Damn, it's cold." He bent, allowing her to study anatomy using his body.
Derek had turned her into a swooning teenager with a crush.
The thing that took her breath away for good, though, were his eyes. His incredibly clear, overly blue eyes. There had always been some kind of veil of sadness over them, their sparkle never this evident. It was plain as day that he was happy, and Meredith had no idea what to make of it.
He shook his head all over her like a dog, sprinkling her with still-cold salt water, making her giggle madly as she came back from her reverie.
The towel went to his hair then and the afro finally made an appearance. Meredith laughed harder, unable to contain herself. He looked like the most mischievous little boy, and she loved it.
Him—she definitely loved him too.
"Come here," she sighed, smiling as she stood in front of him, trying to tame his lion's mane of hair.
He grinned broadly, humming in delight as her fingernails ran through his scalp. "It's a hopeless fight, you know."
"I know," she nodded, but kept kneading his hair nonetheless.
Derek smiled, taking advantage of their proximity to count all the freckles on Meredith's nose for the umpteenth time. Her skin had darkened a little, the tomato red having been replaced by a delicious shade of almond, and her tan lines were still easily detectable now that she was in a bikini.
He knew he needed all his self-control not to jump her right then and there in the middle of the beach. He heard the squeal of a child, which only furthered his motivation.
He leaned in for a kiss. Soft, quick, gentle.
"Hi." He smiled against her lips.
"Had a good swim?" she replied, her fingers now interlocked at the nape of his neck, their foreheads practically touching.
"I kinda missed you out there when you left."
"I was getting pruny!" Meredith giggled. "You told me to go soak up some sun."
"I know, but I still missed you." He enveloped her shoulders with his arm and tucked her against his bare chest. Their bodies melted into one another as he kissed the top of her head, breathing her in.
"You smell different," he sighed, disappointed-but-not.
"It's the sea. My hair is a shade lighter too."
"You still look beautiful."
Meredith giggled; the puffs of air tickled his chest as he squeezed her playfully against him.
"You can stop with the flattery you know, you already sang me the whole happy birthday song thing this morning. You're good."
Derek shook his head, his lips on her hair again.
"Can I take you out to dinner tonight, for one more flattery moment?" he blurted, feeling a little self-conscious about it.
Meredith rolled her eyes, pulling away from him a little. "Derek, we're staying in a bed and breakfast. We have to dine out."
"Somewhere special, I mean." He gave her his secret smile, and saw her cave a little. "Please; I have no birthday present for you but this."
"Fine." Meredith smiled, her whole face lightening. Her eyes sparkled green with not even a hint of gray there, but rather specs of gold shimmering in the sunlight.
"Also, if you wear a sexy dress, it will be a present for me as much as it is for you."
He smirked, as she slapped his chest, her giggle ringing in his ear.
"This is too much." Meredith sighed, staring mesmerized at the view of the port and the lights of a lone boat shimmering at the horizon.
"You know I have a thing for ferryboats?" he asked, oblivious to her comment as he pulled the chair out for her. The table was set on a terrace looking straight towards the sea, the calm breeze cooling down the otherwise hot day and permeating their noses with the smell of seawater.
"No, you never told me that." She smiled, letting her black dress blow around her. The slit in the skirt exposed her thigh for a second, forcing Derek to take a deep breath.
Derek sat in front of her as the waiter brought them their menus and lit the candle between them. Meredith studied the selection for a second, and then sighed.
"Thank you for this."
"Happy birthday, Mere."
Meredith grinned brightly, hiding her rosy cheeks behind the menu. She studied her choices, the hum of the people around them and the waves crashing ashore providing the perfect soundtrack.
Derek had picked a small but sophisticated restaurant, which appeared to be family run. He fell in love with the idea of giving her a candle-lit dinner, even if they were just tea lights, and she looked delighted to be there. A little nervous, maybe, but delighted nonetheless.
"You know, I think I'll go in blind," Derek announced, slapping the menu closed. "Tonight's special, whatever it is."
"Can we get some fried calamari rings for appetizers? Tell me we can share their fatty gloriousness..."
"Oh, you have plenty of space for fat, but yes, we totally can," Derek chuckled, studying her closely.
Meredith sighed blissfully, reading the menu.
"Okay, I give in. Shrimp and zucchini linguine."
"Sounds delicious." Derek grinned. "I really hope that's not tonight's special, that way I can taste some of yours."
He winked just in time: the waiter came back to take their orders, quickly and efficiently, leaving one of the menus on the table for the desserts.
"Wine?" Derek prompted her at the last minute, having just remembered.
"I feel like red tonight. I know fish almost requires white, but...red."
"The lady wants red," Derek smirked, to a very amused waiter.
"Anything specific?" the waiter asked kindly.
"Whatever you have on the house is fine."
"A quarter, half-liter or the bottle?"
"Make it the bottle." It was Meredith's turn to be bold, and the waiter grinned. "Hey, is it my birthday or not?"
Derek chuckled, as their waiter disappeared back inside with their orders.
Meredith smiled, her whole face softening, as she reached out to squeeze Derek's hand. "We can finish it up as we watch the ferries later."
He stared at her, enchanted by her beauty, as she fidgeted with her napkin, unfolding it and moving it onto her lap. She raised her gaze, and Derek could have gotten lost in the intensity of her eyes.
"You look breathtaking."
She blushed again. "You know, when you're a fancy doctor you should wear suits every day."
Derek chuckled, self-consciously smoothing down the lapel of his jacket. "I'm not sure I'll ever be fancy, you know?"
Meredith smiled softly. "Why not?"
"Because I'm not a shark like other people I work with. I like to do things right, with kindness and passion, and sometimes that's not enough to get the coolest surgeries."
"You know what my Italian nanny used to say in a situation like this? It's the quietest water that breaks the bridges. I bet I'll study your articles by the time I'm an intern."
Derek laughed. "So you'll go to medical school, then."
"Sometimes I'm sure of it, I can see things so clearly, other times I keep doubting myself." Meredith shrugged. "I do know that you'll be in journals at some point, though. It would be a shame not to put that face on the cover of a magazine."
Her brazen comment made him laugh so hard he almost cried, yet he loved how relaxed they were with one another, how easily everything looked between them.
Her pasta arrived shortly after, together with his cacciucco, – a tomato and fish soup with toasted bread – which made both of them salivate. Meredith didn't hesitate to take more than one bite from his bowl, and he didn't mind.
As a second course, they split a fresh roasted bream and ate some of the best roasted potatoes ever made. Their conversation was light and easy, both of them wanting to enjoy the night. Sometimes, during a lull, Derek reached out to take Meredith's hand, rubbing circles on the back with his thumb and enjoying the smile blossoming on her face.
He was sure he'd never forget how brightly she smiled in that restaurant.
"So, it's not really a birthday without cake," he hinted, raising his eyebrows at the waiter, who came back with a slice of chocolate cheesecake.
Meredith laughed loudly when she saw the single pink candle stuck in the middle of the slice, already lit. The lights of the terrace dimmed, plunging it into almost darkness, with only the tea lights brightening the night. Derek's smile was the brightest of them all.
"Tanti auguri a te! Tanti auguri a te! Tanti auguri a Meredith, tanti auguri a te!" The waiter sang with a decent tune. Derek backed him up with the English version of the song, and Meredith was sure other people were singing in German as well. She felt happy tears coming into her eyes.
"Make a wish," he whispered, as people clapped and cheered and wolf-whistled.
Meredith closed her eyes, a gentle smile on her lips, and blew out the candle.
"Happy birthday," Derek repeated for the millionth time that day, before he pulled her in for a slow kiss.
She smiled against his lips. "Thank you for the great birthday, Derek."
"My pleasure." He grinned, before kissing her again.
"Wanna go see some ferries?" Meredith suggested, her hand still on his jaw, keeping him close.
His eyes sparkled in agreement.
Derek paid for dinner as Meredith picked up their wine bottle, now more than three quarters empty. She felt herself buzzing from the wine, but she was sure that happiness was also a factor.
She was twenty-two, and she had never felt more free.
They moved down to the beach, took off their shoes, and walked hand-in-hand towards the shore, stopping at the last line of folded beach chairs, standing quietly on the shore for a moment.
"Wanna sit down?" Meredith asked, looking sideways at Derek.
"Aren't you going to ruin your dress?"
She shrugged, plopping down on the beach. "It's just sand."
Derek mimicked her, a sly smirk on his face. He pulled his hand out of his jacket, revealing a deep red rose. He smiled like a little boy as he handed it out to her.
"Stop it, this is too much!" Meredith protested weakly.
Derek shook his head slightly. "Nonsense. The Pakistani man was way too nice not to buy a rose from."
Meredith laughed. "It's the last thing for today, though."
"So I can give you this tomorrow as a non-birthday gift?" He chuckled, pulling a small box from his pocket.
"Derek, – "
He practically shoved the gift in her hand, holding both of them in his for a moment. "You deserve the world, Meredith. I would give it to you if I could. Stop complaining."
She faked a pout, though he could see she was blushing. She studied the blue box with fascination then pulled the silver ribbon carefully, slowly freeing the lid.
"Oh, Derek," she sighed, touching the simple necklace, pushing back her tears.
"I know you don't do jewelry."
"No, Derek, it's beautiful. It's really beautiful." She traced the contours of the silver pendant, trying to keep her voice from cracking too much.
"I picked a star. I hope you like it."
"I love it."
"It's just...It seemed like fate to meet like that, and I want you to remember this trip, whatever happens."
Her heart squeezed in her chest. "Thank you," she said simply, kissing him deeply. She had no idea how to express her gratitude otherwise. "Help me put it on," she said, making Derek smile widely.
He secured the necklace around her throat and she snuggled against his chest and stared at the sea. Her fingers touched the smooth metal as their breathing fell into synch, both reveling in the quiet of the night.
"We forgot glasses." Derek broke the silence, eliciting a loud giggle from Meredith.
She picked up the bottle and brought it to her lips, taking a long sip, and giggling even more. "Who needs glasses?"
Derek laughed, taking the bottle from her slender fingers.
They kept sipping wine and sharing stories, laughing and kissing well into the night, as small boats and cruise ships passed by, the lights of the shore twinkling in the darkness.
The buzz of the wine kept them happy, cuddling close to one another. They decided to get back to their room after midnight, walking back hand in hand, their lips touching every few steps.
Derek pinned Meredith against the door as soon as it was closed, sliding his hand along her thigh as he kissed her, long and slow.
"God, I've been waiting all night to do this."
Meredith giggled, slipping his jacket off his shoulders and untucking the shirt from his pants, not breaking the kiss until they were breathless.
"Next time, pick a venue with less people, so you can feel me up."
Derek laughed into her neck, leaving a trail of quick kisses. She giggled, undoing the buttons on his blue shirt until it dropped to the floor. Her dress met the same fate a few minutes later, leaving both of them only in their underwear.
They kept kissing against the wall, their bodies meshing as close as their clothes allowed them to, before Derek picked Meredith up and carried her the few steps to the bed, lips never leaving one another's. He laid her down, moving his kisses all over her body and watching as she squirmed and sighed and blushed.
They locked eyes for a long moment, as Meredith tugged at the hem of his boxers, pulling them down an inch.
"Meredith, – " Derek gasped, breathing deeply when her fingers grazed his already tenting crotch, before his boxers were discarded somewhere at the foot of the bed. "Do you want me to stop?" he breathed, hovering over her.
"No." Meredith's voice shook at the magnitude of the moment, but Derek mistook it for hesitation.
"I can stop."
"Don't." Meredith's reply was firmer this time, her legs wrapping around his hips and pulling him closer as she sealed her fate
Their kisses became hungrier and hungrier as their hands explored more and more flesh, their breath erratic, the distance between them insignificant. Derek admired all her curves, wanting to memorize them and match them with the image of her in a bikini, and yet, the visual was much more vivid. He felt like an explorer on uncharted territory: exhilarated and terrified to do something wrong.
She felt her hips press against him, almost like a signal. Her signal.
He took off her bra and hovered over her, exposing her breasts to the moonlight. He tested their weight and fit before pressing kisses all around her nipples, trying to give equal attention to each one before his fingertips could flick and tease her even more.
"Please," she moaned, already begging for release, for this to never end.
The only thing she could see clearly was his hair, but she could feel him everywhere: on her body, in her mind, all over the place. He was making her dizzy with want and with an overload of feelings.
Derek took his time to explore as much of her skin as he could; he could feel Meredith doing the same with her hands, trying to ground herself as his lips traced paths unknown to any lover before him. When he kissed her behind her ear, she wriggled under him, seeking a deeper connection, craving more.
He smirked as he moved down the plane of her abdomen, his tongue swirling around her belly button, before kissing along the line of her black panties, eyes filling with mischief as he finally touched her most intimate secret through the fabric.
"You're killing me, here," he growled, but damn, what a way to die!
He discarded her panties, taking a second to admire her, thighs opening to offer him front row seats to all that she had to give.
He slid his finger over her moist center, almost reverently, and her hips flew up in the air, her moaning for more, more, more.
Derek pressed fleeting kisses all over her inner tights, avoiding the V in between; all the while his thumb played with the swollen nub at the top, giving her an express ticket to insanity.
She could be free-floating for all she knew, because the only body parts she could feel were the parts that he was touching, the nerves he was awakening.
Derek slowed his rhythm, giving her time to catch her breath, and kiss him again, before he finally moved his kisses where they both wanted him: tasting her, getting lost in her with his tongue and his fingers as her body begged him for a release, trying to pull him closer and closer in every way she still could control.
He nipped and flicked and sucked and licked and pushed his fingers into her in an endless but calculated cycle, until Meredith felt herself on the edge of a cliff. She was ready to fall, head first, and couldn't care less.
"Derek," she moaned, begging for release. He smirked before the world exploded in her head, blurring her vision and making her whole body shake under his touch; she was in Derek-induced zero gravity.
She felt him crawl up and hold her gently in his arms as she recovered, her breath still erratic. His body grounded her when she knew she'd be like a lost balloon otherwise.
"Happy birthday, Mere," he whispered, kissing the crown of her head. Meredith laughed in response, and he joined in.
The laughter died on his lips as he felt her lithe fingers wrap around his length, touching with the same maddening gentleness he had used on her. If this was payback, he was more than ready to cash in.
"Thank you," Meredith whispered, stroking him.
He was so taken by the feel of her hand on him that he totally missed the recovery of her faculties until she was straddling him, feet hooked under his hips, bottom over his thighs, hand never leaving him.
She picked up a condom from his wallet on the nightstand, her smile playful and dazzling, then opened it and positioned it over him.
"It's my birthday. I'm the one calling the shots here. This isn't over, Shepherd."
He tried to laugh, he really did, but they were both breathless and turned on; the joke got lost in the primal sounds as their mouths met.
They shared an intense look, a look that bought Derek the necessary second to gather his wits and flip them over, pinning Meredith on the mattress. She squealed, taken aback, but their eyes locked again in a matter of seconds. She spread her thighs wider, hooking her hands at the nape of his neck and kissing him until there was no more space between them.
They could do nothing else but join their bodies then, their kiss barely broken as she adjusted to his presence inside her.
If this didn't feel like home, Meredith had no idea what did. And that scared her half to death.
She had no time to dwell over it, however, because the intensity of Derek's gaze pulled her back with him, exactly where she wanted to be.
He wanted to move slowly, to savor their very first connection, but their passion got the better of them, and before they knew it, he had lifted up her hips with a pillow and hooked her legs at his hips, while he moved with as much rhythm as he could muster during this overwhelming sensory experience that was Meredith Grey.
Derek knew they were making love, because this, this was not sex. Heck, he had always defined making love as what he had done with Rose – maybe because she has always pushed him to call it so – and if that came from Mars, what he was doing with Meredith was from Venus for sure.
She was the real thing, and it only fueled him more, only made him more conscious of the fact that he would never forget her by this point. He never could.
He watched her moan and beg through his own hooded eyes, asking for a faster tempo, a deeper connection, and he tried to deliver, without rushing the inevitable end of this bliss.
Meredith was sure her nails had left crescent moons on his back and shoulders by then, if not worse, as he moved inside her like a relentless tidal wave. She asked for more, and that's what he gave her; it seemed that the more she asked, the more he could give.
When she was teetering on the brink once again, it was his fingers that made her snowball into release. He lifted up her knees, hooking them around his ribcage, and then with only a couple little flicks she came undone, Derek following right behind her with a few rocks of his hips.
They remained suspended in time, their minds blank, their bodies entangled as the aftershocks of their release reverberated through them, their tense muscles now relaxing and softening under more delicate touches.
Their eyes locked, filled with exhaustion and bliss, their sweaty bodies interlocking as their heat dissipated. They could feel the breeze filtering from the window, making Meredith shiver just for a second.
There were so many things to say, to clarify, to point out, but it all seemed too much right then and there, almost as if it would disrupt the magic if they spoke.
And so Meredith lay beside Derek with her head over his heart, her hand on his forearm, and his lips firmly planted on the crown of her head, as they rejoiced in their blinding bliss, their issues forgotten.
"Sleep?" Derek was brave enough to whisper the single word.
"Sleep," Meredith confirmed, and their eyes closed before one of them could add more.
Okay, this? This didn't have to happen right here. It had to happen like in three chapters. And yet they're in bed together. I swear they made me. They are pretty stubborn, these two.
So, I hope you appreciated the fan alert, and that it was worth it! And the wait!
Please, keep being patient, juggling three stories is hard, I hope you can understand. And if you haven't read the new Storm update, go check it out!
PS: Remember that if you have a birthday in a restaurant in Italy and you actually blow the candles there, perfect strangers are going to sing. Or at least are going to watch you and clap afterwards, be prepared! ;)